Stem cells: a major hope for the cure of Crohn's disease

1,000,000 €
investment

Resulting from the foundation's first call for projects, this European research program focuses on cell therapy in Crohn's disease.
With a budget worth 1 million euros, this program provides a brand new approach of Crohn's disease treatment, based on stem cells. This program marks a break with current therapeutic approaches (monoclonal antibodies, molecules) and gives great hope for a cure.

The results of this program may lead to large-scale clinical trials at the European level.

The winner team of the call for projects is led by Professor D. W. Hommes, Center of medical research, Leiden University in Netherlands.

His research works focus on the use of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. MSCs are multipotent tissue stem cells, which can be sourced from many human tissues (fat tissue, bone marrow, placenta, etc.). They are known for their healing effect on human tissues and their ability to inhibit immune responses and inflammatory phenomena.

The project is based on the first in vivo and in vitro results that helped show the immunosuppressive action of MSCs in Crohn's disease, in animal models. In humans, these cells could reduce, or even suppress, the inflammatory immune response observed in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, allowing the affected mucosa to heal.

The main objective of this work is to prepare large-scale clinical trials and update the mechanisms of action of MSCs on intestinal inflammation, to pave the way for new treatments.
These research works may also benefit to patients with other autoimmune diseases.

The DigestScience foundation invests a record budget worth 1 million euros, 80% of which are devoted to clinical research.