Source: Cell Press
Date: March 31, 2011
Summary:
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common inherited muscular dystrophy in adults. New research published online on March 31st in the journal Cell Stem Cell, uses human embryonic stem cells to make a clinically important contribution to the understanding of this disease, and highlights the incredible potential that embryonic stem cells hold for unraveling the complex molecular mechanisms involved in a variety of human conditions.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Researchers discover how brain's memory center repairs damage from head injury
Source: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Date: March 30, 2011
Summary:
DALLAS –– Researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have described for the first time how the brain’s memory center repairs itself following severe trauma – a process that may explain why it is harder to bounce back after multiple head injuries.
The study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, reports significant learning and memory problems in mice who were unable to create new nerve cells in the brain’s memory area, the hippocampus, following brain trauma.
The scientists developed unique transgenic mice that were unable to create hippocampal neurons when exposed to a usually harmless chemical called ganciclovir soon after brain injury. Four groups of these transgenic mice received either sham surgery or a controlled cortical injury (CCI) to mimic the diffuse damage of a moderate to severe head injury, and two of the groups were exposed to ganciclovir, Dr. Kernie said.
After a month – the time earlier experiments indicated it takes for neural stem cells to mature and integrate as neurons into the hippocampus – the researchers gave the mice a learning task called the Morris water maze in which the mice had to find a white platform hidden in a white pool of water. On the first day of learning the task, there were no group-noteworthy differences in swim speed, indicating no motor impairment in the test mice. During the next 10 days, however, the test group spent more time swimming along the edges of the tank, and they traveled longer distances to reach the platform.
Date: March 30, 2011
Summary:
DALLAS –– Researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have described for the first time how the brain’s memory center repairs itself following severe trauma – a process that may explain why it is harder to bounce back after multiple head injuries.
The study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, reports significant learning and memory problems in mice who were unable to create new nerve cells in the brain’s memory area, the hippocampus, following brain trauma.
The scientists developed unique transgenic mice that were unable to create hippocampal neurons when exposed to a usually harmless chemical called ganciclovir soon after brain injury. Four groups of these transgenic mice received either sham surgery or a controlled cortical injury (CCI) to mimic the diffuse damage of a moderate to severe head injury, and two of the groups were exposed to ganciclovir, Dr. Kernie said.
After a month – the time earlier experiments indicated it takes for neural stem cells to mature and integrate as neurons into the hippocampus – the researchers gave the mice a learning task called the Morris water maze in which the mice had to find a white platform hidden in a white pool of water. On the first day of learning the task, there were no group-noteworthy differences in swim speed, indicating no motor impairment in the test mice. During the next 10 days, however, the test group spent more time swimming along the edges of the tank, and they traveled longer distances to reach the platform.
Pasadena, CA. to Host 2011 World Stem Cell Summit October 3 – 5
Source: Genetics Policy Institute
Posted: March 30, 2011 11:00 AM EDT
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genetics Policy Institute announced today that the 2011 World Stem Cell Summit is scheduled for Oct. 3 – 5 at the Pasadena Convention Center.
Genetics Policy Institute, City of Hope, Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute, California Institute of Technology and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) have united to organize the world’s largest interdisciplinary stem cell meeting. The Summit will feature more than 170 prominent scientists, business leaders, regulators, policy-makers, advocates, economic development officers and experts in law and ethics, who will discuss the latest scientific discoveries, business models, legal and regulatory solutions and best practices. The event is expected to attract more than 2,000 attendees from 25 nations, 60 exhibitors and more than 150 endorsing organizations and media partners.
Among the confirmed speakers are Rudolf Jaenisch, MD, PhD, (Whitehead Institute, MIT), Professor Sir Ian Wilmut (MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine), Professor Chris Mason MBBS, PhD, FRCS (University College London) and Alan Trounson, PhD, (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine).
California was selected as the location for this year’s Summit because of the state’s commitment to stem cell science, evidenced by voters’ approval in 2004 of Proposition 71. This action led to the establishment of a state stem cell agency and a funding process for regenerative medicine research leading to $3 billion in stem cell research and therapy development for patients of chronic disease and injury.
Bernard Siegel, founder of the Summit and executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute, emphasized that, “Our purpose is to unite, educate and harmonize the global stem cell community. California is in the vanguard of the most innovative leaders in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The state’s investment will pay lasting dividends in the form of jobs, economic development, and, most importantly, the translation of scientific discoveries into cures.”
Bob Klein, Chairman of the Governing Board of CIRM, stated, “The World Stem Cell Summit is an extraordinarily important meeting of scientific researchers striving to convert the leading edge of stem cell research into therapies to reduce human suffering. The Summit’s presence in Pasadena highlights California’s leadership role in financing and building a global infrastructure for the development of innovative stem cell therapies; California has partnered with ten nations to bring the best of the world’s stem cell research together in world-class teams to drive the development of therapies."
Alan Trounson, president of CIRM, stated, “As CIRM places a priority on developing therapies and finding cures, we welcome the 2011 World Stem Cell Summit’s focus on translational regenerative medicine. By working with the regenerative medicine business and investment community, who will be joining us in Pasadena, we can forge collaborations with California researchers and companies to accelerate effective therapies.”
Richard Jove, PhD, director of Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, noted: “We are pleased to welcome the Summit to the Los Angeles area, where stem cell research is flourishing at so many world class local institutions. City of Hope has a long history of advancing stem cell research and successfully applying those advances to save lives. More recently we have expanded our efforts and are able to serve as a national resource for other institutions developing and manufacturing stem cell-based therapies through our on-site, state-of-the-art GMP facilities. The summit will be a tremendous opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas as well as form new collaborations from across town to around the world.”
Clive Svendsen, PhD, the director of Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute, noted that, “Here at Cedars Sinai we have made a robust commitment to advance regenerative medicine – from disease modeling to the discovery of effective cellular treatments. The Regenerative Medicine Institute unites both basic scientists and physician scientists across multiple medical specialties to translate findings from the research bench directly to the bedside. Having previously co-organized the World Stem Cell Summit in Wisconsin, I am very pleased to be involved once again in this exciting meeting.”
Dr. Paul Patterson, Professor of Biological Sciences at the California Institute of Technology, stated, “We are extremely pleased that the organizers chose Pasadena to host the World Stem Cell Summit. The diverse program presents a comprehensive view of the stem cell world and the Caltech community looks forward to presenting advances in the development of important new technologies based on stem cell science and developmental biology.”
For more information about sponsoring or attending the World Stem Cell Summit, contact Alan Fernandez at (650) 847-1640 or email Alan@genpol.org. To learn more about the Summit, visit: www.worldstemcellsummit.com.
