Clinical-stage biotechnology company Cynata Therapeutics Limited (ASX: CYP) has achieved further positive efficacy data from a study of its Cymerus mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a preclinical heart attack model.
The company said that in particular, treatment with Cymerus MSCs was shown to enhance the recovery of the blood supply to the damaged heart through the generation of new blood vessels. New vessel formation is accepted as an essential element of repair after the damage caused by a myocardial infarction, i.e. heart attack.
Dr Kilian Kelly, Cynata’s Chief Operating Officer, said the data arise from further studies conducted by a team led by Associate Professor James Chong (Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney).
Dr Kelly said that as previously announced, initial studies by Associate Professor Chong’s team showed that Cymerus MSC treatment improved recovery of cardiac function post heart attack compared to either placebo or bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs).
The latest results help to explain the mechanism for the superior therapeutic effects of Cymerus MSCs compared to conventional BM-MSCs and placebo in this disease model. The data from this study will be submitted for publication to a peer-reviewed medical journal.
With the benefit of this further data we are now able to better understand the beneficial effects of our Cymerus MSCs in this model of heart attack,” Dr Kelly said.
“It is particularly notable that the latest results are consistent with the greater benefit demonstrated by Cymerus MSCs over BM-MSCs in the earlier studies of heart function.
“Given the scalability and consistency advantages of the Cymerus MSC manufacturing process over conventional processes, the potential therapeutic advantages shown here are particularly interesting as a putative treatment for post heart- attack cardiac damage.”
