Regulatory Science Symposium: “Innovations in Regenerative Medicine Products” - Session 3: Translational Approach and Use of Stem Cells for Arthritis and Articular Cartilage Restoration

Regulatory & Quality Sciences
Denis Evseenko, MD

Vice Chair for Research, J. Harold and Edna La Briola Endowed Chair, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, USC

Syllabus/Topics

  1. Topics covered
  2. Review of problems associated with arthritis
  3. Technologies preclinical studies conducted
  4. Feedback from FDA
  5. What are synovial joints?
  6. A structure where bones connect to move body parts.
  7. ~200 bones and ~250 joins in body
  8. Articular cartilage is thin and is composed of unique tissue.
  9. Diseases of synovial joint:
    1. Osteoarthritis is the most highly observed disease
    2. Focal cartilage lesions
  10. Treatments:
    1. Microfracture surgery
    2. Autologous chondrocyte implants
    3. Other Procedures:
    4. AMIC procedure
    5. Infusion of mesenchymal cells
    6. Diseases are identified based on their symptoms
    7. None of the cell types can grow proper cartilage in humans
    8. Some not FDA-Approved
    9. Specification of articular cartilage cells in humans (Development)
  11. Morula (pluripotent stem cells): Day 1
  12. Gastrulation: 21 day
  13. Multipotent skeleton progenitors: 4 to 6 weeks
  14. Functional chondrocytes: 7 to 8 weeks
  15. Stable articular cartilage: after 8 weeks
  16. Embryonic cells and induced pluripotent stem cells
    1. Sources of pluripotent stem cells
    2. Developmental chondrogenesis
      1. This study was done on mice to understand the process and maintenance
  17. Protocol to prepare juvenile cartilage cells
  18. Conceptual studies
  19. Pluocart Development Team
  20. Manufacturing and Controls (GMP)
    1. Production and release of Master and Working Cell banks of initial cell type will make a product that will be produced under GMP conditions
    2. Technology transfer & manufacturing of the Pluocart implants for Phase 1 Clinical Trial under GMP standards
    3. FDA requested GLP Safety Studies
      1. Assessment of tumorigenicity and adverse events in vivo
      2. Phase 1 study: The primary objective was the safety evaluation of Plutocrat as measured via adverse event monitoring
  21. 2022 Clinical award from CRIM
  22. Summary
    1. Systematic analysis of human developmental chondrogenesis defined critical parameters for large-scale manufacturing of functional juvenile articular chondrocytes from Human PSC
    2. Pluocart is a new-generation bioimplant
    3. “First-in-man” Phase 1 trial of Pluocart for small and large cartilage lesions scheduled in years to come
  23. Questions

Acknowledgment
Accompanying text created by Roxy Terteryan, RKS Project Administrator, SC CTSI (atertery@usc.edu)

NIH Funding Acknowledgment: Important - All publications resulting from the utilization of SC CTSI resources are required to credit the SC CTSI grant by including the NIH funding acknowledgment and must comply with the NIH Public Access Policy.