An Off-the-Shelf Cell Therapy to Calm Cytokine Storms

About this episode

Silviu Itescu discusses the development and impact of Ryoncil, the first approved mesenchymal stromal cell therapy in the U.S. for treating severe inflammatory diseases.

Small molecule drugs and monoclonal antibodies often fall short at addressing severe inflammatory and immune‑mediated diseases. Mesoblast has spent more than 15 years industrializing mesenchymal stromal cell therapies to treat these conditions. In late 2024, it won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for Ryoncil, the first mesenchymal stromal cell therapy approved in the United States. Ryoncil is approved to treat steroid‑refractory acute graft‑versus‑host disease in pediatric patients 2 months of age and older. Mesoblast founder and CEO Silviu Itescu discusses how this class of therapy can help dampen cytokine‑driven hyperinflammation, how the company is extending its platform into other high‑burden conditions, and what distinguishes its second‑generation cell therapy now in development from its first.

People in this episode

Guest: Silviu Itescu

Topics covered

• cell therapy
• cytokine storms
• mesenchymal stromal cells
• inflammatory diseases
• FDA approval
• pediatric treatment

Keywords

• mesenchymal stromal cells
• Ryoncil
• cytokine storm
• FDA approval
• graft-versus-host disease
• inflammation
• immune-mediated diseases

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mesoblast, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Products: Ryoncil

More episodes of The Bio Report

• Stopping Shape-Shifting Tumors with a First-in-Class Epigenetic Drug · June 10, 2026 · 28 min
• Rewriting the Rules of Antibody Drug Design · June 3, 2026 · 38 min
• Mapping Cellular Stress Biology to Tackle Undruggable Targets · May 27, 2026 · 30 min
• Turning Abandoned Drugs into Breakthroughs · May 20, 2026 · 31 min
• Targeting Cancer Survival Genes in Solid Tumors · May 13, 2026 · 46 min
• Addressing Treatment Gaps in Gout · May 6, 2026 · 37 min