AHA Journals, Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Stem Cells / 04.05.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Megan M. Monsanto, B.S. Joint Doctoral Student Department of Cell and Molecular Biology San Diego State University & University of California San Diego MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: In the field of cardiovascular research there is ongoing debate regarding the optimal cell population(s) to use for the treatment of patients with heart failure. A major reason being, the lack of understanding of the actions and synergism between distinct myocardial-derived stem cell populations. This prompted our group to establish a protocol to isolate multiple stem cell populations from a single human myocardial tissue sample that will allow for the discovery of new insights at the cellular level, with the ultimate goal being to achieve true myocardial regeneration upon injection back into the patient. (more…)
Author Interviews, Stem Cells, Technology / 26.04.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Sang Jin Lee, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine Wake Forest School of Medicine Wake Forest University MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: I received my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea in 2003 and took a postdoctoral fellowship in the Laboratories for Tissue Engineering and Cellular Therapeutics at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital Boston and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine where I am currently a faculty member. My research works have focused on development of smart biomaterial systems that support the regenerative medicine strategies and approaches. These biomaterial systems combined with drug/protein delivery system, nano/micro-scaled topographical feature, or hybrid materials that could actively participate in functional tissue regeneration. Recently my research works utilize 3D bioprinting strategy to manufacture complex, multi-cellular living tissue constructs that mimic the structure of native tissues. This can be accomplished by optimizing the formulation of biomaterials to serve as the scaffolding for 3D bioprinting, and by providing the biological environment needed for the successful delivery of cells and biomaterials to discrete locations within the 3D structure. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Orthopedics, Stem Cells / 22.04.2017

MedicalResearch.com with: Lee Buckler, CEO RepliCel Life Sciences MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this your company, RepliCel.com? Response: RepliCel Life Sciences is a Canadian regenerative medicine company based in Vancouver, British Columbia that was founded in 2006. The company focuses on the development of cell therapies using a patient's own cells (autologous cell therapy). It is developing treatments targeted at healing chronic tendon injuries that have failed to heal properly, hair restoration, and the treatment of damaged and aged skin. (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Stem Cells / 17.04.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jalees Rehman, MD Director of Research, Division of Cardiology Associate Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine Chicago, IL 60612 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Converting skin fibroblasts into regenerative blood vessel endothelial cells could be a valuable approach to repair diseased blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease and also to build new blood vessels in order to supply engineered tissues and organs. Using skin fibroblasts is very well suited for personalized therapies because they can be obtained from a skin biopsy in an outpatient setting. The biopsied skin sample is used to extract the skin fibroblasts, which are then expanded in cell culture dishes before they are converted to endothelial cells. This allows for the generation of tens or hundreds of millions of cells that will likely be needed for blood vessel repair and regeneration. By converting skin fibroblasts of a patient, we can generate personalized endothelial cells with the same genetic signature as the patient so that they are less likely to be rejected if implanted back into the same patient after the conversion. (more…)
Author Interviews, Neurological Disorders, Stem Cells / 12.04.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Darwin J. Prockop, M.D., Ph.D. Professor and Director Institute for Regenerative Medicine Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine Temple, TX MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We and many others have been trying for many years to develop therapies with adult stem cells that might rescue the brain from the injuries and disease. Recently many of found that small vesicles secreted by adult stem cells have many of the beneficial effects of the cells themselves. The paper shows that a nasal spray of the vesicles can rescue mice from the long-term effects of severe epilepsy. (more…)
