Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy Closer To Reality

Source: Cell Transplantation
Date: December 28, 2007

Summary:

Since the year 2000, much has been learned about the potential for using transplanted cells in therapeutic efforts to treat varieties of cardiac disorders. Cardiac stem cell therapy involves delivering a variety of cells into hearts following myocardial infarction or chronic cardiomyopathy. A brief overview of current research and research goals is presented, followed by a summary of results of studies aimed at improving implanted cell survival and the repair process, as well as several techniques aimed at improving efficacy.

Two Genes Are Important Key to Regulating Immune Response

Source: Weill Cornell Medical College
Date: December 28, 2007

Summary:

A research team at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City has identified two genes that may be crucial to the production of an immune system cytokine called interleukin-10 (IL-10). The discovery fills in an important "missing link" in a biochemical pathway that's long been tied to disorders ranging from lupus and Type 1 diabetes, to cancer and AIDS.

Researchers get embryonic stem cells from skin

Source: Reuters
Posted: December 23, 2007 3:17pm ET

Summary:

Reuters reports researchers have turned a skin cell into a cell with properties similar to embryonic stem cells:

"A third team of researchers has found a way to convert an ordinary skin cell into valued embryonic-like stem cells, with the potential to grow batches of cells that can be directed to form any kind of tissue. Their study, published on Sunday in the journal Nature, shows the approach is not a rare fluke but in fact something that might make its way into everyday use. Scientists hope they are starting an age of regenerative medicine, in which people can get tailor-made treatments for injuries, diseases such as Parkinson's and diabetes, and in which scientists can study disease far better than before."

Researchers achieve another stem cell milestone: Revert human skin cells to embryonic stem cell-like state

Source: Harvard University
Date: December 23, 2007

Summary:

Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers have successfully turned back the clock on human skin cells, causing them to revert to an embryonic stem cell-like state from which they can become any cell in the body. The work, published online Sunday by the journal Nature, is an independent report similar to the stem cell breakthrough announced in November simultaneously by scientists in Japan and at the University of Wisconsin. That work, too, induced skin cells to revert to cells very similar to embryonic stem cells, called “induced pluripotent stem cells” (iPS)

US Team Expands On Japanese Stem Cell Breakthrough

Source: Agence France Presse (AFP)
Posted: December 23, 2007 10:29 AM PST

Summary:

Agence France Presse (AFP) reports researchers have derived stem cells with traits of embryonic stem cells from fetal lung and skin cells:

"Reporting on Sunday in Nature, a team led by George Daley of the Children's Hospital, in Boston, Massachusetts, say they have been able to use the same four genes to derive iPS from foetal lung and skin cells, from neo-natal skin cells as well as from skin samples taken from a healthy human volunteer. The research is important as it marks a step forward to "patient-specific" stem cells — in other words, transplanted stem cells that carry the same genetic code as the patient and thus cannot be rejected as alien by the body's immune system, they say."

Cancer Stem Cells: Know Thine Enemy - Cancer Stem Cells May Be at the Root of Brain Tumors

Source: Weill Cornell Medical College
Date: December 21, 2007

Summary:

Stem cells -- popularly known as a source of biological rejuvenation -- may play harmful roles in the body, specifically in the growth and spread of cancer. Amongst the wildly dividing cells of a tumor, scientists have located cancer stem cells. Physician-scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College are studying these cells with hopes of combating malignant cancers in the brain.

Scientists Weigh Stem Cells’ Role as Cancer Cause

Source: New York Times
Date: December 21, 2007

Summary;

The New York Times reports researchers are testing whether cancer stem cells encourage and maintain the growth of cancer:

"Within the next few months, researchers at three medical centers expect to start the first test in patients of one of the most promising — and contentious — ideas about the cause and treatment of cancer. The idea is to take aim at what some scientists say are cancerous stem cells — aberrant cells that maintain and propagate malignant tumors."

However, other scientists believe using new drugs to treat cancer by killing cancerous stem cells could be a more effective strategy:

"At stake in the debate is the direction of cancer research. If proponents of the stem-cell hypothesis are correct, it will usher in an era of hope for curing once-incurable cancers. If the critics are right, the stem-cell enthusiasts are heading down a blind alley that will serve as just another cautionary tale in the history of medical research. In the meantime, though, proponents are looking for ways to kill the stem cells, and say that certain new drugs may be the solution."

New stem cell therapy said to be universal

Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
Date: December 20, 2007

Summary:

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports International Stem Cell Corporation has created embryonic stem cell lines that are a genetic match to patients, potentially eliminating risks of immune system rejection:

"In a step toward one-size-fits-all stem cell therapies, an Oceanside biotechnology company said yesterday that it has developed cell lines that could potentially be used by many different people and races without fear of transplant rejection. Scientists at International Stem Cell Corp. said the four embryonic stem cell lines have a simple genetic profile in critical areas of DNA that code for immune system rejection, making them easy to “immune match” with large numbers of patients."

