StemCell Therapy

Evan Snyder - Stem Cell Research : The Teenage Years
thesciencenetwork.org Evan Snyder surveys the history of stem cell research into its current "teenage" years, in which the answers are less easy and clean cut. Scientists understand much about stem cells functioning as the building blocks of the body and maintaining balance, but there is a lot yet to discover including mechanisms of diseases in order to target stem cell therapies. Dr. Synder also describes his path to science and medicine, driven at a young age to take care of kids after working a center for disadvantaged and disabled children. Evan Snyder is regarded as one of the fathers of the stem cell field, having identified over two decades ago that cells that came to be called stem cells were a source of neural plasticity. He was the first to demonstrate that non-hematopoietic stem cells could mediate cell and gene replacement, home to injury, and perform protective, trophic, pro-regenerative, and anti-inflammatory actions. He was the first to isolate human neural stem cells. In 2003, after 23 years at Harvard, Dr. Snyder was recruited to Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute as professor and director of the Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology program.From:TheScienceFoundationViews:99 8ratingsTime:54:11More inScience Technology

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Evan Snyder - Stem Cell Research : The Teenage Years - Video

Dr. Alex Meissner -- Advances in Stem Cell Research
Learn more at http://www.invitrogen.com Dr. Alex Meissner, Assistant Professor at the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University, discusses how next generation sequencing has revolutionized the way we look at stem cells and perform stem cell research. Dr. Meissner talks about the challenges of interpreting genome wide data to provide stem cells with the right cues for efficient proliferation and differentiation and how the resulting cell models can be used to improve compound screening and cell therapy research applications.From:LifeTechnologiesCorpViews:0 0ratingsTime:02:56More inEducation

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Dr. Alex Meissner -- Advances in Stem Cell Research - Video

Mesenchymal Stem Cell - Wiki Article
Mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs, are multipotent stromal cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types, including: osteoblasts (bone cells), chondrocytes (cartilage cells), and adipocytes... Mesenchymal Stem Cell - Wiki Article - wikiplays.org Original @ http All Information Derived from Wikipedia using Creative Commons License: en.wikipedia.org Author: Robert M. Hunt Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:Creative Commons ASA 3.0, Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License., GNU Free Documentation License, This work is in the public domain in the United States. Author: C.mahapatra Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:Creative Commons ASA 3.0, Creative Commons License Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported This work is in the public domain in the United States.From:WikiPlaysViews:0 0ratingsTime:12:10More inEducation

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What are, and how we use, Stem Cells - JEUNESSE GLOBAL TRUTH
JOIN THE NUMBER 1 TEAM in Jeunesse Global - We are the fastest growing team worldwide and provide you with the tools, unmatched support and invest our time with you to ensure your success. WHY WAIT this is happening with or without you. IF YOU HAVE EVER WANTED TO PARTNER WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS AND TOP INCOME EARNERS TO LEVERAGE YOURSELF TO MASSIVE RESIDUAL INCOME AND WEALTH. Contact: UltimateFreedomTeam@gmail.com and we will help you make it to the top in record time.From:Greg AtkinsViews:0 0ratingsTime:02:16More inScience Technology

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What are, and how we use, Stem Cells - JEUNESSE GLOBAL TRUTH - Video

Dr,Douglas Willen about GLYCO/ health / disease / cancer / tumor / stem cells
From:Glyco MannatechViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:17More inNonprofits Activism

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Dr,Douglas Willen about GLYCO/ health / disease / cancer / tumor / stem cells - Video

The idea of taking a mature cell and removing its identity (nuclear reprogramming) so that it can then become any kind of cell, holds great promise for repairing damaged tissue or replacing bone marrow after chemotherapy.

Hot on the heels of his recent Nobel prize Dr John B. Gurdon has published in BioMed Central's open access journal Epigenetics and Chromatin research showing that histone H3.3 deposited by the histone-interacting protein HIRA is a key step in reverting nuclei to a pluripotent type, capable of being any one of many cell types.

