Widespread Distribution of Adenovirus-Transduced Monkey Amniotic Epithelial Cells after Local Intracerebral Injection: Implication for Cell-Mediated Therapy for Lysosome Storage Disorders

Amniotic membrane and amniotic fluid-derived cells: potential tools for regenerative medicine?

Human amniotic membranes and amniotic fluid have attracted increasing attention in recent years as a possible reserve of stem cells that may be useful for clinical application in regenerative medicine. Many studies have been conducted to date in terms of the differentiation potential of these cells, with several reports demonstrating that cells from both the amniotic fluid and membrane display high plasticity. In addition, cells from the amniotic membrane have also been shown to display immunomodulatory characteristics both in vivo and in vitro, which could make them useful in an allotransplantation setting. Here, we provide an overview comparing the latest findings regarding the stem characteristics of cells from both the amniotic membrane and amniotic fluid, as well as on the potential utility of these cells for future clinical application in regenerative medicine.

Novel candidate disease for gene therapy: metachromatic leukodystrophy

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare, fatal, inherited, autosomal recessive, lysosomal storage disorder, characterized by severe and progressive demyelination affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems. Despite some initial expectations in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and despite the ameliorated supportive therapy, MLD remains a life-threatening disease, with an extremely poor quality of life and a severe prognosis for all affected patients. Prospectively, in children affected by MLD, who have no other therapeutic option and an extremely poor prognosis, the potential risks associated with the use of a novel technology, such as gene therapy, might be well balanced by the potential benefit of a positive outcome. Thus, MLD might be considered an optimal candidate disease for testing innovative and potentially efficacious therapeutic approaches. Some of the gene therapy approaches discussed here, such as hematopoietic stem cells gene therapy, are likely to enter clinical testing in the near future.

Preclinical Evaluation of Adult Stem Cell Engraftment and Toxicity in the CNS of Rhesus Macaques

Congenital neurodegenerative diseases exhibit progressive postnatal neurologic impairment leading to premature death and are intractable to systemic therapies such as bone marrow transplantation. We injected bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the CNS of young adult rhesus macaques to evaluate their safety and feasibility as vectors for direct intervention of neurologic disorders. Levels of engrafted male, donor MSCs were quantified in the CNS of female transplant recipients by real-time PCR using an SRY gene-specific probe. Analysis of coronal brain slices encompassing one-third of the total brain volume revealed engraftment levels ranging from 0.026 x 10(-3) to 0.163 x 10(-3)% of the total DNA content of brain tissue. Fine-mapping revealed male DNA distributed within specific anatomic structures along the neuraxis where label-retaining MSCs were visualized in histological sections by immunohistochemistry. Double labeling of sections confirmed that engrafted donor cells lacked expression of the macrophage marker CD68, the astrocytes marker GFAP, and neuronal markers NeuN and MAP2. MSC engraftment had no adverse effects on animal health, behavior, postural and locomotor patterns, or upper limb motor performance evaluated over a 6-month period posttransplantation. Therefore, MSC-based therapies represent a safe alternative for clinical intervention of CNS disorders.