Brainstorm and Tel Aviv University presented at the Biomed conference the results of a successful pre-clinical trial in Parkinson's disease
"Brainstorm's NTF cells are produced with the aim of transplanting them into Parkinson's patients from the stem cells in the human bone marrow. These cells secrete neurotrophic factors, which we know play an important role in the normal functioning of nerves, thus helping to treat diseases caused by neurodegeneration, such as Parkinson's, ALS, etc. '", explains Dr. Daniel Ofen from Tel Aviv University, Brainstorm's chief scientist and scientific director of the experiment.
As part of the study, the scientists at Tel Aviv University injected laboratory rats with a toxin that destroys a certain part of the brain, in order to imitate the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The rats were then divided into three groups: one received the brainstrom's NTF cells, the second received mesenchymal cells as they are extracted from the bone marrow, and the third served as a control. The motor function of the rats was tested for 45 days, after which a histological examination was conducted.
The results showed that the motor function of the group that received the NTF cells was significantly better than the group of mesenchymal cells and the control group. Also, in a biochemical measurement of the neurotransmitter dopamine (a low level of which causes Parkinson's), it was found that the injection of NTF cells increased its level significantly. In another test, which took place 45 days after the transplant, the scientists identified the company's cells inside the rat's brain, when they begin to migrate towards the damaged area. The company believes that this is proof of the brainstorm cells' ability to integrate within the damaged brain. It should be noted that this is the second study using Brainstorm's NTF cells, and shows similar results.
These results were presented at the international conference on stem cells held this week in Tel Aviv, as part of Biomed Israel events.
Prof. Eldad Melamed, chairman of the scientific board and chief medical advisor to the company, added: "These exciting results provide further proof of the validity of our scientific work. The research shows that our cells survive, integrate into the brain and cause a clinical effect. When we also take into account the advantages inherent in the use of adult stem cells from the beginning, namely the ease with which they can be produced, the absence of the fear of transplant rejection and the absence of the danger of creating tumors, we expect to soon begin clinical trials in Parkinson's disease"
About Brainstorm:
Brainstrom, whose subsidiary laboratories are in Petah Tikva and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange, (OTCBB: BCLI) is one of the most advanced companies in the world in the field of adult stem cell research. Using unique methods, the company uses the patient's own stem cells to develop an innovative treatment for neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and ALS. The scientific research in the company is led by the best scientists in the field: Professor Eldad Melamed, director of the neurology department at the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva and a senior lecturer at Tel Aviv University, Dr. Danny Ofen, a biologist specializing in cell research at Tel Aviv University, and Dr. Avinoam Kadori, former The development manager of the pharmaceutical giant Sarono.
Using a procedure developed in the laboratories of Tel Aviv University and the company's laboratories, the patient's own bone marrow is taken, a separation is carried out, in the framework of which the stem cells are collected which are used as a source for the growth of different nerve cells. At this stage, the company focuses on the development of nerve cells that produce a battery of essential substances for the support of nervous systems - such as dopaminergic nerve cells (which produce dopamine) and other nerve cells. These cells will be implanted in the patient's body, and will restore the cells damaged by the disease. It should be noted that the use of the patient's own mature nerve cells is probably the best medical solution, since there is no risk of graft rejection and there are no cancerous metastases that characterize the use of embryonic stem cells.