Posted: March 30, 2011 11:00 AM EDT
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genetics Policy Institute announced today that the 2011 World Stem Cell Summit is scheduled for Oct. 3 – 5 at the Pasadena Convention Center.
Genetics Policy Institute, City of Hope, Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute, California Institute of Technology and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) have united to organize the world’s largest interdisciplinary stem cell meeting. The Summit will feature more than 170 prominent scientists, business leaders, regulators, policy-makers, advocates, economic development officers and experts in law and ethics, who will discuss the latest scientific discoveries, business models, legal and regulatory solutions and best practices. The event is expected to attract more than 2,000 attendees from 25 nations, 60 exhibitors and more than 150 endorsing organizations and media partners.
Among the confirmed speakers are Rudolf Jaenisch, MD, PhD, (Whitehead Institute, MIT), Professor Sir Ian Wilmut (MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine), Professor Chris Mason MBBS, PhD, FRCS (University College London) and Alan Trounson, PhD, (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine).
California was selected as the location for this year’s Summit because of the state’s commitment to stem cell science, evidenced by voters’ approval in 2004 of Proposition 71. This action led to the establishment of a state stem cell agency and a funding process for regenerative medicine research leading to $3 billion in stem cell research and therapy development for patients of chronic disease and injury.
Bernard Siegel, founder of the Summit and executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute, emphasized that, “Our purpose is to unite, educate and harmonize the global stem cell community. California is in the vanguard of the most innovative leaders in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The state’s investment will pay lasting dividends in the form of jobs, economic development, and, most importantly, the translation of scientific discoveries into cures.”
Bob Klein, Chairman of the Governing Board of CIRM, stated, “The World Stem Cell Summit is an extraordinarily important meeting of scientific researchers striving to convert the leading edge of stem cell research into therapies to reduce human suffering. The Summit’s presence in Pasadena highlights California’s leadership role in financing and building a global infrastructure for the development of innovative stem cell therapies; California has partnered with ten nations to bring the best of the world’s stem cell research together in world-class teams to drive the development of therapies."
Alan Trounson, president of CIRM, stated, “As CIRM places a priority on developing therapies and finding cures, we welcome the 2011 World Stem Cell Summit’s focus on translational regenerative medicine. By working with the regenerative medicine business and investment community, who will be joining us in Pasadena, we can forge collaborations with California researchers and companies to accelerate effective therapies.”
Richard Jove, PhD, director of Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, noted: “We are pleased to welcome the Summit to the Los Angeles area, where stem cell research is flourishing at so many world class local institutions. City of Hope has a long history of advancing stem cell research and successfully applying those advances to save lives. More recently we have expanded our efforts and are able to serve as a national resource for other institutions developing and manufacturing stem cell-based therapies through our on-site, state-of-the-art GMP facilities. The summit will be a tremendous opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas as well as form new collaborations from across town to around the world.”
Clive Svendsen, PhD, the director of Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute, noted that, “Here at Cedars Sinai we have made a robust commitment to advance regenerative medicine – from disease modeling to the discovery of effective cellular treatments. The Regenerative Medicine Institute unites both basic scientists and physician scientists across multiple medical specialties to translate findings from the research bench directly to the bedside. Having previously co-organized the World Stem Cell Summit in Wisconsin, I am very pleased to be involved once again in this exciting meeting.”
Dr. Paul Patterson, Professor of Biological Sciences at the California Institute of Technology, stated, “We are extremely pleased that the organizers chose Pasadena to host the World Stem Cell Summit. The diverse program presents a comprehensive view of the stem cell world and the Caltech community looks forward to presenting advances in the development of important new technologies based on stem cell science and developmental biology.”
For more information about sponsoring or attending the World Stem Cell Summit, contact Alan Fernandez at (650) 847-1640 or email Alan@genpol.org. To learn more about the Summit, visit: www.worldstemcellsummit.com.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Enzyme Essential for Healthy Lung Development Discovered
Source: Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Date: March 29, 2011
Summary:
LOS ANGELES – Investigators at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have provided the first evidence that Eya1 protein phosphatase is a crucial regulator of the development of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells.
The correct functioning of lung epithelium is essential to life. Cellular polarity of lung epithelial cells, meaning that they have an asymmetrical orientation or a front and back, is crucial. Dysregulation of cell polarity has been associated with developmental disorders as well as cancer. Until now, little has been known about the mechanism that controls cell polarity, cell fate and self-renewal of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells. David Warburton, MD, director of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine at The Saban Research Institute, and Ahmed El-Hashash, PhD, senior research scientist carrying out this study, will release their findings in the upcoming issue of Development.
Date: March 29, 2011
Summary:
LOS ANGELES – Investigators at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have provided the first evidence that Eya1 protein phosphatase is a crucial regulator of the development of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells.
The correct functioning of lung epithelium is essential to life. Cellular polarity of lung epithelial cells, meaning that they have an asymmetrical orientation or a front and back, is crucial. Dysregulation of cell polarity has been associated with developmental disorders as well as cancer. Until now, little has been known about the mechanism that controls cell polarity, cell fate and self-renewal of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells. David Warburton, MD, director of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine at The Saban Research Institute, and Ahmed El-Hashash, PhD, senior research scientist carrying out this study, will release their findings in the upcoming issue of Development.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Signal uncovered to help control when stem cells become fat cells
Source: Stanford University Medical Center
Date: March 28, 2011
Summary:
A research team at the Stanford University School of Medicine and UC-San Francisco has uncovered a molecular signal that plays an important role in directing one type of “adult” stem cells to mature into fat cells. The finding could help scientists design better drugs for type-2 diabetes and other diseases associated with obesity. And it may eventually lead to therapies for disorders of low muscle mass, such as pediatric muscular dystrophies or muscle degeneration in the elderly. The study appeared March 18 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Date: March 28, 2011
Summary:
A research team at the Stanford University School of Medicine and UC-San Francisco has uncovered a molecular signal that plays an important role in directing one type of “adult” stem cells to mature into fat cells. The finding could help scientists design better drugs for type-2 diabetes and other diseases associated with obesity. And it may eventually lead to therapies for disorders of low muscle mass, such as pediatric muscular dystrophies or muscle degeneration in the elderly. The study appeared March 18 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Stanford scientists build Parkinson's disease in a dish with cells from Google founder's mom
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Posted: March 27, 2011 07:56:46 AM PDT
Summary:
The San Jose Mercury News reports scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have grown cells with traits of Parkinson's disease in a lab:
Posted: March 27, 2011 07:56:46 AM PDT
Summary:
The San Jose Mercury News reports scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have grown cells with traits of Parkinson's disease in a lab:
...Stanford University scientists say they have re-enacted this tragedy in a petri dish -- growing the young neurons from the donated skin cells of Parkinson's patient Genia Brin, the mother of Google co-founder Sergey Brin -- and then watching them sicken and perish. This feat, co-authored in this month's issue of the journal Cell by Stanford's Renee Reijo Pera, could accelerate the search for a cure of the crippling disorder. The research makes it possible, for the first time in medical history, to study the diseased cells and test compounds that might slow or even prevent their development.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Research May Lead to New Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease and Other Neurological Disorders
Source: Marshall University Research Corporation
Date: March 24, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at Marshall University are conducting research that may someday lead to new treatments for repair of the central nervous system. The group has identified and analyzed unique adult animal stem cells that can turn into neurons. The neurons they found appear to have many of the qualities desired for cells being used in development of therapies for slowly progressing, degenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease and multiple sclerosis, and for damage due to stroke or spinal cord injury. The research was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Cellular Physiology.
