Stem cell therapies

Question 1

What are pluripotent stem cells?

Answer 1

Embroynic stem cells are more potent than adult stem cells as they are capable of differentiating into various cell types

Question 2

Whats multipotent

Answer 2

Adult stem cells are less potent and more restricted as they can only differentiate into specific lineages (multipotent)

Question 3

Where do stem cells come from?

Answer 3

Amniotic fluid, human umbilical cord, bone marrow and adipose tissue

Question 4

Name some first generation stem cells?

Answer 4

Haematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells

Question 5

What type of potency do HSC have?

Answer 5

Multipotent - can develop into all types of blood cells, including WBC, RBC and platelets

Question 6

What type of potency do MSC have?

Answer 6

Multipotent - type of adult stem cell or somatic stem cell mostly found in the tissues of muscles, liver and bone marrow

Question 7

Name some second generation stem cells?

Answer 7

Embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent cells

Question 8

Where are hESC found? And what’s their potency

Answer 8

Found in the inner cell mass of the blastocyst post five days of development
Pluripotent

Question 9

Kymriah is intended for …… use only.

Answer 9

Autologous

Question 10

Why have numerous targeted chemotherapeutic gliobastoma multiforme approaches failed?

Answer 10

Lack of clinical effiicacy in part due to inability to:
Penetrate BBB
Deliver sufficient quantity of chemotherapeutic to all tumour cells or metastatic sites in the brain
Downregulate redundant signalling pathways are responsible for the angiogenic tumour responses

Question 11

Name an immunotherapy that was approved for the treatment of melanoma with metastatic lesions in the skin and lymph nodes

Answer 11

Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is a genetically modified, herpes simplex virus type 1-based oncolytic immunotherapy

Question 12

How are the delivery of oncolytic viruses being studied in phase 1 clinical trials now?

Answer 12

OV-load neural stem cells with ionizing radiation and the chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide (normally oral admin, highly toxic)

Question 13

Oncolytic viruses are being used in phase 1 clinical trails to treat recurrent overian cancer. How?

Answer 13

Involves delivering oncolytic measles virus expressing the thyroidal sodium iodide symporter (MV- NIS) in adipose-derived MSCs to treat recurrent ovarian cancer.

Question 14

What receptors can engineered TCR therapy bind to?

Answer 14

The added receptors can only link with MHC proteins. Engineered TCR therapy equips activated T cells with specific receptors that target their complementary cancer antigens.

Question 15

Name the first stem cell-based therapy to be approved fofr EMA for the treatment of ADA-SCID?

Answer 15

Strimvelis

Question 16

Name a HSC based therapy for the treatment of B-thalassaemia.

Answer 16

Zyntelgo

Question 17

In what condition is intracerebral injection of NSCs engineered to express human carboxylesterase (hCE1m6), an esterase that converts the topoisomerase inhibitor irinotecan to the highly potent SN-38

Answer 17

Gliobastoma multiforme

Question 18

OV- stem cell therapy in a Phase 1 clinical trial involves delivering oncolytic measles virus expressing the thyroidal sodium iodide symporter (MV- NIS) in adipose-derived
MSCs to treat…..

Answer 18

recurrent ovarian cancer

Question 19

In a Phase I trial (NCT03691376), both autologous HSCs and CD8+T cells, transduced with a lentivirus to express NY- ESO-1- specific TCRs, are being
intravenously injected into patients with…..

Answer 19

relapsed or refractory ovarian, fallopian or primary peritoneal cancer

Question 20

Give an example of a gene editing tool which can be used in next gen stem cells.

Answer 20

CRISPR-Cas

Question 21

What is chemogenetics?

Answer 21

use of chemical to control activity of cells through the use of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs)

Question 22

What is optogenetics?

Answer 22

use of light-responsive proteins to activate cell signalling pathways when exposed to specific wavelengths of light.