What are sources of stem cells in the adult ... implications for arthritis treatment
http://www.stemcellsarthritistreatment.com There a number of different sources of SCs in the adult. Usually, adult SCs tend to differentiate into the tissue ...
By: Nathan Wei
More:
What are sources of stem cells in the adult ... implications for arthritis treatment - Video
Malibu gets stem cell treatment to help his arthritis
By: AZpetvet
Originally posted here:
Malibu gets stem cell treatment to help his arthritis - Video
Blood vessels and stem cells for arthritis treatment
http://www.stemcellsarthritistreatment.com Researchers at the Cornell University School of Medicine have discovered that endothelial cells, cells that line b...
By: Nathan Wei
See more here:
Blood vessels and stem cells for arthritis treatment - Video
Stem cell arthritis treatment and cartilage repair using Sox... Huh?
http://www.stemcellsarthritistreatment.com We #39;ve talked about the role of different biologics that aid stem cells in cartilage repair. Another class of biolo...
By: Nathan Wei
See original here:
Stem cell arthritis treatment and cartilage repair using Sox... Huh? - Video
Alternative to knee replacement: The guinea pig arthritis model!
http://www.stemcellsarthritistreatment.com Guinea pig science models... how are they going to help us with stem cell repair of cartilage? Sato and colleagues...
By: Nathan Wei
Originally posted here:
Alternative to knee replacement: The guinea pig arthritis model! - Video
BMP needed for cartilage repair and growth in arthritis
http://www.stemcellsarthritistreatment.com Bone morphogenic protein or BMP is an essential ingredient needed for normal cartilage development, growth, and repair. Mouse models deficient in this protein show significant deformities as do humans deficient in the gene responsible for BMP. BMP has been shown to stimulate cartilage growth from mesenchymal stem cells and enhance the production of collagen. However, it has also been shown that when implanted in areas away from where cartilage would normally grow, BMP led to the formation of ectopic bone, meaning bone growing in areas it shouldn #39;t. http
By: Nathan Wei
The rest is here:
BMP needed for cartilage repair and growth in arthritis - Video
Knee arthritis repair... Is it just injecting stem cells into the knee...No!
http://www.stemcellsarthritistreatment.com Many people are under the illusion that all it takes to treat an osteoarthritic joint is to shoot some stem cells into the joint. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here #39;s why... The success of a stem cell procedure rests on a four-legged stool. The first of course is the stem cell preparation. The second are growth factors that are needed to stimulate stem cell growth and proliferation. The third is a scaffold for the stem cells to adhere to. And the fourth is injury induction in the area that needs to be healed. Without all four critical factors, the procedure is not going to work. http
By: Nathan Wei
Here is the original post:
Knee arthritis repair... Is it just injecting stem cells into the knee...No! - Video
Adapts to any job: sugar for stem cell arthritis treatment.mp4
http://www.stemcellsarthritistreatment.com Polysaccharides are sugars that play an important role in the structure of matrix material- the stuff that holds cells together. These materials are being investigated as possible stem cell scaffolds. These polysaccharides can be turned into gels rapidly and therefore can be injected into a damaged joint easily. Among these are agarose and alginate which are derived from algae. Hyaluronic acid is already being used as a palliative osteoarthritis treatment but is also considered a possible scaffold. The last polysaccharide is chitosan which has shown excellent results when used in a sheep model of osteoarthritis. http
By: Nathan Wei
Go here to see the original:
Adapts to any job: sugar for stem cell arthritis treatment.mp4 - Video
What Areas of Arthritis Do Autologous Stem Cells Work Best For?
What types of conditions and what types of arthritis are most amenable to autologous stem cell treatment. Some joints do better than others. Why that is is still a matter of conjecture. It #39;s important to realize stem cells don #39;t work for every condition.From:Nathan WeiViews:0 0ratingsTime:02:00More inScience Technology
Read the rest here:
What Areas of Arthritis Do Autologous Stem Cells Work Best For? - Video
Stem Cells Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment: A New Discovery... Will It Work?