Date: March 24, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at Marshall University are conducting research that may someday lead to new treatments for repair of the central nervous system. The group has identified and analyzed unique adult animal stem cells that can turn into neurons. The neurons they found appear to have many of the qualities desired for cells being used in development of therapies for slowly progressing, degenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease and multiple sclerosis, and for damage due to stroke or spinal cord injury. The research was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Cellular Physiology.
Stem cell therapy for age-related macular degeneration -- a step closer to reality
Source: Georgetown University Medical Center
Date: March 24, 2011
Summary:
Washington, D.C. – The notion of transplanting adult stem cells to treat or even cure age-related macular degeneration has taken a significant step toward becoming a reality. In a study published today in Stem Cells, Georgetown University Medical Center researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, the ability to create retinal cells derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells that mimic the eye cells that die and cause loss of sight. The research shows that this critical step in regenerative medicine for AMD has greatly progressed.
Date: March 24, 2011
Summary:
Washington, D.C. – The notion of transplanting adult stem cells to treat or even cure age-related macular degeneration has taken a significant step toward becoming a reality. In a study published today in Stem Cells, Georgetown University Medical Center researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, the ability to create retinal cells derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells that mimic the eye cells that die and cause loss of sight. The research shows that this critical step in regenerative medicine for AMD has greatly progressed.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Stem cells in heart form scar after heart attack
Source: Baylor College of Medicine
Date: March 22, 2011
Summary:
HOUSTON -- A fibroblast is not always just a fibroblast – particularly in the heart. In a heart attack, fibroblasts – special repair cells that form a scar after injury – come from a population of stem cells that reside within the heart, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the Methodist Hospital in a report that appears in the journal Cardiovascular Research. By contrast, earlier work showed that the fibroblasts responsible for fibrosis – excess fibrous connective tissue – found in cardiomyopathy or heart failure came from a special kind of white blood cell called a monocyte, which originates in the bone marrow. The finding has implications for the treatment of heart failure, said Dr. Mark Entman, chief of the division of cardiovascular sciences in the department of medicine at BCM and the paper's corresponding author.
Date: March 22, 2011
Summary:
HOUSTON -- A fibroblast is not always just a fibroblast – particularly in the heart. In a heart attack, fibroblasts – special repair cells that form a scar after injury – come from a population of stem cells that reside within the heart, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the Methodist Hospital in a report that appears in the journal Cardiovascular Research. By contrast, earlier work showed that the fibroblasts responsible for fibrosis – excess fibrous connective tissue – found in cardiomyopathy or heart failure came from a special kind of white blood cell called a monocyte, which originates in the bone marrow. The finding has implications for the treatment of heart failure, said Dr. Mark Entman, chief of the division of cardiovascular sciences in the department of medicine at BCM and the paper's corresponding author.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Stem Cells May Show Promise for People with Rapidly Progressing MS
Source: American Academy of Neurology
Date: March 21, 2011
Summary:
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A long term study reports about the effectiveness of replacing bone marrow, purposely destroyed by chemotherapy, with autologous (self) stem cell rescue for people with aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study is published in the March 22, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For the treatment, chemotherapy drugs are used to kill all of the patient's blood cells, including the immune cells that are believed to be attacking the body's own central nervous system. Bone marrow stem cells removed from the patient are purified and transplanted back into the body, which saves life by replacing the blood cells and also is proposed to 'reboot' the immune system.
HealthDay News and WebMD published news stories based on this news release today.
Date: March 21, 2011
Summary:
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A long term study reports about the effectiveness of replacing bone marrow, purposely destroyed by chemotherapy, with autologous (self) stem cell rescue for people with aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study is published in the March 22, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For the treatment, chemotherapy drugs are used to kill all of the patient's blood cells, including the immune cells that are believed to be attacking the body's own central nervous system. Bone marrow stem cells removed from the patient are purified and transplanted back into the body, which saves life by replacing the blood cells and also is proposed to 'reboot' the immune system.
HealthDay News and WebMD published news stories based on this news release today.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Researchers discover molecular determinant of cell identity
Source: Stanford University Medical Center
Date: March 20, 2011
Summary:
If a big bunch of your brain cells suddenly went rogue and decided to become fat cells, it could cloud your decision-making capacity a bit. Fortunately, early in an organism's development, cells make firm and more-or-less permanent decisions about whether they will live their lives as, say, skin cells, brain cells or, well, fat cells. A new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine may help solve the mystery of how . The researchers discovered how a particular variety of the biomolecule RNA that had been thought to be largely irrelevant to cellular processes plays a dynamic regulatory role in protein selection. In unraveling this molecular mechanism, the study also offers enticing clues as to how certain cancers may arise. The study is published online March 20 in Nature.
Date: March 20, 2011
Summary:
If a big bunch of your brain cells suddenly went rogue and decided to become fat cells, it could cloud your decision-making capacity a bit. Fortunately, early in an organism's development, cells make firm and more-or-less permanent decisions about whether they will live their lives as, say, skin cells, brain cells or, well, fat cells. A new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine may help solve the mystery of how . The researchers discovered how a particular variety of the biomolecule RNA that had been thought to be largely irrelevant to cellular processes plays a dynamic regulatory role in protein selection. In unraveling this molecular mechanism, the study also offers enticing clues as to how certain cancers may arise. The study is published online March 20 in Nature.
Friday, March 18, 2011
STEM CELLS MAY BE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE ORIGINS OF COLON CANCER AND DETECTING RELAPSE
Source: Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona)
Date: 18 March 2011
Summary:
Colorectal cancer cells trigger a set of genes similar to those found in intestinal stem cells, scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) have found. The team of researchers, led by ICREA researcher Eduard Batlle, propose that patients with colorectal cancer undergo genetic tests of their intestinal epithelium in order to predict a higher risk of relapse. The results of the study, published online this week in Cell Stem Cell, offer new possibilities for diagnosing and treating the disease.
