Heart-derived neonatal stem cells used to treat Crohn’s disease

Researchers have injected mice with neonatal stem cells taken from heart tissue discarded after surgery and found that the treatment reduced bowel inflammation and promoted healing, offering a new and alternative treatment to chronic inflammatory conditions like Crohn’s disease.

Stem cells’ ability to transform – differentiate – into any cell type to repair damaged tissue means that stem cell therapy has been used to treat autoimmune, inflammatory, neurological, and orthopedic conditions.

Different types of stem cells, including hematopoietic (which develop into blood cells), mesenchymal ( that make and repair cartilage, bone, and bone marrow fat), and induced pluripotent stem cells, have been used in clinical trials and medical treatments. A new study by researchers at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago has taken neonatal mesenchymal stem cells (nMSCs) from discarded heart tissue and used them as a novel treatment for bowel inflammation.

“Neonatal cardiac-derived mesenchymal stem cells have been used in a clinical trial to repair an injured heart, but this is the first time these potent cells have been studied in an inflammatory intestinal disease model,” said corresponding author of the study, Arun Sharma. “Our results are encouraging and definitely provide a new platform to potentially treat aspects of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.”

Previous studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) taken from one person and used in another (allogeneic stem cells) are safe, effective treatments for certain immune disorders. But studies have also shown that MSCs taken from elderly patients are less able to differentiate compared to cells taken from young adults. Hence, the researchers used neonatal cells or cells taken from newborns within the first four weeks of life.

During cardiac surgery on neonates with congenital heart disease, a portion of the thymus gland, the organ that sits just in front of and above the heart and makes white blood cells, is removed and discarded. The discarded tissue is a good source of MSCs.

In the current study, the researchers injected these heart-derived nMSCs directly into Crohn’s-like inflammatory lesions in the small intestine of mice. They found that the injection significantly reduced lesion inflammation and promoted wound healing in the intestinal lining.

Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease, are ordinarily treated with a combination of corticosteroid anti-inflammatories, anti-microbial agents, immunosuppressive drugs, and antibody therapies. However, the combination can cause side effects, and some people develop resistance to treatment. The researchers say their novel treatment may offer a treatment that side-steps these issues.

Because the nMSCs are injected directly into the intestine, the treatment currently requires surgery. The next step for the researchers is to develop a method of administering the stem cells via intravenous injection. More animal studies are also needed before the treatment approach progresses to clinical trials.

“Ultimately, our goal is to utilize this cell type as treatment, but also as a preventive measure, before signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease develop,” said Sharma. “We also might be able to apply this approach to other inflammatory diseases. The potential is enormous, and we are excited to move forward.”

The study was published in the journal Advanced Therapeutics.

Source: Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago