Genostem research/neurological/neuromuscular disorders

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GENOSTEM Project Fact Sheet

Adult mesenchymal stem cells engineering for connective tissue

disorders. From the bench to the bed side

Action Line: Application of knowledge and technologies in the field of

genomics and biotechnology for health - Development and testing of new

preventive and therapeutic tools, such a somatic gene and cell therapies

(in particular stem cell therapies, for example those on neurological

and neuromuscular disorders) and immunotherapies

Project URL: http://www.genostem.org/

Coordinator

Contact Person:

Name: JORGENSEN, Christian (Professor)

Institut de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale

INSERM U 475

rue Puech Villa

34275 Montpellier

FRANCE

The objective of this Integrated Project Genostem is to establish an

European international scientific leadership for stem cell regenerative

medicine in the field of connective tissue disorders. Autologous adult

Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are optimal candidates to serve as the

building blocks for the engineering of connective tissues being

multipotential stem cells that give rise to osteoblasts, chondrocytes

and tenocytes, muscle cells and adipocytes. Genostem will compare

different tissue sources of MSCs and isolate subsets in order to obtain

undifferentiated MSCs, committed MSCs at early stage of differentiation,

progeny blocked at specific differentiation stage and fully

differentiated progeny.

Genostem will study the complete MSC gene product repertoire using

genomic and proteomic analysis that should provide with the molecules

and pathways potentially operative for the maintenance and

differentiation of stem cells. Genostem will develop innovative

technologies to generate biodegradable matrices, scaffolds and

microcarriers that bind pharmacologically active proteins and allow

their delivery in a controlled way; these biomaterials will allow to

engineer MSCs such as to obtain optimal repair of the target injured

tissue. Genostem will improve methods for gene transfer using original

virus or non viral delivery systems in order to carry out gain (gene

transfer) and loss (siRNA transfer) of function studies. Genostem will

develop transplantation models of MSCs mimicking human pathological

processes operative in bone cartilage and tendon diseases. The final

goal is to develop clinical trials using MSCs, in bone, cartilage and

tendon disorders, in partnership with SMEs and regulatory bodies for the

scale up of safe procedures, taking advantage of the experience already

acquired by one of the partner in clinical trials using cultured muscle

cells.

Project details

Project Reference: LSHB-CT-2003-503161 Contract Type: Integrated

Project

Start Date: 2004-01-01 End Date: 2007-12-31

Duration: 48 months Project Status: Execution

Project Funding: 8.75 million euro

http://dbs.cordis.lu/fep-cgi/srchidadb?ACTION=D & SESSION= & DOC=1 & TBL=EN_PROJ & RCN=E\

P_RCN:71993 & CALLER=FP6_PROJ