Clinical Trial Underway
Our lead therapeutic program focuses on the development of AST-OPC1 for spinal cord injury. AST-OPC1 consists of neural cells known as oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, which are produced from human embryonic stem cells. OPC1 was previously tested in the world’s first human clinical trial of a pluripotent stem cell derived product. A clinical trial is currently underway testing AST-OPC1 in cervical spinal cord injury. Additional details can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
Scientific references for OPC1
Results From Clinical Testing of AST-OPC1 in Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury
In a Phase 1 clinical trial, five patients with neurologically complete, thoracic spinal cord injury were administered two million AST-OPC1 cells at the spinal cord injury site 7-14 days post-injury. The subjects received low levels immunosuppression for the next 60 days.
Delivery of AST-OPC1 was successful in all five subjects with no serious adverse events associated with the administration of the cells, with AST-OPC1 itself, or the immunosuppressive regimen.
In four of the five subjects, serial MRI scans indicated that reduced spinal cord cavitation may have occurred.