Individualizing Medicine 2014: From Promise to Practice
Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., co-director, Individualizing Medicine Conference, discusses the state of personalized medicine and the importance of idea sharing...

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PHTA 2353 Spinal Cord Injury Review 9/30/2014

By: CASC PTA

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The Importance of Patient-Centeredness and Value
Edward Abrahams, Ph.D., president of the Personalized Medicine Coalition, discusses the need to focus on patient-centered care and value in the healthcare sy...

By: TTTACancer

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The Modified Spinal Cord Injury Functional Ambulation Profile (mSCI-FAP) #4 Step Task
mSCI-FAP tasks are timed walking tests measuring the performance of 4 common walking tasks. This video covers stepping up and down a step with no handrails.

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Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) were able to safely tolerate treatment with cells cultured from human placental tissue, according to a study published today in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. The study, which is the first of its kind, was conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai, Celgene Cellular Therapeutics subsidiary of Celgene Corporation and collaborators at several other institutions.

While designed to determine safety of the treatment, early signals in the data also suggested that a preparation of cultured cells called PDA-001 may repair damaged nerve tissues in patients with MS. PDA-001 cells resemble "mesenchymal," stromal stem cells found in connective tissue in bone marrow, but unlike their bone-marrow derived counterparts, stromal cells from the placenta are more numerous, with one donor able to supply enough cells for many patients.

"This is the first time placenta-derived cells have been tested as a possible therapy for multiple sclerosis," said Fred Lublin, MD, Director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Professor of Neurology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the lead investigator of the study. "The next step will be to study larger numbers of MS patients to assess efficacy of the cells, but we could be looking at a new frontier in treatment for the disease."

MS is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mounts recurring assaults on the myelin--the fatty, protective coating around nerve fibers in the central nervous system. This causes nerves to malfunction and can lead to paralysis and blindness. The disease usually begins as an episodic disorder called relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and for many sufferers, evolves into a chronic condition with worsening disability called secondary progressive MS (SPMS).

The new safety study was conducted on 16 MS patients (10 with RRMS and six with SPMS) between the ages of 18 and 65. Six patients were given a high dose of PDA-001, another six were given a lower dose, and four patients were given placebo. Any time the immune system is altered, say by an experimental treatment, there is always a risk for MS to worsen, noted Dr. Lublin. All subjects were given monthly brain scans over a six-month period to ensure they did not acquire any new or enlarging brain lesions, which would indicate a worsening of MS activity. No subjects showed any paradoxical worsening on MRI and after one year, the majority had stable or improved levels of disability.

"We're hoping to learn more about how placental stromal cells contribute to myelin repair," said Dr. Lublin. "We suspect they either convert to a myelin making cell, or they enhance the environment of the area where the damage is to allow for natural repair. Our long-term goal is to develop strategies to facilitate repair of the damaged nervous system."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Mount Sinai Medical Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Cells from placentas safe for patients with multiple sclerosis, study shows

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

29-Sep-2014

Contact: Sasha Walek newsmedia@mssm.edu 212-241-6738 The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine @mountsinainyc

Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) were able to safely tolerate treatment with cells cultured from human placental tissue, according to a study published today in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. The study, which is the first of its kind, was conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai, Celgene Cellular Therapeutics subsidiary of Celgene Corporation and collaborators at several other institutions.

While designed to determine safety of the treatment, early signals in the data also suggested that a preparation of cultured cells called PDA-001 may repair damaged nerve tissues in patients with MS. PDA-001 cells resemble mesenchymal, stromal stem cells found in many tissues of the body. Since the cells are expanded in cell cultures, one donor is able to supply enough cells for many patients.

"This is the first time placenta-derived cells have been tested as a possible therapy for multiple sclerosis," said Fred Lublin, MD, Director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Professor of Neurology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the lead investigator of the study. "The next step will be to study larger numbers of MS patients to assess efficacy of the cells, but we could be looking at a new frontier in treatment for the disease."