All of an individual's cells have the same DNA, yet these cells become programmed, as the organism matures, into different types such as heart, or lung or brain.

To achieve this different genes are more or less permanently switched off in each cell lineage. As an embryo grows, after a certain number of divisions, it is no longer possible for cells which have gone down the pathway to become something else.

For example heart cells cannot be converted into lung tissue, and muscle cells cannot form bone.

One way to reprogram DNA is to transfer the nucleus of a mature cell into an unfertilized egg. Proteins and other factors inside the egg alter the DNA switching some genes on and other off until it resembles the DNA of a pluripotent cell. However there seem to be some difficulties with this method in completely wiping the cell's 'memory'.

One of the mechanisms regulating the activation of genes is chromatin and in particular histones. DNA is wrapped around histones and alteration in how the DNA is wound changes which genes are available to the cell.

In order to understand how nuclear reprogramming works Dr Gurdon's team transplanted a mouse nucleus into a frog oocyte (Xenopus laevis). They added fluorescently tagged histones by microinjection, so that they could see where in the cell and nucleus the these histones collected.

Prof Gurdon explained, "Using real-time microscopy it became apparent that from 10 hours onwards H3.3 (the histone involved with active genes) expressed in the oocyte became incorporated into the transplanted nucleus.

When we looked in detail at the gene Oct4, which is known to be involved in making cells pluripotent, we found that H3.3 was incorporated into Oct4, and that this coincided with the onset of transcription from the gene." Prof Gurdon's team also found that Hira, a protein required to incorporate H3.3 into chromatin, was also required for nuclear reprogramming.

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How to make stem cells - nuclear reprogramming moves a step forward

Deep within the medulla of the adrenal glands, microscopic chromaffin cells release the two hormones adrenaline and enkephalin to give that rush of energy when we are frightened or that second wind brought on by heavy exercise. According to a study published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, a research team in Europe discovered a way to obtain these cells from adult humans and then isolate and force them to become neurons in the lab, bringing researchers one step closer to finding new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and chronic pain.

Durham, NC (PRWEB) October 29, 2012

Monika Ehrhart-Bornstein, Ph.D., of Dresden University of Technologys Center for Regenerative Therapies (Germany), was a lead investigator on the team. Chromaffin progenitor cells seem to be a promising cell source due to the potential use in autologous transplantations, which avoids the possibility of immune rejection, she explained. Our team had recently described how we isolated chromaffin progenitor cells from the adrenal glands of cows and then treated them so that they differentiated into functional neurons. In this subsequent study, we wanted to learn whether these cells could also be obtained from adult human adrenal glands and then forced to differentiate into neurons, as a prerequisite for future use in transplantation trials.

Dr. Ehrhart-Bornstein collaborated with Dr. Claudia Cavadas, professor at the Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Portugal, in leading the team of researchers from both universities on the study. They adapted their bovine study method to obtain and isolate the human cells and then treated them with growth factor. When they examined the cells six days later, they had indeed differentiated into neuron-like cells.

This study both proves the existence of chromaffin progenitor cells in the human adrenal medulla and demonstrates that they can be isolated, Cavadas said. These cells may open new perspectives and challenges in the field of regenerative medicine, especially regarding their potential use in the treatment of neurodegenerative and neuroendocrine diseases.

Dr. Ehrhart-Bornstein added, While protocols need to be established to entirely remove other cell types from progenitor cultures for their therapeutic use, the potential of these progenitor cells to acquire both neuronal and chromaffin cell phenotypes is unquestionable, making them an interesting new cell source for cell-based therapies. The isolation and characterization of these valuable cells from human adrenals is the first step toward their potential future use in transplantation therapies.

These cells are not only an interesting source for cell therapy, said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, they may contribute to a better understanding of adrenal disease and dysfunction.

