Scimitar Equity Blog

STEM published new preclinical data demonstrating proprietary human neural stem cells to restore lost motor function in mice with chronic spinal cord injury.

This is the 1st published study (entitled “Human Neural Stem Cells Differentiate and Promote Locomotor Recovery in an Early Chronic Spinal Cord Injury NOD-scid Mouse Model“) showing that human neural stem cells can restore mobility even when administered at time points beyond the acute phase of trauma, suggesting the prospect of treating a much broader population of injured patients than previously demonstrated.

• Human neural stem cells were transplanted into mice 30 days after a spinal cord injury that results in hind limb paralysis,
• The transplanted mice demonstrated a significant and persistent recovery of walking ability in two separate tests of motor function when compared to control groups,
• These results are particularly significant because it is the first time that human neural stem cells have been shown to promote functional recovery in a chronic spinal cord injury setting, which is characterized as a point in time after injury in which inflammation has stabilized and behavioral recovery has reached a plateau,
• In humans, the chronic phase typically does not set in until several weeks or months following the injury.

This study was led by Dr. Aileen Anderson of the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The paper was published  in the international peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE and is available online at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012272.

The Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center promotes basic and clinical research and training in the field of stem cell biology at the University of California, Irvine. The Center is a leading international institution in stem cell research and clinical applications, consolidating existing research strengths and clinical initiatives at UCI and serving as a nucleus for growth via collaboration and new recruits. The Center provides an organizational structure for all areas of stem cell research, contributes to premier graduate training, maintains a core stem cell facility and equipment resources, hosts guest researchers and annual meetings, and contributes to the research and dialogue on the policy and ethical issues related to stem cells.