Thursday, November 16, 2006

Researchers Stimulate Growth of Neural Stem Cells in Adult Brain for Treatment of Neurological Disorders

Source: California Institute of Technology
Date: November 15. 2006

Summary:

In a development that could potentially benefit victims of degenerative neurological diseases, researchers have succeeded in stimulating the growth of neural stem cells in the adult brain. Such cells could then be directed towards repairing one's own brain.

Commentary: It will be important for any human trials of this new procedure to be closely monitored in order to minimize health risks to patients and ensure that any intended treatment that is part of the trial is both safe and effective.

Aussie scientists solve stem cell problem

Source: United Press International
Posted: November 14, 2006

Summary:

Australian researchers have found a way of allowing stem cells to differentiate into mature cells while preventing cancer tumors from forming when the cells are implanted by placing them in a capsule made from seaweed, which has been the fear of some doctors in using stem cells to treat disease.

Commentary: This finding could have implications for improving the safety of human stem cell transplants.

Muscular dystrophy treatment studied

Source: United Press International
Date: November 16, 2006

Summary:

Italian scientists using dogs have demonstrated a potential stem cell treatment for muscular dystrophy that corrects most dystrophic abnormalities.

Doernbecher Children's Hospital Team Completes First-Ever Stem Cell Transplant in Human Brain

Source: Oregon Health & Science University
Date: November 16, 2006

Summary:

Neurosurgeons and physicians at Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Oregon Health & Science University, yesterday, Nov. 14, performed the first transplant of purified human fetal neural stem cells into the brain of a study participant with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), also known as Batten disease. NCL is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that affects infants and children. The transplant is part of a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of a human central nervous stem cell product developed by StemCells, Inc., Palo Alto, Calif. This one-year trial will involve up to six children with NCL.

First Human Brain Stem Cell Transplant

Source: KOIN 6 - TV / KOIN.com - Portland, OR
Posted: November 16, 2006

Summary:

In a pioneering surgery, neurosurgeons at Oregon Health and Science University transplanted fetal stem cells into the brain of a child with Batten disease, a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that affects infants and small children. The transplant is part of a clinical trial to test the procedure's safety effectiveness.

Stem Cells Help Dogs With Muscular Dystrophy

Source: Medical News Today
Posted: 16 November 2006 - 4:00am (PST)

Summary:

Dogs with Duchenne muscular dystrophy experienced a return of muscle strength after receiving stem cell therapy, say scientists from Italy and France in a study in the journal Nature. Duchenne muscular dystrophy affects about one in every 3,500 male humans - a genetic mutation means a gene lacks dystrophin, a crucial protein for muscle health. The patient's muscles gradually weaken, he eventually loses mobility and usually dies young. The scientists believe this study could eventually lead the way to effective treatment for humans with muscular dystrophy (MD)

Heart 'can carry out own repairs'

Source: BBC NEWS
Posted: 16 November 2006, 00:38 GMT

Summary:

Scientists have shown that cells in the heart's outer layer can migrate deeper into a failing organ to carry out essential repairs.
The migration of progenitor cells is controlled by a protein called thymosin beta 4, already known to help reduce muscle cell loss after a heart attack. The discovery opens up the possibility of using the protein to develop more effective treatments for heart disease.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Stem Cells Show Versatility

Source: Associated Press
Posted: November 15, 2006; 2:27 PM ET

Summary:

Stem cells are once again demonstrating their flexibility in being able to possibly be applied to treat a variety of human diseases and medical conditions One new study finds that they can ease symptoms of muscular dystrophy in dogs, a possibly eventually leading to a human therapy. Another revealed that stem cells recovered from amniotic fluid can be used to grow heart valves.

Dog helps find cure for fatal muscle disease

Source: Daily Telegraph
Posted: 15 November 2006

Summary:

A stem-cell treatment for muscular dystrophy, a degenerative and fatal disease, which mostly affects boys and young men, could be available for testing on patients within two years, following a series of experiments by Italian researchers on dogs that have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy caused by a lack of the protein dystrophin in muscle fibres.

Amniotic Stem Cells Offer Hope Against Congenital Heart Defects

Source: HealthDay News
Date: November 14, 2006

Summary:

If findings from a new Swiss study are valid, in the future doctors will be able to use a simple procedure to treat congenital heart defects by extracting stem cells from the mother's amniotic fluid and use them to make a new heart valve, ready to place in the baby as soon as it is born.

