OSE Immunotherapeutics Announces Commercial and Revenue Sharing Agreement in the Field of CAR T-cell Therapies
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OSE Immunotherapeutics Announces Commercial and Revenue Sharing Agreement in the Field of CAR T-cell Therapies
Paris, France, June 24, 2024 – EG 427, a biotechnology company leading the development of pinpoint DNA medicines for prevalent diseases in neurology based on its unique non-replicative HSV-1 vector platform, announces today that it has received Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for EG110A, a gene therapy for the treatment of Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity (NDO) in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) patients. The phase 1b/2a study is being initiated in 2 leading US institutions.
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First gene therapy for prevalent pathologies in neurology receives FDA IND clearance - EG 427 initiating first-in-human clinical study
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has awarded a $2.9 million, five-year grant to a research project that aims to advance a new technology that could improve stem cell therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders.
The work we plan to undertake has significant implications for regenerative medicine, as it has the potential to develop novel strategies to enhance stem cell delivery for treatment of devastating neurological diseases that remain intractable to current treatments, Stelios Andreadis, PhD, director of the University at Buffalos Cell, Gene and Tissue Engineering Center and one of the projects leaders, said in a university press release.
Fraser Sim, PhD, a professor at the universitys Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the director of its neuroscience program, will co-lead the project. This project is a wonderful example of collaborative science, Sim said. Neither of us could do this work alone.
In MS, inflammation in the brain and spinal cord causes damage to myelin, a fatty substance that wraps around nerve fibers and helps them send electrical signals. Myelin damage disrupts neurological signaling, which ultimately gives rise to MS symptoms.
Stem cell therapies for MS and other neurological disorders are gaining increasing interest from researchers. Stem cells are a special class of cells that are able to grow into other types of cells.
The basic aim of stem cell therapy in MS is to introduce stem cells that could make new nervous system cells, such as neurons (nerve cells) and myelin-making cells like oligodendrocyes and Schwann cells.
In order to be used as a therapy, the stem cells need to be injected into a patients brain. In experiments, this has usually been done by simply suspending the cells in a saline solution and injecting them through a syringe.
But emerging data suggest that the physical stress of being suspended in liquid and then squeezed through the needle tends to damage the cells, and as a result, the vast majority of stem cells end up dying soon after they are injected.
Most researchers have just accepted the fact that a lot of cells will die when you transplant them, Sim said. The new project aims to change this.
The researchers are working to develop shear-thinning hydrogels (STHs) to aid in stem cell injections. STHs normally have a gel-like consistency, but become more fluid when pressure is applied for example, when squeezed through a syringe. The general idea is that STHs can help cushion and protect stem cells during injection.
They change their viscosity in response to shear stress, and they can turn back into gel form when the force is removed, after the injection, Andreadis said. The fast transition from solid-like to fluid-like behavior, with increasing shear rate, is essential for successful injection and cell protection. STHs have emerged as promising candidates for the injection of Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes, he said.
In addition to cushioning the cells, the STHs can also be tailored to help promote the cells survival once inside the brain.
With the hydrogel, we can introduce different factors that will allow the cells to overcome the [suppressive] environment thats present in MS lesions, Sim said. We think this will improve the outcome of cell therapy over the vanilla approach using cells in a saline solution.
The researchers have already conducted proof-of-principle experiments of STHs in mice genetically engineered to be unable to make myelin, mimicking a rare progressive neurodegenerative condition called Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease.
Transplanting human cells with STHs into the animals brains significantly improved the survival of the transplanted cells and enhanced nerve repair in the brain 12 weeks post-implantation, Andreadis said.
Those results will be published in full soon, the university said.
In the newly funded project, the researchers will test STHs in larger animals, aiming to determine the number of cells needed for a brain thats closer in size to a human brain and assess whether the cells are going to the intended parts of the brain.
This is a great opportunity to marry biomaterials science and engineering with neuroscience to develop a therapeutic strategy that can, hopefully, be brought to the clinic to treat devastating diseases and conditions such as MS, Andreadis said. While there is currently no cure, we would like to develop a successful therapy that can limit the diseases development and improve quality of life for MS patients and others who are suffering from neurological disorders.
