The translational imperative: Making cell therapy simple and effective

• Published in: Acta biomaterialia Vol. 8; no. 12; pp. 4200 - 4207
• Main Authors: Prestwich, Glenn D., Erickson, Isaac E., Zarembinski, Thomas I., West, Michael, Tew, William P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2012
• Subjects: brain; Brain Ischemia - therapy; cartilage; Cell engraftment; Cell therapy; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy - methods; ECM; Embryonic Stem Cells - cytology; Embryonic Stem Cells - transplantation; extracellular matrix; Extracellular Matrix - transplantation; funding; heart; Humans; Hyaluronic acid; Hyaluronic Acid - therapeutic use; HyStem; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - cytology; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - transplantation; infarction; intravenous injection; liver; Liver Regeneration; manufacturing; markets; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology; muscles; Myocardial Infarction - therapy; nerve tissue; stem cells; stroke; Stroke - therapy; therapeutics; Vocal Cords; Cell engraftment; Cell therapy; Hyaluronic acid; ECM; HyStem
• ISSN: 1742-7061; 1878-7568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2012.06.043

The current practice of cell therapy, in which multipotent or terminally differentiated cells are injected into tissues or intravenously, is inefficient. Few therapeutic cells are retained at the site of administration and engraftment is low. An injectable and biologically appropriate vehicle for delivery, retention, growth and differentiation of therapeutic cells is needed to improve the efficacy of cell therapy. We focus on a hyaluronan-based semi-synthetic extracellular matrix (sECM), HyStem®, which is a manufacturable, approvable and affordable clinical product. The composition of this sECM can be customized for use with mesenchymal stem cells as well as cells derived from embryonic or induced pluripotent sources. In addition, it can support therapeutic uses of progenitor and mature cell populations obtained from skin, fat, liver, heart, muscle, bone, cartilage, nerves and other tissues. This overview presents four pre-clinical uses of HyStem® for cell therapy to repair injured vocal folds, improve post-myocardial infarct heart function, regenerate damaged liver tissue and restore brain function following ischemic stroke. Finally, we address the real-world limitations – manufacture, regulation, market acceptance and financing – surrounding cell therapy and the development of clinical combination products.