Author Interviews, NIH, Ophthalmology, Stem Cells / 06.02.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ben Mead, BSc, MRes, PhD Section of Retinal Ganglion Cell Biology Laboratory of Retinal Cell and Molecular Biology National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland 20892 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Retinal ganglion cells (RGC) in the back of the eye transmit visual information to the brain, via long thread-like extensions called axons, which make up the optic nerve. Loss of these cells is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and can occur through trauma or degenerative diseases, such as glaucoma or optic neuritis. While no treatment yet exists to directly protect RGC from death, mesenchymal stem cells, a type of stem cell isolated from adult bone marrow, have shown therapeutic efficacy in various animal models and are currently undergoing clinical trials. In this study, we aimed to isolate exosomes, which are small, membrane-enclosed vesicles secreted by bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) and that we believe are associated with the therapeutic effect of BMSCs. Injecting these exosomes into the eyes of animals following an optic nerve injury, was associated with significant neuroprotection of RGC, as well as preservation of RGC function. The protective effects of exosomes appeared to be through their delivery of microRNA, molecules that interfere with or silence gene expression. (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Neurological Disorders, Pediatrics, Science, Stem Cells / 27.01.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Paul D. Morton, Ph.D. Research PostDoc and lead study author of “Abnormal Neurogenesis and Cortical Growth in Congenital Heart Disease.” Children’s National Health System Washington, DC Nobuyuki Ishibashi, M.D. Director of the Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory at Children’s National Health System and co-senior study author. Vittorio Gallo, Ph.D. Director of the Center for Neuroscience Research at Children’s National Health System and co-senior study author.     Richard A. Jonas, M.D. Chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery at Children’s National Health System and co-senior study author. MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the leading birth defect in the United States and often results in an array of long-term neurological deficits including motor, cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. It has become increasingly clear that children with CHD often have underdeveloped brains. In many cases of complex CHD, blood flow to the brain is both reduced and less oxygenated, which has been associated with developmental abnormalities and delay. The cellular mechanisms underlying the impact of CHD on brain development remain largely unknown. We developed a preclinical chronic hypoxia model to define these mechanisms. (more…)
Author Interviews, Nature, Stem Cells / 09.12.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Jan Karlseder Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory Donald and Darlene Shiley Chair Salk Institute for Biological Studies MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?  Response: Telomeres are repetitive stretches of DNA at the ends of each chromosome whose length can be increased by an enzyme called telomerase. Our cellular machinery results in a little bit of the telomere becoming lopped off each time cells replicate their DNA and divide. As telomeres shorten over time, the chromosomes themselves become vulnerable to damage. Eventually the cells die. The exception is stem cells, which use telomerase to rebuild their telomeres, allowing them to retain their ability to divide, and to develop (“differentiate”) into virtually any cell type for the specific tissue or organ, be it skin, heart, liver or muscle—a quality known as pluripotency. These qualities make stem cells promising tools for regenerative therapies to combat age-related cellular damage and disease. (more…)
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Kidney Disease, Stem Cells / 20.11.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Ryuji Morizane MD, PhD Associate Biologist, Renal Division Brigham and Women’s Hospital Affiliated Faculty, Harvard Stem Cell Institute Instructor, Harvard Medical School MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) accounts for 10% of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), and there is currently no curable treatment available for patients with PKD. The adult onset form of PKD, the most common type of PKD, takes 30 years to form cysts in humans; therefore, it is difficult to study mechanisms of PKD to find novel therapeutics for patients. (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, PNAS, Stem Cells / 20.11.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Thomas Bartosh Jr, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Medical Physiology Texas A&M Health Science Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: One mysterious and devastating aspect of breast cancer is that it can reemerge abruptly, often as metastatic disease, in patients many years after an apparent eradication of the primary tumor. The sudden reappearance of cancer has been termed relapse and is thought to occur because a minimal number of resilient tumor cells are able to evade frontline therapies and linger in an undetectable/dormant state somewhere in the body for an unpredictable amount of time. Then, for reasons that remain unclear, these same dormant cells awaken and rapidly grow, and produce almost invariably fatal cancerous lesions. The therapeutic challenges of tumor dormancy and need to decode the underlying mechanisms involved are apparent. Cancer cell behavior is strongly influenced by various non-malignant cell types that are found within the tumor mass itself and that help make up the tumor microenvironment (TME). In particular, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), which are actively recruited into the tumor stroma, directly interact with carcinoma cells and significantly impact cancer progression, although the role of MSCs in tumor dormancy remains ill-defined. (more…)