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$2.9M research grant funds technology for MS stem cell therapy - Multiple Sclerosis News Today
Stem Cell Therapy Market
The stem cell therapy market is on the brink of explosive growth, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.1% projected over the next decade. Starting at an estimated value of USD 16.7 billion in 2024, the market is expected to surge to an impressive USD 52.1 billion by 2034.
This significant expansion reflects the increasing adoption of stem cell therapies, driven by their potential to revolutionize treatment for a wide range of conditions. From regenerative medicine to chronic disease management, stem cell therapy is unlocking new possibilities in medical science.
As research continues to advance and clinical applications expand, the stem cell therapy market is set to play a pivotal role in transforming healthcare and improving patient outcomes worldwide. This remarkable growth trajectory underscores the importance of continued investment and innovation in this cutting-edge field.
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Competitive Landscape
The market is very competitive because there are many top biotech and pharmaceutical companies in it. It is distinguished by fierce rivalry, quick technical progress, and a significant amount of R&D activity focused on creating cutting-edge stem cell treatments. Businesses are making significant investments in R&D projects with the goal of creating innovative stem cell treatments for a variety of illnesses.
Recent Development in the Stem Cell Therapy Market
A strategic partnership was established in 2020 between Cipla and Stempeutics to launch Stempucel, a revolutionary stem cell therapy for the management of critical limb ischemia. The partnership aims to increase their market share in this quickly developing industry and capitalize on the rising demand for stem cell therapy. Millions of individuals worldwide suffer from critical limb ischemia, a crippling illness for which the introduction of Stempucel is predicted to change the course of therapy.
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Former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor has revealed he underwent treatment to address his toe fractured which ruled him from UFC 303 this weekend, through the use of stem cells which he has now theorized may have worsened his injury.
McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight champion and featherweight titleholder, has been sidelined for the last three years from the Octagon suffering a fractured left tibia and fibula in a first round doctors stoppage TKO loss to former interim gold holder, Dustin Poirier.
And slated to make his return at UFC 303 next weekend during International Fight Week, McGregor withdrew from his welterweight fight with Michael Chandler, citing a gut-wrenching fractured toe which is expected to sideline him for a potential period of two months.
Already planning his comeback as he eyes an August return to action, ex-two-weight kingpin, McGregor revealed he underwent stem cell treatment to address his toe injury, however, admits hes not sure it has worked to the best of its ability.
They put stem cells Ive done everything that they asked they put stem cells into me, took it from my back and put it in my foot, 20mg (milligrams) from my own back from the bone marrow in, Conor McGregor told Severe MMA. Right into the [toe] break.
But my f*cking toe is sore, mate, Conor McGregor explained. And I dont know if the stem cells into the break was the right move. I dont think its the swelling anymore I think its just the fluids or stem cells in my toe. So, Im like, Am I going to have a f*cking swollen toe all the time now?
Still planning to make a summer outing despite uncertainty from UFC CEO, Dana White, McGregor confirmed he would still chase a fight with the above-mentioned, Chandler in his immediate return to active competition.
Do you think Conor McGregor can fight this year?
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Conor McGregor Fears Stem Cell Treatment Worsened UFC 303 Injury Setback: 'My Toe Is Sore' - LowKick MMA
The mailings promised Life Without Pain! via stem cell injections or IVs administered in a patients own home. The allure was obvious: more than 20% of U.S. adults suffer from chronic pain.
A court exhibit from a lawsuit filed by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is seen on a laptop computer May 8 in Urbandale, Iowa.
The flyers invited Iowans to free dinners across the state. Afterward, sales people traveled to potential customers homes for high-pressure pitches disguised as pre-screenings, according to prosecutors. More than 250 people signed up, paying $3,200 to $20,000 each for a total of $1.5 million. For this, a nurse practitioner came to their homes to administer injections and IVs filled with stem cells derived from umbilical cords.
Yet experts and regulators have alternately labeled such treatments as ripoffs, scams or simply unproven. In some cases, studies have documented real harm.
