What is Stem Cell

Sources of Stem Cells

2011-02-27T23:34:00.000-08:00

There are two major "sources" of stem cells: The type that gets into all forms of media daily are embryonic (and fetal) stem cells, which are over-hyped, are never used clinically, are illegal, and many of us believe are immoral and unethical. The legal, moral and ethically correct type of stem cells are bone marrow derived stem cells and umbilical cord stem cells that almost never receive any publicity because they are not controversial! The most important thing a person should understand is that a stem cell is a stem cell is a stem cell! All forms of stem cells are essentially very similar and differ only in fairly minor ways. Primitive undifferentiated (untrained) stem cells by and large can go to any injury and help to repair the damaged tissues. Yes some are more potent than others but in reality they all work as stem cells and support regeneration of damaged tissues. That is the bottom line. All of the hype about embryonic stem cells is just that. The media does not care about presenting facts - they are concerned with selling papers and getting ratings! And it's ratings you get by talking or reporting controversial subjects and getting people upset and excited enough for them to tell others that they have to buy a certain newspaper or magazine to read all about the controversy. When I was inexperienced with media people and would read statements similar to mine above, I would have viewed those words as the rantings of some fanatic pushing his own product or point of view. It was only when I began to be interviewed about my work with umbilical cord stem cells that the media's need for controversy became crystal clear. Many times I have been interviewed by some very nice-sounding reporter who promised to tell the exact information as I presented it - only to find later they eliminate all of the modifiers and qualifiers I used with my information. They would use only those parts of my information they thought could be distorted so that all of the work I was reporting on appeared misguided and delusional. All the while they would promote the use of embryonic stem cells. Sometimes it is not the reporters but the propaganda put out by the research scientists who are working on embryonic stem cells. The truth is, these scientists have or are trying to get patents on different processes used in the production of embryonic stem cells that could make them a great deal of money. Since they are professors at major universities, the media holds them in great regard even though they have never treated a single patient with stem cells. They claim to know everything about stem cells yet they've only treated mice! Thus the public has become convinced that we the public are being deprived of miraculous cures since embryonic stem cells are not available. With this erroneous information, everyone has been convinced that we need to spend billions of dollars (in California 3 billion dollars) in hopes of getting embryonic stem cells legalized so they can be used to cure everybody of everything from A-Z. Unfortunately, the public has not been told about the success of umbilical or bone marrow stem cells as therapy for the very same diseases that all of this money is being spent to develop embryonic stem cells to treat. People are suffering and dying waiting for the moral, ethical, political and profit debates to subside over embryonic stem cell research - while adult stem cells are available now and proving in a clinical setting to work and be safe in thousands who have benefitted from them. Adult Stem Cells have been found in nearly every tissue in the body. In addition, umbilical cord stem cells are categorized as adult stem cells because they have grown beyond the embryonic stage. Adult stem cells, in fact, have been used in transplants for over 30 years. In the 1960's researchers discovered that bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells, hematopoietic (forms all types of blood cells in the body) and bone marrow stromal cells (a mixed population of cells that form bone, cartilage, fats and fibrous connective tissue). An adult stem cell (sometimes called "somatic stem cell") is a stem cell that has not yet "specialized" (differentiated) which means it hasn't yet become a specific tissue or organ. Adult stem cells are found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ, can renew themselves, and can differentiate to become specialized cell types. In fact, the primary role of adult stem cells is to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found. We find "multipotent" stem cells in adult stem cells. These are true stem cells and can differentiate into a great number of different cell types. For example, the bone marrow contains multipotent stem cells that give rise to all the cells of the blood. In fact, the excitement over the past years has been that hemapoietic stem cells in both cord blood and bone marrow can give rise to neurons and glial cells as well as kidney, liver, and heart cells. It's the location and growth factors that help determine what the cell can produce. Multipotent stem cells are found in adult animals; perhaps most organs in the body contain them (e.g., brain, liver) where they can replace dead or damaged cells. Bone marrow stem cells are a readily available source of stem cells for most people. In my clinic I use bone marrow transplantation, and now, of course Stemgevity is the easiest way to get bone marrow stem cells into the system. Umbilical cord stem cells are available in other countries and are also safe and effective when properly tested and processed. Both bone marrow and umbilical cord stem cells are multipotent, able to divide into a variety of cells, and they show great promise in reparative and regenerative therapy for all manner of disease in people of all ages. IN FOODS TO PURCHASE ORGANIC, please look at the first sentence in each line. Many of them should have a period and then a capitalization of the next word.

The Un-Exposed Truth About Your Own Stem Cell

2011-02-27T23:32:00.000-08:00

The Un-Exposed Truth About Your Own Stem Cells.
Click Here for Full Information

The Un-Exposed Truth About Your Own Stem Cell

2011-02-27T23:31:00.000-08:00

The Un-Exposed Truth About Your Own Stem Cells.
Click Here for Full Information

[StemCells] Make your own induced pluripotent stem cells

2009-04-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

ArunA Biomedical Announces Co-development of Fully Validated Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Kit

Comtex ATHENS, Ga., March 31, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----ArunA Biomedical, Inc., a leader in human embryonic stem cell derived products, announced today that it has co-developed a validated kit to produce induced pluripotent stem cells with Open Biosystems now part of Thermo Fisher.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080819/CLTU003LOGO)

In the spirit of collaboration ArunA Biomedical and Open Biosystems will launch the complete and fully validated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) kits containing all the tools and reagents necessary to generate patient and disease specific cell lines for use in research applications in early April. The innovative viPS(TM: 77.9649, -1.2687, -1.6%) product offerings will include two kit formats and additional supplemental kits designed exclusively by the companies.

ArunA co-founder and CSO, Steven Stice said, "These kits are consistent with the scientific vision of our company. They exemplify ArunA's commitment to making stem cell research easier thereby enabling investigators the opportunity to make faster advances in the stem cell field. Induced pluripotent cells generated from these kits can help find cures for many genetic disorders ranging from certain types of Alzheimer's to Huntington's disease. "

The products will be marketed by Open Biosystems, now part of Thermo Fisher. For more information please visit the product website at: www.thermo.com/openbiosystems

About ArunA Biomedical

Located in Athens, Georgia, ArunA Biomedical, Inc. is a privately held biotechnology corporation dedicated to the discovery, manufacturing and commercialization of emerging new technologies in human stem cell research for use in drug discovery and basic research. ArunA is the first company to commercialize products derived from human embryonic stem cells and sees its proprietary technology as a catalyst leading to the discovery of novel therapeutic compounds, tests for neurotoxicity and breakthroughs in understanding human development and diseases. For more information, visit: www.arunabiomedical.com

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the company's potential impact on scientific research and collaborations with third parties. Certain conditions could alter the outcome or progress of these statements including but not limited to unexpected manufacturing issues, product performance and quality control/assurance issues. Forward- looking statements are based on the opinions, beliefs and expectations of the company or individuals quoted in the press release and the company does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements if circumstances change.

SOURCE ArunA Biomedical, Inc.

http://www.arunabiomedical.com
Copyright (C: 3.38, 0.31, 10.1%) 2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/aruna-biomedical-announces-development-fully-validated-induced-pluripotent-stem/

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[StemCells] A to Z in Stem cell

2009-04-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
Where can i get A to Z information in stem cells?

Raja Rajenderan
Junior Research Scientist
Pondicherry Biotech Pvt Ltd

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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[StemCells] RE: Stem Cells on Oprah

2009-04-08T03:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah for Dr. Oz! I usually don't agree with anything he says - (afterall,
he promotes irradiated food as safe, and he made a complete idiot of himself
trying to explain Oprah's thyroid problem) - but he's right - there has
been so much advancement on ADULT stem cells, that embryonic stem cell
research should be discontinued.

Carol

<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StemCells/message/7028;_ylc=X3oDMTJxOTA2czFzB
F9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzIxNzEzODcEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDgzMTA1BG1zZ0lkAzcwMjgEc
2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIzOTE4MjQ3NQ--> Stem Cells on Oprah (video)

Posted by: "Mary (Ryan) Hamilton"
<mailto:GoFitz@holtbiz.com?Subject=%20Re%3AStem%20Cells%20on%20Oprah%20%28vi
deo%29> GoFitz@holtbiz.com <http://profiles.yahoo.com/go_fitz> go_fitz

"I think, Oprah, the stem cell debate is dead."
"The problem with embryonic stem cells is that embryonic stem cells come
from embryos, like all of us are made from embryos, and those cells can
become any cell in the body, but it's very hard to control them and so they
can become cancer."

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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[StemCells] SCs for deafness

2009-04-07T17:54:00.001-07:00

New Stem Cell Therapy May Lead To Treatment For Deafness
ScienceDaily (Mar. 23, 2009) Deafness affects more than 250 million people worldwide. It typically involves the loss of sensory receptors, called hair cells, for their "tufts" of hair-like protrusions, and their associated neurons. The transplantation of stem cells that are capable of producing functional cell types might be a promising treatment for hearing impairment, but no human candidate cell type has been available to develop this technology.

----------------------------------------------------------
See also:
Health & Medicine
Stem Cells
Hearing Loss
Lymphoma
Mind & Brain
Hearing Impairment
Perception
Neuroscience
Reference
Embryonic stem cell
Auditory system
Sensory neuron
Hair follicle
A new study led by Dr. Marcelo N. Rivolta of the University of Sheffield has successfully isolated human auditory stem cells from fetal cochleae (the auditory portion of the inner ear) and found they had the capacity to differentiate into sensory hair cells and neurons.

The researchers painstakingly dissected and cultured cochlear cells from 9- to 11-week-old human fetuses. The cells were expanded and maintained in vitro for up to one year, with continued division for the first 7 to 8 months and up to 30 population doublings, which is similar to other non-embryonic stem cell populations, such as bone marrow. Gene expression analysis showed that all cell lines expressed otic markers that lead to the development of the inner ear as well as markers expressed by pluripotent embryonic stem cells, from which all tissues and organs develop.