Heart Valves Grown From Womb Fluid Cells

Source: Associated Press
Posted: November 15, 2006 11:29 AM

Summary:

Scientists have created human heart valves using stem cells from the fluid that cushions babies in the womb - offering a revolutionary approach that may eventually be used to treat damaged hearts.

Muscular Dystrophy: Stem Cell Help? Stem Cell Treatment Shows Potential in Lab Tests on Dogs

Source: WebMD Medical News
Date: November 15, 2006

Summary:

Italian researchers report in the journal Nature that lab tests on dogs show that adult stem cells may help treat a certain type of muscular dystrophy, say Italian researchers, paving the way for start of "clinical experimentation" for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Stem Cell Injections Help Dogs With Muscular Dystrophy

Source: Associated Press
Posted: November 15, 2006 10 00 AM

Summary:

In promising new research, stem cells worked remarkably well at easing symptoms of muscular dystrophy in dogs, an experiment that experts call a significant step toward treating people. The cells helped strengthen muscle by fusing with regenerating muscle fibers and pumping out a protein that's missing in dogs with the disease.

Stem Cells: New Hope on the Horizon

Source: American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2006 via (Ivanhoe Newswire
Date: November 15, 2006

Summary:

Researchers at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2006 in Chicago are reporting on three breakthrough ways to use a patient's own stem cells to help repair heart damage: (1) Amniotic stem cells (2) Fat stem cells and (3) Human and animal stem cells.

Stem cell tests offer muscular dystrophy hope

Source: Reuters
Posted: November 15, 2006 1:06pm ET

Summary:

A new stem cell treatment developed by Italian scientists has improved the ability of dogs with muscular dystrophy to walk. The treatment could have future implications for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy in humans.

Stem cells 'treat muscle disease'

Source: BBC NEWS
Posted: 15 November 2006, 18:00 GMT

Summary:

A team of French and Italian scientists transplanted a form of stem cells, gathered from blood vessels that naturally become muscle cells, into dogs with a form of muscular dystrophy (MD). The stem cell treatment signficantly improved symptoms of muscular dystrophy. Scientists said the finding was important progress that bolstered the idea that stem cells could be used to treat MD. They called the experiment a a significant advance that could lead to future trials in humans.

StemCells, Inc. Announces First Human Neural Stem Cell Transplant

Source: StemCells, Inc.
Posted: November 15, 2006

Summary:

StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ: STEM) today announced that the first transplantation of the Company's proprietary human neural stem cell product--HuCNS-SC(TM)-- took place yesterday at the Oregon Health & Science University's (OHSU) Doernbecher Children's Hospital. This transplant is the first of six that are planned as part of the Company's Phase I clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of HuCNS-SC as a treatment for infantile and late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL). NCL, which is often referred to as Batten disease, is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative condition afflicting infants and children.

Commentary: This seems to be a significant step toward understanding and treating neurolgical disorders in humans.

Protein aids in brain repair

Source: Pasadena Star-News
Posted: November 14, 2006 11:26:08 PM PST

Summary:

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have discovered how to increase the number of new brain stem cells in mice, paving the way for advancements in understandingn neurological diseases and conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Using The Body's Own Stem Cells To Grow New Arteries

Source: ABC 7 / KGO-TV - San Francisco
Posted: November 12, 2006

Summary:

Doctors have developed a new treatment for blocked arteries using adult stem cells that allows patients to grow new healthy blood vessels to improve circulation.

Commentary: Early trials of this new treatment appear to be promising. Maybe it will be able to be tried in a larger number of patients and treat them successfully.

Researchers spur growth of adult brain stem cells

Source: Reuters via Yahoo! News
Posted: November 14, 2006 5:18 PM ET

Summary:

Researchers have found a way to spur the growth of neural stem cells in the brains of adult mice with an eye toward harnessing the brain's innate capacity for repair to help people with diseases such as Alzheimer's. Determining how these stem cells can be deployed to replace cells in mice whose brains are damaged in ways resembling Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis in people is the next key step, researchers said.

Commentary: Further research on this new technique might provide researchers with new insights into how to enable adult neural stem cell proliferation in humans.