UC Irvine scientists find new way to sort stem cells

Source: University of California - Irvine
Date: December 20, 2007

Summary:

UC Irvine scientists have found a new way to sort stem cells that should be quicker, easier and more cost-effective than current methods. The technique could in the future expedite therapies for people with conditions ranging from brain and spinal cord damage to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The method uses electrodes on a tiny, inch-long glass slide to sort cells by their electric charges and has been used in cancer research. The stem cell field suffers from a lack of tools for identifying and sorting cells. This important discovery could add a new tool to current sorting methods, which generally require expensive, bulky equipment.

Human embryonic stem cell lines created that avoid immune rejection

Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Date: December 20, 2007

Summary:

In a groundbreaking experiment published in Cloning & Stem Cells, scientists from International Stem Cell Corporation derived four unique embryonic stem cell lines that open the door for the creation of therapeutic cells that will not provoke an immune reaction in large segments of the population. The stem cell lines are “HLA-homozygous,” meaning that they have a simple genetic profile in the critical areas of the DNA that code for immune rejection. The lines could serve to create a stem cell bank as a renewable source of transplantable cells for use in cell therapy to replace damaged tissues or to treat genetic and degenerative diseases.

International Stem Cell Corporation Creates Human Stem Cell Lines That Can Eliminate Immune Rejection by Patients

Source: International Stem Cell Corporation
Posted: December 19, 2007 12:01 PM EST

Summary:

In an official company news release, International Stem Cell Corporation, a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research, announced it has successfully created human stem cell lines that match human beings, eliminating the risk of immune rejection in patients:

"Scientists at International Stem Cell Corporation have created unique human stem cell lines that make them easily “immune matched” to human beings and could enable the creation of a bank of stem cells that could be used, without rejection, by a majority of the different people and races of the world."

The release also explains the significance of this finding:

"Akin to the concept of finding multiple 'universal Type O blood donors', the discovery is significant because it would eliminate the need for harsh immune suppression drugs currently used for cell transplant therapy. This may open the door to cell transplant therapy for diseases such as juvenile diabetes where the use of immune suppressant drugs is harmful to the patient."

Scientists Discover How Cells Build a 'Machine' for Cell Division

Source: Columbia University
December 19, 2007

Summary:

Using time-lapse photography and computer modeling, a team of researchers from Columbia, Yale and Lehigh Universities has explained a mystery surrounding the assembly of a cellular structure responsible for cell division, the vital process which enables living creatures to develop from embryo to adult.

Neuralstem Enters Into Clinical Trial Research Agreement with University of Pennsylvania

Source: Neuralstem, Inc.
Posted: December 17, 2007 8:00 am ET

Summary:

Neuralstem, Inc., a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research developing therapies to treat central nervous system diseases, disorders and injuries. announced that it has entered into a Clinical Trial Research Agreement aimed at treating patients suffering from Ischemic Spastic Paraplegia, a form of spinal cord paralysis, with the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania through its Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care.

Molecular Signal That Helps Muscle Regenerate Discovered

Source: European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Date: December 17, 2007

Summary:

It does not take much to injure a muscle. Sometimes one sudden, inconsiderate movement does the job. Unfortunately, damaged muscles are not as efficient at repair as other tissues such as bone. Researchers of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory's Mouse Biology Unit [EMBL], European Molecular Biology Laboratory's Mouse Biology Unit [EMBL] have now discovered a molecular signal that helps muscle regenerate and protects it from atrophy. They report that the naturally occurring protein is a promising candidate for new strategies in treating muscle damage and wasting.

Scientists Identify And Repress Breast Cancer Stem Cells In Mouse Tissue

Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: December 17, 2007

Summary:

By manipulating highly specific gene-regulating molecules called microRNAs, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) report that they have succeeded in singling out and repressing stem-like cells in mouse breast tissue -- cells that are widely thought to give rise to cancer.

Fat used to repair breasts

Source: Associated Press
Date: December 16, 2007

Summary:

The Associated Press reports on a new procedure using fat stem cells to repair breast defects:

"For the first time, doctors have used stem cells from liposuctioned fat to fix breast defects in women who have had cancerous lumps removed. The approach, still experimental, holds promise for millions of women left with cratered areas and breasts that look very different from each other after cancer surgery. It might also be a way to augment healthy breasts without using artificial implants."

