Post by tradeup on Aug 22, 2014 22:11:51 GMT
Paper published today in Science with an interesting takeaway regarding Alzheimer's as a difficult target. I know BrainStorm also plans to target additional indications with NurOwn cells, and has mentioned Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease markets should NurOwn prove efficacious.
Use of differentiated pluripotent stem cells as replacement therapy for treating disease (Aug 22, 2014)
Comments on the paper ...
Stem Cell Therapies Hold Promise, But Obstacles Remain
Goldman and his co-authors contend that “the brain is arguable the most difficult of the organs in which to employ stem cell-based therapeutics.” The complex connections and interdependency between neurons and the myriad of other support cells found in central nervous mean that a precise reconstruction of damaged areas of the brain is often impractical. Also, many degenerative neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s, involve more than one cell type, making them difficult targets for stem cell therapies, at least in the near future.
Instead, Goldman argues that neurological diseases that involve a single cell type – at least at the early stages – are more promising targets for PSC-based therapies. These include Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, which are characterized by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons and medium spiny neurons, respectively. In particular, diseases that involved support cells found in the brain known as glia – such as multiple sclerosis, white matter stroke, cerebral palsy, and pediatric leukodystrophies – are especially strong candidates for stem cell therapies. These diseases are characterized by the loss of a specific glial cell type called the oligodendrocyte, which makes myelin, the insulation that allows electrical signals to travel between nerve cells. In multiple sclerosis, the body’s own immune system attacks and destroys these cells and, over time, communication between cells is disrupted or even lost.
Use of differentiated pluripotent stem cells as replacement therapy for treating disease (Aug 22, 2014)
Comments on the paper ...
Stem Cell Therapies Hold Promise, But Obstacles Remain
Goldman and his co-authors contend that “the brain is arguable the most difficult of the organs in which to employ stem cell-based therapeutics.” The complex connections and interdependency between neurons and the myriad of other support cells found in central nervous mean that a precise reconstruction of damaged areas of the brain is often impractical. Also, many degenerative neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s, involve more than one cell type, making them difficult targets for stem cell therapies, at least in the near future.
Instead, Goldman argues that neurological diseases that involve a single cell type – at least at the early stages – are more promising targets for PSC-based therapies. These include Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, which are characterized by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons and medium spiny neurons, respectively. In particular, diseases that involved support cells found in the brain known as glia – such as multiple sclerosis, white matter stroke, cerebral palsy, and pediatric leukodystrophies – are especially strong candidates for stem cell therapies. These diseases are characterized by the loss of a specific glial cell type called the oligodendrocyte, which makes myelin, the insulation that allows electrical signals to travel between nerve cells. In multiple sclerosis, the body’s own immune system attacks and destroys these cells and, over time, communication between cells is disrupted or even lost.
