![]() “We had a couple of bulldog siblings named Darla and Spanky. Spina bifida is a common birth defect in English bulldogs and frequently leaves them with little function in their hindquarters.īut would a surgery and stem cell technique improve the mobility of dogs with spina bifida? It was amazing." - Aijun Wan gĪt the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Farmer and Wang, together with Dori Borjesson, director of the university’s Veterinary Institute for Regenerative Cures, began to refine their surgical techniques for dogs with spina bifida. “When the baby sheep who received stem cells were born, they were able to stand at birth and they were able to run around almost normally. Preliminary work by Farmer and Wang proved that prenatal surgery combined with human placenta-derived mesenchymal stromal cells, held in place with a biomaterial scaffold to form a “patch,” helped lambs with spina bifida walk without noticeable disability. It’s believed that the stem cells work to repair and restore damaged spinal tissue, beyond what surgery can accomplish alone. Over that time, animal modeling has shown it is capable of preventing the paralysis associated with spina bifida.ĭiana Farmer and Aijun Wang in a research laboratory at UC Medical Center in Sacramento in 2015. Farmer also launched the UC Davis Fetal Care and Treatment Center with fetal surgeon Shinjiro Hirose and the UC Davis Children’s Surgery Center several years ago.įarmer, Wang and their research team have been working on their novel approach using stem cells in fetal surgery for more than 10 years. Together, they launched the UC Davis Health Surgical Bioengineering Laboratory to find ways to use stem cells and bioengineering to advance surgical effectiveness and improve outcomes. Many children in that study showed improvement but still required wheelchairs or leg braces.įarmer recruited bioengineer Aijun Wang specifically to help take that work to the next level. The path to a future cure for spina bifidaĪs a leader of the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) clinical trial in the early 2000s, Farmer had previously helped to prove that fetal surgery reduced neurological deficits from spina bifida. It is often diagnosed through ultrasound. It affects 1,500 to 2,000 children in the U.S. The birth defect can lead to a range of lifelong cognitive, mobility, urinary and bowel disabilities. Spina bifida, also known as myelomeningocele, occurs when spinal tissue fails to fuse properly during the early stages of pregnancy. We are honored to be part of history in the making,” Emily said. I hope this trial will enhance the quality of life for so many patients to come. ![]() “This experience has been larger than life and has exceeded every expectation. Her daughter, Robbie, was born in September 2021. “This clinical trial could enhance the quality of life for so many patients to come,” said Emily, who traveled from Austin to participate. The first phase of the trial is funded by a $9 million state grant from the state’s stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, or CIRM. The four babies from the trial that have been born so far will be monitored by the research team until 30 months of age to fully assess the procedure’s safety and effectiveness. Launched in the spring of 2021, the clinical trial is known formally as the “ CuRe Trial: Cellular Therapy for In Utero Repair of Myelomeningocele.” Thirty-five patients will be treated in total. The one-of-a-kind treatment, delivered while a fetus is still developing in the mother’s womb, could improve outcomes for children with this birth defect. This was made possible by a landmark clinical trial that was the result of more than two decades of research into the use of human stem cells in fetal surgery and animal modeling. We are giving our daughter the very best chance at a bright future.” - EmilyĮmily enrolled in the trial, and her developing baby was the world’s first to receive the groundbreaking treatment. ![]() We are so thankful that we got to be a part of this. “ We didn ’ t know what spina bifida was before we got our diagnosis. ![]() That same day, they also learned about the CuRe trial, the world’s first spina bifida treatment combining fetal surgery with stem cells at UC Davis Health.įor Emily, it was a lifeline they couldn’t refuse. When Emily and her husband, Harry, learned that they would be first-time parents, they never expected any pregnancy complications.īut after an 18-week anatomy ultrasound, the Austin, Texas, couple got some difficult news: Their developing child had spina bifida. ![]()
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