Adult Stem Cells Applied to Cancer Therapy

Reuters, September 1, 2009

The adult stem cell company Vitro Biopharma has announced pending patent applications on proprietary cell-based cancer therapies that are developed from human adult stem cells. Specifically, the therapies incorporate the natural properties of a specific type of adult stem cell known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a highly potent stem cell that is commonly found in bone marrow, adipose (fat) tissue and umbilical cord blood.

This new announcement for the use of MSCs in cell-based cancer therapies is believed to have wide-spread applications in the therapeutic treatment of certain types of cancer that are known to develop from a specialized set of cancer stem cells which are typically highly resistant to standard therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation. Among other forms of cancer, the glioblastoma tumors that are found in brain cancer would be an excellent candidate for treatment with Vitro's new therapeutic approach. The novel cell-based therapies capitalize upon the natural tendency of MSCs to migrate to cancer stem cells, thereby utilizing the MSCs as a delivery mechanism to transport toxic agents that may selectively target and kill the cancer stem cells. Precisely toward such a goal, Vitro Biopharma currently has patent applications pending for their new proprietary adult stem cell therapies, for which the company is also actively pursuing strategic partnerships in the commercialization of these new therapeutic products. Vitro Biopharma currently has other related products that are already commercially available.

According to Dr. Pamela Rice, a member of Vitro's scientific advisory board and an oncology researcher at the University of Colorado at Denver, "Cellular-mediated destruction of cancer stem cells represents a promising new avenue for the development of effective treatments that specifically target cancer stem cells. Vitro has developed an exciting portfolio of products to advance research in this field, which is one of the few approaches to show promise against intractable cancers such as most forms of brain cancer. Additionally, Vitro's patent pending technology for cancer therapy represents an exciting and novel approach to the selective eradication of cancer stem cells that could usher in new promise in the fight against cancer."

Vitro Biopharma recently established a new manufacturing site in Golden, Colorado, comprised of both corporate as well as R&D facilities. Vitro's commercial focus is on a series of products developed from MSCs and iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells, as well as on cancer research that utilizes exclusively adult stem cells in the development of novel cancer therapies.