Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury - Business Market Research Reports

Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury

Published Date : December 2009

Pages : 46

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Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury report presents 12 R & D stem cell-based product profiles, 10 company profiles and investors information. This report emphasizes advantages and disadvantages of particular cell therapies for spinal cord injury, characteristics and origin of used cells, mechanism of their action, efficacy and adverse effects, mode of delivery, design of clinical trials and result of completed clinical studies.

When considering stem cell therapy, as the new avenue for the treatment of spinal cord injury, it is important to remember that spinal cord is a very complex structure containing a maze of various cells, neuronal extensions, electrical signals and chemical transmissions, presenting extremely difficult task for its regeneration and functional recovery. In addition, injured spinal cord represents one of the most hostile tissue environments for survival and therapeutic effect of transplanted stem and progenitor cells.

Analysis reveals that in the last two years research related to stem cell therapies for the treatment of spinal cord injury had abruptly and significantly shifted from mesenchymal and mesenchymal-like stem cells towards neural stem cells. However, in the commercial R & D pipeline, undergoing development by various companies, the majority (75%) of stem cells used for the treatment of spinal cord injury are mesenchymal stem cells and mesenchymal-like stem cells, which are undifferentiated in 55% of those products. Autologus stem cells, obtained from patient’s own tissues are used in 66%, embryonic-derived stem cells in 17% and allogenic stem cells in 17% of all stem cell transplantations for the treatment of spinal cord injury. Half of products are in preclinical stage of development and only one is in Phase II clinical trials. Out of 10 companies involved in research and development of stem cell-based therapies for spinal cord injury eight are from the USA, one is from Asia and one is from Europe. None of the major pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies are involved in development of stem cell products for the treatment of spinal cord injury.

In conclusion, this pipeline needs update with introduction of more adult neural stem cells-derived and embryonic stem cells-derived products and more investment by large pharmaceutical companies.

Expects that in the future profiles of stem cells used for the treatment of spinal cord injury will change from mesenchymal and mesenchymal-like stem cells and their progenitor to neural stem/progenitor cells. In addition, biodegradable scaffolds will be preferred mode of delivery of stem cells into injured spinal cord and surrounding tissue.

Table of Contents :

1. Introduction

1.1. Incidence, Prevalence and Healthcare Cost of Spinal Cord Injury

1.2. Spinal Cord

1.2.3. Spinal Cord Neural Cells

1.2.3.1. Neurons

1.2.3.2. Oligodendrocytes, Astrocytes and Ependymal cells.

1.3. Spinal Cord Injury

1.4. Inability of Injured Spinal Cord to Spontaneously Regenerate

2. Stem Cells

2. 1. Adult Stem Cells

2.1.1. Origin of Adult Stem Cells

2.1.2. Sources of Adult Stem Cells Used for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury

2.1.3. Generation of Neurons and Glial Cells from Adult Stem Cells

2.1.4. Neural Stem Cells

2.1.5. Neural Stem Cell-Like Cells

2.1.6. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)

