Press Releases from AlphaMed Press

A team of researchers from Gifu Pharmaceutical University and Gifu University in Japan has published results demonstrating that a type of protein found in stem cells taken from adipose (fat) tissue can reverse and prevent age-related, light-induced retinal damage in a mouse model, offering hope for those faced with permanent vision loss.

The research, published in the latest issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, has determined that a single injection of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) reduced the retinal damage induced by light exposure in mice. Also, the study found that adipose-derived stem cells in conditioned medium inhibited the retinal damage by hydrogen peroxide and visible light both in the medium and in live mice.

Moreover the research revealed that a type of protein called progranulin found in the ASCs might be what plays the pivotal role in protecting against light-induced eye damage.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), show great promise in regenerative medicine due to their ability to be “coaxed” into becoming different specific types of cells. These cells can then go on to help the body heal itself by replacing or repairing damaged or dead cells.

However, the current methods for inducing neural stem cells involve time-consuming, multiple labor-intensive steps that cannot be easily automated or made GMP (good manufacturing practice) compliant for clinical grade manufacture. In addition, not many of the neural stem cells produced this way can be expanded and coaxed into becoming different neural subtypes specific to the brain regions responsible for controlling different functions.

MS is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by inflammation and scar-like lesions throughout the central nervous system (CNS). There is no cure and no treatment eases the severe forms of MS. But previous studies on animals have shown that transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) holds promise as a therapy for all forms of MS. The MSCs migrate to areas of damage, release trophic (cell growth) factors and exert neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects to inhibit T cell proliferation.

MS-related clinical trials have all confirmed the safety of autologous MSC therapy. However what is unclear is whether MSCs derived from older donors have the same therapeutic potential as those from younger ones.

In an article featured in the latest issue of STEM CELLS, a research group from Stanford University describes a novel regimen for quashing this immunologic barrier — a short-course treatment with two costimlation-adhesion blockade agents, allowing engraftment of transplanted differentiated stem cells and their prolonged survival in tissue.

"Inducing immune tolerance to human embryonic stem cell graft is critical for the clinical success of regenerative medicine,” commented Dr. Joseph Wu, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Radiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. “We have realized, however, that traditional immunosuppressive therapies used to prevent solid organ rejection, such as calcineurin inhibitors and corticosteroids, are insufficient to prevent human embryonic stem cell rejection following transplantation.”