Stemirac

Stemirac (also referred to as Stemilac or STR01) is an autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy developed by Sapporo Medical University in collaboration with Nipro Corporation. It is a regenerative medicine product that involves extracting bone marrow from a patient, expanding the mesenchymal stem cells ex vivo in a medium containing the patient's own serum, and then intravenously administering the expanded cells back into the same patient. Stemirac is designed to promote neural repair and functional recovery following neurological injury. In 2018, it became the first regenerative medicine product to receive conditional and time-limited approval in Japan for the treatment of spinal cord injury. The therapy's mechanism of action is thought to involve the migration of MSCs to the site of injury, where they release neurotrophic factors (such as BDNF and VEGF), modulate the inflammatory response, and support angiogenesis and endogenous tissue repair processes. It is also being investigated for other indications, including stroke and traumatic brain injury.

Brand names

StemiracStemilac

Other names

autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cellsniprocelStemirac Injection