Development of MultiStem for the Treatment of Acute Spinal Cord Injury
Abstract
Spinal cord injuries can be devastating, often leading to permanent paralysis with few, if any, treatment options available. In addition to the lack of movement and walking ability, which is commonly associated with spinal cord injury, there can be loss of bowel, bladder, sexual function, and perspiration. The loss of these functions leads to a dramatic decrease in independence and quality of life of each individual. The focus of this proposal will be to advance a therapy that can improve outcomes for patients by preventing the loss of these functions. Our hope is that we will be able to help patients in the early days following a spinal cord injury, before the destruction of spinal cord tissue is permanent. Ultimately we aim to treat spinal cord injuries sustained by both military personnel and civilians, at all levels and of all severities, but likely will remain focused on treating in the early days after the injury when MultiStem seems to be most effective in our studies thus far. In this proposal, we intend to design a spinal cord injury clinical trial protocol for the use of MultiStem, an adult stem cell therapy developed by Athersys, Inc. We can generate thousands of doses of MultiStem from a single adult bone marrow donor, eliminating ethical concerns associated with embryonic/fetal tissue. MultiStem is being used in clinical trials with no tissue matching needing and no concern of rejection. When provided at the proper time and dose, these stem cells dampen down the body’s response to a nervous system injury, preventing excess damage. Importantly, there is little risk to the treatment as MultiStem therapy has already been shown to be safe in a related injury model (stroke), and we observed a 20% increase in the number of patients making a full recovery a year after treatment. To date, hundreds of patients have been treated with MultiStem with no serious adverse events related to the cells reported. In using MultiStem to treat spinal cord injury, we are continuing on a research path first started in academic laboratories and now progressing to the treatment of patients. Athersys has always been committed to sharing our data, and we intend to continue to publish and be transparent in regards to the results of our trial so that others may learn from our trial. Relative to many other therapies, the path to clinical application with MultiStem is relatively short. Many of the hurdles that inhibit the transition from animal models to clinical application have already been overcome. If the clinical studies are successful, patient-related outcomes should follow rapidly.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 29, 2018
- Source ID
- W81XWH1710569
Entities
People
- Sarah Busch
Organizations
- Athersys
- United States Army