Stem Cells Could Prove Effective in Treating Brittle Bone Disease
Durham, NC (PRWEB) January 14, 2014 -- A new study released in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine indicates that stem cells can be effective in treating a debilitating and sometimes lethal genetic disorder called brittle bone disease.
Brittle bone disease, or osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), is characterized by fragile bones causing some patients to suffer hundreds of fractures over the course of a lifetime. In addition, according to the OI Foundation, other symptoms include muscle weakness, hearing loss, fatigue, joint laxity, curved bones, scoliosis, brittle teeth and short stature. Restrictive pulmonary disease occurs in the more severe cases. Currently there is no cure.
OI can be detected prenatally by ultrasound. In the study reported on in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, an international team of researchers treated two patients for the disease using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) while the infants were still in the womb, followed by stem cell “boosts” after they were born.
“We had previously reported on the prenatal transplantation for the patient with OI type III, which is the most severe form in children who survive the neonatal period,” said Cecilia Götherström, Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institutet and
Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. She and Jerry Chan, M.D., Ph.D., of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and National University of Singapore, and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, led the study that also included colleagues from the United States, Canada, Taiwan and Australia.
“The first eight years after the prenatal transplant, our patient did well and grew at an acceptable rate. However, she then began to experience multiple complications, including fractures, scoliosis and reduction in growth, so the decision was made to give her another MSC infusion. In the two years since, she has not suffered any more fractures and improved her growth.”
“She was even able to start dance classes, increase her participation in gymnastics at school and play modified indoor hockey,” Dr. Götherström added.
The second child, which was experiencing a milder form of OI, received a stem cell transfusion 31 weeks into gestation and did not suffer any new fractures for the remainder of the pregnancy or during infancy. She followed her normal growth pattern — just under the third percentile in height — until 13 months of age, when she stopped growing. Six months later, the doctors gave her another infusion of stem cells and she resumed growing at her previous rate.
“Our findings suggest that prenatal transplantation of autologous stem cells in OI appears safe and is of likely clinical benefit and that re-transplantation with same-donor cells is feasible. However, the limited experience to date means that it is not possible to be conclusive, for which further studies are required,” Dr. Chan said.
“Although the findings are preliminary, this report is encouraging in suggesting that prenatal transplantation may be a safe and effective treatment for this condition,” said Anthony Atala, M.D., editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
The full article, “Pre- and postnatal transplantation of fetal mesenchymal stem cells in osteogenesis imperfecta: A two-center experience,” can be accessed at http://www.stemcellstm.com.
About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE (SCTM), published by AlphaMed Press, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices.
About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS® (http://www.StemCells.com), in its 31th year, is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist® (http://www.TheOncologist.com), also a monthly peer-reviewed publication, in its 18th year, is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines.
Sharon Lee, Stem Cells Translational Medicine, http://www.StemCellsTM.com, +1 (919) 680-0011, [email protected]
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