Adoptive T cell therapy involves the isolation and ex vivo expansion of tumor specific T cells to achieve greater number of T cells than what could be obtained by vaccination alone. The tumor specific T cells are then infused into patients with cancer in an attempt to give their immune system the ability to overwhelm remaining tumor via T cells which can attack and kill cancer. There are many forms of adoptive T cell therapy being used for cancer treatment; culturing tumor infiltrating lymphocytes or TIL, isolating and expanding one particular T cell or clone, and even using T cells that have been engineered to potently recognize and attack tumors. Our approach has been to utilize T cells taken directly from the patients blood after they have received a cancer vaccine. We have found by priming rare tumor antigen specific T cells first, with active immunization, we are much more able to expand those T cells in the laboratory to greater numbers for therapeutic infusion. A unique aspect to our approach for adoptive T cell therapy is the use of tumor specific CD4+ Th1 cells which may enhance anti-tumor efficacy. Adoptive T cell therapy strategies have largely focused on the … Continue reading →

Biology and Applications of CRISPR Systems: Harnessing Natures Toolbox for Genome Engineering Wright, AV; Nunez, JK; Doudna, JA Cell 2016-01-14 17.02 | Jan 18 Genome Editing Technologies for Gene and Cell Therapy Maeder, ML; Gersbach, CA Mol Ther 2016-01-12 17.02 | Jan 18 Deciphering CD137 (4-1bb) Signaling in T-Cell Costimulation for Translation into Successful Cancer Immunotherapy Sanchez-Paulete, AR; Labiano, S; Rodriguez-Ruiz, ME; Azpilikueta, A; Etxeberria, I; Bolaos, E; Lang, V; Rodriguez, M; Aznar, MA; Jure-Kunkel, M; Melero, I Eur J Immunol 2016-01-15 17.02 | Jan 18 Current Status of Treating Neurodegenerative Disease with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Pen, AE; Jensen, UB Acta Neurol Scand 2016-01-08 17.01 | Dec 11 Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma: Is There a Future? Dhakal, B; Vesole, DH; Hari, PN Bone Marrow Transplant 2016-01-04 17.01 | Dec 11 Stem Cell-Based Therapies to Promote Angiogenesis in Ischemic Cardiovascular Disease Hou, L; Kim, JJ; Woo, YJ; Huang, NF Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2015-12-18 17.00 | Jan 4 Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma: Is There a Future? Dhakal, B; Vesole, DH; Hari, PN Bone Marrow Transplant 2016-01-04 17.00 | Jan 4 Preclinical Modeling of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Advantages and Limitations Stolfi, JL; … Continue reading →

Meridian, Miss. Meet Champ, a 5 year old cocker spaniel who is full of life and love, but suffers from a ligament tear that hinders his mobility. Rather than have an invasive surgery which would require pain medications, Champs owners decided to go for an innovative procedure that will use his own cells to help heal and improve the tear. We are not going inside the joint per say or that kind of reconstruction, we are going to go inside the joint just to inject cells back in the joint, so that the body is allowed to use its own repair system to repair that ligament, explained Veterinarian Dr. Wayne Adams. Stem cell procedures previously took several days to complete, from extracting the cells and mailing them off to a lab, but now all of this can be done in house. We can digest the tissue, extract those dormant cells, and then we activate them with platelet plasma and low level laser light and then those cells are reintroduced back into that same pet in places of ailment, stated Trey Smith, Medivet Biologics. Stem cell procedures are becoming more mainstream in veterinary and human medicine, and are being used to … Continue reading →

Celgene Cellular Therapeutics (CCT) is at the forefront of cell therapy research and development. Our lead cell therapy candidates are derived from healthy, full-term placenta, a remarkable organ shared by mother and baby. From this immunologically privileged source, we have generated novel cell therapy candidates with immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, angiogenic and reparative properties. CCTs placenta-derived adherent cells (PDAC cells) have been extensively characterized (see our Publications) and display multiple activities including the ability to stimulate natural repair processes, with the potential to transform the treatment of a broad range of serious debilitating diseases including autoimmune, vascular and neurodegenerative disorders. Specific formulations of PDAC cells are our lead clinical candidates PDA-001 (intravenous) and PDA-002 (intramuscular), currently in clinical trials for Crohns disease, Peripheral Artery Disease with Diabetic Foot Ulcer and other indications. Cell therapy research teams focus on the discovery and early development of novel cell-based therapeutics. We have developed a portfolio of unique clinical candidates with broad therapeutic potential, including human placenta-derived stem cells (HPDSC), natural killer (NK) cells and amnion-derived adherent cells (AMDAC cells). We are industry leaders in adult stem cell isolation, cell culture, characterization, functional interpretation and translational medicine. Our state-of-the-art in vitro, preclinical and translational biology approaches … Continue reading →