AastromReplicell System Enables Ex Vivo Production of Human Stem Cells
An article in the July 6 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) stresses the therapeutic importance of developing new approaches for expanding a cancer patient's stem cells ex vivo for possible re-transplantation following chemotherapy. Thus far, the primary challenge surrounding stem cell transplants—which are commonly used to treat patients with cancer or other diseases who have undergone extensive chemotherapy or radiation treatments—has been to produce therapeutic quantities of these cells.
The PNAS report describes a technique involving use of the hormone thrombopoietin to increase the number of mouse stem cells in laboratory cultures containing whole bone marrow, blood vessels, fat cells, and other cells found in bone marrow. The researchers plan to evaluate the same techniques in humans.
Aastrom Biosciences (Ann Arbor, MI) has designed an automated system that enables the ex vivo production of human stem cells for transplantation and therapy. The AastromReplicell Cell Production System, which has already received European regulatory approval, enables improved medical therapies such as those envisioned by the authors of the PNAS report, says Doug Armstrong, president and CEO of Aastrom.
Aastrom has reported positive clinical results from multi-center trials using the AastromReplicell System SC-I Therapy Kit (bone marrow) and CB-I Therapy Kit (umbilical cord blood) to produce stem and other cells used in the treatment of patients with cancer and other blood diseases. Aastrom's current pivotal clinical trial of the AastromReplicell System is the first pivotal study to evaluate cells produced using the SC-I Therapy Kit as an alternative method of cell collection for use in stem cell therapy. This kit is designed to enable the production of therapeutic quantities of bone marrow cells, and thus offer more optimal and standardized patient care.
The AastromReplicell System consists of an instrumentation platform designed to operate a family of patient-specific therapy kits for a broad range of cell therapy applications. The automated clinical system is designed for the production of therapeutic cells from small starting quantities, to enable the transition of laboratory procedures to a standard medical treatment.
Aastrom Biosciences Inc. develops proprietary clinical systems to enable physicians and patients greater accessibility to cells used for therapy. The AastromReplicell System product line consists of an instrumentation platform that can operate a growing number of patient-specific therapy kits tailored to each cell therapy application.
For more information: to Doug Armstrong, President and CEO, Aastrom Biosciences Inc., 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr., Lobby L, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Tel: 734-930-5777. Fax: 734-665-0485.