Category Archives: Mesenchymal Stem Cells

On This Page For years, the cornerstones of cancer treatment have been surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Over the last decade, targeted therapies like imatinib (Gleevec) and trastuzumab (Herceptin)drugs that target cancer cells by homing in on specific molecular changes seen primarily in those cellshave also emerged as standard treatments for a number of cancers. Illustration of the components of second- and third-generation chimeric antigen receptor T cells. (Adapted by permission from the American Association for Cancer Research: Lee, DW et al. The Future Is Now: Chimeric Antigen Receptors as New Targeted Therapies for Childhood Cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 2012;18(10); 278090. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-11-1920) And now, despite years of starts and stutter steps, excitement is growing for immunotherapytherapies that harness the power of a patients immune system to combat their disease, or what some in the research community are calling the fifth pillar of cancer treatment. One approach to immunotherapy involves engineering patients own immune cells to recognize and attack their tumors. And although this approach, called adoptive cell transfer (ACT), has been restricted to small clinical trials so far, treatments using these engineered immune cells have generated some remarkable responses in patients with advanced cancer. For example, in several early-stage trials … Continue reading →

Adult (Somatic) stem cells are unspecialized cells that are found in different parts of the body and, depending on the source tissue, have different properties. Adult stem cells are capable of self-renewal and give rise to daughter cells that are specialized to form the cell types found in the original body part. Adult stem cells are multipotent, meaning that they appear to be limited in the cell types that they can produce based on current evidence. However, recent scientific studies suggest that adult stem cells may have more plasticity than originally thought. Stem cell plasticity is the ability of a stem cell from one tissue to generate the specialized cell type(s) of another tissue. For example, bone marrow stromal cells are known to give rise to bone cells, cartilage cells, fat cells and other types of connective tissue (which is expected), but they may also differentiate into cardiac muscle cells and skeletal muscle cells (this was not initially thought possible). Hematopoietic stem cells that give rise to all blood and immune cells are today the most understood of the adult stem cells. Hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow have been providing lifesaving cures for leukemia and other blood disorders for … Continue reading →

The stem cell research division of the Tisch MS Research Center of New York proudly announces Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of autologous, mesenchymal stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells (MSC-NPs) as an Investigational New Drug (IND) for an open label, phase I clinical trial in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Approximately 20 progressive MS patients, recruited from the existing patient population of the International Multiple Sclerosis Management Practice (IMSMP), will be initially enrolled. The Tisch MS Research Center stem cell trial is the first of its kind in the United States, and incorporates the following key advantages: This FDA approval is the culmination of more than a decade of research into the therapeutic potential of stem cells for MS patients and confirmation of the pioneering approach adopted by the Tisch MS stem cell research team led by Saud Sadiq, MD and Violaine Harris, PhD. The proof-of-concept of this approach was demonstrated in the EAE animal model of MS (Harris et al., J Neurol Sci, 2012). This study showed compelling evidence of the therapeutic potential of intrathecal MSC-NPs in mice with clinically established EAE, which modeled their potential benefit in patients with progressive MS. Pathological findings from the EAE study … Continue reading →

Welcome to the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF, one of the largest and most comprehensive programs of its kind in the United States. In some 125 labs, scientists are carrying out studies, in cell culture and animals, aimed at understanding and developing treatment strategies for such conditions as heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, Lou Gehrigs disease, spinal cord injury and cancer. While the scientific foundation for the field is still being laid, UCSF scientists are beginning to move their work toward human clinical trials. A team of pediatric specialists and neurosurgeons is carrying out the second brain stem cell clinical trial ever conducted in the United States, focusing on a rare disease, inherited in boys, known as Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease. Others are working to develop strategies for treating diabetes, brain tumors, liver disease and epilepsy. The approach for treating epilepsy potentially also could be used to treat Parkinsons disease, as well as the pain and spasticity that follow brain and spinal cord injury. The center is structured along seven research pipelines aimed at driving discoveries from the lab bench to the patient. Each pipeline focuses on a different organ … Continue reading →

Founded in 2009 by Nobel prize winner Professor Sir Martin Evans and Ajan Reginald, former Global Head of Emerging Technologies at Roche, CTL develops life-saving and life altering regenerative medicines. CTLs team of scientists, physicians, and experienced management have discovered and developed a pipeline of world-class regenerative medicines. Sir Martin Evans' unique expertise in discovering rare stem cells led to CTLs innovative drug discovery engine that can uniquely isolate very rare and potent tissue specific stem cells. This exceptional class of cells is then engineered into unique disease-specific cellular regenerative medicines. Each medicine is disease specific and forms part of CTLs world-class portfolio of four off the shelf blockbuster medicines all scheduled for launch before 2020. The products in late stage clinical trials include Heartcel which regenerates the damaged heart of adults with coronary artery malformations and children with Kawasaki Disease and Bland White Garland Syndrome. In 2014, Heartcel reported unprecedented heart regeneration clinical trial results and is scheduled to launch in 2018 to treat ~400,000 patients worldwide. Myocardion is in Phase II/III trials and treats mild-moderate heart failure affecting 10 million patients worldwide. Tendoncel is the worlds first topical regenerative medicine, for early intervention of severe tendon injuries, and … Continue reading →

