Stem Cell Treatment: Future of Modern Medicine | Science Times

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What are stem cells?

Stem cells, also known as "master cells," are body cells from which "daughter cells" are generated from. The daughter cells are processed to become new cells or specialized cells that may function as heart cells, bone cells, blood cells, brain cells and other forms of cells needed for patients to recuperate from an injury or illness.

Stem cell treatment is a state-of-the-art regenerative medicine that aims to provide relief, repair, and regrowth to damaged or injured tissues. This type of treatment is minimally invasive, non-opioid, and non-surgical. Thus, it reduces the risks of complications and adverse reactions.

How does stem cell treatment work?

Stem cells are taken directly from one part of the patient's body and are processed in a centrifuge machine that produces concentrated stem cell substances. The concentrated substance is then injected into the patient's affected body part.

Stem cells are concentrated to specifically treat the injured or affected part of the human body. It works according to certain medical specifications. Some stem cells are processed to have a "specialized" function. These are cases when stem cells are used to specifically repair damaged body organs including the brain, heart, blood, muscle and soft and hard tissues of the body.

Stem cell treatment has the power to alter conventional medical procedures to more innovative and state-of-the-art practice. This treatment uses the regenerative power of stem cells to relieve patients from pain, injury, trauma, and disease.

The use of stem cells is a relatively new technology. It has shown promising potentials of providing a wide variety of treatment for diseases by generating specific stem cell concentrate. Thus, many medical authorities consider stem cells as the "future of modern medicine."

Stem cells contain natural growth factors that accelerate the body's healing response. It can also help manage pain caused by injuries sustained without the need for pain-killing medications.

The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine provides many advantages in pain management and other medical procedures. The benefits of stem cell treatments include effective pain reduction, minimal post-procedural recovery, increased body functionality, flexibility and mobility, prevention of nerve damage, and potential injury reversal.

Other benefits include reducing the need for long-term medication, lowering the risks of surgery and complications, non-administration of anesthesia, and improving collagen production in the body. Stem cell procedures also lower the risks of spreading diseases from one person to another since the stem cell is originally taken from the patient's own body.

Stem cell is taking the world of medicine to the next level! Indeed, it is the future of modern medicine!

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Stem Cell Treatment: Future of Modern Medicine | Science Times

Stem Cell Therapy for Stroke Recovery | University of …

This procedure uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images of the body both horizontally and vertically, to detect abnormalities and help identify the location or type of stroke.

MRI uses magnetic fields to detect small changes in brain tissue that help to locate and diagnose stroke.

This nuclear brain scan uses radioactive compounds injected into a vein in the arm, and a machine (similar to a Geiger counter) to create a map showing their uptake into different parts of the head, often detecting areas of decreased blood flow and tissue damage.

This special type of CT scan can look at specific blood vessels within the body.

Using MRI technology, this procedure evaluates blood flow through arteries in a noninvasive way.

This variation of MRI is used to determine the specific location of the brain where a certain function, such as speech or memory, occurs.

This procedure records the brain's continuous, electrical activity by means of electrodes attached to the scalp.

This test records the brain's electrical response to visual, auditory, and sensory stimuli.

A small microphone is placed over the carotid artery on the neck to record sounds created by blood flow as it passes through a partially blocked artery.

A special transducer is used to direct sound waves into a blood vessel to evaluate the sound of blood moving though the vessel, looking for faintness or absence of sound.

This test measures pressure on the eyes, or detects pulses in the eyes.

This test measures the amount of oxygen in the blood supply that reaches different areas of the brain.

The test involves inserting a small, thin tube (catheter) into an artery in the leg and passing it up to the blood vessels in the brain. A contrast dye is injected through the catheter and X-ray images are taken.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Stroke Recovery | University of ...

Researchers may have found a miracle cure for baldness – BGR

Many people have been trying to cure a medical condition that affects millions of people worldwide, with men predominantly affected by it. Baldness can be triggered by specific drug therapies, like cancer treatment, and some COVID-19 survivors have discovered that hair loss is an unusual symptom. But baldness occurs in many others without a specific trigger. By the age of 35, two-thirds of American men will experience some degree of hair loss, according to the American Hair Loss Association. By the age of 50, up to 85% of men will experience significantly thinning hair.

Baldness does not impact ones health, but it can extract an emotional toll on those who are impacted by it. There are various therapies for baldness, but theres no cure that can reverse the process. Now, however, a team in Japan might have found a solution to restore hair growth with the help of stem cells.

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The researchers used stem cells to create hair follicles that can regrow hair after it falls out. Thats how hair growth should function. Hair loss is natural, but every strand of hair should be replaced by a new one that regrows in its place. The RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research scientists published a paper in Nature Scientific Reports (via Futurism) detailing their progress with stem cells on mammals.

They took fur and whisker cells from mice and then cultured them in the lab together with other ingredients. They used 220 combinations, finding that one type of collagen paired with five factors (NFFSE medium) would lead to the highest rate of stem cell amplification in the shortest period of time. The RIKEN team explained that a successful hair-regeneration treatment that could cure baldness must produce hair that recycles. That means the hair can regrow after falling out naturally.

