Crain's Detroit Business - 25th Anniversary Issue, May 3, 2010 - (Page 23)

May 3, 2010 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 23 Stem cell: Researcher to test Alzheimer’s treatment ■ From Page 1 there have been no ill effects from the three surgeries. Each patient is injected at five spots on the spinal cord, with about 100,000 cells per injection. Feldman said she is excited about expanding stem cell trials to Alzheimer’s because of the far larger pool of would-be patients. “Alzheimer’s is going to be easier to do than ALS,” said Feldman. She said that the brain can be injected with far more stem cells than the spinal cord, promising greater and faster benefits, and she said the surgery is far less invasive. Instead of needing to remove bone from the back, a tiny hole is cut into the skull in a relatively safe, easy procedure. The transition from Lou Gehrig’s to Alzheimer’s disease is a natural one because the treatment potentially addresses the same problem. The neural progenitor stem cells work by surrounding specific large nerve cells that are sick and halting further degeneration caused by the disease, Feldman said. “In the spinal cord, these nerve cells produce the nerve tissue fibers that extend through the muscles of our body, and in the brain, the same type of nerve cell facilitates thinking processes,” Feldman said. “The kind of stem cells we’re using have a particular proclivity to rescue cholinergic neurons, and it’s cholinergic neurons that degenerate and become diseased in Lou Gehrig’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.” The surgeon in the current tri- Search for stem cells for ALS trials had to go outside state Dr. Eva Feldman had to turn to a company outside Michigan for the stem cells needed for her ongoing Phase I trials on patients with Lou Gehrig’s disease. She chose Neuralstem Inc. (AMEX: CUR), a Rockville, Md.based company focused on developing treatments for currently incurable neurological disorders. Feldman said Neuralstem’s stem cells are more developed than cells available at the University of Michigan because of the ban on research in Michigan before the 2008 passage of Proposal 2. She said she plans to use Neuralstem’s cells for a future Alzheimer’s trial, too. als is Dr. Nicholas Boulis, an associate professor at Emory University who was formerly a fellow in Feldman’s research lab at UM. Boulis specializes in movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, and performs about 300 operations a year. He also heads a gene-therapy research lab and is involved in a project that aims to use gene therapy to treat Alzheimer’s. Boulis said he hopes, if the FDA approves human tests, to do Feldman’s Phase I Alzheimer’s operaUsing stem cells developed at UM would have delayed the Lou Gehrig’s trials by three to five years, Feldman said. Neuralstem will retain the intellectual property rights for the stem cell technology, but the university has first-publication rights for the results of the Lou Gehrig’s disease trial. Feldman said UM is developing its own neural progenitor cells that will be able to be used instead of Neuralstem cells in the future. The university could manufacture these cells at its North Campus Research Center, the former Pfizer complex in Ann Arbor. — Ryan Beene tions, too. “If Eva thinks we can make progress, I’m her man,” he said. The Phase I Lou Gehrig’s disease trials are scheduled to finish by the end of June 2011. If they go as hoped, Phase II trials, which assess efficacy, can begin as early as January 2012. Feldman said Phase II trials could add the UM hospital as a test site in addition to Emory. Investigating a treatment for Alzheimer’s using stem cells is an “interesting approach” and a logical next step to investigate, said Dr. Ken Maiese, professor in the departments of neurology and anatomy and cell biology at Wayne State University Medical School. “There’s really no good treatment for Alzheimer’s, although there are many trials going on” for drugs that deal with chemicals in the brain related to Alzheimer’s, Maiese said. But those treat the symptoms, not the underlying issue of rapid brain cell degeneration that is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. Maiese cautioned that the science behind a stem cell treatment still has a long way to go, as in any treatment. Going from animal to human trials involves many unknowns. Feldman said she recently took on a new, young ALS patient, to whom she could, for the first time in her 20 years of treating patients at UM, offer some encouraging words about future treatments. “For 20 years, there has been little hope I could offer patients. Now there is truly tangible hope. We are truly beginning to try a therapy that can allow us to help halt the progress of this dangerous disease,” she said. “Patients ask me ‘what will the future hold?’ I told my new patient, things are extremely hopeful now. The future is very bright. And not just with ALS or Alzheimer’s, but with Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, too.” Ryan Beene: (313) 446-0315, rbeene@crain.com; Tom Henderson: (313) 446-0337, thenderson @crain.com www.crainsdetroit.