Today #39;s episode is about adult mesenchymal stem cells and their use in rheumatoid arthritis. So far, I #39;ve discussed the use of stem cells in rebuilding cartilage in patients suffering from osteoarthritis. Interestingly, there has been some recent data regarding the use of adult mesenchymal stem cells in rheumatoid arthritis. Adult mesenchymal stem cells were recently found to suppress effector T cell and inflammatory responses and have emerged as attractive therapeutic candidates for immune disorders. MSCs have profound inhibiting effects on what are called fibroblast-like synoviocytes and T cells from RA patients. They could suppress cell multiplication and thus reduce the invasive behavior and inflammatory responses of multiple villains involved in the immunologic problems that cause rheumatoid arthritis. This could also explain why they have benefits above and beyond cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis. For more information copy and past this link into your browser. http://www.stemcellsarthritistreatment.comFrom:Nathan WeiViews:0 0ratingsTime:03:58More inScience Technology
Read more from the original source:
Stem Cells Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment: A New Discovery... Will It Work? - Video
Innocent Intrigue : Hans S. Keirstead at TEDxOrangeCoast
Stem cells will fundamentally change the course of human disease and longevity, says Hans Keirstead. An internationally known stem cell expert, Hans Keirstead has pioneered stem cell programs at UC Irvine and California Stem Cell. He led his teams to develop a stem cell-based treatment for paralysis, that marked the first such stem cell-based clinical trial ever approved by a regulatory body, worldwide, with positive interim data in a Phase 1 clinical trial. Dr. Keirstead also helped develop a therapy for the treatment of ulcerative collitis and rheumatoid arthritis, that has successfully met primary endpoints in Phase II clinical trials. He developed a stem cell-based therapy for the motor neuron diseases ALS and spinal muscular atrophy that will soon enter clinical testing, and made headlines for creating a 3D retina from stem cells for the treatment of retinal diseases. More recently, is developing a stem cell-based treatment for late stage cancers, a technology that has met primary endpoints in Phase II clinical trials. AboutTEDx. TEDx was created in the spirit of TED #39;s mission, "ideas worth spreading." The program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level. At TEDx events, a screening of TEDTalks videos -- or a combination of live presenters and TEDTalks videos -- sparks deep conversation and connections. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated ...From:TEDxTalksViews:25 1ratingsTime:10:48More inScience Technology
Continued here:
Innocent Intrigue : Hans S. Keirstead at TEDxOrangeCoast - Video
Washington, October 5 (ANI): By developing the first animal model that duplicates the human response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have made a breakthrough in their search for better therapies to combat the disease.
This is the first time human stem cells have been transplanted into mice in order to find RA treatments, said corresponding and senior author Harris Perlman, associate professor of rheumatology at Feinberg.
"We believe this will improve drug discovery because the reactions we observed were authentic human reactions," he stated.
Until now, scientists have relied on the common scientific method of using specially bred mice to find drugs to control RA. However, human and mouse immune systems differ dramatically, so studying RA in these mice does not give an accurate representation of how the disease functions in humans. In some cases, RA drugs that seemed promising based on results in mice failed in human clinical trials.
Mice implanted with human stem cells have been used before mainly to study infectious disease.
The Northwestern team injected day-old mice with human stem cells from umbilical cord blood, including white blood cells, which regulate immunity. Then, RA was introduced in the mice and suppressed with Enbrel, a common first-line drug for joint inflammation in humans. This offered evidence that their immune systems were indeed replicating human defences.
Scientists seek mouse models that mimic RA in humans in order to learn how the complex disease operates. In the last decade, researchers and physicians have found many subtypes of RA that originate on the molecular level and are each produced by different pathways in the body.
A debilitating disease, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by persistent inflammation around joint areas, predominantly in the wrist and fingers. The disease causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function and can result in tissue destruction. Approximately 1.3 million people have the disease.
Onset of RA usually begins between ages 25 to 55, but recent studies reveal that the disease actually begins several years before symptoms appear. This has broadened the focus to create drugs that prevent RA or at least enable early diagnosis instead of trying to reduce symptoms once it is further along and difficult to control.
This is the second mouse model Perlman has developed to help discover better rheumatoid arthritis therapies. Earlier this year, he introduced a mouse model that develops RA and is predisposed to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, a common RA complication in humans.
Original post:
'Humanized' mice may enable discovery of better medicines for rheumatoid arthritis
Public release date: 3-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Marla Paul Marla-Paul@northwestern.edu 312-503-8928 Northwestern University
Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have developed the first animal model that duplicates the human response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an important step that may enable scientists to discover better medicines to treat the disease.
Corresponding and senior author Harris Perlman, associate professor of rheumatology at Feinberg, introduced his team's new prototype mouse model in a recent online issue of the Journal of Translational Medicine.
"This is the first time human stem cells have been transplanted into mice in order to find RA treatments," Perlman said. "We believe this will improve drug discovery because the reactions we observed were authentic human reactions."
