The global stem cell banking market was valued at $1,986 million in 2016, and is estimated to reach $6,956 million by 2023, registering a CAGR of 19.5% from 2017 to 2023. Stem cell banking is a process where the stem cell care isolated from different sources such as umbilical cord and bone marrow that is stored and preserved for future use. These cells can be cryo-frozen and stored for decades. Private and public banks are different types of banks available to store stem cells.

Top Companies Covered in this Report: Cord Blood Registry, ViaCord, Cryo-Cell, China Cord Blood Corporation, Cryo-Save, New York Cord Blood Program, CordVida, Americord, CryoHoldco, Vita34

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Increase in R&D activities in regards with applications of stem cells and increase in prevalence of fatal chronic diseases majorly drive the growth of the global stem cell banking market. Moreover, the large number of births occurring globally and growth in GDP & disposable income help increase the number of stem cell units stored, which would help fuel the market growth. However, legal and ethical issues related to stem cell collections and high processing & storage cost are projected to hamper the market growth. The initiative taken by organizations and companies to spread awareness in regards with the benefits of stem cells and untapped market in the developing regions help to open new avenues for the growth of stem cell banking market in the near future.

The global stem cell banking market is segmented based on cell type, bank type, service type, utilization, and region. Based on cell type, the market is classified into umbilical cord stem cells, adult stem cells, and embryonic stem cells. Depending on bank type, it is bifurcated into public and private. By service type, it is categorized into collection & transportation, processing, analysis, and storage. By utilization, it is classified into used and unused. Based on region, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

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Table Of Content

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW

CHAPTER 4: STEM CELL BANKING MARKET, BY CELL TYPE

CHAPTER 5: STEM CELL BANKING MARKET, BY BANK TYPE

CHAPTER 6: STEM CELL BANKING MARKET, BY SERVICE TYPE

CHAPTER 7: STEM CELL BANKING MARKET, BY UTILIZATION

CHAPTER 8: STEM CELL BANKING MARKET, BY REGION

CHAPTER 9: COMPANY PROFILES

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Stem Cell Banking Market will Generate Massive Revenue to $6,956 million by 2023 | Cord Blood Registry, ViaCord, Cryo-Cell, China Cord Blood...

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Stem Cell Banking Market will Generate Massive Revenue to $6,956 million by 2023 | Cord Blood Registry, ViaCord, Cryo-Cell, China Cord Blood… | June 14th, 2020

The ALS Association and I AM ALS have awarded BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics $500,000 to support an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) biomarker study based on the biotechnology companys pivotal trial into its NurOwn therapy.

Specifically, the combined grant $400,000 is from the ALS Association will be used to gain insights from data as well as tissue and blood samples collected from patients enrolled in the Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT03280056) that is measuring NurOwns safety and effectiveness.

As part of the award, BrainStorm agreed to share data and samples with the ALS community to potentially advance other ALS research, and to have trial results independently validated.

By assessing how NurOwn interacts with brain and spinal cord targets, the hope is the study produces a deeper understanding of crucial biomarkers associated with treatment response. A biomarker is any measurable body substance that changes over time, and that correlates with treatment response.

If it works the way its intended, the study is expected to help inform scientists broader understanding of ALS biomarkers.

This grant to BrainStorm marks an important step forward in establishing how exactly NurOwn works in the body, Calaneet Balas, ALS Association president and CEO, said in a press release. This research is also important to our overall pursuit of identification and validation of ALS biomarkers. We hope NurOwn is ultimately proven effective in treating ALS, and we stand ready to support BrainStorm in its plan to apply for a biologics license for NurOwn.

NurOwn is a cell-based therapy that usesmesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are extracted from a patients own bone marrow. These cells have the ability to generate different cell types. After extraction, MSCs are expanded in the lab and matured into cells that produce high levels ofneurotrophic factors, which are compounds that promote nervous tissue growth and survival. The converted cells are then reintroduced into the body via an injection into muscles or the spinal canal.

A Phase 2 trial (NCT02017912) found NurOwn to be safe and to significantly slow disease progression in a subset of ALS patients with fast-advancing disease. The Phase 3 trial is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of three administrations every two months of NurOwn into the spinal canal, when compared with a placebo.

The Phase 3 trials chief goal is to confirm the effectiveness of NurOwn as measured by the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R), a score of abilities such as swallowing, speech, handwriting, or walking.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, patient dosing in the trial is expected to be complete by next month. The study is fully enrolled with 200 participants across six U.S. sites. All patients have been given at least two of three doses. A summary of important findings will be announced later this year.

This critical research study involves one of the largest and most robust clinical trial collectors of [cerebrospinal fluid] biomarkers, said Chaim Lebovits, BrainStorm CEO. Data generated from this study will increase our understanding of how NurOwn therapy impacts ALS disease progression, and may identify patients who benefit the most from this form of therapy. We also hope that this research study will benefit the broader ALS community as we collectively advance toward our shared goal of delivering much-needed treatments, he said.

Danielle Carnival, CEO of I AM ALS, said the ALS community is at a pivotal time in terms of treatment research.

We need to move with urgency in all of our efforts to deliver treatments and cures for ALS, she said. This biomarker research will help us more expeditiously understand the effectiveness of NurOwn, while possibly unlocking discoveries that provide clues for other promising treatments.

Mary M. Chapman began her professional career at United Press International, running both print and broadcast desks. She then became a Michigan correspondent for what is now Bloomberg BNA, where she mainly covered the automotive industry plus legal, tax and regulatory issues. A member of the Automotive Press Association and one of a relatively small number of women on the car beat, Chapman has discussed the automotive industry multiple times of National Public Radio, and in 2014 was selected as an honorary judge at the prestigious Cobble Beach Concours dElegance. She has written for numerous national outlets including Time, People, Al-Jazeera America, Fortune, Daily Beast, MSN.com, Newsweek, The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. The winner of the Society of Professional Journalists award for outstanding reporting, Chapman has had dozens of articles in The New York Times, including two on the coveted front page. She has completed a manuscript about centenarian car enthusiast Margaret Dunning, titled Belle of the Concours.

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Ana holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Lisbon and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) in Lisbon, Portugal. She graduated with a BSc in Genetics from the University of Newcastle and received a Masters in Biomolecular Archaeology from the University of Manchester, England. After leaving the lab to pursue a career in Science Communication, she served as the Director of Science Communication at iMM.

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BrainStorm Receives $500K to Support ALS Study of NurOwn Therapy - ALS News Today

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on BrainStorm Receives $500K to Support ALS Study of NurOwn Therapy – ALS News Today | June 14th, 2020

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, June 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Treatment of childhood cancer is a success story, particularly for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). More than 90% of ALL patients below 18 years of age are rescued with contemporary chemotherapy. However, the remaining 10% have resistant or reoccurring leukemia and require alternative treatment regimens. One of the most powerful leukemia therapies is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a donor (allogeneic HSCT). Approximately 50-80% of pediatric ALL patients that receive allogeneic HSCT are cured, 20% experience leukemic reoccurrence (relapse), and 10% die from complications.

Allogeneic HSCT is a multistep procedure:

For high-risk leukemia, the gold standard conditioning procedure is a combination of total body irradiation (TBI) and high dose chemotherapy. This approach is very effective in controlling leukemia in the conditioning step, but patients may experience highly negative consequences of this procedure later in life: sterility, growth retardation, lung problems, and secondary cancer.

Therefore, a large consortium of pediatric transplant experts initiated a global study to investigate whether chemotherapy-based conditioning could substitute TBI. The study is called FORUM (For Omitting Radiation Under Majority Age) and had to be stopped because chemotherapy-based conditioning had significantly poorer outcomes (i.e., lower overall survival rates) than the combination of TBI and chemotherapy. The researchers will now perform prospective monitoring to better define the advantages and limitations of various conditioning approaches.

Presenter:Dr Christina PetersAffiliation:Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, St. Anna Children's Hospital, Vienna, AustriaAbstract:#S102 TBI OR CHEMOTHERAPY BASED CONDITIONING FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ALL: A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED MULTICENTER-STUDY "FORUM" ON BEHALF OF THE AIEOP-BFM-ALL-SG, IBFM-SG, INTREALL-SG AND EBMT-PD-WP

Embargo: Please note that our embargo policy applies to all selected abstracts in the Press Briefings. For more information click here.

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EHA25Virtual: Combined Irradiation and Chemotherapy Better Prepares Children for Stem Cell Transplantation than Chemotherapy Alone - P&T Community

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on EHA25Virtual: Combined Irradiation and Chemotherapy Better Prepares Children for Stem Cell Transplantation than Chemotherapy Alone – P&T Community | June 13th, 2020

Stephen Raffone had difficulty breathing. He coughed up sputum and was wheezing. Doctors told him he had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that causes blocked airflow from the lungs.

As a result, he was being treated for stage 4 COPD.

His doctor was also treating him for cellulitis, an inflammatory and painful bacterial skin infection where extremities appear red and swollen and the area can feel hot and tender to the touch, as well as poor circulation.

My legs were beginning to get ulcerated and they were breaking down, said Raffone.

He was administered the Roman Catholic Churchs Last Rites three times several years ago when he was a patient in Richmond University Medical Center.

Raffone, who is now 63, was in need of a lung transplant.

He was a heavy smoker and it took its toll. However, because he was in a weakened state due to other serious health conditions, doctors told him hed never survive the surgery.

The Westerleigh resident, who has been in need of 24-hour care for the last several years, requires the assistance of two nurses who rotate 12-hour shifts.

One, a close family friend, suggested Raffone see a medical specialist who performs stem cell therapy, a procedure where the patients own stem cells are removed, treated and returned to his or her own body after a conditioning regimen.

She contacted Dr. Alexandre M. Scheer of Scheer Medical Wellness and he agreed to see Raffone.

Dr. Alexandre M. Scheer (Courtesy/Stephen Raffone)Staten Island Advance

But since Raffone was unable to leave his home, Scheer visited Raffone for a consultation and to evaluate his condition.

Fast forward a year and a half and Scheer has continued with those visits almost every Saturday free of charge also underwriting the cost for treatments, as well as Uber rides from Manhattan to Staten Island, in order to perform the stem cell procedure.

RAFFONES NURSE SPEAKS

One of Raffones nurses recounted Raffones journey.

She explained that when they started to explore stem cell therapy she placed calls to several doctors, but the biggest thing that jumped out at her was the astronomical cost.

But there was something about Dr. Scheer. And I just knew he was the right one, said the registered nurse for more than 30 years. "He wasnt interested in money. His goal is his patients outcome. Stephen did pay for the first set of treatments, but since then, Dr. Scheer has not taken a dime.

When the patient began treatments, the first therapy was a tremendous boost and then every week after that he was treated for seven weeks. In the beginning, the doctor visited every week and brought whatever supplies was needed. The PRP (platelet rich plasma) treatments are daily.

I draw the blood, I spin the blood," she said. We have a small centrifuge here so it separates the blood. The PRP is given by a nebulizer. It takes about 30 minutes. And once a week he gets a protein enriched plasma, which takes about a half hour, she added.

He has chronic venous ulcerations of the both lower extremities from the knee down, she said.

Raffone has end stage COPD. But since he started the treatments, hes gone to the hospital only once. And he has tested negative for antibody COVID-19.

RAFFONES TREATMENT BEGINS

Raffone was required to install the centrifuge machine with needles and plasma tube, a laboratory device used for the separation of fluids, gas or liquid, based on density. Separation is achieved by spinning a vessel containing material at high speed.

