By combining an experimental stem cell treatment with a nanoparticle delivery system, researchers may eventually stop MS and other autoimmune diseases.
An innovative stem cell therapy could change how we treat multiple sclerosis (MS), but are we any closer to a cure?
The work of Dr. Su Metcalfe, founder and chief scientific officer of the biotech company LIFNano, appears to be breathing new life into that hope.
Metcalfe and her team developed a way to fight MS by using the bodys own natural mechanisms but it hasnt been tested in humans yet.
MS is an inflammatory and neurodegenerative autoimmune disease that can result in an array of neurological symptoms including fatigue, muscle spasms, speech problems, and numbness. It is caused by the immune system attacking myelin, the insulating coating that runs along the outside of nerve cells. The result is damage to the brain and central nervous system.
The disease currently affects roughly 2.5 million people worldwide. About 200 new cases are diagnosed each week in the United States.
LIFNano uses a new treatment based on LIF a stem cell protein that forms naturally in the body to signal and regulate the immune systems response to myelin.
LIF, in addition to regulating and protecting us against attack, also plays a major role in keeping the brain and spinal cord healthy, Metcalfe recently told Cambridge News.
In fact it plays a major role in tissue repair generally, turning on stem cells that are naturally occurring in the body, making it a natural regenerative medicine, but also plays a big part in repairing the brain when its been damaged, she said.
Metcalfe has spent years studying LIF, but only recently realized its potential for treatment likening it to an on/off switch for the immune system.
However, once she discovered its potential, there were almost immediate problems in its application. One of the earliest was how quickly LIF breaks down once it is administered into the body.
If you try just to inject it into a patient, it dissipates or disappears in about 20 minutes, Olivier Jarry, CEO of LIFNano, told Healthline.
That makes it unusable in a clinic. You would have to have some kind of pump and inject it continually.
A breakthrough came for Metcalfe when she took findings from her studies of LIF and applied them to nanotechnology. The treatment she is now developing relies on nanospheres derived from a well-established medical polymer known as PLGA, which is already used in materials like stitches. And because it is biodegradable, it can be left to dissolve inside the body.
Storing LIF inside these PLGA nanospheres before administering them into the bloodstream allows for a sustained dose over the course of several days.
The process differs significantly from the current drugs used to treat MS. These treatments most often fall under the category of drugs known as immunosuppressors, which inhibit the bodys overall immune system response.
LIF is theoretically much more precise than immunosuppressors, and should keep the immune system functioning against harmful infections and disease.
Were not using any drugs, said Metcalfe. Were simply switching on the bodys own systems of self-tolerance and repair. There arent any side effects because all were doing is tipping the balance. Autoimmunity happens when that balance has gone awry slightly, and we simply reset that.
The team cautions that LIF therapy is still several years away.
While some outlets have run wild with Metcalfes research, announcing that a cure for MS is right around the corner, those headlines are speculative.
Some MS advocacy groups have even made public statements calling coverage of her work premature and irresponsible.
Jarry told Healthline that LIFNano is expecting to enter FDA phase I trials in 2020. This would be the first time that it is used in human subjects. But even if the treatment proves to be safe and effective, the soonest it could be on the market is 2023, he estimated.
The main focus of LIF therapy is now on MS. But it has potential for treating other autoimmune diseases including psoriasis and lupus.
We are optimistic in the sense that we may provide a long-term remission for patients with MS, said Jarry.
Is it a cure? Wed love at some point to use the term cure, but we are very cautious.
