StemCell Therapy

MIAMI (PRWEB) June 04, 2014

GlobalStemCellsGroup.com, its subsidiary Stem Cell Training, Inc. and Bioheart, Inc. have announced a new 16 CME online credit course for physicians. Working at their own pace from the privacy of home or office, physicians can learn how to implement regenerative medicine techniques in their own practices.

Taught by stem cell and regenerative medicine expert Kristin Comella, the online course provides didactic lectures on regenerative medicine and scientifically validated protocols. Lecture topics include:

Included in the online coursework are training videos, training booklets, detailed protocols and power point presentations with instructions and images for:

Medical professionals can also choose to combine the online coursework with one-on-one training with a regenerative medicine specialist.

For more information, visit the Global Stem Cells website,, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About the Global Stem Cells Group:

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions.

With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

Global Stem Cells Groups corporate mission is to make the promise of stem cell medicine a reality for patients around the world. With each of GSCGs six operating companies focused on a separate research-based mission, the result is a global network of state-of-the-art stem cell treatments.

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Global Stem Cells Group Announces Accredited Online Stem Cell Training Course

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 04, 2014

The Animal Medical Center of New York is offering stem cell therapy provided through Vet-Stem and long-term management in a clinical trial for qualifying cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The ultimate goal of this study is to investigate the use of stem cells (obtained from the patients own fat) in aiding the enhancement of renal (kidney) function by their regenerative capabilities, with the goal of improving survival in cats with CKD.

Currently there are no therapeutic options for cats with CKD other than renal transplantation, which is not typically an option for most owners. Most efforts aim at improving uremic signs with food, dietary supplements, and antacids, but there are no current methods for improving function of the kidney directly. CKD is the leading cause of death in older cats, and 35% of cats will develop CKD at some point.

Since renal failure is so common in cats and renal cell death is the ultimate result, improving the health and environment of the cells that remain could improve the overall function of the kidneys and ultimately improve the survival times and quality of life in patients. The aim is to use the cats own adipose (fat) derived stem cells to improve renal function directly, as stem cells are thought to improve, repair, and aid in the growth of damaged tissue.

The potential health benefits of using stem cells to combat CKD include renal regeneration, anti-fibrotic effects, a decrease in proteinuria (also called urine albumin or an abnormal amount of protein in the urine), and an improvement in the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR used to help measure kidney function). AMC is offering free fat collection, isolation of the stem cells from the fat, and intra-arterial injection for qualifying cats, as well as free follow-up for three years. Qualifying cats must be diagnosed with IRIS Stage 3 CKD that have had no other experimental therapies. Potential candidates must undergo a full workup and have no history of urinary tract stone disease or the presence of other concurrent, unrelated disease.

Allyson Berent, DVM, DACVIM and Catherine E. Langston, DVM, DACVIM will be leading the three year study, and invite owners with a cat that has been diagnosed with CKD to call 212.329.8763 for more information on qualifying for the clinic trial. To learn more about the study go to http://www.amcny.org/clinicaltrials. To watch a short special interest film about one cats success go to http://www.vet-stem.com/pr_detail.php?id=49.

The Animal Medical Center in New York City is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit veterinary center that has been a national leader in animal care since 1910. As an academic veterinary hospital, The AMC promotes the health and well-being of companion animals through advanced treatment, research and education. Stem Cell Therapy through Vet-Stem has been offered at AMC since 2008 to treat pain associated with chronic osteoarthritis. To find out more about AMC and their stem cell therapy services for osteoarthritis go to http://www.amcny.org/surgery/neurosurgery/stem-cell-therapy.

Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem, Inc. pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine. The company holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells. In the last decade over 10,000 animals have been treated using Vet-Stem, Inc.s services, and Vet-Stem is actively investigating stem cell therapy for immune-mediated and inflammatory disease, as well as organ disease and failure. For more on Vet-Stem, Inc. and Veterinary Regenerative Medicine visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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Animal Medical Center of New York Seeks Candidates for Clinical Trial for Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease to Receive ...

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Embryonic stem cells may have the ability to repair damaged tissue.