Initially, Dr. Scheer sent a plastic surgeon to my home to perform liposuction, a type of fat-removal procedure used in plastic surgery, where they separate the fat and preserve the stem cells, Raffone said. They did this four times weekly at the beginning. Dr. Scheer has been visiting my home pretty much each week since Sept. 22, 2018. But right now the stem cell therapy is done once a month."

They draw blood out and spin it. Its all done through IV. Right now stem cell infusion is done once a month and daily through a nebulizer. Dr. Scheer does it on Saturday and my nurse and dear friend to Dr. Scheer does it during the week. My house looks like a hospital. Dr. Scheer is keeping me alive and everything is healing up so well, said Raffone.

Stephen Raffone's left leg before stem cell treatment. (Courtesy/Stephen Raffone)Staten Island Advance

Raffone says he wanted to come forward with his account at this time because hes so grateful and especially today when so many negative stories are in the news.

We need some good stories. There are very few people like Dr. Scheer, especially now during the COVID-19 crisis, he said.

My nurse draws the blood and puts it in a centrifuge when the doctor cant make it from the city. But Dr. Scheer is still coming to my house in spite of the COVID-19 crisis," Raffone continued.

Raffone has been confined to a bed one that he says turns you from side to side and upside down. But Dr. Scheer is confident that when restrictions are lifted and physical therapy sessions resume, Raffone will be able to walk.

The stem cell therapy is not only helping to combat Raffones COPD, but it has also helped him with cellulitis on his leg.

Stephen's Raffone healed left leg after stem cell therapy. (Courtesy/Stephen Raffone)Staten Island Advance

Scheer, a staunch supporter of stem cell therapy, has a background in neurosurgery and regenerative medicine. He performs surgery at several surgical centers in Manhattan.

It has to do with the amount of cells your bone marrow," he said. What we do is . . . saturate the body with stem cells. It suppresses the inflammatory response. COVID-19 also is an inflammatory disease. The COVID-19 kills the lungs. So you dont have oxygen going through. The stem cells protect, so you have continual oxygen transfer.

Dr. Scheer, who practices at Sheer Medical Wellness in Manhattan, says you can regenerate yourself.

I want my patients to be fine. I will pay for the patient. Im happy Stephens alive. And then my life is made. Stephen will now be able to walk after physical therapy. He was on 12 liters of oxygen daily. Hes now on two liters. I know his nurse very well and thats how we connected. The stem cell treatment is the appropriate treatment for him. I pay out of pocket because I know the right treatment for his condition," he added.

Dr. Scheer points out in China and in Israel stem cell therapy is the treatment they use for COVID- 19.

Its where you take Eastern and Western medicine and put it together. The patients body and will to live and having the right outlook on life has a lot to do with proper health. Our group is so big. We have 40 different doctors in my practice. Im the medical director, he said. Stem cell treatment is the future of medicine. At $10,000 a treatment, its very expensive. And the number depends on the issue at hand.

THE INITIAL CALL

When Scheer spoke to Raffone, He said I cant get out of bed,' the doctor said. "I drove to Staten Island and I got to know Stephen and his family very well. Its not a one-time treatment. Im seeing him on a weekly basis. There is a relationship that occurs. And thats what matters and thats what keeps people alive. Hope is what keeps them alive. And Im doing this since 2001. The treatment involves platelet enriched plasma that suppresses inflammatory reactions in the lungs. Whats happening is youre able to suppress the inflammatory reaction. His legs and his heart are getting better as well. This is a treatment until we can get him walking.

Scheer says Raffone must undergo physical therapy in oder for him to walk around freely.

And hell be able to travel to my office. Im not giving up on him. Im paying out of pocket. A quarter of my patients, I pay for. Stephen has gone through so much. Hes alive because of stem cell therapy. And due to his lung condition with COVID, he has not contracted it."

Scheer says its been a team effort, with multiple doctors coming into play.

Stephen is keeping himself alive. Im just the tool that can help. I just do the best I can for as many people as I can.

Originally posted here:
Westerleigh resident is alive because of stem cell therapy by his doctor -- for free. Heres his story. - SILive.com

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Westerleigh resident is alive because of stem cell therapy by his doctor — for free. Heres his story. – SILive.com | June 13th, 2020

Biologic, or regenerative, therapies have altered the way many equine veterinarians treat problematic joints. Some of the most mainstream and popular modalities they currently use to manage osteoarthritis (OA) in horses are autologous conditioned serum, autologous protein solution, platelet-rich plasma, and mesenchymal stem cells.

Most biologic therapies involve collecting and concentrating the horses natural anti-inflammatory and regenerative proteins or cells so they can be injected into an area of pathology (disease or damage) in the same horse.

Autologous conditioned serum is a cell-free extract of whole blood that has been processed to contain high concentrations of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP), a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory protein within the body. It is marketed under the trade names IRAP and IRAP II.

When preparing ACS, veterinarians collect venous blood in a proprietary syringe system that encourages porous glass beads to bind with white blood cells. During an incubation process the bound white cells release high concentrations of IRAP. The veterinarian then draws the serum off into small portions and freezes it for future injection into arthritic joints. In clinical studies of ACS, researchers have reported improved synovial membrane (joint surface lining) health, stimulation of natural IRAP production, and improved lameness.

Platelet rich plasma is blood plasma thats been centrifuged or filtrated to have a higher concentration of platelets than whole blood. Many horse owners are familiar with PRP and its use in tendon and ligament injuries; however, veterinarians are using it more regularly for treating joint disease.

One of platelets roles in the body is to modulate tissue healing. They do so by releasing growth factors and signaling molecules that initiate repair and promote anabolic (supporting tissue growth) effects. Veterinarians have capitalized on this ability by injecting high concentrations of platelets directly into damaged or inflamed regions. Because many PRP systems allow for stallside preparation, it is a convenient option for immediate treatment without the hassle of incubation or culturing in the lab, as is the case with ACS and stem cell preparation, respectively.

Historically, equine veterinarians have primarily used PRP to help treat soft tissue injuries. More recent work has led to intra-articular (in the joint) use with promising results. Although researchers have demonstrated how platelet-derived products work in vitro (in the lab) and veterinarians have seen promising anecdotal results in vivo (in the live horse), theyve yet to produce evidence-based confirmation of its clinical efficacy.

Mark Revenaugh, DVM, owner of Northwest Equine Performance, in Mulino, Oregon, says the main factors standing between researchers ability to gather objective data and establish a consensus on PRPs efficacy are the high variability among preparation systems, individual patient reactivity to the product, and an unknown ideal concentration of platelets for particular injuries.

Most practitioners cant always check how many platelets are being used, he says. Depending on the system, one veterinarian may be using 100,000 platelets/milliliter and another veterinarian may be using 1 billion platelets/milliliter. These are not the same treatments, even though both are called PRP. I would love to see an industry standard develop.

Overall, PRPs positive anecdotal results and relatively easy preparation make it a useful option for treating osteoarthritis (OA) in horses.

Autologous protein solution (marketed under the trade name Pro-Stride) is essentially a hybrid of ACS and PRP. Its two-step stallside preparation process involves separating whole blood and sequestering white blood cells and platelets in a small fraction of plasma. The veterinarian then concentrates the separate blood components by filtration, leaving a solution of white blood cells, platelets, and serum proteins that provides the anti-inflammatory mediators of IRAP and the platelet-derived growth factors of PRP.

In a 2014 study out of The Ohio State University, researchers revealed that an intra-articular APS injection can significantly improve lameness, weight-bearing symmetry, and range of joint motion in horses that dont have severe lameness or significant compromise to the joint structure.

Mesenchymal stems cells are adult stem cells that can direct regeneration and repair of damaged tissue. Veterinarians have used this type of stem cell as a treatment strategy for equine soft tissue injury for some time; its only recently that veterinarians have begun using them to treat OA, and its not fully clear how they work in this capacity. Researchers working on early stem cell studies hoped to establish evidence that stem cells injected into regions of injury would develop into the respective tissue. While this hypothesis proved to be incorrect, continued research has revealed that these cells might instead have anti-inflammatory effects and the ability to recruit other stem cells to the area that could, in fact, heal damaged tissue.

The two most common forms of mesenchymal stem cells are adipose (fat)-derived and bone-marrow-derived. Some study results have shown that bone marrow sources yield smaller concentrations thanbut are superior toadipose sources in their ability to differentiate into musculoskeletal tissue. Some encouraging data supporting the use of mesenchymal stem cells for treating OA exists, but researchers have only published a small number of studies with promising results. Equine veterinarians have used MSCs to treat intra-articular soft tissue injury (meniscal and cruciate damagecartilaginous tissues and ligaments that support the stifle), with successful anecdotal results. Theyve reported more variable outcomes when using it for primary intra-articular injuries.

Carter Judy, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, staff surgeon at Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, in Los Olivos, California, says he currently prefers to use PRP and APS for OA treatment over MSCs. However, he admits there is much to be discovered. What will be interesting to see is how manipulating the cells and providing them with different signals and markers can make their efficacy much more potent and focused, he says.

When weighing treatment options for horses with OA, veterinarians should base their decision to use a certain biologic modality on its cost, availability, and how a horse has responded previously.

Our knowledge base of how the biologics work is improving, but we are in the infancy of understanding, Judy says. Much of the use is based on the clinical response as much as is it on the scientific data.

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Regenerative Therapy Options for Horses With Osteoarthritis - TheHorse.com

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Regenerative Therapy Options for Horses With Osteoarthritis – TheHorse.com | June 13th, 2020

Three people with the inherited blood diseases sickle cell and beta thalassemia remain free of burdensome blood transfusions and their worst symptoms, months after receiving an infusion of genetically modified stem cells.

One of the three, a young woman with a severe form of beta thalassemia, has now been followed for over a year since she was treated, while the second, a woman in her 30s with sickle cell disease, is more than nine months removed from her infusion. They are the first two patients in pioneering studies of a therapy, developed by CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex, that's based on the gene editing technology known as CRISPR.

Both patients continue to respond to treatment, bolstering evidence of genetic medicine's potential to permanently alter the course of devastating hereditary conditions like sickle cell and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. A gene therapy developed by Bluebird Bio has shown similar potential.

First results from the two studies, disclosed last November, were "taking the promise of CRISPR and turning that into a reality," said Samarth Kulkarni, CRISPR Therapeutics' CEO, in an interview. The additional data and follow-up now available "show these effects can be long-lasting and durable."

And in beta thalassemia, the first patient's experience is now supported by results from another patient who was treated about five months ago. This individual has also been able to stop receiving blood transfusions.

Taken together, the two patients responses are "proof of concept," CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex claim, that their approach to treating beta thalassemia has the potential to be curative.

In sickle cell, the companies are also hopeful. The one patient for whom they have data has not had a vaso-occlusive crisis, a painful episode caused by the disease's characteristic sickling of red blood cells, since her treatment.

"The clinical manifestation of the disease is different, but we see consistent outcomes across both diseases," said Bastiano Sanna, Vertex's head of cell and genetic therapies, in an interview.

Three other beta thalassemia patients and one other sickle cell disease patient have been treated in the two studies of CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex's therapy, dubbed CTX001. If results continue to look positive, CTX001 could be another powerful way to help people for whom treatment options have long been limited.

CRISPR, an easy-to-use method of genetic surgery that's derived from a bacterial defense system, has become a mainstay in labs across the world for all types of experiments. Its potential use as a human therapeutic has drawn closer as companies harnessing the technology CRISPR Therapeutics, Editas Medicine and Intellia Therapeutics have advanced their research. CRISPR Therapeutics is the first of the three to deliver results from a clinical trial.