These researchers combined bioengineered hair follicle stem cells with the NFFSE medium, as well as with the medium missing one of the ingredients. They observed the regenerated hair for three weeks and discovered that the NFFSE medium allowed the hair follicles to go through at least three cycles of normal hair production. The other medium wasnt nearly as efficient, with 79% of follicles producing only one hair cycle.

The researchers also found that a specific marker on the surface of cells cultured in the NFFSE medium favored hair cycling. We found almost 80% of follicles reached three hair cycles when Itg5 was also bioengineered into the hair follicle germ, author Makoto Takeo said in a statement. In contrast, only 13% reached three cycles when it was not present.

Our culture system establishes a method for cyclical regeneration of hair follicles from hair follicle stem cells and will help make hair follicle regeneration therapy a reality in the near future, Takashi Tsuji, the lead author of the study, said.

Before this baldness cure becomes commercially available, it has to pass clinical trials. So far, the RIKEN researchers have demonstrated stem cell therapy in preclinical lab tests. Tsuji said that the institute is looking for outside collaborators to help develop clinical applications for the new hair growth technology.

The full study is available at this link.

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Researchers may have found a miracle cure for baldness - BGR

Types of leukemia: Prevalence, treatment options, and prognosis – Medical News Today

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, where blood cells are formed. All types of leukemia cause rapid, uncontrolled growth of abnormal bone marrow and blood cells.

The main differences between the types include how fast the disease progresses and the types of cells it affects.

There are four main types of leukemia, which we describe in detail below:

Lymphocytic leukemia affects the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Myeloid leukemia can affect the white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

According to the National Cancer Institute, roughly 1.5% of people in the United States will receive a leukemia diagnosis at some point.

In this article, explore the four main types, their symptoms, the treatment options available, and the outlook.

The full name of this type of cancer is acute lymphocytic leukemia, and acute means that it grows quickly. Lymphocytic means that it forms in underdeveloped white blood cells called lymphocytes.

The disease starts in the bone marrow, which produces stem cells that develop into red and white blood cells and platelets.

In a healthy person, the bone marrow does not release these cells until they are fully developed. In someone with ALL, the bone marrow releases large quantities of underdeveloped white blood cells.

There are several subtypes of ALL, and the subtype may influence the best course of treatment and the prognosis.

One subtype is B-cell ALL. This begins in the B lymphocytes, and it is the most common form of ALL in children.

Another subtype is T-cell ALL. It can cause the thymus, a small organ at the front of the windpipe, to become enlarged, which can lead to breathing difficulties.

Overall, because ALL progresses quickly, swift medical intervention is key.

As research from 2020 acknowledges, healthcare providers still do not know what causes ALL. It may occur due to genetic factors or exposure to:

Although genetic factors may play a role, ALL is not a familial disease.

Learn more about ALL here.

ALL is the most common form of leukemia in children.

The risk of developing it is highest in children under 5 years old. The prevalence slowly rises again in adults over 50.

ALL symptoms can be nonspecific difficult to distinguish from those of other illnesses.

They may include:

In a person with AML, the bone marrow makes abnormal versions of platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells called myeloblasts.

The full name of this disease is acute myeloid leukemia, and acute refers to the fact that it is fast-growing.

It forms in one of the following types of bone marrow cell:

Doctors classify AML by subtype, depending on:

AML can be difficult to treat and requires prompt medical attention.

Learn more about AML here.

The most common risk factor is myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer that keeps the body from producing enough healthy blood cells.

Other factors that increase the risk of developing AML include:

Most people who develop AML are over 45. It is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults, though it is still rare, compared with other cancers.

It is also the second most common form of leukemia in children.

Symptoms of AML can vary and may include:

CLL is the most common form of leukemia among adults in the U.S. and other Western countries.

There are two types. One progresses slowly, and it causes the body to have high levels of characteristic lymphocytes, but only slightly low levels of healthy red blood cells, platelets, and neutrophils.

The other type progresses more quickly and causes a significant reduction in levels of all healthy blood cells.

In someone with CLL, the lymphocytes often look fully formed but are less able to fight infection than healthy white blood cells. The lymphocytes tend to build up very slowly, so a person might have CLL for a long time before experiencing symptoms.

Learn more about CLL here.

Genetic factors are the most likely cause. Others might include:

CLL is rare in children. It typically develops in adults aged 70 or over. However, it can affect people as young as 30.

CLL typically causes no early symptoms. When symptoms are present, they may include:

Also, 5090% of people with CLL have swollen lymph nodes.

CML is a slow-growing type of leukemia that develops in the bone marrow.

The full name of CML is chronic myeloid leukemia. As the American Cancer Society explain, a genetic change takes place in the early forms of the myeloid cells, and this eventually results in CML cells.

These leukemia cells then grow, divide, and enter the blood.

CML occurs due to a rearrangement of genetic material between the chromosomes 9 and 22.

This rearrangement fuses a part of the ABL1 gene from chromosome 9 with the BCR gene from chromosome 22, called the Philadelphia chromosome. The result of this fusion is called BCR-ABL1.

BCR-ABL1 produces a protein that promotes cell division and stops apoptosis, the process of cell death, which typically removes unneeded or damaged cells.

The cells keep dividing and do not self-destruct, resulting in an overproduction of abnormal cells and a lack of healthy blood cells.