Researchers Find Great Granddaddy of All Blood Cells

Source: HealthDay News
Date: December 13, 2007

Summary:

HealthDay News reports researchers at Stanford University have identified a cell in human bone marrow that is the source of all forms of human blood cells:

"The "great-grandparent" of all human blood cells has been identified by Stanford University researchers, who said the finding could lead to new treatments for blood cancers and other blood diseases. The researchers said this cell, the multipotent progenitor, is the initial offspring of a blood-forming stem cell in the bone marrow that's the source of all cells of the blood. It's also believed that a mutation in the cell causes acute myelogenous leukemia."

Stem Cells May Treat Muscular Dystrophy

Source: WebMD
Date: December 12, 2007

Summary:

WebMD reports on findings that adult muscle cells may lead to new treatments for muscular dystrophy:

"European scientists announced today that it may be possible to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy by tweaking stem cells from patients' muscles. European scientists report that their stem cell technique improved muscle function in mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy."

Scientists Overcome Major Obstacles To Stem Cell Heart Repair

Source: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Date: December 13, 2007

Summary:

Scientists at Imperial College London have overcome two significant obstacles on the road to harnessing stem cells to build patches for damaged hearts. Presenting the research at a UK Stem Cell Initiative conference December 13 in Coventry, research leader Professor Sian Harding has explained how her group have made significant progress in maturing beating heart cells (cardiomyocytes) derived from embryonic stem cells and in developing the physical scaffolding that would be needed to hold the patch in place in the heart in any future clinical application.

Stem-cell patch may fix damaged hearts

Source: Reuters
Posted: December 12, 2007 7:21pm EST

Summary:

Reuters reports researchers at Imperial College of London matured beating heart cells in a laboratory dish for up to seven months and developed a biocompatible scaffold to form the basis of a patch. The idea is to stitch or glue a patch of new tissue derived from embryonic stem cells over the damaged area of the heart to make the muscle viable again.

Reprogrammed human adult stem cells rescue diseased muscle in mice

Source: Cell Press
Date: December 12, 2007

Summary:

Scientists report that adult stem cells isolated from humans with muscular dystrophy can be genetically corrected and used to induce functional improvement when transplanted into a mouse model of the disease. The research, published by Cell Press in the December issue of Cell Stem Cell, represents a significant advance toward the future development of a gene therapy that uses a patient’s own cells to treat this devastating muscle-wasting disease.

Ireland Cancer Center Researchers Advance Stem Cell Gene Therapy

Source: University Hospitals of Cleveland
Date: December 12, 2007

Summary:

Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center researchers have recently made great strides in stem cell gene therapy research by transferring a new gene to cancer patients, via their own stem cells, with the ultimate goal of being able to use stronger chemotherapy treatment with less severe side effects. Under this protocol, MGMT, a drug-resistance gene, is added into purified hematopoietic stem cells to protect these cells from the damage of chemotherapy regimens.

Stem cells may ease muscular dystrophy

Source: Associated Press
Posted: December 12, 2007 1:45 PM CST

Summary:

The Associated Press reports on a new study in which modfied adult stem cells taken from muscular dystrophy patients reduced symptoms of the diseases when they were transplanted in to mice with the disease:

"Modified stem cells from muscular dystrophy patients eased symptoms of the disease in mice, says a small study that raises hopes for treating patients with tissue from their own bodies. The mice showed stronger muscles and ran longer on a treadmill than diseased mice that weren't treated.

Results of the study demonstrated the adult stem cells increased muscle strength in the mice, but not to levels of mice that did not have muscular dystrophy:

"Lab tests showed that leg muscles removed from the treated mice were stronger than those from untreated mice, although they remained weaker than normal. A treadmill study of four mice found that the treatment prolonged running time before exhaustion, but again not to the level of healthy mice."

Researchers identify granddaddy of human blood cells

Source: Stanford University
Date: December 12, 2007

Summary:

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have isolated a human blood cell that represents the great-grandparent of all the cells of the blood, a finding that could lead to new treatments for blood cancers and other blood diseases. This cell, called the multipotent progenitor, is the first offspring of the much-studied blood-forming stem cell that resides in the bone marrow and gives rise to all cells of the blood. It's also the cell that's thought to give rise to acute myelogenous leukemia when mutated.

Neurotransmitters in biopolymers stimulate nerve regeneration

Source: Georgia Institute of Technology
Date: December 11, 2007

Summary:

Research reported December 11 in the journal Advanced Materials describes a potentially promising strategy for encouraging the regeneration of damaged central nervous system cells known as neurons. The technique would use a biodegradable polymer containing a chemical group that mimics the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to spur the growth of neurites, which are projections that form the connections among neurons and between neurons and other cells. The biomimetic polymers would then guide the growth of the regenerating nerve.

The birth and death of dopamine neurons: A new model for neurodegeneration

Source: Public Library of Science
Date: December 10, 2007

Summary:

The gradual loss of dopamine neurons is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases - Parkinson’s Disease chief among them. Stem cell biology and regenerative medicine offer novel therapies for the restoration of dopamine neurons.

