Amnion Cell Secretome-Mediated Therapy for Gulf War Illness
Abstract
The Gulf War, codenamed Operation Desert Shield (2 August 1990 – 17 January 1991) and Operation Desert Storm (17 January 1991 – 28 February 1991) in its combat phase, was an international conflict led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq s invasion and annexation of Kuwait. Many returning coalition Soldiers reported various health symptoms following their deployment in the war, a phenomenon known as Gulf War Illness. Symptoms reported by Gulf War Veterans vary widely but include widespread pain, muscle aches, skin abnormalities, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, and problems with memory and thinking. An ideal treatment would not only improve the symptoms of Gulf War Illness but also treat the underlying cause of the disease. The main complication in treating Gulf War Illness, however, is the fact that it is multisystemic and involves several diseases processes. One such treatment that is hypothesized to target chronic neuroinflammation while acting on numerous targets is a cell-free secretome, known as ST266. The objective of this application is to address the FY20 “treatment challenge” to evaluate the potential usefulness of ST266, a novel cell-free therapeutic, to restore normal function by treating health consequences associated with Gulf War Illness when administered intranasally. The therapeutic, ST266, is the first-of-its-kind cell free therapeutic with the potential to improve patients’ outcomes across a range of challenging diseases and conditions. The components of ST266 are secreted by a population of cells generated by a proprietary method of culturing selected amnion-derived epithelial cells collected from full-term placentas normally discarded after birth produced by Noveome Biotherapeutics, Inc. The cells produce many of the biological factors found in amniotic fluid that may be responsible for the healing capabilities and lack of scarring observed following in-utero fetal surgery. For this project, instead of a single drug that targets a specific problem, we will use a rich, complex solution called ST266, which comprises molecules secreted from proprietary cells that modulate inflammation, accelerate wound healing, and potentially reduce or eliminate these symptoms. This work will be carried out in two different well-characterized mouse models of Gulf War Illness, which demonstrates clinical relevance. The three aims of the project will investigate: (1) The dose of ST266 that produces optimal results in neurobehavioral performance in two mouse models of Gulf War Illness. (2) The dose of ST266 that alleviates the neuropathological markers of neuroinflammation in two mouse models of Gulf War Illness. (3) To determine the optimal dose of ST266 that alleviates brain and systemic inflammation in two mouse models of Gulf War Illness. At the conclusion of this 2-year project, our findings could significantly impact the health of Veterans with Gulf War symptoms, and their families, by offering them new therapeutic approaches to both potentially target the underlying cause of the illness and treat the symptoms. Considering that ST266 has proven to have therapeutic value in preclinical models of neuroinflammatory disorders such as traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis, we anticipate that positive results from this preclinical study could rapidly translate into clinical testing and implementation of an effective treatment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110289
Entities
People
- Benoit Mouzon
Organizations
- Roskamp Institute
- United States Army