Glial Progenitor-based Cell Therapy in Myelin Disease

A section of Human glial progenitor cell-implanted shiverer mouse brain, immunolabeled for MBP.

In the most clinically-advanced of the lab’s lines of investigation, we have established protocols for the identification, isolation and transplantation of human oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, which have succeeded in completely remyelinating the nervous systems of congenitally-hypomyelinated animals and rescuing normal neurological phenotype. On the basis of this work, we have initiated a planned 4-year clinical trial of human OPC transplantation into patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis; we were awarded a 12.1 million grant from NY state, via the NY State Stem Cell Science board, for this purpose. This is a 4-year consortium effort spanning three medical schools in upstate New York, and comprises the first attempt in adult humans of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell transplantation.

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