This occurs during the persons lifetime and is not inherited.

CML typically affects adults. People aged 65 and older make up almost half of those who receive a CML diagnosis.

The symptoms of CML are unclear, but they may include:

The symptoms may vary, depending on the type of leukemia. Overall, a person should get in touch with a doctor if they experience:

Learn more about the symptoms of leukemia here.

Treatment for ALL typically involves three basic phases: induction, consolidation, and maintenance. We describe these in detail below.

Treatment for AML involves the first two phases. The induction phase may include treatment with the chemotherapy drugs cytarabine (Cytosar-U) and daunorubicin (Cerubidine) or idarubicin (Idamycin). The doctor may also recommend targeted drugs.

The goal of this phase is to kill the leukemia cells, causing the cancer to go into remission, using chemotherapy.

The doctor may recommend:

People having chemotherapy may need to see their doctors frequently and spend time in the hospital, due to the risk of serious infections and complications.

This phase of the treatment lasts for about 1 month.

Even if the treatment so far has led to remission, cancer cells may be hiding in the body, so more treatment is necessary.

The consolidation phase may involve taking high doses of chemotherapy. A doctor may also recommend targeted drugs or stem cell transplants.

This phase, consisting of ongoing chemotherapy treatments, usually lasts for 2 years.

Since CLL tends to progress slowly, and its treatment can have unpleasant side effects, some people with this condition go through a phase of watchful waiting before starting the treatment.

For a person with CML, the focus is often on providing the right treatment for the phase of the illness. To do this, a doctor considers how quickly the leukemia cells are building up and the extent of the symptoms. Stem cell transplants can be effective, but further treatment is necessary.

Overall, the initial treatment tends to include monoclonal antibodies, targeted drugs, and chemotherapy.

If the only concern is an enlarged spleen or swollen lymph nodes, the person may receive radiation or surgery.

If there are high numbers of CLL cells, the doctor may suggest leukapheresis, a treatment that lowers the persons blood count. This is only effective for a short time, but it allows the chemotherapy to start working.

For people with high-risk disease, doctors may recommend stem cell transplants.

A persons prognosis depends on the type of leukemia.

Learn more about survival rates for people with leukemia here.

About 8090% of adults with ALL experience complete remission for a while during treatment. And with treatment, most children recover from the disease.

Relapses are common in adults, so the overall cure rate is 40%. However, factors specific to each person play a role.

The older a person is when they receive an AML diagnosis, the more difficult it is to treat.

More than 25% of adults who achieve remission live for 3 years or more after treatment for AML.

A person may live for a long time with CLL.

Treatments can help keep the symptoms under control and prevent the disease from spreading. However, there is no cure.

Stem cell transplants can cure CML. However, this treatment is very invasive and is not suitable for most people with CML.

The United Kingdoms National Health Service estimate that 70% of males and 75% of females live for at least 5 years after receiving a CML diagnosis.

The earlier a person receives the diagnosis, the better their outlook.

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. It can affect people of all ages.

There are four main types of leukemia. They differ based on how quickly they progress and the types of cells they affect.

Treatments for all types of leukemia continue to improve, helping people live longer and more fully with this condition.

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Types of leukemia: Prevalence, treatment options, and prognosis - Medical News Today

Jasper Therapeutics Announces Launch of New Clinical Trial with National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to Evaluate JSP191 in Sickle Cell Disease -…

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jasper Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on hematopoietic cell transplant therapies, today announced the launch of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to evaluate JSP191, Jaspers first-in-class anti-CD117 monoclonal antibody, as a targeted, non-toxic conditioning regimen prior to allogeneic transplant for sickle cell disease (SCD). Jasper Therapeutics and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) have entered into a clinical trial agreement in which NHLBI will serve as the Investigational New Drug (IND) sponsor for this study.

SCD is a lifelong inherited blood disorder that affects hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to tissues and organs throughout the body. Approximately 300,000 infants are born with SCD annually worldwide, and the number of cases is expected to significantly increase. Currently, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only cure available for SCD.

"This clinical trial agreement with the NHLBI expands the development of JSP191 for transplant conditioning and could bring curative transplants to more patients in need," said Kevin N. Heller, M.D., Executive Vice President, Research and Development, of Jasper Therapeutics. "We look forward to collaborating with the NHLBI and learning more about the potential for JSP191 in patients living with sickle cell disease."

About JSP191

JSP191 (formerly AMG 191) is a first-in-class humanized monoclonal antibody in clinical development as a conditioning agent that clears hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow. JSP191 binds to human CD117, a receptor for stem cell factor (SCF) that is expressed on the surface of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. The interaction of SCF and CD117 is required for stem cells to survive. JSP191 blocks SCF from binding to CD117 and disrupts critical survival signals in stem cells leading to cell death. This creates space in the bone marrow for engraftment of donor or gene-corrected transplanted stem cells.

Preclinical studies have shown that JSP191, as a single agent, safely depletes normal and diseased hematopoietic stem cells, including in animal models of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and sickle cell disease (SCD). Treatment with JSP191 creates the space needed for transplanted normal donor or gene-corrected hematopoietic stem cells to successfully engraft in the host bone marrow. To date, JSP191 has been evaluated in more than 90 healthy volunteers and patients.

