With the goal of easing the symptoms of MS, Bianca
Weinstock-Guttman, MD, and her colleagues are exploring the use of
stem cells to repair damaged myelin.
UB and two other upstate medical centers will lead a $12.1
million stem cell study aimed at halting the progression of
disability in people with multiple sclerosis.
The grant, funded by NYSTEM, will allow scientists
from UB, SUNY Upstate Medical Center and the University of
Rochester Medical Center to test the safety and effectiveness of
implanting stem cells that can reproduce myelin into the central
nervous system of MS patients.
In recent years, scientists found that when they transplanted
these stem cells into mice that had no myelin—the fatty
sheath surrounding nerves that is damaged in MS—the cells
began to repair damaged areas.
“If successful, transplantation of cells that can repair
damaged myelin may reverse some of the symptoms and slow the
tendency for worsening of the condition over time,” explains
co-principal investigator Steven Goldman, MD, PhD, chairman
emeritus of neurology at University of Rochester.
“It is hoped that this will also protect the nerves and
prevent further progression of disability.”
The grant will enable the three medical schools to bring their
research to the level of clinical trials in three to four
years.
Advancing the project quickly could “save patients and the
state millions in medical care costs while improving the health and
well-being of thousands in our community, and millions
worldwide,” says Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, MD, co-principal
investigator and UB professor of neurology.
More than 30,000 New Yorkers have MS, with the highest
concentration living in upstate New York. Because the condition
affects young adults, it has a significant impact on the
state’s workforce.
“MS is one of the most frequent neurological diseases
affecting young adults today and is extremely prevalent in New
York,” says principal investigator Burk Jubelt, MD, professor
of neurology, microbiology and immunology at SUNY Upstate
University.
“In fact, New York has one of the highest MS populations
in the country.”
The grant represents “a monumental step forward” for
New York’s stem cell program and the 2 million people
affected by MS, says Michael
Cain, MD, Vice President for UB Health Sciences and Dean,
School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
“This collaborative effort will link the medical schools
in western and upstate New York, leveraging a broader range of
expertise and knowledge of this disease and potentially
transforming MS therapies.”
Cain is also vice chair of the Associated Medical Schools of New
York, which announced the NYSTEM funding recommendation.
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