First patient to get stem cell therapy comes forward

Source: Washington Post
Posted: April 7, 2011 12:22 AM EDT

Summary:

The Washington Post reports a 21-year-old Alabama nursing student who was paralyzed from the chest down in a car crash in September has come forward to identify himself as the volunteer for a clinical trial using embryonic stem cells sponsored by Geron Corporation and conducted at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

Coverage Summary: Advanced Cell Technology Receives FDA Clearance For Rare Disease

Below is a summary of media coverage about the announcement by Advanced Cell Technology Inc. that it received FDA approval for the first clinical trial Using embryonic stem cells to treat Stargardt disease, a form Macular Degeneration:

Associated Press, November 25, 2010 at 9:06 PM: "Test OK'd for stem-cell treatment of rare disease":

NEW YORK — For only the second time, the U.S. government has approved a test in people of a treatment using embryonic stem cells — this time for a rare disease that causes serious vision loss. Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), a biotechnology company based in Santa Monica., Calif., said the research should begin early next year, following the green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

...ACT's experiment will focus on Stargardt disease, which affects only about 30,000 Americans. But the company hopes the same approach will work for similar and more common eye disorders like age-related macular degeneration, which affects millions. Stargardt is an inherited disorder that attacks central vision used for tasks like reading and recognizing faces. Some patients go totally blind, even losing peripheral vision, while others are severely impaired and can only perceive light or see their hands moving in front of their faces.

...The disease typically starts in adolescence. The key problem is that impaired scavenger cells fail to remove toxic byproducts from the eye, allowing them to build up and kill other cells. There is no proven treatment. In the new study, 12 patients will be treated with healthy scavenger cells, created in a laboratory from human embryonic stem cells. This early phase of the research is primarily to test the safety of various doses, injecting only one eye of each patient.

Los Angeles Times, November 22, 2010, 2:02 p.m.: "FDA clears second clinical trial involving human embryonic stem cells":

Another therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells is headed for clinical trials. Advanced Cell Technology Inc. said Monday that the Food and Drug Administration has cleared the way for its Phase I/II trial of retinal cells for patients with Stargardt’s macular dystrophy, a childhood version of macular degeneration. Up to 12 patients will be enrolled at several sites across the country, including the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Ore., the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, and UMDNJ – New Jersey Medical School in Newark.

...Advanced Cell Technology hopes to treat these patients by giving them new retinal pigment epithelium cells to replace the ones that are lost to the disease. The therapy has restored vision in rats and mice, according to published studies. The Phase I/II trial is designed to test the safety and tolerability of the RPE cells in humans.

Reuters, November 22, 2010 5:20pm EST: "Second U.S. company gets stem cell go-ahead":

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the second human trial of human embryonic stem cells -- this one testing cells in people with a progressive form of blindness, the company said on Monday. Massachusetts-based Advanced Cell Technology said it would start testing its stem cell-based treatment on 12 patients with Stargardt's macular dystrophy. It is the second trial of human embryonic stem cells to be approved by the FDA this year. Last month Geron Corp enrolled the first patient in its study using the cells in people whose spinal cords have been crushed.

Time, November 22, 2010: "FDA Approves Second Trial of Stem-Cell Therapy":

For only the second time, the Food and Drug Administration approved a company's request to test an embryonic stem cell-based therapy on human patients. Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), based in Marlborough, Mass., will begin testing its retinal cell treatment this year in a dozen patients with Stargardt's macular dystrophy, an inherited degenerative eye disease that leads to blindness in children. ...ACT's trial will involve injecting retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, which nurture the retina, into volunteers with the most advanced forms of Stargardt's, in an attempt to replace dying and no longer functioning photoreceptor cells. In animals, the infusion of healthy cells improved vision and rescued the function of some diseased cells.

New Scientist, 22 November 2010, 16:36 GMT: "Stem cell trial for blindness gets green light":

Twelve people left almost blind by a hereditary condition that strikes in childhood are to receive the world's first eye therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The treatment is for Stargardt's macular dystrophy, which affects 1 in 8000 people in the US. Their sight deteriorates from around age 6 when retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPEs) start to die off rapidly, possibly due to a defective gene. Without RPEs to support and nourish them, adjacent photoreceptor cells which capture light signals, die too and blindness is the result. People in the trial will be those whose vision has deteriorated to the point where they can see the movement of their own hand, but little else. They will receive injections into their eyes of between 50,000 and 200,000 RPEs.

"The goal is to halt the rate of photoreceptor loss," says Robert Lanza, chief scientist at Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) of Worcester, Massachusetts, the company that has been developing the treatment since first turning hESCs into RPEs in 2004. By implanting new RPEs, which do not contain the defective gene, the team hopes to prevent further deterioration or perhaps even reverse it.

Boston Globe, November 22, 2010: "ACT wins FDA’s approval to test stem cell therapy":

Advanced Cell Technology, a stem cell company with a research laboratory in Marlborough, has received federal approval to test a human embryonic stem cell treatment on patients with a rare disease that causes blindness. ...ACT filed an investigational new drug application with the Food and Drug Administration a year ago to use retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells to treat patients with Stargardt’s, a rare genetic disease that affects about 30,000 people in the United States. The disease causes progressive vision loss, starting in patients between 10 and 20 years old, and results in blindness.

COVERAGE SUMMARY: Geron Corporation Embryonic Stem Cell Clinical Trial Underway in Atlanta

Below is a summary of media coverage about the announcement by Geron Corporation of the enrollment of the first patient in the company's clinical trial of human embryonic stem cells to treat patients with new spinal cord injuries:

Washington Post, October 11, 2010; 9:06 AM ET: "First patient treated in stem cell study":

The first patient has been treated with human embryonic stem cells in the first study authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to test the controversial therapy. A patient who was partially paralyzed by a spinal cord injury had millions of embryonic stem cells injected into the site of the damage, according to an announcement early Monday by the Geron Corp. of Menlo Park, Calif., which is sponsoring the groundbreaking study.

The patient was treated at the Shepherd Center, a 132-bed hospital in Atlanta that specializes in spinal cord and brain injuries, Geron said. The hospital is one of seven sites participating in the study, which is primarily aimed at testing whether the therapy is safe. Doctors will, however, also conduct a series of specially designed tests to see whether the treatment helps the patients. No additional information about the first patient was released.

Reuters, October 11, 2010 8:30 am EDT: "First patient treated in Geron stem cell trial":

Geron Corp. said on Monday that doctors have begun treating the first patient in the United States to receive human embryonic stem cells, but said the details of the landmark clinical trial are being kept confidential. Geron has the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration license to use the controversial cells to treat people, in this case patients with new spinal cord injuries.

Agence France Presse (AFP), October 11, 2010, 9:59 pm ET US begins first human embryonic stem cell trial":

US doctors have begun the first tests of human embryonic stem cells in patients, treating a man with spinal cord injuries in a landmark trial of the controversial process, the Geron Corporation said Monday. The patient began the pioneering treatment Friday with an injection of the biotech company's human embryonic stem cells, as part of a clinical trial that aims to test safety and efficacy toward regaining sensation and movement.

Los Angeles Times, October 12, 2010: "First clinical trial begins for stem cell therapy. The first of several spine injury patients is undergoing treatment, which has helped rodents regain the ability to walk and run. Doctors' hopes are high.":

Researchers announced Monday that they had injected stem cells into a patient with a spinal cord injury on Friday, kicking off the world's first clinical trial of a therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells.

The patient was treated at Shepherd Center, a spinal cord and brain injury center in Atlanta.

Though the trial, run by Geron Corp. of Menlo Park, Calif., is in its earliest stages — aimed primarily at testing the treatment for safety — the event stands as a landmark one for embryonic stem cell researchers, who for years have studied the cells' potential to treat spinal cord injuries, diabetes and a variety of neurodegenerative diseases.