MS is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mounts recurring assaults on the myelin--the fatty, protective coating around nerve fibers in the central nervous system. This causes nerves to malfunction and can lead to paralysis and blindness. The disease usually begins as an episodic disorder called relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and for many sufferers, evolves into a chronic condition with worsening disability called secondary progressive MS (SPMS).

The new safety study was conducted on 16 MS patients (10 with RRMS and six with SPMS) between the ages of 18 and 65. Six patients were given a high dose of PDA-001, another six were given a lower dose, and four patients were given placebo. Any time the immune system is altered, say by an experimental treatment, there is always a risk for MS to worsen, noted Dr. Lublin. All subjects were given monthly brain scans over a six-month period to ensure they did not acquire any new or enlarging brain lesions, which would indicate a worsening of MS activity. No subjects showed any paradoxical worsening on MRI and after one year, the majority had stable or improved levels of disability.

"We're hoping to learn more about how placental stromal cells contribute to myelin repair," said Dr. Lublin. "We suspect they either convert to a myelin making cell, or they enhance the environment of the area where the damage is to allow for natural repair. Our long-term goal is to develop strategies to facilitate repair of the damaged nervous system."

###

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Cells from placentas safe for patients with multiple sclerosis

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Stem Cell Therapy in Muscular Dystrophy - Woman
stem cell india, stem cell therapy india, stem cell in india, stem cell therapy in india, india stem cell, india stem cell therapy.

By: Stem Cell India

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Stroke Stem Cell Therapy Testimonial
Kylie tells the story of her father #39;s stroke and how stem cell therapy helped his condition.

By: stemaid

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Stem Cell Therapy The Aspen Institute for Anti Aging Regenerative Medicine

By: Cupio Media

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) -- We hate to see our elderly loved ones start having trouble getting around. The same goes for our pets. They're part of the family too. Now there's a procedure that could help pets across the valley, in just one day.

For Tasha, Wednesday was a big day. The 12 year old black lab has a tough time getting around. She has hip dysplasia and arthritis. But this visit to Whitesburg Animal Hospital, should change that.

"In a week, they're better. Even in the first day or two, you'll see noticeable improvement," says Whitesburg veterinarian Dr. Mark Russell.

The hospital teamed up with MediVet America to offer a one-day stem cell procedure, the first in North Alabama. It can now activate sleeping stem cells in an animal's fat, then inject them right back into the damaged areas.

"The stem cells will repair and regenerate cartilage, tendons, whatever is lacking in that area," says Trey Smith, the Director of Lab Services for MediVet America.

In the past, the cells had to be sent to California to be activated. This quicker procedure has another benefit.

"We've relied on medications to try to control this, and that's pretty much all we had. And you get to a certain point, when the medication doesn't work anymore, and their quality of life is bad. That's not hardly worth it for them. This gives them a whole new option," Dr. Russell says.

"Probably 20 to 25 percent of dogs are arthritic and they're not very good at telling their owner they're hurting," adds Smith.

So, what should you look for?

Russell says, "When your pet starts slowing down, it may not be because they're getting older, it may be because they're hurt."

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Stem cell therapy for pets available in Huntsville

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LA JOLLA, CASeptember 29, 2014Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered that a gene mutation linked to hereditary spastic paraplegia, a disabling neurological disorder, interferes with the normal breakdown of triglyceride fat molecules in the brain. The TSRI researchers found large droplets of triglycerides within the neurons of mice modeling the disease.

The findings, reported this week online ahead of print by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, point the way to potential therapies and showcase an investigative strategy that should be useful in determining the biochemical causes of other genetic illnesses. Scientists in recent decades have linked thousands of gene mutations to human diseases, yet many of the genes in question code for proteins of unknown function.

We often need to understand the protein function that is disrupted by a gene mutation, if were going to understand the mechanistic basis for the disease and move towards developing a therapy, and that is what weve tried to do here, said Benjamin F. Cravatt, professor and chair of TSRIs Department of Chemical Physiology.