Date: 18 March 2011
Summary:
Colorectal cancer cells trigger a set of genes similar to those found in intestinal stem cells, scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) have found. The team of researchers, led by ICREA researcher Eduard Batlle, propose that patients with colorectal cancer undergo genetic tests of their intestinal epithelium in order to predict a higher risk of relapse. The results of the study, published online this week in Cell Stem Cell, offer new possibilities for diagnosing and treating the disease.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Study First to Show Stem Cell Injections Reduce Heart Damage and Improve Function
Source: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Date: March 17, 2011
Summary:
Stem cell researchers have shown for the first time that stem cells injected into enlarged hearts reduced heart size, reduced scar tissue and improved function to injured heart areas. The findings, from a small trial conducted at the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, are published in the March 17 issue of Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.
In this study, physicians used a corkscrew-shaped catheter to inject stem cells retrieved from the patient’s own bone marrow. The patients were eight men, average age of 57, who had chronically enlarged, low-functioning hearts. Specifically, the Miller School researchers found that the heart size decreased an average of 15 to 20 percent, or about three times what is possible with current medical therapies. Scar tissue went down by an average of 18.3 percent and there was dramatic improvement in the function of specific heart areas that were damaged.
The research team used two different types of bone marrow stem cells in the study — mononuclear or mesenchymal stem cells. The study did not examine whether one type of cell works better than the other. All patients in the study benefited from the therapy and tolerated the injections with no serious adverse events.
HealthDay News, MedPage Today, WebMD and The Miami Herald published news stories on this study today.
Date: March 17, 2011
Summary:
Stem cell researchers have shown for the first time that stem cells injected into enlarged hearts reduced heart size, reduced scar tissue and improved function to injured heart areas. The findings, from a small trial conducted at the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, are published in the March 17 issue of Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.
In this study, physicians used a corkscrew-shaped catheter to inject stem cells retrieved from the patient’s own bone marrow. The patients were eight men, average age of 57, who had chronically enlarged, low-functioning hearts. Specifically, the Miller School researchers found that the heart size decreased an average of 15 to 20 percent, or about three times what is possible with current medical therapies. Scar tissue went down by an average of 18.3 percent and there was dramatic improvement in the function of specific heart areas that were damaged.
The research team used two different types of bone marrow stem cells in the study — mononuclear or mesenchymal stem cells. The study did not examine whether one type of cell works better than the other. All patients in the study benefited from the therapy and tolerated the injections with no serious adverse events.
HealthDay News, MedPage Today, WebMD and The Miami Herald published news stories on this study today.
Heart damage improves, reverses after stem cell injections in a preliminary human trial
Source: American Heart Association
Date: March 17, 2011
Summary:
DALLAS – Researchers have shown for the first time that stem cells injected into enlarged hearts reduced heart size, reduced scar tissue and improved function to injured heart areas, according to a small trial published in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Researchers said that while this research is in the early stages, the findings are promising for the more than five million Americans who have enlarged hearts due to damage sustained from heart attacks. These patients can suffer premature death, have major disability and experience frequent hospitalizations. Options for treatment are limited to lifelong medications and major medical interventions, such as heart transplantation, according to Joshua M. Hare, M.D., the study’s senior author and professor of medicine and director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami in Miami, Fla.
Using catheters, researchers injected stem cells derived from the patient’s own bone marrow into the hearts of eight men (average age 57) with chronically enlarged, low-functioning hearts.
Specifically, researchers found:
• Heart size decreased an average of 15 percent to 20 percent, which is about three times what is possible with current medical therapies.
• Scar tissue decreased by an average of 18.3 percent.
• And there was dramatic improvement in the function, or contraction, of specific heart areas that were damaged.
Date: March 17, 2011
Summary:
DALLAS – Researchers have shown for the first time that stem cells injected into enlarged hearts reduced heart size, reduced scar tissue and improved function to injured heart areas, according to a small trial published in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Researchers said that while this research is in the early stages, the findings are promising for the more than five million Americans who have enlarged hearts due to damage sustained from heart attacks. These patients can suffer premature death, have major disability and experience frequent hospitalizations. Options for treatment are limited to lifelong medications and major medical interventions, such as heart transplantation, according to Joshua M. Hare, M.D., the study’s senior author and professor of medicine and director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami in Miami, Fla.
Using catheters, researchers injected stem cells derived from the patient’s own bone marrow into the hearts of eight men (average age 57) with chronically enlarged, low-functioning hearts.
Specifically, researchers found:
• Heart size decreased an average of 15 percent to 20 percent, which is about three times what is possible with current medical therapies.
• Scar tissue decreased by an average of 18.3 percent.
• And there was dramatic improvement in the function, or contraction, of specific heart areas that were damaged.
Scientists Create Stem Cells from Schizophrenia Patients
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Date: March 17, 2011
Summary:
Using skin cells from adult siblings with schizophrenia and a genetic mutation linked to major mental illnesses, Johns Hopkins researchers have created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) using a new and improved "clean" technique.
Reporting online February 22 in Molecular Psychiatry, the team confirms the establishment of two new lines of iPS cells with mutations in the gene named Disrupted In Schizophrenia 1, or DISC1. They made the cells using a nonviral "epiosomal vector" that jumpstarts the reprogramming machinery of cells without modifying their original genetic content with foreign DNA from a virus.
The stem cells from these two new lines, the scientists say, can be coaxed to become brain cells such as neurons. Because they have the DISC1 mutation, they stand to play an important role in the screening of drugs for treatments of major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression, as well as provide clues about the causes of these diseases.
Date: March 17, 2011
Summary:
Using skin cells from adult siblings with schizophrenia and a genetic mutation linked to major mental illnesses, Johns Hopkins researchers have created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) using a new and improved "clean" technique.
Reporting online February 22 in Molecular Psychiatry, the team confirms the establishment of two new lines of iPS cells with mutations in the gene named Disrupted In Schizophrenia 1, or DISC1. They made the cells using a nonviral "epiosomal vector" that jumpstarts the reprogramming machinery of cells without modifying their original genetic content with foreign DNA from a virus.
The stem cells from these two new lines, the scientists say, can be coaxed to become brain cells such as neurons. Because they have the DISC1 mutation, they stand to play an important role in the screening of drugs for treatments of major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression, as well as provide clues about the causes of these diseases.
Monday, March 14, 2011
StemCells, Inc. Initiates World's First Neural Stem Cell Trial in Spinal Cord Injury
Source: StemCells, Inc.