CRISPR and Vertex unveiled their updated results at the European Hematology Association's virtual meeting on Friday. Also being presented were the latest data from Bluebird's gene therapy, known as LentiGlobin.

Bluebird is much further along, having treated 60 patients with beta thalassemia and 37 with sickle cell disease across six different studies.

Updated results from three of those studies showed 23 of 27 evaluable patients with beta thalassemia were transfusion independent for at least a year following treatment. And in sickle cell, no serious vaso-occlusive crises were observed in the 18 patients who had at least six months of follow-up. An episode was previously reported in one patient several months after LentiGlobin treatment, but was judged to be non-serious.

One sickle cell patient died suddenly 20 months following infusion with LentiGlobin, Bluebird reported Friday. Both the treating physician and an independent study committee concluded the death, ruled to be cardiovascular in nature, was unlikely to be related to the gene therapy.

Both beta thalassemia and sickle cell are diseases caused by mutations in the beta globin gene, faulty DNA that results in either absent or warped hemoglobin. Without enough hemoglobin, patients' red blood cells can't carry needed oxygen throughout the body. And those with sickle cell have abnormal hemoglobin that makes red blood cells fragile and stiff, causing them to stick in blood vessels.

Both diseases require chronic blood transfusions, and can lead to organ damage and reduced lifespans. Treatment options are limited, although that's now changing. The Food and Drug Administration, over the past few years, has approved Reblozyl, for beta thalassemia, and Oxbryta and Adakveo, for sickle cell.

Adakveo reduces the frequency of vaso-occlusive crises, while Reblozyl and Oxbryta are chronic medicines meant to boost patients' hemoglobin levels.

CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex, along with Bluebird, are trying to accomplish the same goal but in more dramatic fashion: raising hemoglobin levels high enough so patients can stop blood transfusions and, in sickle cell, avoid pain crises altogether.

CRISPR and Vertex use CRISPR/cas9 gene editing to modify the DNA of stem cells extracted from a patient's bone marrow. The cells are engineered to produce a type of hemoglobin that's present at birth but normally replaced soon after. Once returned to the body and engrafted in the bone marrow, these CRISPR'd cells substitute this so-called fetal hemoglobin for the missing adult hemoglobin.

In the three patients treated so far, that appears to be what's happened. Both beta thalassemia patients are producing hemoglobin at levels considered normal. The sickle cell patient now has enough fetal hemoglobin to dilute the effects of sickled hemoglobin, potentially helping to preserve red blood cells.

Crucially, CRISPR and Vertex shared data for the first time indicating a high percentage of edited cells are present in each patient's bone marrow, supporting their confidence that the effects of treatment might last.

Bluebird, by contrast, doesn't edit the DNA of extracted stem cells, but rather inserts a modified gene into those cells. Once infused and engrafted in a patient, the cells can produce gene therapy-derived hemoglobin.

In most beta thalassemia and sickle cell patients treated with Bluebird's LentiGlobin, hemoglobin levels rose to normal or near-normal levels.

LentiGlobin is already approved for certain beta thalassemia patients in Europe as Zynteglo. In the U.S., Bluebird has hit delays and pushed back when it expects to submit an application to the middle of next year. A filing for an accelerated approval in sickle cell would likely follow sometime in the second half of 2021.

CRISPR and Vertex, meanwhile, plan to enroll more patients into their two studies, which they hope could serve as sufficient for an approval application if positive, Kulkarni said.

Original post:
New CRISPR, gene therapy results strengthen potential for treatment of blood diseases - BioPharma Dive

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on New CRISPR, gene therapy results strengthen potential for treatment of blood diseases – BioPharma Dive | June 13th, 2020

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--bluebird bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLUE) today announced that new data from ongoing Phase 3 studies of betibeglogene autotemcel (beti-cel; formerly LentiGlobin for -thalassemia gene therapy) show pediatric, adolescent and adult patients with a range of genotypes of transfusion-dependent -thalassemia (TDT) achieve and maintain transfusion independence with hemoglobin (Hb) levels that are near-normal (10.5 g/dL). These data are being presented at the Virtual Edition of the 25th European Hematology Association (EHA25) Annual Congress.

With more than a decade of clinical experience evaluating gene therapy in patients with transfusion dependent -thalassemia across a wide range of ages and genotypes, we have built the most comprehensive understanding of treatment outcomes in the field, said David Davidson, M.D., chief medical officer, bluebird bio. Seeing patients achieve transfusion independence and maintain that positive clinical benefit over time with robust hemoglobin levels reflects our initial vision of the potential of beti-cel. The accumulating long-term data demonstrating improvements in bone marrow histology, iron balance and red cell biology support the potential of beti-cel to correct the underlying pathophysiology of transfusion-dependent -thalassemia.

A total of 60 pediatric, adolescent and adult patients across genotypes of TDT have been treated with beti-cel in the Phase 1/2 Northstar (HGB-204) and HGB-205 studies, and the Phase 3 Northstar-2 (HGB-207) and Northstar-3 (HGB-212) studies as of March 3, 2020. In studies of beti-cel, transfusion independence is defined as no longer needing red blood cell transfusions for at least 12 months while maintaining a weighted average Hb of at least 9 g/dL.

TDT is a severe genetic disease caused by mutations in the -globin gene that results in significantly reduced or absent adult hemoglobin (HbA). In order to survive, people with TDT maintain Hb levels through lifelong, chronic blood transfusions. These transfusions carry the risk of progressive multi-organ damage due to unavoidable iron overload.

Patients with transfusion-dependent -thalassemia do not make enough healthy red blood cells and cannot live without chronic transfusions; for patients that means a lifetime of necessary visits to a hospital or clinic and reliance on an often unreliable blood supply, which compounds the challenges of managing this disease, said presenting study author Professor John B. Porter, MA, M.D., FRCP, FRCPath, University College London Hospital, London, UK. These results showing patients free from transfusions and maintaining near-normal hemoglobin levels after treatment with beti-cel is a positive outcome for people living with transfusion-dependent -thalassemia. In addition, we now have more data that provide further evidence that most of these patients have a measurable improvement in markers of healthy red blood cell production.

Beti-cel is a one-time gene therapy designed to address the underlying genetic cause of TDT by adding functional copies of a modified form of the -globin gene (A-T87Q-globin gene) into a patients own hematopoietic (blood) stem cells (HSCs). This means there is no need for donor HSCs from another person, as is required for allogeneic HSC transplantation (allo-HSCT). Once a patient has the A-T87Q-globin gene, they have the potential to produce HbAT87Q, which is gene therapy-derived Hb, at levels that eliminate or significantly reduce the need for transfusions.

Northstar-2 (HGB-207) Efficacy

As of March 3, 2020, all 23 patients in HGB-207 were treated and have been followed for a median of 19.4 months. These patients ranged in age from four to 34 years, including eight pediatric (<12 years of age) and 15 adolescent/adult (>12 years of age) patients. Only 19 patients were evaluable for transfusion independence; four additional patients do not yet have sufficient follow-up to be assessed for transfusion independence.

Eighty-nine percent of evaluable patients (17/19) achieved transfusion independence, with median weighted average total Hb levels of 11.9 g/dL (min-max: 9.4 12.9 g/dL) over a median of 19.4 months of follow-up to date (min-max: 12.3 31.4 months). These 17 patients previously required a median of 17.5 transfusions per year (min-max: 11.5 37 transfusions per year).

Improved iron levels, as measured by serum ferritin and hepcidin levels (proteins involved in iron storage and homeostasis), were observed and trends toward improved iron management were seen. Over half of patients stopped chelation therapy, which is needed to reduce excess iron caused by chronic blood transfusions. Seven out of 23 patients began using phlebotomy for iron reduction.

Analysis of Healthy Red Blood Cell Production

In exploratory analyses, biomarkers of ineffective erythropoiesis (red blood cell production) were evaluated in patients who achieved transfusion independence in HGB-207.

The myeloid to erythroid (M:E) ratio in bone marrow from patients who achieved transfusion independence increased from a median of 1:3 (n=17) at baseline to 1:1.2 (n=16) at Month 12. Improvement of the M:E ratio, the ratio of white blood cell and red blood cell precursors in the bone marrow, suggests an improvement in mature red blood cell production. Images illustrating the bone marrow cellularity at baseline, Month 12 and Month 24 are available in the EHA25 presentation (abstract #S296): Improvement in erythropoiesis in patients with transfusion-dependent -thalassemia following treatment with betibeglogene autotemcel (LentiGlobin for -thalassemia) in the Phase 3 HGB-207 study.

Additionally, biomarkers of erythropoiesis continue to demonstrate a trend toward normalization in patients who achieved transfusion independence, including improved levels over time of erythropoietin, a hormone involved in red blood cell production; reticulocytes, immature red blood cells; and soluble transferrin receptor, a protein measured to help evaluate iron status. The continued normalization of red blood cell production over time among some patients who achieved transfusion independence supports the disease-modifying potential of beti-cel in patients with TDT.

Northstar-3 (HGB-212) Efficacy

As of March 3, 2020, 15 patients (genotypes: 9 0/0, 3 0/ +IVS1-110, 3 homozygous IVS-1-110 mutation) were treated and had a median follow-up of 14.4 months (min-max: 1.124.0 months). Median age at enrollment was 15 (min-max: 4 33 years).

Six of eight evaluable patients achieved transfusion independence, with median weighted average total Hb levels of 11.5 g/dL (min-max: 9.5 13.5 g/dL), and continued to maintain transfusion independence for a median duration of 13.6 months (min-max: 12.2 21.2 months) as of the data cutoff.

Eighty-five percent of patients (11/13) with at least seven months of follow-up had not received a transfusion in more than seven months at time of data cutoff. These 11 patients previously required a median of 18.5 transfusions per year (min-max: 11.0 39.5 transfusions per year). In these patients, gene therapy-derived HbAT87Q supported total Hb levels ranging from 8.814.0 g/dL at last visit.

Betibeglogene autotemcel Safety

Non-serious adverse events (AEs) observed during the HGB-207 and HGB-212 trials that were considered related or possibly related to beti-cel were tachycardia, abdominal pain, pain in extremities, leukopenia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. One serious event of thrombocytopenia was considered possibly related to beti-cel.

In HGB-207, serious events post-infusion in two patients included three events of veno-occlusive liver disease and two events of thrombocytopenia. In HGB-212, serious events post-infusion in two patients included two events of pyrexia.

Additional AEs observed in clinical studies were consistent with the known side effects of HSC collection and bone marrow ablation with busulfan, including SAEs of veno-occlusive disease.

In both Phase 3 studies, there have been no deaths, no graft failure, no cases of vector-mediated replication competent lentivirus or clonal dominance, no leukemia and no lymphoma.

The presentations are now available on demand on the EHA25 website:

About betibeglogene autotemcel

The European Commission granted conditional marketing authorization (CMA) for betibeglogene autotemcel (beti-cel; formerly LentiGlobin gene therapy for -thalassemia), marketed as ZYNTEGLO gene therapy, for patients 12 years and older with transfusion-dependent -thalassemia (TDT) who do not have a 0/0 genotype, for whom hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is appropriate, but a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related HSC donor is not available. On April 28, 2020, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) renewed the CMA for ZYNTEGLO, supported by data from 32 patients treated with ZYNTEGLO, including three patients with up to five years of follow-up.

