ROCHESTER, NY--(MARKET WIRE)--Mar 3, 2008 -- Working for the first time with an adhesion protein-coated device implanted directly into the bloodstream, CellTraffix researchers were able to capture a significant amount of adult stem cells directly from living rats, the British Journal of Haematology (http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/bjh/140/6) reported in its current/issue (vol. 140, no. 6). The article may be accessed without a journal subscription. Previous cell capture work involved sending blood and bone marrow samples through the same device outside of the body. The in-vivo version captured seven times more haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), the blood-producing stem cells that naturally reside in the bloodstream, than were obtained by centrifugation, and could improve stem cell yield and patient quality-of-life for common cancer treatments involving bone marrow or adult stem cell transplantation. Both the cells and the device remain unaltered after the new procedure.
“We captured great numbers of stem cells, 25% of the total number of cells captured, directly out of the bloodstream of living animals using selectin proteins. We didn’t have to tap into the bone marrow to achieve this rich stem cell yield. We believe this is the first time anyone has obtained stem cells directly from the bloodstream using a protein coating,” commented Dr. Michael King, at the University of Rochester, Department of Biomedical Engineering, in whose lab the work was done. Dr. Joel Wojciechowski, first author on the paper and Director of Preclinical Development at CellTraffix, was instrumental in translating the in vitro technology to live animals.
“These results are extremely exciting for the Company. This success provides an important proof of concept for a significant application of our Cell Select Technology (CST) based devices and delivery systems. It is a credit to the insight and skill of Dr. King and his team that we continue to receive these encouraging results as we go forward. CellTraffix is focused on developing devices that could revolutionize the apheresis procedure, a protracted and uncomfortable process used to collect stem cells from patient blood to treat cancer,” said Thomas Fitzgerald, CEO of CellTraffix, which is commercializing the CST devices and delivery systems targeted at cancer and stem cell applications.
Transplanting a patient’s own (or closely matched) stem cells is a common therapy with certain cancers, and currently involves either bone marrow collection or apheresis, a low efficiency process by which a patient’s blood is drawn and centrifuged for stem cells. Furthermore, in apheresis, a large number of the patient’s white blood cells are drawn out to capture a relatively small amount, 1-2% of stem cells.
About the Study
In a study of a protein-coated device implanted in a rat femoral artery for one hour, the amount of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) captured was seven times that of the centrifuged control samples after one hour of implantation. In a similar device implanted directly into the blood stream via a closed-loop arterio-venous shunt for two hours, total cell capture was increased two-fold, indicating that longer duration of blood circulation increased cell capture, and that a completely implantable device was feasible. The cells captured also went on to proliferate and demonstrate colony-forming potential. In each case, the devices were coated with P-selectin protein, which had been shown in earlier, ex-vivo studies to be an excellent capture medium for stem and other targeted cells, such as circulating cancer cells.
About CellTraffix
CellTraffix is a medical technology company that develops devices and research tools to fight cancer and enhance the collection and use of adult stem cells. These devices employ CellTraffix patented technology and unique understanding of the mechanics of cellular flow and cell trafficking in the blood stream to develop a range of proprietary medical devices to address a number of unmet medical needs relating to cancer, adult stem cells and immune cells.
CellTraffix has established a strategic relationship with the University of Rochester to advance the Company’s core technologies. The Company has also collaborated with MIT in bio-device surface development.
Contact: Company Contact: Thomas Fitzgerald President and CEO (585) 267-4840
Media Relations: Deanne Eagle Cameron Associates (212) 554-5463 Email Contact
Source: CellTraffix Inc.
