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Stroke Patients Show Signs Of Recovery Following Stem Cell Trial

By Stem Cell Treatment

Featured Article Main Category: Stroke Also Included In: Stem Cell Research;Clinical Trials / Drug Trials Article Date: 28 May 2013 - 3:00 PDT

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Updated interim results of the Pilot Investigation of Stem Cells in Stroke (PISCES) study, which is testing the safety and tolerability of injecting neural stem cells into the brains of ischemic stroke patients, were reported on Monday at the 22nd European Stroke Conference in London.

The stem cell trial started in 2010, with one stroke patient, an elderly Scotsman who was injected with ReN001 cells developed by ReNeuron Group plc, at the trial center at Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, UK.

By 2012, there were six patients on the small trial, and an early set of results presented at an international conference showed that five of the six patients were showing some improvement and there had been no adverse side effects.

Clare Walton, Research Communications Officer at the UK's Stroke Association says they are very excited about the results of the trial, but "we are currently at the beginning of a very long road and significant further development is needed before stem cell therapy can be regarded as a possible treatment."

The ReN001 treatment uses a stem cell line that originated some ten years ago from the tissue of a 12-week fetus.

In theory, stem cells hold a lot of promise as regenerative treatments. The idea is where tissue is damaged, such as in a stroke, doctors should be able to inject stem cells to regenerate new tissue in its place.

But in practice, it is not easy to develop effective and safe stem cell therapies.

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Stroke Patients Show Signs Of Recovery Following Stem Cell Trial

Spine function improves after cell replacement therapy with human fetal stem cells

By Stem Cell Treatment

Washington, May 28 : A new research has found that human foetal stem cell grafts improve both motor and sensory functions in rats suffering from a spinal cord injury.

This cell replacement therapy also improves the structural integrity of the spine, providing a functional relay through the injury site.

The research gives hope for the treatment of spinal cord injuries in humans.

Grafting human neural stem cells into the spine is a promising approach to promote the recovery of function after spinal injury.

Sebastian van Gorp, from the University of California San Diego, and team's work looks specifically at the effect of intraspinal grafting of human foetal spinal cord-derived neural stem cells on the recovery of neurological function in rats with acute lumbar compression injuries.

A total of 42 three month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats, with spinal compression injuries, were allocated to one of three groups. The rats in the first group received a spinal injection with the stem cells, those in the second group received a placebo injection, while those in the third group received no injection.

Treatment effectiveness was assessed by a combination of measures, including motor and sensory function tests, presence of muscle spasticity and rigidity that causes stiffness and limits residual movement. The team also evaluated of how well the grafted cells had integrated into the rodents' spines.

Gorp and colleagues found that, compared to rats who received either the placebo injection or no injection, those who received the stem cell grafts showed a progressive and significant improvement in gait/paw placement, reduced muscle spasticity as well as improved sensitivity to both mechanical and thermal stimuli. In addition to these behavioural benefits, the researchers observed long-term improvements in the structural integrity of previously injured spinal cord segments.

"Importantly, spinal cavity formation and muscle spasticity are frequently observed in human patients with high-speed, high-impact induced spinal cord injuries. Our findings demonstrate that human foetal spinal cord-derived neural stem cells, with an already established favorable clinical safety profile, represent a potential cell candidate for cell replacement therapy in patients with traumatic spinal injuries," the researchers added.

The research was published this week in BioMed Central's open access journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy.

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Spine function improves after cell replacement therapy with human fetal stem cells

Engineered stem cell advance points toward treatment for ALS

By Stem Cell Treatment

Public release date: 28-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Masatoshi Suzuki msuzuki@vetmed.wisc.edu University of Wisconsin-Madison

MADISON, Wis. Transplantation of human stem cells in an experiment conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison improved survival and muscle function in rats used to model ALS, a nerve disease that destroys nerve control of muscles, causing death by respiratory failure.

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is sometimes called "Lou Gehrig's disease." According to the ALS Association, the condition strikes about 5,600 Americans each year. Only about half of patients are alive three years after diagnosis.

In work recently completed at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, Masatoshi Suzuki, an assistant professor of comparative biosciences, and his colleagues used adult stem cells from human bone marrow and genetically engineered the cells to produce compounds called growth factors that can support damaged nerve cells.

The researchers then implanted the cells directly into the muscles of rats that were genetically modified to have symptoms and nerve damage resembling ALS.

In people, the motor neurons that trigger contraction of leg muscles are up to three feet long. These nerve cells are often the first to suffer damage in ALS, but it's unclear where the deterioration begins. Many scientists have focused on the closer end of the neuron, at the spinal cord, but Suzuki observes that the distant end, where the nerve touches and activates the muscle, is often damaged early in the disease.

