“Latest Stem Cells News”

DaVinci Biosciences LLC, of Costa Mesa, CA, announced today the presentation of their safety and feasibility study demonstrating the administration of autologous bone marrow derived stem cells for the treatment of acute and chronic spinal cord injury at Neuroscience 2009, Society for Neuroscience’s 39th Annual Meeting, to be held at McCormick Convention Center in Chicago, IL. Rafael Gonzalez, Ph.D., Director of Research and Development for DaVinci Biosciences LLC will present the work during the conference on October 20, 2009 and be available to answer questions regarding the study, following his presentation.

“We are excited to share the findings of this study in such a public forum. This study successfully demonstrates not only the safety and feasibility of using autologous adult stem cells for treating spinal cord injuries, but also that the clinical procedure for delivering these cells is safe as well,” said Dr. Gonzalez.

The abstract highlights data from 8 patients that underwent the treatment which used stem cells harvested from the patients’ own bone marrow to side step any immune rejection response, and features the documented evaluations from a 2 year post surgical follow up period. Furthermore, it illustrates new data obtained from 46 patients that participated in the study using stem cells harvested from the patients’ own bone marrow. Magnetic resonance imaging data of the spinal cord, obtained from those who were treated, shows morphological changes within the damaged areas. In addition, this study documents the improved function of bladder control, ASIA motor scoring and Barthel scoring.

“Although this study was successful, we will build upon the results that we have achieved and the methods we have developed to progress into a larger clinical program. Responsibly, but timely developing ways to improve the quality of life for those affected with injuries or diseases, such as spinal cord injury, is the core of our mission and we are optimistic about the opportunity of conducting future studies in the US,” said Dr. Gonzalez.

from http://www.dvbiosciences.com/

Neuralstem Inc. has received the green light to begin the first human stem cell trial to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The company’s stock soared on the news.

Neuralstem has only received approval for the first stage of the trial that would consist of 12 patients who will receive stem cell injections in the lumbar area of the spinal cord.

Neuralstem said the trial will be under the direction of principal investigator Dr. Eva L. Feldman, Director of the University of Michigan Health System ALS Clinic and the Program for Neurology Research & Discovery. Feldman called the trial a major step forward in the treatment of ALS. “In work with animals, these spinal cord stem cells both protected at-risk motor neurons and made connections to the neurons controlling muscles. We don’t want to raise expectations unduly, but we believe these stem cells could produce similar results in patients with ALS,” Dr. Feldman said.

from

http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/09/21/daily7.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/americasRegulatoryNews/idUSBNG36053620090921

Ning Zhang, PhD

An injectable hydrogel could aid recovery from brain injury by helping stimulate tissue growth at the site of the wound, researchers say.
Research on rats suggests the gel, made from synthetic and natural sources, may spur growth of stem cells in the brain (…)

Researchers say the advantage of the new gel, which is injected into the injury in liquid form, is that it can be loaded with different chemicals to stimulate various biological processes.

First, Dr Zhang used it to help re-establish a full blood supply at the site of a brain injury in rats, potentially providing a much more friendly environment for donor cells to thrive.
Then, in follow-up work, she loaded it with immature human stem cells and the chemicals they need to develop into fully fledged adult brain cells (…)

from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8233209.stm

Dr. Feng Lin, Director of Research at Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. (OTCBulletinBoard: BMSN) and Entest BioMedical Inc., today stated that he believes that an effective new therapy for “traumatic brain injury” (TBI) using autologous “adipose-derived” stem cells represents a potential cure for TBI. According to Dr. Lin, both Bio-Matrix and Entest BioMedical are now studying the “therapeutic effect of fat stem cells on traumatic brain injury-associated brain ischemia and inflammation and replacement of damaged neurons with neuron cells differentiated from fat cells.” Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. and Entest BioMedical Inc. recently submitted a research summary proposal to the U.S. Army with a goal of funding traumatic brain injury treatment research. BMSN is a San Diego-based biotechnology research and development company. Entest BioMedical Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMSN. Entest is focusing on stem cell research applications, as well as testing procedures for diabetes.

“Currently there is no effective therapeutic approach to reverse the initial brain damage caused by trauma,” stated Dr. Lin. “Brain cells or neurons have limited ability for self-repair and spontaneous axonal regeneration. Extensive studies have been focusing on novel therapeutic strategies for traumatic brain injury. In my opinion, adipose-derived stem cells could possess the capacity for self-renewal and differentiation into diverse cell types such as neural cells. We could be looking at an exciting and potential cure for traumatic brain injury patients.”

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when an external force injures the brain. TBI is a major cause of disability and death worldwide, but especially in young people. Causes include vehicle accidents, falls, violence, as well as explosive blasts in battle fields. In the U.S., approximately 1.5 million new TBI cases occur each year, adding to the almost 6.5 million cases that are permanently affected by the irreversible physical, cognitive, and psychological defects associated with TBI. The total annual economic impact of TBI is approximately $60 billion.

Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston announced this morning it has done the nation’s first stem cell transplant to successfully treat a stroke patient.

The patient came to the hospital last Wednesday, too late to receive clot-busting drugs to treat the stroke, according to a news release about the procedure. So doctors decided to try a therapy they are investigating as part of a clinical trial with the University of Texas Medical School at Houston: using stem cells from the patient’s own bone marrow. The adult stem cells — not controversial embryonic stem cells — came from marrow in the patient’s leg. The theory of how they work is that the stem cells migrate to the area of injury in the brain to do repairs, according to the release.
“The patient is recovering remarkably well and has not shown any signs of paralysis,” the release says. “He remains in the hospital under observation, but will be discharged later this week.”

New hope in treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, an incurable neurological disease, which is particularly frequent in former soccer players, may come from stem cells. Nicholas Maragakis and his colleagues from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine in Baltimore in the United States, have successfully conducted an important experiment in mice. In a study published in the online edition of ‘Nature Neuroscience’, the American researchers transplanted precursor cells called astrocytes, which function as support cells for neurons, into the mice with ALS. This allow the mice to survive for much longer.

ALS, pointed out the authors, is caused by the degeneration and death of so-called motor neurons, which are nervous cells that send signals to muscles to move. Recent research has demonstrated that astrocytes, belonging to the family of glial support cells, could be struck by the disease. Based on this concept, Maragakis’ team tried to treat an animal with ALS by transplanting early astrocytes.

The cells managed to survive in the spinal cord and the mice, although they did not heal completely, were able to survive much longer than normal. The beneficial effects, specified the scientists, require the presence of a particular transport protein in the precursor astrocytes: a scavenger protein able to remove excess glutamated neurotransmitters, a substance that is involved in the development of ALS, from motor neurons tied to astrocytes.