There is currently no treatment for hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a set of genetic illnesses whose symptoms include muscle weakness and stiffness, and in some cases cognitive impairments. About 100,000 people worldwide live with HSP.

Uncovering Clues

In the new study, Cravatt and members of his laboratory, including graduate student Jordon Inloes and postdoctoral fellow Ku-Lung Hsu, focused on DDHD2, an enzyme of unclear function whose gene is mutated in a subset of HSP cases. These cases involving DDHD2 disruption feature cognitive defects as well as spasticity and muscle wasting, so theyre among the more devastating forms of this illness, said Cravatt.

To start, the researchers created a mouse model of DDHD2-related HSP, in which a targeted deletion from the DDHD2 gene eliminated the expression of the DDHD2 protein. These mice showed symptoms similar to those of HSP patients, including abnormal gait and lower performance on tests of movement and cognition, said Inloes.

Prior research had suggested that the DDHD2 enzyme is expressed in the brain and is involved somehow in lipid metabolism. One study reported elevated levels of an unknown fat molecule in the brains of DDHD2-mutant HSP patients. Cravatts team compared the tissues of the no-DDHD2 mice to the tissues of mice with normal versions of the gene, and also found that the mutant mice had much higher levels of a type of fat molecule, principally in the brain.

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Scripps Research Institute Scientists Shed Light on Cause of Spastic Paraplegia

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Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered that a gene mutation linked to hereditary spastic paraplegia, a disabling neurological disorder, interferes with the normal breakdown of triglyceride fat molecules in the brain. The TSRI researchers found large droplets of triglycerides within the neurons of mice modeling the disease.

The findings, reported this week online ahead of print by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, point the way to potential therapies and showcase an investigative strategy that should be useful in determining the biochemical causes of other genetic illnesses. Scientists in recent decades have linked thousands of gene mutations to human diseases, yet many of the genes in question code for proteins of unknown function.

"We often need to understand the protein function that is disrupted by a gene mutation, if we're going to understand the mechanistic basis for the disease and move towards developing a therapy, and that is what we've tried to do here," said Benjamin F. Cravatt, professor and chair of TSRI's Department of Chemical Physiology.

There is currently no treatment for hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a set of genetic illnesses whose symptoms include muscle weakness and stiffness, and in some cases cognitive impairments. About 100,000 people worldwide live with HSP.

Uncovering Clues

In the new study, Cravatt and members of his laboratory, including graduate student Jordon Inloes and postdoctoral fellow Ku-Lung Hsu, focused on DDHD2, an enzyme of unclear function whose gene is mutated in a subset of HSP cases. "These cases involving DDHD2 disruption feature cognitive defects as well as spasticity and muscle wasting, so they're among the more devastating forms of this illness," said Cravatt.

To start, the researchers created a mouse model of DDHD2-related HSP, in which a targeted deletion from the DDHD2 gene eliminated the expression of the DDHD2 protein. "These mice showed symptoms similar to those of HSP patients, including abnormal gait and lower performance on tests of movement and cognition," said Inloes.

Prior research had suggested that the DDHD2 enzyme is expressed in the brain and is involved somehow in lipid metabolism. One study reported elevated levels of an unknown fat molecule in the brains of DDHD2-mutant HSP patients. Cravatt's team compared the tissues of the no-DDHD2 mice to the tissues of mice with normal versions of the gene, and also found that the mutant mice had much higher levels of a type of fat molecule, principally in the brain.

Using a set of sophisticated "lipidomics" tests to analyze the accumulating fat molecules, they identified them as triglycerides -- a major component of stored fat in the body, and a risk factor for obesity, atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes.

"We were able to show as well, using both light microscopy and electron microscopy, that droplets of triglyceride-rich fat are present in the neurons of DDHD2-knockout mice, in several brain regions, but are not present in normal mice," said Inloes.