A landmark stem-cell trial is sputtering back to life two-and-a-half years after it was abandoned by the California company that started it. But it now faces a fresh set of challenges, including a field that is packed with competitors.

The trial aims to test whether cells derived from human embryonic stem cells can help nerves to regrow in cases of spinal-cord injury. It was stopped abruptly in 2011 by Geron of Menlo Park, California (see Nature 479, 459; 2011); the firm said at the time that it wanted to focus on several promising cancer treatments instead. Now, a new company Asterias Biotherapeutics, also of Menlo Park plans to resurrect the trial with a US$14.3-million grant that it received on 29May from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the states stem-cell-funding agency.

But the field has moved on since Geron treated its first patient in 2010, and the therapy that Asterias inherited is no longer the only possibility for spinal-cord injury. StemCells, a biotechnology company in Newark, California, has treated 12 patients in a safety study of a different type of stem cell, and it plans to start a more advanced trial this year to test effectiveness. And another entrant to the field, Neuralstem of Germantown, Maryland, received regulatory approval in January 2013 to begin human tests of its stem-cell product.

Gerons human trial was the first approved to use cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. But regulators halted it twice, once citing concerns about the purity and predictability of the cells being implanted, and again after the company reported seeing microscopic cysts in the spinal cords of rats that had been treated in preclinical studies. The worry was that the cysts could be teratomas uncontrolled growths that can form from embryonic stem cells, a feared side effect of treatment. Geron later said that the growths were not teratomas, and the US Food and Drug Administration allowed the trial to proceed. But after injecting the cells into five of the ten intended patients, the company said that it had run out of money for the trial.

Geron founder Michael West and former chief executive Thomas Okarma then formed Asterias, which bought Gerons stem-cell therapy last year. The company plans first to treat three patients with spinal-cord damage in the neck, using a low dose of the stem cells; it will then treat different people with higher doses to see if the therapy can restore any sensation or function in the trunk or limbs.

The five patients previously treated by Geron, whom Asterias continues to track, had cord damage at chest level. On 22May, Asterias reported that none of those five had experienced serious side effects from the treatment or developed immune responses to it.

Researchers say that the continuation of the former Geron trial is important because it uses a type of cell different from the fetus-derived ones used by StemCells and Neuralstem. Geron surgically implanted embryonic stem cells that had been coaxed in vitro to grow into immature myelinated glial cells, which insulate nerve fibres when mature. The other companies are using partially differentiated cells derived from fetal brain tissue, which might produce substances that protect surviving tissue and make new connections in the neural circuitry.

Its very good for the field, because we now have multiple cell lines being tested in very similar populations of patients, and this will help us define what is needed to make this approach work, says Martin Marsala, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego, whose work has shown that Neuralstems cells can develop into working neurons and restore movement to rats with cord injuries in the neck.

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Funding windfall rescues abandoned stem-cell trial

stem cell therapy - treatment for mr with delayed milestones by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india
after stem cell therapy treatment for mental retardation with delayed milestones by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india. Stem Cell Therapy done date 18/02/2013 After Stem Cell Therapy OT assessment:...

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Reprogramming Leukocytes to Mesenchymal Stem Cells Via Retrodifferentiation
Time lapse imaging of human leukocytes conversion into Pluripotent Mesenchymal stem cells via a process of retrodifferentiation / dedifferentiation and subsequent transdifferentiation into...

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Researchers grow human cartilage from stem cells
And finally... researchers at Columbia University have successfully grown human cartilage for the first time in medical history. Paul, how did they achieve this scientific breakthrough? ...

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Scientists Grow Human Cartlilage Using Stem Cells

By: https://www.youtube.com/user/ReutersVideo Please like PigMine #39;s FaceBook page here: http://www.facebook.com/PigMineNews Subscribe to http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=PigMi...

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(2009-04a) David Steenblock MS DO - Bone marrow stem cell therapy
David Steenblock MS DO - Bone marrow stem cell therapy 2009-04-16 part 1 April 16, 2009 Visit the Silicon Valley Health Institute (aka Smart Life Forum) at http://www.svhi.com Silicon Valley...

