Stem cell treatment of a cat with CKD
Macho (14 years old, male cat) was presented over an year ago with 3th stage of CKD. We performed intra-renal implantation of autologous mesenchymal stem cells 6 months ago. Now, he is feeling...
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Dennis Steindler, HNRCA
Stem Cells, Avatars and Phytotherapeutics For Aging and Neurological Disease.
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Newswise Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a gene variant that may be used to predict people most likely to respond to an investigational therapy under development for Alzheimers disease (AD). The study, published March 12 in Cell Stem Cell, is based on experiments with cultured neurons derived from adult stem cells.
Our results suggest that certain gene variants allow us to reduce the amount of beta amyloid produced by neurons, said senior author Lawrence Goldstein, PhD, director of UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center and UC San Diego Stem Cell Program. This is potentially significant for slowing the progression of Alzheimers disease. AD is the most common cause of dementia in the United States, afflicting one in nine people age 65 and older.
The genetic risk factor investigated are variants of the SORL1 gene. The gene codes for a protein that affects the processing and subsequent accumulation of beta amyloid peptides, small bits of sticky protein that build up in the spaces between neurons. These plaques are linked to neuronal death and related dementia.
Previous studies have shown that certain variants of the SORL1 gene confer some protection from AD, while other variants are associated with about a 30 percent higher likelihood of developing the disease. Approximately one-third of the U.S. adult population is believed to carry the non-protective gene variants.
The studys primary finding is that variants in the SORL1 gene may also be associated with how neurons respond to a natural compound in the brain that normally acts to protect nerve cell health. The protective compound, called BDNF, short for brain-derived neurotrophic factor, is currently being investigated as a potential therapy for a number of neurological diseases, including AD, because of its role in promoting neuronal survival.
For the study, UC San Diego researchers took skin cells from 13 people, seven of whom had AD and six of whom were healthy control subjects, and reprogrammed the skin cells into stem cells. These stem cells were coaxed to differentiate into neurons, and the neurons were cultured and then treated with BDNF.
The experiments revealed that neurons that carried disease-protective SORL1 variants responded to the therapy by reducing their baseline rate of beta amyloid peptide production by, on average, 20 percent. In contrast, the neurons carrying the risk variants of the gene, showed no change in baseline beta amyloid production.
BDNF is found in everyones brain, said first author Jessica Young, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Goldstein laboratory. What we found is that if you add more BDNF to neurons that carry a genetic risk factor for the disease, the neurons dont respond. Those with the protective genetic profile do.
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Boosting A Natural Protection Against Alzheimer's Disease
IMAGE:Brain tumor stem cells (orange) in mice express a stem cell marker (green). Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are studying how cancer stem cells make... view more
Credit: Yi-Hsien Chen
Scientists are eager to make use of stem cells' extraordinary power to transform into nearly any kind of cell, but that ability also is cause for concern in cancer treatment. Malignant tumors contain stem cells, prompting worries among medical experts that the cells' transformative powers help cancers escape treatment.
New research proves that the threat posed by cancer stem cells is more prevalent than previously thought. Until now, stem cells had been identified only in aggressive, fast-growing tumors. But a mouse study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that slow-growing tumors also have treatment-resistant stem cells.
The low-grade brain cancer stem cells identified by the scientists also were less sensitive to anticancer drugs. By comparing healthy stem cells with stem cells from these brain tumors, the researchers discovered the reasons behind treatment resistance, pointing to new therapeutic strategies.
"At the very least, we're going to have to use different drugs and different, likely higher dosages to make sure we kill these tumor stem cells," said senior author David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor of Neurology.
The research appears online March 12 in Cell Reports.
First author Yi-Hsien Chen, PhD, a senior postdoctoral research associate in Gutmann's laboratory, used a mouse model of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) low-grade brain tumors to identify cancer stem cells and demonstrate that they could form tumors when transplanted into normal, cancer-free mice.
NF1 is a genetic disorder that affects about 1 in every 2,500 babies. The condition can cause an array of problems, including brain tumors, impaired vision, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, heart defects and bone deformities.
The most common brain tumor in children with NF1 is the optic glioma. Treatment for NF1-related optic gliomas often includes drugs that inhibit a cell growth pathway originally identified by Gutmann. In laboratory tests conducted as part of the new research, it took 10 times the dosage of these drugs to kill the low-grade cancer stem cells.
