The new multi-organ chip has the size of a glass microscope slide and allows the culture of up to four human engineered tissues, whose location and number can be tailored to the question being asked. These tissues are connected by vascular flow, but the presence of a selectively permeable endothelial barrier maintains their tissue-specific niche. Credit: Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard/Columbia Engineering

Major advance from Columbia Engineering team demonstrates the first multi-organ chip made of engineered human tissues linked by vascular flow for improved modeling of systemic diseases like cancer.

Engineered tissues have become an essential component for modeling diseases and testing the efficacy and safety of drugs in a human context. A key hurdle for researchers has been figuring how to model body functions and systemic diseases with multiple engineered tissues that can physiologically communicate just like they do in the body. However, it is essential to provide each engineered tissue with its own environment so that the specific tissue phenotypes can be maintained for weeks to months, as required for biological and biomedical studies. Making the challenge even more complex is the necessity of linking the tissue modules together to facilitate their physiological communication, which is required for modeling conditions that involve more than one organ system, without sacrificing the individual engineered tissue environments.

Up to now, no one has been able to meet both conditions. Today, a team of researchers from Columbia Engineering and Columbia University Irving Medical Center reports that they have developed a model of human physiology in the form of a multi-organ chip consisting of engineered human heart, bone, liver, and skin that are linked by vascular flow with circulating immune cells, to allow recapitulation of interdependent organ functions. The researchers have essentially created a plug-and-play multi-organ chip, which is the size of a microscope slide, that can be customized to the patient. Because disease progression and responses to treatment vary greatly from one person to another, such a chip will eventually enable personalized optimization of therapy for each patient. The study is the cover story of the April 2022 issue of the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

In our study, we cultured liver, heart, bone, and skin, connected by vascular flow for four weeks. These tissues can be generated from a single human induced pluripotent stem cell, generating a patient-specific chip, a great model for individualized studies of human disease and drug testing. Credit: Keith Yeager/Columbia Engineering

This is a huge achievement for usweve spent ten years running hundreds of experiments, exploring innumerable great ideas, and building many prototypes, and now at last weve developed this platform that successfully captures the biology of organ interactions in the body, said the project leader Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, University Professor and the Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Medical Sciences, and Dental Medicine.

Taking inspiration from how the human body works, the team has built a human tissue-chip system in which they linked matured heart, liver, bone, and skin tissue modules by recirculating vascular flow, allowing for interdependent organs to communicate just as they do in the human body. The researchers chose these tissues because they have distinctly different embryonic origins, structural and functional properties, and are adversely affected by cancer treatment drugs, presenting a rigorous test of the proposed approach.

The tissues cultured in the multi-organ chip (skin, heart, bone, liver, and endothelial barrier from left to right) maintained their tissue-specific structure and function after being linked by vascular flow. Credit: Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard/Columbia Engineering

Providing communication between tissues while preserving their individual phenotypes has been a major challenge, said Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard, the studys lead author and an associate research scientist in Vunjak-Novakovics Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering. Because we focus on using patient-derived tissue models we must individually mature each tissue so that it functions in a way that mimics responses you would see in the patient, and we dont want to sacrifice this advanced functionality when connecting multiple tissues. In the body, each organ maintains its own environment, while interacting with other organs by vascular flow carrying circulating cells and bioactive factors. So we chose to connect the tissues by vascular circulation, while preserving each individual tissue niche that is necessary to maintain its biological fidelity, mimicking the way that our organs are connected within the body.

The group created tissue modules, each within its optimized environment and separated them from the common vascular flow by a selectively permeable endothelial barrier. The individual tissue environments were able to communicate across the endothelial barriers and via vascular circulation. The researchers also introduced into the vascular circulation the monocytes giving rise to macrophages, because of their important roles in directing tissue responses to injury, disease, and therapeutic outcomes.

All tissues were derived from the same line of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), obtained from a small sample of blood, in order to demonstrate the ability for individualized, patient-specific studies. And, to prove the model can be used for long-term studies, the team maintained the tissues, which had already been grown and matured for four to six weeks, for an additional four weeks, after they were linked by vascular perfusion.

The researchers also wanted to demonstrate how the model could be used for studies of an important systemic condition in a human context and chose to examine the adverse effects of anticancer drugs. They investigated the effects of doxorubicin a broadly used anticancer drug on heart, liver, bone, skin, and vasculature. They showed that the measured effects recapitulated those reported from clinical studies of cancer therapy using the same drug.

The team developed in parallel a novel computational model of the multi-organ chip for mathematical simulations of drugs absorption, distribution, metabolism, and secretion. This model correctly predicted doxorubicins metabolism into doxorubicinol and its diffusion into the chip. The combination of the multi-organ chip with computational methodology in future studies of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of other drugs provides an improved basis for preclinical to clinical extrapolation, with improvements in the drug development pipeline.

While doing that, we were also able to identify some early molecular markers of cardiotoxicity, the main side-effect that limits the broad use of the drug. Most notably, the multi-organ chip predicted precisely the cardiotoxicity and cardiomyopathy that often require clinicians to decrease therapeutic dosages of doxorubicin or even to stop the therapy, said Vunjak-Novakovic.

The development of the multi-organ chip began from a platform with the heart, liver, and vasculature, nicknamed the HeLiVa platform. As is always the case with Vunjak-Novakovics biomedical research, collaborations were critical for completing the work. These include the collective talent of her laboratory, Andrea Califano and his systems biology team (Columbia University), Christopher S. Chen (Boston University) and Karen K. Hirschi (University of Virginia) with their expertise in vascular biology and engineering, Angela M. Christiano and her skin research team (Columbia University), Rajesh K. Soni of the Proteomics Core at Columbia University, and the computational modeling support of the team at CFD Research Corporation.

The research team is currently using variations of this chip to study, all in individualized patient-specific contexts: breast cancer metastasis; prostate cancer metastasis; leukemia; effects of radiation on human tissues; the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on heart, lung, and vasculature; the effects of ischemia on the heart and brain; and the safety and effectiveness of drugs. The group is also developing a user-friendly standardized chip for both academic and clinical laboratories, to help utilize its full potential for advancing biological and medical studies.

Vunjak-Novakovic added, After ten years of research on organs-on-chips, we still find it amazing that we can model a patients physiology by connecting millimeter sized tissues the beating heart muscle, the metabolizing liver, and the functioning skin and bone that are grown from the patients cells. We are excited about the potential of this approach. Its uniquely designed for studies of systemic conditions associated with injury or disease, and will enable us to maintain the biological properties of engineered human tissues along with their communication. One patient at a time, from inflammation to cancer!

Reference: A multi-organ chip with matured tissue niches linked by vascular flow by Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard, Diogo Teles, Keith Yeager, Daniel Naveed Tavakol, Yimu Zhao, Alan Chramiec, Somnath Tagore, Max Summers, Sophia Stylianos, Manuel Tamargo, Busub Marcus Lee, Susan P. Halligan, Erbil Hasan Abaci, Zongyou Guo, Joanna Jackw, Alberto Pappalardo, Jerry Shih, Rajesh K. Soni, Shivam Sonar, Carrie German, Angela M. Christiano, Andrea Califano, Karen K. Hirschi, Christopher S. Chen, Andrzej Przekwas and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, 27 April 2022, Nature Biomedical Engineering.DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00882-6

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Plug-and-Play Human Organ-on-a-Chip Can Be Customized to the Patient - SciTechDaily

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All thalassemia patients need timely supply of safe blood for regular blood transfusion

There are 270 million Thalassemia patients in the world, yet India is called the Thalassemia capital because the country has the largest number of children suffering from this inherited blood disorder that causes the body to have less hemoglobin than normal.

More than 10,000 children are born in India with Thalassemia every year. According to World Health Organization, four million Indians are thalassemia carriers, while more than 1,00,000 are the actual patients battling the disease. Parents, who are usually asymptomatic, are the carriers of Thalassemia, and have a 25% chance of passing the disease to their children.

Even though thalassemia affects millions of people in the world, not many are aware about this condition. Early symptoms include fatigue, weakness, bone deformities (especially in the face), pale appearance or yellowish skin tone, slow growth rate, lowered immunity levels, and iron overload.

Due to financial barriers and lack of access to treatment, many young patients in India do not survive into adulthood. One of the major challenges is the lack of adequate pre-natal diagnosis facilities for Thalassemia, especially in rural areas. To manage the disease, patients need to take regular blood transfusions lifelong, along with iron chelation to treat iron overload in the body. These are very taxing procedures for young children that strain their health.

All Thalassemia patients need timely supply of safe blood for regular blood transfusion. It is not a permanent solution and is quite a painful process for a child. The annual requirement of packed red cells for Thalassemia patients is about 2 million units in India. Although patient organizations and regional blood banks have been working relentlessly towards fulfilling this requirement, the demand is significantly more than the current supply. Lot of families have to struggle month after month in making packed cells available for their children.

Repeated packed red cell transfusions lead to iron overload in patients. Excess iron gets deposited in organs like liver, heart and endocrine glands. This iron overload is usually the cause of death in the second or third decade of life. These patients need to be on medications to remove the extra iron from their bodies to ensure a normal life span for them. Yet, in spite of freely available drugs, less than 10% of Thalassemia patients are adequately chelated in India. Factors like ignorance, poor compliance and, more importantly, unaffordability are major reasons for poor chelation in Thalassemia patients.

Thalassemia is a multi-system problem. In addition to regular blood transfusion and iron chelation, the disease needs to be managed by a multidisciplinary team that should have hematologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, nutritionist, nurse practitioner, etc. to provide holistic care. There are hardly any comprehensive centers for thalassemia care in India.

However, there is some good news too. With advances in the medical field, thalassemia major, once considered a cumbersome disease with lifelong blood transfusions, iron overload and limited lifespan, has seen a shift in the last decade with blood stem cell transplant, the only curative treatment option available for thalassemia.

Recent data shows 85-90% success rate of stem cell marrow transplantation in patients who have HLA matched stem cell donor. In a blood stem cell transplant, stem cells are collected from blood of the donors and transplanted into the thalassemia patient after their bone marrow has been destroyed by radiation or chemotherapy. Only 30% patients who need transplants have a fully HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) matched donor in their family, rest of them depend on an unrelated donor.

Patients and donors of Indian origin have unique HLA characteristics that are severely under-represented in the global database, which makes the probability of finding a suitable donor even more difficult. Indian patients mainly require an Indian tissue match. This calls for increased awareness and need to encourage people in India to register as a potential blood stem cell donor.

Registering as a potential donor is an easy process which can be done through online portal of a stem cell registry such as DKMS BMST Foundation India. Once you sign-up, you will receive a DIY home swab kit to take your cheek swab samples and send it back to the registry! Once an individual comes up as a match for a blood cancer patient, blood stem cells from the individual are obtained from the bloodstream using a procedure called peripheral blood stem cell collection, which is similar to a blood platelet donation..

Source: WHO, GLOBOCAN and Ministry of Health

(Dr. Nitin Agarwal, MD, Transfusion Medicine, HOD, Donor Request Management, DKMS BMST Foundation India)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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World Thalassemia Day 2022: Why India Is The Thalassemia Capital Of The World - NDTV Doctor

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Spring has arrived in Gothenburg, and the Cline is excited to bring you some exciting news and updates from our team

The first stage of Ex-vivo testing completed

Early this month, Cline announced that the first stage of our ex-vivo experiments was carried out with encouraging performance. This newsletter will take a deeper look at what's happening in our labs and what these tests mean for StemCART.

These experiments, which began in January 2022, are an important milestone for the StemCART project and will push the project into the next development stage. In these tests, Cline has several aims; 1) demonstrate that the matrix developed by Cline successfully functions, 2) the successful differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into functional chondrocytes (cartilage cells), and 3) to show induced healing of the injured cartilage tissue.

To achieve this, Cline has been collaborating with orthopedic surgeons and a hospital to collect cartilage tissue from patients undergoing surgery. Cline then takes this tissue from the hospital to our cell labs. At the lab we induce an artificial cartilage damage to mimic joint injuries before implanting the cells and matrix together at the injury site.

In this first stage of testing, the supporting matrix demonstrated the expected functionality in successfully fixing cells to the area of interest.

Read more about this in our latest press release or where Cline was recently featured on ORTHOWORLD.

Next steps for StemCART

The ex-vivo tests continues and Cline will carry out at least 24 further experiments in several stages. The results from these will be communicated after the completion of each stage. The upcoming stage of 10 experiments will test a higher cell concentration and focus on determining the functionality of the chondrocytes. Testing will also be expanded to include tissue of different cartilage origin, such as knee, shoulder, and hip.

StemCART's ultimate vision is as a cell-based Advanced Therapy Medical Product (ATMP) that will revolutionize the treatment of cartilage damage by providing patients with new functional cartilage and curing the condition, thus eliminating pain. StemCART provides several advantages over other therapy strategies such as autologous chondrocytes implantation and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in that it provides reparative cartilage to the joint, and that an allogeneic cell source has much better scalability.

As part of the journey to this goal, Cline will continue preparing for in-human clinical trials, including scaling up production in a GMP facility together with partners, developing QA/QC methods, as well as the necessary safety testing and documentation for a clinical trial application. Cline has begun this work by evaluating different development and manufacturing options and engaging in regulatory pathway strategic planning activities.

Cline envisions out-licensing StemCART to a commercial partner following successful phase I trials. The process to identify and engage potential partners is ongoing, with the aim of generating interest in the commercialization of StemCART.

Exciting industry news and developments

2022 has already been an exciting year in the world of stem cell-based therapy and cartilage repair, showing the increasing interest and potential paradigm shift towards cell-based treatment. For example in the MSC segment, the Lund-based company Xintela recently began its first-in-human clinical trial for mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in knee osteoarthritis (OA). Similarly, Cynata Therapeutics, working with iPSC-derived MSCs to treat knee OA, together with Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, is currently conducting a large phase III trial. For more insights into the current landscape of cartilage repair treatments and current status of new cell-based treatments, you can read Cline Scientific's latest publication, "Insights into the present and future of cartilage regeneration and joint repair," available at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms/special_issues/Cartilage_Repair.

Another leap forward for iPSC-derived tissue therapy is the conclusion of a world-first clinical trial, showing that implanting iPSC-derived corneal tissue into four nearly blind patients was safe and effective. The team from Osaka University used iPS cells to create the cornea tissue, which caused improvement of symptoms and eyesight and did not lead to any rejection or tumorigenicity.

