The Forest Whispers My Name III » stem cells

Researchers Agree On Future Of MS Stem Cell Research

pmb — Sun, 09 May 2010 00:57:11 +0000

Nature Reviews Neurology published an international consensus on the future of stem cell transplantation research for people with MS, paving the way for more coordinated global research efforts and potentially better, and quicker, patient access to stem cell clinical trials.

The guidelines, which have been written and approved by some of the most well respected international MS researchers, as well as MS Societies from around the world, spell out hope for the future of MS stem cell research and debunk myths about overseas stem cell clinics claiming to cure the condition.

Professor Gianvito Martino from the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy, and Professor Robin Franklin from the University of Cambridge, UK, are lead authors for the guidelines, which:

- outline the promise stem cell transplantation has shown in early stage clinical trials and ways they could be used to treat MS in the future

- describe the different types of stem cells that might be used to treat different types of MS

- detail methods of delivering these stem cell therapies into patients

- highlight best practice in conducting clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of stem cell therapies in MS

A stem cell public information booklet “Stem Cell Therapies in MS” produced in partnership by MS Societies from the UK, USA, Italy, France and Australia and the MS International Federation summarises the guidelines for people affected by MS.

Researchers have agreed that stem cells are likely to have a significant role to play in the treatment of MS, but also warn that expectations should be realistic.

Professor Gianvito Martino said: “At this stage it is unreasonable to claim that stem cells are a magic cure for MS. It is, however, likely that they will one day play an important role in treating the condition.”

Professor Robin Franklin added: “It is only by working together will we get the answer as to whether stem cell transplants hold promise in the treatment of MS. The guidelines will help the research community get to that answer more quickly than we would by working in isolation.”

The guidelines are the result of an international stem cell consensus meeting held in London in May 2009 organised by the MS Society in the UK and USA, and supported by MS Society of Italy, France, Australia and the MS International Federation.

Dr Jayne Spink, Director of Policy and Research at the MS Society in the UK, said: “The MS Societies around the world are in a unique position to facilitate co-ordination and collaboration regarding international stem cell research. This should help the research to progress more quickly.”

She added: “We have coordinated the production of these guidelines along with the public information booklet to provide accurate information that should help counteract the confusion caused by unscrupulous stem cell clinics falsely marketing MS cures.”

Source
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain

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Multiple Sclerosis Patient Finds Hope Through Stem Cell Treatment

pmb — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:51:10 +0000

SEOUL, Korea, /PRNewswire/ — RNL Bio Co., Ltd, a leading biopharmaceutical company specialized in adult stem cell therapeutics announced today that a 46-year-old female, Kang Sook Park’s Multiple Sclerosis improved tremendously after receiving stem cell treatment.

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease in which the nerves of the central nervous system degenerate. MS can cause problems with muscle control and strength, vision, balance, feeling, and thinking. MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When the myelin sheath is damaged, nerve impulses slow down or stop responding. From the many symptoms of MS, numbness or abnormal sensation in any area is predominant.

For the past 20 years, Park suffered from MS. For stem cell injection, she was admitted into Choyang Hospital of Regenerative Medicine in Yanji, China for three weeks. She received stem cells intravenously as well as intrathecally. The injections were given in five intervals — a total of 1.2 billion cells.

Prior to stem cell treatment, Park suffered from Optic Neuritis — a common symptom of MS. Some of the symptoms of Optic Neuritis include double vision, vision loss, and uncontrollable rapid eye movements. She was not able to recognize any writing due to her vision loss. After six months of receiving stem cell therapy, Park experienced phenomenal changes. Her vision improved drastically — she was able to read. Furthermore, it also became possible for her to move her legs using her own muscular strength.

“My legs felt like hollow logs. They were so numb and stiff. However, after receiving stem cell treatment, I can actually feel my legs. I can also tell the difference in cold and warm temperatures. Stem cell therapy brought incredible changes to my physical condition,” stated Kang Sook Park.

Park also added, “Receiving stem cell turned my life around. I feel like I am reborn. The fact that I am in this condition brings me new joy. I love the fact that I no longer need anyone’s help to get from place to place. I would like to share my experience to others who may have this rare disease. I want to let others know that they can find hope through stem cell treatment, just the way I did.”

Dr. Chang Won Kim reported Park’s EMG findings before and after the stem cell treatment. “Patients who have an uncommon disease such as MS rarely show improvement or are completely cured. EMG results showed that Park’s movement increased both in upper and lower limbs. Reduction in latency suggests that demyelination was also improved. It is extremely difficult for MS patients to use their own strength to even make small movements in the arms or legs. These changes in Park were possible through stem cell therapy.”

