LLU Looks at Adult Stem Cells to Aid with Brain Injuries

Researchers with Loma Linda University and the school’s Zhang Neuroscience Research Laboratories are set to conduct animal studies to assess the ability of stem cells taken from the lining of the uterus to help in the treatment of traumatic brain injury.

Dr. C.S. Chen, Head of the Division of Oncology and Hematology of Loma Linda University, and Dr. Anatol Manaenko have teamed with Medistem, a biotechnology company developing and commercializing technologies related to adult stem cell extraction, to conduct the studies.

Ultimately, researchers say they are looking to develop an “Off the Shelf” Stem Cell for use in combat and emergency situations.

"To date, preliminary data from the collaboration suggests behavioral improvements within 24, 48 and 72 hours after administration of the cells in animals subjected to intracerebral hemorrhage, a consequence of severe traumatic brain injury," according to Medistem staff.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 1.7 million people per year suffer from traumatic brain injuries in the US. Brain injuries accounts for about a third, or 30.5 percent, of all injury-related deaths in the United States, according to the CDC. The agency estimates that the annual cost of traumatic brain injury is $76 billion.

“It’s my vision that one day we will have ready-to-use frozen stockpiles of ERCs for rapid treatment of serious brain injury in both civilian and military applications,” said Dr. Vladimir Bogin, chairman of Medistem. “As a practicing medical doctor in the USA, I witness first-hand the tremendous toll traumatic brain injury takes on our society. We are committed to rapidly translating this research into clinical trials, which if successful, will provide a new weapon in our fight against this condition.”

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