TDT is a severe genetic disease caused by mutations in the -globin gene that result in reduced or significantly reduced hemoglobin (Hb). In order to survive, people with TDT maintain Hb levels through lifelong chronic blood transfusions. These transfusions carry the risk of progressive multi-organ damage due to unavoidable iron overload.

Beti-cel adds functional copies of a modified form of the -globin gene (A-T87Q-globin gene) into a patients own hematopoietic (blood) stem cells (HSCs). Once a patient has the A-T87Q-globin gene, they have the potential to produce HbAT87Q, which is gene therapy-derived hemoglobin, at levels that may eliminate or significantly reduce the need for transfusions.

Non-serious adverse events (AEs) observed during clinical studies that were attributed to beti-cel included abdominal pain, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, neutropenia, hot flush, dyspnea, pain in extremity and non-cardiac chest pain. Two serious adverse events (SAE) of thrombocytopenia was considered possibly related to beti-cel.

Additional AEs observed in clinical studies were consistent with the known side effects of HSC collection and bone marrow ablation with busulfan, including SAEs of veno-occlusive disease.

The CMA for beti-cel is valid in the 27 member states of the EU as well as UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. For details, please see the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted beti-cel orphan drug designation and Breakthrough Therapy designation for the treatment of transfusion-dependent -thalassemia. Beti-cel is not approved in the U.S.

Beti-cel continues to be evaluated in the ongoing Phase 3 Northstar-2 and Northstar-3 studies. For more information about the ongoing clinical studies, visit http://www.northstarclinicalstudies.com or clinicaltrials.gov and use identifier NCT02906202 for Northstar-2 (HGB-207) and NCT03207009 for Northstar-3 (HGB-212).

bluebird bio is conducting a long-term safety and efficacy follow-up study (LTF-303) for people who have participated in bluebird bio-sponsored clinical studies of betibeglogene autotemcel or LentiGlobin for SCD. For more information visit: https://www.bluebirdbio.com/our-science/clinical-trials or clinicaltrials.gov and use identifier NCT02633943 for LTF-303.

About bluebird bio, Inc.

bluebird bio is pioneering gene therapy with purpose. From our Cambridge, Mass., headquarters, were developing gene therapies for severe genetic diseases and cancer, with the goal that people facing potentially fatal conditions with limited treatment options can live their lives fully. Beyond our labs, were working to positively disrupt the healthcare system to create access, transparency and education so that gene therapy can become available to all those who can benefit.

bluebird bio is a human company powered by human stories. Were putting our care and expertise to work across a spectrum of disorders including cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, sickle cell disease, -thalassemia and multiple myeloma using three gene therapy technologies: gene addition, cell therapy and (megaTAL-enabled) gene editing.

bluebird bio has additional nests in Seattle, Wash; Durham, N.C.; and Zug, Switzerland. For more information, visit bluebirdbio.com.

Follow bluebird bio on social media: @bluebirdbio, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

ZYNTEGLO, LentiGlobin, and bluebird bio are trademarks of bluebird bio, Inc.

bluebird bio Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting impact on our operations and healthcare systems will affect the execution of our development plans or the conduct of our clinical studies; the risk that the efficacy and safety results observed in the patients treated in our prior and ongoing clinical trials of beti-cel may not persist; and the risk that the efficacy and safety results from our prior and ongoing clinical trials will not continue or be repeated with additional patients in our ongoing or planned clinical trials or in the commercial context; the risk that the FDA will require additional information regarding beti-cel, resulting in a delay to our anticipated timelines for regulatory submissions, including submission of our BLA. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause our actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled Risk Factors in our most recent Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and bluebird bio undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

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Majority of Evaluable Patients Across Genotypes Achieve Transfusion Independence and Maintain It with Near-Normal Hemoglobin Levels in Phase 3 Studies...

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Majority of Evaluable Patients Across Genotypes Achieve Transfusion Independence and Maintain It with Near-Normal Hemoglobin Levels in Phase 3 Studies… | June 13th, 2020

Myelofibrosis or osteomyelofibrosis is a myeloproliferative disorder which is characterized by proliferation of abnormal clone of hematopoietic stem cells. Myelofibrosis is a rare type of chronic leukemia which affects the blood forming function of the bone marrow tissue. National Institute of Health (NIH) has listed it as a rare disease as the prevalence of myelofibrosis in UK is as low as 0.5 cases per 100,000 population. The cause of myelofibrosis is the genetic mutation in bone marrow stem cells. The disorder is found to occur mainly in the people of age 50 or more and shows no symptoms at an early stage. The common symptoms associated with myelofibrosis include weakness, fatigue, anemia, splenomegaly (spleen enlargement) and gout. However, the disease progresses very slowly and 10% of the patients eventually develop acute myeloid leukemia. Treatment options for myelofibrosis are mainly to prevent the complications associated with low blood count and splenomegaly.

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The global market for myelofibrosis treatment is expected to grow moderately due to low incidence of a disease. However, increasing incidence of genetic disorders, lifestyle up-gradation and rise in smoking population are the factors which can boost the growth of global myelofibrosis treatment market. The high cost of therapy will the growth of global myelofibrosis treatment market.

The global market for myelofibrosis treatment is segmented on basis of treatment type, end user and geography:

As myelofibrosis is considered as non-curable disease treatment options mainly depend on visible symptoms of a disease. Primary stages of the myelofibrosis are treated with supportive therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, there are serious unmet needs in myelofibrosis treatment market due to lack of disease modifying agents. Approval of JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor Ruxolitinib in 2011 is considered as a breakthrough in myelofibrosis treatment. Stem cell transplantation for the treatment of myelofibrosis also holds tremendous potential for market growth but high cost of therapy is foreseen to limits the growth of the segment.

On the basis of treatment type, the global myelofibrosis treatment market has been segmented into blood transfusion, chemotherapy, androgen therapy and stem cell or bone marrow transplantation. Chemotherapy segment is expected to contribute major share due to easy availability of chemotherapeutic agents. Ruxolitinib is the only chemotherapeutic agent approved by the USFDA specifically for the treatment of myelofibrosis, which will drive the global myelofibrosis treatment market over the forecast period.

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Geographically, global myelofibrosis treatment market is segmented into five regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa. Northe America is anticipated to lead the global myelofibrosis treatment market due to comparatively high prevalence of the disease in the region.

Some of the key market players in the global myelofibrosis treatment market are Incyte Corporation, Novartis AG, Celgene Corporation, Mylan Pharmaceuticals Ulc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Eli Lilly and Company, Taro Pharmaceuticals Inc., AllCells LLC, Lonza Group Ltd., ATCC Inc. and others.

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COVID 19 to Lead the Sales of Myelofibrosis Treatment to Register Stellar Growth in the Next 10 Years - Cole of Duty

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on COVID 19 to Lead the Sales of Myelofibrosis Treatment to Register Stellar Growth in the Next 10 Years – Cole of Duty | June 13th, 2020

Prophecy Market Insights Cell Therapy Manufacturing market research report provides a comprehensive, 360-degree analysis of the targeted market which helps stakeholders to identify the opportunities as well as challenges. The research report study offers keen competitive landscape analysis including key development trends, accurate quantitative and in-depth commentary insights, market dynamics, and key regional development status forecast 2020-2029. It incorporates market evolution study, involving the current scenario, growth rate, and capacity inflation prospects, based on Porters Five Forces and DROT analyses.

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An executive summary provides the markets definition, application, overview, classifications, product specifications, manufacturing processes; raw materials, and cost structures.

Market Dynamics offers drivers, restraints, challenges, trends, and opportunities of the Cell Therapy Manufacturing market

Segment Level Analysis in terms of types, product, geography, demography, etc. along with market size forecast

Regional and Country- level Analysis different geographical areas are studied deeply and an economical scenario has been offered to support new entrants, leading market players, and investors to regulate emerging economies. The top producers and consumers focus on production, product capacity, value, consumption, growth opportunity, and market share in these key regions, covering

The comprehensive list of Key Market Players along with their market overview, product protocol, key highlights, key financial issues, SWOT analysis, and business strategies. The report dedicatedly offers helpful solutions for players to increase their clients on a global scale and expand their favour significantly over the forecast period. The report also serves strategic decision-making solutions for the clients.

Competitive landscape Analysis provides mergers and acquisitions, collaborations along with new product launches, heat map analysis, and market presence and specificity analysis.

Segmentation Overview:

Cell Therapy ManufacturingMarket Key Companies:

harmicell, Merck Group, Dickinson and Company, Thermo Fisher, Lonza Group, Miltenyi Biotec GmBH, Takara Bio Group, STEMCELL Technologies, Cellular Dynamics International, Becton, Osiris Therapeutics, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Anterogen, MEDIPOST, Holostem Terapie Avanazate, Pluristem Therapeutics, Brammer Bio, CELLforCURE, Gene Therapy Catapult EUFETS, MaSTherCell, PharmaCell, Cognate BioServices and WuXi AppTec.

The Cell Therapy Manufacturing research study comprises 100+ market data Tables, Graphs & Figures, Pie Chat to understand detailed analysis of the market. The predictions estimated in the market report have been resulted in using proven research techniques, methodologies, and assumptions. This Cell Therapy Manufacturing market report states the market overview, historical data along with size, growth, share, demand, and revenue of the global industry.

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The study analyses the manufacturing and processing requirements, project funding, project cost, project economics, profit margins, predicted returns on investment, etc. This report is a must-read for investors, entrepreneurs, consultants, researchers, business strategists, and all those who have any kind of stake or are planning to foray into the Cell Therapy Manufacturing industry in any manner.

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Market Analysis and Technological Opportunities of Cell Therapy Manufacturing Market till 2030 - Medic Insider

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Market Analysis and Technological Opportunities of Cell Therapy Manufacturing Market till 2030 – Medic Insider | June 13th, 2020

BOSTON, June 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aprea Therapeutics, Inc.(Nasdaq: APRE), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel cancer therapeutics that reactivate mutant tumor suppressor protein, p53, today announced the oral presentation of updated data from its French Phase 1b/2 clinical trial at the 25th European Hematology Association Annual Meeting (EHA). The trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of APR-246 (eprenetapopt) in combination with azacitidine (AZA) for the treatment of TP53 mutant myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The clinical trial is sponsored by the Groupe Francophone des Mylodysplasies (GFM).

As of the April 1, 2020 data cutoff, the overall response rate (ORR) in 28 evaluable MDS patients was 75%, with a 57% complete remission (CR) rate, by International Working Group (IWG) criteria. With a median duration of follow-up of 9.7 months, the median overall survival (OS) for all enrolled patients (n=52) was 12.1 months and in MDS patients (n=34) was 12.1 months. For patients who remained on treatment for 3 or more cycles of treatment the median OS was higher at 13.7 months versus 2.8 months for patients who were on treatment for fewer than 3 cycles. Relative to baseline, mutant TP53 variant allele frequency (VAF) was decreased in responding patients by 3 cycles of treatment, including 20 (51%) patients who achieved mutant TP53 negativity by next-generation sequencing (NGS).

The data from this ongoing trial of eprenetapopt with azacitidine continue to be very encouraging in these most difficult-to-treat TP53 mutant MDS and AML patients, who not only have at least one TP53 mutation but the majority of whom also have high risk cytogenetic abnormalities, said Thomas Cluzeau, M.D., co-lead investigator for the GFM trial. We continue to observe ORR and CR rates in these patients that are substantially higher than the GFMs experience with azacitidine monotherapy. Furthermore, with increased duration of follow-up, we now also see the emergence of highly encouraging overall survival that appears to be better than azacitidine alone or in combination with others agents in this very high-risk molecular group of patients with a TP53 mutation.