###

The full article, Isolation, characterization and differentiation of progenitor cells from human adult adrenal medulla, can be accessed at http://www.stemcellstm.com/content.

About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE (SCTM), published by AlphaMed Press, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices.

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Stem Cells Behind ‘Adrenaline Rush’ Could Offer Hope for Chronic Pain Sufferers

Researchers have created adult cartilage from stem cells found in mice. The discovery could lead to new treatments for osteoarthritis and cartilage injury.

The finding is especially important because cartilage does not regenerate itself.

Experts at Duke University created the cartilage from adult cells that have been genetically altered to be structurally similar to embryonic stem cells. The technique of developing those cells, known as induced pluripotent stem cells iIPSCs), was originated by Shimya Yamanaka of Kyoto University. It won this years Nobel Prize for medicine.

The Duke researchers built on that technique to create the cartilage.

What this research shows in a mouse model is the ability to create an unlimited supply of stem cells that can turn into any type of tissue, senior author Farshid Guilak said in a news release. iPSCs can be used to make high quality cartilage, either for replacement tissue or as a way to study disease and potential treatment.

Further studies, this time on humans, are needed, he said.

The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Breakthrough: Cartilage Developed from Cells

Washington, October 30 (ANI)

Duke Medicine researchers have engineered cartilage from induced pluripotent stem cells that were successfully grown and sorted for use in tissue repair and studies into cartilage injury and osteoarthritis.

The finding suggests that induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs, may be a viable source of patient-specific articular cartilage tissue.

"This technique of creating induced pluripotent stem cells - an achievement honoured with this year's Nobel Prize in medicine for Shimya Yamanaka of Kyoto University - is a way to take adult stem cells and convert them so they have the properties of embryonic stem cells," said Farshid Guilak, PhD, Laszlo Ormandy Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke and senior author of the study.

"Adult stems cells are limited in what they can do, and embryonic stem cells have ethical issues. What this research shows in a mouse model is the ability to create an unlimited supply of stem cells that can turn into any type of tissue - in this case cartilage, which has no ability to regenerate by itself," Guilak noted.

Articular cartilage is the shock absorber tissue in joints that makes it possible to walk, climb stairs, jump and perform daily activities without pain. But ordinary wear-and-tear or an injury can diminish its effectiveness and progress to osteoarthritis.

Because articular cartilage has a poor capacity for repair, damage and osteoarthritis are leading causes of impairment in older people and often requires joint replacement.

In their study, the Duke researchers, led by Brian O. Diekman, PhD., a post-doctoral associate in orthopaedic surgery, aimed to apply recent technologies that have made iPSCs a promising alternative to other tissue engineering techniques, which use adult stem cells derived from the bone marrow or fat tissue.

One challenge the researchers sought to overcome was developing a uniformly differentiated population of chondrocytes, cells that produce collagen and maintain cartilage, while culling other types of cells that the powerful iPSCs could form.

To achieve that, the researchers induced chondrocyte differentiation in iPSCs derived from adult mouse fibroblasts by treating cultures with a growth medium. They also tailored the cells to express green fluorescent protein only when the cells successfully became chondrocytes. As the iPSCs differentiated, the chondrocyte cells that glowed with the green fluorescent protein were easily identified and sorted from the undesired cells.

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Cartilage grown in lab dishes using stem cells

MONDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists who created cartilage from adult stem cells in mice say their success could lead to new treatments for cartilage injury and osteoarthritis.

The cartilage was created using induced pluripotent stem cells, which are adult cells that have been genetically altered to have the characteristics of embryonic stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have the potential to become different types of specialized cells.

"What this research shows in a mouse model is the ability to create an unlimited supply of stem cells that can turn into any type of tissue -- in this case cartilage, which has no ability to regenerate by itself," study senior author Farshid Guilak, a professor of orthopedic surgery at Duke University in Durham, N.C., said in a university news release.

