NeuroFx, Inc. — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: 101

Description

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adults in the Western world Its socioeconomic impact is staggering Most stroke patients currently have no treatment option given that the only FDA approved stroke therapy intravenous tPA for treatment of thrombolysis must be administered within hours of stroke onset and only about of stroke patients present for treatment within that time window The development of a therapy with a longer treatment window could benefit the other of patients not currently served Mesenchymal stem cell MSC therapies have shown promise in cerebrovascular disease models however their mechanism of action is predominantly through paracrine support of endogenous repair mechanisms rather than direct tissue replacement We and others have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of cell free conditioned medium derived from adult MSCs isolated from adipose tissues Importantly we have observed morphological and functional benefits when our therapy NFx is delivered up to hours following onset of ischemia We propose to demonstrate the efficacy of NFx a partially purified adipose stem cell derived conditioned medium when delivered between and hours after ischemia in a clinically relevant partially humanized mouse embolic stroke model Mice will be evaluated for morphological and functional changes as a result of treatment If successful NFx could become a breakthrough therapy for stroke victims PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Stroke causes more disabilities in adults of industrialized countries than any other medical condition Only of the annual stroke patients in the United States are eligible for treatment with the only approved drug that removes the blockage of blood flow causing stroke We propose a therapy based upon beneficial factors produced by adult stem cells that could potentially benefit the other of patients by reducing damage and restoring brain functions