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Adult Stem Cells Aid Recovery in Animal Model of Cerebral Palsy
Company Reports
Chemical Business NewsBase
Elsevier Engineering Information
29 September 2005
Adult stem cell therapy quickly and significantly improves recovery of motor function in an animal model for the ischemic brain injury that occurs in about 10% of babies with cerebral palsy, researchers report. Within two weeks, treated animals were about 20% less likely to favour the unaffected side of their bodies and experienced about a 25% improvement in balance, compared to untreated controls, Medical College of Georgia researchers say. Athersys Inc, a Cleveland-based biopharmaceutical company pursuing cell therapy programmes in cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer and other diseases, funded the research in which about 200,000 cells were injected directly into the brain injury site. The adult stem cells, called multipotent progenitor cells because of their ability to make different types of tissue, were taken from the bone marrow of rats and expanded by Athersys for dosing in the injury model.
Seven days after injury, stem cells were injected directly into the brains of 22 animal models through a tiny hole in the skull. As with human transplant recipients, the animals were placed on immunosuppressive therapy to avoid rejection, although Athersys' experience in multiple animal models for human disease has shown donor-recipient matches and immunosuppression are not required. Behavioral tests seven days after transplant showed a trend toward recovery and significant recovery by day 14. About 1% to 2% of the transplanted cells actually survived, apparently replacing some cells destroyed by the original injury, while others helped injured cells recover. The MCG researchers have evidence that the healing benefit of stem cells comes from nourishing factors they secrete. The cells seem attracted by chemokines, growth factors that rally to an injury site. Next steps include looking at longer-term recovery and at whether surviving stem cells actually function as brain cells, networking with other cells by forming points of communication called synapses. Perhaps most importantly, they also will look at whether stem cells produce similar results when they are given intravenously rather than injected directly into the injury site.
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