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Stem cells lurking in tumors can resist treatment
Posted: Thursday, March 12, 2015 7:08 PM
UCLA stem-cell researchers have shown that a novel stem-cell gene therapy method could one day provide a one-time, lasting treatment for the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S. sickle cell disease. Publishedin the journal Blood, the study outlines a method that corrects the mutated gene that causes sickle cell disease and shows, for the first time, the gene correction method leads to the production of normal red blood cells. The study was directed by renowned stem cell researcher and UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research member, Dr. Donald Kohn.
People with sickle cell disease are born with a mutation in their beta-globin gene, which is responsible for delivering oxygen to the body through blood circulation. The mutation causes blood stem cellswhich are made in the bone marrowto produce distorted and rigid red blood cells that resemble a crescent or sickle shape. Consequently, the abnormally shaped red blood cells do not move smoothly through blood vessels, resulting in insufficient oxygen supply to vital organs. Anyone can be born with sickle cell disease, but it occurs more frequently in African Americans and Hispanic Americans.
The stem-cell gene therapy method described in the study seeks to directly correct the mutation in the beta-globin gene so bone marrow stem cells then produce normal, circular-shaped blood cells that do not sickle. The fascinating gene correction technique used specially engineered enzymes, called zinc-finger nucleases, tocut out the mutated genetic code and replace it with a corrected version that repairs the beta-globin mutation.
For the study, bone marrow stem cells donated by people with the sickle cell gene mutation were treated in the laboratory with the zinc-finger nucleases enzyme cutting method.Kohn and his team then demonstrated in mouse models that thecorrected bone-marrow stem cells have the capability to replicate successfully. The research showed that the method holds the potential to permanently treat the disease if a higher level of correction is achieved.
This is a very exciting result,said Dr. Kohn, professor of pediatrics atUCLAs David Geffen School of Medicine, professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics in Life Sciences at UCLA, member of the UCLA Childrens Discovery and Innovation Institute at Mattel Childrens Hospital and senior author on the study. It suggests the future direction for treating genetic diseases will be by correcting the specific mutation in a patients genetic code. Since sickle cell disease was the first human genetic disease where we understood the fundamental gene defect,and since everyone with sickle cell has the exact same mutation in the beta-globin gene, it is a great target for this gene correction method.
To make the cut in the genetic code, Dr. Kohn and his team used zinc-finger nucleases engineered by Sangamo BioSciences, Inc., in Richmond. The enzymes can be designed to recognize a specific and targeted point in the genetic code. For the study, scientists at Sangamo BioSciences engineered the enzymes to create a cut at the site of the mutated genetic code that causes sickle cell disease. This break triggered a natural process of repair in the cell and at the same time, a molecule containing the correct genetic code was inserted to replace the mutated code.
The next steps in this research will involve improving the efficiency of the mutation correction process and performing pre-clinical studies to demonstrate that the method is effective and safe enough to move to clinical trials.
Symptoms of sickle cell disease usually begin in early childhood and include a low number of red blood cells (anemia), repeated infections and periodic episodes of pain. People with sickle cell disease typically have a shortened lifespan of just 36-40 years of age. The disease impacts more than 250,000 new patients worldwide each year. The only cure currently available for sickle cell disease is a transplant of bone marrow stem cells from a matched sibling, but matches are rare or can result in rejection of the transplanted cells.
This is a promising first step in showing that gene correction has the potential to help patients with sickle cell disease, said Megan Hoban, a senior graduate student in microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics and first author on the study. The study data provide the foundational evidence that the method is viable.
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UCLA Research Shows Promising Method For Correcting Genetic Code To Treat Sickle Cell Disease
GCSE Additional Science Biology Stem Cells
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WSCS 2014: DEVELOPMENT OF JAPANESE REGENERATIVE MEDICINE INDUSTRY
Presenter - Takuya Yokokawa, FujiFilm.
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Stem Cell Therapy Network
Stem Cell Therapy Network connects patients and providers through a global Stem Cell Therapy Network using our Patient Advocate System, Medical Tourism and Personal Injury Network. We have...
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A new study by University of Alberta law researchers reveals sometimes overly optimistic news coverage of clinical translation of stem cell therapies--and as spokespeople, scientists need to be mindful of harnessing public expectations.
