Published: August 04, 2010
Paralyzed Iraqi War Veteran Will Be First to Receive Adult Stem Cells to Treat Spinal Cord Injuries at TCA Cellular Therapy
COVINGTON, La. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - TCA
Cellular Therapy, LLC has enrolled its first patient to participate
in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first adult stem cell
clinical trial to treat spinal cord injuries. Enrollee and Marine
Veteran, Matt Cole was paralyzed from the chest down in a 2005 insurgent
attack in Iraq.
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center
(February 2010), it is estimated that up to 311,000 people in the U.S.
are living with a Spinal Cord Injury with the average health care and
living expenses cost for the first year following the injury as much as
$830,000 per patient.
TCA Cellular's neurological team is led by stem cell experts Jose
J. Minguell, PhD, Carolina Allers, PhD, and Gabriel
Lasala, MD, neurosurgeon Gustavo
Gutnisky, MD, and neurologist Srinivas
Ganji, MD. The team is scheduled to treat ten patients in Phase I.
"Many spinal cord injury patients have no effective treatment available
at this time," stated Dr. Gutnisky. "I'm very encouraged by the results
of the pre-clinical trials and anticipate this may become a significant
therapy for these patients in the near future."
Utilizing TCA Cellular's proprietary therapy, a couple of thousand adult
stem cells have been extracted from the patient's own bone marrow,
Mesenchymal Stem Cells have been separated, purified, multiplied to
millions and will be infused into Cole's spinal cord later this month.
"In theory we expect the cells to repair damaged neurons," explained TCA
Cellular president, Dr. Lasala. "At minimum, our team expects this
therapy will provide some improvement to the patient's motory and
sensory functions with no side effects."
About TCA Cellular Therapy
Under the scientific guidance of cellular biologist, Jose
J. Minguell, Ph.D., TCA Cellular Therapy, LLC is a biotherapeutic
adult stem cell research and development company. The company has been
recognized by the FDA as one of the top 10 U.S. companies researching
stem cell therapies. Founded in 2006, the privately-held company has
multiple ongoing FDA clinical trials utilizing patient's own cells. The
company is located in Covington, Louisiana.
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For TCA Cellular Therapy
Cindy Casanova, 504-723-1160
or
Jacquie
Bonano, 504-512-0147
media@tcacellulartherapy.com
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