StemCell Therapy

Are women born with all the eggs they will ever have, or do they possess the ability to make more?

That debate is in full force this week as researchers led by Kui Liu at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden say they have ruled out the tantalising possibility that ovarian stem cells exist.

Back in February, Jonathan Tilly and his colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston claimed that they had found stem cells in human ovaries. The news was incredible the cells were able to form new immature eggs, and it was hoped that they could be harnessed to improve in vitro fertilisation and help older women to conceive a healthy baby.

But it hasn't been easy to overturn the dogma that women are born with all the eggs that they will ever have.

The human ovary contains up to 2million immature eggs, and every month one of these matures and is released. It has been long-held that mammals are born with their lifetime's supply of eggs. That was until Tilly and various other groups discovered what they believed to be stem cells in mouse ovaries. The groups said that these cells were able to divide into new egg cells.

As these ovarian stem cells mature, a protein called vasa gets pulled from the surface of the cell into the centre, says Tilly. So his team looked for cells with vasa still on their surface in human ovarian tissue. They found a small number and identified them as stem cells because when they were removed from the tissue and placed inside a mouse, they divided into new cells capable of forming early-stage eggs.

Liu's team used a different approach. They used a mouse genetically modified to make all its cells glow green. They bred this mouse with another transgenic mouse that carries a piece of DNA that recognises vasa and changes the colour of only those cells that carry it. As a result, all of their offsprings' cells are green except those containing vasa, which appear red, yellow or blue.

The group monitored the cells that weren't green for three days. "These cells never proliferate," says Liu. What's more, when his team injected the non-green cells into a piece of mouse ovary, they were not able to make eggs.

"We've found that these cells are not really stem cells," says Liu. While the cells might look like stem cells, they don't act in the same way, he says. "We're not sure what they are."

Tilly stands by his discovery. He points out that it is difficult for Liu's team to rule out his findings because they did not use the same technique.

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Debate over existence of ovarian stem cells heats up

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, today announced that patient dosing has begun in a Phase I clinical trial of OMP-54F28 in patients with advanced solid tumor cancers. OMP-54F28 is OncoMeds fourth drug to enter clinical development. OMP-54F28 is a proprietary fusion protein based on a truncated form of the Frizzled8 receptor, or Fzd8, and is the companys second Wnt pathway modulator to enter the clinic as part of the collaboration between OncoMed and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. OncoMeds first Wnt pathway targeting drug in the clinic is OMP-18R5, a monoclonal antibody targeting the Frizzled receptors. OMP-18R5 continues to advance in the clinic.

The Phase I clinical trial of OMP-54F28 is an open-label dose escalation study in patients with advanced solid tumors for which there is no remaining standard curative therapy. These patients are assessed for safety, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics, biomarkers, and initial signals of efficacy.

The trial is being conducted at Pinnacle Oncology Hematology in Scottsdale, Arizona, the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the University of Colorado Cancer Center under the direction of Principal Investigators Dr. Michael S. Gordon, Dr. David Smith and Dr. Antonio Jimeno, respectively. According to Dr. Gordon, who treated the first patient with OMP-54F28, It is exciting to bring novel agents such as OMP-54F28 that target key cancer pathways such as Wnt into the clinic. We believe that this investigational therapy has great potential based on its preclinical evidence of anti-tumor activity.

OncoMed believes that OMP-54F28 is a potent antagonist of the Wnt pathway, a key cancer stem cell pathway. OMP-54F28 has shown evidence of anti-tumor activity and reduction of CSC frequency in multiple preclinical models either as a single agent or when combined with chemotherapy. OncoMed has worked collaboratively with Bayers US affiliate Bayer HealthCare, LLC to manufacture the clinical supply of OMP-54F28 for this program. Bayer Pharma AG retains an option to exclusively license OMP-54F28 at any point through completion of certain Phase I trials.

The advancement of a second clinical molecule targeting the Wnt pathway is an important milestone for us and our collaboration with Bayer, said Paul Hastings, President and Chief Executive Officer of OncoMed Pharmaceuticals. In less than two years, we have successfully created a strong body of preclinical data for two distinct approaches and thereby expanded our clinical pipeline of potential first-in-class anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics.

About Cancer Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells, or CSCs, are the subpopulation of cells in a tumor responsible for driving growth and metastasis of the tumor. CSCs, also known as tumor-initiating cells, exhibit certain properties which include the capacity to divide and give rise to new CSCs via a process called self-renewal and the capacity to differentiate or change into the other cells that form the bulk of the tumor. Common cancer drugs target bulk tumor cells but have limited impact on CSCs, thereby providing a path for recurrence of the tumor. OncoMeds product candidates target CSCs by blocking self-renewal and driving differentiation of CSCs toward a non-tumorigenic state, and also impact bulk tumor cells. We believe OncoMeds product candidates are distinct from the current generations of chemotherapies and targeted therapies, and have the potential to significantly impact cancer treatment and the clinical outcome of patients with cancer.

About the Wnt Pathway

The Wnt pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that mediates cellular communication and regulates stem cell fate. Wnt signals through Frizzled receptors to stabilize beta-catenin and subsequently regulate gene expression. Fzd8-Fc acts as a decoy receptor and functions by sequestering Wnts so that they are unable to bind to Frizzled receptors. The Wnt pathway has been intensively studied and is now known to be inappropriately activated in many major tumor types, including colon, breast, liver, lung and pancreatic cancers, and is critical for the function of CSCs. Because of this extensive validation, the Wnt pathway has been a major focus of anti-cancer drug discovery efforts. OncoMed believes that Fzd8-Fc (OMP-54F28) and anti-Fzd7 (OMP-18R5) are two of the first therapeutic agents targeting this key pathway to enter clinical testing.