Finally, in related orthopedic industry news, Bioventus acquired its partner CartiHeal for up to 450M USD. CartiHeal is an orthopedic device company that has developed the cartilage repair implant Agili-C, which was recently approved by the FDA. Agili-C is a cell-free scaffold implant for cartilage and osteochondral defects caused by either osteoarthritis or trauma.

We look forward to continuing to share Cline's journey in future newsletters!

Warmest regards,

The Cline Team

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Cline Scientific AB (publ) Telefon: 031-387 55 55Argongatan 2 C E-post: info@clinescientific.com431 53 MLNDAL Hemsida: http://www.clinescientific.com

About Cline ScientificCline Scientific develops advanced cancer diagnostics and regenerative medicine treatments. The company is working heavily with R&D through joint collaborations with pharmaceutical companies and academic researchers around the world. The focus is on projects in the cancer diagnostic and stem cell therapy fields since Clines nanotechnology here provides unmet solutions to critical challenges and functions. The unique patented surface nanotechnology is used in cell-based products and processes to drive projects within Life Science into and through the clinical phase.

https://news.cision.com/cline/r/newsletter-april-2022---progress-in-cline-s-cell-lab-and-in-the-stem-cell-therapy-field,c3555837

https://mb.cision.com/Main/12114/3555837/1571081.pdf

(c) 2022 Cision. All rights reserved., source Press Releases - English

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Newsletter April 2022 - Progress in Cline's cell lab and in the stem cell therapy field - Marketscreener.com

IPS Cell Therapy Comments Off on Newsletter April 2022 – Progress in Cline’s cell lab and in the stem cell therapy field – Marketscreener.com | April 29th, 2022

Stem Cell Investig. 2019; 6: 19.

1Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran;

2Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran;

2Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran;

3Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

1Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran;

2Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran;

3Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

Contributions: (I) Conception and design: E Fathi, R Farahzadi; (II) Administrative support: E Fathi, R Farahzadi; (III) Provision of study materials or patients: None; (IV) Collection and assembly of data: R Farahzadi, N Rajabzadeh; (V) Data analysis and interpretation: All authors; (VI) Manuscript writing: All authors; (VII) Final approval of manuscript: All authors.

#These authors contributed equally to this work.

Received 2018 Nov 11; Accepted 2019 Mar 17.

Recent developments in the stem cell biology provided new hopes in treatment of diseases and disorders that yet cannot be treated. Stem cells have the potential to differentiate into various cell types in the body during age. These provide new cells for the body as it grows, and replace specialized cells that are damaged. Since mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be easily harvested from the adipose tissue and can also be cultured and expanded in vitro they have become a good target for tissue regeneration. These cells have been widespread used for cell transplantation in animals and also for clinical trials in humans. The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of our current knowledge regarding the important and types of isolated stem cells from different sources of animal models such as horse, pig, goat, dog, rabbit, cat, rat, mice etc. In this regard, due to the widespread use and lot of attention of MSCs, in this review, we will elaborate on use of MSCs in veterinary medicine as well as in regenerative medicine. Based on the studies in this field, MSCs found wide application in treatment of diseases, such as heart failure, wound healing, tooth regeneration etc.

Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), animal model, cell-based therapy, regenerative medicine

Stem cells are one of the main cells of the human body that have ability to grow more than 200 types of body cells (1). Stem cells, as non-specialized cells, can be transformed into highly specialized cells in the body (2). In the other words, Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with self-renewal potential, differentiation into several types of cells and excessive proliferation (3). In the past, it was believed that stem cells can only differentiate into mature cells of the same organ. Today, there are many evidences to show that stem cells can differentiate into the other types of cell as well as ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. The numbers of stem cells are different in the tissues such as bone marrow, liver, heart, kidney, and etc. (3,4). Over the past 20 years, much attention has been paid to stem cell biology. Therefore, there was a profound increase in the understanding of its characteristics and the therapeutic potential for its application (5). Today, the utilization of these cells in experimental research and cell therapy represents in such disorders including hematological, skin regeneration and heart disease in both human and veterinary medicine (6).The history of stem cells dates back to the 1960s, when Friedenstein and colleagues isolated, cultured and differentiated to osteogenic cell lineage of bone marrow-derived cells from guinea pigs (7). This project created a new perspective on stem cell research. In the following, other researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains fibroblast-like cells with congenic potential in vitro, which were capable of forming colonies (CFU-F) (8). For over 60 years, transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) has been the major curative therapy for several genetic and hematological disorders (9). Almost in 1963, Till and McCulloch described a single progenitor cell type in the bone marrow which expand clonally and give rise to all lineages of hematopoietic cells. This research represented the first characterization of the HSCs (10). Also, the identification of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in 1981 revolutionized the study of developmental biology, and mice are now used extensively as one of the best option to study stem cell biology in mammals (11). Nevertheless, their application a model, have limitations in the regenerative medicine. But this model, relatively inexpensive and can be easily manipulated genetically (12). Failure to obtain a satisfactory result in the selection of many mouse models, to recapitulate particular human disease phenotypes, has forced researchers to investigate other animal species to be more probably predictive of humans (13). For this purpose, to study the genetic diseases, the pig has been currently determined as one the best option of a large animal model (14).

Stem cells, based on their differentiation ability, are classified into different cell types, including totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent, or unipotent. Also, another classification of these cells are based on the evolutionary stages, including embryonic, fetal, infant or umbilical cord blood and adult stem cells (15). shows an overview of stem cells classifications based on differentiation potency.

An overview of the stem cell classification. Totipotency: after fertilization, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) maintain the ability to form all three germ layers as well as extra-embryonic tissues or placental cells and are termed as totipotent. Pluripotency: these more specialized cells of the blastocyst stage maintain the ability to self-renew and differentiate into the three germ layers and down many lineages but do not form extra-embryonic tissues or placental cells. Multipotency: adult or somatic stem cells are undifferentiated cells found in postnatal tissues. These specialized cells are considered to be multipotent; with very limited ability to self-renew and are committed to lineage species.

Toti-potent cells have the potential for development to any type of cell found in the organism. In the other hand, the capacity of these cells to develop into the three primary germ cell layers of the embryo and into extra-embryonic tissues such as the placenta is remarkable (15).

The pluripotent stem cells are kind of stem cells with the potential for development to approximately all cell types. These cells contain ESCs and cells that are isolated from the mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm germ layers that are organized in the beginning period of ESC differentiation (15).

The multipotent stem cells have less proliferative potential than the previous two groups and have ability to produce a variety of cells which limited to a germinal layer [such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)] or just a specific cell line (such as HSCs). Adult stem cells are also often in this group. In the word, these cells have the ability to differentiate into a closely related family of cells (15).

Despite the increasing interest in totipotent and pluripotent stem cells, unipotent stem cells have not received the most attention in research. A unipotent stem cell is a cell that can create cells with only one lineage differentiation. Muscle stem cells are one of the example of this type of cell (15). The word uni is derivative from the Latin word unus meaning one. In adult tissues in comparison with other types of stem cells, these cells have the lowest differentiation potential. The unipotent stem cells could create one cell type, in the other word, these cells do not have the self-renewal property. Furthermore, despite their limited differentiation potential, these cells are still candidates for treatment of various diseases (16).

ESCs are self-renewing cells that derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst and give rise to all cells during human development. It is mentioned that these cells, including human embryonic cells, could be used as suitable, promising source for cell transplantation and regenerative medicine because of their unique ability to give rise to all somatic cell lineages (17). In the other words, ESCs, pluripotent cells that can differentiate to form the specialized of the various cell types of the body (18). Also, ESCs capture the imagination because they are immortal and have an almost unlimited developmental potential. Due to the ethical limitation on embryo sampling and culture, these cells are used less in research (19).

HSCs are multipotent cells that give rise to blood cells through the process of hematopoiesis (20). These cells reside in the bone marrow and replenish all adult hematopoietic lineages throughout the lifetime of the human and animal (21). Also, these cells can replenish missing or damaged components of the hematopoietic and immunologic system and can withstand freezing for many years (22).The mammalian hematopoietic system containing more than ten different mature cell types that HSCs are one of the most important members of this. The ability to self-renew and multi-potency is another specific feature of these cells (23).

Adult stem cells, as undifferentiated cells, are found in numerous tissues of the body after embryonic development. These cells multiple by cell division to regenerate damaged tissues (24). Recent studies have been shown that adult stem cells may have the ability to differentiate into cell types from various germ layers. For example, bone marrow stem cells which is derived from mesoderm, can differentiate into cell lineage derived mesoderm and endoderm such as into lung, liver, GI tract, skin, etc. (25). Another example of adult stem cells is neural stem cells (NSCs), which is derived from ectoderm and can be differentiate into another lineage such as mesoderm and endoderm (26). Therapeutic potential of adult stem cells in cell therapy and regenerative medicine has been proven (27).

For the first time in the late 1990s, CSCs were identified by John Dick in acute myeloid diseases. CSCs are cancerous cells that found within tumors or hematological cancers. Also, these cells have the characteristics of normal stem cells and can also give rise to all cell types found in a particular cancer sample (28). There is an increasing evidence supporting the CSCs hypothesis. Normal stem cells in an adult living creature are responsible for the repair and regeneration of damaged as well as aged tissues (29). Many investigations have reported that the capability of a tumor to propagate and proliferate relies on a small cellular subpopulation characterized by stem-like properties, named CSCs (30).

Embryonic connective tissue contains so-called mesenchymes, from which with very close interactions of endoderm and ectoderm all other connective and hematopoietic tissues originate, Whereas, MSCs do not differentiate into hematopoietic cell (31). In 1924, Alexander A. Maxi mow used comprehensive histological detection to identify a singular type of precursor cell within mesenchyme that develops into various types of blood cells (32). In general, MSCs are type of cells with potential of multi-lineage differentiation and self-renewal, which exist in many different kinds of tissues and organs such as adipose tissue, bone marrow, skin, peripheral blood, fallopian tube, cord blood, liver and lung et al. (4,5). Today, stem cells are used for different applications. In addition to using these cells in human therapy such as cell transplantation, cell engraftment etc. The use of stem cells in veterinary medicine has also been considered. The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of our current knowledge regarding the important and types of isolated stem cells from different sources of animal models such as horse, pig, goat, dog, rabbit, cat, rat, mice etc. In this regard, due to the widespread use and lot of attention of MSCs, in this review, we will elaborate on use of MSCs in veterinary medicine.

The isolation method, maintenance and culture condition of MSCs differs from the different tissues, these methods as well as characterization of MSCs described as (36). MSCs could be isolated from the various tissues such as adipose tissue, bone marrow, umbilical cord, amniotic fluid etc. (37).

Diagram for adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell isolation (3).

Diagram for bone marrow-derived MSCs isolation (33). MSC, mesenchymal stem cell.

Diagram for umbilical cord-derived MSCs isolation (34). MSC, mesenchymal stem cell.

Diagram for isolation of amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs) (35).

Diagram for MSCs characterization (35). MSC, mesenchymal stem cell.

The diversity of stem cell or MSCs sources and a wide aspect of potential applications of these cells cause to challenge for selecting an appropriate cell type for cell therapy (38). Various diseases in animals have been treated by cell-based therapy. However, there are immunity concerns regarding cell therapy using stem cells. Improving animal models and selecting suitable methods for engraftment and transplantation could help address these subjects, facilitating eventual use of stem cells in the clinic. Therefore, for this purpose, in this section of this review, we provide an overview of the current as well as previous studies for future development of animal models to facilitate the utilization of stem cells in regenerative medicine (14). Significant progress has been made in stem cells-based regenerative medicine, which enables researchers to treat those diseases which cannot be cured by conventional medicines. The unlimited self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation potential to other types of cells causes stem cells to be frontier in regenerative medicine (24). More researches in regenerative medicine have been focused on human cells including embryonic as well as adult stem cells or maybe somatic cells. Today there are versions of embryo-derived stem cells that have been reprogrammed from adult cells under the title of pluripotent cells (39). Stem cell therapy has been developed in the last decade. Nevertheless, obstacles including unwanted side effects due to the migration of transplanted cells as well as poor cell survival have remained unresolved. In order to overcome these problems, cell therapy has been introduced using biocompatible and biodegradable biomaterials to reduce cell loss and long-term in vitro retention of stem cells.

Currently in clinical trials, these biomaterials are widely used in drug and cell-delivery systems, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering in which to prevent the long-term survival of foreign substances in the body the release of cells are controlled (40).

Today, the incidence and prevalence of heart failure in human societies is a major and increasing problem that unfortunately has a poor prognosis. For decades, MSCs have been used for cardiovascular regenerative therapy as one of the potential therapeutic agents (41). Dhein et al. [2006] found that autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation improves cardiac function in non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in a rabbit model. In one study, Davies et al. [2010] reported that transplantation of cord blood stem cells in ovine model of heart failure, enhanced the function of heart through improvement of right ventricular mass, both systolic and diastolic right heart function (42). In another study, Nagaya et al. [2005] found that MSCs dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), possibly by inducing angiogenesis and preventing cardial fibrosis. MSCs have a tremendous beneficial effect in cell transplantation including in differentiating cardiomyocytes, vascular endothelial cells, and providing anti-apoptotic as well angiogenic mediators (43). Roura et al. [2015] shown that umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (UCBMSCs) are envisioned as attractive therapeutic candidates against human disorders progressing with vascular deficit (44). Ammar et al., [2015] compared BMSCs with adipose tissue-derived MSCs (ADSCs). It was demonstrated that both BMSCs and ADSCs were equally effective in mitigating doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction through decreasing collagen deposition and promoting angiogenesis (45).

There are many advantages of small animal models usage in cardiovascular research compared with large animal models. Small model of animals has a short life span, which allow the researchers to follow the natural history of the disease at an accelerated pace. Some advantages and disadvantages are listed in (46).

Despite of the small animal model, large animal models are suitable models for studies of human diseases. Some advantages and disadvantages of using large animal models in a study protocol planning was elaborated in (47).