They were able to formulate conditions that allowed for the progressive differentiation into neurons and hair cells with the same functional electrophysiological characteristics as cells seen in vivo.

"The results are the first in vitro renewable stem cell system derived from the human auditory organ and have the potential for a variety of applications, such as studying the development of human cochlear neurons and hair cells, as models for drug screening and helping to develop cell-based therapies for deafness," say the authors.

Although the hair cell-like cells did not show the typical formation of a hair bundle, the authors suggest that future studies will aim to improve the differentiation system. They are currently working on using the knowledge gleaned from this study to optimize the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into ear cell types.

"Although considerable information has been obtained about the embryology of the ear using animal models, the lack of a human system has impaired the validation of such information," the authors note.

"Access to human cells that can differentiate should allow the exploration of features unique to humans that may not be applicable to animal models," says Donald G. Phinney, co-editor of the journal. The protocol they developed to expand and isolate human fetal auditory stem cells may be able to be adapted for deriving clinical-grade cells with potential therapeutic applications.

Dr Ralph Holme, director of biomedical research for Royal National Institute for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People, said: "There are currently no treatments to restore permanent hearing loss so this has the potential to make a difference to millions of deaf people."

The study is published in the April issue of Stem Cells.

----------------------------------------------------------

Journal reference:

Wei Chen, Stuart L. Johnson, Walter Marcotti, Peter W. Andrews, Harry D. Moore, Marcelo N. Rivolta. Human Fetal Auditory Stem Cells (hFASCs) Can Be Expanded In Vitro And Differentiate Into Functional Auditory Neurons And Hair Cell-Like Cells (p N/A). Stem Cells, 2009; DOI: 10.1002/stem.62
Adapted from materials provided by Wiley - Blackwell.
Email or share this story:
Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the following formats:
APA

MLA Wiley - Blackwell (2009, March 23). New Stem Cell Therapy May Lead To Treatment For Deafness. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 7, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/03/090323093129.htm

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[StemCells] Testes makes any cell body needs

2009-04-07T17:53:00.001-07:00

GUMC Researchers Show Adult Human Testes Cells Can Become Embryonic Stem-like, Capable of Treating Disease

Washington, DC Using what they say is a relatively simple method, scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have extracted stem/progenitor cells from adult testes and have converted them back into pluripotent embryonic-like stem cells. Researchers say that the naïve cells are now potentially capable of morphing into any cell type that a body needs, from brain neurons to pancreatic tissue.

And because they produced these stem cells without the use of additional genes, the technology should be safe for human use, the researchers say in a paper published online in the journal Stem Cells and Development.

"Given these advances, and with further validation, it is possible that in the nottoo-distant-future, men could be cured of disease with a biopsy of their own testes," says the study's senior investigator, Martin Dym, PhD, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology.

The Georgetown researchers are among the first scientists to show that human testes stem cells can become embryonic-like stem cells, and they have done this work using testis tissue from organ donors, which they say has provided enough valuable tissue to allow them to make their discoveries. While they have published their preliminary results before, they are now disclosing a new and simpler method to isolate the testes stem/progenitor cells than has not been seen in other published procedures in humans and rodents.

Being able to use adult stem cells for this type of cell-based therapy offers a number of advantages over other strategies currently being explored, says Dym. The use of embryonic stem cells is controversial because it necessitates destruction of an embryo, and pushing fully mature cells, such as skin cells, back into a stem-like state requires use of cancer genes, and has therefore been viewed as potentially risky for human treatment, he says.

The idea with this approach is that men with an incurable disorder or disease could have a biopsy of their testes, which Dym says is a common procedure in patients suspected of having testicular cancer. Testes stem/progenitor cells those cells that can go on to produce sperm would be removed from the biopsy tissue, and grown in the laboratory with the addition of certain chemicals and growth factors. This causes the cells to revert back into a pluripotent state, which could then be driven into chosen cell types.

"We are taking adult spermatogonial stem/progenitor cells, which in the body are unipotent, capable of only making sperm, and coaxing them back to embryonic stem-like cells, which are pluripotent," Dym says.

Once these new cell types are produced several weeks after initial collection they can be frozen and used at any point in the future, the researchers say. He and the research team conducted the study using testes donated to GUMC from four organ donors, aged 16-52 years old.

"This is novel data which strengthens the argument for carrying out further research on pluripotent cells derived from human testes," Dym says.

The next step, he says, is to get differentiated cells to cure disease in animal models and the researchers are now working on a project that uses testes spermatogonial stem/progenitor cells that morphed into pancreatic cells to treat diabetes in mouse models of human diabetes.

The study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. The authors report no potential financial conflicts.

Co-authors include first author Nady Golestaneh, PhD, Ian Gallicano, PhD, and other Georgetown University Medical Center investigators in the Departments of Oncology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, and in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology. Colleagues from the Washington Regional Transplant Community also participated in the study.

About Georgetown University Medical Center
Georgetown University Medical Center is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through our partnership with MedStar Health). Our mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis -- or "care of the whole person." The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing and Health Studies, both nationally ranked, the world-renowned Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization (BGRO), home to 60 percent of the university's sponsored research funding.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 22, 2009

CONTACT:
Karen Mallet
215-514-9751
km463@georgetown.edu
###

http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=40657&PageTemplateID=295

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[StemCells] RE: Spina Bifida

2009-04-07T17:47:00.001-07:00

Neural Stem Cells May Help Repair Spina Bifida in Utero [Outline] ... Pilot animal study shows promising results in the treatment of a th...(Vocus) September 9 2008 -- A pilot animal study led by researchers f... ...a href http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1062/mainpageS1062P0...[RSS & Subscription]
http://www.bio-medicine.org/inc/biomed/medicine-news.asp
http://feeds.bio-medicine.org/latest-medical-news
Email Subscription: Get Latest Medical News delivered by emailDate:9/9/2008[Outline] [RSS & Subscription]

Pilot animal study shows promising results in the treatment of a this congenital defect before birth

(Vocus) September 9, 2008 -- A pilot animal study led by researchers from http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1062/mainpageS1062P0.html [Children's Hospital Boston] provides preliminary evidence that delivering neural stem cells (NSC) into the spinal cord, along with surgical coverage of the defect while in utero, may help repair spina bifida before birth. The delivered cells engrafted selectively in the most damaged areas of the spinal cord, remained viable, and produced neurotrophic and neuroprotective factors locally, the first steps in initiating a reparative process. The findings appear in the September issue of the journal, Surgery.

http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1062/mainpageS1062P0.html [Spina bifida] is a condition in which a portion of the spinal cord and its surrounding structures develop outside, instead of inside, the body. The defect develops at around the fourth week of gestation and can occur anywhere along the spine. Children with spina bifida suffer from partial paralysis, urinary and fecal incontinence, and musculoskeletal deformities. The condition has an overall mortality rate of 14 percent at 5 years.

Fetal surgery to repair this defect has been available for over a decade; however, the outcomes have shown limited improvement on spinal cord function. Only now is a large multicenter clinical trial comparing fetal repair to postnatal closure underway.

The Children's Hospital Boston researchers hypothesized that the surgery needs to be augmented by tissue regeneration techniques.

Dario Fauza, MD, of the Department of Surgery and '/>"/>

http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-1/Neural-Stem-Cells-May-Help-Repair-Spina-Bifida-in-Utero--26213-1/

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[StemCells] Stem Cells on Oprah (video)

2009-04-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

Dr Mehmet Oz says to Michael J Fox, Oprah & ~7.2 million viewers:

"I think, Oprah, the stem cell debate is dead."
"The problem with embryonic stem cells is that embryonic stem cells come from embryos, like all of us are made from embryos, and those cells can become any cell in the body, but it's very hard to control them and so they can become cancer."

"I can take a little bit of your skin, take those cells, get them to go back in time so they are like they were when you were first made, and then they will start to make that dopamine & I think those cells, because they won't be as prone to cancer & because they're your genes will be the ones that are ultimately used to cure Parkinsons."

"I think we are single digit years away from making a big impact in the lives of Parkinson's disease but also diabetics, heart disease, people who have had a lot of problems."

you can see the video here:
http://www.oprah.com/media/20090319-tows-dr-oz-brain

http://repairstemcell.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/oprah-michael-j-fox-dr-mehmet-oz-the-stem-cell-debate-is-over/

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[StemCells] Stem Cells on Twitter

2009-04-06T04:41:00.000-07:00

NT Media Corp. (http://www.ntmedia.tv) (OTCBB: NTMI), a developer and operator of online media websites, has added a real-time Twitter Tracker Feed to its recently launched targeted social network dedicated to the discussion of all aspects of Stem Cell research. The network, www.stemcellstalk.com, is equipped with text, photos, videos, blogs, forums and extensive social networking in the area of Stem Cell research. The site is intended to foster education and debate as well as networking opportunities for medical professionals, patients, and companies engaged in Stem Cell treatment and research. The site is an open social forum for anyone wishing to join and will also be selectively inviting Stem Cell professionals to address participants in online forums and discussions. The Stem Cell Twitter Tracker feature is ideal for those who simply want to monitor any discussion on Stem Cells.
"Twitter has become an enormously popular way for consumers to get information. Now, on Stemcellstalk.com, people can get up to the minute stem cell info from twitter," said NT Media CEO Ali Moussavi.

The live Twitter Tracker for Stem Cells can be viewed at: http://www.stemcellstalk.com/profile/NTMedia

http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=194380&Itemid=95

http://www.stemcellstalk.com/

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[StemCells] Spina Bifida

2009-04-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

I'm a new member with Spina Bifida. I noticed that the only posts (3) on Spina Bifida mentioned bladder studies. Is there any other research being done with Spina Bifida, specifically for adults? I would think that if there are bladder studies there would be nerve generation studies.

