Blog | HemaCare

A Phase III clinical trial comparing hematopoietic stem cell transplants to immunomodulators is underway.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of the myelin sheath of nerve fibers. There is no cure for the condition, but there are a number of FDA-approved immunomodulators or disease-modifying therapies to reduce relapses and slow disease progression. Despite the availability of these drugs, their varying efficacy, adverse effects, and expense are significant concerns. Therefore, a means to safely and effectively control MS symptoms and progression is still under investigation.

Research out of the University of Colorado found that by increasing expression of the MLL gene in induced Pluripotent Stem Cells they could stimulate hematopoietic stem cell production.

The mixed-lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) gene is disrupted in certain types of acute leukemias due to incorrect fusion with other genes. The majority of patients with leukemias resulting from MLL1 gene fusions are infants under one year of age with primarily acute lymphoblastic leukemias. Some patients with MLL1-related leukemia are those who developed it after treatment with certain chemotherapeutic agents. This subset of patients may rise due to the increased development and use of immunotherapies targeting B-lymphoid cell surface markers.

Stem-cells and MS are widely discussed, but we might be finally getting closer to stem-cell treatments for MS patients.

Stem cell therapies are investigated for their potential to provide long-lasting or permanent remission of multiple sclerosis (MS) signs and symptoms. Many patients are well-informed of the potential of stem cell therapy for MS, and many seek treatments abroad that are promoted to give positive or curative outcomes. There are also clinics in the US that provide treatments that are outside of FDA-approved uses. The only FDA-approved, stem-cell based products used in the US consist of CD34+ stem cells derived from cord blood.

An independent study cites the use of HemaCare-sourced human bone marrow-derived CD34+ stem cells for research into a potential new therapy for sickle cell disease. ^[1]

Sickle cell is a serious disease that affects millions of people throughout the world. People affected by sickle cell anemia have rigid, sickle-shaped red blood cells that can’t adequately carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. As a result, sickle cell patients suffer from a variety of medical complications, which can shorten their life span. Contemporary cell therapy treatments have focused on a gene therapy approach that uses lentiviral vectors to supply CD34+ bone marrow-derived stem cells with an unimpaired version of the hemoglobin gene. While this tactic has met with some promise, finding healthy, matched bone marrow donors is difficult. Researchers at Biogen, a well-known biotech firm headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are trying to discover cell and gene therapy methods that they hope will provide an alternative solution, and thereby improve treatment success rates.

Stem cell treatments can have a significant impact on human health. These methods can prolong and even save lives.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the capacity of self-renewal and to develop into diverse cell types in different areas of the body. Given these characteristics, stem cells have become promising options to bolster regenerative medicine efforts that may provide therapeutic results that are not possible with current approaches. The utility of stems cells to renew tissues affected by trauma and degenerative conditions can provide breakthroughs in the treatment of numerous diseases, such as cardiovascular, neurological, and other diseases.