Autologous Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetic Retinopathy
The complications of diabetes can be devastating. Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness in adults. 438 million people are projected to suffer from diabetes and its complications by 2030. The number of patients with diabetes is roughly doubling every 10 years. DR currently affects over 5.3 million Americans age 18 or older. A study in 2010 stated that more than 27 million Americans are affected by diabetes now, with 67 million estimated to have pre-diabetes.
BetaStem’s technology is derived from discoveries that CD34+ stem cells become activated gaining highly advantageous regenerative properties when treated with a proprietary antisense to block a major activation inhibitor, namely transforming growth factor-beta, (TGF-β1) . The activated stem cells home into the damaged vascular regions of the retina, initiating a process of blood vessel regeneration and thereby preserving eye health.
BetaStem offers the first real solution for DR by preventing and repairing micro-capillary closure (ischemia).
Our fundamental vision is to cure diabetic retinopathy by repairing and regenerating damaged blood vessels in a patient's eye. The treatment is based on stem cells taken from a patient's own blood, bone marrow or cord blood, "activated" through a proprietary process. These activated CD34+ stem cells are the most potent of all cells giving rise to millions of daughter cells capable of bringing about repair when brought into contact with autologous injured tissue.
BetaStem will sell reagent kits to hospitals that contain proprietary formulations of phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMO) used to create activated stem cells from peripheral blood extracted from patients. Hospitals will extract the patient’s cells, perform an overnight activation process, and inject the cells into the affected eye(s).
The Company will also train and certify practitioners to perform this treatment.
Demonstrated safe and effective in experimental animals
Investigational New Drug (IND) pathway agreed with FDA
Moving forward to human clinical trials