Lorraine Iacovitti, Ph.D., professor and interim director of the Farber Institute for Neurosciences of Thomas Jefferson University, and her research team found that neural progenitor cells that express the gene Lmx1a are committed to the midbrain dopamine neuron lineage, but still retain proliferative capacity. Because of these characteristics, the stage at which Lmx1a is expressed may be ideal for transplantation.

"Identifying the subset of developing dopamine neurons and selecting those cells at the stage appropriate for their transplantation has been challenging," said Dr. Iacovitti. "Our research demonstrates that we are now able to grow neurons and select the ones that may work as a therapy, without the use of synthetic genes. This advance represents an important leap forward in the quest to devise a viable cell replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease."

The Lmx1a-positive cells cannot be identified solely by this transcription factor. However, Dr. Iacovitti and her team also found that a large percentage of the Lmx1a-positive cells express a cell surface protein called TrkB. This protein was not expressed on any of the other cell types identified in the cell culture. With TrkB as a cell surface marker, dopamine neuron progenitor cells derived from human embryonic stem cells can be selected from a heterogenous population using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) or fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Neither process alters the stem cell's genome. Dr. Iacovitti and her team are now testing the ability of these cells to counteract Parkinson's disease in animal models. They will also be adapting these procedures developed in human embryonic stem cells to adult-derived human induced-pluripotent stem cells.

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PBT2 is designed to have an improved safety and efficacy profile and has demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness in lowering plaque in Alzheimer patients.

"Studies conducted by noteworthy institutions such as MGH reaffirms our commitment to commercialize and develop the second generation of MPACs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease," added Kempler.

The study was also featured in the Boston Globe on November 12th.   About Prana Biotechnology Limited  

Prana Biotechnology was established to commercialize research into Alzheimer's Disease and other major age-related neurodegenerative disorders. The Company was incorporated in 1997 and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in March 2000 and listed on NASDAQ in September 2002. Researchers at prominent international institutions including The University of Melbourne, The Mental Health Research Institute (Melbourne) and Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, contributed to the discovery of Prana's technology.

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