Company Press Release
Fetal Pig Cells Implanted in Stroke Patient
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/990922/ma_diacrin_1.html
BOSTON--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 22, 1999--Diacrin scientists along with
doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have become the first in
the world to implant fetal pig brain cells into the brain of a stroke
patient. The collaborators hope that the fetal pig brain cells will
replace the cells that have died as a result of the stroke.
``We are excited about the possibilities that this therapy will provide
for stroke patients who otherwise would expect very little recovery.
Through this trial we hope to begin to understand how patients would
most benefit from cell therapy and what the risks might be,'' says Louis
Caplan, MD, BI-Deaconess neurologist and neurology professor at Harvard
Medical School.
Despite extensive rehabilitation efforts since her stroke four years
ago, the patient, 39, has not been able to regain enough use of her left
hand to return to her job as a dental hygienist in Saratoga Springs, New
York. This was the first patient treated as part of a Phase 1 clinical
trial that is being done by Diacrin in collaboration with Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center.
The cells used in this trial are pretreated such that patients do not
need to take immunosuppressive medicine to prevent the patient's immune
system from rejecting the cells. This immunological pretreatment is
based on a patented technology exclusively licensed to Diacrin by
Massachusetts General Hospital.
``It's not a cure yet,'' says BI-Deaconess neurosurgeon-in-chief Julian
Wu, MD, who performed the xenograft. ``But, it's exciting to consider
that this may be a beginning to treating strokes in the near-future.''
``Considering the encouraging clinical results we have seen using cell
transplantation to treat PARKINSON'S disease patients and focal epilepsy
patients, and knowing the prevalence of stroke in our society, we are
very excited to begin this trial,'' said Thomas H. Fraser, PhD, Diacrin
president and CEO.
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Copyright © 1999 Business Wire.
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Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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