Daily Telegraph, 11 October 2010 5:24 PM BST: "Treatment first hails in the 'dawn of the stem cell age'":

The trial on a patient with severe spinal injuries is the first to test a treatment that has huge potential to cure disease and disability. But it is also highly controversial and considered unethical among many Christian and "pro-life" groups. The results of the procedure, carried out by privately funded company Geron, will be awaited eagerly around the world by doctors and scientists working in regenerative medicines. If a success it could be the "catalyst" to open up stem cell treatments for all kinds of conditions from nerve damage, to Alzheimer's disease to diabetes.

WebMD, October 11, 2010: "First Patient Treated With Embryonic Stem Cells. Paralyzed Atlanta Patient Gets Stem Cells Injected Into Spine":

The first person treated with embryonic stem cells is an Atlanta patient paralyzed by a recent spine injury. The Geron Corp. GRNOPC1 stem cells come from embryos left over after in vitro fertilization and donated by the parents. The FDA approved the study in early 2009. The clinical trial is a first step toward an eventual cure for paralysis, says study leader Richard Fessler, MD, PhD, professor of neurological surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

CNN.com, October 11, 2010, 3:30 PM ET: "First human injected in human embryonic stem cell trial":

After years of animal trials, the first human has been injected with cells from human embryonic stem cells, according to Geron Corporation, the company which is sponsoring the controversial study. ...Geron is releasing very few details about the patient, but will say that the first person to receive cells derived from human embryonic stem cells was enrolled in the FDA-approved clinical trial at the Shepherd Center, a spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. This person was injected with the cells on Friday.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 11, 2010, 8:16 p.m. EDT: "First stem cell treatment for human administered in Atlanta":

"Taking a landmark step, Atlanta doctors have injected millions of embryonic stem cells into a partially paralyzed patient, treating a human for the first time in the U.S. with the controversial research, officials said Monday."

USA Today, October 11, 2010, 11:00 pm EDT: "Embryonic stem cells used on patient for first time":

For the first time, surgeons have injected a spinal cord injury patient with human embryonic stem cells in a federally approved experiment, a biomedical firm said Monday. Food and Drug Administration officials approved the start of the privately funded safety trial in July, allowing a long-awaited test of the cells, which were grown from a single embryo to resemble forerunners to spinal cells. The unnamed patient received the cells at the Shepherd Center, an Atlanta hospital specializing in brain, spine and related ailments.

Human embryonic stem cells are precursors to all human tissues. Researchers first grew them from embryos in 1998. Medical researchers have since looked to the cells to study organ development, test drugs and, now in the clinical trial, grow rejection-free replacement organs.

Daily Mail, 12th October 2010 9:45 AM GMT: "Spinal patient is first to get stem cells from embryos in bid to walk again":

A paralysed patient has been injected with human embryonic stem cells in a world-first attempt to help them walk again.
Doctors hope the stem cells will help nerves in a newly damaged spinal cord regenerate before the disability becomes permanent. The patient has had millions of the stem cells injected into the site of the injury in an effort to find a revolutionary cure, according to the U.S. firm carrying out the hugely controversial experiment.

Below are news videos of this story from television news sources:

ABC News, October 11, 2010: "Medical Milestone: Genetics Company Begins First Embryonic Stem-Cell Treatment on Patient. First Study to Focus on How Patient With Spinal Cord Injuries Will React to Treatment":

For years, scientists have held out the promise that embryonic stem cells could repair damaged spinal cords and cure other serious ailments. Scientists today got one step closer to making that promise a reality as they began an embryonic stem-cell treatment on a patient with spinal cord injuries. It is the first time a medical therapy has been used on a human in a government approved study.

CBS News / Associated Press, October 11, 2010, 6:23 PM EDT: "First Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment Tried on Spinal Cord Injury":

A California bio-tech company has begun testing an embryonic stem-cell drug treatment on a patient with spinal cord injuries, marking the first time a drug made with embryonic stem cells has been used on a human. The patient was enrolled at Shepherd Center, a spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation center in Atlanta.

In order to participate, the patient had to have been injured within the last two weeks. The company, Geron, hopes to enroll another eight to 10 patients in the study. The stem-cell drug, known as GRNOPC, contains cells that turn into oligodendrocytes, a type of cell that produces myelin, a coating that allows impulses to move along nerves.

When those cells are lost because of injury, paralysis can follow. If GRNOPC1 works, the progenitor cells will produce new oligodendrocytes in the injured area of the patient's spine, potentially allowing for new movement. Because this is an early stage study, researchers are primarily concerned with the safety of the treatment.

Coverage Summary: Geron Corporation Embryonic Stem Cell Clinical Trial

Below is a summary of media coverage from various sources of the recent announcement by Geron Corporation that it received federal regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration to begin resuming human clinical trials using human embryonic stem cells to attempt to treat spinal cord injuries:

New York Times, July 30, 2010, 11:21 AM EDT: "F.D.A. Clears Way for Embryonic Stem Cell Trial Using Patients":

The world’s first authorized test in people of a treatment derived from human embryonic stem cells has been cleared to begin by the Food and Drug Administration. The trial will test cells developed by Geron Corporation and the University of California, Irvine in patients with new spinal cord injuries.

United Press International, July 30, 2010 at 9:28 PM: "FDA: Stem cell trial can proceed":

The Food and Drug Administration has given approval to proceed with the world's first human clinical trial of a human embryonic stem cell-based therapy. Geron Corp., headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., says it will proceed with its trial of GRNOPC1, a stem-cell therapy intended to treat patients with acute spinal cord injury, a company release said Friday.

Bloomberg News, July 30, 2010: "FDA: Stem cell trial can proceed":

Geron Corp. said it was cleared by U.S. regulators to proceed with the first human test of an embryonic stem-cell therapy, aimed at patients with spinal-cord injuries. The shares rose 17 percent. The Food and Drug Administration lifted a clinical hold on the study imposed last August when the company revealed that mice used in experimental work had developed cysts, Geron said in a statement. The company may start recruiting patients with new spinal cord injuries in about one month, said Thomas Okarma, Geron’s president and chief executive officer, in a telephone interview today.

The FDA’s action will allow the company to proceed with a long-awaited milestone -- the first authorized clinical trial in the world using stem cells derived from human embryos. The approval comes after almost a year of Geron’s testing and genetic analysis to resolve FDA questions, and paves the way for future trials.

San Jose Mercury News, July 31, 2010 : "FDA approves Geron's groundbreaking study of embryonic cells":

A Menlo Park biotech firm said Friday that federal regulators will let it proceed with the world's first human test of a treatment made from embryonic stem cells, a much-anticipated but controversial study of patients with spinal cord injuries that had been placed on hold for nearly a year because of safety concerns.

If the treatment from Geron works, it 'would be revolutionary,' said Dr. Richard Fessler, a neurological surgeon at Northwestern University, who will lead the study of a stem-cell treatment designed to be injected into patients with spinal injuries to restore their motor function. "The therapy would provide a viable treatment option for thousands of patients who suffer severe spinal cord injuries each year."

Associated Press, July 30, 2010: "Geron says FDA lifts hold on stem cell trial":

NEW YORK — Regulators on Friday gave the all-clear to a clinical trial that will test embryonic stem cells as a treatment for spinal cord injury, potentially the first time embryonic stem cells are tested on humans. The developer of the treatment, Geron Corp., said the Food and Drug Administration removed a clinical hold on its GRNOPC1 therapy. The FDA accepted Geron's study application in January 2009, which gave the company clearance to test GRNOPC1 on humans. But the FDA placed any potential study on hold in August because some mice treated with GRNOPC1 developed microscopic spinal cysts.

