Lazaron Biotechnoligies (SA) Ltd

To view the full article go to: http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2005/05042816151002.htm
22 April 2005

…Biotechnology-based scientific applications are regarded as the cutting edge frontier in many scientific fields, including agricultural production. The advancement of Biotechnology in South Africa is also a national government priority.

The Western Cape is fortunate to be well endowed with knowledge-based scientific institutions and is committed to enhance its status as an African knowledge and science hub. In this regard our Department has noted, with excitement, the work done by Lazaron Biotechnologies (SA) Limited in the field of stem cell applications for human and animal health. This work potentially has the capability to impact significantly on agriculture locally and internationally...

Navorsing oor stamselle en die gebruike daarvan was die afgelope tyd gereeld in die nuus. Hoewel Hermanus aan dié kant van die berg is, beteken dit nie dat die dorp en sy mense enigsins moet terugstaan vir wat die stad bied wat betref dié veld van die mediese wetenskap nie.

Volgens 'n plaaslike ginekoloog, dr. Paul de Flamingh, het hy onlangs die geboorte waargeneem van die heel eerste baba in die Overberg wie se fetale stamselle geoes is om bewaar te word. Klein Vaughn Kuhn is deur middel van 'n keisersnit in die Hermanus Medi-Clinic gebore.

Fetale stamselle is sogenaamde “omnipotente” selle, dit wil sê selle wat kan ontwikkel of differen-sieer in enige tipe sel waar dit geplaas word, verduidelik hy. So kan dit byvoorbeeld beenmurg word as dit in die beenholte geplaas word of dit kan in hartspierselle ontwikkel as dit in die hart ingespuit word. Met die nuutste mediese tegnologie word hierdie selle dan vanuit die bloed wat in die plasenta (nageboorte) oorbly nadat die baba gebore is (dit wil sê die bloed wat weggegooi sou word saam met die nageboorte), geoes.

Navorsing is reeds sover gevorder dat die geoeste stamselle gebruik kan word om 40 of meer toestande te behandel, soos byvoorbeeld bloedkanker (leukemie) en hartversaking.
Die selle word uit die bloed geoes en dan gevries vir die res van die baba se lewe.

Daar is ook 'n 25% kans dat die ouers self van die selle sal kan gebruik byvoorbeeld vir beenmurg indien dit nodig sou word. “Jou kans om 'n skenker uit die algemene bevolking te kry is 1:100 000,” sê De Flamingh.

Wanneer 'n baba se ouers besluit om die stamselle by geboorte te laat oes, word spesiale reëlings vooraf met die laboratorium in Durbanville getref om die bloed te kom haal en dit dan te berg.
“Deur sy stamselle te laat oes en bewaar, kan dit beteken dat klein Vaughn se ouers, Alwie en Cecilia, vir hom nie net 'n belegging van miljoene rande gemaak het nie, maar dit kan eendag dalk sy lewe red. Die proses kos tans sowat R6 500,” sê De Flamingh, “wat net 'n fraksie van die koste van 'n beenmurgoorplanting is.”

Vaughn se bloed was die eerste van 'n baba vanuit die Overberg om op dié manier geberg te word en een van minder as 100 in Suid-Afrika ten tye van sy geboorte.?Die diens is op 22 Oktober verlede jaar in werking gestel.?“Dit bevestig weer dat ons mediese dienste op Hermanus op die voorpunt van tegnologiese vooruitgang beweeg en bevestig ook ons toegewydheid tot uitstaande diens aan ons gemeenskap,” aldus De Flamingh.

SA stem cell research could have major impact on horse racing industry

Lazaron Biotechnologies, the company behind groundbreaking stem cell research in South Africa, is an advanced stage of work on possible stem cell application to injured racehorses which could have a dramatic impact on the global horseracing industry.

In South Africa, about 4000 thoroughbreds are foaled each year in the horseracing industry and some 2500 go into training. A similar number are retired each year, mostly due to tendon and ligament injuries.

In Europe, research shows that up to 46% of racehorses are removed from the track each year due to suspensory ligament or flexor tendon injuries.

Most tendon and ligament injuries require nine to 12 months' rest for optimal healing, of which the first four months are stabled rest, incurring huge financial losses to owners.

Tendon injuries heal slowly, with 20 - 60% of injured horses returning successfully to racing, but with over half these horses sustaining re-injury.

Following such costly recovery, performance horses often move onto other equestrian sports such as show jumping and cross country racing, where they are susceptible to the same injuries.

Sometimes, because of the high costs linked to performance horses, sufficient time is not allowed for healing and injuries recur with devastating effects, leading to the elimination of the horse.

Now, researchers at Lazaron Biotechnologies, under world renowned scientist Dr Danie Barry are showing promising results in the application of stem cell technology to repairing injured tendons.
Stem cells are the primary, undifferentiated cells of the body and have the ability under specific conditions to develop into any type of body cell. If successful, the research on tendon injuries could have a dramatic effect on the horse racing industry eliminating huge financial costs and losses.

Barry has been conducting research on sheep tendons using adult stem cells from different sources with positive results. In four weeks, injured tissue regenerated and was stronger than other parts of the tendon.

"The tendon heals faster and better through stem cell application than scar tissue regeneration which does not stretch and is not as strong," he said. The application of this successful research is going to be conducted on horses in the near future where similar
positive results could be possible.

Barry, a director of Lazaron which is in the process of establishing South Africa's first human cord blood stem cell bank in South Africa, said stem cell research and application was set to revolutionise modern medical science but more funds and expertise was required to continue making advances.