Date: March 14, 2011
Summary:
PALO ALTO, Calif., (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- StemCells, Inc. announced today the initiation of a Phase I/II clinical trial of its proprietary HuCNS-SC(R) human neural stem cells in chronic spinal cord injury. This trial is now open for enrollment, and will accrue patients with both complete and incomplete degrees of paralysis who are three to 12 months post-injury. The trial is being conducted in Switzerland at the Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, a world leading medical center for spinal cord injury and rehabilitation, and is being led by Armin Curt, MD, Professor and Chairman, Spinal Cord Injury Center at the University of Zurich, and Medical Director of the Paraplegic Center at the Balgrist University Hospital.
Date: March 14, 2011
Summary:
PALO ALTO, Calif., (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- StemCells, Inc. announced today the initiation of a Phase I/II clinical trial of its proprietary HuCNS-SC(R) human neural stem cells in chronic spinal cord injury. This trial is now open for enrollment, and will accrue patients with both complete and incomplete degrees of paralysis who are three to 12 months post-injury. The trial is being conducted in Switzerland at the Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, a world leading medical center for spinal cord injury and rehabilitation, and is being led by Armin Curt, MD, Professor and Chairman, Spinal Cord Injury Center at the University of Zurich, and Medical Director of the Paraplegic Center at the Balgrist University Hospital.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Stem Cells Take Cues From Fluid in the Brain
Source: George Washington University Medical Center
Date: March 11, 2011
Summary:
Proteins in fluids bathing the brain are essential for building the brain, discover scientists in a report published March 10 in the journal Neuron. The finding promises to advance research related to neurological disease, cancer and stem cells. Before now, the fluid surrounding the brain was generally considered to be a sort of salt-solution that simply maintained the brain's ionic balance. Recent reports of fluctuating proteins in the fluid suggested otherwise, however. And thus, a multi-institutional research teams at the Children's Hospital in Boston, led by Maria Lehtinen, Mauro Zappaterra and Christopher Walsh and researchers from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., decided to take a closer look at what proteins in the fluid do. What they found shocked them: As embryos and their brains are growing, a type of protein that tells brain cells to multiply increases in the so-called cerebrospinal fluid.
The current team extracted cerebrospinal fluid from mouse embryos around two weeks after conception, when their brains develop most quickly. The fluid contained high levels of a protein, insulin-like growth factor or Igf2, which is known to help stem cells multiply and differentiate. Notably, the protein isn’t elevated after birth. When the authors blocked Igf2, stem cells in the brain stopped making brain cells, which resulted in abnormally tiny mice brains. And when the team placed brain stem cells in a dish filled with Igf2-rich, embryonic cerebrospinal fluid, the cells proliferated rapidly.
Date: March 11, 2011
Summary:
Proteins in fluids bathing the brain are essential for building the brain, discover scientists in a report published March 10 in the journal Neuron. The finding promises to advance research related to neurological disease, cancer and stem cells. Before now, the fluid surrounding the brain was generally considered to be a sort of salt-solution that simply maintained the brain's ionic balance. Recent reports of fluctuating proteins in the fluid suggested otherwise, however. And thus, a multi-institutional research teams at the Children's Hospital in Boston, led by Maria Lehtinen, Mauro Zappaterra and Christopher Walsh and researchers from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., decided to take a closer look at what proteins in the fluid do. What they found shocked them: As embryos and their brains are growing, a type of protein that tells brain cells to multiply increases in the so-called cerebrospinal fluid.
The current team extracted cerebrospinal fluid from mouse embryos around two weeks after conception, when their brains develop most quickly. The fluid contained high levels of a protein, insulin-like growth factor or Igf2, which is known to help stem cells multiply and differentiate. Notably, the protein isn’t elevated after birth. When the authors blocked Igf2, stem cells in the brain stopped making brain cells, which resulted in abnormally tiny mice brains. And when the team placed brain stem cells in a dish filled with Igf2-rich, embryonic cerebrospinal fluid, the cells proliferated rapidly.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Stem cells may provide treatment for brain injuries Preliminary results show safety of bone marrow stem cells in traumatic brain injury
Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Date: March 10, 2011
Summary:
HOUSTON –– Stem cells derived from a patient’s own bone marrow were safely used in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to results of a Phase I clinical trial at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The results were published in this month’s issue of Neurosurgery, the journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Date: March 10, 2011
Summary:
HOUSTON –– Stem cells derived from a patient’s own bone marrow were safely used in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to results of a Phase I clinical trial at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The results were published in this month’s issue of Neurosurgery, the journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Cerebral Spinal Fluid Guides Stem Cell Development in the Brain
Source: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Date: March 10, 2011
Summary:
Cerebrospinal fluid—the clear and watery substance that bathes the brain and spinal cord—is much more important to brain development than previously realized. Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Christopher Walsh, his postdoctoral fellow Maria Lehtinen, former student Mauro Zappaterra, and their colleagues have discovered that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contains a complex mix of proteins that changes dramatically with age. In the lab, CSF by itself is enough to support the growth of neural stem cells, and this effect is particularly robust in young brains.
What's more, the protein make-up of CSF in people with malignant brain cancer is different from that of healthy people, the researchers found. "This suggests that the CSF can make a more supportive or less supportive environment for tumor growth," notes Walsh, Chief of Genetics at Children's Hospital Boston. The work is published in the March 10, 2011, issue of the journal Neuron.
Date: March 10, 2011
Summary:
Cerebrospinal fluid—the clear and watery substance that bathes the brain and spinal cord—is much more important to brain development than previously realized. Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Christopher Walsh, his postdoctoral fellow Maria Lehtinen, former student Mauro Zappaterra, and their colleagues have discovered that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contains a complex mix of proteins that changes dramatically with age. In the lab, CSF by itself is enough to support the growth of neural stem cells, and this effect is particularly robust in young brains.
What's more, the protein make-up of CSF in people with malignant brain cancer is different from that of healthy people, the researchers found. "This suggests that the CSF can make a more supportive or less supportive environment for tumor growth," notes Walsh, Chief of Genetics at Children's Hospital Boston. The work is published in the March 10, 2011, issue of the journal Neuron.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Earliest Cardiovascular Progenitors That Arise During the Differentiation of Pluripotent Stem Cells Isolated
Source: Libre de Bruxelles, Universit
Date: March 8, 2011
Summary:
Researchers from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) led by Dr. Cédric Blanpain have isolated the earliest cardiovascular progenitors that arise during the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) have the capacity to differentiate into any cell type in the body, including cardiac and vascular cells, which give hope that one day, we can use these cells to replace the death or damaged cells in various diseases. The discovery of novel methods allowing the purification of cardiovascular progenitors during embryonic stem cell differentiation is thus essential before these cells could be used in large scale to treat patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases or for drug discovery.