Geron hopes to start testing GRNOPC1 on humans by year-end. The company plans to enroll eight to 10 patients in the study at sites nationwide. The trial will take about two years, with each patient being studied for one year. Early-stage clinical trials are primarily designed to test a therapy's safety, although Geron said it will also measure the effectiveness of GRNOPC1.
A successful test would lead to larger and longer studies that would focus on the effectiveness of GRNOPC1. The company plans to continue monitoring patients for a total of 15 years for safety.

KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA, July 30, 2010: "Menlo Park-based Geron resumes stem cell trials":

MENLO PARK, CA (KGO) -- The Food and Drug Administration has given Menlo Park-based Geron the green light to resume trials of a stem cell treatment that could help repair injured spinal cords. The new drug by Geron will be injected into patients within seven days of a spinal cord injury.

Coverage Summary: Rush University Adult Bone Marrow Stem Cell Heart Attack Treatment Trial

Below is additional media coverage of recent findings by researchers at Rush University that adult bone marrow stem cells helped recovery in heart attack patients by growing new blood vessels:

HealthDay News, December 4, 2009: "Adult stem cells appear to help repair heart attack damage, a new study shows: Small study found they spurred blood vessel growth after heart attack":

The phase 1 study of 53 patients found that stem cells from donor bone marrow promoted the growth of new blood vessels in heart tissue damaged by heart attack. The patients received the stem cell injections within 10 days of having a heart attack. During follow-up, they were compared to patients who had received a placebo injection.

After six months, those who got the stem cells were four times more likely to be better off overall, pumped more blood with each heartbeat, and had one-quarter as many irregular heartbeats, when compared to the placebo group. There also were no serious side effects with the stem cell treatment, according to the report published in the Dec. 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

United Press International, Published: December 3, 2009, 11:28 AM: "Stem cells may repair damaged heart tissue"

CHICAGO, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Chicago heart researchers say they've determined adult stem cells might help repair heart tissues damaged by a heart attack.

Rush University Medical Center scientist said the results from a Phase I study show stem cells from donor bone marrow appear to help heart attack patients recover better by growing new blood vessels to bring more oxygen to the heart.

The medical center was one of 10 U.S. cardiac centers that participated in the 53-patient, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 trial. Rush is now enrolling patients for a Phase II trial.

Researchers said the Phase I finding is the strongest evidence yet that indicates adult stem cells can differentiate, or turn into heart cells to repair damage. Until now, it has been believed only embryonic stem cells could differentiate into heart or other organ cells, the scientists said.

Coverage Summary: University of Miami Adult Bone Marrow Stem Cell Heart Attack Treatment Trial

Below is a summary of media coverage of a recent finding by researchers at the University of Miami that adult stem cell therapy for heart patients have been proven to be safe:

WebMD, December 1, 2009: "Stem Cells Repair Heart Attack Damage: 'Off-the-Shelf' Stem Cell Product Safe, May Mend Hearts":

Can stem cells safely repair heart attack damage? Yes, a clinical trial suggests. Bone marrow stem cells are supposed to home in on damaged parts of the heart. Once there, they send out signals that help the body repair the injury. There's also evidence, from animal studies, that the stem cells themselves engraft to the heart and help repopulate dead cells with new, living cells.

Now there's evidence from actual patients who suffered heart attacks. It comes from a study led by cardiologist Joshua M. Hare, director of the stem cell institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and colleagues at nine other medical centers.

South Florida Business Journal, November 30, 2009, 5:00pm EST | Modified: Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 12:00am: "UM study: Stem cells help heart patients":

A study led by the University of Miami may cause a sea change in cardiac care as it shows stem cells from bone marrow appear to help heart attack patients recover better. Columbia, Md.-based Osiris Therapeutics commissioned the Phase I study of its product – a stem cell derived from bone marrow – in 53 patients at 10 hospitals nationwide. The study was led by Dr. Joshua M. Hare, a cardiologist and director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at UM’s Miller School of Medicine. The results are published in the Dec. 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Miami Herald, November 30, 2009: "Damaged hearts may heal with adult stem cells":

Adult stem cells may help repair hearts damaged by heart attack -- in part by becoming heart cells themselves. That was the finding of a new study, released Monday, that points to a promising new treatment for heart attack patients that could reduce mortality and lessen the need for heart transplants. Adult stem cells also could aid in healing damaged livers, kidneys, pancreases and other organs. If confirmed by further trials, the new therapy could be in general use within five years, estimates Dr. Joshua Hare, a University of Miami cardiologist and lead author of the national 10-university study.

For First Time, Study Proves Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Patients Is Safe

Source: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Date: November 30, 2009

Summary:

An FDA-approved clinical trial is the first to show that treating patients with adult stem cells after a heart attack is safe and that it appears to repair damaged heart tissue. Results of the study are published in the December 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The trial, lead by Joshua M. Hare, M.D., director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, found that the stem cell-treated patients had lower rates of side effects, such as cardiac arrhythmias. Moreover, "they had significant improvements in heart, lung and global function," Hare explained. "Echocardiography showed improved heart function, particularly in those patients with large amounts of cardiac damage."

The Phase I trial was designed to determine the safety and efficacy of administering Prochymal, an intravenous formulation of adult mesenchymal stem cells, in patients within days of a heart attack to lessen damage to the heart muscle. Fifty-three patients who had suffered a heart attack within one to ten days, were randomized to one of three doses of stem cells, and each dose was compared with placebo. Researchers evaluated treatment-related serious adverse affects after six months and used echocardiography to assess efficacy.

Coverage Summary: UC Irvine Embryonic Stem Cell Cognitive Function Restoration Study

Below is a summary of news coverage of the recent announcement by researchers at University of California, Irvine that embryonic stem cells restored cognitive function in brains damaged by radiation:

Ivanhoe Newswire, November 12, 2009: "Stem Cells Restore Brain Function":

Human embryonic stem cells could reverse learning and memory deficits people experience after undergoing radiation treatment for brain tumors. Research with rats found that transplanted stem cells restored learning and memory to normal levels four months after radiation therapy. In contrast, irradiated rats that didn't receive stem cells experienced a more than 50 percent drop in cognitive function.

Los Angeles Times Health, November 10, 2009: "Embryonic stem cells may restore brains damaged by radiation":

Scientists at UC Irvine and UC San Francisco have found a potential new use for human embryonic stem cells – helping cancer patients recover the cognitive function lost when their brains are treated with radiation. People with tumors in their head or neck often undergo radiation therapy after the cancer is surgically removed. That radiation helps kill off any malignant cells left behind. But it can also debilitate the region of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning, memory and processing of spatial information. It is also one of only two areas in the brain known to produce new neurons.

Agence France Presse (AFP), November 10, 2009: "Stems cells repair brain function in irradiated rats":

WASHINGTON — Human embryonic stem cells may one day be used to help people recover abilities to learn and remember that are lost after radiation treatment for brain tumors, experiments on rats suggest. In a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that transplanted stem cells in rats restored learning and memory within four months of radiotherapy.

Adult stem cell prostate cancer coverage summary

Below is a summary of news coverage of the recent announcement by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center that a new type of stem cell discovered in the prostate of adult mice can be a source of prostate cancer:

Agence France Presse (AFP), September 9, 2009: "Newly found stem cell causes prostate cancer: mouse study":

PARIS — Scientists in the United States, working with mice, have found a new type of stem cell in the prostate gland and shown that mutations in it can cause cancer, a study released Wednesday says. The discovery boosts evidence that cancers can be caused by modifications in stem cells, the dynamic precursor cells that develop into and replenish the body's specific tissues, it says. It also appears to resolve a mystery about the origin of prostate cancer, and could open new pathways for treatment of the deadly disease.