JSP191 is currently being evaluated in two separate Jasper Therapeutics-sponsored clinical studies in hematopoietic cell transplant. The first clinical study is evaluating JSP191 as a sole conditioning agent in a Phase 1/2 dose-escalation and expansion trial to achieve donor stem cell engraftment in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplant for SCID. Blood stem cell transplantation offers the only potentially curative therapy for SCID. JSP191 is also being evaluated in combination with another conditioning regimen in a Phase 1 study in patients with MDS or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are receiving hematopoietic cell transplant. For more information about the design of these clinical trials, visit http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02963064 and NCT04429191).

Additional studies are planned to advance JSP191 as a conditioning agent for patients with other rare and ultra-rare monogenic disorders and autoimmune diseases.

About Jasper Therapeutics

Jasper Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel curative therapies based on the biology of the hematopoietic stem cell. The companys lead compound, JSP191, is in clinical development as a conditioning antibody that clears hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow in patients undergoing a hematopoietic cell transplant. This first-in-class conditioning antibody is designed to enable safer and more effective curative hematopoietic cell transplants and gene therapies. For more information, please visit us at jaspertherapeutics.com.

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Jasper Therapeutics Announces Launch of New Clinical Trial with National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to Evaluate JSP191 in Sickle Cell Disease -...

Global Stem Cell Therapy Market Set to Reach USD 214.5 Million by 2024 – The Courier

The global stem cell therapy market is expected to witness a CAGR of 10.6% during the forecast period 2019-2024, and is also anticipated to reach USD 214.5 million by 2024. Growing awareness related to the therapeutic potency of stem cells, development of infrastructure related to stem cell banking and processing, development of advanced genome-based cell analysis techniques, and increasing private-public investment for the development of stem cell therapies are driving the growth of the stem cell therapy market.

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Supportive regulations to drive the growth of the stem cell therapy market

Supporting regulations across developing countries, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, technological advancement in healthcare, cellular therapies are the major advancements in transforming healthcare and identification of new stem cell lines are also fueling the growth of the stem cell therapy market.

Diseases such as osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, heart failure, hearing loss and cerebral palsy are some of the diseases that could be treated using stem cell therapies. For instance, according to the WHO by 2050, it is estimated 900 million people will have disabling hearing loss. Moreover, 60 percent of childhood hearing loss is due to preventable causes.

Allogenic stem cell therapy market to hold the larger share in the market

There are two types of stem cell therapy, allogeneic and autologous. Of both, allogenic segment account for the larger share and is also predicted to grow at the faster rate in the coming years in the market due to its extensive therapeutic applications, increasing commercialization of allogeneic products, easy production scale-up process, and growing number of clinical trials related to allogeneic therapies.

The stem cell therapy market has been segmented by therapeutic application into gastrointestinal diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, surgeries, cardiovascular diseases, and wound and injuries. Musculoskeletal disorders category contributed the largest revenue in the market due to increasing prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and bone & joint diseases, increasing availability of stem cell-based products for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, and growing patient preference for effective & early treatment strategies.

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The global stem cell therapy market has also been segmented by cell source into adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell, cord blood cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Of all the categories, the bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells are increasingly being used for therapeutic applications.

North America offers huge opportunities for stem cell therapy industry players

The North American stem cell therapy market will remain the largest during the forecast period. The region is further predicted to observe the fastest growth during the forecast period in the global market owing to technological upgradation and large capital invested in the research and development activities. Moreover, increasing number of clinical trials to evaluate therapeutic potential of products, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, the growing patient base for target diseases, growing public awareness related to the therapeutic potency of therapy, and increasing public-private funding & research grants for developing safe and effective stem cell therapy products are also supporting the growth of the North American stem cell therapy market.

Investing in research and development is the key strategy adopted by the market players

Major players in the industry are investing in the development of innovative and new products, which is strengthening their position in the stem cell therapy market. In February 2018, MEDIPOST announced that FDA has approved its stem cell-based Alzheimers disease drug, NEUROSTEM for clinical trials. Similarly, in March 2017, Osiris Therapeutics launched Prestige Lyotechnology, a method for storage of living cells and tissues.

Some of the key players operating in the stem cell therapy industry are Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., RTI Surgical, Inc., MEDIPOST Co., Ltd., Nuvasive, Inc., Pharmicell Co., Ltd., Holostem Terapie Avanzate Srl, JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Anterogen Co., Ltd., and Allosource.

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Global Stem Cell Therapy Market Set to Reach USD 214.5 Million by 2024 - The Courier

Keep it Flowing: Combating COVID-19 Blood Shortages in Cancer Treatment – Curetoday.com

When Marie Fuesel was treated for leukemia eight years ago, she needed donated blood products more than 100 times.

Theyd give me my chemotherapy, Id stay in the hospital for a week, then Id go home, get really sick and have to come back in for blood and platelets, says Fuesel, 53, a retired insurance agent who lives in suburban Chicago. I spent over 100 days in the hospital over eight months. The disease and treatments (affect the bone marrow and production of red and white blood cells and platelets), so many transfusions were required to achieve remission.

