One approach to stem cell therapy is to try to order existing stem cells to do more work, accomplished by introducing signaling molecules into the body – a drug, in other words. This methodology has reached the point of early clinical trials, as indicated in this press release: “Clinical-stage regenerative medicine company Juventas Therapeutics Inc. [has] started enrolling patients in a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its leading stem cell factor for treating heart failure. In preclinical studies of heart failure in pigs, JVS-100, as the factor is known, significantly increased cardiac function by promoting cell survival and increasing blood vessel formation in damaged hearts. JVS-100 works by encoding Stromal Cell-derived Factor-1 (SDF-1), a growth factor that in adults recruits stem cells from the bone marrow to create new blood vessels. The JVS-100-treated pigs showed significant improvements in cardiac function. … We’ve led with heart failure because that’s where our preliminary data was, and it’s a great clinical opportunity. We also have strong data in the area of peripheral vascular disease and cosmetic wound healing. … The factor can increase blood flow for patients who have peripheral vascular disease and accelerate wound closure and prevent scarring for patients who have had cosmetic surgery [so] we’re looking to move both those toward clinic in the near future.”

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.medcitynews.com/2010/04/juventas-therapeutics-starts-phase-1-trial-for-heart-failure-therapy/

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