Author Interviews, Nature, Stem Cells / 07.11.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Fred Levine MD PhD Professor & Director Sanford Children's Health Research Center Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute La Jolla, CA MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: This study is the latest in a series that began in 2010 when we published that the combination of severe pancreatitis and ablation of preexisting pancreatic beta-cells led to the formation of new beta-cells by direct conversion of alpha-cells, which are the neighboring cells in the islets of Langerhans producing glucagon, which like insulin is also involved in glucose homeostasis. The phenomenon of generating new beta-cells by islet cell transdifferentiation went against the conventional wisdom in the field, which is that most beta-cell neogenesis in adults occurs by differentiation from cells in the pancreatic ducts, similar to what happens during embryogenesis. Since then, we have shown that beta-cell neogenesis by islet cell transdifferentiation appears to occur in murine and human type I diabetes, making it highly translationally relevant. Understanding the mechanism by which new beta-cells are formed from alpha-cells is required for eventual clinical translation. The current study describes that mechanism, which involves the activation of an atypical G protein coupled receptor called Protease Activated Receptor 2 (PAR2). Unlike most other GPCRs, it is activated by extracellular proteases such as are found in the exocrine pancreas or following tissue damage. PAR2 activation by an injectable peptide agonist was both necessary and sufficient to induce beta-cell neogenesis when preexisting beta-cells are absent, as occurs in type I diabetes. (more…)
Author Interviews, Lancet, Orthopedics, Stem Cells / 21.10.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Ivan Martin, PhD Department of Surgery and Department of Biomedicine University Hospital Basel University of Basel Basel, Switzerland MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study and new use of autologous nasal chondrocytes? Response: We previously demonstrated that nasal chondrocytes, harvested from the nasal septum, have a larger and more reproducible capacity to form new cartilage than articular chondrocytes, harvested from the knee joint. We further established that the cartilage tissue generated by nasal chondrocytes can respond to physical forces (mechanical loads) similar to articular cartilage and has the ‘plasticity’ to adapt to a joint environment, since it efficiently integrated with surrounding articular cartilage when implanted in goat joints. This was the rationale for using nasal chondrocytes for articular cartilage repair. (more…)
Author Interviews, Karolinski Institute, Stem Cells, Tobacco / 05.10.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Lukasz Antoniewicz MD, PhD candidate Karolinska Institutet Department of Clinical Sciences Danderyd University Hospital Stockholm, Sweden MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Electronic cigarette sales increase exponentially on a global scale without knowledge about possible negative effects on human health. We performed an exposure study in young healthy volunteers and analyzed blood samples for endothelial progenitor cells and microvesicles. Increase in those markers may reflect vascular injury, inflammation and platelet activation. (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Stem Cells / 12.09.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rafael Kramann, MD, FASN RWTH Aachen University Division of Nephrology and Clinical Immunology Pauwelsstr 30 52074 Aachen, Germany MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Vascular calcification contributes centrally to the increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Vascular calcification is of major clinical importance as it predicts cardiovascular events, affects plaque stability contributing to stroke and myocardial infarction and also contributes to chronic heart failure by stiffening of the arterial wall. However, the cellular origin of vascular calcification is incompletely understood. While it is known that resident vascular smooth muscle cells and circulating macrophages are involved the contribution of adventitial cells is controversial and partly unknown. Our data indicates that adventitial progenitor cells marked by expression of Gli1 are key drivers of vascular calcification in athero- and arteriosclerosis. Genetic ablation of this cell population completely abolished vascular calcification in a mouse model of high lipid load and chronic kidney disease. Identification of this progenitor population might be the first step towards a cell-specific targeted therapy of vascular calcification. (more…)