Continued here:
Stem Cell Therapy Offers Hope for Multiple Sclerosis Remission - Healthline
- Cell Therapy Basics - February 21st, 2024
- FDA Approves Amtagvi, First Cell Therapy for Skin Cancer - BioPharm International - February 21st, 2024
- Cellenkos Approved to Proceed with CK0803 Neurotrophic T regulatory Cell therapy to Treat Second Cohort in ALS Trial - PR Newswire - February 21st, 2024
- Astellas and Kelonia enter CAR-T cell therapy collaboration worth over $800m - PMLiVE - February 21st, 2024
- Bridging Therapy With CAR T-Cell Therapy in LBCL - OncLive - February 21st, 2024
- FDA approves first cell therapy to treat aggressive forms of melanoma - NPR - February 21st, 2024
- Iovance, with approval of 'TIL' cell therapy, readies for complex launch - Yahoo Finance - February 21st, 2024
- Cancer treatment: FDA approves type of cell therapy for patients with late-stage melanoma - FOX 26 Houston - February 21st, 2024
- Pharmalittle: We're reading about weight loss drugs, a cell therapy for melanoma, and more - STAT - February 21st, 2024
- On heels of cancer cell therapy win, Peninsula biotech looks to raise $211M - San Francisco Business Times - The Business Journals - February 21st, 2024
- FDA approves cell therapy to treat melanoma - FOX 26 Houston - February 21st, 2024
- Toddler Beats Childhood Leukemia After Car T-Cell Therapy - City of Hope - February 21st, 2024
- FDA Approves First One-time Cell Therapy for a Solid Tumor - BioSpace - February 21st, 2024
- Iovance wins FDA approval for cell therapy - BioProcess Insider - BioProcess Insider - February 21st, 2024
- FDA Approves Iovance Cancer Treatment, the First Cell Therapy for a Solid Tumor - MedCity News - February 21st, 2024
- Promising target for CAR T-cell therapy leads to potent antitumor responses against cutaneous and rare melanomas - Medical Xpress - February 21st, 2024
- Reinforcing Cell Therapy with Microfluidic Cell Sorting - RegMedNet - February 21st, 2024
- Study finds interleukin-24 enhances CAR-T cell therapy's effectiveness against cancer stem cells - News-Medical.Net - February 21st, 2024
- Understanding CAR T-Cell Therapy: Balancing the Risks and Benefits - Medriva - February 21st, 2024
- Keeping Track: Iovance's Amtaqvi Approval Brings T Cell Therapy To Solid Tumors - Pink Sheet - February 21st, 2024
- Tevogen Bio Holdings Inc., a Cell Therapy Company, Announces Completion of Business Combination and is to be ... - Yahoo Finance - February 21st, 2024
- What is CAR-T cell therapy, used for cancer treatment? Experts explain - India Today - India Today - February 21st, 2024
- UPDATE: 2seventy splits once more, sending cell therapy pipeline to Regeneron in 'dramatic' change - FierceBiotech - January 31st, 2024
- Revolutionary CAR T-cell therapy shows promise in reversing age-related metabolic dysfunction - News-Medical.Net - January 31st, 2024
- BioCardia Pivots to Biomarker Strategy to Prove Heart Failure Cell Therapy Benefits - precisionmedicineonline.com - January 31st, 2024
- Sequencing With CAR T-Cell Therapy for LBCL - OncLive - January 31st, 2024
- Single-cell analysis of refractory anti-SRP necrotizing myopathy treated with anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapy ... - pnas.org - January 31st, 2024
- Regeneron to acquire 2seventy's cell therapy pipeline - Yahoo Finance - January 31st, 2024
- Trial of cell-based therapy CK08031 finishes dosing 1st patients - ALS News Today - January 31st, 2024
- Exploring Gene and Cell Therapy Integration in Pharmacies - PharmaNewsIntel - January 31st, 2024
- HBS Alumna Fighting Cancer with a Novel Cell Therapy - MBA - hbs.edu - January 31st, 2024
- YUHS partners with KURE.AI Therapeutics for cell therapy development - KBR - January 31st, 2024
- Global CAR-T Cell Therapy Market Report 2024-2034: Accelerated Growth Fueled by Intensive R&D, Growing Medical ... - Yahoo Finance - January 31st, 2024
- Oricell Announces FDA Clearance of IND Application for OriCAR-017, a novel GPRC5D Targeted CAR-T Cell Therapy ... - PR Newswire - January 31st, 2024
- A new chapter in cell therapy: engineered B cells reach the clinic for the first time - Labiotech.eu - January 31st, 2024
- Harnessing the Dark Genome: New Approach Greatly Improves Cancer T-Cell Therapy - SciTechDaily - January 31st, 2024
- Cell therapies | Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) - November 16th, 2023
- Oncternal Therapeutics Participating in Oppenheimer & Co.’s Virtual Fireside Chat: Discussion of ROR1 CAR T Cell Therapy in Hematological... - April 15th, 2023
- Basal Cell Carcinoma Treatment - The Skin Cancer Foundation - January 4th, 2023
- Adoptive Cell Therapy - Cancer Research Institute (CRI) - December 27th, 2022
- National Medical Commission prohibits use of stem cell therapy to treat patients with autism - Hindustan Times - December 18th, 2022
- Tumor buster - where will the CAR-T cell therapy missile go? - December 18th, 2022
- Gilead lands new cell therapy for Kite in $225M Arcellx deal, providing global scale for future J&J-Legend showdown - FierceBiotech - December 10th, 2022
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment (PDQ)Patient Version - November 24th, 2022
