Welcome to the E-newsletter of the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures March Issue 2, 2016! Below are a few articles that caught our eye this month. Enjoy.
Documenting ViaCyte’s stem cell diabetes trial
Nearly 18 months into a breakthrough stem cell trial for type 1 diabetes, significant positive results are emerging. ViaCyte, a leader in stem cell therapies for diabetes, is conducting this first human trial of its kind. And a husband/wife team is producing the first documentary of its kind. They are filming the trial results as they occur.
Almost everyone with type 1 diabetes heard upon their diagnosis, “There will be a cure in five to ten years.” For me that was forty-four years ago this month. Why do we still not have a cure for diabetes…
Read more here.
Stem cell clinical trial for Parkinson’s begins
In what appears to be a first for Parkinson’s disease therapy, patients are now being recruited for an Australian clinical trial of a stem-cell based therapy from Carlsbad’s International Stem Cell Corp.
The Phase I trial, conducted by the company’s Cyto Therapeutics subsidiary, seeks signs of safety and early evidence of efficacy. Announced Monday, it aims to relieve the movement disorders of Parkinson’s by replacing the kind of brain cells destroyed in the disease. These cells produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, which enables normal movement.
Read more here.
A TWIST in mesenchymal stem cell trials: protein predicts therapy’s potential
Mesenchymal stem cells are adult stem cells with the potential to specialize into a somewhat limited number of cell types – those responsible for making fat, bone and cartilage. But MSCs are also known for their anti-inflammatory properties which are carried out via the release of protein factors. This ability to dampen the immune system makes the MSC an extremely attractive source material for cell therapies. In fact, there are over 500 mesenchymal stem cell-based clinical trials testing treatments for diseases that target a wide range of tissues including spinal cord injury, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, respiratory disorders and graft versus host disease, just to name a few.
Read more here.
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