Details of the on-demand oral presentation are as follows:

Title: APR-246 Combined with Azacitidine in TP53 Mutated Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia. A Phase 2 Study by the Groupe Francophone des Mylodysplasies (GFM)

Oral Abstract Session: Novel treatments for MDS I

Abstract: S181

About the Clinical Trial

Eligible patients in the Phase Ib/II clinical trial include hypomethylating agent (HMA) nave, TP53 mutated MDS and AML. All enrolled patients were to receive APR-246 as a 4,500 mg fixed dose IV daily for 4 days and AZA over 7 days in 28-day cycles. The primary endpoint of the trial is CR rate.

AboutAprea Therapeutics, Inc.

Aprea Therapeutics, Inc.is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered inBoston, Massachusettswith research facilities inStockholm, Sweden, focused on developing and commercializing novel cancer therapeutics that reactivatemutant tumor suppressor protein, p53. The Companys lead product candidate is APR-246 (eprenetapopt), a small molecule in clinical development for hematologic malignancies, including myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). APR-246 has received Breakthrough Therapy, Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations from the FDA for MDS, and Orphan Drug designation from the European Commission for MDS, AML and ovarian cancer. For more information, please visit the company website atwww.aprea.com.

The Company may use, and intends to use, its investor relations website at https://ir.aprea.com/ as a means of disclosing material nonpublic information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.

About Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represents a spectrum of hematopoietic stem cell malignancies in which bone marrow fails to produce sufficient numbers of healthy blood cells. Approximately 30-40% of MDS patients progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor protein is thought to contribute to disease progression. Mutations in p53 are found in up to 20% of MDS and AML patients and are associated with poor overall prognosis.

About p53 and APR-246 (eprenetapopt)

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer, occurring in approximately 50% of all human tumors. These mutations are often associated with resistance to anti-cancer drugs and poor overall survival, representing a major unmet medical need in the treatment of cancer.

APR-246 (eprenetapopt) is a small molecule that has demonstrated reactivation of mutant and inactivated p53 protein by restoring wild-type p53 conformation and function and thereby induce programmed cell death in human cancer cells. Pre-clinical anti-tumor activity has been observed with APR-246 in a wide variety of solid and hematological cancers, including MDS, AML, and ovarian cancer, among others. Additionally, strong synergy has been seen with both traditional anti-cancer agents, such as chemotherapy, as well as newer mechanism-based anti-cancer drugs and immuno-oncology checkpoint inhibitors. In addition to pre-clinical testing, a Phase 1/2 clinical program with APR-246 has been completed, demonstrating a favorable safety profile and both biological and confirmed clinical responses in hematological malignancies and solid tumors with mutations in the TP53 gene.

Forward-Looking StatementCertain information contained in this press release includes forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, related to our clinical trials, regulatory submissions and projected cash position. We may, in some cases use terms such as predicts, believes, potential, continue, anticipates, estimates, expects, plans, intends, targeting, confidence, may, could, might, likely, will, should or other words that convey uncertainty of the future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of our management team that involve risks, potential changes in circumstances, assumptions, and uncertainties. Any or all of the forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong or be affected by inaccurate assumptions we might make or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties including risks related to the success and timing of our clinical trials or other studies, risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic and the other risks set forth in our filings with theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For all these reasons, actual results and developments could be materially different from those expressed in or implied by our forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Source:Aprea Therapeutics, Inc.

Excerpt from:
Aprea Therapeutics Presents Results From French Phase Ib/II Clinical Trial of APR-246 (Eprenetapopt) and Azacitidine in Patients with TP53 Mutant...

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Aprea Therapeutics Presents Results From French Phase Ib/II Clinical Trial of APR-246 (Eprenetapopt) and Azacitidine in Patients with TP53 Mutant… | June 13th, 2020

Bone marrow aspirationand trephine biopsy are usually performed on the back of the hipbone, or posterior iliac crest. An aspirate can also be obtained from the sternum (breastbone). For the sternal aspirate, the patient lies on their back, with a pillow under the shoulder to raise the chest. A trephine biopsy should never be performed on the sternum, due to the risk of injury to blood vessels, lungs or the heart.

The need to selectively isolate and concentrate selective cells, such as mononuclear cells, allogeneic cancer cells, T cells and others, is driving the market. Over 30,000 bone marrow transplants occur every year. The explosive growth of stem cells therapies represents the largest growth opportunity for bone marrow processing systems.

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Europe and North America spearheaded the market as of 2018, by contributing over 74.0% to the overall revenue. Majority of stem cell transplants are conducted in Europe, and it is one of the major factors contributing to the lucrative share in the cell harvesting system market.

In 2018, North America dominated the research landscape as more than 54.0% of stem cell clinical trials were conducted in this region. The region also accounts for the second largest number of stem cell transplantation, which is further driving the demand for harvesting in the region.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period, owing to rising incidence of chronic diseases and increasing demand for stem cell transplantation along with stem cell-based therapy. Japan and China are the biggest markets for harvesting systems in Asia Pacific.

Emerging countries such as Mexico, South Korea, and South Africa are also expected to report lucrative growth over the forecast period. Growing investment by government bodies on stem cell-based research and increase in aging population can be attributed to the increasing demand for these therapies in these countries.

Major players operating in the global bone marrow processing systems market are ThermoGenesis (Cesca Therapeutics inc.), RegenMed Systems Inc., MK Alliance Inc., Fresenius Kabi AG, Harvest Technologies (Terumo BCT), Arthrex, Inc. and others.

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Bone Marrow Processing Systems Market : Industry Trends and Developments 2018 2025 - Cole of Duty

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Bone Marrow Processing Systems Market : Industry Trends and Developments 2018 2025 – Cole of Duty | June 12th, 2020

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, June 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Treatment of childhood cancer is a success story, particularly for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). More than 90% of ALL patients below 18 years of age are rescued with contemporary chemotherapy. However, the remaining 10% have resistant or reoccurring leukemia and require alternative treatment regimens. One of the most powerful leukemia therapies is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a donor (allogeneic HSCT). Approximately 50-80% of pediatric ALL patients that receive allogeneic HSCT are cured, 20% experience leukemic reoccurrence (relapse), and 10% die from complications.

Allogeneic HSCT is a multistep procedure:

For high-risk leukemia, the gold standard conditioning procedure is a combination of total body irradiation (TBI) and high dose chemotherapy. This approach is very effective in controlling leukemia in the conditioning step, but patients may experience highly negative consequences of this procedure later in life: sterility, growth retardation, lung problems, and secondary cancer.

Therefore, a large consortium of pediatric transplant experts initiated a global study to investigate whether chemotherapy-based conditioning could substitute TBI. The study is called FORUM (For Omitting Radiation Under Majority Age) and had to be stopped because chemotherapy-based conditioning had significantly poorer outcomes (i.e., lower overall survival rates) than the combination of TBI and chemotherapy. The researchers will now perform prospective monitoring to better define the advantages and limitations of various conditioning approaches.

Presenter:Dr Christina PetersAffiliation:Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, St. Anna Children's Hospital, Vienna, AustriaAbstract:#S102 TBI OR CHEMOTHERAPY BASED CONDITIONING FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ALL: A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED MULTICENTER-STUDY "FORUM" ON BEHALF OF THE AIEOP-BFM-ALL-SG, IBFM-SG, INTREALL-SG AND EBMT-PD-WP

Embargo: Please note that our embargo policy applies to all selected abstracts in the Press Briefings. For more information click here.

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SOURCE European Hematology Association (EHA)

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EHA25Virtual: Combined Irradiation and Chemotherapy Better Prepares Children for Stem Cell Transplantation than Chemotherapy Alone - PR Newswire UK

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on EHA25Virtual: Combined Irradiation and Chemotherapy Better Prepares Children for Stem Cell Transplantation than Chemotherapy Alone – PR Newswire UK | June 12th, 2020

Management to Host One-on-One Investment Meetings

NEW YORK, June 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.(NASDAQ: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced Chaim Lebovits, CEO and Ralph Kern, MD, MHSc, President and Chief Medical Officer, will present a corporate overview on Thursday, June 18 at 9:00 am EST, during theRaymond James Human Health Innovations Conference, a virtual event connecting institutional investors with company management teams that will be held June 15-18, 2020.

Mr. Lebovits and Dr. Kern will update conference participants on the Company's investigational therapeutic, NurOwn, that is currently in a fully enrolled phase 3 study for the treatment of ALS and a phase 2 study for the treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis. Additionally, they will present an overview of the Company's financial position and pipeline. After the presentation, the management team will participate in a question and answer session with institutional investors.

Mr. Lebovits and Dr. Kern will be joined by David Setboun, PhD, MBA, Chief Operating Officer, Stacy Lindborg, PhD, Head of Global Clinical Research, and Preetam Shah, PhD, MBA, Chief Financial Officer, for a series of one-on-one meetings, with select institutional investors arranged by Raymond James.

Participants can view the presentation via the event link and those unable to join will have access to an archived link on the Company's Events and Presentation webpage after the conclusion of the conference.

EVENT: Raymond James Human Health Innovations Conference

PRESENTATION: Thursday, June 18th at 9:00 am EST

LINK: https://bit.ly/2YmZf8u

About NurOwn

NurOwn (autologous MSC-NTF) cells represent a promising investigational therapeutic approach to targeting disease pathways important in neurodegenerative disorders. MSC-NTF cells are produced from autologous, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that have been expanded and differentiated ex vivo. MSCs are converted into MSC-NTF cells by growing them under patented conditions that induce the cells to secrete high levels of neurotrophic factors. Autologous MSC-NTF cells can effectively deliver multiple NTFs and immunomodulatory cytokines directly to the site of damage to elicit a desired biological effect and ultimately slow or stabilize disease progression. BrainStorm has fully enrolled a Phase 3 pivotal trial of autologous MSC-NTF cells for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). BrainStorm also recently receivedU.S.FDA acceptance to initiate a Phase 2 open-label multicenter trial in progressive MS and enrollment began inMarch 2019.

AboutBrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.is a leading developer of innovative autologous adult stem cell therapeutics for debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. The Company holds the rights to clinical development and commercialization of the NurOwn technology platform used to produce autologous MSC-NTF cells through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement. Autologous MSC-NTF cells have received Orphan Drug status designation from theU.S. Food and Drug Administration(U.S.FDA) and theEuropean Medicines Agency(EMA) in ALS. BrainStorm has fully enrolled a Phase 3 pivotal trial in ALS (NCT03280056), investigating repeat-administration of autologous MSC-NTF cells at sixU.S.sites supported by a grant from theCalifornia Institute for Regenerative Medicine(CIRM CLIN2-0989). The pivotal study is intended to support a filing forU.S.FDA approval of autologous MSC-NTF cells in ALS. BrainStorm also recently receivedU.S.FDA clearance to initiate a Phase 2 open-label multicenter trial in progressive Multiple Sclerosis. The Phase 2 study of autologous MSC-NTF cells in patients with progressive MS (NCT03799718) started enrollment inMarch 2019.