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Keith E. Crain PUBLISHER Mary Kramer, (313) 446-0399 or mkramer@crain.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Cindy Goodaker, (313) 4460460 or cgoodaker@crain.com MANAGING EDITOR Andy Chapelle, (313) 4460402 or achapelle@crain.com ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR/FOCUS Jennette Smith, (313) 446-1622 or jhsmith@crain.com ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDITOR Michelle Darwish, (313) 446-1621 or mdarwish@crain.com COPY DESK CHIEF Gary Piatek, (313) 446-0357 or gpiatek@crain.com ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Jeff Johnston, (313) 446-1608 or jjohnston@crain.com DATA EDITOR Anne Marks, (313) 446-0418 or amarks@crain.com WEB EDITOR Christine Lasek, (313) 446-0473, clasek@crain.com WEB DEVELOPER Steve Williams, (313) 4466059, swilliams@crain.com EDITORIAL SUPPORT Robertta Reiff (313) 4460419, YahNica Crawford, (313) 446-0329 NEWSROOM (313) 446-0329, FAX (313) 4461687 TIP LINE (313) 446-6766 REPORTERS Ryan Beene: Covers auto suppliers, steel, higher education and Livingston and Washtenaw counties. (313) 446-0315 or rbeene@crain.com Daniel Duggan: Covers retail, real estate and hospitality. (313) 446-0414 or dduggan@crain.com Jay Greene: Covers health care, insurance and the environment. (313) 446-0325 or jgreene@crain.com. Chad Halcom: Covers law, non-automotive manufacturing, defense contracting and Oakland and Macomb counties. (313) 446-6796 or chalcom@crain.com. Tom Henderson: Covers banking, finance, technology and biotechnology. (313) 446-0337 or thenderson@crain.com. Nancy Kaffer: Covers small business, the city of Detroit, Wayne County government. (313) 4460412 or nkaffer@crain.com. Bill Shea: Covers media, advertising and marketing, entertainment, the business of sports, and transportation. (313) 446-1626 or bshea@crain.com. Nathan Skid: Multimedia reporter. Also covers the food industry. (313) 446-1654, nskid@crain.com. Sherri Begin Welch: Covers nonprofits and services. (313) 446-1694 or swelch@crain.com LANSING BUREAU Amy Lane: Covers business issues at the Capitol, telecommunications and utilities. (517) 3715355, FAX (517) 371-2492, alane@crain.com. or 115 W. Allegan, Suite 220, Lansing 48933. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Marla Downs, (313) 446-6032 or mdowns@crain.com SALES INQUIRIES: (313) 446-6052; FAX (313) 393-0997 ADVERTISING SALES Jeff Anderson, Matthew J. Langan, Lori Tournay Liggett, Tamara Rokowski, Kimberly Ronan, Cheryl Rothe, Dale Smolinski CLASSIFIED SALES (313)-446-0351 MARKETING MANAGER Irma Clark MULTIMEDIA MANAGER Alan Baker, (313) 4460416 or abaker@crain.com EVENTS MANAGER Nicole LaPointe MARKETING ARTIST Sylvia Kolaski SALES SUPPORT Suzanne Janik, YahNica Crawford CIRCULATION Candice Yopp, Manager. MARKETING COORDINATOR Kim Winkler PRODUCTION MANAGER Wendy Kobylarz PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Larry Williams, (313) 446-0450 Planterra: Plant business grows in new directions ■ From Page 3 expand by 25 percent on the increased income from selling specialty plants. The edge Pliska has in jumping into the plant retail market is the wealth of specimens he has grown over the course of 40 years, typically used for corporate lobbies. Pliska has built a stock of thousands Growth is of plants, good: See the Planterra story, in some crainsdetroit.com cases rare /multimedia orchids, cactus plants and plant species not typically found in Michigan. “So, the kinds of plants someone might see in a hotel lobby or an office building can be purchased for their home,” said Shane Pliska, Larry’s son. The current retail market for plants is competitive, but home gardening has become a hot trend, which is driving retail business in the area, said John Darin, president of Dearborn Heights-based chain of garden stores English Gardens Inc. Breaking into the retail gardening business is just like breaking into any other business, he said. “Identify the customer’s needs, satisfy the customers and treat them right,” he said. As for the Pliskas, Darin said he VIDEO is aware of their new venture, which is not far from the West Bloomfield English Gardens store. “They’re good people and good operators, I’m sure they’ll do fine,” he said. In addition to creating a new business line, the new greenhouse will modernize the business operation, Larry Pliska said. The company previously operated out of a greenhouse built in 1939 with inadequate loading areas and cramped office space. The new, 23,000-square-foot facility has 3,000 square feet of office space and a modern loading dock. It is also equipped with a weather monitoring system that Shane Pliska said “is suitable for operating a small airport.” The system monitors sunlight and wind speeds to automatically adjust the shades on the roof and the vents on the walls to keep plants at an optimum light and temperature levels. Financing was provided