The Michigan Cell Therapy Center of Excellence is being established as a joint venture between the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University and Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. The center’s principle aims include leveraging the unique competencies and resources of the component entities to optimize cellular therapies and to speedily bring them to clinical evaluation and implementation. Secondary goals include facilitating training in cellular therapy and utilizing the good manufacturing base created by the center and the Aastrom Replicell platform for the regional manufacture and supply of specific cellular components. This effort, being led by Dr. Roy Baynes, has four major components. The first is completion of the construction of the good manufacturing practices facility. This is to be housed adjacent to the recently completed J.P. McCarthy Cord Stem Cell Bank at Karmanos. The cord bank will store donated umbilical blood derived from hematopoietic stem cells from newborns for use in bone marrow transplants for patients with life-threatening blood disorders including leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia. “This
cord banking project is particularly important for minority populations
who frequently have difficulty finding appropriately matched marrow
donors,” said Dr. Baynes. Voluntary umbilical cord donation is to be
coordinated out of Hutzel Hospital where a large number of minority
births occur. The cords generally contain sufficient hematopoietic stem
cells for transplantation to a child or small adult. To maximize the
potential for cord stem cells, expansion of these will be required to
allow for transplantation to larger adults. This
leads logically to the second component, which is the use of the Aastrom
device to expand cord stem cells under good manufacturing conditions for
use in transplantation. The
third component will focus on immune therapies. The transplantation
program at Karmanos has been leading the development of a number of
immunotherapeutic strategies against cancer. The center will use the
Aastrom Replicell platform to produce antigen presenting cells, called
dendritic cells, for use with defined antigens or as fusions with cancer
cells. These activated dendritic cells will then be employed as cellular
vaccines against cancer. To maximize the effects of this approach, it
may be necessary to expand specifically stimulated lymphocytes. To this
end, the platform will also be developed for growth and activation of
lymphocytes directed against cancer. The
fourth pivotal component is to expand marrow derived autologous
mesenchymal stem cells. Evidence is showing that such cells, which have
the potential to develop into a variety of tissue types such as marrow
stroma, bone, and subcutaneous connective tissue, could turn out to be
of major importance in such areas as transplantation, osteoporosis and
wound healing. “Not
only will the center conduct pivotal trials which may be of major
therapeutic value for patients, particularly minorities in the Michigan
Life Sciences Corridor, but successful manufacture, licensing and
commercialization will also provide high-technology employment
opportunities and significantly enhance the scientific profile of the
region and the respective organizations,” Dr. Baynes said. |