Until now, scientists have relied on the common scientific method of using specially bred mice to find drugs to control RA. However, human and mouse immune systems differ dramatically, so studying RA in these mice does not give an accurate representation of how the disease functions in humans. In some cases, RA drugs that seemed promising based on results in mice failed in human clinical trials.
Mice implanted with human stem cells have been used before mainly to study infectious disease.
The Northwestern team injected day-old mice with human stem cells from umbilical cord blood, including white blood cells, which regulate immunity. Then, RA was introduced in the mice and suppressed with Enbrel, a common first-line drug for joint inflammation in humans. This offered evidence that their immune systems were indeed replicating human defenses.
Scientists seek mouse models that mimic RA in humans in order to learn how the complex disease operates. In the last decade, researchers and physicians have found many subtypes of RA that originate on the molecular level and are each produced by different pathways in the body.
A debilitating disease, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by persistent inflammation around joint areas, predominantly in the wrist and fingers. The disease causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function and can result in tissue destruction. Approximately 1.3 million people have the disease.
See the original post:
'Humanized' mice advance study of rheumatoid arthritis
Public release date: 10-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Mary Jane Gore mary.gore@duke.edu 919-660-1309 Duke University Medical Center
DURHAM, N.C.-- Duke researchers may have found a promising stem cell therapy for preventing osteoarthritis after a joint injury.
Injuring a joint greatly raises the odds of getting a form of osteoarthritis called post-traumatic arthritis, or PTA. There are no therapies yet that modify or slow the progression of arthritis after injury.
Researchers at Duke University Health System have found a very promising therapeutic approach to PTA using a type of stem cell, called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), in mice with fractures that typically would lead to them developing arthritis. Their findings could lead to a therapy that would be used after joint injury and before signs of significant osteoarthritis.
The scientists thought the stem cells would work to prevent PTA by altering the balance of inflammation and regeneration in knee joints, because these stem cells have beneficial properties in other regions of the body.
"The stem cells were able to prevent post-traumatic arthritis," said Farshid Guilak, Ph.D., director of orthopaedic research at Duke and senior author of the study.
The study was published on August 10 in Cell Transplantation.
The researchers also thought that a type of mice bred for their super-healing properties would probably fare better than typical mice, but they were wrong.
"We decided to investigate two therapies for the study, said lead author Brian Diekman, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Guilak lab. "We thought that stem cells from so-called superhealer mice would be superior at providing protection, and instead, we found that they were no better than stem cells from typical mice. We thought that maybe it would take stem cells from superhealers to gain an effect as strong as preventing arthritis after a fracture, but we were surprised and excited to learn that regular stem cells work just as well."
See the original post:
Stem cells may prevent post-injury arthritis
Regulated information August 8, 2012
TiGenix completes patient enrollment in Phase IIa rheumatoid arthritis study
Leuven (BELGIUM), Madrid (SPAIN) - August 8, 2012 - TiGenix (NYSE Euronext: TIG), the European leader in cell therapy, announced today the completion of patient enrollment in the Company`s Phase IIa study of Cx611, a suspension of expanded allogeneic adult stem cells, in rheumatoid arthritis. The Phase IIa clinical trial is a 53-subject, multicenter, placebo-controlled study in 3 cohorts with different dosing regimens, designed to assess safety, feasibility, tolerance, and optimal dosing. The study is being conducted at 23 centers. The Company believes that this clinical trial can set the stage not only for the further development of Cx611 in RA, but also in a wide range of other autoimmune disorders.
"In addition to the primary endpoints of safety and optimal dosing, we expect this trial to yield a first indication of the duration of the efficacy of Cx611 in this very difficult patient population: the enrolled patients have previously failed to respond to at least two biologicals," said Eduardo Bravo, CEO of TiGenix. "In the trial patients are treated with three injections of Cx611. The six-month follow-up without further dosing should provide us with a truly meaningful result. This is the most advanced stem cell therapy trial in RA in the world, and completing the enrollment on time confirms our leadership position in the field. We anticipate reporting the results of the study no later than April 2013."
About Cx611 for rheumatoid arthritis Cx611 is a suspension of expanded allogeneic adult stem cells derived from human adipose (fat) tissue (expanded Adipose derived Stem Cells or `eASCs`) that is delivered through intra-venous injection for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The objective of the Phase IIa trial is to determine safety, feasibility, tolerance, and optimal dosing. This multicentre, placebo-controlled study has enrolled 53 patients, divided in 3 cohorts with different dosing regimens. There are 23 centers open and the company expects the final results to be available in the first half of 2013.