After eight months of chemotherapy, followed by a year on the targeted drug Sprycel (dasatinib) as part of a clinical trial, Fuesel went into remission. She no longer needs transfusions, but she still appreciates the need for blood donors. I wouldnt be alive if the blood wasnt available when it was needed, she says.

Back then, blood shortages werent common, but they are now. The stay-at-home orders at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of numerous blood drives, and safety concerns arising from its spread have prompted some frequent donors to stay away from donation centers.

Thats been a source of worry for oncologists. Patients with cancer use nearly one-quarter of the nations blood supply, according to the American Red Cross, and donated blood is a vital resource in the treatment of hematologic cancers. Patients who receive stem cell transplants often need transfusions of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, infection-fighting white blood cells and platelets to control bleeding. Blood transfusions are common in the supportive care of patients undergoing chemotherapy that suppresses production of all the blood cells that results in anemia, because they relieve symptoms that ensue, such as fatigue and shortness of breath.

Between March and June 2020, 37,000 blood drives were canceled, according to the American Red Cross. The impact of the blood shortage varied across the nation but has hit some cities particularly hard. The New York Blood Center, for example, which supplies New York City

hospitals, reported in December 2020 that it had just three days of supply on hand, down from the five- to seven-day supply it normally has.

Ongoing shortages are forcing cancer centers to change some of their procedures for using donated blood. We all recognize that we are in the midst of a public health crisis and that we all have to do our part, says Dr. Mikkael Sekeres, chief of hematology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and a physician liaison in hematology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In response to COVID-related blood shortages, several cancer centers adjusted their policies for transfusing blood. Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, for example, developed a blood shortage action plan, according to Dr. Kaaron Benson, director of the blood bank at Moffitt. It basically meant dropping some of the thresholds we would normally use for transfusion, Benson says.

Moffitt has not needed to implement the plan yet, but if it does, Benson says, the change would most likely have the biggest effect on patients with leukemia and lymphoma who are given platelets as a preventive strategy. Provided theyre not bleeding or engaging in activities that increase the risk of bleeding, studies have shown you can allow the platelet threshold to drop from our standard of 10,000 per microliter to 5,000, she says.

The technique was first suggested in a 1991 journal article and has since been widely accepted as an appropriate change to make during blood shortages, Benson says.

In recent years, many oncologists have set lower thresholds for red blood cell transfusions another change that has eased the strain on blood supply. They used to routinely order transfusions for patients with hemoglobin levels below 10 grams per deciliter. That number dropped to between 7 and 8 grams per deciliter after a series of studies showed that infusing red blood cells at the higher threshold did not improve treatment outcomes.

During the pandemic, Moffitt and other cancer centers are also delaying some stem cell transplants and elective surgeries, so that blood used during those procedures can be kept on hand for patients who urgently need it, such as trauma patients or those needing emergent surgery. But those decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, so patients should maintain a frequent dialogue with their oncologists to determine the best plan for managing their symptoms during the pandemic.

Patients with multiple myeloma, for example, can benefit from stem cell transplants, but its usually not urgent, says Dr. Stephanie Lee, a hematologist and professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. We have very good treatments for multiple myeloma, so we can continue to give patients chemotherapy for weeks or months, Lee says.

However, she explains, patients with leukemia who need stem cell transplants may be advised to undergo the procedure as quickly as possible, even during the pandemic, because delaying it could cause the cancer to grow and become resistant to treatment.

And some patients with cancer who are simultaneously fighting other diseases should receive all the blood and platelet transfusions they need to manage their cancer, as well as to address any risks posed by chronic conditions. If you have heart disease, and your hemoglobin drops even further, youre more likely to get angina or suffer a heart attack, Sekeres says. So, for those people with serious comorbidities, we are more aggressive in transfusing blood products.

Growing the Donor Pool

Stephenie Perry, who works as the business operations coordinator for the American Red Cross of Northwest Georgia, knows firsthand the value of donated blood. Perry is a survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma who needed several transfusions during her treatment, which consisted of a round of chemotherapy and two stem cell transplants.

Perry, 31, has been in remission since February 2018, but sometimes her red blood cell count still runs low and she needs another blood transfusion. I feel sluggish, and when I stand up, I get really dizzy, says Perry, who lives in Rome, Georgia. When I get a transfusion, its like someone has just given me a shot of energy.

How can patients adapt when blood shortages mandate less frequent transfusions? Lifestyle changes can make a big difference, Sekeres says. If a patient is becoming progressively anemic, and its someone who usually goes for a 2-mile walk every day, maybe theyll reduce it to 1 mile or cut (exercise) altogether, he says.

Some patients may be eligible for iron infusions, which can relieve symptoms of fatigue and lengthen the period between infusions, says Abbey Fueger, clinical trial nurse navigator for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

In addition, there are other small changes that can lessen the risk of anemia and improve symptoms. Some physicians are trying to limit blood draws for patients and recommending nutritional supplements that might help them feel better and lengthen the time between infusions, she says.

Meanwhile, an effort is underway to expand the pool of potential blood donors. In April, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) addressed blood shortages brought on by COVID-19 by easing up on some of its restrictions on who can donate. For example, people who are at risk of contracting HIV, and those who have a recent tattoo or piercing or possible exposure to an infected individual no longer have to wait one year to give blood. The new waiting period is three months.