President and CEO of RNL Bio, Dr. Jeong Chan Ra expressed, “The effective outcomes from stem cell treatment for rare diseases like Multiple Sclerosis can be used in the future. I will do my best to help improve the quality of life for people who are suffering from diseases like MS.”

SOURCE RNL Bio Co., Ltd

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Adult Cell Self-Renewal Without Stem Cells? Yay!

pmb — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:37:45 +0000

Left: Bacteria (in green) “eaten” by dividing macrophages.

Is the indefinite expansion of adult cells possible without recourse to stem cell intermediates? The team led by Michael Sieweke at the Centre d’immunologie de Marseille Luminy has shown that this is the case by achieving the ex vivo regeneration of macrophages, specialized cells in the immune system, over several months.

Published in Science on November 2009, this discovery could be applied to other cell types. This research enables a clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying cell differentiation, but above all raises many hopes for potential therapeutic applications.

The regenerative medicine of the future will be based on replacing damaged cells and repairing deficient organs, notably through the use of stem cells. Indeed, these cells are able not only to proliferate indefinitely but, in theory, to supply all types of cells to the human body. However, the processes that allow the passage from adult (rather than embryonic) cells to stem cells (“reprogramming”) are complex and full of risk, as are the processes necessary for the “retransformation” of stem cells into adult cells. The question then arises: might it not be more simple to generate the cells required without passing through the stem cell stage?

Scientists at the Centre d’immunologie de Marseille Luminy have studied a specific cell type: the macrophages⁽¹⁾. In most cases, when cells have acquired a specialized function (e.g. brain neurons, muscle cells, macrophages for the immune system, etc.) they cease to proliferate and normally remain “blocked” in this state until they die. Thus macrophages, which are key actors in the immune response, are usually incapable of proliferation. The team of CNRS and INSERM researchers led by Michael Sieweke has nonetheless been able to generate mouse macrophages in vitro thanks to a genetic modification that inactivates the transcription factors⁽²⁾ called MafB and c-Maf. Furthermore, once reinjected into the animal, these modified cells behave normally: they do not form a tumor, and they perfectly perform the tasks expected of an adult macrophage, such as ingesting bacteria and secreting the chemical agents capable of killing them.

This CNRS and INSERM team in Marseilles has thus found how to re-initiate the division of specialized cells. In addition, they discovered that MafB and cMaf inactivation led to the activation of two of the four transcription factors (c-Myc and KLF4) recently identified as being able to convert almost all adult cells in the body into stem cells. Although this study provides a clearer understanding of the mechanisms of cell differentiation, above all it provides hope in the application of this method for the amplification of specialized cells to other cell types. These findings suggest that a passage via stem cells may not be necessary to enable the regeneration of cells and the repair of damaged tissue.

Notes:

(1) Macrophages are large cells that intervene in immune processes by destroying cell debris and microorganisms by means of a process called phagocytosis, an immune defense mechanism that notably allows macrophages to “eat” foreign particles such as bacteria, cell debris, dust particles, etc.

(2) Transcription factors are proteins that regulate the expression of genes by activating or inhibiting them. During embryonic development, cells diversify and specialize into different cell types; this is the process of cell differentiation.

Current Mood: hyper

BrainStorm Stem Cell Therapy Technology Possesses Promising Potential For The Future Treatment Of Multiple Sclerosis

pmb — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:15:09 +0000

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB:BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, is pleased to announce that the company’s therapeutic approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases, particularly ALS and Parkinson’s disease, was found to have a positive effect in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

In a scientific paper published in the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, Professors Melamed and Offen’s team from Tel Aviv University studied the effectiveness of human bone marrow derived stem cells induced to differentiate and secrete neurotrophic factors (NTF-SC) as compared to the use of non-differentiated stem cells in a mouse MS model.
“This study demonstrated that the transplantation of the NTF-SC, based on our novel differentiation technology, resulted in a delay of disease onset and increased animal survival in the mouse MS model to a greater extent than transplantation of the non-differentiated stem cells.

It was shown that the NTF-SC modulate the immune system and protect neuronal cells from toxic insults. The positive results in the mouse MS model indicates that our new technology may serve as a possible approach for the treatment of MS,” commented Professor Daniel Offen, Brainstorm’s chief scientific advisor.
“This study demonstrates that Brainstorm’s approach for differentiating bone marrow stem cells into NTF-SC, may provide an effective strategy not only for the treatment of ALS and Parkinson’s disease but also for the treatment of MS,” said Rami Efrati, CEO of Brainstorm.

“As we approach the start of clinical trials for ALS, the Company and its scientific team will continue to study how our technology can be further utilized in the treatment of MS as well as other neurodegenerative diseases.”The complete study and scientific paper can be read here.

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