For more information: Eduardo Bravo Chief Executive Officer eduardo.bravo@tigenix.com
Claudia D`Augusta Chief Financial Officer claudia.daugusta@tigenix.com Hans Herklots Director Investor & Media Relations hans.herklots@tigenix.com +32 16 39 60 97
About TiGenix
TiGenix NV (NYSE Euronext Brussels: TIG)is a leading European cell therapy companywith a marketed product for cartilage repair, ChondroCelect, and a strongpipeline with clinical stage allogeneic adult stem cell programsfor the treatment ofautoimmune and inflammatory diseases.TiGenixis based out of Leuven (Belgium) and has operations in Madrid (Spain), and Sittard-Geleen (theNetherlands). For more information please visitwww.tigenix.com.
Forward-looking information
Go here to read the rest:
TiGenix : completes patient enrollment in Phase IIa rheumatoid arthritis study
Emma, a snow-white German shepherd, has been plagued with arthritis for two years, limping and sometimes crying out in pain. But an innovative new procedure using her own stem cells has helped, her veterinarian and owner say.
"Her joint mobility has improved. I can move her elbows into a flexed position now," said Kristina Hansson, a veterinarian with San Rafael's Northbay Animal Hospital. Hansson injected Emma's own stem cells into 10 of her joints three months ago in a yet-unproven procedure that cost about $2,000, promoted by MediVet America, a Kentucky company.
"We're very pleased," said Arthur Latno of San Rafael, owner of the 9-year-old, 80-pound dog. "She doesn't limp any more and she doesn't cry."
Latno
He is apparently one of the first Marin pet owners to do so. Though there are some practitioners in Marin who use stem cell therapy, it is not yet widespread, according to Andrew Lie, a veterinarian at the East San Rafael Veterinary Clinic and president of the Marin County Veterinary Medical Association.
Lie himself doesn't use the therapy. "Personally, I think I would wait to see more research and studies come out. I think it's a little early
"This (the stem cell procedure) is incredibly promising, but on the other hand there is a lot of homework that needs to be done to determine whether these are valid therapeutic measures," said John Peroni, an associate professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
Peroni also chairs the North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association. Peroni himself, along with colleagues at other universities including the University of California at Davis, is engaged in controlled clinical trials involving stem cells and animals. When such trials, peer-reviewed work and long-term studies are published, the effectiveness of the procedures will be easier to determine.
Dogs aren't the only mammals getting stem cell therapy for arthritis. The treatment is being used on humans as well. One example is the Centeno-Schultz Clinic in Broomfield, Colo, which offers a treatment called Regenexx that has received a good deal of media coverage. As with the animal procedure, it involves using a patient's own stem cells.
When the term "stem cells" is used, it brings to mind controversial procedures involving human embryos. In the MediVet procedure, however, the stem cells come from the animal's own body.
Go here to see the original:
San Rafael dog gets arthritis relief from stem cell treatment
About 67 million people are expected to have the disease by 2030, he said.
"This is a crisis that's going to get worse," he said.
The local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation will host the 2012 Arthritis Walk on Saturday at the University of Tulsa.
Klippel said prevention is a key part of the foundation's message.
People need walkable cities, parks and biking and jogging lanes available to them if they are going to stay healthy and avoid chronic diseases such as arthritis.
Maintaining a healthy weight is also important to avoiding the disease, he said.
Research into inherited forms of arthritis is ongoing, and researchers also are looking at the use of stem cells to treat the disease, Klippel said.
"The biotech industry is going to be really, really important as we move forward," he said.
The Arthritis Foundation continues to raise awareness of the disease and some of the health access problems that keep people, particularly those in minority populations, from treating it properly, Klippel said.
"There are a lot of people in this country, like Native Americans, that aren't getting the care they need for their arthritis," he said.
See the article here:
Tulsa Arthritis walk set for Saturday
Public release date: 1-Apr-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: James Hathaway jbhathaw@uncc.ed 704-687-5743 University of North Carolina at Charlotte
New research shows it may be no accident when doctors observe how patients suffering from both breast cancer and arthritis seem to have more aggressive cancer. However, the new-found interaction between the two diseases may also suggest a possible treatment.
A potential relationship between metastatic breast cancer and autoimmune arthritis, as suggested by past epidemiological studies, has led researchers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to perform a series of mouse model experiments that appear to confirm the connection.