Mechanism For Regulation Of Growth And Differentiation Of Adult Muscle Stem Cells Is Revealed

Source: Burnham Institute
Date: December 7, 2007

Summary:

During muscle regeneration, which is a natural response to injury and disease, environmental cues cause adult muscle stem cells (satellite cells) to shift from dormancy to actively building new muscle tissue. Although the signaling pathways controlling muscle regeneration are fairly well known, how these signals lead to altered chromatin structure remains undiscovered. A group of scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, CA, analyzed the mechanism by which certain cellular signaling cues cause epigenetic modifications when released within the regenerative microenvironment, thus controlling the expression of genes that regulate growth and differentiation of muscle stem cells that repair injured muscle.

Stem cells show power to predict disease, drug toxicity

Source: University of Wisconsin - Madison
Date: December 6, 2007

Summary:

For the first time, scientists have used human embryonic stem cells to predict the toxic effects of drugs and provide chemical clues to diagnosing disease. Writing this week in the journal Stem Cells and Development, a team led by UW-Madison biologist Gabriela Cezar reports the use of all-purpose stem cells to elicit and identify the telltale chemical signals secreted by the cells when exposed to a drug known to cause autism. The work is important because it is a critical first step toward fulfilling the promise of embryonic stem cells not only to screen drugs for safety but one day, possibly, to use the cells themselves as crucibles for making new drugs. What's more, the work shows that stem cells have an immediate clinical application as they generate chemicals, biomarkers, that can be used to predict the onset of disease, much like cholesterol or sugar in the blood can be used to forecast heart disease or diabetes.

Reprogrammed adult cells treat sickle-cell anemia in mice

Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: December 6, 2007

Summary:

Mice with a human sickle-cell anemia disease trait have been treated successfully in a process that begins by directly reprogramming their own cells to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, without the use of eggs. This is the first proof-of-principle of therapeutic application in mice of directly reprogrammed “induced pluripotent stem” (IPS) cells, which recently have been derived in mice as well as humans.

Bone Marrow Cell Transplants Help Nerve Regeneration

Source: Cell Transplantation Journal
Date: December 5, 2007

Summary:

A study carried out by researchers at the Kyoto University School of Medicine has shown that when transplanted bone marrow cells (BMCs) containing adult stem cells are protected by a 15mm silicon tube and nourished with bio-engineered additives -- such as growth factors and cell adhesion molecules -- the BMCs differentiated into cells with characteristics of Schwann cells -- a variety of neural cell providing insulating myelin around the axons of peripheral nerve cells, and successfully helped to regenerate damaged nerves.

Implanting embryonic cardiac cells prevents arrhythmias

Source: Cornell University
Date: December 5, 2007

Summary:

When researchers at Cornell, the University of Bonn and the University of Pittsburgh transplanted living embryonic heart cells into cardiac tissue of mice that had suffered heart attacks, the mice became resistant to cardiac arrhythmias, thereby avoiding one of the most dangerous and fatal consequences of heart attacks. The discovery, reported in this week's issue of Nature, has profound implications for using cell-transplant therapies to restore damaged heart tissue.

PET and Bioluminescent Imaging Aid Evaluation of Stem Cells' Potential for New Ways to Treat Disease

Source: Society of Nuclear Medicine
Date: December 4, 2007

Summary:

Using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with bioluminescence—the light produced by a chemical reaction within an organism—researchers are starting to understand the behavior of transplanted or implanted stem cells that may one day be used to develop new treatments for disease.

'Mini-transplant' patients' outcomes similar using related and unrelated donor cells

Source: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Date: December 03, 2007

Summary:

People who undergo nonmyeloablative stem-cell transplants, or “mini transplants,” for leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers have comparable outcomes regardless of whether they receive tissue-matched stem cells from a related or unrelated donor, according to new findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Germinal cells can become embryonic stemcells: study

Source: Agence France Presse (AFP)
Posted: December 02, 2007, 10:21 EST

Summary:

Primordial germinal cells, which are precursors to spermatozoids, apparently have the capacity of turning into embryonic stem cells, according to a study made public Sunday. Researcher from the Georgetown school of medicine and a Washington-based regional transplant consortium known as WRTC have obtained these primordial germinal cells shortly after donors' deaths.

Human embryonic stem cell -- derived bone tissue closes massive skull injury

Source: American Society for Cell Biology
December 2, 2007

Summary:

There are mice in Baltimore whose skulls were made whole again by bone tissue grown from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Healing critical-size defects (defects that would not otherwise heal on their own) in intramembraneous bone, the flat bone type that forms the skull, is a vivid demonstration of new techniques devised by researchers at John Hopkins University to use hESCs for tissue regeneration.