Critical Limb Ischemia

This work uses mesenchymal stem cells derived from healthy bone marrow donors that are bioengineered to produce a revascularizing factor. The cells are planned to be injected into the legs of critical limb ischemia patients where they are expected to migrate to oxygen-low areas in the patient’s diseased limbs. Initial testing for safety and efficacy, funded by CIRM, showed that special growth factors produced by the UC Davis-engineered stem cells rapidly restored blood flow in the limbs of animal models that had no leg circulation. The team is collaborating with researchers at Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba, Spain, to develop this novel therapy and, hopefully, to test it in clinical trials.