"Epidemiological studies have implied that breast cancer survival is significantly lower in patients who also had autoimmune arthritis," noted Pinku Mukherjee, Irwin Belk Distinguished Scholar of Cancer Research at UNC Charlotte, whose lab conducted the experiments. "As there is no obvious reason this should be so, we were interested in exploring possible cancer mechanisms that might explain why."
The experiments point to an intimate relationship between mast cells immune system cells that are located in various tissues and that can cause inflammation and metastatic tumors.
In previously published studies, UNC Charlotte cancer researcher Lopamudra Das Roy and her mentor Mukherjee established that breast cancer associated metastases were significantly higher in arthritic mice, with a threefold increase in lung metastases and a twofold increase in bone metastases.
In their most recent work, the researchers found that mast cells and their associated inflammation are present in larger numbers in the bones and lungs of arthritic mice than they are in non-arthritic mice. Their findings point to a relationship between the cKit receptor found on mast cells and the transmembrane stem cell factor (SCF) ligand found on metastatic breast cancer cells. The interaction between SCF and cKit appears to play a critical role in facilitating metastasis.
"We confirmed the relationship we suspected between autoimmune disease and metastastic breast cancer cells," Mukherjee said. "This is an exciting result for us because it confirms an interesting interdependence between cancer metastasis and a specific component of the immune system."
The study results will be presented by Lopamudra Das Roy, Research Assistant Professor at UNC Charlotte, and Mukherjee at the 2012 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in Chicago at a press conference on April 1.
View original post here:
Mechanism found connecting metastatic breast cancer and arthritis
SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire -03/21/12)- Entest BioMedical Inc. (OTCQB: ENTB.PK - News) (Pinksheets: ENTB.PK - News)
Entest BioMedical Inc. (OTCQB: ENTB.PK - News) (Pinksheets: ENTB.PK - News) and RenovoCyte LLC announced they have treated 8 canine patients of a 10 dog pilot study utilizing Canine Endometrial Regenerative Cells (CERC) licensed from Medistem Inc. (Pinksheets: MEDS.PK - News) in the treatment of canine osteoarthritis.
Previously, Entest announced the treatment of the first canine patient on November 18, 2011. Since that time Entest's McDonald Animal Hospital has treated 8 dogs in its 10 Dog Pilot Study with RenovoCyte. To date, all of the dogs participating in this study have shown dramatic improvement in their mobility and apparent reduction of pain.
Dr. Greg McDonald, Chief Veterinarian at McDonald Animal Hospital, said, "50 million CERC stem cells have been injected intravenously into eight dogs. Each dog selected for this study showed signs of arthritis. Follow-up blood tests, urinalysis and physical exams are now being scheduled for the patients that have already been treated. So far, all these canine patients have shown improvement."
Entest BioMedical Chairman David Koos stated, "Osteoarthritis is considered one of the most common causes of lameness in dogs, occurring in up to 30% of all dogs. It is caused by a deterioration of joint cartilage, followed by pain and loss of range of motion of the joint. We expect this treatment to relieve these animals from the pain associated with arthritis. This has extraordinary possibilities for dogs and may lead the way for human treatment of arthritic pain."
The CERC is a "universal donor" stem cell product that does not require matching with the recipient allowing for the generation of standardized products that can be delivered to the office of the veterinarian ready for injection. This is in stark contrast to current stem cell therapies utilized in veterinary applications which require the extraction, manipulation, and subsequent implantation of tissue from the animal being treated. CERC is the canine equivalent of Medistem's Endometrial Regenerative Cell (ERC). Medistem was recently granted approval from the FDA to initiate a clinical trial in human patients using its ERCs.
"We are extremely pleased with our research relationship with Entest BioMedical. This study of canine pets suffering from naturally occurring osteoarthritis is a better test model than laboratory induced disease because it will give us the opportunity for long term follow up of these patients. RenovoCyte sees this study as part of the supporting documentation that will be needed to obtain FDA approval for widespread usage of this therapy," said Shelly Zacharias, DVM, Director of Veterinary Operations, RenovoCyte, LLC.
A spokesperson for Entest noted the Company is also currently conducting a 10 dog safety study on its immune-therapeutic cancer vaccine for dogs, having treated 3 dogs so far.
