Available Technology
A novel source of neural stem cells
Technology:
Isolation of human neural stem cells from novel source
Markets Addressed
Adult stem cells are obtained from non-controversial sources and thus elude the ethic issues that surround the research with human embryos. They differentiate into fewer types of cells than embryonic stem cells do, but can be efficiently used in the clinic (for example in the treatment of leukemia).
The use of stem cells in neural transplantation has a great potential in the treatment of brain and spinal cord injuries as well as neurodegenerative diseases (such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease), but has so far been limited by the poor availability of donor neural tissues. Neural stem cells have been identified in the CNS, but current sources (spinal cord and lateral ventricle of the forebrain) are critical for normal brain function and surgery in these areas can lead profound neurological deficits.
Innovations and Advantages
The Cardozo lab has identified filum terminale as a novel source of autologous neural stem cells. In addition, they have developed methods to grow and maintain the cells for long periods of time in tissue culture as well as to induce the differentiation of the cells into neurons and glia.
Filum terminale is a vestige structure of the caudal end of the spinal cord that plays no functional role in the postnatal nervous system. It is a remnant of the nervous system that early in development provides embryo’s vestigial tail. Filum terminale is surgically easily accessible, routinely and safely sectioned in patients with tethered cord syndrome. Stem cells from filum terminale could be harvested from patients suffering brain and spinal cord injury or neurodegenerative diseases, expended and differentiated in tissue culture and transplanted back into the patient.
This discovery has a huge potential in cell replacement therapy. Neural stem cells from filum terminale can be harvested throughout life and the availability of autologous neural stem cells overcomes the problem of tissue rejection that accompanies the transplantation of non-autologous cells.
The isolation of stem cells from filum terminale represents a major advance in neural stem cells research and cell-replacement therapy:
- It does not involve surgery in a CNS region essential to normal brain function
- It provides reliable cells and expendable nervous tissue
- The autologous cells obtained could be transplanted back into the patient without immunological rejection.
Additional Information
Intellectual Property Status: Harvard has filed a provisional patent application.
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Inventor(s):
Cardozo, David L.
Jha, Ruchira
Categories:
For further information, please contact:
Michal Preminger, Director of Business Development
(617) 432-0920
Reference Harvard Case #2950