By: Silicon Valley Health Institute

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(2009-04a) David Steenblock MS DO - Bone marrow stem cell therapy - Video

(2006-06) David Steenblock - Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Therapy
David Steenblock Umbilical cord stem cell therapy 2006-06-15 Visit the Silicon Valley Health Institute (aka Smart Life Forum) at http://www.svhi.com Silicon Valley Health Institute Smart...

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(2006-06) David Steenblock - Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Therapy - Video

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Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 30, 2014

MetroMD Institute of Regenerative Medicine, a clinic that specializes in HGH and stem cell therapy, introduces an advanced cosmetic regeneration therapy that makes use of CO2 Fractional Laser System and highly efficient DOT to cure age-related skin problems, sun tanning, improve texture and laxity.

All within minimum discomfort, the Co2 Fractional Laser treatment helps in: 1.Reversing the appearance of aged and sun-damaged skin 2.Improving texture and elasticity of the skin 3.Smoothing Wrinkles 4.Reducing the acne and other scar marks

What does DOT Therapy Do?

Sun can wreak havoc to sensitive skin. Now, for ones who need to spend hours under the sun and suffer from wrinkles, discoloration, sun-spots, or lack of skin elasticity, or all of the above, the MetroMD DOT Therapy brings in a chance to alleviate individuals from all these problems. Persons with scars resulting from acne or other skin conditions and injuries can also benefit from this procedure.

One can restore skins youthful appearance with the DOT Therapy even within a one-hour sitting at the doctors office, says Dr Alex Martin, MD and the cosmetic regeneration specialist at MetroMD. While the aging process cannot be stopped, with proper care you can maintain your rejuvenated skins appearance for many years!

MetroMDs therapy is FDA approved and helps people feel younger and revitalized again. Patients seeking a cosmetic treatment in MetroMD, however, will have to go through a complete medical examination to ascertain if their body is suitable for the treatment.

Dr. Martin also said that to make the treatment accessible to more men and women, MetroMD have decided to offer the advanced cosmetic skin regeneration therapy at an exciting price. In addition, there are several charitable trusts that MetroMD has collaborated with in making their advanced therapies available to all at incredibly reduced prices!

About MetroMD

MetroMD is a prominent research institute of regenerative medicine based out of Los Angeles. The institute uses the latest medical technologies and has a highly qualified team to treat hundreds of patients who approach them for non-invasive and painless treatment. Involved in the field of cellular therapy for many years, Dr. Martins cosmetic akin and cellular regeneration therapy team renders complete pre and post treatment help.

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MetroMDs Advanced Regenerative Therapy Set to Counter Aging; Interesting Price-sharing Model to Make Cosmetic ...

Miami (PRWEB) May 30, 2014

GlobalStemCellsGroup.com will host the First International Symposium on Stem Cell Research in Buenos Aires, Argentina Oct. 2, 3 and 4. The symposium will provide an opportunity to showcase advancements in stem cell research and therapies on a global level and establish a dialogue among the worlds leading stem cell experts. Pioneers and luminaries in stem cell medicine will be featured speakers as well as accomplished guests prepared to share their knowledge and experience in their individual medical specialties.

Regenerative medicine as a field is still in its infancy, and Global Stem Cells Group President and CEO Benito Novas believes it is time to clear up old misconceptions and change outdated attitudes by educating people on the wide range of illnesses and injuries stem cell therapies are already treating and curing. The first step, Novas says, is establishing a dialogue between researchers and practitioners in order to move stem cell therapies from the lab to the physicians office.

Our objective is to open a dialogue among the worlds medical and scientific communities in order to advance stem cell technologies and translate them into point-of-care medical practices, Novas says. Our mission is to bring the benefits of stem cell therapies to the physicians office for the benefit and convenience of the patient, safely and in full compliance with the highest standard of care the world has to offer.

An interdisciplinary team of leading international stem cell experts will provide a full day of high-level scientific lectures aimed at medical professionals.

Among the growing list of speakers are some of the worlds most prominent authorities on stem cell medicine including:

The objective of Global Stem Cell Groups international symposium is to educate the public and the medical community, and at the same time establish a dialog between physicians, scientists, biotech companies and regulatory agencies in order to advance stem cell technologies so they can be used to benefit people who need them.