Reuters, September 9, 2009 5:29pm EDT: "Researchers find prostate cancer stem cell":

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have found a stem cell, a kind of master cell, that may cause at least some types of prostate cancer. Their findings are only experimental -- the stem cells were found in mice -- but could explain at least some types of prostate cancer and eventually offer new ways to treat it, they reported on Wednesday in the journal Nature.

HealthDay News, September 9, 2009: "Getting Closer to the Origins of Prostate Cancer: Newly discovered stem cell, common STD could help spur tumors, studies find":

"Two studies take significant steps toward solving major mysteries about prostate cancer -- the exact spot in the gland where tumors can originate, and how to distinguish fast-growing malignancies that are life-threatening from the slower-growing kind that can safely be left alone."

"One study, reported in the Sept. 9 online edition of Nature, describes a previously unknown form of prostate stem cell that can become cancerous if genetic controls go haywire. The prostate consists of several layers of cells, with the lowest, the basal layer, playing a supporting role and the luminal layer, just above it, doing the actual work of the gland."

"The second report, published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, uncovered an association between infection with a sexually transmitted parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis, and an increased risk of prostate cancer, especially the virulent form of the disease."

BBC News, 10 September 2009: "Stem cell link to prostate cancer":

A newly identified type of stem cell may cause some cases of prostate cancer, research on mice suggests.
The cells, found among those which line the inner cavity of the prostate gland, can produce copies of themselves, and other, more mature cell types. But researchers showed that when the cells were deliberately mutated by switching off a tumour suppressor gene they rapidly formed tumours. The Columbia University study appears in the journal Nature.

Coverage Summary of Conversion Of Fat Stem Cells Into Pluripotent Stem Cells

Below is a summary of news coverage of the recent announcement by researchers at Stanford University Medical Center that adult stem cells from fat were converted to pluripotent stem cells:

Medical News Today, 09 September 2009 - 2:00 PDT: "Making Stem Cells From Liposuction Leftovers Is Easier Say Researchers":

Writing in a new study, US researchers said it was easier and just as safe to make stem cells from fat cells freshly isolated from patients, for instance from cells present in liposuction "leftovers", than it was to make them from skin cells as other studies have done recently. The study was the work of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California and was published online ahead of print on 8 September in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS.

Scientific American, September 8, 2009: "Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Created from Fat Cells":

The standard way to make induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for medical research is to scrape skin cells and mix up their internal clocks, coaxing them back into pluripotency over a matter of weeks. But now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have turned their attention to another cell type in abundant supply: fat cells. The team of cardiologists and plastic surgeons found adipose fat cells to be much more efficient than skin cells at turning back into stem cells.

Los Angeles Times, September 8, 2009: "Stem cell researchers uncover promise in fat":

That fat you've been carrying on your hips, thighs and belly can be transformed with relative ease into cells that eventually may be capable of repairing a wide range of your damaged or diseased tissues, according to a new report by Stanford University researchers. Stem cells found in fat deposits, it turns out, are more primitive than are many adult stem cells harvested from tissues such as skin and blood. With comparatively less effort than is required to make, for instance, a stem cell derived from skin return to an undifferentiated cell form, fat cells can be reprogrammed to become muscle, neuron and stomach lining cells, finds a new study slated for publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."

Reuters, September 8, 2009, 6:48pm EDT: "Liposuction leftovers make easy stem cells: study":

Fat sucked out of chunky thighs or flabby bellies might provide an easy source of stem cells made using new and promising technology, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. They found immature fat cells in the material removed during liposuction were easy to transform into cells called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells. They were easier to work with than the skin cells usually used to make iPS cells, the team at Stanford University's School of Medicine in California reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. IPS cells are made using genes that take them back in time to a more immature and pliable state. They can then be re-directed to form heart cells, bone cells, brain cells or any other type of desired cell.

Nature, 7 September 2009: "Flab and freckles could advance stem cell research":

"Fat cells and pigment-producing skin cells can be reprogrammed into stem cells much faster and more efficiently than the skin cells that are usually used — suggesting large bellies and little black moles could provide much-needed material for deriving patient-specific stem cells."

San Jose Mercury News, September 7, 2009: "Stanford scientists turn liposuction leftovers into embryonic-like stem cells":

In medicine's version of winning the daily double, Stanford University researchers took ordinary fat cells and transformed them into what are effectively embryonic stem cells — those versatile cellular building blocks that can morph into a variety of tissues. Scientists warn it's too soon to use excess fat to cure disease. But in theory, it would allow people to grow personalized replacement parts for ailing organs. And it avoids the use of embryos, which has embroiled the field in political and ethical debates.

Bloomberg News, September 7, 2009: "Liposuction Fat Turns to Stem Cells Quicker Than Skin in Study":

Human fat, widely available and easily harvested with liposuction, morphed into stem cells more efficiently than skin cells in a study, giving scientists an alternative to the use of embryonic cells. Three years ago, Shinya Yamanaka, of Kyoto University in Japan, showed that skin cells could be genetically manipulated to become any other cell type, much like embryonic stem cells. This process was hailed as avoiding the destruction of embryos and letting scientists create new therapies by making stem cells from patients who are ill.
Since then, researchers have sought to overcome two drawbacks to Yamanaka’s method. One is that the viruses and genes used to reprogram skin cells can trigger tumor growth. The second is that the process is inefficient, with less than 1 percent of skin cells becoming all-purpose cells. The new research, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may solve the second problem.

Geron Spinal Cord Trial Receives FDA Approval: Coverage Summary

Below is a summary of media coverage from various sources of the recent announcement by Geron Corporation that it received federal regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration to begin human clinical trials using human embryonic stem cells to attempt to treat spinal cord injuries:

Wall Street Journal, January 23, 2009:"First Embryonic Stem-Cell Trial Gets Approval From the FDA":

"In a watershed moment for one of the most contentious areas of science and American politics, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the way for the first-ever human trial of a medical treatment derived from embryonic stem cells. Geron Corp., a Menlo Park, Calif., biotechnology company, is expected to announce Friday that it received a green light from the agency to mount a study of its stem-cell treatment for spinal cord injuries in up to 10 patients. The announcement caps more than a decade of advances in the company's labs and comes on the cusp of a widely expected shift in U.S. policy toward support of embryonic stem-cell research after years of official opposition."

Associated Press, January 23, 2009: "US approves 1st stem cell study for spinal injury":

"A U.S. biotech company says it plans to start this summer the world's first study of a treatment based on human embryonic stem cells — a long-awaited project aimed at spinal cord injury. The company gained federal permission this week to inject eight to 10 patients with cells derived from embryonic cells, said Dr. Thomas Okarma, president and CEO of Geron Corp. of Menlo Park, Calif."

"The patients will be paraplegics, who can use their arms but can't walk. They will receive a single injection within two weeks of their injury. The study is aimed at testing the safety of the procedure, but doctors will also look for signs of improvement like return of sensation or movement in the legs, Okarma said."

"Whatever its outcome, the study will mark a new chapter in the contentious history of embryonic stem cell research in the United States — a field where debate spilled out of the laboratory long ago and into national politics."

New York Times, January 23, 2009: "F.D.A. Approves a Stem Cell Trial":

"In a research milestone, the federal government will allow the world’s first test in people of a therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells. Federal drug regulators said that political considerations had no role in the decision. Nevertheless, the move coincided with the inauguration of President Obama, who has pledged to remove some of the financing restrictions placed on the field by President George W. Bush. The clearance of the clinical trial — of a treatment for spinal cord injury — is to be announced Friday by Geron, the biotechnology company that first applied to the Food and Drug Administration to conduct the trial last March. The F.D.A. had first said no, asking for more data."

