by admin | Feb 29, 2016 | Stem Cell Research, Studies
Scientists have identified a new way to treat disorders of the brain using stem cells. Their proposed technique is particularly promising because of the ability of stem cells to cross the blood brain barrier, a barrier that has posed challenges for other drug candidates.
A recent review published by Rutgers University’s Pranela Rameshwar and colleagues supports the notion that stem cells, and particularly, mesenchymal stem cells (or MSCs) may be great drug delivery vehicles for people with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and certain forms of brain cancer. Therapies that are currently used suffer a number of limitations that could potentially be overcome by stem cell delivery of drugs.
Not only are several drug substances unable to cross the blood brain barrier, but drugs can also have unwanted toxic effects because it is difficult to specifically target their action to the areas where they are needed. Stem cells can help ensure that drugs are delivered specifically to the brain, and perhaps even to the specific parts of the brain where the drug could be helpful. The use of stem cells could also circumvent the need to perform highly invasive surgical procedures to address neurological diseases.
Though different types of stem cells could theoretically be used to deliver therapies to the brain, mesenchymal stem cells appear highly valuable because research has shown them to be safe. Unlike other forms of stem cells, MSCs do not tend to form tumors and also preferentially migrate to parts of the brain in need of new tissue. An additional advantage of MSCs is that their use is not subject to the same ethical scrutiny as some other stem cells. Now that the therapeutic potential for MSCs has been identified, relevant research efforts will undoubtedly increase, with the hopes of translating this promising therapeutic approach into practice.
Learn about the use of adipose stem cells to treat brain injury here.
Reference
Aleynik, A., Gernavage, K. M., Mourad, Y., Sherman, L. S., Liu, K., Gubenko, Y. A., & Rameshwar, P. (2014). Stem cell delivery of therapies for brain disorders. Clin Transl Med, 3, 24. doi: 10.1186/2001-1326-3-24
by admin | Feb 3, 2016 | Stem Cell Research, Studies
More research recently published in Brain Research titled “Intravenous transplantation of bone marrow-derived mono-nuclear cells prevents memory impairment in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.” shows how stem cell therapy may be a promising technique for preventing the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Because of the potential for stem cell therapy to help in neurological disorders, it is already being used in clinical trials for certain afflictions, such as stroke. Here, the scientists demonstrate how the implantation of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMMC‘s) can both reduce the deposits of Amyloid-β (Amyloid beta), the protein that characterizes Alzheimer’s disease, as well as improve memory in a mouse model of the disease.
“Together, our results indicate that intravenous transplantation of BMMC‘s (bone marrow-derived mono-nuclear (stem) cells) has preventive effects against the cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease model mice and suggest a potential therapeutic effect of BMMC transplantation therapy.”
Amyloid beta, which is observed in the brains of those with forms of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, has previously been shown to lead to cognitive deficits. Many attempts to develop preventions and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease have thus targeted this specific protein. However, none of these efforts have yet been clinically successful. Our growing understanding of stem cells and their therapeutic applications has opened up a promising new avenue for Alzheimer’s disease research.
The researchers chose to specifically use BMMC‘s because of their heterogeneity and because they are relatively easy to purify and do not requiring culturing. They implanted these cells in DAL mice, which have mitochondrial dysfunction similar to that observed in Alzheimer’s disease. In these mice, BMMC‘s prevented the aggregation of Amyloid beta and led mice to perform as well as normal mice in a spatial and learning and memory task. Impressively, these effects were observed even when cognitive decline had already begun in DAL mice.
This research strongly supports the idea that stem cells could help prevent the physiological and behavioral manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease. As research moves into the clinical phase, the specific ways that stem cells can aid in dealing with this devastating disease.
Learn more about stem cell therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.
Reference
Kanamaru, T. et al. (2015). Intravenous transplantation of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells prevents memory impairment in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Research, 1605, 49-58.
by admin | Nov 21, 2015 | Multiple Sclerosis, Stem Cell Research, Studies
At 6 months post-treatment, neurological improvement or stabilization was observed from all (99) patients in the study except one.
In their recently published study, Long-term outcomes of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning in multiple sclerosis: physician’s and patient’s perspectives, published in the Annals of Hematology Journal, Shevchenko et al. describe the effects of an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) with high-dose immunosuppressive therapy (HDIT) on 99 patients with multiple sclerosis. That the stem cell transplantation is autologous means that the stem cells derive from the patient’s own body, and the stem cells being hematopoietic indicates that the stem cells give rise to blood cells.
The idea for this type of therapy for multiple sclerosis has stemmed from the fact that multiple sclerosis is characterized by nervous system inflammation. Because inflammation results from activities of the immune system, it has been thought that targeting the immune system to reduce its activity could improve symptoms of the disease. More specifically, this particular combination therapy, using AHSCT and HDIT, has been aimed at destroying the immune system and rebuilding a separate system from hematopoietic stem cells so that the new immune system functions more favorably in those with multiple sclerosis.
