Pig brain cells NTCell to treat Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis granted patent in Europe, says Living Cell Tech

NTCell,encapsulated porcine choroid plexus cells, to treat degenerative neurological conditions has been granted patent in Europe.

NTCell can be used in the treatment of a range of degenerative neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), Huntington’s disease and stroke, Living Cell Technologies Limited announced.

Living Cell Technologies has been European patent based on the technology of preparing NTCell, which are encapsulated porcine cells of the choroid plexus of the brain.

LCT’s technology enables healthy living cells to be injected into patients to replace or repair damaged tissue without requiring the use of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection. LCT also offers medical-grade porcine-derived products for the repair and replacement of damaged tissues, as well as for research and other purposes.

These choroid plexus cells release growth factors and neurotrophins, which are a range of agents that protect and maintain the health of brain cells.

NTCell was designed to protect brain cells from disease and injury and to enhance the natural repair mechanisms in the brain.

NTCell has the potential to restore neural cells and tissue, Living Cell Technologies stated in a press release.

The porcine choroid plexus cells are encapsulated in a seaweed-derived gel. The encapsulation protects the cells from rejection by the immune system allowing implantation
without the need for toxic anti-rejection drugs.

“At a time when we are seeing regulatory approvals in Europe and the US for clinical trials with cell-based therapeutics in neurologic disorders, we can expect NTCell to add significant value to LCT,” stated Dr Paul Tan, chief executive officer LCT.

The December 2009 issue of the Journal of Neural Engineering published LCT’s paper titled “Encapsulated living choroid plexus cells: potential long-term treatments for central nervous system disease and trauma”, which shows that long-lasting therapeutic implants of NTCell may be used to treat brain disease. The new experimental data indicates that the choroid plexus cells release neuroprotective agents including antioxidants and growth supporting factors.

The implanted cells were still alive when retrieved 6 months after implantation into the brain in animals.

NTCell is well tolerated in pre-clinical primate studies targeting neurological disorders with no evidence of adverse side effects.

NTCell treatment significantly diminishes the degeneration of striatal neurons in neurodegenerative conditions such as Huntington’s disease.

LCT’s pre-clinical results reveal that brain cell damage in primates treated with the NTCell product was five times less than in control animals in a Huntington’s disease model.

Data from pre-clinical studies show that choroid plexus cell transplants can potentially reduce damage to the brain by 86% and dramatically improve limb use.

Early stage research indicates NTCell may be effective in protecting insulin secreting beta cells and preventing the onset of diabetes in a non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model of Type 1 diabetes.

The secretions from NTCell contain growth factors which have shown benefits in wound healing in animals.

LCT is researching the development of a non-cell based product for wound healing.

These same secretions have a beneficial effect on the auditory nerve in individuals who are nerve deaf and have been implanted with a cochlear device. The success or otherwise of these devices rests on whether the new hearing device connects to the brain through the auditory nerve.

Animal experiments are being conducted to confirm the usefulness of this nerve regeneration using NTCell.

Living Cell Technologies (LCT) is developing cell-based products to treat life threatening human diseases.

The Company owns a biocertified pig herd that it uses as a source of cells for treating
diabetes and neurological disorders.

For patients with Type 1 diabetes, Living Cell Technologies transplants microencapsulated islet cells so that near-normal blood glucose levels may be achieved without the need for administration of insulin or at significantly reduced levels.

The company entered clinicaltrials for its diabetes product in 2007.

For the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders, Living Cell Technologies transplants microencapsulated choroid plexus cells that deliver beneficial proteins and neurotrophic factors to the brain.