The study was published online Oct. 29 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Study leader Brian Diekman, a post-doctoral associate in orthopedic surgery, said the multi-step process used by the researchers shows "that iPSCs can be used to make high-quality cartilage, either for replacement tissue or as a way to study disease and potential treatments."

Guilak added that the advantage of this technique is "we can grow a continuous supply of cartilage in a dish." He said that in addition to cell-based therapies, this technology can also provide "patient-specific cell and tissue models that could be used to screen for drugs to treat osteoarthritis, which right now does not have a cure or an effective therapy to inhibit cartilage loss."

However, results achieved in animal trials do not necessarily apply to humans. The researchers said they next plan to use human induced pluripotent stem cells to test the cartilage-growing technique.

-- Robert Preidt

Copyright 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

SOURCE: Duke University, news release, Oct. 29, 2012

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Stem Cells to Cartilage? Promising Results Seen in Mice

Published: Oct. 31, 2012 at 8:34 PM

DURHAM, N.C., Oct. 31 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they engineered cartilage from adult stem cells to use in tissue repair and possibly treat cartilage injury and osteoarthritis.

"Adult stems cells are limited in what they can do, and embryonic stem cells have ethical issues," senior author Farshid Guilak of Duke University said in a statement. "What this research shows in a mouse model is the ability to create an unlimited supply of stem cells that can turn into any type of tissue -- in this case cartilage, which has no ability to regenerate by itself."

Articular cartilage is the shock absorber tissue in joints making it possible to walk, climb stairs, jump and perform daily activities without pain. But ordinary wear-and-tear or an injury can diminish its effectiveness and progress to osteoarthritis.

Because articular cartilage has a poor capacity for repair, damage and osteoarthritis are leading causes of impairment in older people and often requires joint replacement.

The researchers developed a technique to grow a continuous supply of cartilage in a dish and these stem cells might be a viable source of patient-specific articular cartilage tissue, Guilak said.

The finding were reported online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Cartilage may be created using stem cells

Under fire from the Food and Drug Administration, the Houston-area company that facilitated Gov. Rick Perry's controversial 2011 stem-cell treatment has stopped providing doctors with the cells patients banked at its facility for the procedure.

In a response to an FDA warning that it is acting illegally by marketing the unlicensed therapy, Celltex Therapeutics Corp. wrote the federal agency this week that it has ceased enrolling patients in the clinical trials the state requires of stem-cell providers. Celltex was the Houston area's primary sponsor of such for-profit trials.

"We're telling potential patients that we will still bank their stem cells and will enroll them in trials once new investigational drug applications have been submitted and reviewed by the FDA," said Amdrea Ferrenz, Celltex's executive vice president and legal counsel. "We hope that will be in a matter of months."

Ferrenz called the FDA warning letter, publicly posted Tuesday, "a disappointment" but said it actually just moves up Celltex's plan to move into agency-approved trials targeting specific disease conditions. The Sugar Land company had been operating for nearly 18 months facilitating adult stem-cell procedures with little regulation.

The Texas Medical Board in July began requiring that any stem-cell procedure be reviewed for patient safety by a board expert at such evaluations. The board used by Celltex, Texas Applied Biomedical Services, last month received an FDA warning letter of its own, informing it the agency will withhold approval of all its reviews because of problems with the review board's operations, such as members with conflicts of interest.

FDA warning letters are considered big deals in drug regulation, the federal agency's principal means of achieving compliance. They include language that failure to take corrective action can result in company seizure or shutdown.

It is unclear if the FDA letters to Celltex and the review board will have an effect on the new medical board rules, meant to regulate the experimental therapy in the absence of oversight from the FDA. A medical board spokeswoman said this week that the board could reopen the matter at its November meeting.

Leigh Turner, a University of Minnesota bioethicist who writes frequently about stem-cell tourism and in February complained to the FDA that Celltex is "a potential danger to patients" and not in compliance with federal law, said he thinks it's "highly unlikely" that Celltex could quickly meet FDA requirements for research trials. He said Celltex would need to make a dramatic reconfiguration considering all the deficiencies an FDA inspection found in April.