AHSCT and HDIT have been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis for several years, but the specific way these techniques are able to improve multiple sclerosis is not well understood. Further, there is some debate about both the safety and effectiveness of these treatments. Small sample sizes and homogeneous patient groups have plagued many of the studies performed to address these issues. In the present study, however, the researchers studied patients with different types of multiple sclerosis. This experimental structure allowed the scientists to show that AHSCT and HDIT used in combination can help those with both remitting and progressive multiple sclerosis and that the positive effects on the disease appeared to endure over long-term periods. At 6 months post-treatment, neurological improvement or stabilization was observed from all (99) patients in the study except one. The average follow up time for patients was 62 months, or just over 5 years, and up to and at this point, 47% of patients demonstrated significant improvement jumping at least 0.5 points on the Expanded Disability Status Scale EDSS scale. These results are highly informative for physicians treating patients with multiple sclerosis and are a promising demonstration of the potential for stem cells to improve conditions like multiple sclerosis.
Learn more about stem cell therapy for Multiple Sclerosis.
- Reference
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Shevchenko, J. L., et al. “Long-term outcomes of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning in multiple sclerosis: physician’s and patient’s perspectives.” Annals of hematology 94.7 (2015): 1149.
- Study Abstract
by admin | Oct 19, 2015 | Parkinson's Disease, Stem Cell Research, Studies
Earlier this year, a group of scientists led by Yoo-Hun Suh at the Seoul National University Medical College published their work demonstrating the potential use of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASC‘s) in Parkinson’s therapy. Their article, Therapeutic potentials of human adipose-derived stem cells on the mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, was published in the academic journal Neurobiology of Aging.
Many Parkinson’s disease treatments aim to compensate for the loss of dopamine that is seen in the brains of Parkinson’s patients, but because those treatments have their limitations, focus has shifted to the use of stem cells as a therapeutic option for Parkinson’s disease. The rise in stem cell research for Parkinson’s disease has also increased as scientists have recognized the importance of mitochondrial deterioration in the development of Parkinson’s disease.
Stem cells that can be easily transplanted and readily proliferate are seen as ideal stem cell candidates for such treatments. hASC are pluripotent, meaning they can differentiate into a number of different types of cells, including cells that resemble neurons, the cells of the brain. These particular stem cells are useful because they tend not to create a reaction by the immune system, and they can pass the blood-brain barrier and proliferate within the brain.
In this study, the researchers used a common mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, which is created with a specific neurotoxin called 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). They injected hASC into the veins of mice and assessed how these stem cells affected Parkinson’s disease symptoms, dopamine levels in the striatum, the part of the brain affected by Parkinson’s disease, and the integrity of mitochondria.
The researchers found that hASC improved the motor deficits in the mice modeled to display Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, the researchers also showed increased dopamine levels in the striatum of these mice. Finally, the researchers also showed that mitochondrial function was restored in mice who received hASC injections.
Overall, this study captures the significant potential of hASC to provide successful therapies for neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease. That the injection of these cells in a mouse model of Parkinson’s led to both behavioral and physiological improvements in mice demonstrates the great promise for stem cell therapies, and in this context, particularly for therapies developed from adipose-derived stem cells.
Learn more about stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Reference
Choi, H., Kim, H., Oh, J., Park, H., Ra, J., Chang, K., & Suh, Y. (2015). Therapeutic potentials of human adipose-derived stem cells on the mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. Neurobiology of Aging, 36(10), 2885-2892.
by admin | Mar 8, 2015 | Multiple Sclerosis, Stem Cell Research
Another year has past and Multiple Sclerosis Awareness month is upon us once again. Every month we treat new patients that have been diagnosed with this disease and while it has been a pleasure for us to do so – it is something we wish we did not have to do. While we are seeing significant progress in our patients, the work of the MS and stem cell communities is far from finished. Let this month not only remind us of Multiple Sclerosis and its effects on friends and loved ones but also on treatments, research, and continuing efforts being used to eradicate its existence.
Over 2 million people in the world have officially heard the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), but researchers expect the actual number is far more and growing quickly. MS is considered a difficult disease to diagnose and treat due to the variety of symptoms a patient experiences throughout its progression. MS research has resulted in two treatment methods; the first method is preventing the abnormal response of one’s immune system. The second method involves the replenishment of the myelin sheath cells protecting the nerve fibers in your brain. Medications designed today follow the first method in delaying the abnormal immune response. Traditionally, there was a lack of treatment options for the second method. However, with new research and technology, Stemedix, and physicians of regenerative medicine have produced a treatment to assist in replacing the cells damaged by this disease.
Adult stem cell therapy, also known as Adipose-Derived Stem Cell (ADSC) treatment, is a regenerative procedure designed to use your own supply of stem cells to repair and replace diseased tissue in the body. Past treatments have shown that adult stem cells not only have the potential to regenerate lost or damaged myelin sheath tissues, but also have the ability to modulate the immune system, temporarily disabling the abnormal attack and helping to slow its progress.
The physicians and researchers at Stemedix are revolutionizing this treatment to offer relief and continued hope to patients battling with this life altering diagnosis. This procedure includes the harvesting hundreds of millions of stem cells from their most abundant source, the patients adipose (fat) tissue, activating them through an enrichment process, and reintroducing them into the human body. These stem cells are hardwired to target areas of the body following inflammatory signals from your brain telling them where repair is needed most. The newly introduced adult stem cells follow your body’s signals and and begin the necessary repairs. This advancement in using adult stem cell therapy assists the body to regenerate missing or diseased tissue that would not ordinarily be regrown.
This month help us spread the word and assist others in fighting back against this debilitating condition.
Learn more about stem cell treatment for Multiple Sclerosis.
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