New Scientist, 14:09 23 January 2009: "Historic trial to treat spinal injury with stem cells":

"Patients with spinal cord injuries will be first humans to receive repair cells derived from embryonic stem cells. The first ever clinical trial using stem cells derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) received the go-ahead today from the US Food and Drug Administration. Geron Corporation, a company based in Menlo Park, California, hopes to mend the spines of patients paralysed from the chest down by injecting injury sites with stem cells that restore connections and repair damage."

The Times, January 23, 2009: "Stem-cell therapy gives hope to accident victims":

"Paralysed patients will this summer become the first people in the world to receive a therapy based on human embryonic stem cells, in a study that promises to open a new era for medicine, The Times has learnt. The first human trial of the technology, which has huge potential to cure disease yet is considered unethical by “pro-life” groups because it involves destroying embryos, will today be cleared to proceed by US regulators."

Reuters, January 23, 2009 2:32pm EST: "FDA allows first test of human stem cell therapy":

" The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the way for the first trial to see if human embryonic stem cells can treat people safely, a company involved in the controversial research on Friday. Geron Corp, a California biotechnology company, said it plans a clinical trial to try to use the stem cells to regrow nerve tissue in patients with crushed, but not severed, spinal cords."

United Press International, January 23, 2009: "FDA OKs embryonic stem-cell human trial":

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever human trial of a medical treatment derived from embryonic stem cells. "...Geron, a California bio-technical company, was approved to begin a study of its stem-cell treatment for spinal cord injuries in up to 10 patients, ..."

Technology Review, January 23, 2009: "FDA Clears First Embryonic-Stem-Cell Therapy Trials":

"Geron, a California-based cell-therapy company that has been working with embryonic stem cells for the last decade, finally received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin clinical trials of its cell-based therapy for spinal-cord injury. The trial is limited to eight patients with newly acquired spinal-cord injuries who will receive injections of the cell therapy, called GRNOPC1, within two weeks of their accident. GRNOPC1 is made by transforming embryonic stem cells into oligodendrocytes--a type of brain cell that wraps itself around neurons, forming a fatty insulation layer that allows electrical messages to be conducted throughout the nervous system. In many spinal-cord injuries, these cells are damaged, but the underlying nerve cells remain intact. These cells are then injected into the site of the injury, coating exposed nerves and restoring communication to the nervous system."

Los Angeles Times, January 24, 2009: "Stem cell therapy to be tested on spinal cord injuries: The FDA approves the first clinical trial using human embryonic stem cells, which now appear safe enough to use on humans.":

"Ushering in a new era in medicine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it had cleared the way for the world's first clinical trial of a therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells. By early summer, a handful of patients with severe spinal cord injuries will be eligible for injections of specialized nerve cells designed to enable electrical signals to travel between the brain and the rest of the body. When the cells were administered to rats that had lost control of their hind legs, they regained the ability to walk and run, albeit with a limp."

"As a Phase I trial, the study will primarily assess the safety of the treatment, which has been under development by Menlo Park, Calif.-based Geron Corp. for nearly a decade. But scientists, doctors and patients said they were most eager to see whether low doses of the cells would produce any therapeutic benefit. If so, it would help validate years of hope and investment in the nascent field of regenerative medicine. Besides patients with spinal cord injuries, stem cell therapies could ultimately benefit people with such intractable diseases as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis."

Television News Coverage:

CNBC News: "FDA Greenlights Testing of Geron's Stem Cell Treatment."

ABC News:"FDA Approves Stem Cell Study for Spinal Injuries."

CBS News, January 24, 2009: "New Stem Cell Breakthrough."

KABC-TV, Los Angeles: "Human stem cell research approved."

KGO-TV, San Francisco: "U.S. approves 1st stem cell spine study."

CBS2 LOS Angeles: "First Ever Human Embryonic Stem Cell Study OK'd"

KPIX-TV, San Francisco: "Geron's Stem-Cell Trial Spotlights Prospects"

CNN.com, Fri., January 23, 2009, updated 3:57 a.m. EST: "FDA approves human embryonic stem cell study":

"Federal regulators have cleared the way for the first human trials of human embryonic stem-cell research, authorizing researchers to test whether the cells are safe to use in spinal injury patients, the company behind the trials announced Friday. Embryonic stem cells are blank cells found in embryos, which have the ability to turn into any cell in the body. The tests could begin by summer, said Dr. Thomas Okarma, president and CEO of the Geron Corporation. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the trials, which will use human stem cells authorized for research by then-President George W. Bush in 2001. The patients will be those with the most severe spinal cord injuries, called complete spinal cord injuries."

News Hour, January 29, 2009: "Scientists Hope to Renew Stem Cell Advances."

Radio News Coverage:

NPR: Talk Of The Nation, January 23, 2009 : "FDA Approves Embryonic Stem Cell Trial In Humans":

"Biotech company Geron Corp. will conduct a human clinical trial on patients with spinal cord injuries, using a federally approved line of embryonic stem cells. The approval is the first of its kind in the world. Stem cell experts discuss the significance of the decision."

Coverage of Harvard Conversion of Pancreatic Cells Into Insulin-Producing Cells

Below is a summary of media coverage from various sources of recent studies by researchers at Harvard University in which pancreatic cells were converted Into insulin-producing cells:

Boston Globe, August 28, 2008: "New technique finds a faster way to change one cell type into another":

"Harvard researchers have transformed one type of pancreas cell in living mice into another - the insulin- producing cells that are destroyed in type 1 diabetes - potentially giving stem cell scientists a powerful new way to one day grow replacement tissues for patients. The technique, which the researchers said improved diabetic symptoms in the mice, is faster than another pioneering method, in which scientists turn mature adult cells into embryonic-like stem cells that have the capacity to become any cell in the body."

New York Times, August 28, 2008: "Researchers Report Advances in Cell Conversion Technique":

"Biologists at Harvard have converted cells from a mouse’s pancreas into the insulin-producing cells that are destroyed in diabetes, suggesting that the natural barriers between the body’s cell types may not be as immutable as supposed. This and other recent experiments raise the possibility that a patient’s healthy cells might be transformed into the type lost to a disease far more simply and cheaply than in the cumbersome proposals involving stem cells."

Financial Times, August 27 2008 20:53 | Last updated: August 27 2008 20:53: "Cell advance offers medical benefits":

"Biologists have for the first time transformed one type of adult cell directly into another, without using stem cells en route. This latest tour de force in the fastest-moving field of biology – reprogramming of living cells – was carried out by Douglas Melton and Joe Zhou of Harvard University. They made insulin-producing “beta cells” in living mice, by injecting a combination of three genes into other cells in the pancreas. ...The discovery could lead to a cure for diabetes, and it has profound implications for regenerative medicine – replacing diseased or injured tissues with new ones in good working order."

Milwaukee Journal Setinel, August 27, 2008: "'Makeover' sidesteps stem cells":

"After more than a decade of trying to harvest the promise of embryonic stem cells, scientists have hit on a fascinating new approach that sidesteps them entirely. By adding genes to targeted cells in the body, they have been able change the basic makeup of those cells, turning them into potential disease-curing cells. The feat, which was performed in mice, involved reprogramming cells in the pancreas that normally do not produce insulin so that they began producing the sugar-regulating hormone, opening the door to a potential new approach to treating diabetes."

HealthDay News, August 27, 2008: "Pancreatic Cells Turned Into Insulin-Producing Beta Cells":

"Scientists have succeeded in transforming pancreatic cells from adult mice into insulin-producing beta cells, a feat they call an 'extreme makeover.' The achievement is a step toward finding a treatment or even a cure for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, both of which involve problems with either insulin production or uptake."