Author Interviews, Emory, Gender Differences, Heart Disease, Stem Cells / 07.09.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Arshed A. Quyyumi MD; FRCP Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology Emory University School of Medicine Co-Director, Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute Atlanta GA 30322 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Circulating progenitor or stem cells were discovered in adults 15 years ago. We now know that they may be stimulated by injury or ischemia, and they go down in number and function with aging, particularly when aging is associated with risk factors. Women with chest pain despite normal coronary arteries are thought to have ischemia because of microvascular dysfunction. We found that these women, with the worst microvascular function (measured as coronary flow reserve), had higher levels of circulating stem or progenitor cells. This implies that the mild ischemia they are having during their normal daily life, leads to stimulation of their stem cells. Also, the vascular abnormality may be a stimulus for repair. (more…)
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stem Cells / 30.08.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jolanta U Weaver, FRCP MRCS PhD CTLHE Senior Lecturer in Diabetes Medicine Honorary Consultant Diabetologist Newcastle MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Vascular stem cells, which are associated with an improvement of heart disease, are improved in type 1 diabetes by repurposing metformin, known to reduce heart disease in type 2 diabetes. We treated patients with type 1 diabetes with metformin for 8 weeks. The metformin dose varied between 500 mg a day to 2000 mg a day, depending on what patients were happy to take. Subjects were requested to keep diabetic control unchanged to study the direct effect of metformin on heart disease. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (vascular stem cells) count, Hill’s colonies and pro angiogenic cells function (in test tube) improved in comparison to patients, who did not take metformin but remained on standard therapy. Endothelial cells associated with vascular damage, on the other hand, were reduced following metformin therapy confirming improved vascular health. The glycaemic control remained unchanged (as planned at the onset of the study) to allow us to examine the effect of metformin ALONE on vascular health. Patients did not suffer any serious side effects. (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Stem Cells / 30.08.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Javed Butler, M.D., MPH, FACC, FAHA Chief of the Cardiology Division and Co-Director of the Heart Institute at Stony Brook University Stony Brook Heart Institute MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: It was previously assumed that stem cells must be delivered directly to the myocardium to improve patient outcomes. However, this delivery mechanism – either in the coronary artery or the myocardium – may not be feasible for millions of patients and for repeat injections. This study represents the first clinical trial to observe the effects of intravenous (IV) administration of ischemia-tolerant mesenchymal stem cells (itMSCs) in patients with chronic heart failure. Results show that an IV injection strategy is safe and well-tolerated.In addition, the data illustrate statistically significant improvement in 6-minute walk test, quality-of-life scores as assessed by Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) and favorable immune modulatory benefits. (more…)
Author Interviews, Immunotherapy, Leukemia, Stem Cells, Transplantation / 12.08.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Felix Garzon, MD, PhD Senior Vice President Head of Clinical Development Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. New York, NY 10016 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What is goal of this Study? Response: Iomab-B (“Iomab”) was developed at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (“the Hutch”) in Seattle, Washington. The Hutch is a pioneer in the field of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) having 3 Nobel Prizes and doctors there performed some of the first transplants for leukemia patients. Iomab-B is intended to be an induction and conditioning agent prior to a BMT for patients with relapsed or refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) who are over the age of 55. BMT is the only potentially curative option for AML i.e. for this patient population that currently has a survival prognosis of 2-6 months which means that if Iomab-B is successful it would create a new market segment and offer patients a great clinical benefit and a hope for a cure. Actinium Pharmaceuticals licensed Iomab from the Hutch in 2012 and prior to us licensing Iomab, it had been studied in almost 300 patients in several phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials in an array of blood cancers, both leukemias and lymphomas. Actinium is now the sponsor of a pivotal phase 3 trial for Iomab-B to study its use as an induction and conditioning agent prior to a bone marrow transplantation in patients with relapsed or refractory AML who are over the age of 55. This trial, which we have named the SIERRA (Study of Iomab-B in Elderly Relapsed or Refractory AML) trial, started at the end of June 2016 and we expect to enroll 150 patients by the end of 2017. The primary endpoint of the SIERRA trial is durable complete remissions (dCR) of 6 months. The study arm will consist of Iomab-B administration followed by a  bone marrow transplantation, patients will be evaluated for dCR at 6 months after engraftment, which will be assessed at day 28 or day 56. The control arm of the study will be physician’s choice of chemotherapy and if the patient is able to achieve a complete remission (CR) they may receive a BMT or some other form of treatment with curative intent. The study is designed to evaluate if the study arm of Iomab-B and a BMT can double the dCR rate of the control arm, which is designed to replicate the current treatment regimen prior to a bone marrow transplantation . (more…)