Chronic wound is one of the most common problem and causes significant distress to patients (48). Among the types of tissues that stem cells derived it, dental tissuederived MSCs provide good sources of cytokines and growth factors that promote wound healing. The results of previous studies showed that stem cells derived deciduous teeth of the horse might be a novel approach for wound care and might be applied in clinical treatment of non-healing wounds (49). However, the treatment with stem cells derived deciduous teeth needs more research to understand the underlying mechanisms of effective growth factors which contribute to the wound healing processes (50). This preliminary investigation suggests that deciduous teeth-derived stem cells have the potential to promote wound healing in rabbit excisional wound models (49). In the another study, Lin et al. [2013] worked on the mouse animal model and showed that ADSCs present a potentially viable matrix for full-thickness defect wound healing (51).

Many studies have been done on dental reconstruction with MSCs. In one study, Khorsand et al. [2013] reported that dental pulp-derived stem cells (DPSCs) could promote periodontal regeneration in canine model. Also, it was shown that canine DPSCs were successfully isolated and had the rapid proliferation and multi-lineage differentiation capacity (52). Other application of dental-derived stem cells is shown in .

Diagram for application of dental stem cell in dentistry/regenerative medicine (53).

As noted above, stem cells have different therapeutic applications and self-renewal capability. These cells can also differentiate into the different cell types. There is now a great hope that stem cells can be used to treat diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and other serious diseases. In stem cell-based therapy, ESCs are essentially targeted to differentiate into functional neural cells. Today, a specific category of stem cells called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are being used and tested to generate functional dopamine neurons for treating Parkinson's disease of a rat animal model. In addition, NSC as well as MSCs are being used in neurodegenerative disorder therapies for Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, and stroke (54). Previous studies have shown that BMSCs could reduce brain amyloid deposition and accelerate the activation of microglia in an acutely induced Alzheimers disease in mouse animal model. Lee et al. [2009] reported that BMSCs can increase the number of activated microglia, which effective therapeutic vehicle to reduce A deposits in AD patients (55). In confirmation of previous study, Liu et al. [2015] showed that transplantation of BMSCs in brain of mouse model of Alzheimers disease cause to decrease in amyloid beta deposition, increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and improvements in social recognition (56). In addition of BMSCs, NSCs have been proposed as tools for treating neurodegeneration disease because of their capability to create an appropriate cell types which transplanted. kerud et al. [2001] demonstrated that NSCs efficiently express high level of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in vivo, suggesting a use of these cells in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinsons disease (57). In the following, Venkataramana et al. [2010] transplanted BMSCs into the sub lateral ventricular zones of seven Parkinsons disease patients and reported encouraging results (58).

The human body is fortified with specialized cells named MSCs, which has the ability to self-renew and differentiate into various cell types including, adipocyte, osteocyte, chondrocyte, neurons etc. In addition to mentioned properties, these cells can be easily isolated, safely transplanted to injured sites and have the immune regulatory properties. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies in animal models have successfully demonstrated the potential of MSCs for various diseases; however, the clinical outcomes are not very encouraging. Based on the studies in the field of stem cells, MSCs find wide application in treatment of diseases, such as heart failure, wound healing, tooth regeneration and etc. In addition, these cells are particularly important in the treatment of the sub-branch neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer and Parkinson.

The authors wish to thank staff of the Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Funding: The project described was supported by Grant Number IR.TBZMED.REC.1396.1218 from the Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Stem cell-based regenerative medicine - PMC

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Stem cell-based regenerative medicine – PMC | April 29th, 2022

The new report by Expert Market Research titled, Global Stem Cell Market Report and Forecast 2022-2027, gives an in-depth analysis of the globalstem cell market, assessing the market based on its segments like types, treatment types, applications and major regions. The report tracks the latest trends in the industry and studies their impact on the overall market. It also assesses the market dynamics, covering the key demand and price indicators, along with analysing the market based on the SWOT and Porters Five Forces models.

Request a free sample copy in PDF or view the report summary@https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/stem-cell-market/requestsample

The key highlights of the report include:

Market Overview (2017-2027)

The stem cell business is growing due to an increase in activities to use stem cells in regenerative treatments due to their medicinal qualities. The increasing use of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for the treatment of hereditary cardiac difficulties, neurological illnesses, and genetic diseases such as recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RBED) is driving the market forward.

Furthermore, because human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) may reverse immunosuppression, they serve as a major source of cells for auto logic stem cell therapy, boosting the industrys expansion. Furthermore, the rising incentives provided by major businesses to deliver breakthrough stem cell therapies, as well as the increased use of modern resources and techniques in research and development activities (R&D), are propelling the stem cell market forward.

Because of increased research and development (R&D) in the United States and Canada, North America accounts for a significant portion of the overall stem cell business. Furthermore, the increased frequency of non-communicable chronic diseases such as cancer and Parkinsons disease, among others, is boosting the use of stem cell therapy, boosting the industrys growth. Furthermore, the regions stronghealthcaresector is improving access to innovative cell therapy treatments, assisting the regional stem cell industrys expansion. Aside from that, due to the rising use of regenerative treatments, the Asia Pacific area is predicted to rise rapidly. Furthermore, rising clinical trials are assisting market expansion due to low labour costs and the availability of raw materials in the region, contributing considerably to overall industry growth.

Industry Definition and Major Segments

A stem cell is a type of cell that has the ability to develop into a variety of cells, including brain cells and muscle cells. It can also help to repairtissuesthat have been injured. Because stem cells have the potential to treat a variety of non-communicable and chronic diseases, including Alzheimers and diabetes, theyre being used in medical and biotechnological research to repair tissue damage caused by diseases.

Explore the full report with the table of contents@https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/stem-cell-market

The major product types of stem cell are:

The market can be broadly categorised on the basis of its treatment types into:

Based on applications, the market is divided into:

The EMR report looks into the regional markets of stem cell-like:

Market Trends

The market is expected to rise due to increased research activity in regenerative medicine and biotechnology to personalise stem cell therapy. The usage of stem cells is predicted to increase as the need for treatment of common disorders, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), grows among the growing geriatric population. Due to multiple error bars during research operations, it becomes extremely difficult to characterise cell products because each cell has unique properties. As a result, the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and machine learning is accelerating. Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to analyse images quickly, forecast cell functions, and classify tissues in order to identify cell products, which is expected to boost the market growth.

With the rising frequency of cancer and cancer-related research initiatives, blockchain technology is increasingly being used to collect and assimilate data in order to improve access to clinical outcomes and the latest advances. Blockchain can also help with data storage for patients while improving the cost-effectiveness of cord-blood banking for advanced research and development (R&D) purposes. In addition, the use of machine learning techniques to analyse photos and infer the relationship between cellular features is boosting the market growth. The increased interest in understanding cellular processes and identifying critical processes using deep learning is expected to move the stem cell business forward.

Latest News on Global Stem Cell Market@https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/pressrelease/global-stem-cell-market

Key Market Players

The major players in the market are Pluristem Therapeutics Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Cellular Engineering Technologies, Merck KGaA, Becton, Dickinson and Company, and STEMCELL Technologies Inc The report covers the market shares, capacities, plant turnarounds, expansions, investments and mergers and acquisitions, among other latest developments of these market players.

About Us:

Expert Market Research is a leading business intelligence firm, providing custom and syndicated market reports along with consultancy services for our clients. We serve a wide client base ranging from Fortune 1000 companies to small and medium enterprises. Our reports cover over 100 industries across established and emerging markets researched by our skilled analysts who track the latest economic, demographic, trade and market data globally.

At Expert Market Research, we tailor our approach according to our clients needs and preferences, providing them with valuable, actionable and up-to-date insights into the market, thus, helping them realize their optimum growth potential. We offer market intelligence across a range of industry verticals which include Pharmaceuticals, Food and Beverage, Technology, Retail, Chemical and Materials, Energy and Mining, Packaging and Agriculture.

Media Contact

Company Name: EMR Inc.Contact Person: Sofia Williams, Corporate Sales Specialist U.S.A.Email: sales@expertmarketresearch.comToll Free Number: +1-415-325-5166 | +44-702-402-5790Address: 30 North Gould Street, Sheridan, WY 82801, USACity: SheridanState: WyomingCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://www.expertmarketresearch.com

IntroducingProcurement ResourcesServices of EMR Inc.

*We at Expert Market Research always thrive to give you the latest information. The numbers in the article are only indicative and may be different from the actual report.

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Global Stem Cell Market To Be Driven By Increasing Activities To Use Stem Cells In Regenerative Medicines In The Forecast Period Of 2022-2027 ...

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Global Stem Cell Market To Be Driven By Increasing Activities To Use Stem Cells In Regenerative Medicines In The Forecast Period Of 2022-2027 … | April 29th, 2022

Newswise April 28, 2022 (BRONX, NY)CAR-T therapy, a form of immunotherapy that revs up T-cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells, has revolutionized the treatment of blood cancers, including certain leukemias, lymphomas, and most recently, multiple myeloma. However, Black and Hispanic people were largely absent from the major clinical trials that led to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of CAR-T cell therapies.

In a study published today in Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT), investigators at the National Cancer Institute-designated Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center (MECC) report that Black and Hispanic patients had outcomes and side effects following CAR-T treatment that were comparable to their white and Asian counterparts.

Representation in cancer clinical trials is vital to ensuring that treatments are safe and effective for everyone, said Mendel Goldfinger, M.D., co-corresponding author of the paper, a medical oncologist at Montefiore Health System, assistant professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and member of the MECC Cancer Therapeutics Program. We couldnt have been happier to learn that our patients who identify as Black and Hispanic have the same benefits from CAR-T therapy as white patients. We can only begin to say that a cancer treatment is transformational when these therapies benefit everyone who comes to us for care.

People who identify as Black and Hispanic often have tumor biology, immune system biology, and side effects that are distinct from white people. However, very few minorities were enrolled in the major trials that led the FDA to approve CAR-T cell therapy.

Parity for Black and Hispanic PatientsThe new BMT study evaluated outcomes for 46 participants treated at Montefiore between 2015 and 2021. Seventeen of the participants were Hispanic, 9 were African American, 15 were white, and 5 were Asian.

Among Black and Hispanic patients, 58% achieved a complete response after treatment and 19% achieved a partial response. For white and Asian patients, 70% achieved a complete response and 20% had a partial response, indicating no statistical differences among racial and ethnic backgrounds. Results were similar with respect to major side effects experienced: Approximately 95% of participants in each group had mild to moderate cytokine release syndrome, a common side effect to immunotherapy in which people experience fever and other flu-like symptoms.

Diversifying Cancer Clinical TrialsOur findings demonstrate that we are able to effectively treat people from historically marginalized groups using CAR-T; our hope is that more people from a diverse range of racial and ethnic backgrounds will be included in clinical trials, said co-author Amit Verma, M.B.B.S., associate director of translational science at MECC, director of the division of hemato-oncology at Montefiore and Einstein, and professor of medicine and of developmental and molecular biology at Einstein. Ira Braunschweig, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Einstein and director of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and clinical program director, Hematologic Malignancies at Montefiore, is also co-corresponding author on the study.

At Montefiore, approximately 80% of clinical trial participants are minorities, compared with the nationwide figure of only 8%.

As an academic medical center, it is not enough to make novel therapies like CAR-T available, said Susan Green-Lorenzen, R.N. M.S.N., system senior vice president of operations at Montefiore and study co-author. We need to be at the forefront of ensuring that these treatments are effective for the communities we serve this research reflects this commitment.

The study is titled Efficacy and safety of CAR-T cell therapy in minorities. In addition to Drs. Goldfinger, Verma, and Braunschweig and Ms. Green-Lorenzen, other Einstein and Montefiore authors are Astha Thakkar, M.D., Michelly Abreu, N.P., Kith Pradhan, Ph.D., R. Alejandro Sica, M.D., Aditi Shastri, M.D., Noah Kornblum, M.D., Nishi Shah, M.D., M.P.H., Ioannis Mantzaris, M.D., M.S., Kira Gritsman, M.D., Ph.D., Eric Feldman, M.D., and Richard Elkind, P.A.-C.

***

About Albert Einstein College of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of Medicineis one of the nations premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2021-22 academic year, Einstein is home to 732M.D.students, 190Ph.D.students, 120 students in thecombined M.D./Ph.D. program, and approximately 250postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 1,900 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at itsclinical affiliates. In 2021, Einstein received more than $185 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health. This includes the funding of majorresearch centersat Einstein in cancer, aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership withMontefiore, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. For more information, please visiteinsteinmed.org, read ourblog, followus onTwitter, like us onFacebook,and view us onYouTube.

About Montefiore Health SystemMontefiore Health System is one of New Yorks premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable caretoapproximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 10hospitals, including the Childrens Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and more than 200 outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation,toits preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive caretopatients and their families. For more information, please visitwww.montefiore.org. Followus onTwitter and Instagram and LinkedIn, or view us onFacebookandYouTube.

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Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center Finds CAR-T Therapy Effective in Black and Hispanic Patients - Newswise

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center Finds CAR-T Therapy Effective in Black and Hispanic Patients – Newswise | April 29th, 2022

The change in the prevalence of HHD

At the global level, the prevalence of HHD increased by 137.91% from 7.82 million in 1990 to 19.60 million in 2019 (Fig.1A, Table S1). The prevalence rate went up year by year, while the ASPR was relatively stable (Fig. 1C). The ASPR was 233.77 (95% UI=170.52312.9) per 100,000 population in 2019, which increased slightly compared with that in 1990 with an EAPC of 0.17 (95% UI=0.150.18) (Fig. 1C, Tables S2 and S3). Compared with the ASPR trend of the female subjects (EAPC, 0.28, 95% UI=0.260.30), the trend of the male subjects was more stable during the study period (EAPC, 0.02, 95% UI=0.000.04, Table S3).

The global trend of hypertensive heart disease from 1990 to 2019. The number of prevalence (A), death (D), and DALY (G). The rate of prevalence (B), death (E), and DALY (H). Age-standardized rate of prevalence (C), death (F), and DALY (I). Dashed lines represent 95% uncertainty interval; DALY, disability adjusted life-year

HHD occurred mostly in people aged over 65 (Fig. S1A). We also found that the ASPR increased with age growth for both men and women in 1990 and 2019. The female prevalence rate was much higher than male in people aged over 80 during 2019, yet there was a similar prevalence rate for aged men and women in 1990 (Fig.2).