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[StemCells] The FDA wants to regulate your own stem cells as a drug!

2009-04-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

I just found this organization that is taking a stance against this policy. check it out at www.safestemcells.org and sign up.

We can't wait the years that big pharma will take to get this to market. We need therapy here in the US NOW!

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[StemCells] A talk about Human Embryonic Stem Cells in Cancer Treatment

2009-03-30T03:33:00.000-07:00

James Alexander Thomson is an American developmental biologist who is best known
for deriving the first human embryonic stem cell line. He serves as director of
regenerative biology at the Morgridge Institute for Research in Madison,
Wisconsin, and is a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine
and Public Health.He is one of the leading scientific innovators in stem cell
research.

http://bioisolutions.blogspot.com/2009/03/human-embryonic-stem-cells-in-cancer.html

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[StemCells] have a 'new' pancreas (people)

2009-03-28T14:15:00.001-07:00

University of Miami trials give diabetics reason for hope
Clinical trials overseen by the University of Miami's Diabetes Research Center
show dramatic results in treatment of type 2 diabetes.
BY FRED TASKER
tasker@MiamiHerald.com
Human trials under way at the University of Miami and other hospitals in Europe,
Asia and Latin America using immature adult stem cells are showing promise for
people with type 2 diabetes.

In a UM clinical trial recently published in the online journal Cell
Transplantation, 25 patients achieved better insulin production, lower
blood-sugar levels and reduced need for insulin injections.

In the trial, still in its pilot stage, doctors extracted immature adult stem
cells from the patients' own bone marrow, purified and concentrated them, and
injected them into arteries near the pancreas. They then put the patients into
hyperbaric oxygen chambers like those used for divers with decompression
sickness -- also called the ''bends'' -- and subjected them to 10 hours of pure
oxygen at 2.4 times the atmospheric pressure at ground level.

Researchers believe the high-pressure oxygen pulled extra stem cells from the
patients' bone marrow, adding to the stem cells injected near the pancreas. They
say the immature stem cells developed into pancreatic cells, regenerating the
pancreas' ability to produce natural insulin.

''This could be very important,'' said Dr. Camillo Ricordi, director of the Cell
Transplant Center and the Diabetes Research Institute at UM. ``It could be an
improved treatment for diabetes, substantially ameliorating type 2 and
preventing the complications of the disease.''

Nearly 8 percent of the U.S. population -- 24 million people -- has diabetes,
which can cause problems for the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ricordi cautioned that the optimistic findings come from small pilot studies
involving only dozens of patients, and three to four more years of research are
needed before practical treatments might start.

''We always have to avoid hype and be careful not to put too much hope in pilot
trials,'' Ricordi said. ``But the first results are really promising.''

Two more successful trials over three or four years would be needed before the
FDA might approve the treatment. The studies, coordinated by UM's Diabetes
Research Institute, will also take place at the Karolinska Institutet in
Stockholm, Stem Cell Argentina in Buenos Aires and other institutions.
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/story/971932.html

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[StemCells] UofMiama's T2 diabetes pancreas regeneration results

2009-03-28T14:13:00.001-07:00

University of Miami trials give diabetics reason for hope
Clinical trials overseen by the University of Miami's Diabetes Research Center show dramatic results in treatment of type 2 diabetes.
BY FRED TASKER
tasker@MiamiHerald.com
Human trials under way at the University of Miami and other hospitals in Europe, Asia and Latin America using immature adult stem cells are showing promise for people with type 2 diabetes.

In a UM clinical trial recently published in the online journal Cell Transplantation, 25 patients achieved better insulin production, lower blood-sugar levels and reduced need for insulin injections.

In the trial, still in its pilot stage, doctors extracted immature adult stem cells from the patients' own bone marrow, purified and concentrated them, and injected them into arteries near the pancreas. They then put the patients into hyperbaric oxygen chambers like those used for divers with decompression sickness -- also called the ''bends'' -- and subjected them to 10 hours of pure oxygen at 2.4 times the atmospheric pressure at ground level.

Researchers believe the high-pressure oxygen pulled extra stem cells from the patients' bone marrow, adding to the stem cells injected near the pancreas. They say the immature stem cells developed into pancreatic cells, regenerating the pancreas' ability to produce natural insulin.

''This could be very important,'' said Dr. Camillo Ricordi, director of the Cell Transplant Center and the Diabetes Research Institute at UM. ``It could be an improved treatment for diabetes, substantially ameliorating type 2 and preventing the complications of the disease.''

Nearly 8 percent of the U.S. population -- 24 million people -- has diabetes, which can cause problems for the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ricordi cautioned that the optimistic findings come from small pilot studies involving only dozens of patients, and three to four more years of research are needed before practical treatments might start.

''We always have to avoid hype and be careful not to put too much hope in pilot trials,'' Ricordi said. ``But the first results are really promising.''

Two more successful trials over three or four years would be needed before the FDA might approve the treatment. The studies, coordinated by UM's Diabetes Research Institute, will also take place at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Stem Cell Argentina in Buenos Aires and other institutions.
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/story/971932.html

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[StemCells] Have a 'new' body part, the Pentagon hopes

2009-03-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

USA: PENTAGON MAKES PROGRESS IN LIMB REGENERATION RESEARCH
Print Send this article(AGI) - Washington, 26 Mar.  The Pentagon has made a first step forward in its research into induced stem cells (those which do not come from embryos) to regenerate the amputated limbs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Researchers finally managed to transform epithelial cells in laboratory animals.
The cells were reverted to their primeval state, a sort of blastema, a mass of undifferentiated cells capable of developing into new body parts. Blastemas are found in nature in salamanders and tritons, animals which are capable re-growing limbs and associated body functions in the event of amputation. The final objective, which is still distant, is to replicate this extraordinary ability. Wired reports that research will focus on stage two before the final objective is reached. Stage two is the transformation of the cell mass into muscle tissue. The discovery was made by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Wpi), which received 570,000 dollars from Darpa, the Pentagons research department. Professor Raymond Page explained that The aim is that of effectively replacing lost muscle. The Darpa project, named "Restorative Injury Repair", aims to recover the full functionality of nerve and muscle tissues that have been damaged or loss because of combat wounds". The general programme was launched on April 20 of last year by the Pentagon which invested 250 million dollars over a period of five years. The military set up a new structure, the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (Afirm) to develop the new Japanese technique that is not object of controversy for the generation of stem cells by reverting adult epithelial cells from patients to a primeval state. This method produces stem cells which will not be rejected by the patient which would be exploited because of their capacity of transforming into any one of the 271 different types of tissue found in the human body.

http://www.agi.it/world/news/200903262107-cro-ren0099-art.html

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[StemCells] Fixed w/Fat

2009-03-28T14:08:00.001-07:00

Fat-Derived Treatments Show Potential for Repairing Tendons and Torn Ligaments
By HEATHER CHAMBERS
Posted date: 3/30/200
San Diego Business Journal Staff

On-the-job injuries are commonplace on a working farm.

So when Buzz ruptured a kneecap tendon, he inevitably faced surgery and at least six months of downtime.

"His career was over; he was through," said John Doyle, owner of the 3-year-old male border collie that herds sheep on his 40-acre Poway ranch, near Ramona.

Convinced he'd have to retire the working dog and turn him over as someone's pet, Doyle discovered another option available through his veterinarian: stem cell therapy.

Following surgery to repair the shredded tendon, Buzz was well enough to return to work within six weeks after receiving three rounds of stem cell therapy, Doyle said.

"In two weeks you could see that he was healing very quickly," Doyle said. "He was able to do a lot more."

Poway-based Vet-Stem, which touts itself as a world leader in veterinary regenerative medicine, was first to commercialize the process using fat-derived stem cells.

By extracting roughly two tablespoons of fat from behind the dog's shoulder blade or belly, veterinarians can treat the animals with their own stem cells.
The process is simple: Veterinarians ship the animal's fat overnight to the Vet-Stem laboratories. There, workers isolate the fat from the stem cells and ship the stem cells back to the veterinarian overnight in a syringe.

Treatments vary in cost, ranging from $2,500 to $3,500, including anesthesia. Doyle's veterinarian, Dean Gahring, said the therapy can prove cost-effective in the long run for animals that would otherwise be put on anti-inflammatory drugs.

Research at the University of Pittsburgh in the late 1990s, and also UCLA, eventually led to the creation of Vet-Stem in 2002. CEO Bob Harman, a veterinarian and former biotech executive, saw potential in bringing stem cell therapies for animals to market.

Growth Opportunity

The privately held company took early cues from San Diego-based Cytori Therapeutics, which developed a bedside device that separates fat from stem cells during reconstructive or cosmetic surgery.

Toucan Capital of Maryland, which invests in early stage life sciences companies, provided $1 million in seed funding and Harman said the company has raised $5 million to date. It aims to reach a profit this summer, Harman said.
http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=86569519.20355502.1762098.9577099.275411.295&aID2=135537

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[StemCells] have a 'new' trachea - she did, no rejection

2009-03-28T14:06:00.001-07:00

Woman gets new trachea grown from her tissues
Stem Cell-Generated; 'Probability this lady will have a rejection is almost 0%': doctor
By Michael Kahn, Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - A Colombian woman has received the world's first tailor-made trachea transplant, grown by seeding a donor organ with her own stem cells to prevent her body rejecting it, an international research team reported on Wednesday.

The success of the operation, performed in June using tissue generated from the woman's own bone marrow, raises the prospect that transplanting other organs may be possible without drugs to dampen the immune system, they said.

Doctors work hard to match tissue type when transplanting organs so that the body does not completely reject the new organ, but patients usually have to take immunosuppressants for the rest of their lives.

"The probability this lady will have a rejection is almost zero percent," Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, head of thoracic surgery at the Hospital Clinic, Barcelona who performed the transplant, told a news conference.

