€6m H2020 funding for stem cell kidney disease treatment
A pioneering treatment using stem cells to tackle diabetic kidney disease has been awarded funding worth €6m from Horizon 2020.
The four-year NEPHSTROM project involves 11 European partners with trials being undertaken in Ireland, the UK and Italy; the project consortium includes the involvement of Orbsen Therapeutics and NUI Galway in Ireland.
The stem cell based investigation focuses on developing a new treatment method entitled Cyndacel-M. According to a report by RTÉ, the method involves the use of a particular type of stem cell that is purified and made safe. Before being injected into a patient’s bloodstream, the stem cell is taken from the bone marrow of a healthy donor. It is envisaged that the stem cell will help to slow or halt kidney disease.
Investigations will be undertaken involving 48 people in 2016 to test the effectiveness and safety of the treatment. Clinical trials will be undertaken in four countries and mass production of Cyndacel-M for clinical use will also be evaluated.
