Development and preclinical testing of new devices for cell transplantation to the brain.

The surgical tools currently available to transplant cells to the human brain are crude and underdeveloped. In current clinical trials, a syringe and needle device has been used to inject living cells into the brain. Because cells do not spread through the brain tissue after implantation, multiple brain penetrations (more than ten separate needle insertions in some patients) have been required to distribute cells in the diseased brain region. Every separate brain penetration carries a significant risk of bleeding and brain injury. Furthermore, this approach does not result in effective distribution of cells. Thus, our lack of appropriate surgical tools and techniques for clinical cell transplantation represents a significant roadblock to the treatment of brain diseases with stem cell based therapies. A more ideal device would be one that can distribute cells to large brain areas through a single initial brain penetration. In this first year of progress, we have designed, prototyped, and tested a stereotactic neurosurgical device capable of delivering cells to a volumetrically large target region through a single cortical brain penetration. We compared the performance of our device to a currently used cell transplantation implement – a 20G cannula with dual side ports. Through a single initial penetration, our device could transplant materials to a region greater than 4 cubic centimeters. Modeling with neurosurgical planning software indicated that our device could distribute cells within the entire human putamen – a target used in Parkinson’s disease trials – via a single transcortical penetration. While reflux of material along the penetration tract was problematic with the 20G cannula, resulting in nearly 80% loss of cell delivery, our device was resistant to reflux. We also innovated an additional system that facilitates small and precise volumes of injection. Both dilute and highly concentrated neural precursor cell populations tolerated transit through the device with high viability and unaffected developmental potential. Our device design is compatible with currently employed frame-based, frameless, and intraoperative MRI stereotactic neurosurgical targeting systems.

The surgical tools currently available to transplant cells to the human brain are crude and underdeveloped. In current clinical trials, a syringe and needle device has been used to inject living cells into the brain. Because cells do not spread through the brain tissue after implantation, multiple brain penetrations (more than ten separate needle insertions in some patients) have been required to distribute cells in the diseased brain region. Every separate brain penetration carries a significant risk of bleeding and brain injury. Furthermore, this approach does not result in effective distribution of cells. Thus, our lack of appropriate surgical tools and techniques for clinical cell transplantation represents a significant roadblock to the treatment of brain diseases with stem cell based therapies. A more ideal device would be one that can distribute cells to large and anatomically complex brain areas through a single initial brain penetration. In the first year of progress, we designed, prototyped, and tested a stereotactic neurosurgical device capable of delivering cells to a volumetrically large target region through a single cortical brain penetration. We compared the performance of our device to a currently used cell transplantation implement – a 20G cannula with dual side ports. Through a single initial penetration, our device could transplant materials to a region greater than 4 cubic centimeters. Modeling with neurosurgical planning software indicated that our device could distribute cells within the entire human putamen – a target used in Parkinson’s disease trials – via a single transcortical penetration. While reflux of material along the penetration tract was problematic with the 20G cannula, resulting in nearly 80% loss of cell delivery, our device was resistant to reflux. We also innovated an additional system that facilitates small and precise volumes of injection. Both dilute and highly concentrated neural precursor cell populations tolerated transit through the device with high viability and unaffected developmental potential. Our device design is compatible with currently employed frame-based, frameless, and intraoperative MRI stereotactic (iMRI) neurosurgical targeting systems. In this second year of progress, we have produced and tested the iMRI compatible version of our cell delivery device. The device components are fabricated from materials that are FDA-approved for use in medical devices, and we have assembled the device under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions. Our device functions seamlessly with an FDA-approved stereotactic iMRI neurosurgical platform and computer-aided targeting system, and we have demonstrated that this iMRI-compatible system can deliver to the volume and shape of the human putamen through a single initial brain penetration. Thus, by using modern materials and manufacturing techniques, we have produced a neurosurgical device and technique that enables clinicians to “tailor” cell delivery to individual patient anatomical characteristics and specific disease states. This modern and “easy to use” platform technology furthermore allows “real-time” monitoring of cell delivery and unprecedented complication avoidance, increasing patient safety.

In this third year of progress, we have made final design refinements to the Radially Branched Deployment (RBD) cell transplantation device, which is fully compatible with currently employed interventional MRI stereotactic (iMRI) neurosurgical targeting systems. These design changes increase the "usability" of the device and enhance patient safety. The iMRI-guided RBD technology advances our ability to properly “tailor” the distribution of cell delivery to larger brain target volumes that vary in size and shape due to individual patient anatomy and different disease states. Furthermore, iMRI-guided RBD may increase patient safety by enabling intraoperative MRI monitoring. Importantly, this platform technology is easy-to-use and has a low barrier to implementation, as it can be performed “inside” essentially any typical diagnostic 1.5T MRI scanner found in most hospitals. We believe that this ease of access to the technology will facilitate the conduct of multi-site clinical trials and the future adoption of successful cellular therapies for patient care worldwide. In summary, by improving intracerebral cell delivery to the human brain, iMRI-guided RBD may have a transformative impact on the safety and efficacy of cellular therapeutics for a wide range of neurological disorders, helping ensure that basic science results are not lost in clinical translation. Working with a California-based medical device manufacturer, we have developed manufacturing and testing procedures that are now being compiled into a design history file, which is a document required for eventual commercial use of the device. We are also working with an FDA regulatory consultant to prepare a 510K application to seek marketing clearance from the FDA.

We have developed a platform technology that enables Radially Branched Deployment (RBD) of cells to multiple target locations at variable radial distances and depths along the initial brain penetration tract with real-time interventional magnetic resonance image (iMRI) guidance. iMRI-guided RBD functions as an “add-on” to standard neurosurgical and imaging workflows, and procedures can be performed in a commonly available clinical MRI scanner. This new device has been demonstrated to be safe for procedures in large brains and functions at the scale of the human brain. Human embryonic stem cell-derived dopaminergic (hDA) neurons are compatible with the iMRI-guided RBD platform. Thus, iMRI-guided RBD overcomes some of the technical limitations inherent to the use of straight cannulas and standard stereotactic targeting. The device has been licensed to a California-based company, Accurexa, Inc., which is commercializing the technology for clinical use. This platform technology could have a major impact on the clinical translation of a wide range of cell therapeutics for the treatment of many neurological diseases.