Last fall, Iowas attorney general sued two proprietors responsible for the mailings in her state, naming a Minnesota man who hosts a Christian entrepreneurship podcast and his Florida business partner for allegedly deceiving consumers, many of them elderly.
In bringing the lawsuit, Iowa joined attorneys general in New York, North Dakota, Georgia, Nebraska, Arkansas and Washington state who have sued businesses alleging they fraudulently promoted unproven stem cell treatments.
Stem cells have long fascinated researchers because of their ability to reproduce and, in some cases, transform into other cell types. Because of this, they are thought to hold the potential for treating many diseases and injuries.
But the FDA has approved only a handful of such therapies, and only for certain forms of blood cancer and immune system disorders. Stem cells are considered experimental for most uses, despite being marketed as a treatment for everything from autism and emphysema to sports injuries.
The FDA has repeatedly warned Americans to be wary of businesses hawking unapproved, unproven and costly stem cell therapies, which occasionally have caused blindness, bacterial infections and tumors.
In a 2020 notice, the agency expressed concern about patients being misled about products that are illegally marketed, have not been shown to be safe or effective, and, in some cases, may have significant safety issues.
Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg, chair of ophthalmology at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University, whose work has documented vision loss in some patients treated with cells removed from patients' own bodies, processed and reinjected, lamented that people are "desperately willing to shell out large sums of money for unproven and in some cases, explicitly sort of sham, so-called therapeutics.
Since August 2017, the FDA has issued about 30 warning letters regarding the unproven treatments.
Experts, including Dr. Paul Knoepfler, a stem cell researcher at the University of California at Davis, and Leigh Turner, a bioethicist at the University of California, Irvine, are among those who have raised alarm that such federal action is too little to regulate a U.S. industry which Turner estimated in 2021 topped 2,700 clinics.
Because states can seek substantial fines against wayward operators, Turner said their legal actions offer promise.
"If you look at them collectively, they might over time start to have an impact, he said.
The FDA offers training to attorneys general pursuing such cases. Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said federal regulators partner with state law enforcers in a shared mission.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird speaks during a town hall campaign event for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on May 17, 2023, in Ankeny, Iowa.
That puts people like Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on the front lines.
Last year, Bird brought the case over mailers offering Iowans a pain-free life, naming the now dissolved Biologics Health and Summit Partners Group, which operated under the name Summit Health Centers, as defendants. The state also sued the companies' proprietors: Rylee Meek, of Prior Lake, Minnesota, and Scott Thomas, of Thonotosassa, Florida.
Neither man claims to have any medical training. Yet over a series of free dinners across Iowa, attendees listened to their presentations about how stem cells could ostensibly repair damage linked to back or joint pain. The claims came despite an FDA warning that no such product has been approved to treat any orthopedic condition.
One testimonial featured a woman quoted as saying she had multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, degenerative joint problems and scoliosis. It implied the treatment worked so well she was able to stop using a walker and taking opioids. Prosecutors say that left people believing stem cells are effective at treating all the conditions listed.
The company offered packages ranging from 5 million cells to up to 60 million to fix customers' ailments. Iowas lawsuit described the practices as scattershot, for-profit experimentations.
Research has shown dead cells are often injected, Knoepfler said.
The Iowa case is still in the discovery stage, with the trial set for March 2025.
Meek and Thomas did not return multiple text and email messages from The Associated Press. Nor did their attorney, Nathan Russell, though he did rebut many of the allegations in court filings, including that the promotional information was deceptive or misleading. The filing stressed that Meek and Thomas always emphasized they were not doctors.
Instead, Meek promoted himself as the $100 million man and touted his business prowess on his Kings Council podcast. His and Thomas book, Intentional Influence in Sales: The Power of Persuasion with Neuro-linguistic Programming, is described as a way to get people to think the way you want them to think, without them even realizing it.
Nearly a quarter of Americans struggle with symptoms of depression, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from an October 2023 survey. That number is down from 2020 to 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated mental health conditions for millions of Americans.