The FDA also dropped the waiting period for donors who have traveled to malaria-endemic countries from one year to three months. And it no longer recommends that blood centers turn away donors who lived in certain European countries during the era when Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and fatal degenerative brain disorder, was thought to be spreading.

The hospital community is rallying around the cause, holding blood drives of their own and encouraging family members of patients to donate blood.

During the first few months of the pandemic, Fuesel helped put together five small blood drives in her town of Orland Park, Illinois. They were so successful the American Red Cross and a local news broadcaster asked her to help run the seventh annual Great Chicago Blood Drive. So, she did, and on Jan. 13, that event collected 330 units of blood at the Orland Park location and more than 2,000 units at other drives around the city.

For donors who might be nervous about giving blood during a pandemic, Fuesel has a message: Its safe and important. All the beds are spaced apart, and there are different stations when you walk in for getting your temperature checked and using hand sanitizer, Fuesel says. I know these are hard times, but it doesnt cost anything to give your blood. Its a way to help.

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Keep it Flowing: Combating COVID-19 Blood Shortages in Cancer Treatment - Curetoday.com

Network-based screen in iPSC-derived cells reveals therapeutic candidate for heart valve disease – Science

Machine learning for medicine

Small-molecule screens aimed at identifying therapeutic candidates traditionally search for molecules that affect one to several outputs at most, limiting discovery of true disease-modifying drugs. Theodoris et al. developed a machine-learning approach to identify small molecules that broadly correct gene networks dysregulated in a human induced pluripotent stem cell disease model of a common form of heart disease involving the aortic valve. Gene network correction by the most efficacious therapeutic candidate generalized to primary aortic valve cells derived from more than 20 patients with sporadic aortic valve disease and prevented aortic valve disease in vivo in a mouse model.

Science, this issue p. eabd0724

Determining the gene-regulatory networks that drive human disease allows the design of therapies that target the core disease mechanism rather than merely managing symptoms. However, small molecules used as therapeutic agents are traditionally screened for their effects on only one to several outputs at most, from which their predicted efficacy on the disease as a whole is extrapolated. In silico correlation of disease network dysregulation with pathways affected by molecules in surrogate cell types is limited by the relevance of the cell types used and by not directly testing compounds in patient cells.

In principle, mapping the architecture of the dysregulated network in disease-relevant cells differentiated from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and subsequent screening for small molecules that broadly correct the abnormal gene network could overcome this obstacle. Specifically, targeting normalization of the core regulatory elements that drive the disease process, rather than correction of peripheral downstream effectors that may not be disease modifying, would have the greatest likelihood of therapeutic success. We previously demonstrated that haploinsufficiency of NOTCH1 can cause calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), the third most common form of heart disease, and that the underlying mechanism involves derepression of osteoblast-like gene networks in cardiac valve cells. There is no medical therapy for CAVD, and in the United States alone, >100,000 surgical valve replacements are performed annually to relieve obstruction of blood flow from the heart. Many of these occur in the setting of a congenital aortic valve anomaly present in 1 to 2% of the population in which the aortic valve has two leaflets (bicuspid) rather than the normal three leaflets (tricuspid). Bicuspid valves in humans can also be caused by NOTCH1 mutations and predispose to early and more aggressive calcification in adulthood. Given that valve calcification progresses with age, a medical therapy that could slow or even arrest progression would have tremendous impact.

We developed a machine-learning approach to identify small molecules that sufficiently corrected gene network dysregulation in NOTCH1-haploinsufficient human iPSC-derived endothelial cells (ECs) such that they classified similar to NOTCH1+/+ ECs derived from gene-corrected isogenic iPSCs. We screened 1595 small molecules for their effect on a signature of 119 genes representative of key regulatory nodes and peripheral genes from varied regions of the inferred NOTCH1-dependent network, assayed by targeted RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Overall, eight molecules were validated to sufficiently correct the network signature such that NOTCH1+/ ECs classified as NOTCH1+/+ by the trained machine-learning algorithm. Of these, XCT790, an inverse agonist of estrogen-related receptor (ERR), had the strongest restorative effect on the key regulatory nodes SOX7 and TCF4 and on the network as a whole, as shown by full transcriptome RNA-seq.

Gene network correction by XCT790 generalized to human primary aortic valve ECs derived from explanted valves from >20 patients with nonfamilial CAVD. XCT790 was effective in broadly restoring dysregulated genes toward the normal state in both calcified tricuspid and bicuspid valves, including the key regulatory nodes SOX7 and TCF4.

Furthermore, XCT790 was sufficient to prevent as well as treat already established aortic valve disease in vivo in a mouse model of Notch1 haploinsufficiency on a telomere-shortened background. XCT790 significantly reduced aortic valve thickness, the extent of calcification, and echocardiographic signs of valve stenosis in vivo. XCT790 also reduced the percentage of aortic valve cells expressing the osteoblast transcriptional regulator RUNX2, indicating a reduction in the osteogenic cell fate switch underlying CAVD. Whole-transcriptome RNA-seq in treated aortic valves showed that XCT790 broadly corrected the genes dysregulated in Notch1-haploinsufficient mice with shortened telomeres, and that treatment of diseased aortic valves promoted clustering of the transcriptome with that of healthy aortic valves.