PURPOSE: The effective management of fistulas in patients with Crohn's disease presents an extremely challenging problem. Mesenchymal adult stem cells extracted from certain tissues, such as adipose tissue, can differentiate into various cell types. Therefore, we have tried to use such cells to stimulate healing of Crohn's fistulas. We designed a prospective Phase I clinical trial, involving five patients with Crohn's disease, to test the feasibility and safety of autologous stem cells transplantation in the treatment of fistulas. We also studied the expression of various cell markers and the growth rates of the lipoaspirate-derived cells that were used for transplantation. One patient was excluded because of bacterial contamination of cultured cells. We inoculated nine fistulas in four patients with autologous adipose tissue-derived stem cells at Passage 3 or earlier. Eight inoculated fistulas were followed weekly for at least eight weeks. In six fistulas, the external opening was covered with epithelium at the end of Week 8, and, thus, these fistulas were considered healed (75 percent). In the other two fistulas, there was only incomplete closure of the external opening, with a decrease in output flow (not healed; 25 percent). No adverse effects were observed in any patient at the end … Continue reading →

There are many types of stem cells that are undergoing research and which are producing knowledge about their potential use in treating MS. Many of these studies involve adult mesenchymal (pronounced messENkimmul) stem cells, which are present in many tissues of the body, including bone marrow and fat (adipose tissue). These cells are being tested for their ability both to treat immune disorders and promote tissue repair. Further study is necessary to determine what kind of cells might prove optimal for treating some or all people with MS. Stem cell therapy, even in the controlled setting of a clinical trial, carries the possibility for substantial risks. Anyone who is considering enrolling in a clinical trial should evaluate carefully the potential adverse events that will be outlined in the informed consent form that trial participants must sign. HSCT to Reboot the Immune System: One type of procedure that has been explored for several years in MS is called autologous hematopoietic (blood cell-producing) stem cell transplantation -- or HSCT. This procedure has been used in attempts to reboot the immune system, which is believed to launch attacks on the brain and spinal cord in people with MS. In HSCT, these stem cells … Continue reading →

Gene therapy and cell therapy are overlapping fields of biomedical research with the goals of repairing the direct cause of genetic diseases in the DNA or cellular population, respectively. These powerful strategies are also being focused on modulating specific genes and cell subpopulations in acquired diseases in order to reestablish the normal equilibrium. In many diseases, gene and cell therapy are combined in the development of promising therapies. In addition, these two fields have helped provide reagents, concepts, and techniques that are elucidating the finer points of gene regulation, stem cell lineage, cell-cell interactions, feedback loops, amplification loops, regenerative capacity, and remodeling. Gene therapy is defined as a set of strategies that modify the expression of an individuals genes or that correct abnormal genes. Each strategy involves the administration of a specific DNA (or RNA). Cell therapy is defined as the administration of live whole cells or maturation of a specific cell population in a patient for the treatment of a disease. Gene therapy: Historically, the discovery of recombinant DNA technology in the 1970s provided the tools to efficiently develop gene therapy. Scientists used these techniques to readily manipulate viral genomes, isolate genes, identify mutations involved in human diseases, characterize … Continue reading →

Abstract Purpose: In Graves' orbitopathy (GO), inflammation and expansion of the retrobulbar tissue are the result of a pathophysiologic process in which orbital fibroblasts (GO-Fs) are considered the central cell type. However, in a previous study we observed that GO-Fs expressed some of the consensus surface markers described for mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC). In this study, we further elucidate the stem cell characteristics of GO-Fs by comparing them with orbital fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Methods: We enriched primary human GO-MSCs and GO-Fs simultaneously from the same retrobulbar fat biopsies obtained during decompression surgery of GO patients. The biological characteristics of donor-matched GO-MSCs and -Fs were compared along criteria that define MSC: fibroblast-like growth, MSC surface marker profile, multilineage differentiation potential, and immunomodulatory functions. Results: Application of a standardized isolation and expansion protocol yielded GO-MSCs, which showed plastic adherent fibroblast-like morphology and proliferated and produced hyaluronan similarly to GO-Fs. Both GO-MSCs and GO-Fs expressed orbital fat-derived stem cell surface markers CD29, CD44, CD71, CD73, CD90, CD105, and CD166 and were negative for CD31, CD34, CD45, CD146, and Stro-1 after ex vivo expansion. Further, GO-MSCs and GO-Fs displayed adipogenic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, myogenic, and neuronal differentiation, although GO-Fs with a lower capacity. In … Continue reading →

Formerly Orthopedic Stem Cell Institute We put the power of your own body to work for you. Our team of board certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic and spine surgeons work with patients from around the world using the newest and most advanced technology to treat orthopedic injuries and bone and joint pain, as well as relieving symptoms and improving the lives of patients with a multitude of illnesses. The Premier Stem Cell Institute is a leading research and treatment facility in Colorado providing the most innovative and proven techniques and therapies using the bodys natural healing power of stem cells. A stem cell is a basic cell constantly produced by your body to heal injuries, build new skin, even grow your hair. However, your body wont refix a chronic injury or illness by continuing to attack it with new stem cells unless those cells are extracted and reintroduced into your body via stem cell therapies. We are a leading research and treatment facility providing the most innovative and proven techniques and therapies using the bodys natural healing power of stem cells. Our services are performed by fellowship-trained surgeons using the most state-of-the-art equipment and technology in the field.All stem cell treatments are … Continue reading →