67 Year Old Woman Cured of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

SAN DIEGO, CA, Jun 21, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Medistem Inc. (PINKSHEETS: MEDS). Medistem Inc. together with the Stem Cell Institute (www.cellmedicine.com ) reported today publication in the peer reviewed journal Cellular Immunology its paper titled “Autologous stromal vascular fraction cells: A tool for facilitating tolerance in rheumatic disease,” which describes the first use of a patient’s own fat stem cells for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

In collaboration with the company Vet-Stem Inc, the University of Western Ontario, and The University of California San Diego, Medistem scientists detailed the scientific rationale for use of patient’s own fat derived stem cells for “reprogramming” the immune system of patients with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. A case report of a 67-year-old American woman who recovered from rheumatoid arthritis after intravenous treatment with adult stem cells is provided.

“We have been treating companion animals for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis for over five years, achieving and publishing excellent efficacy data,” said Robert Harman, CEO of Vet-Stem. “Medistem’s identification of potential mechanisms of action, as well as translation of this technology into the clinic, supports the importance of our findings.”

Medistem previously identified and filed intellectual property covering the co-purification of high concentrations of T regulatory cells using protocols that enrich for adipose derived stem cells, a finding that was later confirmed and published by Diane Mathis’s group from Harvard University (Feuerer et al. Nat Med. 2009 Aug;15(8):930-9). T regulatory cells are used by the body to control autoimmunity, which is explained in this video by Thomas Ichim, the CEO of Medistem http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEJfGu29Rg8 .

“We are very excited that Medistem’s protocol for isolation of a patient’s own fat derived stem cells and T regulatory cells, which produced promising results in multiple sclerosis, appears to be useful in rheumatoid arthritis, another autoimmune disease,” said Neil Riordan, Chairman of Medistem.

In a 2009 paper Medistem together with Vet-Stem and University of California San Diego reported substantial clinical improvement in a small group of multiple sclerosis patients treated using a similar protocol. The paper is available at http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/pdf/1479-5876-7-29.pdf

About Medistem Inc.

Medistem Inc. is a biotechnology company developing technologies related to adult stem cell extraction, manipulation, and use for treating inflammatory and degenerative diseases. The company’s lead product, the endometrial regenerative cell (ERC), is a “universal donor” stem cell being developed for critical limb ischemia. A publication describing the support for use of ERC for this condition may be found at http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/pdf/1479-5876-6-45.pdf

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Youtube Video Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1288566

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/medistem-reports-rheumatoid-arthritis-patient-success-using-adult-stem-cell-protocol-2010-06-21?reflink=MW_news_stmp