by Farmington Hills-based Level One Bank, and the project was built by Bloomfield Hills-based Jonna Construction Co. It was designed by Southfield-based Neumann/Smith & Associates. The modern facility is important to the company’s future, much like Shane Pliska, who will one day take over for his father, Larry Pliska said. Shane Pliska became part of the operation in 2003. He has been given the title of president, while his dad, Larry, is founder and chairman. Larry’s wife, Carol, is CEO. Shane has spearheaded a move to grow the company’s plant maintenance division geographically, taking on accounts around the country for maintaining Shane Pliska plants. In addition, the firm has pushed into the casino sector under Shane Pliska’s leadership. Planterra also created a “living wall” for the Joel Robuchon restaurant at the MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas. He also wants to continue the firm’s work in the health care sector as plants are recognized as part of the healing process. The work at Henry Ford, for example, is part of that field. Planterra has earned a strong reputation in the architecture industry for its plant designs, said Kelly Deines, design principal at the Southfield-based Rossetti architecture firm. Having toured Planterra’s recent work at Henry Ford and purchased plants over the years, Deines said Planterra is a big part of the growing trend for green de- sign. “The interest in growing walls and things that appear green are so hot, and they’re the go-to group to conceptualize how that would happen,” Deines said. As someone who loves plants, Larry Pliska considers himself lucky to have built a career out of working with and collecting them. “It’s been a dream for me,” he said. Daniel Duggan: (313) 446-0414, dduggan@crain.com CUSTOMER SERVICE MAIN NUMBER: Call (888) 909-9111 or write customerservice@crainsdetroit.com SUBSCRIPTIONS $59 one year, $98 two years. Out of state, $79 one year, $138 for two years. Outside U.S.A., add $48 per year to out-of-state rate for surface mail. Call (313) 446-0450 or (888) 909-9111. SINGLE COPIES: (888) 909-9111. REPRINTS: (800) 290-5460, ext. 125; (717) 3991900, ext. 125; or ashley.zander@theygsgroup .com. TO FIND A DATE A STORY WAS PUBLISHED: (313) 446-0367 or e-mail detinfo@crain.com. CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS IS PUBLISHED BY CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. CHAIRMAN Keith E. Crain PRESIDENT Rance Crain SECRETARY Merrilee Crain TREASURER Mary Kay Crain Executive Vice President/Operations William A. Morrow Group Vice President/Technology, Manufacturing, Circulation Robert C. Adams Vice President/Production & Manufacturing Dave Kamis Chief Information Officer Paul Dalpiaz Corporate Circulation/Audience Development Director Kathy Henry G.D. Crain Jr. Founder (1885-1973) Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr. Chairman (1911-1996) EDITORIAL & BUSINESS OFFICES: 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI 48207-2732; (313) 446-6000 Cable address: TWX 248-221-5122 AUTNEW DET CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS ISSN # 0882-1992 is published weekly, except for a special issue the third week of January, a special issue the fourth week of August, and no issue the third week of December by Crain Communications Inc. at 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI 48207-2732. Periodicals postage paid at Detroit, MI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS, Circulation Department, P.O. Box 07925, Detroit, MI 482079732. GST # 136760444. Printed in U.S.A. Entire contents copyright 2010 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial content in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. BANKRUPTCIES The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit April 2329. Under Chapter 11, a company files for reorganization. Chapter 7 involves total liquidation. Myotrend Nutritional Technologies L.L.C., 16906 Kenneth Drive, Macomb, voluntary Chapter 7. Assets and liabilities not available. POH Assisted Living L.L.C., 2146 Livernois, Troy, voluntary Chapter 11. Assets and liabilities not available. OEMC L.L.C., 32900 Capital Ave., Livonia, voluntary Chapter 11. Assets: $932,262; liabilities: $1,762,792. Odyssey Enterprises Inc., 16139 Wyoming, Detroit, voluntary Chapter 7. Assets and liabilities not available. — Compiled by Brett Callwood  http://www.crainsdetroit.com http://www.crainsdetroit.com/multimedia

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crain's Detroit Business - 25th Anniversary Issue, May 3, 2010

Crain's Detroit Business 25th Anniversary
Looking Forward
25 Companies to Watch
25 Mainstays
25 People Then and Now
25 Scandals and Dubious Deeds.
25 Philanthropic Gifts
25 Newsmakers of the Year
25 Big Stories
25 Innovations
25 Gone But Not Forgotten
Health Care
Defense
Suppliers
The Internet and Communication
Energy
Finance
Signs of the Times

Crain's Detroit Business - 25th Anniversary Issue, May 3, 2010

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