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Stem Cells / 11.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Cédric Blanpain, MD, PhD Professor of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology WELBIO, Interdisciplinary Research Institute (IRIBHM) Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Belgium MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Many cancers arise from tissues maintained by stem and progenitor cells that ultimately give rise to non-dividing terminally differentiated cells. However, little is known about the contribution of stem cells and progenitors to cancer initiation. During tumor initiation, cells targeted by oncogenic mutations undergo a series of molecular changes leading to their clonal expansion and the acquisition of invasive properties. How exactly oncogenic mutations impact on the rate of stem cell and progenitor division, and change the proportion of divisions that result in symmetric and asymmetric cell fate, allowing clonal expansion and tumor progression is poorly understood. In this new study, we define for the first time the clonal dynamics that lead to skin cancer initiation using the basal cell carcinoma, the most frequent tumor in humans, as a model. (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Stem Cells / 21.06.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Fu Guosheng MD Professor and Chairman, Department of Cardiology Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine Zhejiang University Hangzhou, China MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains a major cause of long term morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although we can re-vascularize the occluded vessels by cardiac intervention or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), it is not helpful for the damaged myocardium, which urges us to find a new therapeutic method. An increasing body of evidence from a wide range of experimental animal studies and clinical trials suggests that endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) transplantation can repair “broken” heart by involving direct angiogenesis and secreting protective paracrine factors, which has a bright prospect for clinical application. However, transplantation of autologous EPC has numerous limitations, including the limited supply of expanded EPC, the impaired function and activity of the transplanted cells, and so on. Therefore, it is desirable to develop novel proangiogenic strategies that improve the efficacy of EPC transplantation. (more…)
Author Interviews, Hematology, HIV, Stem Cells, Transplantation / 15.06.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Joseph Alvarnas, MD Associate clinical professor Department of hematology and Director of value-based analytics City of Hope National Medical Center Duarte, CA MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Dr. Alvarnas: Patients with HIV infection have a significantly increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. Prior to the availability of effective anti-retroviral therapy, HIV-infected patients with lymphoma had very poor treatment outcomes. Following the availability of effective anti-HIV therapy, patient outcomes for HIV-infected patients now parallel those of non-infected patients. Historically, however, HIV infection has been used as a criterion for not offering patients autologous blood stem cell transplantation outside of centers with unique expertise. The purpose of this trial was to evaluate outcomes, complication rates, and immunological reconstitution of HIV-infected patients following autologous blood stem cell transplantation. (more…)
ASCO, Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Stem Cells / 05.06.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Philip McCarthy, BA, MD Professor of Oncology Director, Blood and Marrow Transplant Program Roswell Park Cancer Institute Associate Professor of Medicine Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences State University of New York at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14263 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. McCarthy: There have been three Phase III studies that examined the role of maintenance lenalidomide after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. IFM 2005-02 (France), CALGB 100104 (Alliance, USA), GIMEMA-RVMM-PI-209 (Italy). All three studies had progression free survival (PFS) as their primary endpoint and all demonstrated a superior PFS when compared to placebo or no therapy after ASCT. However only the CALGB 100104 study demonstrated a statistically superior overall survival (OS). Thus, a meta-analysis was necessary