Treatment of Parkinson's Disease With an Injectable Hydrogel

Background

The Challenge:

Current treatments for Parkinson’s disease (PD) only address symptoms and do not halt disease progression. Stem cell therapies, while promising, face challenges such as tumorigenesis, poor cell survival, immune rejection, and complex manufacturing. There is an urgent need for a safe, effective, and scalable regenerative therapy that promotes neural repair without the risks of cell transplantation.

Technology Overview

The Solution:

Recruit endogenous neural stem cells to regenerate the Substantia Nigra. Using a novel injectable, peptide-based hydrogel, it is possible to build a pathway for neural stem cell migration from the known niches in the brain to the site of damage.

Brief Description & Differentiation:

Monash researchers have developed a method for guiding endogenous neural stem cells from their site of production (subventricular zone and hippocampus) to the Substantia Nigra. This is achieved using a novel biodegradable, injectable self-assembling peptide-based hydrogel that acts as a scaffold for cell migration. Unlike traditional cell-based therapies, this approach avoids the risks of immune rejection and uncontrolled differentiation. The hydrogel is resistant to enzymatic degradation, which allows it to remain in situ for extended periods. Further, the constituent peptides are fully synthetic, supporting manufacturing scalability and control of biological risk.

Further Details

• Motamed S, Del Borgo MP, Zhou K, Kulkarni K, Crack PJ, Merson TD, Aguilar M-I, Finkelstein DI and Forsythe JS (2019) Migration and Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells Diverted From the Subventricular Zone by an Injectable Self-Assembling β-Peptide Hydrogel

Stage of Development

Preclinical.

Demonstrated evidence of neural stem cell migration, differentiation and integration in a mouse model of PD (unpublished, see figure 2).

Benefits

• Cell-free regenerative therapy: avoids challenges with stem cell manufacturing and transplantation
• Stimulates endogenous: activates the brain’s own neural stem cells
• Self-assembling peptide hydrogel: forms an injectable, minimally invasive scaffold
• Has potential as a drug delivery vehicle
• Broad neurodegenerative potential: applications beyond PD, including stroke and TBI

Applications

Hydrogel-based delivery system for cells, nucleotides and small molecules. Current data supports delivery of specific stem cells for treatment of stroke and traumatic brain injury; potential for other diseases.