[olsen]

(this is from investment news about the private sector--use of mitogen to stop cell reproduction very interesting )
Stem Cells Research May Hold Promise in Neurological Disorders

By Michael Brush
Exclusively for InvestorIdeas.com
May 03, 2007


As important as stem cell research is to the future of medicine, we’ve never noticed much insider buying in the space. So we haven’t had the opportunity to get exposure to the field.

That changed last week when the finance chief of an emerging, but promising stem cell research company made a small purchase of his company’s stock.

The company, called Neuralstem (NRLS), has technology that can isolate and grow the neurological stem cells which may eventually be used to treat a variety of central nervous system disorders. They include ailments like paralysis and Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gering’s disease, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer's disease, and even depression.

To be sure, this is an early-stage company. But preliminary research is promising and several potential catalysts for the stock lie just around the corner.

They include:

Publication of results from animal studies
Experiments on humans which may begin as soon as the turn of the year
A licensing partnership that could provide capital infusion and help verify the technology for the investment community
A move to the American Stock Exchange from the bulletin board, which would open up the potential investor base.
Let’s take a closer look.

Use of stem cells to treat neurological disorders

It’s still a fairly new science, but researchers at places like Johns Hopkins University and the University of California at San Diego believe it’s possible to use stem cells to cure lots of neurological disorders. Here’s why.

When cells that make up our central nervous system are healthy, they are constantly metabolizing or producing substances like neurotransmitters, hormones, sugars, and amino acids. All this makes our central nervous system hum.

But when these cells are damaged or destroyed, they can’t do all of this properly anymore. That’s the culprit behind illnesses like paralysis, Lou Gering’s disease, Parkinson’s and many others.

Researchers believe it is possible that implanting healthy versions of the damaged cells into the trouble spot can regenerate the damaged cells or spur the production of healthier ones. “They integrate, and they rebuild the circuitry and deliver the specific molecules of interest,” explains Neuralstem chief executive Richard Garr. This is an area of science known as "regenerative medicine" or "cell therapy."

Researchers know which kinds of neurological stem cells to put in, because they know the types of cells that are damaged in each type of disorder.

People with Parkinson’s disease, for example, have lost dopamergic neurons.
Victims of ischemic paralysis – which can occur when heart surgery goes wrong – have damaged gabaergic cells.
When the problem is a break in the spinal cord, inserting the right type of cell may form a kind of bridge that rebuilds the circuitry.
There’s no problem with rejection of the cells by the body. That’s because the cells are implanted on the safe side of the blood-brain barrier. The barrier separates the foreign cells from antibodies in the host’s blood – antibodies that would otherwise attack the cells.

Neuralstem technology

But where can doctors find the right cells to use? That’s where Neuralstem comes in. It owns technology that allows doctors to have a big enough supply of the right kind of neurological stem cells to treat these illnesses.

Neuralstem’s technology was developed by Karl Johe when he was at the National Institutes of Health. He’s now the chief science officer at the company. Years ago, Johe discovered how to isolate very primitive neural stem cells from the parts of early-stage fetuses that would eventually develop into the brain and spinal cord.

Johe also figured out how to reproduce huge amounts of these primitive cells in the lab. He discovered that removing mitogen from the cells shuts down the command that would otherwise prevent them from dividing. So these cells simply keep reproducing. Reintroducing the mitogen shuts down reproduction. Then the cells move on to their next stage of life and develop into the kind of neurological cells they were destined to be.

A big advantage here is that Neuralstem has already discovered how to produce commercial quantities of the cells.

The research

This all sounds good, but does any of this really work? We don’t really know. But to find out, researchers are creating various neurological ailments in animals, and then implanting the right kind of stem cell to see if the animals recover.

Neuralstem has research teams at the following universities working on these potential applications:

University of California San Diego (ischemic spastic paraplegia)
John Hopkins University, School of Medicine (Lou Gering’s disease and traumatic spinal cord injury)
University of Southern Florida, Tampa (Parkinson's disease)
University of Central Florida, Orlando (spinal cord injuries).
Results from research at the University of California San Diego are due out any day now. If animals in that study show signs of recovery, that would be a big breakthrough because ischemic spastic paraplegia is not an ailment that victims ever recover from spontaneously, or on their own. The next step would be a feasibility study in humans late this year or early next year.

The bottom line : This is an early stage company, and there’s still a lot to learn about the potential for using stem cells to treat neurological disorders. Still, you can get some of your biggest gains when you get into a company before too many other people have discovered it, and that may be the case here.

Disclaimer
At the time of publication, Michael Brush owned shares of Neuralstem. Mr. Brush is an independent columnist for this web site.
For more on Insiders Corner disclosure, see the disclosure section in About Insiders Corner: http://www.investorideas.com/insiderscorner/. InvestorI deas.com Disclaimer: www.InvestorIdeas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp . InvestorIdeas is not affiliated or compensated by the companies mentioned in this article