- CAR-T Cell Therapy Program - Frequently asked questions - November 24th, 2022
- EdiGene Announces Completion of Last Patient Dosing in Phase I Clinical Trial of ET-01, its Investigational Gene-editing Hematopoietic Stem Cell... - November 24th, 2022
- Radiation Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - November 6th, 2022
- AvenCell to Present New Data from Lead Universal CAR T Cell Therapy Program at 64th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition -... - November 6th, 2022
- Instil Bio's stock falls 35% after disclosing the cell therapy company paused enrollment in clinical trials - MarketWatch - November 6th, 2022
- Creative Medical Technology Holdings Announces FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for AlloStem, a Novel Cell Therapy for the... - November 6th, 2022
- Photodynamic Therapy to Treat Cancer - NCI - October 29th, 2022
- Researchers at University Hospitals create a breakthrough in CAR-T cell therapy for cancer patients - News 5 Cleveland WEWS - October 29th, 2022
- Mustang Bio Announces Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial Data of MB-106, a First-in-Class CD20-targeted, Autologous CAR T Cell Therapy, to be Presented at 11th... - October 29th, 2022
- Gilead, working to improve cancer cell therapy, partners with California startup - BioPharma Dive - October 21st, 2022
- Allogene starts first pivotal trials of an 'off-the-shelf' cell therapy for cancer - BioPharma Dive - October 13th, 2022
- Vita Therapeutics Closes $31 Million Series B Financing to Develop Cell Therapies for Neuromuscular Diseases and Cancers - Business Wire - October 13th, 2022
- CAR T-cell Therapy Market Riding on the Wave of Growth and will Grow at a CAGR of 30.6% to 2031 | TMR Study - GlobeNewswire - October 13th, 2022
- Inceptor Bio and Avectas Announce Collaboration to Improve Manufacturing of CAR-T Cell Therapies for the Treatment of Solid Tumors - PR Newswire - October 13th, 2022
- Cell Therapy Technologies Market Expected to Reach US ~$12.27 Billion and CAGR 14.5% by 2030 Polaris Market Research - Digital Journal - October 13th, 2022
- Early Data on GPRC5D-Directed CAR T-Cell Therapy Open Doors for New Myeloma Treatment Strategies - Precision Oncology News - October 13th, 2022
- BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY FOR IPS-DERIVED CELL THERAPIES TURNED INTO GMP PLATFORM BY TREEFROG THERAPEUTICS & INVETECH - PR Newswire - October 13th, 2022
- Cabaletta Bio Announces CABA-201, a Newly Designed CD19-Targeting CAR T Cell Therapy Engineered to Address a Broad Range of Autoimmune Diseases -... - October 13th, 2022
- Breast cancer treatment: These targeted therapies are a ray of hope for patients - Health shots - October 13th, 2022
- Two-Year Clinical Data for DiscGenics's Progenitor Cell Therapy for Lumbar Disc Degeneration to Be Presented at NASS 2022 - PR Newswire - October 13th, 2022
- Mayo Clinic Minute: What is CAR-T cell therapy? - Finger Lakes Times - October 13th, 2022
- Gamma Biosciences and Lonza Collaborate to Co-develop Reagents for Clinical Cell Selection in the Cocoon Platform USA - English - USA - English - PR... - October 13th, 2022
- Merck and Moderna Move Forward with Personalized Cancer Vaccine - BioSpace - October 13th, 2022
- First Patient With B-NHL or CLL Treated With MB-106 in Phase 1/2 Study - Targeted Oncology - October 13th, 2022
- MaxCyte to Report Third Quarter 2022 Financial Results on November 9, 2022 - Yahoo Finance - October 13th, 2022
- Iovance Biotherapeutics Announces First Patient Dosed with PD-1 Inactivated Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Therapy - GlobeNewswire - October 13th, 2022
- Elicera Therapeutics: PhD thesis describing the iTANK-platform awarded best of the year 2021 in Sweden in the field of gene and cell therapy -... - October 13th, 2022
- Integrating CAR T-Cell Therapy Into Community Oncology Practices - Targeted Oncology - October 4th, 2022
- About CAR-T cell therapy - Mayo Clinic - October 4th, 2022
- Autologous immune-cell therapy, practiced in Japan, now helping Vinmec Hospital, treat cancer patients in Hanoi, Vietnam, after technology transfer by... - October 4th, 2022
- Oncternal Therapeutics Receives IND Clearance for ONCT-808, its autologous CAR T Product Candidate Targeting ROR1 for the Treatment of Aggressive B... - October 4th, 2022
- Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute: Treating Pain with PRP and Stem Cell Therapy - Community News - October 4th, 2022
- City of Hope To Accelerate Immunotherapy Research And Treatment Innovation with $15 Million Gift From Ted Schwartz Family - City of Hope - October 4th, 2022
- Lineage Establishes New R&D Facility in U.S. and Expands Current GMP Manufacturing Facility in Israel - Business Wire - October 4th, 2022
- Century Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Daphne Quimi and Timothy Walbert to its Board of Directors - Yahoo Finance - October 4th, 2022
- SQZ Biotechnologies Publishes Preclinical Research Demonstrating SQZ AAC Platform's Potential as an Effective Red Blood Cell-Derived Immunotherapy -... - October 4th, 2022