Like other forms of mental illness, depression impacts groups of people differently depending on their unique backgrounds and experiences. While depression is among the most common forms of mental illness, some portions of the U.S. are seeing rates of depression fall faster than others.
Northwell Health partnered with Stacker to look at which groups of people are the most likely to feel depressed, using data from the CDC.
Signs someone may have depression include an inability to focus, thoughts of death or suicide, hopelessness, and low self-worth, as well as changes in appetite and sleep patterns, according to the World Health Organization.
Depression can be transitorybrought on by the loss of a loved one or other difficult life eventsor chronic, such as for those who live with bipolar disorder. The latest data on depression rates suggest some of the uptick in depression during COVID-19 may have been more of the former.
Depression has lingered at elevated levels for some communities, including young people and those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Americans ages 18 to 29 years old report the highest levels of depression, with those 30 to 49 years old showing the next highest levels, according to the CDC. Rates of depression taper off even more as Americans clear the age of 60.
Higher reported rates of depression in young people could partially be attributed to the way each generation views mental illness. Members of Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, have been more open to talking about mental illness and seeking therapy, for example, than older generations who came of age at a time when mental health disorders were heavily stigmatized in media and popular culture.
Surveys have found that discrimination is often cited as a significant source of stress; Black and Hispanic adults, specifically, report higher levels of stress from discrimination compared to their white peers.
When it comes to depression rates, a similar trend appears. Hispanic, multiracial, and Black Americans report elevated rates of depression compared to white Americans, according to the latest survey data the CDC collected in late 2023.
Furthermore, LGBTQ+ Americans have reported higher levels of stress and mental illness compared to straight, cisgender people. Transgender individuals are also more than six times as likely to attempt suicide, according to a Swedish study published in The American Journal of Psychiatryone of the only studies to compile such data for an entire country over a 10-year period.
The current rates of depression among more vulnerable groups are particularly concerning at a time when mental health professionals are struggling to meet a higher demand for mental health care services.
Story editing byShannon Luders-Manuel. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.
This story originally appeared on Northwell Health and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
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Experts: Don't believe everyone who is hawking stem cells - The Times of Northwest Indiana
The mailings promised Life Without Pain! via stem cell injections or IVs administered in a patients own home. The allure was obvious: more than 20% of U.S. adults suffer from chronic pain.
A court exhibit from a lawsuit filed by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is seen on a laptop computer May 8 in Urbandale, Iowa.
The flyers invited Iowans to free dinners across the state. Afterward, sales people traveled to potential customers homes for high-pressure pitches disguised as pre-screenings, according to prosecutors. More than 250 people signed up, paying $3,200 to $20,000 each for a total of $1.5 million. For this, a nurse practitioner came to their homes to administer injections and IVs filled with stem cells derived from umbilical cords.
Yet experts and regulators have alternately labeled such treatments as ripoffs, scams or simply unproven. In some cases, studies have documented real harm.
Last fall, Iowas attorney general sued two proprietors responsible for the mailings in her state, naming a Minnesota man who hosts a Christian entrepreneurship podcast and his Florida business partner for allegedly deceiving consumers, many of them elderly.
In bringing the lawsuit, Iowa joined attorneys general in New York, North Dakota, Georgia, Nebraska, Arkansas and Washington state who have sued businesses alleging they fraudulently promoted unproven stem cell treatments.
Stem cells have long fascinated researchers because of their ability to reproduce and, in some cases, transform into other cell types. Because of this, they are thought to hold the potential for treating many diseases and injuries.
But the FDA has approved only a handful of such therapies, and only for certain forms of blood cancer and immune system disorders. Stem cells are considered experimental for most uses, despite being marketed as a treatment for everything from autism and emphysema to sports injuries.
The FDA has repeatedly warned Americans to be wary of businesses hawking unapproved, unproven and costly stem cell therapies, which occasionally have caused blindness, bacterial infections and tumors.
In a 2020 notice, the agency expressed concern about patients being misled about products that are illegally marketed, have not been shown to be safe or effective, and, in some cases, may have significant safety issues.
Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg, chair of ophthalmology at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University, whose work has documented vision loss in some patients treated with cells removed from patients' own bodies, processed and reinjected, lamented that people are "desperately willing to shell out large sums of money for unproven and in some cases, explicitly sort of sham, so-called therapeutics.
Since August 2017, the FDA has issued about 30 warning letters regarding the unproven treatments.
Experts, including Dr. Paul Knoepfler, a stem cell researcher at the University of California at Davis, and Leigh Turner, a bioethicist at the University of California, Irvine, are among those who have raised alarm that such federal action is too little to regulate a U.S. industry which Turner estimated in 2021 topped 2,700 clinics.
Because states can seek substantial fines against wayward operators, Turner said their legal actions offer promise.
"If you look at them collectively, they might over time start to have an impact, he said.
The FDA offers training to attorneys general pursuing such cases. Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said federal regulators partner with state law enforcers in a shared mission.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird speaks during a town hall campaign event for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on May 17, 2023, in Ankeny, Iowa.
That puts people like Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on the front lines.
Last year, Bird brought the case over mailers offering Iowans a pain-free life, naming the now dissolved Biologics Health and Summit Partners Group, which operated under the name Summit Health Centers, as defendants. The state also sued the companies' proprietors: Rylee Meek, of Prior Lake, Minnesota, and Scott Thomas, of Thonotosassa, Florida.
Neither man claims to have any medical training. Yet over a series of free dinners across Iowa, attendees listened to their presentations about how stem cells could ostensibly repair damage linked to back or joint pain. The claims came despite an FDA warning that no such product has been approved to treat any orthopedic condition.
One testimonial featured a woman quoted as saying she had multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, degenerative joint problems and scoliosis. It implied the treatment worked so well she was able to stop using a walker and taking opioids. Prosecutors say that left people believing stem cells are effective at treating all the conditions listed.
The company offered packages ranging from 5 million cells to up to 60 million to fix customers' ailments. Iowas lawsuit described the practices as scattershot, for-profit experimentations.
Research has shown dead cells are often injected, Knoepfler said.
The Iowa case is still in the discovery stage, with the trial set for March 2025.
Meek and Thomas did not return multiple text and email messages from The Associated Press. Nor did their attorney, Nathan Russell, though he did rebut many of the allegations in court filings, including that the promotional information was deceptive or misleading. The filing stressed that Meek and Thomas always emphasized they were not doctors.
Instead, Meek promoted himself as the $100 million man and touted his business prowess on his Kings Council podcast. His and Thomas book, Intentional Influence in Sales: The Power of Persuasion with Neuro-linguistic Programming, is described as a way to get people to think the way you want them to think, without them even realizing it.
Nearly a quarter of Americans struggle with symptoms of depression, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from an October 2023 survey. That number is down from 2020 to 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated mental health conditions for millions of Americans.
Like other forms of mental illness, depression impacts groups of people differently depending on their unique backgrounds and experiences. While depression is among the most common forms of mental illness, some portions of the U.S. are seeing rates of depression fall faster than others.
Northwell Health partnered with Stacker to look at which groups of people are the most likely to feel depressed, using data from the CDC.
Signs someone may have depression include an inability to focus, thoughts of death or suicide, hopelessness, and low self-worth, as well as changes in appetite and sleep patterns, according to the World Health Organization.
Depression can be transitorybrought on by the loss of a loved one or other difficult life eventsor chronic, such as for those who live with bipolar disorder. The latest data on depression rates suggest some of the uptick in depression during COVID-19 may have been more of the former.
Depression has lingered at elevated levels for some communities, including young people and those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Americans ages 18 to 29 years old report the highest levels of depression, with those 30 to 49 years old showing the next highest levels, according to the CDC. Rates of depression taper off even more as Americans clear the age of 60.
Higher reported rates of depression in young people could partially be attributed to the way each generation views mental illness. Members of Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, have been more open to talking about mental illness and seeking therapy, for example, than older generations who came of age at a time when mental health disorders were heavily stigmatized in media and popular culture.