"We need to generate more funds to break through to new frontiers. Stem cell research and application is where the future of medical science lies and the more financial and intellectual capital we can plough into this exciting field, the more the world stands to gain," he added.

For information, contact Danie Barry at dbarry@sun.ac.za

Heart transplants are the last hope for most patients with late stage heart failure who have run out of other treatment options. But the procedure is invasive, expensive and requires finding a suitable donor. Stem-cell therapy appears to offer a promising alternative, with cardiologists in the US, Europe and South America reporting dramatic improvements in patients treated in this way. In most cases the cells are harvested from the patient’s own body, and injected into their heart tissue to rejuvenate the failing organ.

“This would be a first for SA,” he said on the sidelines of a two-day symposium on the use of adult stem cells organised by the University of Stellenbosch.

Lazaron’s cardiac clinic would not be limited to stem-cell therapy, said Schwella, but would provide the full spectrum of accepted treatments for patients with different kinds of heart problems. Lazaron said was in late stage negotiations with several cardiologists, and expected to finalise its research protocols for experimental cardiac stem-cell therapy by March 2006. Patient recruitment would begin once research protocols had been approved by the regulatory authorities, said Schwella. The volunteers would not pay for the treatment, as it was research, he said.

“There’s a huge donor shortage, and unfortunately the majority of patients (with heart failure) can’t be helped,” said team member Prof Johan Brink. Stem-cell therapy was still in its infancy, and “a lot of work still needed to be done” to optimise the science, he said.

Medical Research Council president Anthony Mbewu told delegates at the symposium that ageing populations would fuel demand for stem-cell technology.

“It will be important that scientists act as responsible advocates for this technology, allaying some of the fears engendered by a media hungry for sensationalist stories,” he said

Stellenbosch. Lazaron Biotechnologies (SA) Ltd today unveiled its plans for the establishment of the first private stem cell bank in South Africa.

Headed up by Dr Daniel Barry of the Animal Biotechnology Laboratory of the University of Stellenbosch, Lazaron is a private initiative following years of research into the therapeutic application of stem cells.

Lazaron was established in line with the University's policy of commercializing its intellectual property, through private partnerships and licensing agreements and thereby assuring future royalty income for the University.

Initially funded by listed Venture Capital Group, John Daniel Holdings Ltd, Lazaron will focus its business on establishing a private cryo-storage facility for infant and adult stem cells. John Daniel will initially own 25% of the company with the balance held by Directors and leading Pathology Group who is the second Joint Venture partner.

Internationally the popularity of storing stem cells obtained from the umbilical cord at birth of an infant is growing.

A limited window of opportunity, and a once in a lifetime chance exists to store stem cells harvested from a small quantity of stem cell rich blood drawn from the umbilical cord of the baby soon after birth.

Traditionally this blood is discarded, yet it already holds the potential to be utilized in more than 40 life threatening diseases.

It is here where expertise or Dr Daniel Barry and his team become even more significant.

Much debate surrounds the use of stem cells obtained from the embryo's, yet stem cells available in vast quantities in the umbilical cord are merely discarded at birth.

Lazaron is currently conducting six research projects particularly aimed at the future therapeutic use of stem cells obtained from cord blood. Stem cells have already been stored for over 18 years, and currently scientists see no reason why cryogenically frozen stem cells cannot be stored for a lifetime.

This is a form of a self insurance policy, particularly as medical advances into stem cells are reported almost daily.

The foundation for the knowledge gained by Lazaron was already laid by first African in space, Mark Shuttleworth, who conducted certain experiments on animal stem cells in space for Dr Barry and his team.

"It is our advanced scientific know-how coupled with our cutting edge research that we now want to make available to parents and infants in South Africa and later to other African countries": says Dr Barry.

"The limited option already exists to store stem cells abroad, and we took the decision to offer this opportunity to the broader spectrum of the South African population."

Taking a closer look at stem cells, they are often referred to as the building blocks of human life. Stem cells have the potential to develop into any one of 220 types of cells and tissues in the human body.

Currently the research performed for Lazaron is being led by Dr Barry with a team of 13 other scientist working on six different projects, all of which are anticipated to provide much wider insights into the functioning of cord blood stem cells and their specific properties.

Lazaron further entered into a joint research project with a group of specialist physicians from SA Endovascular with the aim of researching the application of stem cells in the field of cardiovascular and cartilage regeneration.

"At all times we utilize animal models in our research and only once we have obtained the desired results will we look into trials on human beings. At present we are hopeful that our present research could yield results in the short term, that could lead to human trials in the field of cardiovascular medicine": says Dr Barry.

It is not a well know fact that South Africa also possesses the research abilities to report breakthroughs in stem cell research, yet South Africa was the first country to already research stem cell development in space, thanks to Mr Mark Shuttleworth.

As regards funding for stem cell research, undoubtedly, our view is that advances in this field will be driven by both Government funding and Private Sector commercial needs.

Lazaron as a commercial entity will add enormous inputs to the work performed at the University, while also bringing research to commercialization, with the benefits there from already to be seen in the stem cell bank that is being established.

Lazaron Biotechnologies (SA) Ltd
John Daniel House
Infruitec Northern Terrain
Stellenbosch

Dr Danie Barry 082 856 8450
Harry Minnie 073 217 2725
Prof Erwin Schwella 083 627 2377
Email jdc@john-daniel.com