Researchers led by Dr Cédric Blanpain, FNRS researcher at IRIBHM, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium, studied the mechanisms that govern the specification of cardiovascular progenitors during pluripotent stem cell differentiation. In a new study published in the Journal of Cell Biology, the ULB researchers used genetically engineered embryonic stem cells that become fluorescent when the stem cells become cardiovascular progenitors. By isolating these fluorescent cells, they purified the cardiovascular progenitors and differentiated these cells into beating cardiac cells in vitro and in vivo.
Date: March 8, 2011
Summary:
Researchers from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) led by Dr. Cédric Blanpain have isolated the earliest cardiovascular progenitors that arise during the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) have the capacity to differentiate into any cell type in the body, including cardiac and vascular cells, which give hope that one day, we can use these cells to replace the death or damaged cells in various diseases. The discovery of novel methods allowing the purification of cardiovascular progenitors during embryonic stem cell differentiation is thus essential before these cells could be used in large scale to treat patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases or for drug discovery.
Researchers led by Dr Cédric Blanpain, FNRS researcher at IRIBHM, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium, studied the mechanisms that govern the specification of cardiovascular progenitors during pluripotent stem cell differentiation. In a new study published in the Journal of Cell Biology, the ULB researchers used genetically engineered embryonic stem cells that become fluorescent when the stem cells become cardiovascular progenitors. By isolating these fluorescent cells, they purified the cardiovascular progenitors and differentiated these cells into beating cardiac cells in vitro and in vivo.
Researchers discover drug that stops progression of Parkinson's disease in mice
Source: University of Colorado Denver
Date: March 8, 2011
Summary:
AURORA, Colo. – In a major breakthrough in the battle against Parkinson’s disease, researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have discovered a drug that stops the progression of the degenerative illness in mice and is now being tested on humans. The results have been published on-line in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Date: March 8, 2011
Summary:
AURORA, Colo. – In a major breakthrough in the battle against Parkinson’s disease, researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have discovered a drug that stops the progression of the degenerative illness in mice and is now being tested on humans. The results have been published on-line in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Laboratory-Grown Urethras Implanted in Patients, Scientists Report
Source: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Date: March 7, 2011
Summary:
WINSTON-SALEM, NC –– Researchers at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues reported today on a new advance in tissue engineering. The team is the first in the world to use patients’ own cells to build tailor-made urinary tubes and successfully replace damaged tissue. In an article published Online First by The Lancet, the research team reports replacing damaged segments of urinary tubes (urethras) in five boys. Tests to measure urine flow and tube diameter showed that the engineered tissue remained functional throughout the six-year (median) follow-up period.
Here is a link to a summary of news media coverage about this finding from the Wake Forest University Office of Communications and External Relations.
Date: March 7, 2011
Summary:
WINSTON-SALEM, NC –– Researchers at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues reported today on a new advance in tissue engineering. The team is the first in the world to use patients’ own cells to build tailor-made urinary tubes and successfully replace damaged tissue. In an article published Online First by The Lancet, the research team reports replacing damaged segments of urinary tubes (urethras) in five boys. Tests to measure urine flow and tube diameter showed that the engineered tissue remained functional throughout the six-year (median) follow-up period.
Here is a link to a summary of news media coverage about this finding from the Wake Forest University Office of Communications and External Relations.
A New Stem Cell Enters the Mix: Induced Conditional Self-Renewing Progenitor (ICSP) Cells
Source: Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Date: March 7, 2011
Summary:
LA JOLLA, Calif.,– In the past few months, a slew of papers have indicated that the therapeutic potential of a promising type of stem cell, called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, might be limited by reprogramming errors and genomic instability. iPS cells are engineered by reprogramming fully differentiated adult cells, often skin cells, back to a primitive, embryonic-like state. Given these problems, a team of researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), Chung-Ang University in Korea, the University of British Columbia, Harvard Medical School and elsewhere wondered if there might be a better way to regenerate lost tissue to treat conditions like heart disease and stroke. Writing March 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they outline a method to obtain a new kind of stem cell they call “induced conditional self-renewing progenitor (ICSP) cells.”
In this study, ICSP cells differentiated into active neurons and other brain cell types with therapeutic payoff for an adult rat model of intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke -- the rodents show improved behavioral performance. Although the long-term genomic stability of ICSP cells remains to be seen, no adverse effects have arisen over five months of observation. The team envisions that this ICSP approach will also extend to progenitor cells obtained from other organs, such as heart, pancreas, or muscle, potentially accelerating the use of stem cell therapies for a broad range of diseases.
Date: March 7, 2011
Summary:
LA JOLLA, Calif.,– In the past few months, a slew of papers have indicated that the therapeutic potential of a promising type of stem cell, called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, might be limited by reprogramming errors and genomic instability. iPS cells are engineered by reprogramming fully differentiated adult cells, often skin cells, back to a primitive, embryonic-like state. Given these problems, a team of researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), Chung-Ang University in Korea, the University of British Columbia, Harvard Medical School and elsewhere wondered if there might be a better way to regenerate lost tissue to treat conditions like heart disease and stroke. Writing March 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they outline a method to obtain a new kind of stem cell they call “induced conditional self-renewing progenitor (ICSP) cells.”
In this study, ICSP cells differentiated into active neurons and other brain cell types with therapeutic payoff for an adult rat model of intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke -- the rodents show improved behavioral performance. Although the long-term genomic stability of ICSP cells remains to be seen, no adverse effects have arisen over five months of observation. The team envisions that this ICSP approach will also extend to progenitor cells obtained from other organs, such as heart, pancreas, or muscle, potentially accelerating the use of stem cell therapies for a broad range of diseases.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
New Test for 'Pluripotent' Stem Cells
Source: Scripps Research Institute
Date: March 6, 2011
Summary:
"Pluripotent" stem cells -- which have the potential to mature into almost any cell in the body -- are being widely studied for their role in treating a vast array of human diseases and for generating cells and tissues for transplantation. Now, a team of Scripps Research Institute scientists has created a quality control diagnostic test that will make it much easier for researchers to determine whether their cell lines are normal pluripotent cells. The study was published in an online version of Nature Methods on March 6, 2011.
Date: March 6, 2011
Summary:
"Pluripotent" stem cells -- which have the potential to mature into almost any cell in the body -- are being widely studied for their role in treating a vast array of human diseases and for generating cells and tissues for transplantation. Now, a team of Scripps Research Institute scientists has created a quality control diagnostic test that will make it much easier for researchers to determine whether their cell lines are normal pluripotent cells. The study was published in an online version of Nature Methods on March 6, 2011.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Human Stem Cells Transformed Into Neurons Lost In Alzheimer’s
Source: Northwestern University
Date: March 4, 2011
Summary:
CHICAGO --- Northwestern Medicine researchers for the first time have transformed a human embryonic stem cell into a critical type of neuron that dies early in Alzheimer's disease and is a major cause of memory loss. This new ability to reprogram stem cells and grow a limitless supply of the human neurons will enable a rapid wave of drug testing for Alzheimer's disease, allow researchers to study why the neurons die and could potentially lead to transplanting the new neurons into people with Alzheimer's. The paper will be published March 4 in the journal Stem Cells.