The gender-specific global prevalence, death, and DALY rate of hypertensive heart disease in 1990 and 2019. The vertical axis represents DALY, death, and prevalence rate (per 100,000 population). DALY, disability adjusted life-year

Among 25 GBD regions, top three regions with the highest prevalence cases were Asia, East Asia, and America. In addition, the three regions with the highest ASPR were East Asia (426.15, 95% UI=306.64574.76), Oceania (344.91, 95% UI=248.54477.87), and Southeast Asia (334.77, 95% UI=244.81451.58) (Table S4). At the national level, China carried the highest HHD prevalence, followed by the United States of America and India (Fig. S2A). The highest ASPR of HHD occurred in Cook Islands, Jordan, Kuwait and Seychelles (Fig. S2C).

A total of 1.16 (95% UI=0.861.28) million people were estimated to experience HHD associated deaths worldwide in 2019, which increased from 0.65 (95% UI=0.530.73) million death cases in 1990 (Table S1). The ASDR in females was 15.05 (95% UI=11.5117.09) per 100,000 population in 2019, which was moderately higher than that in males (14.95, 95% UI=10.3216.75) (Table S2). Although the number of HHD deaths grew up dramatically during 19902019, the trend of death rate was relatively stable and the global ASDR declined with a negative value of EAPC (0.74, 95% UI=-0.92--0.58) (Fig. 1D, E, and F, Table S3). Meanwhile, the male and female ASDR shared a similar trend (EAPC for men, 0.72, 95% UI=-0.95--0.50; EAPC for women, 0.79, 95% UI=-0.93--0.65).

For both men and women, age-specific distribution of death rate remained stable in 1990 and 2019 (Fig. 2). Like HHD prevalence, people aged over 65 were more likely to suffer HHD deaths (Fig. S1B).

At the regional level, Central Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Middle East had the highest ASDR; Australasia, high-income Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe were the three regions with the lowest ASDR (Table S5). At the national level, China carried the highest HHD death burden, followed by India and the Untied States of America (Fig. S2D). Bulgaria, Afghanistan, and Central African Republic were the three countries with highest ASDR (Fig. S2F).

A total of 21.50 (95% UI=16.4023.90) million DALYs were estimated on a global scale in 2019, and 13.94 (95% UI=11.3115.65) DALYs in 1990 (Table S1). There was a consistent rise in DALY number (Fig. 1G). However, DALY rate declined between 1990 and 2005, then ascended during 20062019 (Fig. 1H). In addition, it shown a persistent decline for the age-standardized DALY rate over the 30years (Fig. 1I).

The age-standardized DALY rate in men was 277.86 (95% UI=199.58311.14) per 100,000 population in 2019, which was higher than that in women (256.81, 95% UI=205.22291.98) (Table S2). The DALY rate distribution for males and females in 2019 was similar to that in 1990 (Fig. 2). In 2019, the age-specific trends of DALY rate attributed to HHD were similar for both sexes.

On the observation of the regions scale, Central Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa, and Oceania were the three regions with the highest age-standardized DALY rates (Table S5). It revealed a considerable national disparity in the burden of HHD. DALY numbers varied more than 10-fold between countries (Fig.3A). China had the highest HHD DALY number, followed by India and Indonesia (Fig. 3D). After adjusting population, Bulgaria, Estonia, and Cook Islands were the three countries with the highest rate of DALYs (Fig. 3B and E). After adjusting for age and population, Afghanistan, Cook Islands, and Central African Republic had the highest age-standardized DALY rates (Fig. 3C and F).

Global map of the disease burden of hypertensive heart disease (A, DALY number; B, DALY rates; C, Age-standardized DALY rates) and the top 20 countries with disease burden (D, DALY number; E, DALY rates; F, Age-standardized DALY rates)

The drift of HHD-related ASPR, ASDR, and age-standardized DALYs rate among five SDI quintiles were presented in Fig.4. The ASPR of HHD was highest in the middle SDI region, and the lowest in the high SDI region between 1990 and 2019 (Fig. 4A). It was interesting to note that, as opposed to the regions with other SDI, the middle SDI region presented a descending trend of ASPR (EAPC, 0.24, 95% UI=-0.2--0.20) (Table S3). ASDR and age-standardized DALY rate decreased the fastest in the middle SDI region (EAPC, 1.58, 95% UI=-1.98--1.20 for ASDR; EAPC, 1.74, 95% UI=-2.11--1.41 for age-standardized DALY rate) (Table S3, Fig. 4B and C). In the middle SDI region, the trend of ASDR and age-standardized DALY rate presented undulating curves (Fig. 4B and C). Compared with a downward trend for females (EAPC, 0.28, 95% UI=-0.4--0.11), male age-standardized DALY rate showed an upward tendency in the high SDI region (EAPC, 0.34, 95% UI=0.110.57).

The age-standardized prevalence, death, and DALY rate for hypertensive heart disease by different SDI regions, 19902019. ASPR, age-standardized prevalence rate; ASDR, age-standardized death rate; DALY, disability adjusted life-year; SDI, socio-demographic index

ASPR, ASDR, and age-standardized DALY rate of HHD stratified by SDI were shown in Fig.5. ASPR of HHD rose before SDI value of 0.4 and then start to decrease (Fig. 5A). There was a negative and significant Pearsons correlation between HHD disease burden and SDI (r=0.74, 95% CI=-0.77--0.70, p<0.001, for age-standardized DALY rate; r=0.70, 95% CI=-0.74--0.66, p<0.001, for ASDR) (Fig. 5C). The univariate linear regression indicated that many socioeconomic variables (HDI, IHDI, SDI, HAQ, population with at least some secondary education, life expectancy, and physicians per 10,000 people) had a significantly negative correlation with age-standardized DALY rate (all p<0.001, Table1).

The trend in ASPR (A), ASDR (B), age-standardized DALY rate (C) of hypertensive heart disease in 21 regions based on SDI. Expected values are shown as the dark blue line. ASPR, age-standardized prevalence rate; ASDR, age-standardized death rate; DALY, disability adjusted life-year; SDI, socio-demographic index

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Global, regional, and national burden of hypertensive heart disease during 19902019: an analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019 - BMC...

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Global, regional, and national burden of hypertensive heart disease during 19902019: an analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019 – BMC… | April 29th, 2022

By Steve Gorman

(Reuters) The first all-private astronaut crew to fly aboard the International Space Station (ISS) headed for splashdown Monday off the coast of Florida, wrapping up a two-week mission that NASA has touted as a landmark in commercial spaceflight.

A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the four-man team of Houston-based startup Axiom Space Inc began its return flight about 9 p.m. EDT Sunday (0100 Monday GMT) as it undocked from the space station orbiting about 250 miles (420 km) above Earth.

The Crew Dragon was expected to parachute into the Atlantic around 1 p.m. EDT on Monday (1700 GMT), capping a 16-hour ride home from orbit that had been postponed for several days because of unfavorable weather.

The multinational Axiom team was led by Spanish-born retired NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, 63, the companys vice president for business development. His second-in-command was Larry Connor, 72, a technology entrepreneur and aerobatics aviator from Ohio designated the mission pilot.

Joining them as mission specialists were investor-philanthropist and former Israeli fighter pilot Eytan Stibbe, 64, and Canadian businessman and philanthropist Mark Pathy, 52.

Launched from NASAs Kennedy Space Center on April 8, they spent 15 days aboard the space station with the seven regular, government-paid ISS crew members: three American astronauts, a German astronaut and three Russian cosmonauts.

The ISS has hosted several wealthy space tourists from time to time over the years.

But the Axiom quartet was the first all-commercial team ever welcomed to the space station as working astronauts, bringing with them 25 science and biomedical experiments to conduct in orbit. The package included research on brain health, cardiac stem cells, cancer and aging, as well as a technology demonstration to produce optics using the surface tension of fluids in microgravity.

Axiom, NASA and SpaceX have hailed the mission as a milestone in the expansion of privately funded space-based commerce, constituting what industry insiders call the low-Earth orbit economy, or LEO economy for short.

It was the sixth human spaceflight for SpaceX in nearly two years, following four NASA astronaut missions to the ISS and the Inspiration 4 flight in September that sent an all-private crew into Earth orbit for the first time, though not to the space station.

SpaceX, the private rocket company founded by Tesla Inc electric carmaker CEO Elon Musk, has been hired to fly three more Axiom astronaut missions to ISS over the next two years. The price tag for such outings is high.

Axiom charges customers $50 million to $60 million per seat, according to Mo Islam, head of research for the investment firm Republic Capital, which holds stakes in both Axiom and SpaceX.

Axiom also was selected by NASA in 2020 to build a new commercial addition to the space station, which a U.S.-Russian-led consortium of 15 countries has operated for more than two decades. Plans call for the Axiom segment to eventually replace the ISS when the rest of the station is retired around 2030.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles. Editing by Gerry Doyle)

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First all-private astronaut team aboard space station heads for splashdown - KFGO

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on First all-private astronaut team aboard space station heads for splashdown – KFGO | April 29th, 2022

Inflammation represents one of the leading drivers of disease. Biotech company 180 Life Sciences is developing novel, anti-TNF therapies for treating distinct inflammatory diseases.

DocWire News spoke to James Woody, CEO of 180 Life Sciences, to learn more about the company, its mission, its treatment assets, and current clinical trials its involved in.

*Interview recorded in March 2022.

DocWire News:Can you give us some background on yourself, and the company, 180 Life Sciences?

James Woody:So by background, Im a pediatric immunologist, and in my prior life, I was Chief Scientific Officer of a company called Centocor, which was one of the very early biotech companies. And we were the first ones ever to make a anti-TNF antibody and to test it in patients, and we were able to show that it was remarkably effective in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohns disease and psoriasis and ulcerative colitis. And that actually began the pretty much the whole antibody based biologics industry. We were the first ones to do this with a humanized antibody.

I went on from there to run a pharmaceutical company called Syntex, former Syntex that was after Roche bought it and did that for eight years, we invented a lot of small molecules. And then I went on to start a company in oncology, cancer stem cells. And from there I went over to the dark side and joined a venture capital group and helped start companies for about 10 years and some of them are really successful. Some of them are okay and some crashed and burned, but thats the nature of the business. And then more recently I helped start a couple companies on my own. And then I was approached by the founders of 180 LS to help them out and also to be CEO of their company, so thats how I came to be CEO of 180 Life Sciences.

180 Life Sciences is repurposing anti-TNF for unmet needs. What is anti-TNF?

So in your body, you have lots of protein circulating around in your blood. These tell the body cells what to do, and some of them are called cytokines and cytokines are the ones that kind of tell your immune system what to do. And theres quite a lot of these. And theres some of them that are very good. Theres some of them that are bad actors and one of them is called tumor necrosis factor. It was named that totally by accident because it seemed to eliminate tumors in mice, but thats never been able to be shown in humans, but the name has stuck with it. So tumor necrosis factor is the thing that causes some types of inflammation, if theres an overproduction. For example, in rheumatoid arthritis, its the tumor necrosis factor that drives the destruction of the joints of your fingers and knees and shoulders and everything, so its a destructive cytokine. And what we did is we made a specialized antibody against TNF that binds it up and blocks it and prevents it from causing the inflammation. And that was the basis of infliximab or Remicade that we discovered from Centocor.

What is Dupuytrens disease, how is it characterized?

Dupuytrens Contracture is kind of a chronic disease, but it affects quite a lot of people, maybe 16 or 20 million in the US, same in Europe. It starts out as a small nodule in your palm. And over time, maybe a couple of years, some faster, some slower, it begins to form cords underneath the palm of your hand, it pulls your fingers together and contracts them. Sometimes this is inherited in families and sometimes it just occurs. So what happens is that this nodule starts, and as I said, over time, the fingers become contracted. So theres no therapies for the early stage when the nodules just form, but thats the basis of what were doing, Ill talk about that in a minute.

Later on, after the fingers are already contracted and you have the disability, you cant button your clothes, you cant type with that hand. You cant do many of the things that you like to do with your hand. Theres several therapies that they try. One of them is injecting a collagenase thats partially effective, but they all, about half of those recur. You can try to disrupt these cords with a needle called needle aponeurectomy or alternatively, what happens is you end up going to surgery and they cut these cords out. Ironically, my wife had this and went through a whole year of steroid injections into her hand, finally had to have the surgery. So Im familiar with the process. But thats what happens, and I think people, as soon as the nodule forms, people these days, because they have Dr. Google, can immediately know whats going to happen in the long run, so the information out there is quite impressive.

180 Life Sciences recently completed a Phase 2 study for Dupuytrens. Tell us about the study protocol, the drug used and other updates on the study.

Our colleague in England, Dr. Jagdeep Nanchahal, was able to look at Dupuytrens Contracture and especially the nodules, and through a series of very elegant experiments, he was able to show that the nodule was driven by the TNF, the bad actor. And in this case, the inflammation caused the fibrosis that were talking about, that leads to the finger contracture. And so he was able to work out that if you inject anti-TNF into this nodule, you can impact the course of the disease.

And so he did a very large trial of about 150 patients in the UK and was able to inject anti-TNF into the nodules of their hands. And in that trial, which took over a year, there were three or four injections, but we were able to show that both the primary and secondary endpoints of the trial were met and the endpoints had to do with the size of the nodule, whether it was growing, whether it was shrinking, whether it was harder or whether it was softer or whether the fingers were contracting, all of that, but we met the primary endpoints and the full publication with all the details will be out, hopefully in the next couple of months.

You have another trial planned for Frozen Shoulder. What is Frozen Shoulder, and how will the trial aim to address it?

Yes, Frozen Shoulder is another kind of inflammatory condition where fibrosis forms in the shoulder. And it initially starts out as being extremely painful. And that goes on for several months and then eventually the pain subsides, but the shoulder becomes totally immobile. And eventually you have to have surgery to remove the fibrotic tissues. Interestingly enough, this occurs more common in patients with diabetes, but about half of those patients also have Dupuytrens. And so we think that the fibrosis in the Dupuytrens and the fibrosis in the shoulder is the same mechanism. And so Dr. Nanchahal will be injecting anti-TNF into the shoulder very early, as soon as the pain is evident, then hell try to inject anti-TNF and maybe relieve the pain and also the formation of the fibrosis, so that one can avoid the surgery, which is actually quite expensive. And also, theres quite a long course of physical therapy after the surgery, so its something youd like to avoid. And so were trying to treat patients both with Dupuytrens and Frozen Shoulder before the disability develops.