The connection between the neuron and the muscle, called the neuro-muscular junction, is where Suzuki focuses his attention. "This is one of our primary differences," Suzuki says. "We know that the neuro-muscular junction is a site of early deterioration, and we suspected that it might be the villain in causing the nerve cell to die. It might not be an innocent victim of damage that starts elsewhere."

Previously, Suzuki found that injecting glial cell line-derived neurotropic factor (GDNF) at the junction helped the neurons survive. The new study, published in the journal Molecular Therapy on May 28, expands the research to show a similar effect from a second compound, called vascular endothelial growth factor.

In the study, Suzuki found that using stem cells to deliver vascular endothelial growth factor alone improved survival and delayed the onset of disease and the decline in muscle function. That result mirrored his earlier study with GDNF.

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Engineered stem cell advance points toward treatment for ALS

Stem Cell Trial Leads To 'Mild To Moderate' Improvement In Stroke Patients

By Stem Cell Treatment

May 28, 2013

redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports Your Universe Online

More than half of the seriously disabled stroke victims participating in preliminary clinical trials of a new stem cell procedure have shown modest signs of recovery, the scientists carrying out the research reported Monday.

According to Sam Marsden of The Telegraph, five out of the nine ischemic stroke patients taking part in the PISCES trial were able to regain some movement in their hands and legs after undergoing the procedure, in which stem cells were injected directly into the damaged parts of their brains.

The patients showed mild to moderate improvement in their conditions after receiving injections of the ReNeuron Groups ReN001 stem cell therapy, Marsden explained. Some of the patients were able to move their fingers again after several years of complete paralysis, while others found that they could walk around their houses by themselves without assistance, he added.

Glasgow University professor Keith Muir, who is treating the patients, told BBC News Science Correspondent Pallab Ghosh that he was surprised by the amount of recovery in the patients. However, he also emphasized that it was too soon to determine whether or not the stem cell treatment is responsible for their partial recovery.

The results, which were presented by Muir at the European Stroke Conference in London on Monday, demonstrate that there have been no adverse side effects observed in the patients to this point. The beneficial effects, though, could be attributed to the close medical attention being given to the patients and not the treatment itself, Ghosh said.

It is well documented that the feeling of wellbeing resulting from such attention, known as the placebo effect, can have a positive effect on peoples health, the BBC News reporter said. But it is thought that stroke patients do not recover after the first six months of their stroke. All the patients involved in the trial had their strokes between six months and five years before they received the treatment.

The PISCES trial is nearing its end, the university said, and full results will be published sometime in 2014. In the meantime, plans are underway for a Phase II trial designed to investigate the efficacy of stem cell treatment in stroke patients.

The Phase II trial would be a controlled multi-facility trial involving approximately 20 patients, all of whom would have suffered a stroke just a few weeks before starting treatment. An application is expected to be submitted to UK regulatory agencies in early July, and if approved, the trial would begin later this year.

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Stem Cell Trial Leads To 'Mild To Moderate' Improvement In Stroke Patients

Brodie Before

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Brodie Before After Stemlogix Stem Cell Therapy
Brodie a 3 year old rottweiler had a complete cranial cruciate ligament tear of his left rear leg. Dr. Stephanie Meyer at the Creatures Great Small Vet Hos...

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Stroke victims show signs of recovery following pioneering stem cell therapy

By Uncategorized

Five stroke victims have shown small signs of recovery following pioneering stem cell therapy.

Prof Keith Muir, of Glasgow University, said the results were "not what we would have expected" from the group of patients who had previously shown no indications of their conditions improving.

The trial involved injecting stem cells directly into the damaged parts of the patients' brains, with the hope that they would turn into healthy tissue or "kick-start" the body's own repair processes.

Frank Marsh, 80, one of the nine patients taking part in the trial at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital, told the BBC he had seen improvements in the use of his left hand.

"I can grip certain things that I never gripped before, like the hand rail at the baths, with my left hand as well as my right," he said."It still feels fairly weak and it's still a wee bit difficult to co-ordinate but it's much better than it was."He added: "I'd like to get back to playing my piano."

His wife Claire said: "He had reached a plateau and wasn't really improving (after his stroke). But following the operation he is able to do things he couldn't do before, such as make coffee, dressing, and holding on to things."

The study involved patients who suffered strokes some time ago and had shown no signs of making any further spontaneous improvement.

Prof Muir said the results were "at the present time not what we would have expected in this group but far from being able to say whether it's something specifically related to the cells".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We know that some of the cells will survive and potentially turn into relevant tissue. We also suspect that a large part of what we do is kick-starting repair processes that are already present in the body.

