UMIP-398 – CD10/Neprilysin inducible levels as predictor of efficient Substance P degradation by human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSC).

Problem: Musculoskeletal disease involvesimmune/inflammatory events, beyond the mechanical causes historicallydescribed. Synovitis and infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) inflammation/fibrosis playcrucial roles in the pathogenesis and progression of Osteoarthritis (OA), assource of joint destructive molecules and the joint pain-transmitting signalandimmune regulator Substance P (SP). Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC)-based therapy has gainedattention as a potential therapeutic alternative to treat OA, given their immunomodulatoryand trophic effects involving anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic actions, allcritical for OA progression. An important aspect to considerstreamlining cell-based therapies is the characterization of the cell product.The variability in manufacturing protocols, combined with the inherentinter-donor variability results in heterogeneous preparations with inconsistent“cell potencies”, thus negatively affecting the standardization andreproducibility of their therapeutic potential. Furthermore, “traditional”MSC-based product manufacturing includes fetal bovine serum (FBS) supplementation to the expanding media, posingrisks for clinical applications/trials related to prion exposure andxeno-reactivity. Thus, there is a need in this art for alternative methods for manufacturingmore homogeneous clinically relevant amounts of MSCs, avoiding FBS or otheranimal-derived media, supplements, or components, wherein the final MSC productthereby can be more safely used for efficiently treating specific diseases anddisorders in humans and other animals. Technology: Researchers at the University of Miami have developed novel methods forproducing clinically relevant amounts of MSC avoiding FBS, incorporated to a phenotype-basedMSC “purification” during the manufacturing process, resulting in morehomogeneous preparations with specific attributes (CD10 enrichment) and mostrelevant enhanced therapeutic effects. Those functions relate with strong immunomodulation,SP degradation in vitro and in vivo, and efficient control of synovitis and IFPfibrosis. Peter Gutenberg pxg372@miami.edu 305-243-4604