America Stem Cell (ASC) won an Advanced Technology Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to evaluate the use of its ASC-101 stem technology in combination with the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine’s (WFIRM) amniotic fluid-derived stem cells in an experimental model of compartment syndrome. The condition can arise following a range of injuries including fractures, burns, trauma, post-ischemic swelling, and gunshot wounds, leading to loss of muscle tissue.
ASC-101 is a human recombinant enzyme technology designed to increase the efficiency of engraftment of cord blood-derived stem cell transplants, and enhance the ability of other types of stem cell to home in on their target tissues. A number of collaborations are in place to evaluate the potential to use ASC-101 for improving cell therapies for multiple conditions using a range of cell types. Initial clinical trials with ASC-101 are ongoing in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
The firm says the STTR grant will allow it to evaluate combining its technology with amniotic fluid-derived stem cells. “The combination of ASC-101 with amniotic fluid-derived stem cells could synergistically enhance the therapeutic and regenerative capacity of these cells and most importantly provide an off-the-shelf, effective solution for tissue damage due to multiple types of injuries or diseases,” remarks Lynnet Koh, ASC’s CEO.“