Associated Press, August 27, 2008: "Cells change identity in promising breakthrough":

"...Scientists have transformed one type of cell into another in living mice, a big step toward the goal of growing replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases. The cell identity switch turned ordinary pancreas cells into the rarer type that churns out insulin, essential for preventing diabetes. But its implications go beyond diabetes to a host of possibilities, scientists said."

Technology Review, August 27, 2008: "A Stem-Cell Revolution":

"Scientists at Harvard University recently announced a much anticipated milestone in regenerative medicine: the creation of stem cells from patients with a variety of diseases. The cells, which can be encouraged to develop into cell types damaged by disease, such as the insulin-producing cells in diabetes or neurons in Parkinson's, are poised to give scientists an unprecedented view of disease."

United Press International, August 27, 2008: "Stunning regenerative medicine study cited":

"U.S. scientists, in what's called a stunning achievement, have transformed one type of adult mouse cell directly into another type inside a living animal. ...Using a technique they call 'direct reprogramming,' the team transformed mouse exocrine cells, which make up about 95 percent of the pancreas, into insulin-producing beta cells."

Reuters, August 27, 2008 256 p, EDT: "Researchers turn living cells into insulin-makers":

"Researchers have transformed ordinary cells into insulin-producing cells in a living mouse, improving symptoms of diabetes in a major step towards regenerative medicine. The technique, called direct reprogramming, bypasses the need for stem cells -- the body's master cells which, until now, have been indispensable to efforts to custom-make tissue and organ transplants."

Bloomberg News, August 27, 2008: "Harvard's Cell `Makeover' May Spur Diabetes Therapy":

"Using a kind of biological alchemy, Harvard University researchers have turned one type of cell found in the pancreas of mice into the variety that secretes the hormone insulin. If the technique can be used safely in humans, it may one day provide a treatment for diabetes, which occurs when the body either can't produce, or else makes too little of, the insulin needed to process blood sugar."

Coverage of Advanced Cell Technology Generation of red blood cells from human embryonic stem cells

Below is a summary of media coverage from various sources of an announcement by stem cell biotechnology company Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. in which red blood cells were created from human embryonic stem cells:

New Scientist19:30 19 August 2008: "First red blood cells grown in the lab":

"Blood donations may one day be a thing of the past thanks to the creation of the first functional red blood cells grown in the lab. The cells were grown from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). ...The breakthrough raises the prospect of mass-producing supplies of the "universal donor" blood type O-negative, which is prized because it can be safely transfused into any patient, whatever their blood group. This type of blood is in short supply – around 8% of Caucasians have it, and just 0.3% of Asians. ...Making blood from a few ESC lines instead of obtaining it from countless donors may also help to stop the spread of disease, as it is easier to ensure such artficial blood is free of pathogens such as HIV and the viruses that cause hepatitis."

Boston Globe, August 20, 2008: "Stem cells may bring bottomless blood bank: ACT says it made billions of viable cells":

"Scientists at Advanced Cell Technology Inc., the Worcester stem cell company that is running out of cash, reported yesterday that they have created large numbers of red blood cells from human embryonic stem cells. ...Such a supply could be a useful solution to the nation's chronic problems with blood shortages and ease worries about contamination."

Associated Press, August 19, 2008: Stem cell advance may help transfusion supplies":

"Scientists say they've found an efficient way to make red blood cells from human embryonic stem cells, a possible step toward making transfusion supplies in the laboratory. The promise of a virtually limitless supply is tantalizing because of blood donor shortages and disappointments in creating blood substitutes. Red blood cells are a key component of blood because they carry oxygen throughout the body. Experts called the new work an advance, but cautioned that major questions had yet to be answered."

Coverage of ALS treatment from reprogrammed skin cells

Below is a summary of media coverage from various sources of recent studies by researchers at Harvard and Columbia Universities in which adult skin cells taken from two patients with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, were reprogrammed into nerve cells in hopes that they might be able to treat the disease:

Boston Globe, August 1, 2008: "Scientists report a breakthrough in stem cell production"":

"Reaching a milestone in stem cell research, scientists at Harvard and Columbia universities reported yesterday that they created the first stem cell lines from a sick person, then coaxed these cells to become nerve cells genetically matched to those that had gone bad in a patient's spinal cord. In a paper published online in the journal Science, the team claimed success at what researchers have long been racing to do: create in the laboratory a plentiful supply of cells that have the same genetic makeup as a patient with a particular disease."

Medical News Today, 01 August 2008, 10:00 PDT: "ALS Stem Cell Breakthrough":

"Scientists in the US have converted skin cells from an 82-year-old woman with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) into stem cells that formed motor neurons with the same genetic make up as the patient. The breakthrough opens the possibility of modelling a patient's specific disease outside of the patient, to improve investigation and drug screening, and perhaps even to develop new neurons to replace the damaged ones in the patient."

Nature, 31 July 2008: "Nerve cells made from elderly patient’s skin cells":

"Skin cells from an elderly patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been ‘reprogrammed’ to generate motor neurons, the type of nerve cells that die as the disease progresses. It is the first time that an induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell line has been created from a patient with a genetic illness (J. T. Dimos et al. Science doi:10.1126/science.1158799; 2008). Like embryonic stem cells, iPS cells have the potential to develop into almost any of the body’s cell types and offer new disease insights. The researchers, led by Kevin Eggan of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Christopher Henderson of Columbia University’s Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease in New York, made the iPS cells using viral vectors to introduce four genes into skin cells taken from two elderly patients with a mild form of ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease)."

Time, July 31, 2008: "Scientists Achieve Stem-Cell Milestone":

"After nearly a decade of setbacks and false starts, stem-cell science finally seems to be hitting its stride. Just a year after Japanese scientists first reported that they had generated stem cells by reprogramming adult skin cells — without using embryos — American researchers have managed to use that groundbreaking technique to achieve another scientific milestone. They created the first nerve cells from reprogrammed stem cells — an important demonstration of the potential power of stem-cell-based treatments to cure disease."

HealthDay News, July 31, 2008: "Scientists Turn Skin Cells Into Motor Neurons in ALS Patients":

"Scientists have turned skin cells from patients with Lou Gehrig's disease into motor neurons that are genetically identical to the patients' own neurons. An unlimited number of these neurons can now be created and studied in the laboratory, a capability which should result in a better understanding of the disease and, one day, lead to new treatments or even the production of healthy cells that can replace the diseased ones."

The Independent, 1 August 2008: "Stem-cell advance for motor neurone disease":

"Scientists have succeeded in transforming skin cells from two sisters with motor neurone disease into the same kind of nerve cells being destroyed by their illness, raising the possibility that the new cells can be transplanted back into them to offset the degenerative condition. In a major breakthrough, the skin cells of the two women, aged 82 and 89, were turned into mature nerve cells. The achievement promises to revolutionise the understanding and treatment of a range of incurable illnesses. The skin cells were genetically altered by a laboratory technique that "reprogrammed" them back to their original embryonic state, before being grown into the specialised motor neurons that carry signals from brain to muscles."

National Public Radio, July 31, 2008: "Scientists Make Stem Cells From ALS Patient". A streaming NPR radio broadcast accompanies this story.

Los Angeles Times, 10:29 PM PDT, July 31, 2008: "Scientists create first personalized stem cells in ALS patients":

"Scientists have created the first personalized stem cells for patients with a genetic disease by rewinding their skin cells to an embryonic state, according to a study published today in the online edition of Science. The researchers then converted some of those stem cells into the two kinds of brain cells that cause their crippling disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease."