"The patient is enjoying a normal life with no signs of rejection after four months."

Claudia Castillo sought help after a case of tuberculosis destroyed part of her trachea -- the windpipe connected to the lungs -- and left her with breathing difficulties, prone to infections and unable to care for her two children.

The 30-year-old's only option other than the experimental surgery was for doctors to remove part of her lung -- a choice that would have seriously degraded her quality of life, the researchers said.

"It isn't just an issue of life, it is an issue of quality of life," said Martin Birchall, a surgeon at the University of Bristol, who helped treat Castillo.

'HYBRID ORGAN'
After finding a donor, the researchers first depleted the transplanted trachea of the donor's cells and then obtained bone marrow stem cells from Castillo they grew into cartilage cells.

Next, the team seeded these cells on the outside of the donor trachea using a device developed at Milan Polytechnic in Italy that incubated the cells. The researchers used the same device to make epithelial cells to construct the lining of the trachea.

This created a hybrid organ in a lab that Castillo's body would identify as its own and make immunosupressant drugs unnecessary, the researchers said.

Finally, the team grafted a 5 cm (1.97 inch) piece of the trachea onto Castillo's damaged left main bronchus, which connects the main windpipe to the left lung.

Castillo, who lives in Spain, had no complications from the surgery and left the hospital after 10 days. She is returning to normal activities and even called her doctors from a night club to say she had been out dancing all night, the researchers said.

"We believe this success has proved we are on the verge of a new age in surgical care," said Birchall, who predicted the technique could be applied to other hollow organs similar in structure, such as the bowel, bladder and reproductive tract.

(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Maggie Fox and Mark Trevelyan)

http://www.calgaryherald.com/Health/Woman+gets+trachea+grown+from+tissues/972436/story.html© Copyright (c) Reuters

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[StemCells] Have a 'new' heart

2009-03-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

New hope may lie in
lab-created heart
Beating rat heart created in
university lab
Updated: Friday, 27 Mar 2009, 9:15 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 27 Mar 2009, 9:13 PM EDT

By Miriam Falco
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) - Creating a replacement heart for some of the sickest patients may be one step closer, if new research in rats pans out in humans.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota were able to create a beating heart using the outer structure of one heart and injecting heart cells from another rat.

Their findings are reported in the journal Nature Medicine.

Rather than building a heart from scratch, which has often been mentioned as possible use for stem cells, this procedure takes a heart and breaks it down to the outermost shell. It's similar to taking a house and gutting it, then rebuilding everything inside. In the human version, the patient's own cells would be used.

"We took a rat heart and used soap to wash out the cells of the heart," said Doris Taylor, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Repair, Medtronic Bakken professor of medicine and physiology and lead author of the study.

The process is called "decelluarization." To do this, Taylor and her team hung up the heart from a dead rat, introduced a regular soap solution into the top of the organ, and let gravity do the work. The soap moved through the heart's blood vessels, dissolving existing cells, which dropped out of the bottom. This process was repeated until only the outermost casing of the heart was left, resulting in a "white, almost gelatin-looking heart," Taylor explained. This would be the equivalent of the gutted house.

The rebuilding started with injecting new heart cells, in this case cells from baby lab rats, and pumping them through the heart. By treating the cells as heart cells would be treated and using a pacemaker to help them learn how to pump, they grew into a heart that could pump -- essentially rebuilding the organ's interior.

Taylor says they've already started experimenting with pig hearts, which are closer in size to human hearts and because pig hearts are already used for replacement parts for some human heart patients.

The goal is to increase options for human heart patients. The body would be less likely to reject an organ created from its own cells.

The research was partially funded by the University of Minnesota and a research grant from the Medtronic Corp.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 80 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in men and women in the United States each year, killing nearly 900,000 people in 2004.

Nearly 5 million Americans suffer from heart failure, usually the result of coronary artery disease caused by blocked arteries or high blood pressure.

Heart transplants are the last resort for end-stage heart disease, but there aren't enough organs to go around. Watch more in rebuilding a heart in a lab »

In 2006, only 2,192 heart transplants were performed, the American Heart Association said, but 4,000 to 5,000 more people needing a transplant didn't get one because of a lack of organs.

Growing new hearts for human beings "is still a ways off," said Dr. Robert Bonow, a past president of the American Heart Association. "It's interesting and could pay off if they got the cells to grow properly within the heart." But that still has to be seen. Taylor acknowledges that they have not yet implanted one of these beating hearts into a rat and tried to keep it alive by using the new heart.

Bonow also points out that for many patients, coronary heart disease can be prevented, by not smoking, controlling your diabetes, controlling your blood pressure and reducing the amount of artery blocking bad cholesterol, which are the leading causes of heart attacks, which weaken the heart and can lead a patient to need a new one.

If this research pans out for humans, Taylor said, many hearts that are currently unsuitable for transplant could be used for this procedure.

Currently, a donor heart must be transplanted within the maximum of four hours. Sometimes the suitable patient is more than four hours away. Doctors could use the organs that can't be transplanted in time to build the scaffolding to grow future hearts. Taylor thinks this could be done. Then, bone marrow cells or blood cells or cells taken from the patient's heart biopsy -- or possibly even stored umbilical cord blood cells -- could be injected into a heart scaffold to grow a new heart.

This is still a long way from human application. First these results have to be replicated in the larger pig hearts Those experiments are under way at the University of Minnesota.

If their research continues as planned, Taylor said she could imagine approaching the Food and Drug Administration in three to five years to discuss the possibility of human clinical trials.

Robert Nerem, director of the Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the new research is "exciting and has enormous potential, but clearly more needs to be done."

Neerem doesn't think this research will lead to creating hearts for transplantation. "I just don't think that's where the world of myocardial repair is going," he said. Instead, he thinks the technology will be used to help create a patch to fix part of the heart. "Most patients, given the choice between transplant and repair, will choose repairs," Nerem said.

He also said the development has great potential for research purposes: to use such a heart to study what heart disease actually does to the organ, or for the pharmaceutical industry to develop new drugs.

"Hopefully this would lead to fewer animal studies, and nothing beats testing new drugs on a human cell," he said. "But human cells in a petri dish don't tell us much."

think that's where the world of myocardial repair is going," he said. Instead, he thinks the technology will be used to help create a patch to fix part of the heart. "Most patients, given the choice between transplant and repair, will choose repairs," Nerem said.

He also said the development has great potential for research purposes: to use such a heart to study what heart disease actually does to the organ, or for the pharmaceutical industry to develop new drugs.

"Hopefully this would lead to fewer animal studies, and nothing beats testing new drugs on a human cell," he said. "But human cells in a petri dish don't tell us much."

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/health/heart_health/wwlp_cnn_health_newhopemaylieinlabcreatedheart_200903272110

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[StemCells] Neural proliferation/death control

2009-03-27T08:39:00.001-07:00

Period 2 regulates neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation in the adult hippocampus

Newborn granule neurons are generated from proliferating neural stem/progenitor cells and integrated into mature synaptic networks in the adult dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. Since light/dark variations of the mitotic index and DNA synthesis occur in many tissues, we wanted to unravel the role of the clock-controlled Period2 gene (mPer2) in timing cell cycle kinetics and neurogenesis in the adult DG.

Results: In contrast to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, we observed a non-rhythmic constitutive expression of mPER2 in the dentate gyrus. We provide evidence that mPER2 is expressed in proliferating NPCs and persists in early post-mitotic and mature newborn neurons from the adult DG.

In vitro and in vivo analysis of a mouse line mutant in the mPer2 gene (Per2Brdm1), revealed a higher density of dividing NPCs together with an increased number of immature newborn neurons populating the DG. However, we showed that the lack of mPer2 does not change the total amount of mature adult-generated hippocampal neurons, because of a compensatory increase in neuronal cell death.

Conclusion: Taken together, these data demonstrated a functional link between the constitutive expression of mPer2 and the intrinsic control of neural stem/progenitor cells proliferation, cell death and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of adult mice.

Author: Laurence Borgs, Pierre Beukelaers, Renaud Vandenbosch, Laurent Nguyen, Gustave Moonen, Pierre Maquet, Urs Albrecht, Shibeshih Belachew and Brigitte Malgrange
Credits/Source: BMC Neuroscience 2009, 10:30

http://7thspace.com/headlines/306202/period_2_regulates_neural_stemprogenitor_cell_proliferation_in_the_adult_hippocampus.html

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[StemCells] Promoting SC Mobilization in post-heart attack

2009-03-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

Cardium Reports on Applicability of Corgentin to Stem Cell Therapies: Independent Studies Indicate that Ad5IGF-1 Potentiates Stem Cells to Improve Cardiac Function After Heart Attack

SAN DIEGO, March 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardium Therapeutics (NYSE Amex: CXM) today reported on an NIH-funded, pre-clinical study conducted by independent researchers at the University of Cincinnati entitled IGF-1--Overexpressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells Accelerate Bone Marrow Stem Cell Mobilization via Paracrine Activation of SDF-1 alpha/CXCR4 to Promote Myocardial Repair that was published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation Research (Circ Res. 2008; 103(11): 1300-1308). The investigators reported that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be potentiated by introducing Ad5IGF-1 into the cells while they are being processed outside of the body or ex vivo. Upon reintroduction into the body, these Ad5IGF-1 activated stem cells substantially reduced heart attack related tissue damage (infarct size), caused extensive angiomyogenesis, and improved left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening. MSCs not treated with Ad5IGF-1 had significantly less therapeutic effect in this preclinical model of heart attack. The authors concluded that the observed synergy between MSCs and Ad5IGF-1 in myocardial regeneration after a heart attack may be due to IGF-1-induced release of various cytokines and chemokines, including SDF-1 alpha, contributing to massive stem cell mobilization from the bone marrow and their increased homing in the injured heart muscle. The full article can be accessed at www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2640486.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051018/CARDIUMLOGO)

"Recent findings indicate that mesenchymal stem cells, which are processed ex vivo before reintroduction into the body, tend to loose certain capabilities required for effective binding and retention within injured heart tissue such as that occurring after a heart attack. We believe that the effectiveness of these stem cells can be substantially improved through a targeting mechanism that involves the binding of the CXC chemokine receptor 4 (found on these stem cells in the bone marrow but reduced after ex vivo expansion) with the stromal-derived factor-1 alpha ligand that is expressed in ischemic heart tissue following a heart attack. This suggests that treatment of mesenchymal stem cells ex vivo with an Ad5IGF-1 biologic, such as Cardium's Corgentin product candidate, will lead to local production of insulin-like growth factor-1 protein to enhance this process and amplify the delivery and retention of stem cells within injured heart tissue. The recently-published research findings from the University of Cincinnati provide independent support of this possible mechanism of action and underscore the potential use of Cardium's Corgentin candidate in stem cell therapies aimed at the treatment of heart attack and other indications," stated Cardium's Chief Scientific Officer, Gabor M. Rubanyi, M.D., Ph.D.

