Parkinson's treatment made from stem cells given to 10th patient

October 18, 2018
Bradley J. Fikes

Russell Kern, executive vice president and chief scientific officer of International Stem Cell Corp. (International Stem Cell Corp.)

International Stem Cell Corp. has given its Parkinson’s disease therapy to the 10th patient in an Australian clinical trial, the Carlsbad company said earlier this month.

The patient received brain cells derived from the company’s proprietary stem cell product, introduced into the brain. The surgery was performed at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, where a subsidiary is conducting the trial.

While similar transplants have been performed using fetal brain cells, International Stem Cell uses its own proprietary cells. So patients getting this experimental therapy are being carefully examined for any dangerous side effects.

The operation proceeded without complications, the company said in an Oct. 8 statement.

The latest patient was the second of three groups of Parkinson’s patients. Each group has received varying doses of the cells. This group is getting 70 million cells, the highest dose yet given.

The last patient in the group is expected to be treated by the end of this year, the company said.

“Based on the available clinical data, we are confident that the therapy is safe, well-tolerated, and can potentially improve the quality of life of the patients," said Russell Kern, the company’s executive vice president and chief scientific officer, in the statement.

The early stage study is mainly meant to judge safety in treating the movement disorder. The company said earlier this year that there have been preliminary signs that treated patients are showing benefit. But this will need to be confirmed with more advanced studies.

International Stem Cell’s treatment is derived from unfertilized or parthenogenetic human egg cells. These are grown into neural stem cells, capable of becoming various kinds of cells in the brain. They have been immune-matched so there’s a reduced chance of being rejected.

After transplantation, the neural stem cells are intended to mature into types of cells that will relieve symptoms. Some are expected to become neurons that make the neurotransmitter dopamine; cells that are destroyed in Parkinson’s. Others are expected to become cells that support the dopamine-making neurons.

Another effort in San Diego County, Summit For Stem Cell, is attempting a somewhat similar therapy. One major difference is that the cells are derived from the patients to be treated, which makes them immune-compatible. These are grown into stem cells, then those cells are converted into dopamine-making neurons. Only these dopamine-making cells are transplanted.

More information on International Stem Cell’s Parkinson’s program is available on the company’s website at http://internationalstemcell.com.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/biotech/sd-me-parkinsons-stem-cell-treatment-20181018-story.html