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 31, 2008: "Stem cell advance could help Lou Gehrig's disease":

"Researchers are one step closer to reprogramming skin cells into tailor-made, healthy replacements for diseased cells. Applying the technique first developed by James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University, scientists at Harvard and Columbia universities reported online today in the journal Science that they had turned skin cells from two elderly patients with the neurodegenerative disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) into motor neurons, the nerve cells that become damaged in ALS. This is the first time that scientists have coaxed embryonic-like cells from adult patients suffering from a genetic-based disease, then induced the cells to form the specific cell types that would be needed to study and treat the disease."

Associated Press, July 31, 2008: "Cell changes may help Lou Gehrig's research":

"Using a new technique to reprogram cells, scientists are growing neurons from people with Lou Gehrig's disease, a possible first step in understanding how the deadly illness develops. Technically known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the disease damages the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, eventually leading to death. The ALS Association estimates that as many as 30,000 Americans may have the disease at any given time."

ABC News, July 31, 2008: "Personalized Stem Cells One Step Closer to Reality":

"For the first time, scientists have proven that embryonic-like stem cells that are specific to both a person and to a disease can be manufactured using adult human cells. ...Researchers from Harvard and Columbia Universities used skin cells from two patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, to create stem cells and then reprogrammed them to morph into replacement motor neurons."

New Scientist, 19:00 31 July 2008: "Scientists 'reprogram' cells from sick, elderly patients":

"Scientists have grown motor neurons by "reprogramming" skin cells taken from a patient with the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Now they aim to study the cells to gain a better understanding of what goes wrong in the condition, and to screen for drugs that might help prevent the damage."

Reuters, July 31, 2008 2:27pm EDT: "Nerve cells grown from new-style stem cells":

"Ordinary skin cells taken from patients with a fatal and incurable nerve disease have been transformed into nerve cells in a first step toward treating them, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday. They transformed the cells from two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, into motor neurons -- the cells that waste away and die in ALS. There is no immediate medical use for the cells, taken from two sisters aged 82 and 89, the researchers reported in the journal Science."

Coverage of Parkinson's Stem Cell Study

Below is a summary of media coverage from various sources of recent studies by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) using embryonic stem cells derived from therapeutic cloning to treat Parkinson's Disease in mice:


Medical News Today, 25 March 2008 - 2:00 PDT:

"In a step closer to developing a treatment for Parkinson's in humans using therapeutic cloning, scientists in the US and Japan have for the first time used cells from a mouse to treat Parkinson's in the same mouse. The study is published in the advanced online issue of the journal Nature Medicine and is the work of investigators at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, and the Riken Institute in Kobe, Japan. Hailed as the first study of its kind, the investigators showed that therapeutic cloning, or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SNCT), using cells from a mouse to treat the same mouse can be successful. Although so far only demonstrated in animals, if the success is replicated in humans, it will open the door to treatments that reduce transplant rejection and improve recovery in a range of other diseases and medical conditions."

United Press International, March 24, 2008 at 2:57 PM EDT:

"A U.S. and Japanese study used therapeutic cloning to treat Parkinson's disease in mice. The nucleus taken from skin cells from the tail of the mouse were used to generate "customized" dopamine neurons. The study, published online in Nature Medicine, found mice receiving dopamine neurons from the individually matched stem cell lines showed neurological improvement. But when these neurons were grafted into mice that did not genetically match the transplanted cells, the cells did not survive well and the mice did not recover."

HealthDay News, March 24, 2008:

"Therapeutic cloning successfully treated Parkinson's disease in mice, researchers report. Using the process to develop dopamine-producing neurons with an identical genetic profile to each mouse being treated allowed scientists to significantly improve the neurological performance of the diseased animals, without provoking any evidence of immune system rejection."

ScienceNOW Daily News, 24 March 2008:

"Scientists have moved a step closer toward therapeutic cloning, the strategy of using patients' own cells to treat their diseases. Mice with a Parkinson-like movement disorder showed significant improvement after being implanted with brain cells derived from their own tissue. It's a "technical tour de force," says Harvard stem cell researcher George Daley."

The Independent, 24 March 2008:

"A potential cure for Parkinson's disease has come a significant step closer today with a study showing that it is possible to treat the degenerative brain disorder with cells derived from cloned embryos – a development condemned by the Roman Catholic Church. The research was carried out on laboratory mice but scientists believe the findings are proof that the techniques could be applied to humans suffering not just from Parkinson's, but a range of other incurable diseases. Researchers have demonstrated the possibility of treating Parkinson's disease by transplanting laboratory-matured brain cells back into the individual who supplied the skin cells that were turned into cloned embryos – a process known as therapeutic cloning."

Daily Mail - Glasgow, UK, 24th March 2008, 11:07am GMT:

"A potential cure for Parkinson's disease has come a significant step closer today with a study showing that it is possible to treat the degenerative brain disorder with cells derived from cloned embryos. The cells were successfully used to treat animals with the disease for the first time. The experiment marked the first time that cloned stem cells had been used to reverse disease in the same animals from which they were taken. Mice bred to develop the equivalent of Parkinson's showed signs of improvement when they received neurons containing the chemical dopamine which had been grown from their own cloned stem cells. The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, suggest it could be possible to use this cloning approach, known as therapeutic cloning, to treat Parkinson's in humans."

Sydney Morning Herald, March 24, 2008 - 6:33 AM
AST:

"THE controversial technique of therapeutic cloning has been successfully used to treat a disease for the first time, with mice with Parkinson's disease found to improve after receiving their own modified cells. American and Japanese researchers converted skin cells from the tail of the sick animals into the dopamine-producing brain cells they lacked, and grafted the genetically matched tissue back into the same mice."

BBC News 23 March 2008 19:03 GMT:

"Therapeutic cloning has been successfully used to treat Parkinson's disease in mice, US researchers say. The study in Nature Medicine provides the best evidence so far that the controversial technique could one day help people with the condition. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre team say it is the first time animals have been successfully treated with their own cloned cells. UK experts said the work was promising and exciting development."

Bloomberg News, March 23, 2008:

"Researchers cured mice with a version of Parkinson's disease by treating them with brain cells made from clones of their own skin cells. The researchers employed nuclear transfer, which involves swapping genetic material from one individual into an egg cell belonging to another. The same procedure was used to create Dolly the sheep, one of the first animals produced by cloning. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, offer a glimpse into how the cloning technique might one day be used to develop therapies, as opposed to making copies of an individual."

Bloomberg News, March 23, 2008:

"Researchers cured mice with a version of Parkinson's disease by treating them with brain cells made from clones of their own skin cells. The researchers employed nuclear transfer, which involves swapping genetic material from one individual into an egg cell belonging to another. The same procedure was used to create Dolly the sheep, one of the first animals produced by cloning. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, offer a glimpse into how the cloning technique might one day be used to develop therapies, as opposed to making copies of an individual."

The Guardian, March 24, 2008:

"Scientists have shown that stem cells produced by therapeutic cloning are effective for treating Parkinson's disease, in the first convincing demonstration that stem cells derived from the subject can be used to treat a serious disease. The technique has only been tried in mice, but scientists have hailed it as proof that a similar approach could be successful in humans."

The Times, March 24, 2008:

"Cloned embryonic stem cells have been used to treat animals with Parkinson’s disease for the first time, in an important step towards developing the therapy for human patients. The successful experiment marks the first time that cloned stem cells have been used to reverse disease in the same animals from which they were derived, and suggests that it should be possible to use therapeutic cloning in medicine."

Reuters, March 23, 2008 2:05 pm EDT:

"Researchers who used cloned embryonic stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease in mice said on Sunday they worked better than other cells. The researchers were trying to prove that it is possible to make embryonic stem cells using cloning technology and use them to provide a tailor-made treatment. But they found that a mouse's own cloned stem cells were far less disruptive to its body than cloned cells taken from other mice."

