Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC)-based Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases

Creative Biolabs has successfully constructed a series of innovative and specialized technology platforms to provide fast and convenient novel therapy development services for our worldwide customers. Equipped with abundant experience and professional expertise, our professional team is optimized to help you win success in hematopoietic stem cell-based therapy development service for autoimmune disease treatment.

Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC)-Based Therapy

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the stem cells that can develop and differentiate into all types of blood cells, also known as hematopoiesis. Similar to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), HSCs are also multipotent precursors with extensive self-renewal capacity and pluripotency. Located in adult bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, and little in peripheral blood, HSCs can differentiate into various blood cells, namely myeloid and lymphoid, both of which are involved in dendritic cell development. In addition to hematopoiesis, HSCs also play an important role in regulating and maintaining the physiological balance of various cell components in the circulation under stress conditions such as injury and inflammation.

Based on the self-renewal and differentiation capacities, HSCs can be used to heal or replace diseased or injured cells or organs in the human body, which is the process of HSCs-based cell therapy. HSCs-based cell therapy is usually performed by the transplantation of autologous, allogeneic, syngeneic, or gene-modified multipotent HSCs, which is also known as HSC transplantation. Over the past decades, HSCs-based cell therapy has been widely developed for the treatment of a wide range of human diseases, especially genetic blood cell diseases, tumors (mostly multiple myeloma and leukemia), and autoimmune disorders. Moreover, HSC gene therapy that combines HSC transplantation with gene engineering or modification has been developed as a safer and more powerful approach for the treatment of multiple genetic and immune disorders.

Fig.1 HSCT: A platform for cellular therapies. (Chabannon, 2018)

HSC-Based Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases

The human immune system protects the body from disease and infection. But autoimmune diseases are caused when the immune system mistakenly produces responses against self-components. Autoimmune disease is usually mediated by circulating autoantibodies and autoreactive T lymphocytes. New therapy development for autoimmune disease treatment is urgently needed since the traditional drugs (anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressants) are less effective and have more side effects.

Treating autoimmune diseases by HSC transplantation may date back to the 1970s, and there are nearly 100 studies are being evaluated in clinical trials currently. HSC transplantation can be used alone to treat autoimmune disease patients or to restore the host immune system after the patients receive potent immunosuppressive treatment. HSCs-based cell therapy for autoimmune disease generally divided into autologous HSC transplantation (auto-HSCT) and allogeneic HSC transplantation (allo-HSCT), of which the auto-HSCT is superior to allo-HSCT due to the increased toxicity and potential rejection.

• auto-HSCT for autoimmune disease treatment

In auto-HSCT, HSCs are collected from the bone marrow or peripheral blood from autoimmune disease patients. Then other T and B cells are depleted, and positive HSCs are selected using CD34 antibody and cryopreserved. Before HSC transplantation for hematopoiesis reconstitution, deplete the lymphocytes in autoimmune disease patients to minimize autoreactive B and T cells.

Fig.2 Autologous HCT as a therapy for autoimmune disease. (Sykes, 2005)

• allo-HSCT for autoimmune disease treatment

In allo-HSCT, HSCs are collected and selected by the methods similar to in auto-HSCT. And before HSC transplantation, deplete the T and B lymphocytes in autoimmune disease recipients and T cells in donor to prevent rejection and graft versus host disease. After transplantation, additional immunosuppression is usually required to prevent residual T cell-mediated rejection.

Fig.3 Allogeneic HCT as a therapy for autoimmune disease. (Sykes, 2005)

Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC)-based Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases

Nowadays, stem cell therapy, no matter mesenchymal stem cell or hematopoietic stem cell, displays significantly therapeutic prospects for autoimmune disease treatment. Possessing world-leading technology platforms and professional scientific staff, Creative Biolabs is dedicated to assisting our clients by providing the most tailored HSC-based therapy development services for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Please directly contact us for more details. Our scientists will offer you the best supports and services.

References

1. Chabannon, C.; et al. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in its 60s: A platform for cellular therapies. Science Translational Medicine. 2018, 10(436): eaap9630.
2. Sykes, M.; Nikolic, B. Treatment of severe autoimmune disease by stem-cell transplantation. Nature. 2005, 435(7042): 620-627.

For Research Use Only | Not For Clinical Use