Network-based screening that leverages iPSC and machine-learning technologies is an effective strategy to discover molecules with broadly restorative effects on gene networks dysregulated in human disease that can be validated in vivo. XCT790 represents an entry point for developing a much-needed medical therapy for calcification of the aortic valve, which may also affect the highly related and associated calcification of blood vessels. Given the efficacy of XCT790 in limiting valve thickening, the potential for XCT790 to alter the progression of childhood, and perhaps even fetal, valve stenosis also warrants further study. Application of this strategy to other human models of disease may increase the likelihood of identifying disease-modifying candidate therapies that are successful in vivo.

A gene networkbased screening approach leveraging human disease-specific iPSCs and machine learning identified a therapeutic candidate, XCT790, which corrected the network dysregulation in genetically defined iPSC-derived endothelial cells and primary aortic valve endothelial cells from >20 patients with sporadic aortic valve disease. XCT790 was also effective in preventing and treating a mouse model of aortic valve disease.

Mapping the gene-regulatory networks dysregulated in human disease would allow the design of network-correcting therapies that treat the core disease mechanism. However, small molecules are traditionally screened for their effects on one to several outputs at most, biasing discovery and limiting the likelihood of true disease-modifying drug candidates. Here, we developed a machine-learning approach to identify small molecules that broadly correct gene networks dysregulated in a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) disease model of a common form of heart disease involving the aortic valve (AV). Gene network correction by the most efficacious therapeutic candidate, XCT790, generalized to patient-derived primary AV cells and was sufficient to prevent and treat AV disease in vivo in a mouse model. This strategy, made feasible by human iPSC technology, network analysis, and machine learning, may represent an effective path for drug discovery.

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Network-based screen in iPSC-derived cells reveals therapeutic candidate for heart valve disease - Science

AlloVir Research Presented at the 2021 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meeting Digital Experience – Business Wire

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AlloVir (Nasdaq: ALVR), a late clinical-stage cell therapy company, today announced results of a subgroup analysis from a Phase 2, proof-of-concept study (CHARMS) evaluating the companys lead product candidate, Viralym-M (ALVR105), an allogeneic, off-the-shelf, multi-virus specific investigational T-cell therapy (VST), in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) recipients with virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis (V-HC). These data are being presented in an oral presentation during the Transplantation & Cellular Therapy (TCT) Meeting of the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) and the Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR). Additionally, two separate oral presentations characterize the high economic and clinical burden of V-HC and double-stranded (ds) DNA viral infections in allo-HSCT recipients. Preclinical data was also presented in a poster presentation on ALVR109, AlloVirs virus-specific T-cell therapy targeting SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.

The data from the Phase 2 CHARMS study highlight Viralym-M's potential to treat and possibly prevent multiple viral infections and viral diseases. The findings presented at TCT show that this novel virus-specific T cell therapy has the potential to rapidly and effectively resolve macroscopic hematuria in allo-HSCT recipients with virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis a disease that currently has no effective treatment options and causes significant morbidity and increased risk of mortality, said Agustin Melian, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Medical Sciences of AlloVir. We have recently initiated our Phase 3, pivotal study of Viralym-M for the treatment of virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis and look forward to advancing this therapy through development for patients in need.

Data of Viralym-M in fifty-eight allo-HSCT recipients with at least one treatment-refractory viral infection caused by BK virus (BKV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), adenovirus (AdV), Epstein Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), and/or JC virus (JCV) were evaluated in the CHARMS Phase 2 study. The subgroup analysis presented at TCT included 26 patients who received intravenous VST infusions for the treatment of V-HC due to infection with BKV (n=23), AdV (n=2) and BKV and AdV (n=1). Infusions were well tolerated with mild, grade 1, de novo skin rash from graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurring in 15% of patients (n=4). In the 20 patients with available V-HC grading, resolution of macroscopic hematuria was observed in 60% and 80% of patients at two- and six-weeks post-infusion, respectively. In comparison, resolution of macroscopic hematuria was observed in <10% and 30% of patients at weeks two and six, respectively, in a contemporary cohort of allo-HSCT recipients (n=33) with V-HC who were not treated with Viralym-M.

Health economic outcomes data was also presented in two separate oral presentations at the conference. The two presentations analyzed U.S. claims data to compare health care reimbursement, health resource utilization, and clinical outcomes in pediatric and adult allo-HSCT recipients with V-HC and those without V-HC, and allo-HSCT recipients with or without dsDNA infections, respectively. Both studies found that allo-HSCT recipients with V-HC and those with any dsDNA infection had higher reimbursement costs, increased hospital and ICU length of stay, and increased hospital readmission rates. The presence of V-HC or any dsDNA viral infection was associated with a higher risk of mortality.

In addition, a poster presentation at the conference demonstrated the in vitro effector and safety profile of ALVR109, an allogeneic, off-the-shelf investigational VST therapy designed to target SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the severe and life-threatening viral disease, COVID-19. These data suggest the potential for using these VSTs to treat COVID-19 in hospitalized high-risk patients to prevent the development of severe disease. A clinical trial evaluating these banked, off-the-shelf SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells has been initiated at the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Texas Children's Hospital, and Houston Methodist Hospital.