"As the dominant voice in respect to timelines for stem cell therapies, the scientists quoted in these stories need to be more aware of the importance of communicating realistic timelines to the press," said researcher Kalina Kamenova, who co-authored the study with professor Timothy Caulfield in the University of Alberta's Health Law Institute, based in the Faculty of Law.
Their analysis of media coverage showed that most news reports were highly optimistic about the future of stem cell therapies and forecasted unrealistic timelines for clinical use. The study, published in the latest issue of Science Translational Medicine, examined 307 news reports covering translational stem cell research in major daily newspapers in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom between 2010 and 2013.
While the field of stem cell research holds tremendous promise, "it has also been surrounded by tremendous hype, and we wanted to quantify that in some degree," Caulfield said. "Pop culture representations have an impact on how the public perceives the readiness of stem cell research, and that in turn feeds into stem cell tourism, marketing of unproven therapies and even the public's trust in research. We wanted to provide findings that would help inform the issue."
Their study found that 69 per cent of all news stories citing timelines predicted that therapies would be available within five to 10 years or even sooner. At the same time, the press overlooked challenges and failures in therapy translation, such as the discontinuation of the first FDA-approved clinical trial of an embryonic stem cell-derived therapy for spinal cord injuries in 2011. The biotech company conducting the trial was a leader in embryonic stem cell therapies and its decision to stop its work on stem cells was considered a significant setback for the field.
As well, ethical concerns about the use of human embryonic stem cells were displaced from the forefront of news coverage, while the clinical translation of stem cell therapies and new discoveries, such as hockey star Gordie Howe's recent treatment, grabbed the headlines instead.
"Our findings showed that many scientists have often provided either by implication or direct quotes, authoritative statements regarding unrealistic timelines for stem cell therapies and media hype can foster unrealistic public expectations about clinical translation and increased patient demand for unproven stem cell therapies," Caulfield noted.
While stem cell therapy research is progressing and has seen a dramatic increase in the past decade of clinical trials for treatments, the vast majority of these studies are still in the safety-testing stage and involve a limited number of participants, Kamenova noted.
"The approval process for new treatments is long and complicated, and only a few of all drugs that enter pre-clinical testing are approved for human clinical trials. It takes on average 12 years to get a new drug from the lab to the market, and additional 11 to 14 years of post-market surveillance," she added.
The science world is under pressure to come up with cures for what ails us, but "care needs to be taken by the media and the research community so that advances in research and therapy are portrayed in a realistic manner," Caulfield said.
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Media portray unrealistic timelines for stem cell therapies
Stem Cells Counting - NucleoCounter NC-200
WEBSITE http://chemometec.com/chemproducts/nucleocounter-nc-200/ During stem cell research NucleoCounter NC-200 Stem Cell Researchone of the important parameters is the precise ...
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Stem Cell Therapy for Achilles Tendon Repair - Dr. Wade McKenna
Dr. McKenna discusses non-surgical treatment of acute and chronic tendon problems using bone marrow stem cells augmented with amniotic tissue. He cites an ex...
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Stem Cells, Cancer, Immunology and Aging
Si apre domani a Genova un convegno internazionale sulle nuove terapie anti-cancro e sulle cellule staminali che vede la partecipazione dei maggiori esperti ...
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The future of Stem Cells | Dr. Panos Zavos | TEDxUniversityofNicosia
Professor Zavos has a long career as a world-renowned reproductive specialist and has devoted more than 40 years of his life to academia, research and clinic...
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Faculty profile: Gerold Grodsky, PhD, Professor (Emeritus, Active), UCSF School of Medicine
Gerold Grodsky shares how he works with scientists at the UCSF Diabetes Center to develop stem cells for diabetes research.
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Cardiac Stem Cells: Making a Difference in Duchenne
Dr Eduardo Marban, Director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, discusses a possible Cardiac Stem Cell breakthrough for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Coalition Duchenne founder, Catherine Jayasuriy...
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Maintain healthy Stem Cells today with FINITI - TA65 by JEUNESSE 2.5 min video
FINITI (trademark) Contains the only known patented nutrient shown to lengthen short TELOMERES IN HUMANS.. Learn more and SHOP at http://www.albertobango.jeunesseglobal.com/ ..Stay Young ...