About Entest BioMedical Inc.:Entest BioMedical Inc. (http://www.entestbio.com) is a veterinary biotechnology company focused on developing therapies that harness the animal's own reparative / immunological mechanisms. The Company's products include an immuno-therapeutic cancer vaccine for canines (ImenVax). ImenVax is less invasive and less traumatic in treating cancer. Additionally, the Company serves as the contract research organization conducting a pilot study on a stem cell based canine osteoarthritis treatment (developed by RenovoCyte LLC) utilizing a 'universal donor' stem cell. Entest is also building a network of veterinary hospitals (with its initial location in Santa Barbara, CA and anticipates acquiring other veterinary hospitals in California) -- which serve as distribution channels for its products.
DisclaimerThis news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties to which forward-looking statements are subject include, but are not limited to, the effect of government regulation, competition and other material risks.
Go here to read the rest:
Entest BioMedical Excited With Progress on 10 Dog Pilot Study of "Universal Donor" Stem Cell Treatment for Canine ...
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire -03/21/12)- VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. (OTC.BB: VSTA.OB - News) (OTCQB: VSTA.OB - News), a biotechnology company applying stem cell technology for drug rescue and cell therapy, and Vala Sciences, Inc., a biotechnology company developing and selling next-generation cell image-based instruments, reagents and analysis software tools, have entered into a strategic collaboration. Their goal is to advance drug safety screening methodologies in the most clinically relevant human in vitro bioassay systems available to researchers today.
Cardiomyocytes are the muscle cells of the heart that provide the force necessary to pump blood throughout the body, and as such are the targets of most of the drug toxicities that directly affect the heart. Many of these drug toxicities result in either arrhythmia (irregular, often fatal, beating of the heart) or reduced ability of the heart to pump the blood necessary to maintain normal health and vigor.
"Our collaboration with Vala directly supports the core drug rescue applications of our Human Clinical Trials in a Test Tube platform," said Shawn K. Singh, JD, VistaGen's Chief Executive Officer. "Our high quality human cardiomyocytes combined with Vala's high throughput electrophysiological assessment capabilities is yet another example of how we are applying our stem cell technology platform within a strategic ecosystem of complementary leading-edge companies and technologies. We seek to drive our drug rescue programs forward and generate a pipeline of new, cardiosafe drug candidates."
Through the collaboration, Vala will use its Kinetic Image Cytometer platform to demonstrate both the suitability and utility of VistaGen's human pluripotent stem cell derived-cardiomyocytes for screening new drug candidates for potential cardiotoxicity over conventional in vitro screening systems and animal models. VistaGen's validated human cardiomyocyte-based bioassay system, CardioSafe 3D, will permit Vala to demonstrate the quality, resolution, applicability and ease of use of its new instrumentation and analysis software to make information-rich, high throughput measurements and generate fundamentally new insights into heart cell drug responses. Accurate, sensitive and reproducible measurement of electrophysiological responses of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes to new drug candidates is a key element of VistaGen's CardioSafe 3D drug rescue programs. VistaGen's strategic collaboration with Vala is directed towards this goal.
About VistaGen Therapeutics
VistaGen is a biotechnology company applying human pluripotent stem cell technology for drug rescue and cell therapy. VistaGen's drug rescue activities combine its human pluripotent stem cell technology platform, Human Clinical Trials in a Test Tube, with modern medicinal chemistry to generate new chemical variants (Drug Rescue Variants) of once-promising small-molecule drug candidates. These are drug candidates discontinued due to heart toxicity after substantial development by pharmaceutical companies, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) or university laboratories. VistaGen uses its pluripotent stem cell technology to generate early indications, or predictions, of how humans will ultimately respond to new drug candidates before they are ever tested in humans, bringing human biology to the front end of the drug development process.
Additionally, VistaGen's small molecule drug candidate, AV-101, is in Phase 1b development for treatment of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain, a serious and chronic condition causing pain after an injury or disease of the peripheral or central nervous system, affects approximately 1.8 million people in the U.S. alone. VistaGen is also exploring opportunities to leverage its current Phase 1 clinical program to enable additional Phase 2 clinical studies of AV-101 for epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and depression. To date, VistaGen has been awarded over $8.5 million from the NIH for development of AV-101.
About Vala Sciences
Vala Sciences is a San Diego-based biotechnology company that develops and sells cell-image-based instrumentation, reagents and analysis software tools to academic, pharmaceutical and biotechnology scientists. Vala's IC 200 class of instrumentation, and CyteSeer Automated Image Cytometry software convert labor-intensive qualitative observations of biological changes that can take from days to months, into accurate measurements delivered automatically in minutes.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
Visit link:
VistaGen Therapeutics Enters Strategic Drug Screening Collaboration With Vala Sciences