Viral Infections in Immunocompromised Patients

In healthy individuals, virus-specific T cells (VSTs) from the bodys natural defense system provide protection against numerous disease-causing viruses. However, in patients with a weakened immune system these viruses may be uncontrolled. Viral diseases are common and can cause potentially devastating and life-threatening consequences in immunocompromised patients. For example, up to 90% of patients will reactivate at least one virus following an allogeneic stem cell transplant and two-thirds of these patients reactivate more than one virus, resulting in significant and prolonged morbidity, hospitalization, and premature death. Typically, when viruses infect immunocompromised patients, standard antiviral treatment does not address the underlying problem of a weakened immune system and therefore many patients suffer with life-threatening outcomes such as multi-organ damage and failure, and even death.

Viralym-M

Viralym-M (ALVR105) is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf, multi-virus specific investigational T-cell therapy targeting five devastating viral pathogens: BK virus, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, and human herpesvirus 6. Viralym-M has the potential to transform care for transplant recipients as well as individuals who are at high risk for opportunistic viral infections by reducing or preventing disease morbidity and dramatically improving patient outcomes. Three pivotal and proof-of-concept clinical (POC) trials are ongoing and actively recruiting patients in indications such as treatment of virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis and multi-virus prevention following allo-HSCT, and preemptive treatment of BK viremia in adult kidney transplant recipients. Additional pivotal and POC trials are expected to initiate for the treatment of CMV and the treatment of AdV in allo-HSCT recipients and in CMV for solid organ transplant recipients, respectively. For more information on the ongoing clinical trials visit clinicaltrials.gov.

Viralym-M has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as PRIority MEdicines (PRIME) and Orphan Drug Designations (ODD) from the European Medicines Agency.

About AlloVir

AlloVir is a leading late clinical-stage cell therapy company with a focus on restoring natural immunity against life-threatening viral diseases in pediatric and adult patients with weakened immune systems. The companys innovative and proprietary technology platforms leverage off-the-shelf, allogeneic, multi-virus specific T-cells targeting devastating viruses for patients with T-cell deficiencies who are at risk from the life-threatening consequences of viral diseases. AlloVirs technology and manufacturing process enables the potential for the treatment and prevention of a spectrum of devastating viruses with each single allogeneic cell therapy. The company is advancing multiple mid- and late-stage clinical trials across its product portfolio. For more information visit http://www.allovir.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding AlloVirs development and regulatory status of our product candidates, the planned conduct of its preclinical studies and clinical trials and its prospects for success in those studies and trials, and its strategy, business plans and focus. The words may, will, could, would, should, expect, plan, anticipate, intend, believe, estimate, predict, project, potential, continue, target and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on managements current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those related to AlloVirs financial results, the timing for the initiation and successful completion of AlloVirs clinical trials of its product candidates, whether and when, if at all, AlloVirs product candidates will receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, or other foreign regulatory authorities, competition from other biopharmaceutical companies, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AlloVirs product development plans, supply chain, and business operations and other risks identified in AlloVirs SEC filings. AlloVir cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. AlloVir disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent AlloVirs views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date.

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AlloVir Research Presented at the 2021 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meeting Digital Experience - Business Wire

Orchard Therapeutics talks the benefits of HSC therapy – BioProcess Insider

Having raised $150 million, Orchard hopes to expand its therapy pipeline into larger indications and says its HSC approach is not limited to the vector it uses.

The firm has said the funding will also aid the launch of gene therapy Libmeldy in Europe. Last year, the firm received approval for the one-time treatment which is used to treat children with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD).

Though often viewed as a single technology, the delivery mechanism, the vector, and the type of cell modified in gene therapy can conjure different approaches. Libmeldy is an ex vivo Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC) gene therapy. The company told us HSCs are central to Orchards other products in its pipeline.

Image/iStock: CIPhotos

It also asserted that despite the use of a lentiviral vector, HSC is the facilitating technology in its gene therapy as it is not limited to the vector used.

We insert a working copy of the gene into the genome of HSCs, and once engrafted, these genetically modified cells can lead to multiple corrected cell types in the blood stream including white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and tissue macrophages, SVP, Leslie Meltzer told BioProcess Insider. Importantly, the progeny of HSCs can migrate into multiple organ systems including the brain and GI tract.

The firm uses a lentiviral vector where genes can be inserted, deleted, or modified. Orchard told us lentiviral vectors are an appealing choice because of its ability to stably integrate the genome and be passed on to all the progeny.

HSCs are particularly appealing because of their intrinsic ability to self-renew which means that these cells serve as the repository of stem cells is expected for the lifetime of the individual, said Meltzer.

To expand into larger indications, Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) will be used to improve efficiency and the firm tout manufacturing as a critical step to transforming the capabilities of HSC.

We are focused on improving the HSC gene therapy manufacturing process through important technology innovations, including a scalable stable vector producing cell line, transduction enhancing compounds and a fully closed, automated drug product process.

With growing clinical data available, the firm is confident HSC gene therapy has the potential to make a durable impact in devastating disorders of the central nervous system.

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Orchard Therapeutics talks the benefits of HSC therapy - BioProcess Insider