Trial doing RC using tissue from your cells!!!

Ann yes do read it. The idea is not to have to touch the intestine,this of course would have many advantages. The problem with using bladder cells I have been told is that once you have bladder cancers the bladder cells have potential damage. From what I am reading in this case is that they are using smooth tissue cells. They are not growing bladders but the tissue they would have used instead of the intestine they harvest. This study is for the external appliance and is a first step and would of course offer the advantage of not having to touch the intestine and that is a first for any type of diversion that I know of for bladder cancer. They are now doing neobladders using this technique in other candidates who do not have bladder cancer. The hope would be that this is a step toward the future.

In bladder cancer most of the studies I run across are of situations that are looking at the standard treatment it is rare that you run across something totally different. While I was having my staples removed from my recent surgery I have to admit that I hardly noticed I was so interested in the following information. Dr. Gary Steinberg of the University of Chicago was standing in the room telling me of this new clinical trial they will be doing.

Tengion is a company that is working with growing tissue for different uses from peoples own cells. They have been working on growing Neo Bladders and have completed phase 2 trials for the use of in children who have conditions such as spinal bifida in need of replacement and adults who have spinal cord injuries. This offers the advantages of not having to use intestinal tissues.

They are now in the process of recruiting for a phase 1 clinical trial for people that are in need of Radical Cystectomy with bladder cancer. This trial will offer an Incontinent Urinary Diversion Using an Autologous Neo-Urinary Conduit. To my understanding this will be an Elliot Conduit done using tissue grown from your own cells so that intestinal tissue will not have to be harvested. Here are the links so you can read a bit more about it on your own.

I am not posting this to push any clinical trial but rather to inform. I for one am going to watch this very closely as we all know it would be a red letter day if this works as not having the intestines involved in the Radical Cystectomy surgery is a very exciting thought.

www.tengion.com/pipeline/bladders.cfm

www.tengion.com/trials/index.cfm

clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01087697?term=Tengion&rank=3