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WSCS 2014: STEM CELLS FOR DISEASE MODELING
Moderator - Alain Vertes, PhD, NxR Biotechnologies Speakers - Timothy J. Nelson, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic Fernando Pitossi, PhD, Leloir Institute Gary D. Smith, PhD, HCLD, University of Michigan.
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Stem cells migrating on aligned electrospun nanofibers
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(March 5, 2015) - Gender equality has not yet been achieved in science, medicine, and engineering, but The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF), through its Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering, is committed to making sure progress is made. NYSCF convened the Inaugural Meeting of its Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering (IWISE) Working Group in February 2014, where the group put forward seven actionable strategies for advancing women in science, medicine, and engineering, and reconvened in February 2015 to further develop the strategies.
NYSCF began this initiative after an analysis of its own programs. "We found that the ratio of men and women in our own programs was OK but it could certainly be improved," said Susan L. Solomon, CEO and Co-Founder, of NYSCF. "We wanted to take action and actually make tangible progress, so we brought together many of the leading men and women who have already committed time, energy, and resources towards this problem."
Today, the recommendations were published in Cell Stem Cell. They were divided into three categories: direct financial support strategies, psychological and cultural strategies, and major collaborative and international initiatives. The group chose to highlight the most high-impact and implementable strategies from a larger list developed during the meeting. They also sought to promote promising, long-term initiatives that will require significant collaboration among multiple stakeholders with the aim of connecting potential partners.
"Advancing women in science and medicine is of critical importance to the academic and research enterprise in our country," said Dr. Marc Tessier-Lavigne, President of Rockefeller University. "This paper is important as it not only brings attention to this key issue but also outlines creative strategies that can help break down barriers to gender equality in science."
Changing financing structures, embedded cultural norms, and tying funding to gender balance to enact real change are the pillars underlying the seven strategies recommended by the Working Group.
"The brain power provided by women in science is essential to sustaining a thriving US society and economy. It is time to move beyond just lamenting its loss and embrace the actions called for in this timely report," Dr. Claire Pomeroy, President, the Lasker Foundation and a member of the IWISE Working Group.
The seven strategies include:
1) Implement flexible family care spending 2) Provide "extra hands" awards 3) Recruit gender-balanced external review committees and speaker selection committees 4) Incorporate implicit bias statements 5) Focus on education as a tool 6) Create an institutional report card for gender equality 7) Partner to expand upon existing searchable databases of women in science, medicine, and engineering
The IWISE Working Group reconvened in February 2015 to continue to work on the Institutional Report Card for Gender Equality. The paper published today includes the proposed Phase 1 Institutional Report Card, and the group plans to release the Phase 2 report card once finalized.
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Achieving gender equality in science, engineering and medicine
Despite the progress made by women in science, engineering, and medicine, a glance at most university directories or pharmaceutical executive committees tells the more complex story. Women in science can succeed, but they are succeeding in fields that may not even be conscious of the gender imbalances. These imbalances manifest themselves in the number of women that are invited to speak at conferences, the percentage of grants awarded to women scientists, and the higher rates of attrition of women at every stage of the career ladder compared to those of men.
In the March 5 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, the Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering Working Group, a collection of more than 30 academic and business leaders organized by the New York Stem Cell Foundation, present seven strategies to advance women in science, engineering, and medicine in this modern landscape.
"We wanted to think about broad ways to elevate the entire field, because when we looked at diversity programs across our organizations we thought that the results were okay, but they really could be better," said Susan L. Solomon, co-founder and CEO of the New York Stem Cell Foundation and a member of the working group. "We've identified some very straightforward things to do that are inexpensive and could be implemented pretty much immediately."
The working group's seven strategies are broken into three categories: the first two are direct financial support strategies, the next three are psychological and cultural strategies, and the final two are major collaborative and international initiatives.
1. Implement flexible family care spending
Make grants gender neutral by permitting grantees to use a certain percentage of grant award funds to pay for childcare, eldercare, or family-related expenses. This provides more freedom for grantees to focus on professional development and participate in the scientific community.
2. Provide "extra hands" awards
Dedicate funds for newly independent young investigators who are also primary caregivers to hire technicians, administrative assistants, or postdoctoral fellows.
3. Recruit gender-balanced review and speaker selection committees
Adopt policies that ensure that peer review committees are conscious of gender and are made up of a sufficient number of women.
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Seven strategies to advance women in science