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Spastic paraplegia: New light shed on cause

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A powerful new technology could be used to manipulate nature by changing a species gene pool through reproduction, and it has scientists proceeding with caution.

The technology is called gene drive by Harvard scientists who say it allows them to edit genes in wild organisms. Dr. Kenneth Oye, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says gene drives are a game changer. Gene drives cheat, they play a game," he explained. "They bias inheritance so the odds of the gene being passed on are raised substantially.

For scientists, the possibilities of the technology are great. Gene drive lets researchers permanently block mosquitoes ability to spread malaria. It can also be used to alter ticks, reducing the spread of Lyme disease. But its not just malaria - any disease spread by mosquitos we can combat in this way," said Oye. "So that means dengue, that means yellow fever, that means, potentially closer to home, West Nile Virus.

Because the technology has the potential to alter entire populations on a global scale scientists are proceeding with caution. The Harvard group is calling for public debate on the wisdom and safety of the technology before moving forward. Ethically I think it's an open and shut case. A slam dunk. That if youre going to be taken actions that potentially affect the world, the world has a little voice in this, said Oye.

For scientists the extent of the risk - and consequences associated with the technology are unknown. Scientists say that if this tech goes awry, it could mean accidental extinction for entire species, or unpredictable gene re-mutations spreading cross-species. Kevin Esvelt, lead scientist in the research group, says the technology needs to be used wisely. Yes, we should be concerned. We should come together and discuss this because it has the potential to do a great deal of good, but it could also do harm if we use it unwisely.

But scientists say they have a plan B if something goes wrong. We can release a second drive that will undo that alteration and restore it pretty close to exactly the same sequence as it was originally, said Esvelt. But he warns the fix isnt absolute. Now that doesnt mean that its going to reverse all the potential ecological effects of that original change. But it does mean that we can take precautions.

The technology has even made waves internationally. A United Nations meeting of experts on biological weapons convened to review the benefits and potential implications of gene drive. Dr. Oye, who presented the tech to international delegates gathered in Geneva, said the tech especially piqued the interest of delegations from Malaria-inflicted regions. The reaction at Geneva from the biosecurity experts, these are the hard core folks, was very, very positive, he said.

Developers of the tech say it's still in the developmental stages, but scientist George Church says field trials could be just around the corner. This technology could go very quickly," he said. "Were talking about something where we could be doing key tests on four different organisms within the next year.

Hillary Vaughn is part of the Junior Reporter program at Fox News. Get more information on the program here and follow them on Twitter: @FNCJrReporters

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Farewell - Batch of 2015, Dept of Genetic Engineering,SRM University
Department of Genetic Engineering,SRM University http://www.srmgenetics.info Concept By - Rex Arunraj Rendition by - Ramanathan Yegappan.

By: Ramanathan Yegappan

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Farmer Paul Schlagel tills acres of sugar beets in Longmont last week. Schlagel uses GMOs and is against the labeling measure. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)

With the Nov. 4 ballot measure, Colorado is at the forefront of a fierce food fight raging across the nation: whether or not to label foods made with genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, so consumers can easily see if the food they buy is a product of genetic engineering.

Similar ballot initiatives failed in California and Washington in the past two years.

This spring, Vermont became the first state to approve GMO labeling. But then a group of national organizations led by the Grocery Manufacturers Association filed a lawsuit in federal court that challenges the new law. This could be the first of many lawsuits to block mandatory GMO labeling, experts say, and now Colorado jumps into the high-stakes debate.

"It will be a hot issue for quite a while in this state," said Katie Abrams, an assistant professor at Colorado State University who researches consumer understanding of food labels. "And it's going on in more places than just Colorado."

GMO labeling will also be on the ballot in Oregon, and this year about 35 similar bills were introduced in 20 states.