to assess the effect of post-ASCT lenalidomide maintenance on overall survival. This study utilized a pooled analysis of updated primary-source patient data from all three studies after the primary efficacy analyses had been conducted. The meta-analysis demonstrated that there is a statistically superior OS (P value=0.001, HR=0.74 (0.62-0.89)), Median OS for no maintenance or placebo was 86 months and the median OS for lenalidomide had not been reached. The median OS for lenalidomide treatment arm was extrapolated to be 116 months based on median of the control arm and HR (median, 86 months; HR = 0.74). Thus, there is a 26% reduction in the risk of death which is an estimated 2.5 year increase in median OS. There is an increased incidence of second primary malignancies with lenalidomide maintenance when compared to placebo but this risk is less than the risk of dying when not receiving lenalidomide. (more…)
AACR, Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Colon Cancer, Stem Cells / 02.06.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ajay Goel, Ph.D. Professor, and Director of Center for Epigenetics and Cancer Preventio Baylor Scott & White Research Institute Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Dr. Goel: One of the areas in which I am interested is examining the activity of natural compounds as it relates to cancer prevention, progression, and treatment. Polyphenols have known antioxidant and anti-cancer activity, but it is important that we better understand the mechanisms of action. I have found in my research on curcumin and boswellia that these plants contain compounds that work on an epigenetic level and can influence microRNA in ways that chemotherapeutic agents cannot. MicroRNA is important because it is like a master control panel that turns on and off a multitude of genetic “switches.” Influencing the activity of microRNA influences a wide array of genetic expression. If you tell the general of the army what to do, it has a much greater impact than directions given to a private, because the general influences so many more soldiers. Because grape seed extract contains oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC) that are also quite active in influential cancer mitigating genetic pathways, I wanted to determine its effects more exactly. I chose specifically tannin-free, low molecular weight OPCs because there is some evidence that the larger sized OPCs are not absorbable. (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Stem Cells / 11.05.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Timothy D. Henry, MD, MSCAI Director, Division of Cardiology Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Henry: Heart failure it the #1 cause of morbidity, mortality and cost in the United States today.  Patients with Class 3 heart failure, despite optimal medical therapy and device therapy have limited options beyond heart transplantation and left ventricular cyst device. Transplantation and LVAD are expensive and are challenged by both availability and complications.  Therefore, treatment for patients with ongoing symptoms despite medical therapy is an admiral goal.  Stem cell therapy appears to be an attractive choice for these patients, in particular patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. The ATHENA trial was designed to treat patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and ongoing ischemia with autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells.  Patients would undergo liposuction with onsite processing of their stem cells in 1 ½ - 2 hours, followed by intramyocardial injection of adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADCRs) vs. placebo. (more…)
Author Interviews, Science, Stem Cells / 29.04.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Keir Menzies PhD Assistant Professor University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute University of Ottawa  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Menzies: Currently there is significant amount of research identifying the power of stem cells to regenerate damaged or aging tissue. Our research discovered that reduced stem cell health was linked to unusually low levels of a small molecule called NAD, one of the most important cellular molecules to maintain the performance of mitochondria, the engine of the cell. Then by boosting NAD levels, using a special form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide riboside, stem cells could be rejuvenated during aging by improving mitochondrial function.  We then go on to show that by improving stem cell function we could prolong the lifespan of mice, even when the treatment began at a relatively old age. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, PLoS, Stem Cells / 06.04.