Many neurological conditions require extended hospitalization, extensive rehabilitative therapy and/or institutional care, creating enormous quality-of-life and cost burdens. Stroke is one such area in which the clinical need is particularly significant.
“Ischemic” and “hemorrhagic” are two primary classifications for stroke. The first is caused by a blood clot event, and the second is caused by a bleeding event in the brain. Both types of stroke may lead to neurological deficit, and both involve a complex cascade of tissue oxygen deprivation, inflammation and oxidative stress, all of which contribute to the degeneration of brain cells.
Athersys Inc.’s MultiStem Therapy has been shown to convey benefits in preclinical models of both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, as well as other models of neurological damage and injury, including traumatic brain injury, neonatal hypoxic ischemia (a cause of neurological damage in infants) and spinal cord injury. Research at Athersys has shown that MultiStem cells convey benefits through several mechanisms, including reducing inflammatory damage, protecting at-risk tissue at the site of injury, and through direct effects that stimulate the recovery of damaged tissue. As a result, Athersys researchers believe that MultiStem cell therapy has the potential to treat many forms of neurological injury and disease. A pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial is currently underway to evaluate the efficacy of MultiStem Therapy to treat ischemic stroke.
Hear from Sarah Busch, director of regenerative medicine at Athersys, at the next Science Café Cleveland event. Busch will present “Cell Therapy for Neurological Injury: From Preclinical Research to Clinical Trials” Monday, May 10, at 7 p.m. via Zoom.