Those included numerous basic manufacturing problems, all reiterated in the warning letter. Ferrenz said Celltex is eager to meet with FDA officials to learn what they still want to know beyond the "tons of information" the company has already sent.

Celltex had argued stem-cell injections are like bone marrow transplants and not subject to the FDA's jurisdiction. But in its warning letter, the FDA said Celltex's processing "alters the original relevant characteristics" of the cells and hence doesn't meet its requirement that living cells only be "minimally manipulated." It categorized the stem cells stored and treated at Celltex as biologic drugs.

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Sugar Land company ceases supplying stem cells

Public release date: 31-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sarah Collins sarah.collins@enterprise.cam.ac.uk 44-012-237-60335 Cambridge Enteprise University of Cambridge

The potential therapeutic applications of stem cells such as regenerating damaged tissues or organs have generated a great deal of interest over the past decade. While these types of applications are exciting, it is a long journey from lab to clinic. The most immediate impact of stem cells on human health will most likely come from their use in the development of new drugs.

The ability to generate stem cells by reprogramming cells from patients' skin has revolutionised human stem cell research. These cells, known as human induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSC), can be differentiated into almost any cell type, allowing the opportunity to have a ready source of human cells for testing new therapies. DefiniGEN, a new spin-out company from the University of Cambridge, has been formed to supply hIPSC-derived cells to the drug discovery and regenerative medicine sectors. The company is based on the research of Dr Ludovic Vallier, Dr Tamir Rashid and Professor Roger Pedersen of the Anne McLaren Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine.

Dr Vallier led a team, including Dr Rashid, Dr Nick Hannan and Candy Cho, that developed the technology to generate human liver cells (hepatocytes) in a highly reproducible and scalable manner for commercial use. This represents a major breakthrough in the costly and time-consuming process of developing new therapies. The technology has also been used to effectively model a diverse range of inherited liver diseases and has the potential to accelerate the development of new therapies for these conditions.

The liver is the key organ for metabolising drugs and removing toxins from the body. Consequently, it is often affected by toxic compounds. Demonstrating that a new drug candidate is free from liver toxicity is a key test in the development process, and it is a test that most drug candidates fail.

"If a drug's failure occurs in the clinical phase of development, a great deal of time and money will have been lost," said Dr Vallier. "Therefore, identifying toxic drugs as early as possible is vital to the safety and efficiency of the drug discovery process."

Currently, either primary human hepatocytes or immortalised cell lines are used for toxicity testing. Primary hepatocytes have a high degree of batch-to-batch variation, are expensive and difficult to obtain in suitable quantities, while immortalised cell lines are an inferior model for toxicity testing.

The hIPSC-derived cells produced by DefiniGEN, however, show many of the functional characteristics of primary cells, are highly reproducible and can be made in large quantities, making them ideal for toxicity testing.

In addition, the company's OptiDIFF platform has produced libraries of disease-modelled cells for a range of diseases, including the most common inherited metabolic conditions such as Familial hypercholesterolemia and Alpha 1 anti-trypsin disorder. The cells effectively demonstrate key pathologies of diseases and can be used to improve lead optimisation studies, assisting the development of new therapies for these conditions. The company will also develop pancreatic beta cell products which, in combination with hepatocyte products, will enable the optimised development of new therapeutics for diabetes.

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The role of stem cells in developing new drugs

Media cheerleading is misleadingly legitimizing the booming "stem cell tourism" industry.

Peyton Manning [JohnGress/Reuters]

One could argue that stem cell research is currently the most promising area of biomedical research. It is no surprise that this year'sNobel Prize in Medicinewent to a duo that work in the area.But much of the press coverage associated with the field falls squarely in the too-good-to-be true category.It is this sort of unsubstantiated hype that contributes to inappropriate public expectations and the legitimization of bogus therapies.

