StemCells Inc reported promising results of a pre-clinical study that examined the Company's human neural stem cell (hCNS-SC) technology as a potential means of regenerating damaged nerve and nerve fibers in patients with spinal cord injuries.
Injured mice transplanted with hCNS-SC showed improved motor function in quantitative tests designed to measure functional recovery from complete hind limb paralysis to normal walking, in comparison with controls. A direct link has also been made between the amount of functional recovery and the level of human cell engraftment. Additionally, the hCNS-SC does not contribute to scarring due to glial cell proliferation, which normally inhibits neuronal cell growth and recovery.
"Loss of myelin, the insulator for nerve cells, is a significant problem after spinal cord injury. This data suggests that human neural stem cells could contribute to repairing the nervous system after injury, including the replacement of myelinating cells. We are very excited about the potential for this type of intervention for spinal cord injury," commented Dr. Anderson.
"The sample size in these pilot studies is small. However, we are particularly encouraged by the consistent trend for the transplanted animals to perform better than their controls. Our task now is to replicate these studies and to evaluate the potential of these hCNS-SC at different dose levels," added Dr. Cummings.
Dr. Aileen Anderson is an Assistant Professor, Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of California-Irvine. She is also a core professor for The Reeve-Irvine Research Center, part of the College of Medicine of the University of California, Irvine. Drs. Anderson and Cummings are co-investigators on this study. The Reeve-Irvine Center is named for actor Christopher Reeve. Its mission is to study injury and disease of the spinal cord and to promote the coordination and cooperation of scientists around the world seeking a cure for paralysis and amelioration of diseases impacting neurological function.