Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are largely investigated in clinical trials aiming to control inappropriate immune reactions (GVHD, Crohn’s disease, solid organ transplantation). As the percentage of MSC precursors in bone marrow is very low, these must be expanded in vitro to obtain therapeutic cell doses. We describe here the constitution of an allogeneic human third-party MSC bank from screened healthy volunteer donors in compliance with quality specifications and ISCT-release criteria and report follow-up of different aspects of this activity since 2007. 68 clinical-grade large-scale MSC cultures were completed and analyzed. The whole process was described, including volunteer donor screening, bone marrow collection, mononuclear cell isolation and expansion over 4 weeks, harvesting, cryopreservation, release, administration and quality controls of the cells (including microbiology, phenotype, and potency assays). From 59 validated donors, 68 cultures were completed (mean of final yields: 886 × 106 cells/culture) and a total of 464 MSC aliquots have been produced and stored in liquid nitrogen (mean of 132.8 × 106 cells/bag). Each MSC batch underwent extensive testing to verify its conformity with EBMT and ISCT release criteria and was individually validated. As of June 1 2015, 314 bags have been released and infused to patients included in 6 different clinical protocols. All thawed MSC units satisfied to release criteria and no infusion-related toxicity was reported. In conclusion, despite low passage cultures, we have been able to create an allogeneic “off-the-shelf” MSC bank with a large number of frozen aliquots and report here an efficient clinical-grade MSC banking activity in place for more than 7 years. Our challenge now is to produce MSC in compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMP) as, in the meantime, MSC have become considered as advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP). Another significant challenge remains the development of relevant potency assay.

Summary: Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic relapsing diseases in which pro‐inflammatory immune cells and cytokines induce intestinal tissue damage and disability. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) exert powerful immunomodulatory effects and stimulate tissue repair.Aim: To review the current data on mesenchymal stromal cell therapy in IBD.Method: We searched PubMed and ‘ClinicalTrials.gov’ databases using the terms ‘mesenchymal stromal cells’, ‘mesenchymal stem cell transplantation’, ‘inflammatory bowel diseases’, ‘Crohn disease’ and ‘colitis, ulcerative’. Additional publications were identified from individual article reference lists.Results: MSCs include inhibition of Th1/Th17 lymphocytes and recruitment of regulatory T lymphocytes, induction of antigen‐presenting cells into a regulatory‐like profile, and stimulation of epithelial cell differentiation and proliferation. More than 200 patients with refractory fistulas have been treated with local injections of MSCs, resulting in complete response in more than half, and in overall response in approximately two thirds of patients. In refractory luminal Crohn's disease, 49 cases of systemic MSC infusions have been reported, while trials with autologous MSCs resulted in mitigated responses, studies using allogeneic MSCs were promising, with around 60% of patients experiencing a response and around 40% achieving clinical remission.Conclusions: Mesenchymal stromal cells might represent a promising therapy for IBD, especially for Crohn's disease. There remain many unsolved questions concerning the optimal origin and source of mesenchymal stromal cells, dosage and modalities of administration. Moreover, mesenchymal stromal cells still need to prove their effectiveness compared with conventional treatments in randomised controlled trials.

Following European regulation 1394/2007, mesenchymal stromal cell (MSCs) have become an advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) that must be produced following the good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards. We describe the upgrade of our existing clinical-grade MSC manufacturing process to obtain GMP certification. Staff organization, premises/equipment qualification and monitoring, raw materials management, starting materials, technical manufacturing processes, quality controls, and the release, thawing and infusion were substantially reorganized. Numerous studies have been carried out to validate cultures and demonstrate the short-term stability of fresh or thawed products, as well their stability during long-term storage. Detailed results of media simulation tests, validation runs and early MSC batches are presented. We also report the validation of a new variant of the process aiming to prepare fresh MSCs for the treatment of specific lesions of Crohn’s disease by local injection. In conclusion, we have successfully ensured the adaptation of our clinical-grade MSC production process to the GMP requirements. The GMP manufacturing of MSC products is feasible in the academic setting for a limited number of batches with a significant cost increase, but moving to large-scale production necessary for phase III trials would require the involvement of industrial partners.

The efficacy and tolerability of intravenous (i.v.) iron in managing cancer-related anemia and iron deficiency has been clinically evaluated and reviewed recently. However, long-term data in cancer patients are not available; yet, long-term i.v. iron treatment in hemodialysis patients is not associated with increased cancer risk. This review summarizes epidemiological and nonclinical data on the role of iron in carcinogenesis. In humans, epidemiological data suggest correlations between certain cancers and increased iron exposure or iron overload. Nonclinical models that investigated whether iron can enhance carcinogenesis provide only limited evidence relevant for cancer patients since they were typically based on high iron doses as well as injection routes and iron formulations which are not used in the clinical setting. Nevertheless, in the absence of long-term outcome data from prospectively defined trials in i.v. iron-treated cancer patients, iron supplementation should be limited to periods of concomitant anti-tumor treatment.

The effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) on megakaryopoiesis remains controversial. Treatment with rHuEpo in renal failure patients has been associated with a slight elevation of platelet counts. In animal studies, high doses of rHuEpo produced an increase of platelet counts followed by a gradual return to normal after 7 to 15 days or even a substantial degree of thrombocytopenia. However, because iron deficiency is also known to be associated with thrombocytosis, (functional) iron deficiency during rHuEpo could be contributing to these observations. We investigated the impact of iron supply on changes in platelet counts induced by rHuEpo. Rats were either fed normal food (normal rats) or received 1% carbonyl iron for 2 weeks or 3 months, as well as during the experiment, to achieve iron supplementation or overload, respectively. Rats of all three categories then received daily intravenous injections of rHuEpo (10, 50, or 150 U) or normal saline (0 U) for 20 days. With 0 to 10 U rHuEpo, platelets remained stable. In normal rats receiving 50 to 150 U rHuEpo, platelets increased to 120% to 140% of baseline at 4 to 12 days to level off at 120% at 16 to 20 days. This response was less sustained in splenectomized animals. Iron-supplemented rats receiving 50 to 150 U rHuEpo also increased platelets initially, but the peak was at day 4, followed by a gradual return to baseline and even a moderate thrombocytopenia later on. Iron-overloaded rats receiving 50 to 150 U rHuEpo also had increased platelets at day 4, but the duration of platelet increase was shorter, and they experienced a more pronounced degree of thrombocytopenia in proportion to the dose of rHuEpo. Because the early elevation of platelets was of larger magnitude than hematocrit changes, it is unlikely that it could be accounted for by shrinkage of plasma volume. Because it was observed in all three iron conditions, there appears to be some direct positive effect of rHuEpo on platelet production. However, after this transient effect, expanded erythropoiesis appears to exert a negative impact upon platelet production. Secondary thrombocytopenia was not related to splenic pooling, and its very slow correction after cessation of rHuEpo therapy is not compatible with changes in platelet survival. Rather, it is consistent with stem cell competition between erythroid and megakaryocytic development. However, this secondary thrombocytopenia is masked by (functional) iron deficiency in rats not receiving an adequate iron supply from food or stores.