preventing preterm birth via stem cells

PRETAPREVENTING PRETERM BIRTH

Shubhda Roy - Final Presentation

Advanced Cell Biology II

JHU’s Breakthrough Technology

Autologous Adult Stem Cell Therapy for Prevention of Pre-Term Birth – [C12023]

PRE TERM BIRTH

Preterm birth is one of the top causes of death in infants worldwide.

Premature infants are at a greater risk for short and long term complications.

Currently, there are no effective therapies that significantly reduce uterine contractions to prevent preterm birth.

http://www.jhttonline.jhu.edu/TechnologyDetail.aspx?TechID=5B33E1A7-8334-483F-981E-7B5264C25304

WHAT HAPPENS ?

• Infection or tissue damage stimulate a local inflammatory reaction..

• Production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory mediators

• Cytokines are small proteins mainly synthesized by cells of the immune system

• Transmit signals between cells, and are partly responsible for the inflammatory response

WHAT HAPPENS ?

Preterm Birth

Cytokines such as interleukin-1, TNF-and

interleukin-8 (IL-8) play a role as mediators of

inflammation in preterm labor

Fetus loses immunological defense in their presence

and becomes vulnerable to destruction by the immune

system

INVENTION NOVELTY

PretA is looking to partner with Johns Hopkins University.

Use one of its “breakthrough” technologies of “Autologous Adult Stem Cell Therapy for Prevention of Pre-Term Birth –

[C12023]”

“This technology is a novel treatment to prevent early labor in women who are at a high risk for preterm birth.

Preventative administration with autologous stem cells has the potential to prevent preterm birth, as well as decrease intrauterine inflammation often associated with early labor”

WHAT IS AUTOLOGOUS ADULT STEM CELL?

Stem cells that comes from an individual “OWN” adult or

somatic cells

Today autologous stem cells can be derived from

Bone marrow

Blood

Fat tissue

Autologous have similar properties as embroynic stem cell

EVIDENCE THAT IT WORKS

Human adipose stem cells exhibit immunomodulatory effects

in a rodent model of uterine inflammation and preterm birth.

The mice pretreated with human adipose stem cells before

induced uterine inflammation showed a significant decrease in

the rate of preterm births

PROPERTIES OF ADIPOSE TISSUE

Adipose tissue contains a stromal vascular fraction (SVF) that is a rich source of adipose tissue-derived

stem cells (ASCs).

ASCs are multipotent and in vitro-expanded ASCs have the capacity to differentiate, into amongst others,

adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and myocytes.

MECHANISM OF ACTION

ADSCs increased production of IL-10 suppresses the expression

of pro-inflammatory cytokines

Ovulation of the ADSC administration group increased

after therapy

Apoptosis in the ovaries decreased after ADSC

transplantation

ADSCs have anti-inflammatory properties which suppress

interleukin-1, TNF-and interleukin-8 (IL-8).

FINAL PROPOSAL

An individual’s adipose tissue is removed, stem cells is selected, harvested, and administered

The adipose stem cells or (ASC) are injected into pregnant individual(s) with a history or high risk of preterm labor or as a precautionary measure

ASC cells shows their immunomodulatory effects and prevent the immune response from kicking in thereby

Preventing Preterm Birth

OTHER BENEFITS

No risk of rejection of transplant from individual’s

immune cell

Treatment can be preventative

Can be administered in early pregnancy

Adipose tissue is abundant, expendable, and easily

accessible

QUESTIONS ?

REFERENCES

http://www.jhttonline.jhu.edu/TechnologyDetail.aspx

?TechID=5B33E1A7-8334-483F-981E-

7B5264C25304

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22634645

http://stemcellres.com/content/4/4/80

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16764118

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/158019

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17348807

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15801964