Translational development of cell therapeutics 2014/2015
Research aid: New active ingredient to increase the bone marrow's own stem cell content
In children with certain advanced-stage solid tumors, there is a clinical problem for a cure through autologous stem cell transplantation: Since anti-tumor chemotherapy is very toxic for the stem cells, no life-saving transplant can be obtained in up to 70% of patients who have been heavily pre-treated with chemotherapy.
If it were possible to 'repair' the bone marrow, i.e. to get the remaining stem cells to expand, the affected children could receive stem cell therapy.
Prof. Dr. med. Halvard Bönig is Professor of Translational Development of Cell Therapeutics at the Goethe University Hospital in Frankfurt and has developed an active substance which, according to preliminary studies, has increased the stem cell content in the bone marrow. The FFBT e.V. supports the further development of this active substance for the regeneration of chemotherapy-damaged bone marrow.
The FFBT e.V. supports Prof. Dr. med. Bönig's need for funds to establish a model and for infusion treatment to test whether the stem cells can be expanded, in the hope of achieving extraordinary progress in this area.