Parathyroid Hormone Mobilizes Stem Cells

Boston, USA -

Stem cell mobilizing agents are conventionally used to increase the number of circulating stem cells in peripheral blood so that these stem cells can be harvested and used for transplantation, either in an autologous, or allogeneic manner. Nutritional companies have capitalized on the possibility of mobilizing stem cells by various supplements so as to enhance health. Regardless of whether one is interested in conventional or complementary medicine, the search for mobilizers of stem cells is on!

To give you an idea of how hot this field is, Genzyme bought Anormed for approximately half a billion dollars since Anormed has CXCR-1 agonists that mobilize stem cells in late phases of clinical development

Recently, it was found that parathyroid hormone has the ability to mobilize stem cells.

In a clinical trial publication (Ballen et al. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2007 Jul;13(7):838-43. Epub 2007 Apr 30. Phase I trial of parathyroid hormone to facilitate stem cell mobilization) 20 subjects whose stem cells were previously refractory to G-CSF mobilization were administered parathyroid hormone along with G-CSF. 47 percent of the patients who previously did not mobilize with G-CSF were successfully mobilized.

These data suggest the interesting possibility that parathyroid hormone may be used to enhance efficacy of mobilization therapy in situations where previously G-CSF alone has failed (ie stroke, post infarct remodelling etc).