Special Seminar - A Human Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell-based Approach for Brain Repair using Tissue-engineered 3-D Constructs
Date: September 23, 2009
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Bossone Research Enterprise Center, Room: 709
Speaker(s):
Philip Lazarovici, Ph.D.
Chairman of Pharmacology
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
The Institute of Drug Research, Faculty of Medicine & Visiting Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University
Details:
Human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) is considered a valuable source for stem cell-based therapies of neurodegenerative disorders. HUCB is enriched in progenitor cells that may initiate and maintain brain tissue repair for CNS damage, such as brain trauma or stroke, for which no current therapy is available. Furthermore HUCB cells are easily available and less immunogenic than stem/progenitor cells from other sources. In this seminar I will present the technology of isolation, characterization and differentiation of neuronal and endothelial progenitors from HUCB. In addition, I will discuss our progress towards the design of brain-compatible, 3-D constructs of different biomaterials containing HUCB neuronal progenitors and incorporating polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) microspheres loaded with nerve and/or basic fibroblast growth factors. This construct is designed to ensure long-term survival and differentiation of HUCB-derived neuronal progenitors upon implantation after brain trauma or stroke in rats. We hypothesize that such a 3-D construct will be more effective than the local injection of isolated cells since the construct will provide a better integration into the brain due to angiogenesis and neurotrophic (survival) effects of the gradually released growth factors. If successful, our proposed technology will provide the proof-of-concept for the feasibility of utilizing 3-D constructs comprising HUCB progenitors and slow-released growth factors in the clinical therapy of brain trauma and stroke.
Biosketch:
Professor Lazarovici is a member of the faculty at the School of Pharmacy at The Hebrew University, where he is actively involved in teaching and research. After obtaining his Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology from The Hebrew University, he did postdoctoral training in neurobiology at The Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, in biochemistry at The School of Medicine, Marseille, France, and in neurochemistry at the Section of Growth Factors, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH,USA. Professor Lazarovici's research is in the field of pharmacology, toxicology, and cancer, with emphasis on neurosciences. His specific expertise is in neurotrophins such as nerve growth factor and neurotoxins affecting ionic channels and receptors. He has published approximately 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals, about 30 chapters and reviews, and more than 250 abstracts at international meetings. He recently published a five-book series titled, “Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Toxin Action," published by Taylor and Francis, London. Besides basic research, Professor Lazarovici was involved with the team developing the anti-Parkinson's disease drug rasagiline, with Teva Pharmaceutical Company. He is a scientific consultant to biotech and pharmaceutical companies such as Alomone Labs, D-Pharm, and Teva, Israel; Promega, USA; and Kyowa Hakko Kogyo, Japan. Professor Lazarovici is most proud for his many students choosing to perform a scientific career in academics, hospitals, and industry, in Israel and abroad.
Directions:
The Bossone Research Enterprise Center is located at the corner of 32nd and Market Streets.
|