Global Stem Cells Group is also joining forces with some of the most prestigious regenerative medicine conferences in South America including:

Stem cell therapies are revolutionizing the anti-aging aesthetics industry while offering new hope for sufferers of serious chronic debilitating diseases

For more information on the Global Stem Cell Group First International Symposium on Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine and the events lineup of speakers, visit the Global Stem Cells Symposium website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

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Global Stem Cells Group to Host the First International Symposium on Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine in Buenos ...

Miami, FL (PRWEB) May 31, 2014

Global Stem Cells Group, its subsidiary Stem Cell Training, Inc. and Bioheart, Inc. have announced plans to conduct a two-day, hands-on intensive stem cell training course at the Servet CordnVida Clinic Sept. 27 and 28 in Santiago, Chile. The Adipose Derived Harvesting, Isolation and Re-integration Training Course, will follow the Global Stem Cells Group First International Symposium on Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at the Santiago InterContinental Hotel Sept. 26, 2014.

Global Stem Cells Group and the Servet CordnVida Stem Cell Bank Clinic of Chile are co-organizing the symposium, designed to initiate a dialogue between researchers and practitioners and share the expertise of some of the worlds leading experts on stem cell research and therapies.

Servet CordnVida is a private umbilical cord blood bank that harvests and stores the hematopoietic-rich blood stem cells found in all newborns umbilical cords after birth. The hematopoietic tissue is responsible for the renewal of all components of the blood (hematopoiesis) and has the ability to regenerate bone marrow and restore depressed immune systems.

Umbilical (UCB) stem cells offer a wealth of therapeutic potential because they are up to 10 times more concentrated than bone marrow stem cells. In addition, UCB cells have a generous proliferative capacity with therapeutic potential that is very similar to embryonic stem cells, without the ethical debate associated with embryonic stem cell research and use.

UCB cells are the purest adult stem cells available, coming from newborns who have not been exposed to disease or external damage. Many parents today are utilizing cord banks like Servet CordnVida to store their newborns UCB cells safely for future medicinal use if the need arises.

Global Stem Cells Group and Servet CordnVida represent a growing global community of committed stem cell researchers, practitioners and investors whose enthusiasm is a direct result of the hundreds of diseases and injuries that stem cell therapies are curing every day. Global Stem Cell Groups First International Symposium on Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine will host experts from the U.S., Mexico, Greece, Hong Kong and other regions around the globe who will speak on the future of regenerative medicine and share experiences in their field of specialty. The Global Stem Cells Group is hoping the symposium will open lines of communication and cooperation, explore new and exciting techniques in stem cell therapies, and create an environment of education and learning.

For more information on the symposium and the lineup of guests and speakers already confirmed, visit the First International Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

To learn more Global Stem Cells Group, visit http://www.stemcellsgroup.com, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About Global Stem Cells Group:

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Global Stem Cells Group to Hold Intensive, Two-day Training Course on Stem Cell Harvesting, Isolation and Re ...

Miami (PRWEB) May 31, 2014

Global Stem Cells Group and the Servet CordnVida Stem Cell Bank Clinic of Chile will be teaming up to organize the First International Symposium on Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine in Santiago, Chile Sept. 26, 27 and 28. The three-day symposium will be followed by an intensive hands-on training course at the Servet Clinic for medical practitioners interested in learning techniques for harvesting stem cells for in-office medical therapies.

Symposium organizers plan to initiate a dialogue between researchers and practitioners to bridge the gap between bench scienceresearch science that is exclusively conducted in a lab settingand stem cell therapies delivered in the physicians office.

The first-of-its-kind conference will host some of the worlds leading experts on stem cell research and therapies. Servet CordnVida General Manager Mauricio Cortes, Ph.D. says that Santiago is the perfect launching pad for the event, as awareness and increasing demand for stem cell services has swept the South American countrys healthcare market over the past decade.

The use of human stem cells in medical therapies has attracted major scientific and public attention because stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they have the ability to differentiate into all body tissues, Cortes says. Knowing this, the possibilities for regenerating damaged or diseased tissue where no effective treatments existed before opens a new world of possibilities to patients and healthcare providers.

Were very excited to participate in this important conference.