"Cardium has been developing a portfolio of innovative DNA-based growth factor therapeutics for cardiovascular and related applications. Our Corgentin (Ad5IGF-1) product candidate is designed to lessen tissue injury and promote myocardial repair and restoration following a heart attack," noted Christopher J. Reinhard, Cardium's Chief Executive Officer. "The well-documented biological properties of IGF-1 protein include the inhibition of programmed cell death or apoptosis, adaptive cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, proliferation of cardiac progenitor cells and angiogenesis. These observations provide a strong scientific rationale for the clinical development of an IGF-1 based therapy.

"This new study provides important insights into the potential synergies obtainable when mesenchymal stem cells are potentiated ex vivo by Ad5IGF-1 and suggest that Corgentin may be able to substantially improve stem cell approaches to the treatment of important disease conditions such as a heart attack. Based on the large body of scientific evidence supporting IGF-1's safety, its potentially beneficial effects in promoting tissue repair and regeneration, and its potential for promoting stem cell responses in vivo, we believe that Corgentin may be an important product candidate for the treatment of heart attack and other cardiovascular indications, including approaches based on the use of stem cells," concluded Mr. Reinhard.

About Cardium

Cardium Therapeutics, Inc. and its subsidiaries, InnerCool Therapies, Inc. and the Tissue Repair Company, are medical technology companies primarily focused on the development, manufacture and sale of innovative therapeutic products and devices for cardiovascular, ischemic and related indications.

Cardium's InnerCool Therapies subsidiary is a San Diego-based medical technology company in the emerging field of temperature modulation therapy to rapidly and controllably cool the body in order to reduce cell death and damage following acute ischemic events such as cardiac arrest or stroke, and to potentially lessen or prevent associated injuries such as adverse neurological outcomes. For more information about Cardium's InnerCool subsidiary and patient temperature modulation, including InnerCool's new RapidBlue(TM) System and its CoolBlue(TM) System, please visit www.innercool.com.

Cardium also has two biologic candidates in clinical development. Cardium's Tissue Repair Company subsidiary (TRC) is focused on the development of growth factor therapeutics for the treatment of severe chronic diabetic wounds. TRC's lead product candidate, Excellarate(TM), is a DNA-activated collagen gel for topical treatment formulated with an adenovector delivery carrier encoding human platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). Excellarate(TM) is initially being developed to be administered once or twice for the potential treatment of non-healing diabetic foot ulcers. Other potential applications for TRC's Gene Activated Matrix(TM) (GAM) technology include therapeutic angiogenesis (cardiovascular ischemia, peripheral arterial disease) and orthopedic products, including hard tissue (bone) and soft tissue (ligament, tendon, cartilage) repair. For more information about Cardium's Tissue Repair Company subsidiary, please visit www.t-r-co.com.

Cardium's Generx(R) product candidate (alferminogene tadenovec, Ad5FGF-4) is a DNA-based growth factor therapeutic designed for potential application by interventional cardiologists as a one-time treatment to promote and stimulate the growth of collateral circulation in the hearts of patients with ischemic conditions such as recurrent angina. For more information about Cardium Therapeutics and its businesses, products and therapeutic candidates, please visit www.cardiumthx.com or view its most recent Annual Report at http://www.cardiumthx.com/flash/pdf/CardiumAR07_Book_FINAL.pdf.

http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-27-2009/0004995902&EDATE=

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[StemCells] Foreskins to embryonic

2009-03-27T08:33:00.001-07:00

UW-Madison reports another stem cell breakthrough
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists have made another breakthrough in stem cell research.

Stem cell pioneer James Thomson and his colleagues have developed a safer way of turning cells from newborns' foreskins into something similar to human embryonic stem cells.

Thomson was the first to isolate human embryonic stem cells in 1998.

Previous efforts to convert cells left behind viruses and outside genes, possibly leading to mutations, impairing the cells' growth or creating tumors.

Thomson and his team reported Thursday in the journal Science that they solved this problem by delivering special genes with a plasmid, which is a small, stable circle of DNA. This material reprogrammed the skin cells before it was removed. Cells that appear to have embryonic stem cells' healing potential remained.

Stephen Duncan, a stem cell researcher at the Medical College of Wisconsin, said the technique holds promise because any basic molecular biology lab can use it. He was not involved in the UW-Madison research but has been working along similar lines.

"I think we're getting to a position where we can start to think about using these cells therapeutically," Duncan said.

Alan Trounson, president of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, predicted the new method "will be recognized as another important step forward on reprogramming cells."

Cell reprogramming has proved one of the most dynamic areas of biology in recent years as a growing number of researchers pursue alternatives to using human embryonic stem cells.

Some people object to using those cells because human embryos are destroyed in their production.

Thomson and other scientists have returned cells to an embryonic state, offering a potential solution to the controversy. However, their methods rendered the cells unsafe for use in humans.

That led to a stream of research on improving the safety and efficiency of reprogramming. Several methods have been developed.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/41973107.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUZ

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[StemCells] Majority of President's Bioethics against his policy

2009-03-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

President's council speaks out against ... the president - March 27, 2009
Ten members of the 18-member President's Council on Bioethics have criticised US President Barack Obama's recent executive order lifting the restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem-cell research.

In their statement, the ten say Obama's order is "a step backward" with regards to "the progress that had been made in reconciling the needs of research and the moral concerns of many Americans". Obama's order reversed a policy put in place by George W. Bush in August 2001, which permitted federal funding for research on human embryonic stem cells, but only on cell lines that had been derived by the date of his speech.

Much of the dispute centers on the source of the embryos that could be used for such research. Obama's order does not specify the source of the embryos: whether they are leftover embryos from in-vitro fertilisation clinics, or are created for the purpose of research. This is the source of much of the council criticism. The story has been picked up predominantly by the conservative press (Weekly Standard).

The statement did not come from the council itself, but rather from ten of its members speaking out on their personal beliefs. The council, created in its current form by Bush in 2001, has come under fire before, for instance in 2004 when one of its members was dismissed after speaking out against Bush's stance on stem-cell research (Nature). The council in its current form is constituted through 30 September 2009.

http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2009/03/presidents_council_speaks_out.html

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[StemCells] iPS now made virus free

2009-03-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

New way to make stem cells avoids risk of cancer
Published: Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 13:30 in Biology & Nature
Learn more about: cancer human skin cells james a thomson national institute of general medical sciences risk stem cells
A team of scientists has advanced stem cell research by finding a way to endow human skin cells with embryonic stem cell-like properties without inserting potentially problematic new genes into their DNA. The team was led by James A. Thomson, V.M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and supported in part by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a component of the National Institutes of Health. This is not the first time that scientists have endowed differentiated cells like skin cells with the capacity to develop into any of the roughly 220 types of cells in the body, a process known as induced pluripotency. But it is the first time that they have done so without using viruses, which can insert potentially harmful genes into the cells' genetic material and trigger cancer.

Thomson's new method imports the necessary genes on a small circle of DNA known as a plasmid. Over time, the plasmid disappears naturally from the cell population, avoiding the danger posed by using viruses.

Scientists view pluripotent cells as invaluable to studies of normal and disease processes and to understanding the effects of certain drugs. In the future, doctors might be able to use such cells therapeutically to replace those affected by diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's or lost to traumatic injuries.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/03/26/new.way.make.stem.cells.avoids.risk.cancer

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[StemCells] qPCR NEWS March 2009 - focus on HRM & HRM dyes

2009-03-26T03:25:00.001-07:00

qPCR NEWS March 2009 - focus on HRM & HRM dyes
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Dear researcher,
dear Gene Quantification page reader,

Our newsletter informs about the latest news in quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR and qRT-PCR), which are compiled and summarised on the Gene Quantification homepage. The focus of this newsletter issue is:

- HRM page updated with new papers
- NEW page - HRM dyes
- Online translation service of the Gene Quantification
- New qPCR events in autumn 2009
- New qPCR workshop modules at the TATAA Biocenter Germany
- Online translation service of the Gene Quantification => http://translation.gene-quantification.info/

New qPCR workshop modules at the TATAA Biocenter Germany => http://tataa.gene-quantification.info/
European wide qPCR application workshops => register now !
=> course program spring - summer 2009
=> http://www.gene-quantification.de/bioeps-courses-spring-summer-2009.pdf

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High Resolution Melting (HRM) is a novel, homogeneous, close-tube, post-PCR method, enabling genomic researchers to analyze genetic variations (SNPs, mutations, methylations) in PCR amplicons. It goes beyond the power of classical melting curve analysis by allowing to study the thermal denaturation of a double-stranded DNA in much more detail and with much higher information yield than ever before. HRM characterizes nucleic acid samples based on their disassociation (melting) behavior. Samples can be discriminated according to their sequence, length, GC content or strand complementarity. Even single base changes such as SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) can be readily identified.

http://hrm.gene-quantification.info/

The most important High Resolution Melting application is gene scanning - the search for the presence of unknown variations in PCR amplicons prior to or as an alternative to sequencing. Mutations in PCR products are detectable by High Resolution Melting because they change the shape of DNA melting curves. A combination of new-generation DNA dyes, high-end instrumentation and sophisticated analysis software allows to detect these changes and to derive information about the underlying sequence constellation.