If the measure passes in Colorado, by 2016 packaged or raw foods made with GMOs that are sold in retail outlets must be labeled with the phrase "produced with genetic engineering." Exemptions include processed food intended for immediate human consumption, like at restaurants and delis.

Most processed food sold in America today, from beverages to baby food, include GMO ingredients such as corn syrup, corn oil, soy meal and sugar.

More than 90 percent of Americans believe the federal government should require GMO labels, according to an ABC News poll.

Chef/owner Bradford Heap tastes a dish at Salt Bistro in Boulder. Heap has eliminated GMO foods at his two restaurants. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

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GMO labeling measure in Colorado triggers heated debate

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Behavior and genetics - Twin and adoption studies
Twin and adoption studies (Behavior and genetics)

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Documentary Annual Conference 2014: #39;Genetics, Genomics and Global Health
Annual Conference 2014: #39;Genetics, Genomics and Global Health -- Inequalities, Identities and Insecurities #39; 19th July 2014 University of Sussex Conference Ce...

By: Global Health Policy

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The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge Ep.52 Dani Breaks-a-lot
Come join me on my latest journey into the complex world of sims 3 genetics, as I try to get perfect foals and perfect children. Will I succeed in getting pe...

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Minecraft - HERMITCRAFT ModSauce: Ep 10 "MAD SCIENCE WITH GENETICS" Part 3 w/BaconDonutTV
JOIN CYANIDEEPIC BACONDONUT ON A NEW ADVENTURE PLAYING HERMITCRAFT MODSAUCE PACK! 😀 Don #39;t forget to give a like share, Thank you! Check out bacon here: https://www.youtube.com/bacondonut...

By: TheCyaNideEPiC

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

29-Sep-2014

Contact: Karen Kreeger karen.kreeger@uphs.upenn.edu 215-349-5658 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine @PennMedNews

PHILADELPHIA In the second of two papers outlining new gene-therapy approaches to treat a rare disease called MPS I, researchers from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania examined systemic delivery of a vector to replace the enzyme IDUA, which is deficient in patients with this disorder. The second paper, which is published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week, describes how an injection of a vector expressing the IDUA enzyme to the liver can prevent most of the systemic manifestations of the disease, including those found in the heart.

The first paper, published in Molecular Therapy, describes the use of an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector to introduce normal IDUA to glial and neuronal cells in the brain and spinal cord in a feline model. The aim of that study was to directly treat the central nervous system manifestations of MPS while the more recent study aims to treat all other manifestations of the disease outside of the nervous system.

This family of diseases comprises about 50 rare inherited disorders marked by defects in the lysosomes, compartments within cells filled with enzymes to digest large molecules. If one of these enzymes is mutated, molecules that would normally be degraded by the lysosome accumulate within the cell and their fragments are not recycled. Many of the MPS disorders can share symptoms, such as speech and hearing problems, hernias, and heart problems. Patient groups estimate that in the United States 1 in 25,000 births will result in some form of MPS. Life expectancy varies significantly for people with MPS I.

The two main treatments for MPS I are bone marrow transplantation and intravenous enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), but these are only marginally effective or clinically impractical, and have significant drawbacks for patient safety and quality of life and do not effectively address some of the most critical clinical symptoms, such as life-threatening cardiac valve impairments.

"Both of these papers are the first proof-of-principle demonstrations for the efficacy and practicality for gene therapies to be translated into the clinic for lysosomal storage diseases," says lead author James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Penn Gene Therapy Program. "This approach may likely turn out to be better than ERT and compete with or replace ERT. We are especially excited about the use of this approach in treating the many MPS I patients who do not have access to ERT due to cost or inadequate health delivery systems to support repeated protein infusions, such as in China, Eastern Europe, India, and parts of South America."

Patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I), accumulate compounds called glycosaminoglycans in tissues, with resulting diverse clinical symptoms, including neurological, eye, skeletal, and cardiac disease.