A third program, which is soon to be clinical, is anti-TNF for post-operative cognition delirium or POCD. Tell me about POCD, and the preliminary research that led the team to pursue this indication?

We know that now that theyre doing fairly aggressive surgery in older patients, either hip replacements or emergency hip corrections or CABG procedure, coronary artery bypass graft, or cardiac surgery, that a fair percentage of these people after the surgery, just have a foggy brain. And the fog goes on for some time and we call it postoperative cognitive dementia, as the technical term. And in some patients, maybe 15 or 20%, it doesnt go away. And they end up in nursing homes and they actually dont live very long after that. And so our colleagues in the UK, Dr. Nanchahal and Dr. Feldmann and his colleagues, have shown that during the surgery, any kind of aggressive surgery, that TNF is released from the tissue damage, and the TNF goes to the brain and opens it up and lets inflammatory cells get into the area of the brain thats where your cognitive areas are, and so that leads to the dementia.

And in the past, theyve thought this all had to do with the anesthesia, but we think its the TNF thats actually causing this dementia going forward. And so were actually going to do a trial in patients that are having their hip repaired that are older, and were going to administer one dose of anti-TNF just before the surgery starts with a view towards preventing the dementia going forward. So this will be a long trial, but if it works, itll be something that everybody who goes into major surgery would want to have. So its another exciting opportunity for 180 LS and our investigators.

180 Life Sciences recently announced licensing of a compound called HMGB1. Tell us more about HMGB1 and the companys plans for it.

The company is also working on other areas of fibrosis, not just Dupuytrens Contracture and Frozen Shoulder, but other areas like liver fibrosis, which occurs with NASH. And we are working on ways to prevent that as well, much like were working on Dupuytrens and Frozen Shoulder. The fibrosis in the liver is really hard to reverse, and there are no real agents that do that, but theres a lot of people trying different things. Now what the HMGB-1 does, it doesnt change the fibrosis, but once the fibrosis is stopped, it could help the liver cells to regenerate. So this is kind of a regenerative medicine. It makes the tissues regenerate, whether its heart or whether its liver or whether its lung or whatever. And so its going to be used after the fibrosis is stopped. And so thats kind of what were interested in. And were just getting that program off the ground and making the initial compounds to do our testing.

Any closing thoughts?

Well, Id like to talk about our team. The company was founded by Dr. Mark Feldmann, who was the one, he was the original person who figured out that TNF was causing the joint destruction and arthritis, and with he and I and others, that actually did the very first trials ever. And this was done in patients with wheelchairs, and they actually got up out of their wheelchairs and walked around. It was a phenomenal moment. We had no idea it would work that well. And some of them actually did a pirouette down some stairs. We have videos of this. So its kind of like The Awakening movie where they gave them the L-DOPA and they all woke up. Well, in this case, they got up out of their wheelchairs and theres no patients in wheelchairs with rheumatoid arthritis in the whole world because of that drug, and the ones that followed on.

The current Humira from AbbVie is the preferred one. But the whole idea and concept, we started back then. Other founders, Dr. Larry Steinman, he and Mark put 180 LS together. And he developed Tysabri, the very first drug to help MS patients. And it was another phenomenal discovery that he made. And hes also working on MS and other areas. But so we have the leaders in inflammation as the people who actually founded the company. So its a pleasure to work with them. Ive been acquainted with them off and on for the past, maybe 25 years, so working with them again is a real pleasure.

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James Woody, CEO of 180 Life Sciences: Developing New Therapies to Treat Inflammatory Diseases - DocWire News

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on James Woody, CEO of 180 Life Sciences: Developing New Therapies to Treat Inflammatory Diseases – DocWire News | April 29th, 2022

Stem cells are key building blocks for the human body. At the start of life, they divide over and over again to create a fully developed baby from an embryo. Many individuals now even turn to services that store and preserve umbilical cords should a person ever be in need.

Stem cells have the potential to develop into different types of cells in the body, serving as a repair system of sorts for damaged or lost cells. In recent decades, scientists have shown the miraculous ways of medicine through stem cell treatments.

So just how are doctors using stem cells to treat and help heal people battling various ailments? Heres a look at five studies published on StudyFinds that demonstrate the wondrous ways of stem cell treatments.

A heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, weakens muscles of the ventricles, which causes heart failure and often death in children. Currently, the only cure is a heart transplant, which can take long periods of time to find an acceptable donor and increases the risk of rejection of the donor tissue. One study finds that stem cell therapy could help DCM patients survive longer while awaiting a transplant or potentially eliminate the need for a new heart entirely.

Cardiac stem cells called cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) have proven to be effective at treating certain heart conditions. The CDCs grow into tissue cells of the heart and can counter the effects of DCM. To test the safety of the CDC therapy, a team of scientists at Okayama University in Japan demonstrated the efficacy of CDCs in tissue damaged from DCM. For the study, DCM symptoms were induced in pigs, after which CDCs were administered in various doses for treatment. In a control group, some pigs were given a placebo.

Results showed thickening of the heart muscle in pigs who were given the stem cell treatment. This allows increased blood flowto the rest of the body, thereby effectively repairing the damaged tissue. Due to the dosage used in animal trials, researchers could estimate the proper dosage for human trials.

The first of these included 5 younger patients who were diagnosed with DCM. Injections of CDCs resulted inbetter heart function without any serious side effects. Thus, scientists believe this type of treatment could minimize the need for heart transplants and allow DCM patients to have normal lives.

READ MORE: Stem cell treatment shows promise as treatment for rare heart condition in children

Although their use is sometimes controversial, scientists often look at stem cells as a potential miracle cure for many conditions. One study finds stem cells from a babys umbilical cord may save the most at risk of dying from COVID-19. A treatment derived from non-altered versions of these stem cells significantly improves the survival rate among coronavirus patients already on a ventilator.

In a double-blind, controlled, randomized study, 40 adultpatients in intensive careand on a ventilator received the treatment intravenously. The infusions contained stem cells coming from the connective tissue of a human umbilical cord. Half of the patients received infusions not containing stem cells to serve as a control group.

Results reveal survival rates climbed by 2.5 times among patients receiving stem cells. Those with a pre-existing health problem, making them high-risk for COVID, saw their changes of beating coronavirus jump by 4.5 times. Moreover, the study says the stem cell infusions did not cause any life-threatening complications or allergic reactions.

READ MORE: Stem cells from a babys umbilical cord doubles survival chances among COVID patients

In the fight against heart disease, a new super-weapon is now even closer to deployment, and its capabilities are turning out to be beyond expectations. A study aimed at combating heart disease finds that stem cells are not only showing promise in treating heart failure, but in rats are actually reversing problems associated with old age.

The specific type of stem cells used in the study are cardiosphere-derived cells, or CDCs. While the latest research involving CDCs indicates possibilities that have previously been in the realm of science fiction, the scientists leading the charge urge restraint in face of the excitement.

Nevertheless, the latest results of stem cell infusions in rats are startling. Not only did rats that received the CDCs experience improved heart function, they also had lengthened heart cell telomeres. Moreover, the rats that received the treatment also had their exercise capacity increase by about 20 percent. They also regrew hair faster than rats that didnt receive the cells.

Still, the doctors and scientists working to push the frontier of medicine forward are very optimistic about the real possibilities of the therapy. Researchers of the study said they are also studying the use of stem cells in treating patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, a condition that affects more than 50 percent of all heart failure patients.

READ MORE: Study: Cardiac stem cell injections reverse effects of aging

A new biomaterial can help regenerate tissue in people dealing with chronic lower back pain and spinal issues. A recent study finds the secret to this breakthrough therapy is all in the hiPS. Not thosehips, but human induced pluripotent stem cells.

The study explains that a common cause of lower back pain is the degeneration of intervertebral discs (IVDs). These discs sit between the vertebrae in the spine and help give the spinal column its flexibility. Severe IVD degeneration eventually leads to spinal deformity without treatment. In this study, scientists used cartilage tissue derived from stem cells to build back lost IVDs in lab rats.

Study authors used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) during their experiments. Importantly, scientists are capable of turning iPSCs into chondrocytes cells that produce and maintain cartilage. Previous studies have successfully used this same method to treat cartilage defects in animals. In the new study, researchers created human iPSC-derived cartilaginous tissue (hiPS-Cart) that they implanted into rats with no NP cells in their intervertebral discs.

Findings reveal that the hiPS-Cart implanted in the rats was able to survive and be maintained. IVD and vertebral bone degeneration were prevented. The researchers also assessed the mechanics and found that hiPS-Cart was able to revert these properties to similar levels observed in the control rats.

READ MORE: Stem cell cure for lower back pain is all in the hiPS

Stem cells taken from deceased patients may also help in creating a cure for blindness. Retina cells from a corpse continue to survive after being transplanted into the eyes of monkeys, scientists say.

RPE dysfunction is a leading cause of blindness, including causing disorders likemacular degeneration, which affects around 200 million people worldwide. Now, for the first time, scientists have successfully produced retina cells in monkeys using human stem cells. Human cadaver donor-derived cells can be safely transplanted underneath the retina and replace host function, and therefore may be a promising source for rescuing visionin patients with retina diseases.

For the study, researchers transplanted stem cells from the eyes of donated bodies under the monkeys macula, the central part of the retina. Following surgery, the transplanted patches remained stable for at least three months without any serious side-effects. The RPE created by the human stem cells partially took over from the old retina cells. In addition, this could successfully support the eyes light receptorswithout causing retinal scarring.

These unique cells could serve as an unlimited resource of human RPE, whichmay restore sightfor millions of people around the world. The scientists caution that they will need to conduct more research to see how the procedure works with human transplant patients. Human trials are still a long way off.

READ MORE: Eye stem cells transplanted from corpses to live patients could cure blindness

For more information on each of these stem cell treatments, you can refer to the READ MORE links in between each section.

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Stem Cell Magic: 5 Promising Treatments For Major Medical Conditions - Study Finds

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Stem Cell Magic: 5 Promising Treatments For Major Medical Conditions – Study Finds | April 29th, 2022

One is that there are some people that are naturally resistant to heart attack and have lifelong, low levels of LDL, the cardiologist says. Second, there are some genes that can be switched off that lead to very low LDL cholesterol, and individuals with those genes switched off are resistant to heart attacks.

Kathiresan and his team formed a hypothesis in 2016 that if they could develop a medicine that mimics the natural protection that some people enjoy, then they might identify a powerful new way to treat and ultimately prevent heart attacks. They launched Verve in 2018 with the goal of creating a one-time therapy that would permanently lower LDL and eliminate heart attacks caused by high LDL.

The medication is targeted specifically for patients who have a genetic form of high cholesterol known as heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or FH, caused by expression of a gene called PCSK9. Verve also plans to develop a program to silence a gene called ANGPTL3 for patients with FH and possibly those with or at risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

FH causes cholesterol to be high from birth, reaching levels of 200 to 300 milligrams per deciliter. Suggested normal levels are around 100 to 129 mg/dl, and anything above 130 mg/dl is considered high. Patients with cardiovascular disease usually are asked to aim for under 70 mg/dl, but many still have unacceptably high LDL despite taking oral medications such as statins. They are more likely to have heart attacks in their 30s, 40s and 50s, and require lifelong LDL control.

The goal for drug treatments for high LDL, Kathiresan says, is to reduce LDL as low as possible for as long as possible. Physicians and researchers also know that a sizeable portion of these patients eventually start to lose their commitment to taking their statins and other LDL-controlling medications regularly.

If you ask 100 patients one year after their heart attack what fraction are still taking their cholesterol-lowering medications, its less than half, says Kathiresan. So imagine a future where somebody gets a one-time treatment at the time of their heart attack or before as a preventive measure. Its right in front of us, and its something that Verve is looking to do.

In late 2020, Verve completed primate testing with monkeys that had genetically high cholesterol, using a one-time intravenous injection of VERVE-101. It reduced the monkeys LDL by 60 percent and, 18 months later, remains at that level. Kathiresan expects the LDL to stay low for the rest of their lives.

Verves gene editing medication is packaged in a lipid nanoparticle to serve as the delivery mechanism into the liver when infused intravenously. The drug is absorbed and makes its way into the nucleus of the liver cells.

Verves program targeting PCSK9 uses precise, single base, pair base editing, Kathiresan says, meaning it doesn't cut DNA like CRISPR gene editing systems do. Instead, it changes one base, or letter, in the genome to a different one without affecting the letters around it. Comparing it to a pencil and eraser, he explains that the medication erases out a letter A and makes it a letter G in the A, C, G and T code in DNA.

By making that simple change from A to G, the medication switches off the PCSK9 gene, automatically lowering LDL cholesterol.

Once the DNA change is made, all the cells in the liver will have that single A to G change made, Kathiresan says. Then the liver cells divide and give rise to future liver cells, but every time the cell divides that change, the new G is carried forward.

Additionally, Verve is pursuing its second gene editing program to eliminate ANGPTL3, a gene that raises both LDL and blood triglycerides. In 2010, Kathiresan's research team learned that people who had that gene completely switched off had LDL and triglyceride levels of about 20 and were very healthy with no heart attacks. The goal of Verves medication will be to switch off that gene, too, as an option for additional LDL or triglyceride lowering.

Success with our first drug, VERVE-101, will give us more confidence to move forward with our second drug, Kathiresan says. And it opens up this general idea of making [genomic] spelling changes in the liver to treat other diseases.

The approach is less ethically concerning than other gene editing technologies because it applies somatic editing that affects only the individual patient, whereas germline editing in the patients sperm or egg, or in an embryo, gets passed on to children. Additionally, gene editing therapies receive the same comprehensive amount of testing for side effects as any other medicine.

We need to continue to advance our approach and tools to make sure that we have the absolute maximum ability to detect off-target effects, says Euan Ashley, professor of medicine and genetics at Stanford University and founding director of its Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease. Ashley and his colleagues at Stanfords Clinical Genomics Program and beyond are increasingly excited about the promise of gene editing.

We can offer precision diagnostics, so increasingly were able to define the disease at a much deeper level using molecular tools and sequencing, he continues. We also have this immense power of reading the genome, but were really on the verge of taking advantage of the power that we now have to potentially correct some of the variants that we find on a genome that contribute to disease.

He adds that while the gene editing medicines in development to correct genomes are ahead of the delivery mechanisms needed to get them into the body, particularly the heart and brain, hes optimistic that those arent too far behind.

It will probably take a few more years before those next generation tools start to get into clinical trials, says Ashley, whose book, The Genome Odyssey, was published last year. The medications might be the sexier part of the research, but if you cant get it into the right place at the right time in the right dose and not get it to the places you dont want it to go, then that tool is not of much use.

Medical experts consider knocking out the PCSK9 gene in patients with the fairly common genetic disorder of familial hypercholesterolemia roughly one in 250 people a potentially safe approach to gene editing and an effective means of significantly lowering their LDL cholesterol.

Nurse Erin McGlennon has an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator and takes medications, but she is also hopeful that a gene editing medication will be developed in the near future.

Erin McGlennon

Mary McGowan, MD, chief medical officer for The Family Heart Foundation in Pasadena, CA, sees the tremendous potential for VERVE-101 and believes patients should be encouraged by the fact that this kind of research is occurring and how much Verve has accomplished in a relatively short time. However, she offers one caveat, since even a 60 percent reduction in LDL wont completely eliminate the need to reduce the remaining amount of LDL.

This technology is very exciting, she said, but we want to stress to our patients with familial hypercholesterolemia that we know from our published research that most people require several therapies to get their LDL down., whether that be in primary prevention less than 100 mg/dl or secondary prevention less than 70 mg/dl, So Verves medication would be an add-on therapy for most patients.

Dr. Kathiresan concurs: We expect our medicine to lower LDL cholesterol by about 60 percent and that our patients will be on background oral medications, including statins that lower LDL cholesterol.

Several leading research centers are investigating gene editing treatments for other types of cardiovascular diseases. Elizabeth McNally, Elizabeth Ward Professor and Director at the Center for Genetic Medicine at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine, pursues advanced genetic correction in neuromuscular diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy. A cardiologist, she and her colleagues know these diseases frequently have cardiac complications.

Even though the field is driven by neuromuscular specialists, its the first therapies in patients with neuromuscular diseases that are also expected to make genetic corrections in the heart, she says. Its almost like an afterthought that were potentially fixing the heart, too.

Another limitation McGowan sees is that too many healthcare providers are not yet familiar with how to test patients to determine whether or not they carry genetic mutations that need to be corrected. We need to get more genetic testing done, she says. For example, thats the case with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, where a lot of the people who probably carry that diagnosis and have never been genetically identified at a time when genetic testing has never been easier.

One patient who has been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy also happens to be a nurse working in research at Genentech Pharmaceutical, now a member of the Roche Group, in South San Francisco. To treat the disease, Erin McGlennon, RN, has an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator and takes medications, but she is also hopeful that a gene editing medication will be developed in the near future.

With my condition, the septum muscles are just growing thicker, so Im on medicine to keep my heart from having dangerous rhythms, says McGlennon of the disease that carries a low risk of sudden cardiac death. So, the possibility of having a treatment option that can significantly improve my day-to-day functioning would be a major breakthrough.

McGlennon has some control over cardiovascular destiny through at least one currently available technology: in vitro fertilization. Shes going through it to ensure that her children won't express the gene for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

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Podcast: Has the First 150-Year-Old Already Been Born - Leaps

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Podcast: Has the First 150-Year-Old Already Been Born – Leaps | April 29th, 2022

Paper Title: Identification of a retinoic acid-dependent hemogenic endothelial progenitor from human pluripotent stem cells

Journal: Nature Cell Biology

Authors:Christopher Sturgeon, PhD, Associate Professor of Cell, Developmental & Regenerative Biology and Medicine, Hematology & Medical Oncology in the Black Family Stem Cell Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and other coauthors.

Bottom Line:Blood-forming stem cells found in bone marrow are the life-saving component used in bone marrow transplants. However, suitable donors often cannot be found in many cases. This study reveals how the human embryo develops the precursor to blood forming stem cells, which researchers say can be used in the novel method they developed to generate blood-forming stem cells from cells in tissue culture.

The studyled by researchers from Mount Sinai and the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan Italyconfirms many aspects of cell development, including origins and regulation, which are known to occur within both the mouse and human embryo. In the mammalian embryo, blood-forming stem cells emerge from a specialized cell type called hemogenic endothelium. These cells develop in response to a critical signal pathway known as retinoic acid, which is essential for growth. Their analysis found that stem cell populations derived from human pluripotent stem cells were transcriptionally similar to cells in the early human embryo.

Results: For years, researchers in the field of regenerative medicine have been able to obtain hemogenic endothelium from embryonic stem cells, but these cells do not produce blood-forming stem cells. In the embryo, blood-forming stem cell development requires signaling by retinoic acid.But, current state-of-the-art methods for deriving blood progenitors from human pluripotent stem cells do so in the absence of retinoic acid. In this latest study, researchers examined the dependence on retinoic acid in early cell types derived from human pluripotent stem cells. They performed single cell RNA sequencing of stem cells in vitro to better understand patterns of mesodermal cell types during early development. The research team identified a new strategy to obtain cells that are transcriptionally similar to those hemogenic endothelial cells found in the human embryo by stimulating a very discrete original population with retinoic acid.

Why the Research Is Interesting:This new method brings researchers and scientists closer to developing blood-forming stem cells in tissue culture, but also provides a pathway to establishing specialized blood cell types for transfusions and other treatments for cancer since the new method makings it possible to obtain the same original cells in adult blood that are found in a developing embryo.

Said Mount Sinai's Dr. Christopher Sturgeon of the research:We have made a major breakthrough in our ability to direct the development of stem cells in a tissue culture dish into cells that have the same gene expression signature as the immediate progenitor of a blood-forming stem cell found in the developing embryo. With this, now we can focus our efforts at understanding how to capture embryonic blood-forming stem cells, with the goal of using them as a substitute for bone marrow.

Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO contributed to this study.

###

To request a full copy of the paper or to schedule an interview with the researcher, please contact the Mount Sinai Press Office at stacy.anderson@mountsinai.org or 347-346-3390.

Nature Cell Biology

28-Apr-2022

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Researchers share insights about the mechanisms of human embryo and create method to develop transcriptionally similar cells in tissue culture -...

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Researchers share insights about the mechanisms of human embryo and create method to develop transcriptionally similar cells in tissue culture -… | April 29th, 2022

There are few things more grueling than running a marathon.

One of those is battling cancer.

A La Conner native knows all about the former, having previously run the Denver Colfax Marathon. Now shes helping bring greater awareness to the latter by raising funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as she trains for the Chicago Marathon in October.

Morgan Harlan, a 2020 Baylor University grad now teaching kindergarten in Denver, is hoping to raise $4,000 for LLS by running the urban Chicago course with two friends this fall. The Chicago Marathon is typically viewed by more than a million spectators.

I hope to raise as much money as I possibly can for such a worthy cause that is so important to my family, she told the Weekly News on Friday.

Her family has seen first-hand the life-saving potential of bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants, and is committed to helping find cures and ensure access to treatments for all blood cancer patients.

Harlans grandfather, longtime La Conner resident and Dunlap Towing retiree Mit Harlan, waged a successful battle against leukemia over a decade ago.

My grandfather, said Harlan, is alive because of a stem cell transplant.

While a student at Baylor, where she was a journalism/public relations major and played club soccer, Harlan signed up for Be the Match, which connects patients with transplant donors.

As a college student with a family member who had experienced cancer, said Harlan, I thought I was doing my due diligence by signing up for the registry.

Last December, four years after joining Be the Match, Harlan flew to Seattle to donate her stem cells.

Her patient was a 65-year-old male with leukemia the same age her grandfather was when he received his transplant.

When Be the Match called to inform me that I was the match and asked me if I would be willing to donate my stem cells, Harlan added, my response was: Absolutely. I hope I can give another little girl or boy more time with their grandpa like I was given.

Harlan has not stopped there. She has taken on fundraising for the cause, doing so in a way that shows she is in it for the long run.

She has enlisted a coach, La Conner alum Carlee Daub, to help her train for Chicago. Daub is an owner of Wahoo Running, an online platform that provides coaching to runners throughout the nation.

My first marathon, Harlan recalled, I was focused on completion. I wanted to prove to myself that I had the physical and mental grit to get through 26.2 miles. The Chicago Marathon will be focused more on speed and race strategy.

As Harlan has lowered her running times, her fundraising numbers have increased.

My fundraising has gone really well because of the wonderful people around me, she said. I am very thankful to have generous family members, friends, and community members.

My original goal was to raise $2,000, Harlan explained, which I was able to raise in the first week. I have since raised my goal to $4,000.

Committing to run the Chicago Marathon on behalf of LLS is a big step for Harlan. After graduating from Burlington-Edison High School, having competed in soccer and track there, Harlan chose to go out of state for college.

I wanted to travel outside of Washington for my four years of college and live somewhere new, she said. Baylor had a great mix of academic strength, athletics success and extracurriculars.

While on the Waco, Texas campus, Harlan regularly wrote for the student newspaper, the Baylor Lariat.

Now, as she preps for the Chicago Marathon and generates support for LLS, Harlan is making rather than reporting the news.

For her, its a story whose headliner is her grandfather.

Hes one of the best humans I know, said Harlan. Growing up, he never missed a soccer match (of mine), including a tournament in Spain. Hes very giving with his time and money, especially towards charities like LLS.

Harlan, daughter of Mike and Jennifer Harlan, of Landing Road, southeast of La Conner, said the best ways to donate are through either her donation page: (https://pages.lls.org.tnt/rm.chicago22/MHarlan) or Facebook.

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La Conner native raising funds to cure blood cancer - La Conner Weekly News

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on La Conner native raising funds to cure blood cancer – La Conner Weekly News | April 29th, 2022

Community members are speaking out about the role blood donation has played in their personal lives.

This comes as Action News Jax and our Family Focus partners have teamed up for our annual Spring Into Action Blood Drive.

Jacksonville resident Penelope McGowan told Action News Jax reporter Kennedy Dendy that having the opportunity to give blood is an honor. My father needed a life-saving procedure, so it became more important to me to start giving blood, McGowan said.

She then became a regular giver, knowing the impact donation truly has.

That allowed him the time to spend time with his grandchildren, McGowan said. He walked his granddaughter down the aisle and got to see some of his great-grandchildren.

McGowan said blood donation made that moment possible.

Now that hes passed away, I want to give that gift of time to other families, McGowan said. So, its so important to me to give blood.

RELATED: OneBlood, Action News Jax team up for the Spring into Action Blood Drive

Action News Jax also spoke with John Dean, who is a patient at the Mayo Clinic. Hes from South Carolina but has been living in Jacksonville since January.

I got the bone marrow transplant, which is basically a stem cell infusion on January 17th, Dean said. I have been dealing with myelodysplastic syndrome.

Dean said its a form of bone marrow cancer hes been battling since 2017.

During that time, I had become increasingly dependent upon blood because the syndrome destroys my bodys ability to make red blood cells, Dean said. So when the blood numbers drop, I get very very sick.

He said the transplant was designed to cut down on his need to get the blood, but that hasnt happened yet.

Ive been more blood dependent since January than I had been before I came down here, Dean said.

Dean spoke with me just moments after he received a blood transfusion at the hospital -- but he wanted one message out there.

Youre transmitting a miracle, Dean said. Im a living example of that. I would not be here were it not for the blood.

Story continues

OneBlood said to donate youll need an ID, and you must be 16 years and older.

Randy Varner donated double red blood cells at Tuesdays drive.

My wife has had to have two heart valves replaced, so shes had to have blood before at the hospital -- so I try to help out when I can, Varner said.

Varner shared that if youre able to -- you should give.

Theres nothing to it, Varner said. You go in there. You answer a few questions. You lay down. You can take a little nap if you have to.

Nicole Payne is the Senior Program and Membership Director with the Brooks Family YMCA, one of the many sites for the drive.

Theres always a lack of blood available for people that come into any traumatic situation, Payne said. We want to make sure that we can hopefully combine some of the best parts of Jacksonville -- and thats through OneBlood being here to help people have access to donate.

The Spring into Action Blood Drive kicked off Tuesday and runs through Friday.

When you donate you will receive a free t-shirt, a $20 e-gift card, and an additional gift depending on the location where you donate.

CLICK HERE to find out when and where you can donate.

STAY UPDATED: Download the Action News Jax app for live updates on breaking stories

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I would not be here were it not for the blood: Duval residents describe impact of blood donation - Yahoo News

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on I would not be here were it not for the blood: Duval residents describe impact of blood donation – Yahoo News | April 29th, 2022

REGULATED INFORMATION

Strategic focus revised and fully focused on achieving topline results of the ALLOB Phase IIb study in tibial fractures.

Discussions for ALLOB global partnership still ongoing.

Board of Directors and Management exploring all strategic options to protect shareholder value.

Strengthening financial position with EIB agreement and private placement in 2021 and a new bond issuance foreseen in May 2022

Management to host conference call today at 3pm CEST / 9am EST - details provided below

Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, 29April 2022, 7am CEST BONE THERAPEUTICS (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BOTHE), the cell therapy company addressing unmet medical needs in orthopedics and other diseases, today announces its business update and full year financial results for the year ending 31 December 2021, prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the European Union.

Incomplete fracture healing remains a seriously unmet medical need affecting hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide. Despite the pandemic and subsequent seriously geopolitical and economic global events, Bone Therapeutics still remains on target for delivery of topline results for its Phase IIb study of its allogeneic cell therapy product, ALLOB, in patients with difficult tibial fractures, said Miguel Forte, MD, PhD, CEO of Bone Therapeutics. We believe ALLOB could provide difficult tibial fracture patients a convenient treatment option with a potentially superior outcome. Having successfully completed two clinical studies showing promising safety profile and efficacy signals in more than 60 patients, we firmly believe that ALLOB has the highest potential of near-term value creation and is focused on completing the current Phase IIb study. In addition, Bone Therapeutics has made a serious contribution for the future into the use of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) derived, genetically engineered MSCs. Bone Therapeutics is continuing its efforts to establish value adding business collaborations and to strengthen its financial position.

