Recent Patents on Regenerative Medicine - Volume 3, Issue 2, 2013

The placenta is a rich source of stem cells that can be easily isolated unencumbered by the ethical dilemmas of embryonic stem cells. There are a number of tissue banks across the world offering expectant parents the opportunity to harvest and store placenta, amniotic fluid and cord blood-derived stem cells. Consequently, the patent landscape surrounding the isolation, purification, expansion and use of such stem cells has grown to a level of complexity to reflect this. In this review, we summarise the development of intellectual property encompassing this unique area of regenerative medicine, focusing on patents filed on stem cells derived from the human amnion and their application for the treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Tendinitis is an important disease that leads to lameness and decreased performance in equine athletes and results in high costs associated with therapy due to a long recovery period and a high rate of recurrence. Although, several treatments for equine tendinitis have been described, few are effective in significantly improving the quality of the extracellular matrix and reducing the rate of recurrence. The use of cell therapy with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from various sources has received much attention because of its therapeutic potential for equine tendinitis. In this paper, we review patents on stem cell therapy and the specific use of MSCs for the treatment of equine tendinitis.

Electronic pacemakers have succeeded in saving the lives of millions by providing medical palliation for cardiac conduction abnormalities. However, the caveats associated with usage of the same have prompted research in the development of a biological alternative which could replace or supplement its electronic counterpart. Biopacemaking could be done either by genetic engineering, cellular therapy or a combination of both. Ion channels and calcium handling proteins which form the key molecular players of the cardiac pacemaker action potential were the primary candidates for gene therapy based biopacemaking. Modulation of ion channels and other pacemaking associated proteins, either by gene delivery/ cell therapy or a combination of both have been researched in great detail. Pluripotent/ multipotent stem cells serve as excellent vehicles for carrying such genes which have been tailored to ensure that the implanted cell transforms into a pacemaker-like cell. Implantation of hybrid/ tandem pacemakers could overcome the risk associated with the malfunction of either the biological or electronic pacemaker in the patient. This review article highlights the recent developments in this area of biopacemaking, classifies it based on the principle of possible execution and discusses to fair length patents that could project the biological pacemaker into the clinical scenario very soon.

The multifunctional “adipose organ” is involved in thermal, metabolic and hormonal body balance. The high content of adult mesenchymal stem cells is recommending adipose tissue as an appealing reservoir of cells to be used in regenerative therapies. Adipose derived stem cells (ASC) have remarkable proliferative and differentiation potential. This paper reviews current scientific knowledge regarding the importance of ASC in the context of regenerative medicine. Recent patents and applications describing methods of human ASC isolation and their use for regenerating musculoskeletal tissues (bone, cartilage, intervertebral disc, tendon and skeletal muscle) are discussed. Several challenges related to cell based product development are presented. Future directions as well as the importance of new genomic technologies in cell source selection and design of patient - oriented treatment algorithms, are outlined.

Lameness secondary to chronic or acute injuries of the musculoskeletal system is a cause of equine wastage. This old problem has been traditionally managed with treatments, such as corticosteroids and non steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. However, recent discoveries in the pathophysiology of these diseases have provided new therapeutic approaches to their treatments. The stimulation of cellular proliferation with increase in the anabolic capacity of the resident cells for producing a good quality extracellular matrix represents a real avenue for the treatment of these diseases in horses. The injection of platelet related products has won great acceptation between equine practitioners, since these substances can be obtained from the same patient by using different procedures or devices in field conditions. These substances are source of anti-inflammatory, angiogenic and anabolic proteins (i.e., growth factors and cytokines) and cells with immunomodulatory activity (i.e., lymphocytes and macrophages). However, the cellular and molecular content of these substances depend on the method or kit used for their preparation. A review about patented and non patented technologies and procedures for the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases in horses by using platelet related products is presented in this article.

Nanotechnological modifiers of progenitor cells functions - immobilized (im) granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and hyaluronidase (HD) have been created with the help of ionization radiation. The drugs' effect on the function of progenitor cells of different classes and regenerative activity of these substances have been described. Hepatoprotective, cerebroprotective and hemostimulating effects of imG-CSF and hepatoprotective and hemostimulating properties of imHD have been demonstrated in the experiment. It has been established that the regenerative effect of imG-CSF on the blood system is connected with its influence on the hematopoietic precursors of hematopoietic tissue, and therapeutic effects under chronic hepatitis and hypoxic encephalopathy are determined by the mobilization and migration of multipotent progenitor cells of bone marrow in the target-organ. The stimulation of regional stem cells (SC) of affected tissues can be considered mechanisms of regenerative action of imHD. In addition, the mobilization and homing of bone marrow SC in the liver have the significant importance in realizing imHD therapeutic effects for chronic hepatitis. The drugs' effects are determined by modification of the state of the tissue extracellular matrix, changes in the functioning of microenvironment cells and properties of the progenitor cells themselves. The relevant patents are discussed.