GemVax & KAEL said Thursday that GV1001, also known as Riavax, has the potential to trace transplanted stem cells and protect neural stem cells in stressful environments.
Riavax is a treatment for advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer.
The Hanyang University Hospital 한양대병원 team led by Professor Koh Seong-ho 고성호 of the department of neurology injected Fe-GV1001, Riavax attached with an iron-binding substance identifiable by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), into neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells. Afterwards, the team transplanted the cells into the brain of stroke-induced rats.
As a result, migration of Fe-GV1001-injected neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells to the cerebral infarction area was traceable through MRI. The cells showed no toxic reaction or side effects.
Fe-GV1001-injected stem cells also demonstrated superior migration survival rate and differentiation ability when subjected to extreme stress environmental conditions with a limited supply of oxygen and glucose than the non-injected stem cell.
“Although the in vivo tracking of transplanted stem cells is a crucial factor in stem cell therapy, effective methods have not yet been established in clinical trials,” Koh said in a statement. “This research shows that Fe-GV1001 is a safe tool to evaluate the efficacy and suitability of transplantation after stem cell transplantation.”
The research also confirmed that Fe-GV1001, when used to treat neural stem cells damaged by amyloid beta, migrates into the mitochondria with important functions for cell protection and repair, providing an important clue to explain the mechanism of Alzheimer's, he added.
Neural stem cells damaged by amyloid beta are known to be the cause of Alzheimer's.
"The ability of GV1001 as an effective and safe tracer will help stem cell research,” said Song Hyoung-gon 송형곤, CEO of GemVax & KAEL 젬백스앤카엘. “Also the company considers GV1001’s ability to protect stem cells in the extreme stress environment and significant intracellular migration to become a breakthrough in the ongoing clinical trials for Alzheimer’s.”
The company will continue to investigate the pleomorphic function of GV1001 as well as a basic study of the company’s peptide candidates, Song added.
The results of the study were published in a recent issue of Biomaterials.