Surveys have found that discrimination is often cited as a significant source of stress; Black and Hispanic adults, specifically, report higher levels of stress from discrimination compared to their white peers.
When it comes to depression rates, a similar trend appears. Hispanic, multiracial, and Black Americans report elevated rates of depression compared to white Americans, according to the latest survey data the CDC collected in late 2023.
Furthermore, LGBTQ+ Americans have reported higher levels of stress and mental illness compared to straight, cisgender people. Transgender individuals are also more than six times as likely to attempt suicide, according to a Swedish study published in The American Journal of Psychiatryone of the only studies to compile such data for an entire country over a 10-year period.
The current rates of depression among more vulnerable groups are particularly concerning at a time when mental health professionals are struggling to meet a higher demand for mental health care services.
Story editing byShannon Luders-Manuel. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.
This story originally appeared on Northwell Health and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
See the rest here:
Experts: Don't believe everyone who is hawking stem cells - Lake Geneva Regional News
Mehdi Nikkhah, an associate professor of biomedical engineering in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, and his collaborators at Mayo Clinic in Arizona have been awarded a $2.7 million grant by the National Institutes of Health to research how stem cell engineering and tissue regeneration can aid in heart attack recovery.
The research will be conducted in collaboration with Wuqiang Zhu, a cardiovascular researcher and professor of biomedical engineering at Mayo Clinic.
Nikkhah and Zhu are exploring stem cell transplantation to repair and possibly regenerate damaged myocardium, or heart tissue. Their work is focused on the development of a new class of engineered heart tissues with the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells, or hiPSCs, and has resulted in two published papers in ACS Biomaterials.
A heart attack, medically termed as a myocardial infarction, occurs when a coronary artery that sends blood and oxygen to the heart becomes obstructed. This blockage is often the result of an accumulation of fatty cholesterol-containing deposits, known as plaques, within the hearts arteries.
When these plaques rupture, a cascade of events is initiated, leading to the formation of a blood clot. These blood clots can obstruct the artery, impeding blood flow to the heart muscle, thus triggering a heart attack.
When someone has a heart attack, a portion of muscle tissue on the left ventricle, which pumps the blood throughout the whole body, is damaged, Nikkhah says. Over time, the other parts of the heart have to take on more workload, consequently leading to catastrophic heart failure.
A team of biomedical engineers in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, and medical researchers at Mayo Clinic in Arizona are taking a novel step forward in using stem cell technology and regenerative medicine to aid in heart attack recovery.
Nikkhah is developing engineered heart tissues, or EHTs, with electrical properties to simulate the contraction function typically found within the native hearts tissue.
He is integrating the EHTs with gold nanorods to enhance electrical conductivity among stem cells. Gold is a suitable material because it is conductive and non-toxic to human cells, making the nanorods safe for medical research and translational studies.
In the lab, Nikkhahs team mixes the gold nanorods with a biocompatible hydrogel to form a tissue construct a patch of stem cells to rejuvenate damaged cardiac muscle tissue, offering a promising outcome for heart regeneration.
After we generate the patch, we get the engineered hiPSCs from Dr. Zhus lab at Mayo Clinic, Nikkhah says. They seed the cells on the patch and look at their biological characterization, including cell proliferation, cell viability and gene expression analysis, to see how the cells respond to the conductive hydrogel.
We have successfully used hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts to create beating heart tissues, Nikkhah says. After the tissue maturation, we transfer the patch to Dr. Zhus lab to be implanted into an animal model.
The successful integration and proliferation of these cells can lead to the formation of new, healthy heart tissue, potentially reversing the damage caused by the heart attack and enhancing the recovery process.
Reprogrammed human stem cells have nearly limitless potential because they can be differentiated into various cell types. That means hiPSCs can also be used to construct capillaries and blood vessels, which are essential for restoring adequate blood flow and oxygen supply to the damaged areas of the heart.
This process involves the differentiation of hiPSCs into endothelial cells, which form the lining of blood vessels, thereby facilitating the reconstruction of the hearts vascular network.
Michelle Jang, a graduate student in Nikkhahs lab, is currently studying EHTs to improve cell maturation and observe its electrical properties.
