Cellistem®LES is an allogeneic cell therapy based on the expansion of a subpopulation of umbilical cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs), developed by Cells for Cells as an adjuvant for the treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).
Stem Cell Therapy for Lupus
2,710
Million USD, Global SLE Therapeutics Market by 2026
7.5
CAGR for the 2022 - 2026 period
9
Times more frequent in women than in men
“The importance of the MSC-ROLE trial lies in that it would make it possible to confirm the effect of UC-MSCs used concomitantly with current treatments through a study of high technical quality. One of the aspects of greatest interest is the possibility of applying our therapy in situations that contraindicate the use of immunosuppressants, as is the case with infections that often affect patients with severe renal lupus (lupus nephritis).”
Dr. Fernando Figueroa, Rheumatologist and Cells for Cells’ co-founder
A highly unmet medical need that demands first-class therapy. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a multi-systemic autoimmune disease affecting women disproportionately. In this condition, the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, causing severe inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs. Renal disease is the most frequent of the severe manifestations (present in 40-50% of cases) and perhaps the one with the poorest prognostic, especially when affecting Hispanic people. It is also the main contributor to the increase in mortality of SLE to almost five times higher than in the general population. Acknowledging the largely unsatisfactory responses and high toxicity of available treatment methods and the burden of this disease in our region, Cells for Cells developed an adjuvant treatment for patients with renal lupus based on its proprietary UC-MSC technology platform.
Cells for Cells’ clinical program for lupus is based on more than a decade of research. Dr. Figueroa has explored for decades the mechanisms of action of MSCs on the immune system and their clinical outcome in various autoimmune diseases. Through meaningful collaborations, he reported the potent anti-inflammatory effect of these cells and their action on T-regulatory cells (T-regs)’ activity, which is deficient in SLE patients. Stem cell therapy has shown striking results in cases with severe SLE and low toxicity in patients, although not in controlled clinical studies. For this reason, Dr. Figueroa’s group designed a Phase II Clinical Study as a pioneering dose-response, triple-blind, controlled assessment. The trial aims to compare the outcome of the usual treatments, but depending on whether or not an intravenous injection of umbilical cord MSCs is added as co-treatment of severe renal lupus. If a significant therapeutic effect is corroborated, this advanced Cells for Cells’ therapy could become a very important adjuvant for treating SLE without overall immunosuppressive effect and suitable for treating severe forms of the disease that are usually very difficult to treat.