New Scientist, 18:00 GMT 23 March 2008:

"Therapeutic cloning works – in mice, at least. An international team has restored mice with a condition similar to Parkinson's disease back to health, using neurons grown in the lab that were made from their own cloned skin cells. This is the first time that a disease has been successfully treated using cloned cells that had been derived from the recipient animals."

The Courier Mail, March 24, 2008 05:30am AST:

"RESEARCHERS who used cloned embryonic stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease in mice said today they worked better than other cells. The researchers were trying to prove that it is possible to make embryonic stem cells using cloning technology and use them to provide a tailor-made treatment. But they found that a mouse's own cloned stem cells were far less disruptive to its body than cloned cells taken from other mice."

Stem cells help rats recover function after stroke

Source: Reuters
Posted: February 19, 2008 8:06pm ET

Summary:

Reuters reports brain cells from human embryonic stem cells treated stroke damage in rats:

"Transplanting brain cells produced from human embryonic stem cells helped fix stroke damage in the brains of rats, according to scientists who hope to test the same thing in people within about five years. Researchers have been looking for ways to repair the brain damage from a stroke, which can cause permanent disability. In a study published on Tuesday, researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in California reported that treatment involving human embryonic stem cells may be a solution."

Below is additional coverage of this news story from various sources:

HealthDay News:
"Stem Cells Repair Stroke Damage in Rats: Study suggests same technique might one day work in humans"

"Human stem cells helped repair stroke-related brain damage in rats, Stanford University researchers report. The use of neural cells derived from human embryonic stem cells led to improvements in the rats' physical abilities, according to the study, which is published in the Feb. 20 issue of Public Library of Science ONE. The stroke damage induced by the researchers left the rats with a weakened forelimb."

Scientific American: "Human Embryonic Stem Cells Fix Stroke-Afflicted Rats":

"In a new study, rats were spared the limb-weakening effects of a stroke if they were treated with brain tissue cultivated from human embryonic stem cells. But unlike similar experiments, the transplanted cells gave no sign of causing tumors, according to a report this week in the online journal PLoS One."

San Jose Mercury News: "Stroke therapy shows promise":

"Stroke-disabled animals improved their ability to walk after getting transplants derived from human embryonic stem cells, raising the prospect that it may someday be possible to help heal victims of the devastating brain injury. A new study from a team of researchers at Stanford University offers tantalizing hope for recovery from an injury that disables 750,000 Americans every year - and for which there is no substantive treatment."

The Guardian: "Stem cell jabs reverse damage after strokes, doctors claim":

"Stroke patients could receive stem cell injections to help repair damage to their brains within the next five years, a team of American doctors claimed yesterday. Hopes that a therapy may be on the horizon were boosted by experiments which showed human embryonic stem cells could be turned into a variety of brain cells, which helped animals recover from strokes without causing dangerous side effects. Researchers led by Gary Steinberg at Stanford University took a dish of human embryonic stem cells and treated them with natural chemicals called growth factors, to nudge them into forming early-stage neurons and other brain cells called astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The scientists screened these cells to make sure that any genes which could make them grow into cancers were switched off."

Public Library of Science, 19 February 2008 - 17:00 PST

"Human Stem Cells Aid Stroke Recovery In Rats":

"Neural cells derived from human embryonic stem cells helped repair stroke-related damage in the brains of rats and led to improvements in their physical abilities, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. This study, to be published in the Feb. 20 issue of the journal PLoS ONE, marks the first time researchers have used human embryonic stem cells to generate neural cells that grow well in the lab, improve a rat's physical abilities and consistently don't form tumors when transplanted."

Coverage of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment of Muscular Dystrophy

Below is a summary of additional media coverage from various news sources of the recent announcement by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center that researchers successfully treated mice with muscular dystrophy using muscle stem cells derived from embryonic stem cells:

Technology Review, January 22, 2008:

"Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern) have used embryonic stem cells from mice to grow muscle cells. These same cells, injected into mice with a mild form of muscular dystrophy, formed healthy, functional muscle fibers at the site of deteriorating tissue. Scientists say that the research, while still in its early stages, could eventually lead to a cell-based therapy for patients with muscular dystrophy and other muscle-related diseases. The research was recently published in the online edition of Nature Medicine."

The Times, January 21, 2008:

"Scientists in the US have successfully coaxed mouse embryonic stem cells to develop into muscle tissue and then transplanted those cells into animals bred with the genetic mutation that causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy. When the cells were injected into the bloodstream of the mice they migrated to the muscles to replenish them with healthy tissue and improved their function."

Dallas Business Journal, January 21, 2008 - 10:27 AM CST:

"Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have used embryonic cells to grow functioning muscle cells in mice that have a human model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This is the first time transplanted embryonic stem cells have been shown to restore function to defective muscles in a model of muscular dystrophy, according to a news release. The study, led by Dr. Rita Perlingeiro, avoids the risk of tumor formation while improving overall muscle strength and coordination of the mice, the hospital said."

BBC News, 21 January 2008, 00:04 GMT

"A new way to manipulate human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) offers hope of a treatment for muscular dystrophies.
The muscle-wasting conditions are caused by genetic mutations which block production of a key protein in cells. In theory, ESCs could be used to replace defective cells - but getting them to form muscle cells in sufficient quantity has proved difficult. Nature Medicine details US work using genetic manipulation to overcome the problem, with positive results in mice."

Coverage of University of Minnesota Creation of Rat Heart

Below is a summary of media coverage of the creation of a rat heart by University of Minnesota researchers using adult heart cels:

Canadian Press January 13, 2008: "Scientists create beating animal heart in lab; could help organ shortage"

"Researchers have brought a dead animal heart back to life in the lab by repopulating it with healthy cells, a feat they believe may someday allow them to grow new hearts and other organs for people desperate for transplants."

Reuters, January 13, 2008 2:41pm "Scientists create beating hearts in lab":

"U.S. researchers say they have coaxed hearts from dead rats to beat again in the laboratory and said the discovery may one day lead to customized organ transplants for people. ...Her study, which appeared on Sunday in the journal Nature Medicine, offers a way to fulfill the promise of using stem cells -- the body's master cells -- to grow tailor-made organs for transplant."

BBC News, 13 January 2008, 18:01 GMT: "'Spare part heart' beats in lab":

"The stripped-out shell of a heart has been made to work again - using brand new cells planted inside it.
Scientists removed all the muscle cells in a rat heart, leaving just a "scaffold" of other tissues such as blood vessels and valves. When the University of Minnesota team added heart cells, they quickly grew and produced a pumping action. It is hoped the Nature Medicine study will ultimately mean human or animal hearts can be crafted for transplant."

HealthDay News January 13, 2008: "Biotechnology Builds a New Heart":

"An organ-building biotechnology that could create transplantable hearts using stem cells from the recipients themselves has passed important laboratory tests, researchers report. The technique, called whole organ decellularization, has been used to create functioning heart tissue, according to a report in the Jan. 13 issue of Nature Medicine by a team at the University of Minnesota Center for Cardiovascular Repair."

New York Times, January 13, 2008: Researchers Create New Rat Heart in Lab:

"Medicine’s dream of growing new human hearts and other organs to repair or replace damaged ones received a significant boost on Sunday when University of Minnesota researchers reported success in creating a beating rat heart in a laboratory. Experts not involved in the Minnesota work called it “a landmark achievement” and “a stunning” advance. But they and the Minnesota researchers cautioned that the dream, if it is ever realized, is still at least 10 years away. ...The researchers removed all the cells from a dead rat heart, leaving the valves and outer structure as scaffolding for new heart cells injected from newborn rats. Within two weeks, the new cells formed a new beating heart that conducted electrical impulses and pumped a small amount of blood."