Clinical and operational highlights (including post-period events)

In January 2021, Bone Therapeutics initiated the treatment of patients in the Phase IIb study of its allogeneic cell therapy product, ALLOB, in patients with difficult tibial fractures. Bone Therapeutics anticipates finalizing patient recruitment of this study in 2022. This recruitment finalization is subject, as across the industry, to evolution of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the associated containment measures. Although early recruitment rates were very promising, the recruitment rates have temporarily slowed in subsequent months due to pandemic-related factors, such as reduced site activities due to staff availability and the number of available patients due to less occurrence of accidents. Bone Therapeutics has implemented several mitigating measures in collaboration with the involved clinical research organization to improve and facilitate recruitment. These measures include site expansion, training, information, best practices sharing and close monitoring of progress. As a result of these measures and the improving recruitment rate, Bone Therapeutics continues to currently expect the release of topline data by Q1 2023.

In January 2021, Bone Therapeutics signed an initial agreement for a process development partnership with the mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) specialist, Rigenerand. This collaboration focused on further developing and enhancing Bone Therapeutics bone-forming platform.

In June 2021, Bone Therapeutics published the positive results of its Phase I/IIa clinical trial with ALLOB in patients with delayed union fractures. The results were published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy, the international peer-reviewed journal focusing on translational research in stem cell therapies. ALLOB was generally well-tolerated and that all patients met the primary endpoint.

In August 2021, Bone Therapeutics announced topline results from the Phase III knee osteoarthritis study with its enhanced viscosupplement JTA-004, its legacy non-MSC product. JTA-004 had a favorable safety profile. However, the study did not meet the primary and key secondary endpoints. No statistically significant difference in pain reduction could be observed between the treatment, placebo and comparator groups, with all treatment arms showing similar efficacy.

In September 2021, Bone Therapeutics signed a research evaluation agreement with Implant Therapeutics, the developer of hypoimmunogenic and safe harbor engineered IPSC derived cells. The agreement enables Bone Therapeutics to access, evaluate and materially transfer Implant Therapeutics Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) derived, genetically engineered MSCs, including lines, media, differentiation protocols and expertise.

In November 2021, Bone Therapeutics signed a non-binding term sheet for the global rights for ALLOB, Bone Therapeutics allogeneic osteoblastic cell therapy product, with one of its current Chinese partners, Link Health Pharma Co., Ltd (Link Health). The negotiations for the global rights agreement are still ongoing but take longer than expected. The envisaged completion of a final binding agreement has been delayed and is now contemplated over the course of Q2 2022.

Corporate highlights (including post-period events)

In March, 2021, Bone Therapeutics appointed the stem cell therapy industry veteran, Anthony Ting, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Ting is responsible for Bone Therapeutics research activities.

In July 2021, Bone Therapeutics appointed Dr. Anne Leselbaum as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Leselbaum brings three decades of experience in strategic international clinical development, clinical operations and medical affairs. As CMO, she takes responsibility for the leadership of all clinical development and medical affairs strategies and activities across the entire Bone Therapeutics pipeline and will oversee the regulatory interactions.

In September 2021, Bone Therapeutics appointed Lieve Creten, as interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO), succeeding Jean-Luc Vandebroek. Lieves extensive financial experience ensures the continued optimal financial control, oversight and compliance.

In October 2021, Bone Therapeutics appointed key experts to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The members of the SAB consist of world-recognized scientists and clinicians in the cell and gene therapy field.

In March 2022, Bone Therapeutics announced it was redefining its strategic priorities to concentrate specifically on the development of its most advanced clinical asset, ALLOB. As a result, Bone Therapeutics will focus its R&D activities to support the clinical development of ALLOB and all activities related to the development of the pre-clinical iMSCg platform as well as all other non ALLOB related activities, were stopped. In this context, some members of Bone Therapeutics' management team will depart Bone Therapeutics in the following months in alignment with the refocus in activity. This includes Miguel Forte (CEO), Tony Ting (CSO), Stefanos Theoharis (CBO) and Lieve Creten (CFO). During the transition, CEO, Miguel Forte, will remain in function. The Scientific Advisory Board was also dissolved.

Financial highlights (including post-period events)

In July 2021, Bone Therapeutics secured a loan agreement of up to 16.0 million with the European Investment Bank (EIB). The EIB loan financing will be disbursed in two tranches of 8.0 million each, subject to conditions precedent. Following the approval of the issuance of associated warrants by Bone Therapeutics General Meetings at the end of August 2021, Bone Therapeutics received a payment from the EIB for the first tranche of 8.0 million and the EIB was granted 800,000 warrants approved by the Extraordinary General Meeting.

In August 2021, Bone Therapeutics also renegotiated 800 convertible bonds issued on May 7, 2020 (for an amount of 2 million) to Patronale Life into a loan subject to the same repayment terms as the agreement with the EIB, with the issuance of 200,000 additional warrants approved by the Extraordinary General Meeting.

In December 2021, Bone Therapeutics raised additional 3.3 million funding through a private placement with current and new institutional investors to advance its lead orthopedic asset, ALLOB, through mid-stage clinical development.

The total revenues and operating income for 2021 amounted to 2.7 million compared to 3.7 million in 2020. As a result of the reduced clinical activities following the completion of the Phase III JTA-004 study, and the slower pace of patient enrollment for the ALLOB TF2 Phase IIb study due to the COVID-19 pandemic, operating loss for the period decreased to 12.0 million from 15.0 million for the full year 2020. Consequently, cash used for operating activities amounted to 12.8 million for the full year 2021. Year-end cash position amount to 9.5 million compared to 14.7 million year-end 2020.

In April 2022, Bone Therapeutics signed a binding term sheet for a 5 million convertible bonds (CBs) facility arranged by ABO Securities. The proceeds of the financing will be used to advance the clinical development of Bone Therapeutics lead asset, the allogeneic bone cell therapy, ALLOB. ABO Securities, on behalf of the CB investor, commits to subscribe to up to 5 million in CBs. Subject to the fulfillment of condition precedents, Bone Therapeutics and ABO Securities aim to agree on and execute the final subscription agreement for the CBs and to issue the first tranche of CBs by the beginning of May 2022.

Outlook for the remainder of 2022

In the ongoing Phase IIb ALLOB clinical study in difficult tibial fractures, Bone Therapeutics clinical team, in partnership with its clinical research organization, is continuing to institute measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and will closely monitor the recruitment progress. As a result of the initial mitigation actions and the improving recruitment rate due to the gradual lifting of COVID-19 related measures in Europe, Bone Therapeutics expects to report topline results as scheduled by the first quarter of 2023. However, a delay cannot be excluded. Should the pandemic continue to have impact on patient availability, Bone Therapeutics may have to re-evaluate this timeline and, in that eventuality, will communicate again to the market.

The negotiations for ALLOB, with one of Bone Therapeutics current Chinese partners, for the global rights agreement are still ongoing but are taking longer than originally anticipated. The potential completion of a final binding agreement has been delayed into Q2 2022.

Subsequent to some preliminary contacts, the board of directors of Bone Therapeutics is currently examining various opportunities to combine certain activities within Bone Therapeutics, taking into account the interests of its shareholders and other stakeholders. Further announcements will be made in due course, if and when circumstances so allow or require.

Following the restructuring of the management team announced on 12 April 2022, Bone Therapeutics has initiated the search for a new CEO and CFO.

Disciplined cost and cash management will remain a key priority. The operating cash burn for the full year 2022 is expected to be in the range of 8-10 million, assuming normal operations as the effect of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic cannot be excluded. The situation will be actively and closely monitored. The company anticipates having sufficient cash to carry out its business objectives into Q1 2023, assuming, amongst other, full issuance of the new convertible bond facility. Bone Therapeutics refers to the going concern statement in the Annual Report 2021 for all key assumptions taken.

Conference call

Miguel Forte, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer will host a webcast with conference call today at 3:00 pm CEST / 9:00am EST. To participate in webcast or the conference call, please use the following link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81633950602

Or select your dial-in number from the list below quoting the conference ID 816 3395 0602#:

Belgium: +32 2 290 9360France: +33 1 7095 0103United Kingdom: +44 208 080 6592United States: +1 646 876 9923

The presentation will be made available on the Investors section - Presentations of the Bone Therapeutics website shortly prior to the call.

About Bone Therapeutics

Bone Therapeutics is a leading biotech company focused on the development of innovative products to address high unmet needs in orthopedics and other diseases. Currently Bone Therapeutics is concentrating specifically on the development of its most advanced clinical asset, the allogeneic cell therapy platform, ALLOB.

Bone Therapeutics core technology is based on its cutting-edge allogeneic cell and gene therapy platform with differentiated bone marrow sourced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) which can be stored at the point of use in the hospital. Its leading investigational medicinal product, ALLOB, represents a unique, proprietary approach to bone regeneration, which turns undifferentiated stromal cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells. These cells are produced via the Bone Therapeutics scalable manufacturing process. Following the CTA approval by regulatory authorities in Europe, the Company has initiated patient recruitment for the Phase IIb clinical trial with ALLOB in patients with difficult tibial fractures, using its optimized production process. ALLOB continues to be evaluated for other orthopedic indications including spinal fusion, osteotomy, maxillofacial and dental.

Bone Therapeutics cell therapy products are manufactured to the highest GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards and are protected by a broad IP (Intellectual Property) portfolio covering ten patent families as well as knowhow. The Company is based in the Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. Further information is available at http://www.bonetherapeutics.com.

For further information, please contact:

Bone Therapeutics SAMiguel Forte, MD, PhD, Chief Executive OfficerLieve Creten, Chief Financial Officer ad interimTel: +32 (0)71 12 10 00investorrelations@bonetherapeutics.com

For Belgian Media and Investor Enquiries:BepublicBert BouserieTel: +32 (0)488 40 44 77bert.bouserie@bepublicgroup.be

International Media Enquiries:Image Box CommunicationsNeil Hunter / Michelle BoxallTel: +44 (0)20 8943 4685neil.hunter@ibcomms.agency / michelle@ibcomms.agency

For French Media and Investor Enquiries:NewCap Investor Relations & Financial CommunicationsPierre Laurent, Louis-Victor Delouvrier and Arthur RouillTel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94bone@newcap.eu

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such persons officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

Excerpt from:
Bone Therapeutics announces 2021 full year results - GlobeNewswire

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Bone Therapeutics announces 2021 full year results – GlobeNewswire | April 29th, 2022

Early outcomes with the combination of JSP191, fludarabine, and low-dose total body radiation (TBI) demonstrated facilitation of full donor myeloid chimerism, clearing of minimal residual disease (MRD), and a well-tolerated safety profile in older patients with myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia (MDS/AML) receiving non-myeloablative (NMA) allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT).

Results from the phase 1 trial (NCT04429191) presented at the 2022 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings, showed there were no infusion toxicities or serious adverse events with JSP191, and no instances of primary graft failure in first 24 patients enrolled on the trial; only 1 patient had secondary graft failure and went on to have successful retransplant. Additionally, MRD clearance was observed in 12 patients, and JSP191 pharmacokinetics were shown to be predictable.

AHCT is the only curative treatment for many patients with MDS/AML, even though there have been advancements in therapy for these patients in recent years. While transplant has proven feasible for adults well into their 70s, the optimal conditioning regimen for older adults remains unknown as more intensive regimens tend to be associated with transplant-related mortality, while less intensive nonmyeloablative regimens have resulted historically in higher rates of disease relapse and progression, Lori Muffly, MD, MS, said in her presentation.

Therefore, a conditioning regimen that results in minimal toxicity but has enhanced disease control is needed in order to improve transplantation outcomes in this population, Muffly, associate professor of medicine (blood and marrow transplantation and cellular therapy) at Stanford Healthcare, continued.

JSP191 is a humanized monoclonal antibody meant to block stem cell factor binding site on CD117, which is necessary for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) survival and HSC interactions in the bone marrow niche. After the bone marrow niche is emptied because of JSP191 binding to CD117, healthy donor cells are able to engraft. Preclinical models showed synergy between anti-CD117 monoclonal antibodies and low-dose TBI to help deplete HSC and facilitate donor cell engraftment.

For the first 24 patients with MDS (n = 13) or AML (n = 11), primary end points evaluated were safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of the combination. Secondary end points included engraftment and donor chimerism, MRD clearance, relapse-free survival, graft-vs-host disease (GVHD), non-relapse mortality, and overall survival. Patients received AHCT, then 200 to 300 cGy of TBI, 30 mg/m2 of fludarabine for 3 days, and 0.6 mg/kg of intravenous JSP191.

To determine the starting date of fludarabine, real-time pharmacokinetic measurements and modeling were used after JSP191 was administered. For the first 7 patients, TBI was increased from 200 to 300 cGy to aid lymphoablation. Tacrolimus, sirolimus, and mycohphenolate motefil were used as GVHD prophylaxis.

Consistent pharmacokinetics and predictable clearance were observed with JSP191 over the 2 weeks after administration. All patients were able to receive donor cell infusion between 9 and 15 days following administration of the antibody. Interestingly, we did see in some patients very low levels of the antibody present on the day of donor cell infusion, and this did not appear to impact donor cell engraftment, Muffly said.

Bone marrow aspirations taken at screening and between administration of the antibody and fludarabine/TBI showed JSP191 depletes hemopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC). In the CD34-positive, CD45RA-negative population, there was a 66% mean depletion of HSPC. The investigators do not believe this reflects the nadir of HSPC depletion, Muffly explained, and that the depletion continues until donor stem cell infusion.

All patients experienced neutropenia followed by neutrophil engraftment between TD+15 and TD+26. Primary engraftment was seen in all patients, with only 1 patient losing myeloid chimerism early, which was associated with disease progression. T cell chimerism improved when patients went up from 200 to 300 cGy.

Using flow cytometry, cytogenetics, and next-generation sequencing, investigators were able to track MRD in patients with de novo AML (n = 8) and AML from MDS (n = 3). Of the 9 patients with AML who were MRD positive at the time of enrollment, 6 were MRD negative at the time of follow-up. Eleven of 13 patients with MDS were MRD positive at enrollment, and 8 were MRD negative at the last follow-up.

After 6 months median follow-up (range, 2-12 months), there were no reports of classical grade II-IV acute GVHD. One case of late onset grade III-IV acute gastrointestinal GVHD was reported as of the latest follow-up, but this patient had non-relapse mortality. Any instances of chronic GVHD has yet to be reported due to insufficient median follow-up time. Morphologic relapse occurred in 4 patients, 3 with AML and 1 with MDS.