HRM Applications => new papers
The introduction of HRM has renewed interest in the utility of DNA melting for a wide range of uses, including:
Mutation discovery (gene scanning)
Screening for loss of heterozygosity
DNA fingerprinting
SNP genotyping
Characterization of haplotype blocks
DNA methylation analysis
DNA mapping
Species identification
Somatic acquired mutation ratios
HLA compatibility typing
Association (case/control) studies
Allelic prevalence in a population
Identification of candidate predisposition genes

http://hrm.gene-quantification.info/

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High Resolution Melting Dyes & probes

http://hrm-dyes.gene-quantification.info/

The secret of High Resolution Meling (HRM) analysis is to monitor this process happening in real-time. This is achieved by using saturating fluorescent dye. HRM dyes are known as intercalating dyes bind specifically and in high amount (= saturating dye, except SYBR Green) to double-stranded DNA and when they are bound they fluoresce brightly. In the absence of double-stranded DNA they have nothing to bind to and they only fluoresce at a low level (estimations are between 1-4% false positive fluorescence). At the beginning of the HRM analysis, after complete PCR amplification, there is a high level of fluorescence in the sample because of the millions of copies of the amplicon. But as the sample DNA is heated up and the two strands of the DNA denaturate there is no longer any double stranded DNA present and thus fluorescence is reduced => http://hrm-dyes.gene-quantification.info/

* LC Green * SYTO9 * Eva Green * BEBO * SYBR Green

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Since October 2008 we provide an online translation service of the Gene Quantification pages to several languages. Please recognize this is an automatic and robotic based translation service, and therefore we can give NO guarantee about the generated content. It should help to understand the "rough" content of the Gene Quantification pages, but still the original is the ENGLISH version:

http://translation.gene-quantification.info/

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With the new qPCR INFO PORTAL and all the presented tools we will help you with to find the right information about qPCR and related topics in Molecular Biology in the literature and in the World Wide Web.
=> Papers / Protocols / Methods / Databases / Alets / Feeds / Books / Forums / E-mail / Directory

http://infoportal.gene-quantification.info/

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Upcoming Events World-wide academic and commercial qPCR Events
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Symposia, Meetings, Conferences, Workshops, Seminars, Online-Seminars, qPCR Education Program, etc.
Please submit your qPCR event here => events@gene-quantification.info

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qPCR WORKSHOP

BioEPS GmbH / TATAA Biocenter Germany - qPCR Application workshops

At the TATAA Biocenter Germany we offer qPCR application workshops, a 3-day qPCR Core Module and a 2-day qPCR Biostatistics Module. All courses are held regularly in Göteborg, Sweden, in English and in Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany, in German and English, and in Prague, Czech Republic in English and Czech.
Depending on the occasion the workshop language and the different prices may apply. Further customized workshops and specialized trainings will be held as well across Europe and world-wide.
TATAA Biocenter Germany workshops are held in cooperation with BioEPS GmbH, located at the campus of the Technical University of Munich, in Freising-Weihenstephan, very close to the Munich Airport (MUC). For more information and registration, please see our web page:
=> http://TATAA.gene-quantification.info/

Course Occasions 2009:

3-day qPCR Core Module (Mon. - Wed.)
2-day BioStatistics Module (Thu. - Fri.)
3-day single-cell qPCR Module (Mon. - Wed.)
3-day microRNA Module (Mon. - Wed.)

20 - 22 April 2009 (E) NEW microRNA qPCR

11 - 15 May 2009 (Deutsch)
3-day qPCR Core Module (Mon. - Wed.) & 2-day BioStatistics Module (Thu. - Fri.)

15 - 19 Juni 2009 (E)
3-day qPCR Core Module (Mon. - Wed.) & 2-day BioStatistics Module (Thu. - Fri.)

13 - 15 Juli 2009 (E) NEW microRNA qPCR

27 - 31 Juli 2009 (E)
3-day qPCR Core Module (Mon. - Wed.) & 2-day BioStatistics Module (Thu. - Fri.)

=> http://www.gene-quantification.de/bioeps-courses-spring-summer-2009.pdf

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Forward Please send the qPCR NEWS to further scientists and friends who are interested in qPCR !

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Michael W. Pfaffl
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[StemCells] FDA wants control of YOUR stem cells

2009-03-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Fact:

The FDA announced their recent position that adult stem cells (cells found in everyone's body) are "drugs" and should be monitored, controlled and regulated by the FDA. The FDA will be able to tell you when and how they can be used. Even if your life could be saved by a stem cell transplant from your own body and to your own body, you may first have to receive approval from the FDA before getting treatment.

---

Physician Group Opposes FDA's Position on Adult Stem Cells

BROOMFIELD, COLO. (March 25, 2009)-The American Stem Cell Therapy Association (ASCTA) announced today the on-line publication of its mission statements and charter. The organization was formed in response to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent position that the adult stem cells found in everyone's body are drugs, a position the ASCTA opposes. This physician organization is establishing laboratory guidelines which will allow doctors to bring adult stem cell therapy to their patients more quickly. These guidelines will be similar to those used by fertility specialists in In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) labs, where many of the same cell culture techniques are used.

"Many patients are dying or suffering day by day with incurable diseases or problems that require major surgery. These patients should have access to basic adult stem cell therapy now." stated Christopher J. Centeno, M.D. "ASCTA is establishing guidelines which will allow the safe use of the patient's own adult stem cells under the supervision of doctors." continued Centeno. Another ASCTA physician member, Frank Falco, M.D. stated, "The FDA's position against someone using their own stem cells is taking it too far. We are talking about a person using their own tissue to treat a degenerative disorder or process safely without the use of medications or surgery. Although we agree that oversight and standards are necessary, this should be provided through a physician organization such as ASCTA rather than by a government agency."

Adult stem cells are different from embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells are found in the patient's body in various tissues. In order to obtain enough stem cells for treatment, they often need to be cultured, similar to today's fertility treatments. Adult stem cells have undergone much more research than embryonic stem cells and thus are closer to real world treatments. These adult stem cells are taken from the patient's own body (autologous) and ACSTA believes that they are therefore the safest for use in treating patients.

http://www.stemcelldocs.org/Media_Room.html

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[StemCells] Long-term diabetes reversal (in mice)

2009-03-18T06:20:00.001-07:00

Long-term diabetes reversal with genetic switch
Transcription factor nudges hepatic stem cells into insulin-producing cells in mice
Kate McDonald (Australian Life Scientist) 18/03/2009 10:37:00 Two US researchers who five years ago cured diabetic mice with gene therapy have found out how it happens: adult stem cells.

Dr Lawrence Chan and Dr Vijay Yechoor of the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas transferred the transcription factor Neurogenin3 (Ngn3) into the livers of diabetic mice and saw long-term reversal of their diabetes.

Now they have found out how: Ngn3 induces a short-term increase in insulin production, but also a long-term induction of islet-like cell clusters that appear to arise from hepatic progenitor cells.

The progenitor cells are thought to hibernate near the portal vein until they are needed to make mature liver or bile duct cells. Ngn3, however, encourages them down the islet lineage instead.

This, the researchers write, is called transdetermination: the progenitor cells are lineage-determined but not terminally differentiated. The added gene can switch their lineage from hepatic to islet.

While these are early days, the researchers say the concept is important because it shows normal adult stem cells can be induced to acquire a new cell fate.

The research is published today in Developmental Cell.

http://www.biotechnews.com.au/article/295958/long-term_diabetes_reversal_genetic_switch

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[StemCells] SC tansplant for dental implant

2009-03-18T06:07:00.001-07:00

Southern California Dentist First on the West Coast to Perform Concentrated Stem Cell Transplant for Dental Implant Procedure

Patient's Own Stem Cells to Be Harvested and Transplanted Into the Jaw to Generate Dense Bone Tissue for Permanent Dental Implantation

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Jason Morgan needs a dental implant to restore his infectious grin, but to attach an implant would be difficult due to a lack of strong, healthy bone in his jaw. Dr. Ivan Ho, a Southern California-based dentist and founder of Platinum Dental, will make Morgan's wish come true through the application of concentrated stem cell transplant technology. The first on the West Coast, and only second in the nation, to perform this innovative procedure, Dr. Ho will harvest and transplant stem cells from the patient's own bone marrow into the jawbone to create a dense bone structure to which a dental implant can be permanently set.

The outpatient procedure called Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentration (BMAC) will be the first conducted on the West Coast and will take place on Monday, March 23, 2009, at Platinum Dental in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Used for many years by neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons to generate bone for procedures such as spinal and tibia fusions, Dr. Ho will apply the stem cell transplant procedure to dental applications to provide an option for patients who may not have previously been candidates for a tooth implant because of poor jawbone density. This is a minimally invasive and relatively painless outpatient procedure that takes between one and three hours to perform, providing faster healing, less pain and better results than other implant procedures.

"This minimally invasive procedure is an innovative, advanced long-term alternative to existing tooth replacement options such as dentures, bridges and even traditional bone grafting procedures," explained Dr. Ho. "In addition to providing better and faster healing, the transplantation of the patient's own stem cells enables the body to increase bone growth in the jaw through Angiogenesis to permanently support the dental implant. Because the use of dentures and bridges carry a high risk of problems in many cases resulting in gum disease, tooth decay and the loss of viable teeth, additional costly surgical procedures are necessary, where dental implants are the most natural solution and provide the best long-term results."