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Takashi Tsuji, PhD Team Leader of  Laboratory for Organ Regeneration RIKEN Center fo r Developmental Biology Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Japan MedicalResearch.com: What was the impetus for this research? What made you think about creating a skin model? Answer. Previously, we successfully demonstrated the functional organ regeneration including tooth (PNAS 2009), hair follicles (Nature Communications 2012), salivary gland (Nature Communications 2013a) and lachrymal gland (Nature Communications 2013b). We focused onto a complex organogenesis through the epithelial and mesenchymal cell interaction. In the current study as a continuous work, we would like to regenerate organ system by using multipotent stem cells such as ES and iPS cells. In this study, we first demonstrated the generation of a functional bioengineered 3D integumentary organ system from murine iPS cells. MedicalResearch.com: Can you describe what you created in layperson terms? How big is it, what does it look like and what is it capable of doing? Answer. We succeeded to demonstrate the proof-of-concept to generate 3D integumentary organ system, complete skin, which has skin appendages such as hair follicle and sebaceous gland, by mimicking the organogenesis during embryogenesis. In this work, we performed in murine system, so, the transplantable skin size is small as 1 mm2 /1 site. We think that further studies for humanization and the development of in vitro culture system would lead to realize of clinical applications for severe burned patients and severe hair loss. Furthermore, this method will contribute to understand the onset of dermoid tumor, which has ectodermal organs such as tooth and hair follicle, in human. (more…)
Author Interviews, Erectile Dysfunction, Stem Cells, Urology / 03.04.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Michael Zahalsky MD Medical Director of Urological Oncology North Broward Medical Center, Florida MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Zahalsky: Erectile dysfunction or the inability to maintain an erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse is a disease that affects hundreds of millions of men worldwide. Currently, the most utilized methods to help treat these men include oral medications, injectable medications and penile prostheses. We sought out new alternatives to treat and potentially even cure erectile dysfunction by using stem cells and biologic-based therapies - treatments that are now being used in various fields of medicine from orthopedics to plastic surgery. We decided to see how their effect will influence Erectile Dysfunction by evaluating blood flow to the penis. In the past we studied Peyronie’s Disease using a similar treatment modality and showed that with a single injection blood flow improved, plaque size decreased, and penile curvature lessened.  There have been many animal studies, as well, showing the benefit of biologic-based therapies in the treatment of Erectile Dysfunction and Peyronie’s Disease. We chose to use placental matrix derived mesenchymal stem cells in this study on Erectile Dysfunction. We had a small sample of 8 patients who underwent treatment. We had statistically significant increase in blood flow into the penis.  This was demonstrated by an increase in peak systolic velocity using color doppler on ultrasound. (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Stem Cells / 15.03.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Joost P.G. Sluijter, PhD, FESC Associate Professor Department of Cardiology Experimental Cardiology Laboratory UMC Utrecht MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Sluijter: Cell transplantation therapy for ischemic heart disease has entered the arena of clinical trials more than a decade ago. Multiple cell types have been used since these first endeavors, and there is accumulating evidence that different cell types positively influence the damaged heart through paracrine and/or regenerative mechanisms. One of the most promising cell types to be used are the cardiac-located stem cells. Cardiac stem cells (CSCs) have been found to reside in the adult heart and can differentiate towards all cell types that are needed in the normal functional heart. These cells have shown great potential as a regenerative therapeutic upon myocardial infarction (MI) in animal models and are currently being tested in some clinical studies. However, although promising, no systematic overview and subsequent meta-analysis of preclinical data exists to date for this cell type and if they are consistently effective. Our systematic approach, yielded 80 studies and included over 1900 animals, confirms the consistent effect of CSCs and provides us with a first comprehensive overview of pre-clinical MI studies in an unbiased and systematic manner.  Nowadays we are aware of a failure in therapeutic effect size for the translation axis, where we try to bridge fundamental findings from the lab to the bedside. This means that effects we observe in our initial studies on cardiac performance are slowly getting less successful when we are getting closer to a real clinical scenario. Through our meta-analysis, we observed a consistent therapeutic effect of Cardiac stem cells therapy on cardiac function after MI, where 12% of functional improvements is observed in rodents, and only an 8% improvement was still present in large animal models. From previous observations, we know that this leaves a 3-4% of effect in a patient population. In addition to the difference in effect size between small and large animal models, also a difference in study quality and attrition bias was observed. Interestingly, although additional support to the idea that Cardiac stem cells are efficacious in preclinical studies were observed, we did not find any influence of immunosuppression, cell source, comorbidity of CSC donors, culture methods, or model of ischemia on the outcomes. (more…)