Stem cell therapy for inflammatory bowel disease

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Grant Award Details

Grant Type:
New Faculty Physician Scientist
Grant Number:
RN3-06525
Investigator(s):
Name:
Dr. Ophir Klein MD, PhD
Institution:
University of California, San Francisco
Type:
PI

Disease Focus:
Intestinal Disease, Metabolic Disorders
Human Stem Cell Use:
Adult or Tissue Stem Cell, Embryonic Stem Cell
Award Value:
$3,019,013
Status:
Closed

Progress Reports

Reporting Period:
Year 1
Reporting Period:
Year 2
Reporting Period:
Year 3
Reporting Period:
Year 5

Grant Application Details

Application Title:

Stem cell therapy for inflammatory bowel disease

Public Abstract:
One of the most promising approaches that physicians foresee for treating human disease is regenerative medicine. A major aim in this field is to restore function by repairing damaged organs. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease characterized by intermittent episodes of intestinal inflammation and disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier. It causes significant morbidity and can lead to multiple complications, including growth impairment, intestinal failure, malnutrition, and cancer. IBD has increased in incidence and prevalence globally over the past several decades, and the increasing number of patients suffering from IBD has translated into growing health care costs. Our goal is to bring regenerative medicine approaches to the treatment of IBD by making intestinal structures called “organoids” from human embryonic stem cells. These organoids will be delivered to the intestines in order to repair damage. If the aims of the application are achieved, our findings will make a critical contribution to development of a needed therapeutic.
Statement of Benefit to California:
The promise of stem cell biology lies in the ability of these remarkable cells to give rise to more differentiated cell types that can repair damaged or diseased tissues. We propose to develop translational approaches that will enable the utilization of human embryonic stem cells for therapeutic applications in inflammatory bowel disease. We anticipate that our research will be a significant step towards making the promise of regenerative medicine from stem cells a reality. Eventually, stem cell-based therapies will reduce health care costs for Californians by improving treatment for diseases for which we currently do not have effective therapies. Our work could provide economic benefits to the state by helping to lay the groundwork for commercial efforts to repair diseased tissues using stem cells. Such developments would be of great benefit to California by making the state a leader in a field that is poised to become economically important in the future.

Publications