A Chinese research study investigated if human derived stem cells can treat induced colitis in mice.
The researchers were specifically interested in studying human umblical cord mesenchymal stem cells which have a poor immunogenic response. This means they are less likely to trigger the immune system into attacking them. At the same time mesenchymal stem cells have potent immunosuppressive qualities, in that they suppress the autoimmune system response. Given these properties, they are being investigated extensively for treatment in those who have autoimmune related diseases. Continue reading “Umbilical Stem Cells May Offer Treatment For Inflammatory Bowel Diseases” »
Christchurch Hospital’s Department of Paediatric Surgery has developed a way to grow smooth muscle cells which may lead to new treatment options for those with bowel diseases or defects.
Research lead by Dr. Atsushi Yoshida & Prof. Spencer Beasley has developed a technique that allows them to grow smooth muscle which exhibits muscle contractions similar that of bowel muscle. The breakthrough allows the researchers to convert pluripotent stem cells into sheets of this smooth muscle tissue.
“This is a significant breakthrough because until now being able to achieve contracting sheets of smooth muscle cells has proved very difficult,” – Dr. Atushi Yoshida Continue reading “Christchurch Hospital On It’s Way To Generating Smooth Bowel Muscle” »
BioLineRx announced that it has licensed an experimental immunotherapy drug from Yissum Research Development Company Ltd which is the business side of Hebrew University of Jerusalem(Israel).
The drug is currently known as “BL-7040” & BioLineRx has plans to further develop & commercialize the drug worldwide. BL-7040 is an experimental drug that is still in testing, but it has already passed Phase Ib & Phase IIa clinical trials. Officially it won’t be known how well BL-7040 works until it’s subjected to Phase IIb clinical trials. However, Prof. Hermona Soreq sounds optimistic on the drug’s efficacy:
The efficacy of BL-7040 in these [earlier] studies was shown to be highly significant and comparable to that of dexamethasone, a steroid used routinely for IBD that has multiple side effects. Continue reading “BioLineRX’s TLR-9 Immunotherapy For Inflammatory Bowel Disease” »
Advanced techniques in stem cell therapy may lead to new treatment options for those with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
MultiStem is a stem cell treatment therapy currently in development by Athersys in partnership with Pfzier. Athersys is currently targeting MultiStem as a treatment for a variety of illnesses such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease but also things like recovery from stroke, heart problems & transplant rejection. Multistem starts by harvesting stem cells from the bone marrow of a donor. Due to the technique that Athersys uses the donor does not have to be a tissue match for the recipient like in some other stem cell treatments. Supposedly it is also easy to mass produce MultiStem as a single donor can produce hundreds of thousands or even millions of doses. Continue reading “Novel Stem Cell Treatments For Inflammatory Bowel Disease” »