Human skin cells transformed into stem cells and then neurons
In new, unpublished research, Northwestern Medicine scientists also have discovered a second novel way to make the neurons. They made human embryonic stem cells (called induced pluripotent stem cells) from human skin cells and then transformed these into the neurons. Scientists made these stem cells and neurons from skin cells of three groups of people: Alzheimer's patients, healthy patients with no family history of Alzheimer's, and healthy patients with an increased likelihood of developing the disease due to a family history of Alzheimer's because of genetic mutations or unknown reasons.
The Daily Telegraph, Chicago Sun-Times and HealthDay News published news stories based on this news release today.
Date: March 4, 2011
Summary:
CHICAGO --- Northwestern Medicine researchers for the first time have transformed a human embryonic stem cell into a critical type of neuron that dies early in Alzheimer's disease and is a major cause of memory loss. This new ability to reprogram stem cells and grow a limitless supply of the human neurons will enable a rapid wave of drug testing for Alzheimer's disease, allow researchers to study why the neurons die and could potentially lead to transplanting the new neurons into people with Alzheimer's. The paper will be published March 4 in the journal Stem Cells.
Human skin cells transformed into stem cells and then neurons
In new, unpublished research, Northwestern Medicine scientists also have discovered a second novel way to make the neurons. They made human embryonic stem cells (called induced pluripotent stem cells) from human skin cells and then transformed these into the neurons. Scientists made these stem cells and neurons from skin cells of three groups of people: Alzheimer's patients, healthy patients with no family history of Alzheimer's, and healthy patients with an increased likelihood of developing the disease due to a family history of Alzheimer's because of genetic mutations or unknown reasons.
The Daily Telegraph, Chicago Sun-Times and HealthDay News published news stories based on this news release today.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Scientists create neurons with symptoms of Parkinson's disease from patient's skin cells
Source: Stanford University School of Medicine
Date: March 3, 2011
Summary:
Neurons have been derived from the skin of a woman with a genetic form of Parkinson’s disease and have been shown to replicate some key features of the condition in a dish, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The scientists hope to use the neurons to learn more about the disorder and to test possible treatments. Such a tool is critical because there are no good animal models for Parkinson’s disease. It also validates the use of induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, to model various diseases. The research which appears in the March issue of Cell Stem Cell.
Date: March 3, 2011
Summary:
Neurons have been derived from the skin of a woman with a genetic form of Parkinson’s disease and have been shown to replicate some key features of the condition in a dish, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The scientists hope to use the neurons to learn more about the disorder and to test possible treatments. Such a tool is critical because there are no good animal models for Parkinson’s disease. It also validates the use of induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, to model various diseases. The research which appears in the March issue of Cell Stem Cell.
New Method Allows Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Avoid Immune System Rejection
Source: Stanford University Medical Center
Date: March 3, 2011
Summary:
A short-term treatment with three immune-dampening drugs allowed human embryonic stem cells to survive and thrive in mice, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Without such treatment, the animals' immune systems quickly hunt down and destroy the transplanted cells. The finding is important because it may allow humans to accept transplanted stem cells intended to treat disease or injury without requiring the ongoing use of powerful immunosuppressant medications.
Just as it does with transplanted organs, the human body recognizes foreign cells and rejects them. Embryonic stem cells, or ES cells, and the tissues they become are by definition immunologically different from any potential recipient. Physicians also have to overcome the fact that unspecialized ES cells can form tumors when transplanted into the body. The study is published in the March issue of Cell Stem Cell.
This paper, in tandem with a previous study by Wu published in February in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, helps to recast a scientific debate over the relative benefits of embryonic stem cells as compared with iPS cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be created from a person's own skin or other cells.
Date: March 3, 2011
Summary:
A short-term treatment with three immune-dampening drugs allowed human embryonic stem cells to survive and thrive in mice, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Without such treatment, the animals' immune systems quickly hunt down and destroy the transplanted cells. The finding is important because it may allow humans to accept transplanted stem cells intended to treat disease or injury without requiring the ongoing use of powerful immunosuppressant medications.
Just as it does with transplanted organs, the human body recognizes foreign cells and rejects them. Embryonic stem cells, or ES cells, and the tissues they become are by definition immunologically different from any potential recipient. Physicians also have to overcome the fact that unspecialized ES cells can form tumors when transplanted into the body. The study is published in the March issue of Cell Stem Cell.
This paper, in tandem with a previous study by Wu published in February in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, helps to recast a scientific debate over the relative benefits of embryonic stem cells as compared with iPS cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be created from a person's own skin or other cells.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Researchers focus on human cells for spinal cord injury repair: Derived from stem cells – restore movement in animal models
Source: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Date: March 2, 2011
Summary:
AURORA, Colo. - For the first time, scientists discovered that a specific type of human cell, generated from stem cells and transplanted into spinal cord injured rats, provides tremendous benefit, not only repairing damage to the nervous system but helping the animals regain locomotor function as well. The study, published today in the journal PLoS ONE, focuses on human astrocytes – the major support cells in the central nervous system – and indicates that transplantation of these cells represents a potential new avenue for the treatment of spinal cord injuries and other central nervous system disorders. Working together, research teams at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and University of Rochester Medical Center have made a major breakthrough in the use of human astrocytes for repairing injured spinal cords in rats.
Date: March 2, 2011
Summary:
AURORA, Colo. - For the first time, scientists discovered that a specific type of human cell, generated from stem cells and transplanted into spinal cord injured rats, provides tremendous benefit, not only repairing damage to the nervous system but helping the animals regain locomotor function as well. The study, published today in the journal PLoS ONE, focuses on human astrocytes – the major support cells in the central nervous system – and indicates that transplantation of these cells represents a potential new avenue for the treatment of spinal cord injuries and other central nervous system disorders. Working together, research teams at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and University of Rochester Medical Center have made a major breakthrough in the use of human astrocytes for repairing injured spinal cords in rats.
Researchers Focus on Human Cells in Spinal Cord Injury Repair: Derived from Stem Cells – Appear to Aid Repair, Restore Movement in Animal Models
Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Date: March 2, 2011
Summary:
For the first time, scientists at University of Rochester Medical Center discovered that specific human cells, generated from stem cells and transplanted into spinal cord injured rats, provide tremendous benefit, not only repairing damage to the nervous system but helping the animals regain function as well. The study, published today in the journal PLoS ONE, focuses on human astrocytes – the major support cells in the central nervous system – and suggests that transplantation of these cells may represent a new avenue for the treatment of spinal cord and other central nervous system injuries.