The median age for these patients was 70 years (range, 62-79), with a requirement of 60 years of age or older or an AHCT-comorbidity index of 3 or more to enroll in the trial. They could not have prior AHCT and needed a human leukocyte antigenmatched related or unrelated donor. Over half of patients received only a hypomethylating agent-containing regimens.

JSP191 in combination with fludarabine and low-dose TBI is a novel conditioning platform that appears safe, well tolerated, has demonstrated on-target effects of HSPC depletion, permits full donor myeloid chimerism, and results in promising early MRD clearance, Muffly concluded.

Reference:

Muffly L, Lee CJ, Gandhi A, et al. Preliminary data from a phase 1 study of JSP191, an anti-CD117 monoclonal antibody, in combination with low dose irradiation and fludarabine conditioning is well-tolerated, facilitates chimerism and clearance of minimal residual disease in older adults with MDS/AML undergoing allogeneic HCT. Presented at: 2022 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings; Salt Lake City, UT; April 23-26, 2022. Abstract LBA4. https://bit.ly/3xRTwee

Read the rest here:
Interim Data Targeting CD117 Show Promising MRD Results and Safety in MDS/AML - Targeted Oncology

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Interim Data Targeting CD117 Show Promising MRD Results and Safety in MDS/AML – Targeted Oncology | April 29th, 2022

Hairy cell leukemia is a rare type of blood cancer that can affect adults. In people who receive treatment, the long-term outlook for hairy cell leukemia is good.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) occurs when bone marrow produces too many white blood cells called lymphocytes.

The disease gets its name from the hairlike projections on its cells. HCL cells can affect the bone marrow, spleen, liver, and lymph nodes.

According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, HCL is more common in males over the age of 50 years.

HCL affects roughly 6,000 people in the United States, with around 600800 new diagnoses each year. Around 12% of all adult leukemias are HCL.

In many cases, the long-term outlook for HCL is good, with people often continuing to live good-quality lives for years with medical care.

In this article, we look at the outlook and survival rates for HCL, the risk of secondary cancers, and treatment options.

Learn about the symptoms of HCL here.

HCL is a chronic disease, and although there is no cure for it, the condition is treatable. Treatment is usually highly effective and can help people continue to live normal lives.

According to the National Cancer Institute, HCL progresses slowly or does not worsen at all.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society reports that the 5-year event-free survival rate for HCL is 90% in people who received initial treatment with the chemotherapy drug cladribine. This means 90% of people will still be alive 5 years after diagnosis.

Treatment with cladribine has led to roughly 85% complete remission and around 10% partial response in people with HCL.

A 2020 study looked at survival rates in 279 people diagnosed with HCL between 1980 and 2011. The median age of the participants was 59 years old. In 208 of the participants, the first-line treatments were the drugs cladribine or pentostatin.

A 10-year follow-up found that the median survival rate was 27 years overall, with 11 years of relapse-free survival. There was a relapse rate of 39%. The study concluded that people with HCL have a good long-term outlook.

Research suggests that there may be racial disparities in HCL outcomes. A 2015 study included participants of the following racial groups:

The study found that the 10-year survival rate was worse in African American participants than in those of other racial groups.

Half of African American participants were alive at the 10-year follow-up, whereas more than two-thirds of those in other racial groups were alive at the follow-up.

The researchers concluded that the biological, socioeconomic, and health system factors contributing to this disparity need further investigation.

According to a 2020 study, people with HCL have an increased risk of secondary cancer.

Among 279 participants, 59 people developed at least one secondary cancer. The most common secondary cancers were prostate cancer, nonmelanoma skin cancer, and blood cancers.

The study did not find that treatment with purine analogs, such as cladribine or pentostatin, was a risk factor for secondary cancers.

However, according to the National Cancer Institute, cladribine and pentostatin may increase the risk of Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Some research suggests that HCL and its effects on the body may increase the risk of secondary cancer.

People with HCL must attend regular cancer screenings to detect any early signs of secondary cancer.

Blood cell changes in those with HCL may result in compromised immune systems, making people more susceptible to infection or autoimmune disease.

HCL responds very well to treatment, which aims to manage the cancer rather than cure it.

Unlike with many other types of cancer, doctors may choose to wait before starting treatment.

Doctors will monitor the condition and may only begin treatment if they believe it is necessary to control it. This can help avoid any unnecessary side effects of treatment.

The type of treatment will depend on each condition but may include the following:

Cladribine and pentostatin are purine analogs, which are the first-line treatment for HCL.

According to the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation, both medications are highly effective treatments and can result in long-term remission.

In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved another drug, moxetumomab pasudotox, to treat HCL. Doctors may use this drug in people who have not responded to standard therapies.

Interferon is a drug that doctors may use to treat HCL. Interferon uses the bodys immune system to help fight off cancer. Interferon affects how cancer cells divide and helps slow tumor growth.

Doctors may also use a biologic drug called rituximab, known by the brand name Rituxan, if people with HCL have not responded to other treatments. Rituximab is an antibody that attaches to HCL cells. Doctors may also use rituximab in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment.

Targeted therapies use medications or other substances to find and destroy cancer cells. Targeted therapies may cause less harm to healthy cells than other treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

One type of targeted therapy to treat HCL is monoclonal antibody therapy. A laboratory creates antibodies that attach to cancer cells and destroy them or prevent them from growing and spreading. The biologic drug rituximab is an example of a monoclonal antibody.

Splenectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the spleen. This may be necessary if HCL causes an enlarged spleen.

However, doctors rarely perform splenectomy for HCL because there are medications that can effectively reduce the size of the spleen.

Learn more about immunotherapy for leukemia here.

Treatments for HCL can have the following side effects:

Cancer treatments may also cause other side effects, such as fatigue, appetite loss, or nausea.

Before starting treatment, people can discuss any potential side effects and the risks and benefits of each treatment option with their healthcare team.

Learn more about side effects here.

HCL is a rare type of leukemia. Other types of leukemia include:

HCL is a rare type of adult leukemia. It is more common in males over the age of 50 years.

The overall outlook for people with HCL is good. Treatment with chemotherapy drugs, such as cladribine and pentostatin, is highly effective and may result in long-term remission.

Treatments for HCL may have side effects. People can discuss any treatments potential risks and benefits with their healthcare team.

More here:
Hairy cell leukemia: Outlook, treatment, and what to expect - Medical News Today

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Hairy cell leukemia: Outlook, treatment, and what to expect – Medical News Today | April 29th, 2022

Abstract: Glucose metabolism has been the focus of research in order to understand pathological conditions associated with diseases such as neonatal hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy (CP) and cerebral infarction.

Objective:To evaluate the use of molecular imaging (SPECT and PET) for children with HIE and CP before and after cell therapy, and to propose future perspectives on the use of those modalities for assessment of brain function in children with these conditions.

Methods:PubMed search for studies using PET or SPECT scans for HIE and CP in children.

Results:We identified 18 PET and 17 SPECT studies that have been performed in cases under age of 19 over the past three decades (19912021). Six papers on PET use consisted of one with human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stromal cells, one mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells, three autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells and one allogeneic umbilical cord blood. 4/6 papers reported that PET-CT scan revealed increased glucose metabolism and 1/6 showed no significant change in glucose metabolism after cell therapy. One article on SPECT reported that 2/5 cases had improvement of cerebral perfusion in the thalamus after treatment.

Discussion:SPECT in the first few weeks of life is useful and more sensitive than MRI in predicting major neurological disability. SPECT is not appropriate for neonates because of the risk of radiation, improvement of other clinical test equipment. PET studies reported high glucose metabolism in the early neonatal periods in children with mild to moderate HIE, but not in the most severe cases, including those neonates that died.We suggested that PET could be more useful tool to estimate effectiveness of stem cell therapy than SPECT.

Conclusion:PET might be a good clinical modalities to clarify mechanism of stem cell therapy for CP. We need further clinical studies to clarify more precisely.

Read more:
Molecular Imaging (PET and SPECT) for Children with Hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy and Cerebral Palsy before and after cell therapy - Newswise

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Molecular Imaging (PET and SPECT) for Children with Hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy and Cerebral Palsy before and after cell therapy – Newswise | April 29th, 2022

Abstract

Arrhythmias are a major cardiac complication reported among patients with multiple myeloma (MM), but these have not been further characterized in this population. We explored the prevalence of arrhythmias and examined the predictors of mortality among patients with MM with arrhythmias. The National Inpatient Sample data collected between 2016 and 2018 were used to conduct retrospective analyses. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to examine the predictors of mortality among patients with MM with arrhythmias. 16.9% of patients with MM reported a diagnosis of any arrhythmias and 70.7% of these were atrial fibrillation. Patients aged 70 years and above had 21% lower odds (adjusted OR (AOR): 0.79; 95% CI: 0.68 to 0.92) of inpatient mortality relative to younger patients. Those in the non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic other category were 1.38 (95% CI: 1.16 to 1.64), 1.53 (95% CI: 1.19 to 1.97), and 1.69 (95% CI: 1.29 to 2.21) times more likely to die during hospitalization compared with their counterparts who were non-Hispanic whites. Relative to patients with MM who were on Medicare, those on private (AOR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.54) and other insurance types (AOR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.23 to 2.58) had higher odds of mortality. Other predictors of inpatient mortality were elective admission (AOR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.52 to 0.85) and Charlson comorbidity indices between 57 (AOR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.41) and 8 (AOR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.21 to 1.73) compared with comorbidity indices between 0 and 4. Our study adds to the body of knowledge on the need for proper diagnosis and management of cardiac arrhythmias in patients with MM. Research is needed to further assess the time of arrhythmia diagnosis and its impact on health outcomes among patients with MM.

See the article here:
Burden of arrhythmias and predictors of mortality among multiple myeloma patients with arrhythmias - Journal of Investigative Medicine

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Burden of arrhythmias and predictors of mortality among multiple myeloma patients with arrhythmias – Journal of Investigative Medicine | April 29th, 2022

Stem cell transplants can effectively cure a wide range of diseases, from blood cancers to rare genetic disorders. They've been used for decades and are considered standard treatment for certain conditions.

But for a good number of patients, stem cell transplants are out of reach. Drug regimens used to prepare the body for a transplant are toxic and can cause serious side effects. The transplanted cells don't always "engraft," or take root in the bone marrow. Even when they do, patients' disease may linger or recur.

A biotech startup launching Wednesday with $50 million in funding hopes that, by combining cell, antibody and gene editing technologies, at least some of these problems can be overcome. Called Cimeio Therapeutics, the new company is led by a team of pharmaceutical industry veterans and an advisory board filled with scientific luminaries, including immunologist Jeffrey Bluestone and gene editing pioneer Fyodor Urnov.

Cimeio's approach involves "shielding" transplanted cells by genetically editing them in ways that allows paired immunotherapies to be safely used both before and after a transplant.

Thomas Fuchs

Courtesy of Cimeio Therapeutics

"We think that this can really unleash the power of hematopoietic stem cell transplant and make a lot more patients eligible for it," said Thomas Fuchs, Cimeio's CEO and a former Genentech executive.

The "shielding" technology used by Cimeio was developed in Switzerland at the laboratory of Lukas Jeker, a physician-scientist from Basel University Hospital who will join Cimeio as head of gene editing.

Jeker's lab discovered that protein receptors on the surface of cells could be genetically edited in such a way that prevented antibodies from binding to them, while leaving their function intact. In preclinical testing, these edits could cloak, or "shield," the cells from being depleted by antibody drugs and T cell therapies.

The work could have powerful implications for improving stem cell transplant and adoptive cell therapy, according to Fuchs.

Once a stem cell or T cell is shielded, a complementary immunotherapy could be used to either help ready patients for a transplant or to further treat disease afterwards, he said. "Maybe you could give a cycle or two of the paired immunotherapy, implant the shielded cells and then continue to administer the immunotherapy," he added.

If the shielding works as intended, Cimeio could develop treatments for conditioning that are more tolerable than the chemotherapy or radiation-based regimens currently in use. Shielding might also allow existing drugs that target cell proteins on healthy as well as diseased cells to be used more flexibly with transplants, such as to treat residual disease that lingers afterwards.

For example, Cimeio could engineer stem cells that are protected against binding via a protein called CD19 that's often the target for CAR-T therapies that treat lymphoma, but is also found on healthy B cells that help the immune system fight off threats.

"One benefit could be that you could prevent a lifetime of B cell depletion, which happens when you give a CAR-T," said Fuchs.

Alex Mayweg

Courtesy of Cimeio Therapeutics

Cimeio was built from Jeker's lab by Versant Ventures at the company's "Ridgeline" incubator in Basel, which has previously produced companies like Monte Rosa Therapeutics and Black Diamond Therapeutics. The initial $50 million Versant provided will fund Cimeio through next year, said Alex Mayweg, a managing director at the venture firm and a Cimeio board member. Additional investors will be brought on later this year or early next, Mayweg said.

Cimeio will need the money, as its research and development plans are expansive. The company has identified four drug candidates already and envisions a dozen more behind those, said Fuchs. Its research spans blood cancers, rare genetic diseases and autoimmune disorders.

In some cases, Cimeio will develop paired immunotherapies to go with the shielded cells. In others, it will use existing treatments. Three of the first four candidates involve protecting hematopoietic stem cells, while the fourth involves T cells. The company hopes to begin human testing next year.

Cimeio plans to choose gene editing technologies based on the type of alteration it needs to make to shield cells. "Rather than building up an internal editing capability," Mayweg said, "we wanted to stay as flexible as possible."

That might mean partnerships or alliances with other companies, some of which have reached out to Cimeio already, according to Mayweg.

Cimeio is aided by a group of scientific advisers notable for their work in areas the company is focusing on. Urnov, of the University of California, Berkeley, is well known for his research in gene editing using zinc finger nucleases and CRISPR. Bluestone previously led the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and is CEO of the cell therapy-focused biotech Sonoma Biotherapeutics.

Suneet Agarwal, a co-program leader of the stem cell transplant center at Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, is also on the advisory board, while Cimeio has a research collaboration in place with Matthew Porteus, a gene editing specialist at Stanford University.

About 20 people currently work at Cimeio directly, a number Fuchs expects will grow as the company's research advances. Another 15 are currently supporting Cimeio from Versant's Ridgeline group.

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Versant-backed startup launches with plans to broaden cell therapy's reach - BioPharma Dive

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