Using a naturally occurring feline model of MPS I, the team tested liver-directed gene therapy via a single intravenous infusion as a means of establishing long-term systemic IDUA presence throughout the body.

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Liver gene therapy corrects heart symptoms in model of rare enzyme disorder

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BAES 20140927 Accomplished statisticians, professors, entrepreneurs give talks
Recorded at "Bay Area entrepreneurs in statistics" meetup on 2014-09-27. Speaker #1: Ben C. Mitchell (former Assist. Prof. at Univ. of Kentucky) "A Little Bayesian Problem" (next speaker...

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The Modified Spinal Cord Injury Functional Ambulation Profile (mSCI-FAP) #2: TUG Task
mSCI-FAP tasks are timed walking tests measuring the performance of 4 common walking tasks. This video covers standing up from a chair and walking.

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The Lumineers- "Ho Hey" (cover)
Uploading a song a day for 30 days in September, raising money for the 2nd annual online fundraising event "Sing for Spinal Cord Injury". View all videos: http://www.facebook.com/singforspinal......

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Sarthak - Autologous Bone Marrow Cell Transplantation in CP with Sensory Neural Deafness
stem cell india, stem cell therapy india, stem cell in india, stem cell therapy in india, india stem cell, india stem cell therapy.

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New York, NY (PRWEB) September 29, 2014

Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) were able to safely tolerate treatment with cells cultured from human placental tissue, according to a study published today in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. The study, which is the first of its kind, was conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai, Celgene Cellular Therapeutics subsidiary of Celgene Corporation and collaborators at several other institutions.

While designed to determine safety of the treatment, early signals in the data also suggested that a preparation of cultured cells called PDA-001 may repair damaged nerve tissues in patients with MS. PDA-001 cells resemble mesenchymal, stromal stem cells found in many tissues of the body. Since the cells are expanded in cell cultures, one donor is able to supply enough cells for many patients.

This is the first time placenta-derived cells have been tested as a possible therapy for multiple sclerosis, said Fred Lublin, MD, Director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Professor of Neurology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the lead investigator of the study. The next step will be to study larger numbers of MS patients to assess efficacy of the cells, but we could be looking at a new frontier in treatment for the disease.

MS is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the bodys immune system mounts recurring assaults on the myelin--the fatty, protective coating around nerve fibers in the central nervous system. This causes nerves to malfunction and can lead to paralysis and blindness. The disease usually begins as an episodic disorder called relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and for many sufferers, evolves into a chronic condition with worsening disability called secondary progressive MS (SPMS).

The new safety study was conducted on 16 MS patients (10 with RRMS and six with SPMS) between the ages of 18 and 65. Six patients were given a high dose of PDA-001, another six were given a lower dose, and four patients were given placebo. Any time the immune system is altered, say by an experimental treatment, there is always a risk for MS to worsen, noted Dr. Lublin. All subjects were given monthly brain scans over a six-month period to ensure they did not acquire any new or enlarging brain lesions, which would indicate a worsening of MS activity. No subjects showed any paradoxical worsening on MRI and after one year, the majority had stable or improved levels of disability.

Were hoping to learn more about how placental stromal cells contribute to myelin repair, said Dr. Lublin. We suspect they either convert to a myelin making cell, or they enhance the environment of the area where the damage is to allow for natural repair. Our long-term goal is to develop strategies to facilitate repair of the damaged nervous system.

Collaborators in the study included the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle, WA, MultiCare Health System-Neuroscience Center of Washington, London Health Sciences Centre at University Hospital in London, the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit at the University of Minnesota, the University of Colorado Denver, The Ottawa Hospital Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, and the MS Comprehensive Care Center at SUNY.

Dr. Fred Lublin has received research support and financial compensation as an advisory board member from Celgene, the studys sponsor.

About the Mount Sinai Health System: The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven member hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient servicesfrom communitybased facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

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New Mount Sinai Research Indicates Cells From Placentas are Safe for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

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