My engagement in this project showed a deep interest in how biomedical engineering technology and biology intersect to create new therapeutic possibilities in the field of regenerative medicine, Jang says. Im excited to see how my current research will further evolve and potentially contribute valuable insights to biomedical research.
Using these techniques, Nikkhah and Zhu can observe the capacity of programmed cells to regenerate damaged heart tissue. With continued advancement in regenerative medicine, there is potential for significant positive impact on outcomes for patients suffering from heart attacks.
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Harnessing benefits of stem cells for heart regeneration - Full Circle
In remarkable parallel, the more overgrowth a BCO demonstrated, the more overgrowth was found in social regions of the profound autism childs brain and the lower the childs attention to social stimuli. These differences were clear when compared against norms of hundreds and thousands of toddlers studied by the UC San Diego Autism Center of Excellence. Whats more, BCOs from toddlers with profound autism grew too fast as well as too big.
The bigger the brain, the better isnt necessarily true, agreed Alysson Muotri, Ph.D., director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institutes Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research Center at the university. Muotri and Courchesne collaborated on the study, with Muotri contributing his proprietary BCO-development protocol that he recently shared via publication in Nature Protocols, as well as his expertise in BCO measurement.
Because the most important symptoms of profound autism and mild autism are experienced in the social affective and communication domains, but to different degrees of severity, the differences in the embryonic origins of these two subtypes of autism urgently need to be understood, Courchesne said. That understanding can only come from studies like ours, which reveals the underlying neurobiological causes of their social challenges and when they begin.
One potential cause of BCO overgrowth was identified by study collaborator Mirian A.F. Hayashi, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the Federal University of So Paulo in Brazil, and her Ph.D. student Joo Nani. They discovered that the protein/enzyme NDEL1, which regulates growth of the embryonic brain, was reduced in BCOs of those with autism. The lower the expression, the more enlarged the BCOs grew.
Determining that NDEL1 was not functioning properly was a key discovery, Muotri said.
Courchesne, Muotri and Hayashi now hope to pinpoint additional molecular causes of brain overgrowth in autism discoveries that could lead to the development of therapies that ease social and intellectual functioning for those with the condition.
Co-authors of the study include Vani Taluja, Sanaz Nazari, Caitlin M. Aamodt, Karen Pierce, Kuaikuai Duan, Sunny Stophaeros, Linda Lopez, Cynthia Carter Barnes, Jaden Troxel, Kathleen Campbell, Tianyun Wang, Kendra Hoekzema, Evan E. Eichler, Wirla Pontes, Sandra Sanchez Sanchez, Michael V. Lombardo and Janaina S. de Souza.
Funding: This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders, the National Institutes of Health, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the Hartwell Foundation. We thank the parents of the toddlers in San Diego whose stem cells were reprogrammed to BCOs.
Disclosures: Muotri is a co-founder and has equity interest in TISMOO, a company dedicated to genetic analysis and human brain organogenesis, focusing on therapeutic applications customized for autism spectrum disorders and other neurological disorders origin genetics. The terms of this arrangement have been reviewed and approved by the University of California San Diego in accordance with its conflict-of-interest policies. Eichler is a scientific advisory board member of Variant Bio, Inc. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
The UCSD Autism Center of Excellence is a world leader in autism research. It has made pioneering discoveries that enable early detection and treatment of autism in infants and toddlers through innovative behavior and eye tracking tests. The Centers groundbreaking discoveries on the developmental neurobiology of autism have led to fundamental knowledge of the molecular, cellular, and brain growth and function causes of autism.
The Sanford Stem Cell Institute (SSCI) is a global leader in regenerative medicine and a hub for stem cell science and innovation in space. SSCI aims to catalyze critical basic research discoveries, translational advances and clinical progress terrestrially and in space to develop and deliver novel therapeutics to patients. The SSCI is directed by Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., a leading physician-scientist in cancer stem cell biology whose research explores the fundamental question of how space alters cancer progression.
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Embryonic Brain Overgrowth Dictates Autism Severity, New Research Suggests - University of California San Diego