Method for remyelinating a demyelinized lesion due to injury in the brain or spinal cord

Patent Number: 7098027

This patent is useful for inducing remyelination using autologous bone marrow stem cells. Demyelination is a pathology associated with numerous neuronal degenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Krabbe Disease. The patent has 1 independent claim which covers the methodology of extracting bone marrow mononuclear cells from the autologous patient and injecting into the lesion of interest. The dependent claim covers injection in the spinal cord. The authors of the patent published 3 related papers: a). Sasaki M et al. Transplantation of an acutely isolated bone marrow fraction repairs demyelinated adult rat spinal cord axons. Glia. 2001 Jul;35(1):26-34. b) Akiyama Y et al. Remyelination of the spinal cord following intravenous delivery of bone marrow cells. Glia. 2002 Sep;39(3):229-36 and c) Inoue M et al. Comparative analysis of remyelinating potential of focal and intravenous administration of autologous bone marrow cells into the rat demyelinated spinal cord. Glia. 2003 Nov;44(2):111-8. This patent may be useful for medical device companies that are seeking novel means of administration of cellular therapy into the central or peripheral nervous system. It should be noted that the claims only mention bone marrow, but the specification teaches cord blood and embryonic hepatic sources of stem cells. The patent seems, however, limited to autologous cells.

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