The U.S. FDA in August announced its approval for clinical trials using autologous neural stem cells in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease affecting roughly 2.1 million people around the world. The disease damages the central nervous system, often leaving those afflicted with cognitive complications, severe mobility issues, and eventually death.
There is currently no cure for the disease, though this groundbreaking approval to study regenerative therapy for this indication is a lever of hope for MS patients and biotech industries sold on the power of stem cell technology. The aforementioned trial will be conducted by Tisch MS Center of New York research team and will utilize autologous stem cells, which are derived from the patient’s own body – or bone marrow, in this specific case.
If the clinical trial is successful in achieving its goals and endpoints, it is natural to anticipate further investigation into new FDA drug approvals focused on regenerative therapies, which would create a significant advance for biotechnology companies.
Narrowing in on the small-cap space, biotech company VistaGen for years has been working on advancing its stem cell technology platform, Human Clinical Trials in a Test Tube™ , that in a nutshell potentially will allow scientists to assess the toxicity and metabolism profile of new drug candidates before millions of dollars and countless hours are invested.
The application of human pluripotent stem cell technology provides more accuracy than conventional animal and in vitro cell culture testing, which only approximates human biology. VistaGen’s proprietary and licensed technologies supporting the Human Clinical Trials in a Test Tube™ platform will enable controlled differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into mature human cells specific to the company’s predictive toxicology, drug metabolism, drug rescue, and cell therapy programs.
The FDA’s investigational new drug approval potentially opens a treasure chest of opportunity for regenerative therapies and companies like VistaGen that are focused on advancing their stem cell technology, allowing for progressive research, powerful collaborations, wider acceptance, and possibly increased funding capabilities.
“As important a milestone as the FDA investigational new drug approval is,” Tisch researchers said in a statement announcing the trial, “it marks the true beginning and not the end of our clinical research of stem cell therapy.”
Indeed, the beginning for all players in the field of stem cell research.
For more information, visit www.VistaGen.com
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