Cell Therapy With Mesenchymal Stem Cell in Ischemic Limb Disease

Ischemic limb disease remains one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world despite the development of several new therapeutic modalities. Based on experimental data demonstrating that infusion or injection of stem/progenitor cells enhances blood flow in models of cardiovascular diseases, clinical trials were initiated in 2001 to treat patients with critical limb ischemia or cardiac ischemia with circulating blood or bone marrow-derived cells. Despite all promises, pending uncertainties and practical limitations attenuate the therapeutic use of stem/progenitor cells for ischemic limb disease. The main theme and method in the current program project, based on expertise, track record, and preliminary results of PI's laboratory, is to focus on clinical studies of using allogenic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), expanded under hypoxic conditions (1% O2), in treating ischemic limbs. This project is an integrated and coordinated effort aimed to overcome the regulation of cell product, and the barriers of preclinical and clinical studies. For the purposes, we have specially set up the core laboratory for stem/progenitor cells production and quality control in Cell Therapy Clean Room on the 9th floor of Medical Science Technology Building in Taipei Veterans General Hospital. We have also completed the preclinical studies in using allogenic hypoxic mouse MSCs in treating limb ischemia. In the current project, bone marrow MSCs will be isolated from allogenic donors, expanded under hypoxic conditions using medium containing no serum or animal-derived reagents, and applies for Phase Ⅰ/Ⅱ study in treating 18 recipients with ischemic limb diseases in three years.