Date: March 2, 2011
Summary:
For the first time, scientists at University of Rochester Medical Center discovered that specific human cells, generated from stem cells and transplanted into spinal cord injured rats, provide tremendous benefit, not only repairing damage to the nervous system but helping the animals regain function as well. The study, published today in the journal PLoS ONE, focuses on human astrocytes – the major support cells in the central nervous system – and suggests that transplantation of these cells may represent a new avenue for the treatment of spinal cord and other central nervous system injuries.
Scientists Discover Genetic Abnormalities After Creation of Stem Cells
Source: Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
Date: March 2, 2011
Toronto, ON and Helsinki, Finland — Dr. Andras Nagy’s laboratory at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital and Dr. Timo Otonkoski’s laboratory at Biomedicum Stem Cell Center (University of Helsinki), as well as collaborators in Europe and Canada have identified genetic abnormalities associated with reprogramming adult cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The findings give researchers new insights into the reprogramming process, and will help make future applications of stem cell creation and subsequent use safer.
The study was published online today in Nature.
Date: March 2, 2011
Toronto, ON and Helsinki, Finland — Dr. Andras Nagy’s laboratory at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital and Dr. Timo Otonkoski’s laboratory at Biomedicum Stem Cell Center (University of Helsinki), as well as collaborators in Europe and Canada have identified genetic abnormalities associated with reprogramming adult cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The findings give researchers new insights into the reprogramming process, and will help make future applications of stem cell creation and subsequent use safer.
The study was published online today in Nature.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
StemCells, Inc. to start unique stem cell trial for spinal Cord Injury
Source: KGO-TV / ABC7 News - San Francisco, CA
Posted: March 1, 2011 8:58 PM PST
Summary:
KGO-TV - San Francisco, CA reports on the announcement by StemCells Inc., a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, that it will begin a clinical trial to attempt to to restore motor function in patients with spinal cord injuries. Below is a link to a TV video news story about the trial.
Posted: March 1, 2011 8:58 PM PST
Summary:
KGO-TV - San Francisco, CA reports on the announcement by StemCells Inc., a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, that it will begin a clinical trial to attempt to to restore motor function in patients with spinal cord injuries. Below is a link to a TV video news story about the trial.
How Long Do Stem Cells Live?
Source: Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Date: March 1, 2011
Summary:
When patients receive a bone marrow transplant, they are getting a new population of hematopoietic stem cells. Fresh stem cells are needed when a patient is low on red blood cells, as in anemia, or white blood cells, which can be caused by cancer or even cancer treatments such as irradiation or chemotherapy. The problem is that a bone marrow transplant might not succeed because the transplanted stem cells don't live long enough or because they proliferate too well, leading to leukemia.
To help determine how long a bone marrow (stem cell) graft will last, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) have developed a mathematical model that predicts how long a stem cell will live and tested those predictions in a mouse model. The study, led by Christa Muller-Sieburg, Dr. rer. nat., was published online the week of February 28, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Date: March 1, 2011
Summary:
When patients receive a bone marrow transplant, they are getting a new population of hematopoietic stem cells. Fresh stem cells are needed when a patient is low on red blood cells, as in anemia, or white blood cells, which can be caused by cancer or even cancer treatments such as irradiation or chemotherapy. The problem is that a bone marrow transplant might not succeed because the transplanted stem cells don't live long enough or because they proliferate too well, leading to leukemia.
To help determine how long a bone marrow (stem cell) graft will last, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) have developed a mathematical model that predicts how long a stem cell will live and tested those predictions in a mouse model. The study, led by Christa Muller-Sieburg, Dr. rer. nat., was published online the week of February 28, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
New Cell Therapy a Promising Atherosclerosis Treatment
Source: Karolinska Institutet
Date 1 March 2011
Summary:
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have shown in a new study on mice, that cell therapy can be used to reverse the effect of 'bad' LDL cholesterol and reduce the inflammation that leads to atherosclerosis. The new cell therapy, which is presented in the scientific journal Circulation, can open the way for new therapies for stroke and myocardial infarction if the results prove translatable to humans.
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammation of the blood vessels. Cholesterol is transported in the blood in particles called LDL ('bad' cholesterol) that can accumulate in the vessel walls. This triggers the body's immune system to react against LDL, which then cause inflammation in the vessels, and eventually thrombus formation. If such a thrombus forms in the coronary artery, the patient suffers a myocardial infarction; if it forms in the brain, a stroke can result.
The research group, under the direction of Professor Göran K Hansson at the Centre for Molecular Medicine, have developed a cell therapy that selectively dampens vascular inflammation induced by LDL. The therapy makes use of dendritic cells, which are characterized by a high degree of plasticity that renders them amenable to manipulation.
The mouse studies now presented in Circulation have demonstrated substantial protective effects of the treatment, with a reduction of the atherosclerosis process of up around 70 percent. Last year, the researchers published results showing that antibodies recognizing the receptors that drive the immune reaction have protective effects, and now the same group is presenting a cell therapy that is at least as efficacious. It is hoped that this will pave the way for a completely new generation of selective anti-inflammatory therapies for cardiovascular disease.
Date 1 March 2011
Summary:
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have shown in a new study on mice, that cell therapy can be used to reverse the effect of 'bad' LDL cholesterol and reduce the inflammation that leads to atherosclerosis. The new cell therapy, which is presented in the scientific journal Circulation, can open the way for new therapies for stroke and myocardial infarction if the results prove translatable to humans.
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammation of the blood vessels. Cholesterol is transported in the blood in particles called LDL ('bad' cholesterol) that can accumulate in the vessel walls. This triggers the body's immune system to react against LDL, which then cause inflammation in the vessels, and eventually thrombus formation. If such a thrombus forms in the coronary artery, the patient suffers a myocardial infarction; if it forms in the brain, a stroke can result.
The research group, under the direction of Professor Göran K Hansson at the Centre for Molecular Medicine, have developed a cell therapy that selectively dampens vascular inflammation induced by LDL. The therapy makes use of dendritic cells, which are characterized by a high degree of plasticity that renders them amenable to manipulation.
The mouse studies now presented in Circulation have demonstrated substantial protective effects of the treatment, with a reduction of the atherosclerosis process of up around 70 percent. Last year, the researchers published results showing that antibodies recognizing the receptors that drive the immune reaction have protective effects, and now the same group is presenting a cell therapy that is at least as efficacious. It is hoped that this will pave the way for a completely new generation of selective anti-inflammatory therapies for cardiovascular disease.
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