Story continues

Safe-Harbor Statement

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information, including statements regarding future clinical trial enrollment and data, constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could causeBrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'sactual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Terms and phrases such as "may", "should", "would", "could", "will", "expect", "likely", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "predict", "potential", and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, BrainStorm's need to raise additional capital, BrainStorm's ability to continue as a going concern, regulatory approval of BrainStorm's NurOwn treatment candidate, the success of BrainStorm's product development programs and research, regulatory and personnel issues, development of a global market for our services, the ability to secure and maintain research institutions to conduct our clinical trials, the ability to generate significant revenue, the ability of BrainStorm's NurOwn treatment candidate to achieve broad acceptance as a treatment option for ALS or other neurodegenerative diseases, BrainStorm's ability to manufacture and commercialize the NurOwn treatment candidate, obtaining patents that provide meaningful protection, competition and market developments, BrainStorm's ability to protect our intellectual property from infringement by third parties, heath reform legislation, demand for our services, currency exchange rates and product liability claims and litigation,; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available athttp://www.sec.gov. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BrainStorm's forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or assumptions if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, unless otherwise required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

CONTACTS

Investor Relations:Preetam Shah, MBA, PhDChief Financial OfficerBrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.Phone: +1-862-397-1860pshah@brainstorm-cell.com

Media:

Sean LeousWestwicke/ICR PRPhone: +1-646-677-1839sean.leous@icrinc.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brainstorm-to-present-at-the-raymond-james-human-health-innovations-conference-301074370.html

SOURCE Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Inc

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BrainStorm to Present at the Raymond James Human Health Innovations Conference - Yahoo Finance

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The company said the move was aimed at the development of next generation cellular immunotherapy FLASH-CAR technology

(), a clinical-stage developer of cell-based technologies and therapeutics, announced Thursday that it has struck a three-way material transfer agreement (MTA) with Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City and the companys strategic partner, Arbele Limited.

With this agreement, Avalon GloboCare and Arbele Limited intend to collaborate with Weill Cornell Medicine and co-develop the standardized laboratory steps necessary to generate clinical-grade CAR-T and CAR-natural killer (NK) cells for use in future human clinical trials with Avalons first FLASH-CAR platform candidate, AVA-011.Similar to T-cells, NK cells are a type of white blood cell, also able to attack cancer cells, but utilize different mechanisms.

The company said this process development step will provide the bridge between Avalons benchtop research and the bio-manufacturing processes to potentially deliver the clinical-grade cellular immunotherapy product to patients.

READ:Avalon GloboCare advancing immune cell therapy to treat blood cancers using FLASH-CAR technology

We are excited about this agreement to translate our cellular therapy candidates into standardized, clinical-grade cell products that could be used in future clinical trials, Avalon GloboCare CEO David Jin said in a statement.

This step reflects our dedication to establishing an infrastructure to develop our cellular immunotherapy candidates and to maintain the highest possible standards for generating clinical-grade cells for human cancer trials, he added.

AVA-011 is a next generation cellular immunotherapy candidate using Avalons FLASH-CAR technology that targets both CD19 and CD22 tumor antigens on cancer cells. Avalon has already successfully completed pre-clinical research on AVA-011, including tumor cytotoxicity studies.

Avalon expects to begin a first-in-human clinical trial with AVA-011 for the treatment of relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the first quarter of 2021. The goal is to use AVA-011 as a bridge to bone marrow stem cell transplant therapy, currently the only curative approach for patients with these blood cancers.

Avalons next generation immune cell therapy using FLASH-CAR technology is being co-developed with the companys strategic partner Arbele Limited. The adaptable FLASH-CAR platform can be used to create personalized cell therapy from a patients own cells, as well as off-the-shelf cell therapy from a universal donor, expanding the reach of cancer patients that can be treated.

Avalon, based in Freehold, New Jersey, specializes in developing cell-based technologies and is involved in the management of stem-cell banks and clinical laboratories.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at [emailprotected]

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive

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Avalon GloboCare strikes three-way material transfer agreement with Weill Cornell Medicine and Arbele Limited - Proactive Investors USA & Canada

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-Beta thalassemia: Two patients are transfusion independent at 5 and 15 months after CTX001 infusion; data demonstrate clinical proof-of-concept for CTX001 in transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia-

-Sickle cell disease: Patient is free of vaso-occlusive crises at 9 months after CTX001 infusion-

-Five patients with beta thalassemia and two patients with sickle cell disease have been treated to date with CTX001 and all have successfully engrafted-

ZUG, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and BOSTON, June 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CRISPR Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CRSP) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced new clinical data for CTX001, an investigational CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing therapy, from the CLIMB-111 and CLIMB-121 Phase 1/2 trials in transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT) and severe sickle cell disease (SCD), and highlighted recent progress in the CTX001 development program. These data were presented during an oral presentation at the European Hematology Association (EHA) virtual congress by Dr. Selim Corbacioglu, Professor of Pediatrics and the Chair of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, Regensburg University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany.

CLIMB-111 Trial in Transfusion-Dependent Beta Thalassemia Updated ResultsData presented today at EHA demonstrate clinical proof-of-concept for CTX001 in TDT. Data include longer-duration follow-up data for the first patient with TDT treated with CTX001 and new data for the second TDT patient treated. CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex announced initial data for the first TDT patient in November of 2019.

Patient 1 with TDT has the 0/IVS-I-110 genotype, which is associated with a severe phenotype similar to 0/0, and had a transfusion requirement of 34 units of packed red blood cells per year (annualized rate during the two years prior to consenting for the trial) before enrolling in the clinical trial. As previously reported, the patient achieved neutrophil engraftment 33 days after CTX001 infusion and platelet engraftment 37 days after infusion. After CTX001 infusion, two serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred, neither of which the principal investigator (PI) considered related to CTX001: pneumonia in the presence of neutropenia, and veno-occlusive liver disease attributed to busulfan conditioning; both subsequently resolved. New data presented today show that at 15 months after CTX001 infusion, the patient was transfusion independent and had total hemoglobin levels of 14.2 g/dL, fetal hemoglobin of 13.5 g/dL, and F-cells (erythrocytes expressing fetal hemoglobin) of 100.0%. Bone marrow allelic editing was 78.1% at 6 months and 76.1% at one year.

Patient 2 with TDT has the 0/IVS-II-745 genotype and had a transfusion requirement of 61 units of packed red blood cells per year (annualized rate during the two years prior to consenting for the trial) before enrolling in the clinical trial. The patient achieved neutrophil engraftment 36 days after CTX001 infusion and platelet engraftment 34 days after infusion. After CTX001 infusion, two SAEs occurred, neither of which the PI considered related to CTX001: pneumonia and an upper respiratory tract infection; both subsequently resolved. At 5 months after CTX001 infusion, the patient was transfusion independent and had total hemoglobin levels of 12.5 g/dL, fetal hemoglobin of 12.2 g/dL, and F-cells (erythrocytes expressing fetal hemoglobin) of 99.4%.

Hemoglobin data over time are presented for Patient 1 and Patient 2 below.

Figure 1accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/35581299-d683-44b0-a75e-7a1a9b9fe9eb

CLIMB-121 Trial in Severe Sickle Cell Disease Updated Results Data presented today at EHA reflect longer-duration follow-up data for the first patient with SCD treated with CTX001. CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex announced initial data for this first SCD patient in November of 2019.

Patient 1 with SCD experienced seven vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) and five packed red blood cell transfusions per year (annualized rate during the two years prior to consenting for the trial) before enrolling in the clinical trial. As previously reported, the patient achieved neutrophil and platelet engraftment 30 days after CTX001 infusion. After CTX001 infusion, three SAEs occurred, none of which the PI considered related to CTX001: sepsis in the presence of neutropenia, cholelithiasis and abdominal pain; all subsequently resolved. New data presented today show that at 9 months after CTX001 infusion, the patient was free of VOCs, was transfusion independent and had total hemoglobin levels of 11.8 g/dL, 46.1% fetal hemoglobin, and F-cells (erythrocytes expressing fetal hemoglobin) of 99.7%. Bone marrow allelic editing was 81.4% at 6 months. Figure 2 presents the hemoglobin data over time for this patient.

Figure 2 accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7610c5bd-25c8-4f5b-be86-8bc16ed57eb1

With these new data, we are beginning to see early evidence of the potential durability of benefit from treatment with CTX001, as well as consistency of the therapeutic effect across patients, said Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of CRISPR Therapeutics. These highly encouraging early data represent one more step toward delivering on the promise and potential of CRISPR/Cas9 therapies as a new class of potentially transformative medicines to treat serious diseases.

The data announced today are remarkable, including the demonstration of clinical proof-of-concept in TDT, said Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Vertex. While these are still early days, these data mark another important milestone for this program and for the field of gene editing. The results presented at this medical conference add to results previously shared demonstrating that CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing has the potential to be a curative therapy for severe genetic diseases like sickle cell and beta thalassemia.

In my 25 years of caring for children and young adults facing both sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, I have seen how these diseases can adversely affect patients lives in very significant ways, said Dr. Haydar Frangoul, Medical Director of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Sarah Cannon Research Institute, HCA Healthcares TriStar Centennial Medical Center and senior author of the abstract presented at the EHA virtual congress. I am encouraged by the preliminary results, which demonstrate, in essence, a functional cure for patients with beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

Recent Progress in the Phase 1/2 Clinical TrialsCLIMB-111 for TDT has dosed a total of 5 patients, and all patients have successfully engrafted. The trial is also now open for concurrent dosing after successful dosing and engraftment of the first two patients. Additionally, CLIMB-111 has been expanded to allow enrollment of 0/0 patients and is in the process of being expanded to allow enrollment of pediatric patients ages 12 years or older.

CLIMB-121 for SCD has dosed a total of 2 patients and both patients have successfully engrafted. The trial is also now open for concurrent dosing after successful dosing and engraftment of these first two patients.

The initial safety profile in these trials appears to be consistent with myeloablative busulfan conditioning and an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

In March 2020, clinical trial sites in the U.S. and Europe temporarily paused their elective hematopoietic stem cell transplant programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, CRISPR and Vertex temporarily paused conditioning and dosing in these trials. Enrollment, mobilization and drug product manufacturing in each trial remains ongoing. The companies are now in the process of re-initiating dosing with CTX001 at certain clinical trial sites. The CLIMB-111 and CLIMB-121 clinical trials are ongoing, and patients will be followed for 2 years following CTX001 infusion. The companies expect to provide additional data in the second half of 2020.

About CTX001CTX001 is an investigational ex vivo CRISPR gene-edited therapy that is being evaluated for patients suffering from TDT or severe SCD in which a patients hematopoietic stem cells are engineered to produce high levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF; hemoglobin F) in red blood cells. HbF is a form of the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin that is naturally present at birth, which then switches to the adult form of hemoglobin. The elevation of HbF by CTX001 has the potential to alleviate transfusion requirements for TDT patients and reduce painful and debilitating sickle crises for SCD patients.

Based on progress in this program to date, CTX001 has been granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) from the U.S. FDA, Orphan Drug Designation from both the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and Fast Track Designation from the FDA for both SCD and TDT.

CTX001 is being developed under a co-development and co-commercialization agreement between CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex. CTX001 is the most advanced gene-editing approach in development for TDT and SCD.

About CLIMB-111The ongoing Phase 1/2 open-label trial, CLIMB-Thal-111, is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of a single dose of CTX001 in patients ages 18 to 35 with TDT. The trial will enroll up to 45 patients and follow patients for approximately two years after infusion. Each patient will be asked to participate in a long-term follow-up trial.

About CLIMB-121The ongoing Phase 1/2 open-label trial, CLIMB-SCD-121, is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of a single dose of CTX001 in patients ages 18 to 35 with severe SCD. The trial will enroll up to 45 patients and follow patients for approximately two years after infusion. Each patient will be asked to participate in a long-term follow-up trial.

