Limbs Saved by Medistem's Endometrial Regenerative Cells

San Diego CA-

A publication (Murphy et al Allogeneic endometrial regenerative cells: An "off the shelf solution" for critical limb ischemia? J Transl Med. 2008 Aug 19;6(1):45) led by the internationally renowned vascular surgeon Dr Michael Murphy reported the ability of menstrual blood derived stem cells, termed "Endometrial Regenerative Cells" to prevent limb loss in an aggressive animal model of the clinical disease critical limb ischemia.  The paper demonstrated that Endometrial Regenerative Cells produce high amounts of therapeutic factors that stimulate proliferation of endothelial cells in vitro, inhibit allogeneic immune responses, suppress production of TNF-alpha, and upregulate expression of the antiinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1.  The animal data used immune competent BALB/c mice but were administered human Endometrial Regenerative Cells, despite the xenogeneic difference potent therapeutic efficacy was observed. 

Medistem Inc (OTCBB:MEDS), the company that last year won the "Publication of the Year" for discovering this cell type, has attracted international recognition including coverage in Canada's National News Paper, the Globe and Mail, Science Daily, New Scientist, and a letter from Governor Arnold Schwartzneggar for its pioneering work in developing this new cell as a "universal donor" product.

Medistem is currently proposing to use the Endometrial Regenerative Cell as a stem cell product for treatment of patients who are at risk of amputation due to advanced peripheral artery disease (critical limb ischemia), such as commonly seen in diabetics.  Dr. Michael Murphy has previously performed clinical trials using bone marrow stem cells in patients with critical limb ischemia.

The international team of collaborators assembled by Medistem included a cardiac surgeon, Dr. Amit Patel, who pioneered adult stem cell therapy for heart failure, Drs Ewa Carrier and Suman Kambhampati who are hematologists and perform stem cell transplants as part of their clinical practice, the internationally renowned microsurgeon Dr. Hao Wang, researchers from the Scripps Research Institute and University of California San Diego and the Canadian stem cell company Orcrist Bio.

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