A new and troubling dimension to the hype has emerged: the well-publicized use of "stem cell therapies" by high-profile athletes.

The phenomenon has been around for a few years. The first big stem-cells-help-athlete story seems to have been the 2011 story of New York Yankee pitcher, Bartolo Colon. He received cell therapy for a chronic shoulder injury. Then, also in 2011, came the story about Peyton Manning's neck treatments in Germany. There here have since been dozens of similar articles. Google "NFL and stem cell therapy" and what you get is a bunch of stories about football players receiving allegedly cutting-edge cell treatments from practitioners throughout the world.

While some of these stories note the experimental and possibly harmful nature of the treatments, most of the articles cast the treatments in a positive light.

The implied take away: this stuff works. If Peyton Manning is using stem cells, it must be the real deal! It has even been suggested that stem cell therapies are so powerful that they might end up being a new, undetectable, performance enhancement technology.

But a more dispassionate examination of the available scientific data paints a much different picture. There are, in fact, few stem cell therapies that are ready for the clinic. These are, in general, truly experimental procedures and it remains unclear if they can actually help injured athletes. As noted in one recently published review of the use of stem cells for knee injuries, "[m]ost reports represent animal model studies; few advances have been translated to human clinical applications."

In fact, it is an open question in the research community whether this work should truly be considered "stem cell" therapy. As noted by colleague Mick Bhatia, Director and Senior Scientist McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, "these injury therapies lack any evidence to indicate 'stem cells' by any definition or means are being used. Any therapeutic effects noted are most likely from any cell type being injected, including cell lines, that would cause local anti-inflammatory response that is both transient (days) and does not involve any stem cell biology." His blunt conclusion: "Lots of stem cell conclusions here are bogus all the way around ... The treatment fetches a lot of money by claiming a stem cell therapy is being used."

Despite this clinical reality, a recent analysis I did with a colleague found that much of the media coverage(72.7 percent)doesn't even touch on efficacy issues. In fact, many of the stories(42 percent)specifically refer to alleged benefits, and only a few (5.7 percent) mention possible risks or safety issues. The overall vibe from the sports-oriented media is even more promotional in tone. For example, the author of an editorial on a popular sports news website states that he has observed a number of athletes get "stem cell treatments and universally each one improved dramatically."

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What Does It Mean When Athletes Get 'Stem Cell Therapy'?

Update in Preventative / Regenerative Medicine - by Ron Rothenberg, MD
Update in Preventative/Regenerative Medicine -- Inflammation, Hormones, Stem Cells and Telomeres- by Ron Rothenberg, MD on August 2012 Visit the Silicon Valley Health Institute (aka Smart Life Forum) at http://www.svhi.comFrom:Mike KorekViews:9 0ratingsTime:01:40:35More inScience Technology

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Update in Preventative / Regenerative Medicine - by Ron Rothenberg, MD - Video

Gov. Perry Speaks at the Inaugural Houston Stem Cell Summit
10/26/2012 - HOUSTON - Gov. Rick Perry highlighted Texas #39; leading role in the advancement of regenerative medicine to produce safe, effective and ethical adult stem cell therapies. The governor spoke at the inaugural Houston Stem Cell Summit, which focuses on adult stem cell research and its potential to tackle life-threatening diseases. for more information: governor.state.tx.usFrom:govperryViews:128 0ratingsTime:22:30More inNews Politics

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Gov. Perry Speaks at the Inaugural Houston Stem Cell Summit - Video

Stem cell commercialization panel discussion
How can companies make a business out of regenerative medicine, now that the science looks increasingly solid. Panel discussion Monday, Oct, 29 at Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa tackles this. Speaking in this clip are are Dean Tozer of Shire Regenerative Medicine (pin-striped suit), Jay Siegel, Janssen Pharmaceutical Cops, (dark blue suit and tie), and Greg Lucier, Life Technologies, (lighter blue suit and tie), the moderator.From:Bradley FikesViews:85 0ratingsTime:06:43More inScience Technology