About the Gene-Editing Process in These TrialsPatients who enroll in these trials will have their own hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells collected from peripheral blood. The patients cells will be edited using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The edited cells, CTX001, will then be infused back into the patient as part of a stem cell transplant, a process which involves, among other things, a patient being treated with myeloablative busulfan conditioning. Patients undergoing stem cell transplants may also encounter side effects (ranging from mild to severe) that are unrelated to the administration of CTX001. Patients will initially be monitored to determine when the edited cells begin to produce mature blood cells, a process known as engraftment. After engraftment, patients will continue to be monitored to track the impact of CTX001 on multiple measures of disease and for safety.

About the CRISPR-Vertex Collaboration CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex entered into a strategic research collaboration in 2015 focused on the use of CRISPR/Cas9 to discover and develop potential new treatments aimed at the underlying genetic causes of human disease. CTX001 represents the first treatment to emerge from the joint research program. CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex will jointly develop and commercialize CTX001 and equally share all research and development costs and profits worldwide.

About CRISPR TherapeuticsCRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. CRISPR Therapeutics has established a portfolio of therapeutic programs across a broad range of disease areas including hemoglobinopathies, oncology, regenerative medicine and rare diseases. To accelerate and expand its efforts, CRISPR Therapeutics has established strategic collaborations with leading companies including Bayer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and ViaCyte, Inc. CRISPR Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and business offices in San Francisco, California and London, United Kingdom. For more information, please visit http://www.crisprtx.com.

CRISPR Therapeutics Forward-Looking StatementThis press release may contain a number of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements made by Dr. Kulkarni, Dr. Kewalramani and Dr. Frangoul in this press release, as well as statements regarding CRISPR Therapeutics expectations about any or all of the following: (i) the status of clinical trials (including, without limitation, the expected timing of data releases and activities at clinical trial sites) related to product candidates under development by CRISPR Therapeutics and its collaborators, including expectations regarding the data that is being presented at the European Hematology Associations virtual congress; (ii) the expected benefits of CRISPR Therapeutics collaborations; and (iii) the therapeutic value, development, and commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technologies and therapies. Without limiting the foregoing, the words believes, anticipates, plans, expects and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although CRISPR Therapeutics believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: potential impacts due to the coronavirus pandemic, such as the timing and progress of clinical trials; the potential for initial and preliminary data from any clinical trial and initial data from a limited number of patients (as is the case with CTX001 at this time) not to be indicative of final trial results; the potential that CTX001 clinical trial results may not be favorable; that future competitive or other market factors may adversely affect the commercial potential for CTX001; uncertainties regarding the intellectual property protection for CRISPR Therapeutics technology and intellectual property belonging to third parties, and the outcome of proceedings (such as an interference, an opposition or a similar proceeding) involving all or any portion of such intellectual property; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in CRISPR Therapeutics most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in any other subsequent filings made by CRISPR Therapeutics with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. CRISPR Therapeutics disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, other than to the extent required by law.

About VertexVertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) a rare, life-threatening genetic disease and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule medicines in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including pain, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. In addition, Vertex has a rapidly expanding pipeline of genetic and cell therapies for diseases such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London, UK. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 10 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and top five on the 2019 Best Employers for Diversity list by Forbes. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit http://www.vrtx.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

Vertex Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements made by Dr. Kulkarni, Dr. Kewalramani and Dr. Frangoul in this press release, and statements regarding our plans and expectations for our clinical trials and clinical trial sites, and our expectations regarding future data announcements. While Vertex believes the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are accurate, these forward-looking statements represent the company's beliefs only as of the date of this press release and there are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that data from the company's development programs may not support registration or further development of its compounds due to safety, efficacy or other reasons, and other risks listed under Risk Factors in Vertex's annual report and subsequent quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available through the company's website at http://www.vrtx.com. Vertex disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in this press release as new information becomes available.

(VRTX-GEN)

CRISPR Therapeutics Investor Contact:Susan Kim, +1 617-307-7503susan.kim@crisprtx.com

CRISPR Therapeutics Media Contact:Rachel EidesWCG on behalf of CRISPR+1 617-337-4167reides@wcgworld.com

Vertex Pharmaceuticals IncorporatedInvestors:Michael Partridge, +1 617-341-6108orZach Barber, +1 617-341-6470orBrenda Eustace, +1 617-341-6187

Media:mediainfo@vrtx.comorU.S.: +1 617-341-6992orHeather Nichols: +1 617-839-3607orInternational: +44 20 3204 5275

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CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex Announce New Clinical Data for Investigational Gene-Editing Therapy CTX001 in Severe Hemoglobinopathies at the 25th...

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On Friday, June 5, a few days after World MS Day on May 30, there was a day of online conferences and workshops to learn more about multiple sclerosis. It was an opportunity to shed light on autologous bone marrow transplantation, a little known treatment that could cure multiple sclerosis.

Neuron

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative autoimmune disease that causes stiffness, pain, and fatigue. It is the main cause of disability, exclusion from the labor market, and social exclusion among young people, as it occurs mainly among people between 25 and 35 years old. According to the National MS Society, approximately 1 million people in the United States suffer from MS.

Currently, there is no treatment to cure MS, but there is hope: Autologous bone marrow transplantation or autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This treatment allows patients to go from the more common forms of multiple sclerosis into remission. If carried out early enough, it enables at least partial recovery from the disability.

Read Also: Combo of Diabetes and Hypertension Drugs Causes Cancer Cell Death, Researchers Find

The aim of this treatment is to rebuild a new immune system in patients. This includes intensive chemotherapy followed by reinjection of the patients hematopoietic stem cells. Several studies conducted between 2015 and 2019 on this technique have shown that 83.3 of patients with the relapsing-remitting form had no attack in the four years following auto-transplantation and three years after transplantation 78% of patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and 66% of patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis experienced no worsening of their disability, Mediapart continues.

One of the main obstacles to this treatment remains the difficulty of access. Many patients testify that their neurologist often finds this method too experimental and too risky. Another factor that discourages the use of autologous bone marrow transplantation is the risk-benefit ratio, which is considered unbalanced. Transplant-related mortality is between 5 and 10%, which justifies doctors preference for a treatment that is considered safer.

Read Also: Diabetes: Metformin Transfers Blood Sugar From the Blood to the Intestines

Another treatment has shown encouraging results in multiple sclerosis. This is a drug for diabetes, metformin, which rejuvenates stem cells to convert them into myelin-producing cells and thus help combat multiple sclerosis. These results have been published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, and it is expected that the tests, which are currently only carried out on mice, will also be carried out on humans within a year. I am very optimistic, study author Professor Robin Franklin told The Guardian newspaper.

References

Metformin Restores CNS Remyelination Capacity by Rejuvenating Aged Stem Cells

https://blogs.mediapart.fr/noelle-tassy/blog/300520/journee-mondiale-de-la-sep-et-si-parlait-du-traitement-dont-ne-parle-pas

Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Multiple Sclerosis: Changing Paradigms in the Era of Novel Agents

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Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation and Metformin, a Hope for the Cure of Multiple Sclerosis - Gilmore Health News

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The Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Market research report enhanced worldwide Coronavirus COVID19 impact analysis on the market size (Value, Production and Consumption), splits the breakdown (Data Status 2014-2020 and 6 Year Forecast From 2020 to 2026), by region, manufacturers, type and End User/application. This Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) market report covers the worldwide top manufacturers like (Regen Biopharma Inc, China Cord Blood Corp, CBR Systems Inc, Escape Therapeutics Inc, Cryo-Save AG, Lonza Group Ltd, Pluristem Therapeutics Inc, ViaCord Inc) which including information such as: Capacity, Production, Price, Sales, Revenue, Shipment, Gross, Gross Profit, Import, Export, Interview Record, Business Distribution etc., these data help the consumer know about the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) market competitors better. It covers Regional Segment Analysis, Type, Application, Major Manufactures, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Industry Chain Analysis, Competitive Insights and Macroeconomic Analysis.

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In this report, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT).

On the basis on the end users/applications,this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, shipments, revenue (Million USD), price, and market share and growth rate foreach application.

Peripheral Blood Stem Cells Transplant (PBSCT) Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Cord Blood Transplant (CBT)

On the basis of product type, this report displays the shipments, revenue (Million USD), price, and market share and growth rate of each type.

Allogeneic Autologous

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Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Market Trends 2020: In-Depth Analysis of Industry Growth & Forecast Up To 2026 - Cole of Duty

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Stephanie Matto suffers from a rare and life-threatening disease. Pic credit: @stepankamatto/Instagram.

Stephanie Matto has one of the most interesting storylines on this season of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days.

Matto and Erika Owens made headlines as the first same-sex couple on the TLC show, but its Stephanies personal battle with a rare illness that caught viewers by surprise.

The 29-year-old New Yorker was diagnosed with the disease only two years ago.

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Throughout the show, Stephanie has shared information about her battle and how it has affected her.

She has spoken about the limitations it has put on her life, which we saw during an episode of the show, as she prepared to make the long journey to Australia to meet Erika.

Clad in a surgical mask while equipped with hand sanitizers and a bag full of medication viewers got a glimpse of the seriousness of Stephanies illness.

Matto is battling this rare blood disorder that occurs when the bone marrow does not make enough new blood cells for the body to work in a normal way.

It means that the stem cells inside the bone marrow are damaged, thus restricting the ability to make enough white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

The bone marrow can become damaged due to a variety of different diseases and conditions, but the most common cause is when the immune system attacks and destroys the stem cells in the bone marrow.

The symptoms can range from mild to severe and cause the sufferer to bruise and bleed easier than the average person. It can also cause infections to last longer than normal. When the blood cell levels are low it can increase the risks for leukemia, blood disorders, and other complications.

Furthermore, when left untreated, it can lead to very serious issues such as arrhythmia and even heart failure.

The disease can be treated via blood and bone marrow transplants and blood transfusions.

As for Matto, she needs a bone marrow transplant, which has been known to cure the disease in some people.

So far, her search has been futile and she recently shared an update on Instagram about how rare it is for patients like her to find a match.

Did you know that less than 30% of patients seeking a bone marrow transplant have a full match? I remember meeting my transplant doctor last year and hearing from him that I had absolutely no matches in the registry.

She added, I am lucky, however. My immunosuppressive therapy has bought me time and so the urgency for transplant has faded away.

The TLC alum also shared in the post that the relapse rate is high for people who battle aplastic anemia, I have already suffered one complete relapse since my diagnosis.

Matto urged her followers to join the Be The Match Registry in order to get tested and become a donor for people battling the deadly disease.

90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days airs Sundaya at 8/7c on TLC.

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Aplastic anemia: Heres what to know about Stephanie Mattos life-threatening illness - Monsters and Critics

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Aplastic anemia: Heres what to know about Stephanie Mattos life-threatening illness – Monsters and Critics | June 9th, 2020

By Dr Edward Nazareth

Jun 9: During our school days, most of us had learnt in biology classes that we have a cardiovascular system, a respiratory system, a digestive system, a reproductive system and a nervous system but had not learnt about the immune system. With COVID 19 infection spreading everywhere, a lot of discussion about the immune system is going on. People with a good immune system are unlikely to get the disease and those with a poor immune system may be unlucky to get a fatal version of the disease from the same virus. Meanwhile there are a lot of promotions for immune boosters, which are supposed to make our immune system strong. It is worthwhile to understand the basics of the immune system and learn how to make it strong naturally.