2.1.6.1. Criteria for definition of mesenchymal stem cells

2.1.7. Mesenchymal Stem-Like Cells

2.1.8. Advantages and Disadvantages of Adult Stem Cells for Therapeutic Applications

2.1.9. Types of Adult Stem Cell Transplantations for Spinal Cord Injury

2.1.10. Manipulation of Adult Stem Cells Ex Vivo

2.1.10.1. Isolation of Adult Stem Cells

2.1.10.2. Expansion of Adult Stem Cells in Vitro (Bioreactors)

2.1.10.3. Expansion of Adult Neural Stem Cells

2.1.10.4. Adult Stem Cell Differentiation in Vitro (Biochips)

2.1.10.5. Adult Neural Stem Cells Differentiation in Vitro

2.1.10.6. Stimulation of Adult Neural Stem Cells Differentiation in Vitro

2.1.10.7. Encapsulation of Adult Stem Cells

2.1.10.8. Encapsulation of Adult Neural Stem Cells

2.1.10.9. Cryopreservation of Adult Stem Cells

2.1.10.10. Cryopreservation of Adult Neural Stem Cells

2.2. Manipulation of Adult Stem Cells in Vivo

2.2.1. Activation of Dormant Adult Stem Cells in Vivo

2.2.2. Activation of Dormant Adult Neural and Ependymal Stem Cells in Vivo

2.2.3. Stimulation of Proliferation and Differentiation of Adult Stem Cells in Vivo

2.2.4. Stimulation of Proliferation and Differentiation of Adult Neural Stem Cells in Vivo

2.2.5. Mobilization of Adult Stem Cells in Vivo

3. Embryonic Stem Cells

3.1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Embryonic Stem Cells for Therapeutic Use

3.2. Growth of Embryonic Stem Cells

3.3. Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells

3.4. Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells into Neurons and Glial Cells

4. Engineered Stem Cells.

4.1. Engineered Neural Stem Cells for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury

5. Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury

5.1. Survival of Transplanted Stem Cells Into Injured Spinal Cord

5.2. Survival of Transplanted Neural Stem Cells

5.3. Survival of Transplanted Mesenchymal Stem Cells

5.4. Types of Stem Cells Used for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury

5.4.1. Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury with Undifferentiated Stem Cells

5.4.1.1. Undifferentiated Neural Stem Cells

5.4.1.2. Undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells

5.4.1.3. Undifferentiated umbilical cord stem cells

5.4.2. Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury with Differentiated Stem Cells

5.4.2.1. Differentiated Neural Stem Cells

5.5. Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury with Combination Stem Cell Therapies

5.5.1. Co-Transplantation of Neurotrophic Factors and Stem Cells

5.5.1.1. NSCs plus G-CSF

5.5.1.2. HUMSC-NSs plus BDNF

5.5.1.3. MSCs plus bFGF

5.5.2. Stem Cell-Stem Cell Combination Therapy for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury

5.5.2.1. Co-Transplantation of Neural Stem Cells and bFGF-Expressing Amniotic Epithelial Cells

5.6. Types of Delivery of Stem Cells and Stem Cell-Derived Neural Cells for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury.

5.6.1. Intravenous Infusion of Stem Cells

5.6.2. Direct Injection of Stem Cells into Spinal Cord

5.6.3. Subarachnoid Delivery of Stem Cells (Lumbar Puncture)

5.6.4. Local Implantation of Stem Cells via Scaffolds, Channels and Tubes

5.6.4.1. Collagen Scaffold

5.6.4.2. Polyglycolic Acid Scaffold

5.6.4.3. Poly-Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid Polymer Scaffold

5.6.4.4. Thermoresponsive Xyloglucan Hydrogel Scaffold

5.6.4.5. Plasma Scaffold

5.6.4.6. Chitosan Channels and Tubes

6. Results of Completed Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials Involving Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

7. Complications of Neural Stem Cell Transplantation

7.1. Cysts Formation

7.2. Tumor Formation

7.3. Allodynia

8. Pipeline Analysis and Expectations

10. Companies and Investors

9. Product Profiles
10.1. Company Profiles

10.2. Investing in Companies Developing Stem Cell Therapies for Spinal Cord Injury: Five Points to Consider

11. Conclusion

A. Photos

Photo 1. Oligodendrocyte. Transfected with GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein)

Photo 2. This is an astrocyte, labeled with GFAP (red), Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) green, and nuclear stain To-Pro (blue)

Photo 3. Two neurospheres, compact masses of neuron precursor cells, derived from human embryonic stem cells, as captured by a fluorescent microscope.

B. Illustrations

Illustration 1. Crossection of the spine and spinal cord

Illustration 2. Neuron

Illustration 3. Diffusion of Neurotransmitters Across the Synaptic Cleft

Illustration 5. DPN® renders precise nanopatterns capable of producing a homogeneous population of differentiated adult cells

C. Tables

Table 1. Adult Stem Cells-Derived Mature Neural Cells

Table 2. Stem Cell Therapies for Brain and Spinal Cord Injury

Table 3. Type and Sources of Stem Cells

Table 4. Companies and Investors

Published By :BioPolaris