Studies show CTCE-0214, the company’s second lead product, can multiply the number of stem cells and related progenitor cell subsets from human cord blood through a process called ex-vivo expansion.
The CTCE-0214 treated cells demonstrated significantly improved survival as well as markedly enhanced engraftment characteristics in an experimental model of stem cell transplantation.
The capacity of cord blood to treat cancer and a wide range of degenerative diseases is directly related to the quantity and quality of stem cells in cord blood. CTCE-0214 in a dose-dependent manner significantly increased the expansion of all cell subsets studied, including important cell subtypes called CFU-GEMM and SCID-repopulating cells, which have been identified as important stem cells for clinical use.
Improved methods to increase the number of the most primitive stem cells are expected to expand the potential therapeutic uses of cord blood in regenerative medicine.
In a series of experiments, investigators discovered that CTCE-0214 synergized with three growth factors; thrombopoietin (TPO), stem cell factor (SCF) and flt-ligand (FL) to increase the survival and growth of stem and progenitor cells in culture. Adding CTCE-0214 at a low concentration for four days together with TPO, SCF and FL significantly enhanced the ex-vivo expansion of CD34+ cells and all subsets of progenitor blood cells, and demonstrated significant increases in engraftment in immunodeficient mice used to evaluate the engraftment potential of human stem cells.