2 Stem Cell Patents Issued Last Week

Dear manoj kumar valluru,

Last week 2 patents of relevance to the area of stem cells were issued.

1. # 7,309,348 (Patent Spotlight), teaches how to use LASERS TO STIMULATE STEM CELLS/NEURAL PROCESSES TO CURE DEPRESSION.

2. # 7,309,232 provides a method of regenerating dentin in teeth using scaffolds and stem cells.

In The News

PPAR gamma agonists: inhibition of fibrosis

Thursday December 20th, 2007 @ 01:57:14 EST

Rochester, NY -

The understanding how to modulate the balance between generation of new functional tissue and creation of a fibrotic scar would allow for the treatment of numerous conditions associated with scar tissue deposition.

It is known that stem cells can help to heal scarred tissue ranging from myocardium to hepatic parenchymal tissue, to lung tissue There however other studies that show in some injury systems that bone marrow derived cells contribute to the generation of the fibrotic tissue. Accordingly it would be very advantageous if agents where found that could be pharmacologically administered to shift the balance from fibrotic tissue generation to generation of functional tissue. A recent publication (Lakatos et al. The Role of PPARs in Lung Fibrosis. PPAR Res. 2007:71323) reviews the possibility of using agonists of PPAR to inhibit fibrosis.

The paper makes the following interesting points:

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are a form of nuclear receptors that are activated by their ligands to become transcription factors. PPARs are similar to the retinoid, thyroid hormone and receptors for steroids.

Agonists of PPAR, particularly PPAR gamma are clinically used today particularly for the treatment of diabetes.

PPAR agonists are capable of inhibiting fibrosis in animal models of fibrosis such as bleomycin induced fibrosis.

PPAR agonists suppress hepatic stellate cell production of collagen after injury, mesenchymal stem cells also do this

PPAR agonists suppress fibrosis in liver, kidney, and cardiac models.

PPAR alpha knockout mice have higher levels of fibrosis

Agonists of the PPAR beta/delta receptors enhance the positive effects of PPAR gamma agonists in terms of inhibiting fibrosis.

The fibrotic activites of TGF-beta are inhibited by PPAR-gamma agonists.

These important observations may support the use of stem cells together with various clinically approved PPAR-gamma agonists.

Ask a question OR leave your comments.

This Week's Patent Spotlight

Method for treatment of depression

Patent Number: 7,309,348

Assignee | Inventor

The use of various types of energies to manipulate stem cells or to modulate the specific niche in which stem cells are placed is an exciting area of development.

Photothera is a San Diego based company that has been clinically developing an area called “photoceuticals” for the past several years, primarily in relation to treatment of stroke. In the current patent, the Phototherapy founders covered a way of treating depression by stimulating neurogenesis or at least release of various neurotransmitters through administering specific laser frequencies to the brain of the pateint.

Although this approach may sound futuristic, the company has already raised more than a combined $50 million from venture funds and has successfully completed a Phase I trial using a similar photo-stimulatory approach for stroke treatment which was published (Lampl et al. Infrared laser therapy for ischemic stroke: a new treatment strategy: results of the NeuroThera Effectiveness and Safety Trial-1 (NEST-1).Stroke. 2007 Jun;38:1843-9. Epub 2007 Apr 26).

It will be interesting to see how this type of approach can be used to synergize with exogenously administered stem cells.

Ask a question OR leave your comments.

LATEST JOBS