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Stem Cell Researcher Offers Help to Nathan Brown
Australian Associated Press General News
03 June 2005
STEMCELLS By Janelle Miles, National Medical Correspondent
BRISBANE, June 3 AAP - Scientists who developed a technique using adult stem cells to aid bone healing have offered doctors treating injured AFL forward Nathan Brown the possibility of trialling the therapy if his broken leg fails to heal properly.
Rheumatologist Silviu Itescu said he had spoken to the Richmond vice-captain's orthopaedic surgeon about the possibility of using the treatment, waiting to undergo human trials, in the unlikely event Brown's leg refuses to mend as it should.
The treatment would involve taking stem cells from Brown, expanding them in the laboratory and reinjecting them into the injured goalkicker, who shattered both major bones in his lower right leg in a match last Friday.
If necessary, this would take place as a one-off experiment which would have to be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
Professor Itescu, who is on the faculties of both Melbourne and Columbia universities, said a pilot clinical trial using the technique on patients with poorly healing fractures was awaiting ethics committee approval but he expected it would be underway within months.
"Should Nathan's fracture not heal properly, he could be a candidate for this type of therapy," he said in an interview.
"His physician is open to considering this but at this point in time, he doesn't expect there to be any problem.
"If we're right and use of these specialist-expanded stem cells work to repair bone tissues, then they should hasten the repair process and make the bone stronger."
Prof Itescu is chief scientific adviser of Australian Stock Exchange-listed company Mesoblast which is exclusively commercialising the technology based on 10 years of research at Adelaide's Hanson Institute.
He said he expected human trials involving patients to be underway in the next quarter but was unable to give any further details under Australian Stock Exchange rules.
In future, if the trials prove successful, Prof Itescu envisages elite athletes like Brown will have their stem cells harvested and deposited in "banks" for use in case they suffer a "potentially career-threatening fracture".
He said the process should pose no ethical concerns for sporting bodies.
"These are adult cells, they're your own cells, there's no immune issues," Prof Itescu said.
"I don't see anything but upside for the sporting bodies. This is aimed at enhancing and hastening the body's own regenerative capacity."
Prof Itescu said the potential use of stem cells was much broader than just elite athletes.
He predicted the process may prove particularly useful to treat older people without sufficient stem cells for fractures to repair properly.
"Other areas where these cells can be used is for artery and heart muscle repair and regeneration," Prof Itescu said.
A trial of patients with angina and long-standing heart disease was planned in the Newcastle region, he said.
AAP jhm/jt/jlw
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