Military of the body

The immune system is a defense system of body. It can be compared to the military of any nation. Each nations military system is unique, it has its own mechanisms to identify the enemy, remember who its enemy is and, fight to protect the nation from any attack. Every individuals immune system is unique and works similarly.

In general, the immune system is made up of special organs, cells and chemicals that fight infection (microbes) and the toxins that may be produced by them. The main parts of the immune system are: white blood cells, antibodies, the complement system, the lymphatic system, the spleen, the thymus, and the bone marrow. These are the parts of the immune system that actively fight infection. These different systems and cell types work in perfect synchrony (most of the time) throughout the body to fight off pathogens and clear up dead cells. However the front line soldiers of this system are lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells.

Identify, destroy and remember

Our immune system has different wings similar to a military system - a surveillance wing to identify the enemy, a destroyer (fighter) wing to eliminate the enemy and an intelligence wing to remember the enemy. All these different wings are managed by lymphocytes.

Whenever a foreign material - such as bacteria, virus, fungi or any other matter with protein or, the toxins produced by these organisms enter the body, the immune system identifies it as foreign. The immune system is able to identify self from non-self. This is done by detecting the proteins that are found on the surface of the cells or by the chemicals produced by the organisms. Like the defense personnel, the immune system learns to ignore its own or self-proteins and identify the intruder. The intruder is now known as antigen. An antigen is any substance that can spark an immune response.

In many cases, an antigen is a bacterium, fungus, virus, toxin, or foreign body. But it can also be one of our own cells that are faulty or dead (like our own people turning as terrorists).

In the immune system we have two important types of white blood cells- B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes.

The B lymphocytes spot the antigen and they begin to secrete antibodies. The antibodies are special proteins (called immunoglobulins) that lock on to specific antigens. Antibodies are the ammunition to eliminate a particular antigen. The specialty of the immune system is that it produces specific ammunition to kill a particular enemy. For example to eliminate COVID 19 viruses the antibodies produced can eliminate only COVID 19 viruses and cannot act against the viruses that produce common cold, even though both the viruses belong to the same family of corona viruses.Antibodies lock onto the antigen, but they do not kill it, only mark it for death. (B lymphocytes arrest the enemy). There are three main types of T lymphocytes: Helper T cells, killer T cells and memory T cells. Helper T cells they coordinate the immune response and stimulate B cells to produce more antibodies. Killer T cells (cytotoxic T lymphocytes) as the name suggests, these T cells attack the antigen. They are particularly useful for fighting viruses. They work by recognizing small parts of the virus on the outside of infected cells and destroy the infected cells. The memory T cells are produced following an infection; they are antigen-specific and live long. Memory T cells are important because they can quickly respond to re-exposure to the antigen. They provide the immune system with memory against previously encountered antigens. Once an antibody has been produced, a copy remains in the body system, and should the same antigen invade again, it can be dealt with more swiftly. That is why with some diseases, such as measles or chickenpox we only get infected once as the body has the measles or the chickenpox antibodies stored, ready and waiting to destroy them next time when they attack. This is called immunity.

In COVID 19 infections it takes about two to four weeks for the human body to eliminate all the viruses by producing specific antibodies against them. Then these antibodies remain in the system and will not allow the virus to multiply in the body. But here two issues are to be understood. We are not yet sure if the antibodies will remain forever or disappear after a few months or years. Another point is the virus changes its protein component called genome and can attack in a new form. This is exactly like terrorists who keep on changing the names of their organization, but have the same motto.

Immunization, infection and immunity

Before the advent of immunization many people used to die from infective diseases as it happens in COVID 19 infection now. Thousands of people have died due to small pox. Babies used to die due to measles, whooping cough, tetanus and similar other illnesses. The babies are now immunized using vaccines. A particular vaccine against an infective organism is produced using the same organism. The disease causing pathogens are attenuated (weakened) or part of their protein is extracted and introduced into the healthy individual. This material is termed as vaccine. Once the vaccine enters the system, it produces antibodies and when the real organism, invades the system it is eliminated. By immunization, deadly diseases like small pox have been totally eliminated and poliomyelitis is now almost removed completely.

As we are exposed to certain other organisms, we get infected and then our system develops antibodies and we remain immune thereafter. For example most of us were infected by chickenpox when we were children. As we had been infected by the chickenpox virus once, we will not get it again. In this way we build up a store house of antibodies to different pathogens. This protection from pathogens develops as we go through life. This is also referred to as immunological memory because our immune system remembers its previous enemies.

Elderly and immunity

As humans age, the immune response becomes weak, which leads to more infections. This is again comparable to a nation with a weak military system which can be attacked and defeated easily. It is a known fact that compared with younger people, the elderly are more likely to contract infectious diseases and, more likely to die from them. Respiratory infections, influenza and the COVID 19 causes pneumonia which are a leading cause of death in people over the age of 65 worldwide. It is now known that this increased risk correlates with a decrease in T cells, because as we age fewer T cells are produced to fight off infection. It is believed that the bone marrow becomes less efficient at producing stem cells that give rise to the cells of the immune system.

Immune deficiency

In some individuals the immune system may be weak. The most common causes for deficiency of immunity worldwide include malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection. Other causes of temporary or permanent damage to the immune system include old age, medications (e.g. cortisone, cytostatic drugs used to treat malignancies), radiotherapy, stress after surgery and malignant tumors of the bone marrow and the lymph nodes. Innate deficiencies of the immune system are comparatively rare.

This is the reason people with these diseases, probably with deficient immune system are required to be cautious of contracting the COVID 19 infection. If they are infected, their immune system may not be able to eliminate the virus and they might get severe illness.

Herd immunity

When most of the members of a community are immune to an infectious disease, it is known as herd immunity (also called herd protection). For example, if 80% of people in a community are immune to COVID 19 virus, eight out of every ten people who get infected will not become sick from the disease. In this way, the spread of infectious diseases is kept under control. Depending on how contagious an infection is, usually 70% to 90% of a population needs immunity to achieve herd immunity.

Small pox, measles, mumps and polio are examples of infectious diseases that were once very common but are now rare in our region because vaccines helped to establish herd immunity. For infections without a vaccine, even if many adults have developed immunity because of prior infection, the disease can still circulate among children and can still infect those with weakened immune systems. Chickenpox is an example for this.

Can we achieve herd immunity against COVID 19 infection? As with any other infection, there are two ways to achieve herd immunity: A large proportion of the people either gets infected or gets a protective vaccine. Based on early estimates of this viruss infectiousness, we will likely need at least 70% of the population to be immune to have herd protection. As we do not have vaccine against COVID 19 infection now, it may take years for us to develop herd immunity for it.

Can medicines boost the immune system?

As the COVID 19 infection is spreading widely and people with good immunity are reported as unaffected, a lot of information about boosting immunity is circulated in the media.

Many products claim to boost or support immunity. But the concept of boosting immunity makes little sense scientifically. Boosting immunity actually means boosting the lymphocytes (the soldiers of immune system, as explained above). In fact, boosting the number of cells in the body immune cells or others is impossible. What is known is that the body is continually generating immune cells. In fact, it produces many more lymphocytes than it can possibly use. The extra cells remove themselves through a natural process of cell death called apoptosis.

As already stated above, efficacy of herbs or any substance enhancing the immunity is a highly complicated matter. There is no research supporting that any herb or substance can increase the levels of antibodies in the body.

Healthy ways to strengthen the immune system

The best way to improve the immune system is to choose a healthy life style. A healthy life style has to be followed from a young age and attempts should be made to maintain good health naturally. Immunity depends on general health and general health depends on good immunity. Every part of the body, including the immune system, functions better when protected and improved by healthy-living strategies such as these:

Smoking has to be stopped. Smoking is bad for overall health. Many elderly who have succumbed to COVID 19 infection were chronic smokers. A diet high in fruits and vegetables is good for health. The deficiencies of zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E alter immune responses in experimental animals. These micronutrients are commonly present in fruits and vegetables. If not possible to consume the fruits or vegetables, dietary supplements may be used. Regular exercise is a boost to health, it is one of the pillars of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, helps to control body weight, and protects against a variety of diseases. Just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system. It may contribute even more directly by promoting good circulation, which allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently. Adequate sleep is also a natural immune booster. The human body prepares and releases cytokines, a type of protein that targets infection effectively creating an immune response. It is proved that chronic deficiency of sleep reduces bodys ability to respond to infection. Try to reduce stress. When a person is stressed, the immune system's ability to fight off antigens is reduced. That is why humans are more susceptible to infections during stressful situations. The stress hormone corticosteroid can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system (e.g. lowers the number of lymphocytes).

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Immune system, COVID 19 infection, and building up immunity - By Dr Edward Nazareth - Daijiworld.com

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Immune system, COVID 19 infection, and building up immunity – By Dr Edward Nazareth – Daijiworld.com | June 9th, 2020

Five years ago, we had only one treatment for sickle cell disease, a disease that should not be taken lightly.

This disease can be a pain-generating disease that actually affects all organs of the body. This can start at the heart, blood vessels, brain, joints, bones and also the lungs.

Sickle cell is due to a mutation of a tiny gene that leads to an unstable hemoglobin. The sickles in the hemoglobin, when stressed, deprive tissue from oxygen that can lead to what we call crisis.

Crisis starts with pain, but it can also lead to stroke, heart attack and limb loss. Sickle cell crisis is when the abnormal cell gets stuck in the small blood vessels.

Sickle cell disease affects approximately 100,000 people in the United States. For years, the only therapeutic option was Hydroxyurea. This drug has been in existence since 1984. We know that this drug works, since it has proved to be effective in increasing hemoglobin, reducing pain and acute chest syndrome.

This drug has also decreased the number of blood transfusions in patients who suffer from sickle cell disease. Unfortunately, Hydroxyurea is chemotherapy and requires close monitoring. This therapy works over time with each patient; therefore, not all patients will respond equally. Since Hydroxyurea was introduced, there has been a need for new treatments. For the past several years, more therapies have started to emerge.

The first notable drug that has been FDA approved in 2017, since Hydroxyurea, is L-glutamine (Endari). This drug works on the inflammatory part of the disease. It has also proved to decrease the number of pain crisis and lessen acute chest syndrome.

The second drug is Voxelotor. This drug is a once-daily pill that stabilizes the oxygenated hemoglobin. Trials have proved to make patients less anemic, but events are not necessarily less painful. More long-term studies are looking at this issue. This drug is available, and FDA approved, through an accelerated program.

The third drug is Crizanlizumab. This drug helps with the stickiness of the red blood cells against the sticky vessel wall. This is one of the detrimental aspects of this disease. A randomized study called SUSTAIN proved that this intravenous drug decreases the number of painful crisis. This drug was FDA approved through a breakthrough therapy program.

Lastly, there is gene therapy. This type of treatment consists of an auto stem cell transplant of a viral infected, anti-sticking hemoglobin. This therapy still requires chemotherapy to wipe out the bone marrow so that space can be made for the transplant. The results of this treatment have been very successful.

Many promising therapies are seeing the light and are changing the care of this complex disease so that patients with sickle cell disease can lead a semi-normal lifestyle.

Dr. Ziad Skaff is board certified in hematology and oncology. He serves as chief of staff of MUSC Health-Florence Medical Center and Medical Director of Oncology Services. Dr. Skaff is associated with MUSC Health Hematology & Oncology, located at 805 Pamplico Highway, Medical Pavilion A, Suite 315. To schedule an appointment, call 843-674-6460.

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Sickle cell treatment then and now - SCNow

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Sickle cell treatment then and now – SCNow | June 8th, 2020