The innovative process involves the harvesting of stem cells through a small incision in the hip bone the morning of the procedure. Using a centrifuge, Dr. Ho will isolate and concentrate the stem cells from the plasma and transplant them into Morgan's jaw and will then add an allograft. The stem cells will work with the surrounding tissue to eventually generate healthy, dense bone tissue to which the dental implant can be permanently attached.

About Dr. Ivan Ho:

For more than 18 years, Dr. Ivan Ho has been practicing dentistry out of his Platinum Dental offices in Orange County. Dr. Ho has been a pioneer in improving the present state of dentistry, primarily by using the most sophisticated, patient-friendly ways of delivering advanced dental care. Dr. Ho received his degree in dentistry from USC and is a member of over ten professional dental societies. Dr. Ho has achieved diplomat status from the International Congress of Oral Implantology, graduated from the world renowned MISCH Implant Institution, and received mastership training at the Las Vegas Institute (LVI) for Advanced Dental Studies. Dr. Ho is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Dr. Ho offers the latest technology to his patients, and he is one of the few dentists in Orange County to offer the PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) procedure.

About Platinum Dental:

Platinum Dental, with two locations in South Orange County, is a dental practice consisting of a team of highly trained and skilled clinicians devoted to restoring and enhancing the natural beauty of smiles using state-of-the-art procedures. A standard of excellence in personalized dental care enables Platinum Dental to provide the quality dental services their patients deserve. Platinum Dental provides comprehensive treatment planning and uses restorative and cosmetic dentistry to achieve optimal dental health for its patients. For more information please visit our website at www.platinumdental.net

http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-18-2009/0004990507&EDATE=

SOURCE Platinum Dental

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[StemCells] Parkinson's drug may get sc to produce dopamine (trials)

2009-03-18T06:04:00.001-07:00

NeuroNova initiates a first-in-human study with a novel treatment for patients with Parkinson´s disease
2009-03-18 08:30

Stockholm, Sweden, March 18, 2009 - NeuroNova, a privately held Swedish biopharmaceutical company pioneering therapeutic neurogenesis for disorders of the central nervous system, has received regulatory approval by the Medical Products Agency in Sweden to initiate a first-in-human study with the drug product sNN0031 in patients with Parkinson's disease.

During the progression of Parkinson's disease some patients may eventually progress to a point where currently available drug therapies no longer address their symptoms. Furthermore, therapies that can modify the disease progression are urgently needed. The drug sNN0031 contains the naturally occurring protein PDGF-BB (platelet-derived growth factor BB), which has been shown to cause long lasting behavioral recovery in animal studies.

Administration into the fluid-filled cavities of the brain (intracerebroventricular administration) in animal models of Parkinson´s disease resulted in long lasting recovery and formation of new cells. Based on the preclinical findings, NeuroNova´s drug candidate sNN0031 may have the potential for a long term symptom reduction for patients with Parkinson´s disease, which would be a considerable advantage compared to currently available treatments.

The first-in-human study is intended to investigate the safety and tolerability of intracerebroventricular administration of sNN0031 to patients with Parkinson's disease using an implanted catheter and pump. If the treatment is demonstrated to be safe and well tolerated for this period of time, subsequent studies will focus on the therapeutic efficacy. "We are excited to approach the clinical testing of our drug product to understand the promise that this may offer in treating Parkinson´s disease", says Markus Jerling, Chief Medical Officer. "There is a great need for truly novel therapies in the treatment of patients with Parkinson´s Disease, and the preclinical data of sNN0031 indicate that this may be such a treatment", says Sven Pålhagen, specialist in Neurology and coordinating investigator at the Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge in Stockholm, Sweden. "To influence the dopamine system by means of activating the pre-existing stem/progenitor cells in the brain represents a truly novel concept and sNN0031 treatment is different from all other therapies investigated in Parkinson's Disease so far", says Håkan Widner, specialist in Neurology and investigator at the University Hospital in Lund, Sweden. This initial trial will be performed in Stockholm and Lund, Sweden.

For more information on this project, please contact:

Markus Jerling, tel: +46 (0) 8 786 0900; markus.jerling@neuronova.com

Anders Haegerstrand, tel +46 (0) 8786 0900; anders.haegerstrand@neuronova.com

For more information on NeuroNova, please contact:
Ulf Ljungberg; tel: +46 (0) 8 786 0900; ulf.ljungberg@neuronova.com

NeuroNova (www.neuronova.com) is a Swedish bio-pharmaceutical company based in Stockholm, Sweden. NeuroNova has two drug candidates in clinical development for Parkinson's disease and ALS. NeuroNova works with neurogenesis and neuroprotection for the treatment of several currently incurable neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington's disease.

http://www.newsdesk.se/pressroom/neuronova/pressrelease/view/neuronova-initiates-a-first-in-human-study-with-a-novel-treatment-for-patients-with-parkinson-s-disease-277407

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[StemCells] SC surgeries for spinal injuries

2009-03-18T05:59:00.001-07:00

Surgery could see disabled walking again
Last updated 01:09 19/03/2009 Share Print Text Size Relevant offers Surgeons are preparing to insert stem cells into a dozen disabled New Zealanders in a bid to help them walk again.

Operations will start later this year on the first 12 New Zealanders with chest/stomach-level spinal injuries, as a clinical trial.

The Spinal Cord Society - a charity which has been funding research into stem cells - has won conditional approval to start the trials on paraplegic volunteers.

The trials will cost $2m, though the society has no government funding for them.

"I now believe it will be in my lifetime that people will go into hospital with a spinal injury and walk out a few months later just as though they'd experienced a broken leg,"' Spinal Cord Society chairwoman Noela Vallis said tonight.

Society spokesman Tony Edmonds said it was preparing additional information requested for a Multi-Region Ethics Committee meeting in Wellington next month at which he was confident of receiving full approval.

He said other programmes overseas had convinced a growing number of medical experts that an effective treatment for spinal cord injuries was getting much closer.

Mr Edmonds said at least a dozen New Zealand labs were researching non-embryonic adult stem cells for conditions such as brain injury and arthritis.

The procedure to be applied in New Zealand had been carried out overseas in countries such as Portugal, Italy, Japan and China on well over 100 people with few negative side-effects and varying degrees of improvement for each patient.

This had included recovering bowel and bladder-function, through to extra feeling and movement in limbs.

The procedure involves extracting nerve tissue from a volunteer's nose and inserting this into the injured area of the spinal cord.

Ms Vallis said the procedure offered no controversy over the source of cells because it involved a transfer of the patient's own cells.

"It's similar to a skin graft, so there is no need for complex anti-rejection drugs," she said.

"While doctors in other countries have actually made a start with these procedures, we have made use of the delays here, to continue studying the behaviour of human cells in our lab," she said.

"We are probably ahead of other countries in this knowledge."

Dr Jim Faed, the cell biologist and haematologist who manages the society's research programme and who will lead the clinical research team to undertake the trial operations, said there was still much to learn about the cell behaviour.

"The clinical trial we have planned, and the expected future trials, will help advance that understanding," he said.

Doctors were confident that the first trial was the right step to take in moving to human research, as it will go further than research overseas and collect important information about the mechanisms for improvement.

Dr Faed said if the operations confirm results found overseas while clarifying other key points identified by the research team, the society would be well placed to carry out trials of enhanced procedures.

Ms Vallis set up the society in 1991 to seek a cure for her husband's spinal injury, though he has since died.

"We are poised to bring possibly the greatest medical breakthrough in a century and we are doing it as a charitable organisation," she said. "We will need financial support".

On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama signed an order lifting eight years of restrictions on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research.

His executive order reversed and repudiated restrictions placed on the research by his predecessor, George Bush, freeing labs across the country to start working with the valued cells, which give birth to all cells and tissues in the body.

New Zealand has not yet approved embryonic stem cell research, though a paper on the issue is reported to be before Health Minister Tony Ryall.

- NZPA
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/2274627/Surgery-could-see-disabled-walking-again

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[StemCells] T2 Diabetes, SCs & Hyperbaric O2 Treatment

2009-03-13T03:41:00.000-07:00

Stem Cell Infusion And Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Improve Islet Function In Diabetes
ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2009) A study to determine if patients with type 2 diabetes can benefit from a combination of autologous (patient self-donated) stem cell infusions (ASC) and hyperbaric (above the normal air pressure of ) oxygen treatment (HBO) before and after ASC has found "significant benefits" in terms of "improvements in glycemic control" along with "reduced insulin requirements."

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See also:
Health & Medicine
Stem Cells
Diabetes
Brain Tumor
Lung Cancer
Immune System
Skin Cancer
Reference
Embryonic stem cell
Diabetes mellitus type 1
Diabetes mellitus type 2
Oxygen therapy
The combination therapy could decrease type 2 diabetes morbidity and mortality, said the authors, who published their study results in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation (Vol. 17 No.12).

"Autologous stem cell therapies are an emerging set of therapies with promising results and low side effects profiles," said corresponding co-author Esteban Estrada, MD, of Stem Cell Argentina. "In addition, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, used primarily in the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning, air embolism suffered by divers, and as an enhancement to wound healing, has been shown to increase stem cell mobilization and the release of endothelial progenitor cells via a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism."

The clinical trial evaluated the safety of ASC-HBO combination treatment in 25 patients with type 2 diabetes.

According to the researchers, it is well known that with type 2 diabetes, there is an ongoing inflammation of the pancreas. Their hypothesis suggested that mobilizing stem cells would cause the growth of blood vessels (angiogenesis) and release factors that would result in the local differentiation of progenitor cells with a resulting anti-inflammatory effect. Diabetes, they added, has been shown to impair progenitor cell mobilization, a problem that local stem cell infusion could remedy.

