PRE-CLINICAL RESEARCH

In 2008, the research group of Prof. Dr. Irina Kerkis published important data on muscular dystrophy: Golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) represents the best animal model available for therapeutic studies aimed at treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an inherited, lethal and degenerative disease.

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CONCLUSION:

This study concluded that: Systemic (intravenous) administration of mesenchymal stem cells is effective for the treatment of this type of disease because the beneficial effects observed in animals are believed to have probably occurred due to the immunomodulatory effects of the cells, in addition to their ability to regeneration and differentiation. The animal receiving monthly intravenous injections remained clinically stable after 25 months of age, which is relatively rare due to the pre-existing pathology, remaining healthy until the moment (6 years of age - time of publication), with no signs of tumor formation, according to the researchers' report.

In 2011, the research group of Prof. Dr. Irina Kerkis published important data on Spinal Cord Injury:

In this study, the effects of mesenchymal cells (HDPCs) in a mouse model of compressive spinal injury (CSI) were evaluated. The cells were transplanted 7 days or 28 days after the injury, in order to compare recovery when treatment is applied in a sub-acute or chronic phase.

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CONCLUSION:

This study concluded that: Animals receiving HDPC transplants showed better spinal cord preservation than the DMEM (control) groups, higher levels of trophic factor expression in the tissue, better organization of neurons and the presence of many axons myelinated by Schwann cells or oligodendrocytes, in addition to the presence of some intact neurons with healthy appearance. The animals receiving the therapy showed an improvement in the locomotor functional capacity. Thus, based on these findings, the group suggests that HDPCs are possible candidates for Central Nervous System disorders in Humans.