Servet CordnVida is a private umbilical cord blood bank that harvests and stores the hematopoietic-rich blood stem cells found in all newborns umbilical cords after birth. The hematopoietic tissue is responsible for the renewal of all components of the blood (hematopoiesis) and has the ability to regenerate bone marrow and restore depressed immune systems.

Umbilical (UCB) stem cells offer a wealth of therapeutic potential because they are up to 10 times more concentrated than bone marrow stem cells. In addition, UCB cells have a generous proliferative capacity with therapeutic potential that is very similar to embryonic stem cells, without the ethical debate associated with embryonic stem cell research and use.

Perhaps most significant is the fact that UCB cells are the purest adult stem cells available, coming from newborns who have not been exposed to disease or external damage. Many parents today are utilizing cord banks like Servet CordnVida to store their newborns UCB cells safely for future medicinal use if the need arises.

Thanks to advances in stem cell science, we can preserve an infants stem cells at birth and store them safely for his or her future, says CordnVida Director Javier Sez. Hopefully, this symposium will be the first of many like it in the future of regenerative medicine, because the more we discuss what we know about the power of stem cells to heal, the closer we get to sparing our patients from needless suffering when the cure is right before us.

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Global Stem Cells Group Teams With CordnVida Servet Stem Cell Bank and Clinic to Organize the First International ...

The gap between stem cell research and regenerative medicine just became a lot narrower, thanks to a new technique that coaxes stem cells, with potential to become any tissue type, to take the first step to specialization. It is the first time this critical step has been demonstrated in a laboratory.

University of Illinois researchers, in collaboration with scientists at Notre Dame University and the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, published their results in the journal Nature Communications.

"Everybody knows that for an embryo to form, somehow a single cell has a way to self-organize into multiple cells, but the in vivo microenvironment is not well understood," said study leader Ning Wang, a professor of mechanical science and engineering at the U. of I. "We want to know how they develop into organized structures and organs. It doesn't happen by random chance. There are biological rules that we don't yet understand."

During fetal development, all the specialized tissues and organs of the body form out of a small ball of stem cells. First, the ball of generalized cells separates into three different cell lines, called germ layers, which will become different systems of the body. This crucial first step has eluded researchers in the lab. No one has yet been able to induce the cells to form the three distinct germ layers, in the correct order -- endoderm on the inside, mesoderm in the middle and ectoderm on the outside. This represents a major hurdle in the application of stem cells to regenerative medicine, since researchers need to understand how tissues develop before they can reliably recreate the process.

"It's very hard to generate tissues or organs, and the reason is that we don't know how they form in vivo," Wang said. "The problem, fundamentally, is that the biological process is not clear. What is the biological environment that controls this, so they can become more organized and specialized?"

Wang's team demonstrated that not only is it possible for mouse embryonic stem cells to form three distinct germ layers in the lab, but also that achieving the separation requires a careful combination of correct timing, chemical factors and mechanical environment. The team uses cell lines that fluoresce in different colors when they become part of a germ layer, which allows the researchers to monitor the process dynamically.

The researchers deposited the stem cells in a very soft gel matrix, attempting to recreate the properties of the womb. They found that several mechanical forces played a role in how the cells organized and differentiated -- the stiffness of the gel, the forces each cell exerts on its neighbors, and the matrix of proteins that the cells themselves deposit as a scaffolding to give the developing embryo structure.

By adjusting the mechanical environment, the researchers were able to observe how the forces affected the developing cells, and found the particular combination that yielded the three germ layers. They also found that they could direct layer development by changing the mechanics, even creating an environment that caused the layers to form in reverse order.

Now, Wang's group is working to improve their technique for greater efficiency. He hopes that other researchers will be able to use the technique to bridge the gap between stem cells and tissue engineering.

"It's the first time we've had the correct three-germ-layer organization in mammalian cells," Wang said. "The potential is huge. Now we can push it even further and generate specific organs and tissues. It opens the door for regenerative medicine."

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Researchers see stem cells take key step toward development: A first

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

30-May-2014

Contact: Liz Ahlberg eahlberg@illinois.edu 217-244-1073 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. The gap between stem cell research and regenerative medicine just became a lot narrower, thanks to a new technique that coaxes stem cells, with potential to become any tissue type, to take the first step to specialization. It is the first time this critical step has been demonstrated in a laboratory.