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Stem cell commercialization panel discussion - Video

George Brown of Kool The Gang Talks About His Stem Cell Treatment At MetroMD Hollywood
Musician George Brown, an original member of the jazz funk band, Kool and The Gang, talks with us about his day at MetroMD. George was in Los Angeles on tour with rockers Van Halen David Lee Roth in June 2012. George had an orthopedic stem cell treatment performed by Dr. Alex Martin MD at about noon and was on stage performing 8 hours later. For more info, visit us at MetroMD.net or call (323) 285-5300. The MetroMD Institute of Regenerative Medicine is located in Hollywood at the heart of Los Angeles.From:MetroMDViews:6 0ratingsTime:02:02More inScience Technology

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George Brown of Kool

The potential of regenerative medicine
Alan Russell: The potential of regenerative medicine http://www.youtube.com http://www.ted.com Alan Russell studies regenerative medicine -- a breakthrough way of thinking about disease and injury by helping the body to rebuild itself. He shows how engineered tissue that "speaks the body #39;s language" has helped a man regrow his lost fingertip, how stem cells can rebuild damaged heart muscle, and how cell therapy can regenerate the skin of burned soldiers. This new, low-impact medicine comes just in time, Russell says -- our aging population, with its steeply rising medical bills, will otherwise (and soon) cause a crisis in health care systems around the world. Some graphic medical imagery.From:BroadcastBCViews:1 0ratingsTime:19:30More inScience Technology

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The potential of regenerative medicine - Video

Companies that want to make big money developing therapies with stem cells and regenerative medicine must take big risks.

Health care executives involved in commercializing these technologies made that point Monday morning at the annual Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa. But with the science increasingly looking solid, it's time for companies to do their part to bring new treatments to patients, they said in a panel discussion.

Among the unknowns: How effective therapies will be, how much they'll cost, how much insurers will reimburse and the effect of the health care overhaul. Companies have to focus on such questions if they want to succeed, said Dean Tozer, vice president of corporate development for Shire Regenerative Medicine. The unit was formed in July by Shire Pharmaceuticals, which bought San Diego-based Advanced BioHealing last year for $750 million.

"What I'm seeing is: Innovation for innovation's sake is not going to work," said Tozer, who was an Advanced BioHealing senior vice president.

The right approach is to focus innovation on the large-scale trends in health, such as an aging population, that create opportunities, Tozer said. And that's what the business side is taking a more assertive role in doing.

"The business guys are involved a lot earlier, in taking these opportunities and really critically deciding if there is a business to be had," Tozer said. "And it's not just whether it can get to the market and can it help you, but can you identify a payback model."

Stem cells are being tested for a variety of diseases and injuries, usually after being changed into the mature cells required. Besides the well-known embryonic stem cells, there are "adult" stem cells, IPS cells that act like embryonic stem cells but are made from skin cells, parthenogenic stem cells made from unfertilized human egg cells, and others. With this plethora of approaches, one question is which technology to focus on.

"As a business guy -- I'm not a scientist -- I do find it interesting that I'm getting drawn into meetings more often now where I have no idea what the scientists are talking about, but all I've got to do is figure out is there a business model," Tozer said

The panel was moderated by Greg Lucier, chief executive of Life Technologies Corp. The Carlsbad company sells products used in life science research, including stem cell research. Lucier asked the panel if the increased focus on commercialization means that the underlying technology is getting better.

Tozer replied that even with good technology, the real hurdle is financial. Advanced BioHealing is a good example, he said. The company acquired its living skin product Dermagraft in 2001, but only got the payoff 10 years later when the company was sold. Dermagraft promotes healing in diabetic foot ulcers.

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Stem cell therapies a big risk for biotechs