"So there's probably a mixture of things going on. Quite what it is that's happening in the patients, we won't know for some time to come."

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Stroke victims show signs of recovery following pioneering stem cell therapy

UK & World News: Stem cell therapy 'shows results'

By Uncategorized

May 27 2013

Five stroke victims have shown small signs of recovery following pioneering stem cell therapy.

Prof Keith Muir, of Glasgow University, said the results were "not what we would have expected" from the group of patients who had previously shown no indications of their conditions improving.

The trial involved injecting stem cells directly into the damaged parts of the patients' brains, with the hope that they would turn into healthy tissue or "kick-start" the body's own repair processes.

Frank Marsh, 80, one of the nine patients taking part in the trial at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital, told the BBC he had seen improvements in the use of his left hand.

"I can grip certain things that I never gripped before, like the hand rail at the baths, with my left hand as well as my right," he said."It still feels fairly weak and it's still a wee bit difficult to co-ordinate, but it's much better than it was." He added: "I'd like to get back to playing my piano."

His wife Claire said: "He had reached a plateau and wasn't really improving (after his stroke). But following the operation he is able to do things he couldn't do before, such as make coffee, dressing and holding on to things."

The study involved patients who suffered strokes some time ago and had shown no signs of making any further spontaneous improvement.

Prof Muir said the results were "at the present time not what we would have expected in this group but far from being able to say whether it's something specifically related to the cells".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We know that some of the cells will survive and potentially turn into relevant tissue. We also suspect that a large part of what we do is kick-starting repair processes that are already present in the body. So there's probably a mixture of things going on. Quite what it is that's happening in the patients, we won't know for some time to come."

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UK & World News: Stem cell therapy 'shows results'

Stem cell therapy 'shows results'

By Uncategorized

Five stroke victims have shown small signs of recovery following pioneering stem cell therapy.

Prof Keith Muir, of Glasgow University, said the results were "not what we would have expected" from the group of patients who had previously shown no indications of their conditions improving.

The trial involved injecting stem cells directly into the damaged parts of the patients' brains, with the hope that they would turn into healthy tissue or "kick-start" the body's own repair processes.

Frank Marsh, 80, one of the nine patients taking part in the trial at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital, told the BBC he had seen improvements in the use of his left hand.

"I can grip certain things that I never gripped before, like the hand rail at the baths, with my left hand as well as my right," he said."It still feels fairly weak and it's still a wee bit difficult to co-ordinate, but it's much better than it was." He added: "I'd like to get back to playing my piano."

His wife Claire said: "He had reached a plateau and wasn't really improving (after his stroke). But following the operation he is able to do things he couldn't do before, such as make coffee, dressing and holding on to things."

The study involved patients who suffered strokes some time ago and had shown no signs of making any further spontaneous improvement.

Prof Muir said the results were "at the present time not what we would have expected in this group but far from being able to say whether it's something specifically related to the cells".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We know that some of the cells will survive and potentially turn into relevant tissue. We also suspect that a large part of what we do is kick-starting repair processes that are already present in the body. So there's probably a mixture of things going on. Quite what it is that's happening in the patients, we won't know for some time to come."

The stem cells were created 10 years ago from one sample of nerve tissue taken from a foetus.

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Stem cell therapy 'shows results'

Non-white patients suffer from lack of marrow, stem cell donors

By Stem Cell Treatment

There are concerns a dramatic shortage of stem cell and bone marrow donors from non-Caucasian ethnic groups is putting lives in jeopardy.

And experts are trying to fix the problem by tackling the biggest issue lack of awareness.

For Angela Yee Hamshaw, news of her sister's leukemia diagnosis was devastating.

Doctors could not find a bone marrow match in the family for 37-year-old Audrey Popowich. So as here chemotherapy began, so too did the search for a donor.

But because of her Chinese heritage, Popowich was warned that finding a match could prove extremely difficult.

"It can be very difficult. Within specific ethnic groups we do struggle to find donors, said Cassandra DeLuca, a coordinator with Canadian Blood Services.

About 75 per cent of the 330,000 registered Canadian donors are Caucasian. Chinese Canadians make up about six per cent, while South Asian donors account for less than three per cent of the supply.

"It comes from general awareness. Within certain communities there is more awareness than others, DeLuca said.

The huge gap is frustrating, said Dr. Mona Shafey, who works at the Alberta Bone Marrow Transplant program.

They're facing life and death here, she said.

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Non-white patients suffer from lack of marrow, stem cell donors

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