University of Illinois researchers, in collaboration with scientists at Notre Dame University and the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, published their results in the journal Nature Communications.

"Everybody knows that for an embryo to form, somehow a single cell has a way to self-organize into multiple cells, but the in vivo microenvironment is not well understood," said study leader Ning Wang, a professor of mechanical science and engineering at the U. of I. "We want to know how they develop into organized structures and organs. It doesn't happen by random chance. There are biological rules that we don't yet understand."

During fetal development, all the specialized tissues and organs of the body form out of a small ball of stem cells. First, the ball of generalized cells separates into three different cell lines, called germ layers, which will become different systems of the body. This crucial first step has eluded researchers in the lab. No one has yet been able to induce the cells to form the three distinct germ layers, in the correct order endoderm on the inside, mesoderm in the middle and ectoderm on the outside. This represents a major hurdle in the application of stem cells to regenerative medicine, since researchers need to understand how tissues develop before they can reliably recreate the process.

"It's very hard to generate tissues or organs, and the reason is that we don't know how they form in vivo," Wang said. "The problem, fundamentally, is that the biological process is not clear. What is the biological environment that controls this, so they can become more organized and specialized?"

Wang's team demonstrated that not only is it possible for mouse embryonic stem cells to form three distinct germ layers in the lab, but also that achieving the separation requires a careful combination of correct timing, chemical factors and mechanical environment. The team uses cell lines that fluoresce in different colors when they become part of a germ layer, which allows the researchers to monitor the process dynamically.

The researchers deposited the stem cells in a very soft gel matrix, attempting to recreate the properties of the womb. They found that several mechanical forces played a role in how the cells organized and differentiated the stiffness of the gel, the forces each cell exerts on its neighbors, and the matrix of proteins that the cells themselves deposit as a scaffolding to give the developing embryo structure.

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For the first time in the lab, researchers see stem cells take key step toward development

Phil Reyes, one of the Parkinson's patients in Summit 4 Stem Cell, urges California's stem cell agency to support its research.

A potentially groundbreaking trial to treat spinal cord injuries with tissue grown from human embryonic stem cells will resume, after being funded by the California's stem cell agency.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine's governing committee approved without opposition a $14.3 million award to Asterias Biotherapeutics of Menlo Park. Asterias is taking over from Geron, which stopped clinical trials in November, 2011. Geron, also of Menlo Park, said it discontinued the trials for business reasons. Asterias is a subsidiary of Alameda-based BioTime.

Patients will be given transplants of neural tissue grown from the embryonic stem cells. The hope is that the cells will repair the severed connections, restoring movement and sensation below the injury site.

CIRM also unanimously approved a $5.6 million grant for another potential breakthrough: a clinical trial by Sangamo Biosciences of Richmond, Calif, to cure HIV infection with gene therapy. The trial is now in Phase II. Immune cells are taken from the patient and given a mutant form of a gene that HIV uses to get inside the cells. The mutated gene resists infection. The genetically altered cells are then given back to the patient.

Approval of both grants had been expected, as staff reports had recommended their approval. The agency met in San Diego.

In addition CIRM's Independent Citizens Oversight Committee funded $16.2 million in grants to bring three stem cell researchers to California. That vote was more contentious, with some committee members arguing that it made no sense to bring more scientists to California without a specific need. In addition, they argued that CIRM's main emphasis needs to be on funding clinical trials.

Member Jeff Sheehy said that bringing the scientists to California doesn't create more scientific capacity. However, a vote to deny funding failed, and a subsequent vote to approve funding passed.

CIRM is projected to run out of its $3 billion in bond funding by 2017, and supporters of the public agency are considering asking California voters for more money.

Also appearing at the CIRM meeting were advocates of funding a stem cell-based therapy for Parkinson's disease. The therapy, which may be approved in 2015 for a clinical trial, uses artificial embryonic stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells grown from the patient's own skin cells. The group, Summit 4 Stem Cell, plans to ask for funding to help with the trial in the near future.

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Spinal cord, HIV stem cell treatments funded