Once more, the effect of the hyperbaric oxygen therapy, they hypothesized, would be to increase stem cell mobilization in such a way as "to target more than one crucial reparative step" to counteract the chronic injury that attack the endothelial progenitor cells and the islet cells.

"Overall, our results show that a close follow-up with intensive diabetic management alone could not be the only cause of the positive, progressive and consistent outcomes we obtained in this trial over one year of follow-up," said Dr. Estrada.

"A decade ago, research had explored stem cell transplantation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy as stand alone treatments. This study highlights the potential benefits of using an unusual combination therapy to treat diabetes" said Dr. Cesar V Borlongan, Associate Editor of Cell Transplantation and Professor at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

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Adapted from materials provided by Cell Transplantation, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
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MLA Cell Transplantation (2009, March 12). Stem Cell Infusion And Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Improve Islet Function In Diabetes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/03/090312130653.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312130653.htm

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[StemCells] Multiple Marrow & Spinal Injury Repair in People

2009-03-13T03:40:00.001-07:00

Multiple Route Bone Marrow Stem Cell Injections Show Promise To Treat Spinal Cord Injury

ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2009) Researchers from DaVinci Biosciences, Costa Mesa, California, in collaboration with Hospital Luis Vernaza in Ecuador, have determined that injecting a patient's own bone marrow-derived stem cells (autologous BMCs) directly into the spinal column using multiple routes can be an effective treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI) that returns some quality of life for SCI patients without serious adverse events.

Publishing in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (Vol. 17 No.12), the researchers reported on eight patients with SCI (four acute and four chronic) to whom they administered BMCs directly into the spinal column, spinal canal and intravenously for each patient and followed for two years using MRI imaging to assess morphological changes in the spinal cord.

"Our objective in this study was to demonstrate that multiple route administration of BMCs for SCI is safe and feasible," said corresponding author Dr. Francisco Silva. "To date, we have administered BMCs into 52 patients with SCI and have had no tumor formations, no cases of infection or increased pain, and few instances of minor adverse events. We also found that patient quality of life improved."

According to Dr. Silva, presently there is no cure or effective treatment for spinal cord injury, a disorder affecting millions globally. Tissue loss from the primary injury and the complexity of cell types required for functional recovery lead the list of considerations. Once more, to be considered successful, any treatment should ultimately help to improve patient quality of life and demonstrate functional improvements.

"Autologous stem cell transplantation of BMCs can promote the growth of blood vessels and, therefore, represent an alternative therapy," said Dr. Silva.

Following primary trauma to the adult spinal cord there is evidence of hemorrhage and blood flow is attenuated, he explained. The disruption of blood flow leads to spinal cord infarction, the disruption of the blood-spinal cord injury barrier, swelling and the release of molecules influencing spinal cord perfusion and ischemia, a restriction in blood supply.

"BMCs are well known for their ability to grow blood vessels," explained Dr. Silva. "This angiogenesis is necessary for wound healing and establishing a growth permissive environment. We hypothesized that improved blood flow and oxygen supply could contribute to functional improvements for SCI transplanted with autologous BMCs."

In eight patients who received BMC transplants through various routes and followed for two years, the scientists reported several functional improvements, perhaps the most important of which was improved bladder control.

Finally, the researchers noted that one of their cases suffered a gunshot wound and that their study marked the first time a gunshot wound victim had received BMC transplants through multiple routes.

"It is important to note," concluded Dr. Silva," that all of our patients with acute injuries improved significantly with no signs of deterioration or impediment of presumed spontaneous recovery."

According to Dr. Svitlana Garbuzova-Davis, a spinal cord researcher at the University of South Florida, the study highlights the value of using several different simultaneous routes for the administration of stem cells, as well as the benefit of the cells themselves.

"While it would be interesting to know the respective contribution of each route of administration, this study does appear to support the need to move to carry out double blind clinical trials of BMCs in SCI, especially if a non-invasive route could be used."

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Adapted from materials provided by Cell Transplantation, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
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MLA Cell Transplantation (2009, March 12). Multiple Route Bone Marrow Stem Cell Injections Show Promise To Treat Spinal Cord Injury. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 13, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/03/090312130650.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312130650.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312130650.htm

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[StemCells] Young, Recently T1 DIABETES diagnosed trials RECRUITING

2009-03-10T13:14:00.001-07:00

Diabetes test under way at Christ
By Peggy O'Farrell pofarrell@enquirer.com March 10, 2009
Jim DeMarsh couldn't figure out why he was always thirsty.

"I was drinking three or four gallons of fluids a day, and I was still thirsty," he said.

In December, he found out why: The 26-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes.

Now, DeMarsh is part of a national clinical trial looking at an option that could at least reduce his need for insulin and, one day, maybe cure the diabetes.

DeMarsh, of Traverse City, Mich., was the first patient enrolled through Christ Hospital testing the effectiveness of adult stem cells to treat Type 1 diabetes.

The Mount Auburn hospital is one of several centers in the U.S. testing Prochymal, an experimental medication designed to repair the pancreas and preserve insulin production in patients newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

In Type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system attacks the pancreas, destroying its ability to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body regulate blood sugar.

Poorly controlled diabetes can lead to serious health conditions, including kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputation and nerve damage.

The hope is that Prochymal, which contains adult stem cells, will help restore the pancreas' ability to produce insulin, said Dean Kereiakes, medical director of the Lindner Research Center at Christ Hospital and principal investigator of the study.

"This novel application of adult stem cell technology has the promise of pancreatic repair and the potential cure of Type 1 diabetes," Kereiakes said.

About 24 million Americans have diabetes, including an estimated 3 million with Type 1 diabetes. In 2006, diabetes was the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S., though experts think that it is widely underreported on death certificates.

Patients enrolled in the trial will receive three doses of either the medication or a placebo.

DeMarsh doesn't know if he received the medication.

He uses two types of insulin to control his blood sugar and checks his blood sugar levels four or five times a day.

The trial is open to adults 18 to 30 who have been diagnosed within the past two to 16 weeks with Type 1 diabetes. For more information, call the Lindner Center at 513-585-1777.http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090310/NEWS01/903100368

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[StemCells] Urinary Incontinence Trials (recruiting in MI? basically free?)

2009-03-10T08:25:00.001-07:00

Beaumont Launches 1st U.S. Adult Human Stem Cell Study for Stress Urinary Incontinence
Stem cells harvested from the patient's leg are used to strengthen weak muscles that can lead to urinary leakage.

Royal Oak, Mich. (PRWEB) March 10, 2009 -- Urologists at Beaumont Hospital (http://www.beaumonthospitals.com) are first in the United States to treat stress urinary incontinence using a person's own stem cells through a research study. The stem cells are used to strengthen weak muscles that control urination.

Urology Chairman Kenneth Peters, M.D., Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich., is leading the nation's first research study using a person's own stem cells to treat stress urinary incontinence.
If successful, (autologous) muscle-derived stem cell therapy could offer new hope to people with stress urinary incontinence and offer them a life free of urinary leakage
"If successful, (autologous) muscle-derived stem cell therapy could offer new hope to people with stress urinary incontinence and offer them a life free of urinary leakage," says Urology department Chairman Kenneth Peters, M.D., who is leading the research at Beaumont.

Stress urinary incontinence - the cause of leakage with coughing or physical activity - affects about 13 million Americans, most of them women, but also men who have had a prostatectomy (surgery for prostate cancer).

Current treatments, including medicine, exercises and surgery, are not always effective and may have undesirable side effects.

The stem cells from 48 female research participants age 18 or older will be collected at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, and duplicated. The cells will then be injected into the muscles that control urination to strengthen them and prevent leakage.

Participation will last 12-14 months, and will include physical exams, procedures to assess the bladder, completing voiding diaries and questionnaires and a variety of diagnostic tests. A small sample of the participant's thigh muscle will be collected, which is the source of the stem cells. Pregnant or nursing women may not participate.

There is no charge for study-related tests and procedures. Participants will be reimbursed up to $385 for travel to and from the hospital.

Call Debbie Hasenau, R.N., Urology research, at 248-551-3355 for more information.

Beaumont urologists offer endoscopic, robotic and minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical options as well as traditional surgeries, in addition to treatment, for kidney stones; painful bladder conditions including over-active bladder; incontinence; sexual dysfunction; urologic cancer; prostate conditions; male infertility; voiding dysfunction; and erectile dysfunction. Doctors at Beaumont are pioneering a revolutionary nerve rerouting surgery to help adults with spinal cord injuries or children with spina bifida gain bladder control and are first in the United States to research using a person's own stem cells to treat stress urinary incontinence. Beaumont's Urology program is ranked 31st out of 50 on U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Hospitals" list. Visit Beaumont on the Web at http://www.beaumonthospitals.com.

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http://www.prweb.com/releases/urinary/incontinence/prweb2203954.htm

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[StemCells] Fat Stem Cells to & Type 1 Diabetes treatment

2009-03-10T08:06:00.001-07:00

Due to the limited supply of donor pancreas, it is imperative that we identify alternative cell sources that can be used to treat diabetes mellitus. Multipotent adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSC) can be abundantly and safely isolated for autologous transplantation and therefore is an ideal candidate. Here, we report the derivation of insulin-producing cells from human or rat ADSC by transduction with the pancreatic duodenal homeobox 1 (Pdx1) gene. RT-PCR analyses showed that native ADSC expressed insulin, glucagon, and NeuroD genes that were upregulated following Pdx1-transduction. ELISA analyses showed that the transduced cells secreted increasing amount of insulin in response to increasing concentration of glucose. Transplantation of these cells under the renal capsule of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats resulted in lowered blood glucose, higher glucose tolerance, smoother fur, and less cataract. Histological examination showed that the transplanted cells formed tissue-like structures and expressed insulin. Thus, ADSC expressing Pdx1 appear to be suitable for treatment of diabetes mellitus.
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/scd.2009.0010

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