Originally posted here:
OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial of Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutic OMP-54F28 (Fzd8-Fc)

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced treatment of the fourth patient, the first in the second patient cohort, in its U.S. clinical trial for Stargardts Macular Dystrophy (SMD). The surgery was performed on Wednesday, July 11 at Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia, by a surgical team lead by Carl D. Regillo, MD, FACS, director of the Wills Eye Clinical Retina Research Unit, attending surgeon in the Wills Eye Retina Service at the Wills Eye Institute, and professor of ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University. In keeping with trial protocol, the patient was injected with 100,000 human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, as compared with the 50,000 cell dose used in the three patients of the first cohort. The outpatient transplantation surgery was performed successfully and the patient is recovering uneventfully.

It is very gratifying to have second cohort, higher-dosage patient treatment underway in our U.S. clinical trial for SMD, commented Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of ACT. We are also pleased to be working with Dr. Regillo and his team at Wills Eye Institute, a truly first-class institution that is ranked as one of the best ophthalmology hospitals in the country byU.S. News & World Report.

Initiated in July of last year, the Phase I/II trial is designed to determine the safety and tolerability of hESC-derived RPE cells following sub-retinal transplantation in patients with SMD at 12 months, the studys primary endpoint. It will involve a total of 12 patients, with cohorts of three patients each in an ascending dosage format. As part of its RPE clinical program, the company is concurrently conducting a clinical trial for dry age-related macular degeneration and second trial for SMD in the United Kingdom.

Doubling the cell dosage marks an important milestone in our clinical programs, said Robert Lanza, MD, ACTs chief scientific officer. We look forward to continued progress and safety findings in the coming months, in both our U.S. and European trials.

Further information about patient eligibility for ACTs SMD study and the concurrent studies in the U.S. and Europe (for dry age-related macular degeneration and SMD, respectively) are available at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, with the following Identifiers: NCT01345006 (U.S. SMD), NCT01344993 (dry AMD), and NCT01469832 (E.U. SMD).

About Stargardts Disease

Stargardts disease or Stargardts Macular Dystrophy is a genetic disease that causes progressive vision loss, usually starting in children between 10 to 20 years of age. Eventually, blindness results from photoreceptor loss associated with degeneration in the pigmented layer of the retina, called the retinal pigment epithelium, which is the site of damage that the company believes the hESC-derived RPE may be able to target for repair after administration.

About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. is a biotechnology company applying cellular technology in the field of regenerative medicine. For more information, visit http://www.advancedcell.com.

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ACT Announces First Stargardt Patient Treated With Higher Dosage of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment ...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Verastem, Inc., (VSTM) a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat breast and other cancers by targeting cancer stem cells, hosted its annual Research and Development Day where Robert Weinberg, Ph.D., Verastem co-founder and chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, gave a seminar on cancer stem cells. Members of the Companys management team provided updates to the product portfolio and advancements in the research and development pipeline.

In order to generate a durable, clinical response in cancer we must design a treatment strategy that attacks the cancer stem cells, in addition to the other cancer cells, that comprise a tumor, said Dr. Weinberg. We founded Verastem in order to create therapies designed to specifically target cancer stem cells as these cells are resistant to standard cancer treatments. Verastem has made significant strides in the identification and development of small molecules that target this cancer stem cell population.

Yesterday, Verastem announced the acquisition of an exclusive license to VS-6063 (formerly PF-04554878) from Pfizer. VS-6063 is a focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor that has completed a Phase 1 clinical study in advanced solid tumors. VS-6063 was well tolerated and showed signs of clinical activity in the study.

A key component of Verastems IPO was to raise sufficient capital to rapidly progress the development of novel compounds targeting cancer stem cells, said Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D., Verastem Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. With the in-license of VS-6063 from Pfizer, we have accelerated our clinical development plans for the FAK program by 12-18 months.

Our research has identified and prioritized key pathways necessary for the survival of cancer stem cells and yielded specific inhibitors to block these critical targets, said Jonathan Pachter, Ph.D., Verastem Vice President and Head of Research. We are now poised to translate that research into multiple clinical trials over the next year with our cancer stem cell-targeted agents.

Research and Development Day Program Highlights:

Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) Inhibition

FAK is amplified in human cancers and mediates survival of cancer stem cells in response to growth factors and integrin stimulation

Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibition

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Verastem Discloses Research Results and Updated Clinical Plans at Research and Development Day

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Verastem, Inc., (VSTM) a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat breast and other cancers by targeting cancer stem cells, announced an agreement with Pfizer for the exclusive in-license of worldwide commercial rights for VS-6063 (formerly PF-04554878), a focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor that has completed a Phase 1 clinical study in advanced solid tumors.

FAK is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that regulates tumor cell proliferation and invasion. The targeted disruption of this pathway in preclinical models of cancer reduces cancer stem cells, primary tumor mass and metastasis.

Verastem has identified the FAK pathway as a critical regulator of the survival of cancer stem cells, which are an underlying cause of cancer recurrence and metastasis, said Robert Weinberg, Ph.D., Verastem co-founder and chair of the Scientific Advisory Board.

VS-6063 is being developed for the treatment of solid tumors. According to data presented at ASCO 2011 from a Phase 1 safety study of VS-6063 in 36 patients conducted by Pfizer, VS-6063 was well-tolerated and demonstrated signs of clinical activity to support further development. Verastem anticipates conducting clinical trials targeting solid tumor indications with VS-6063.

Like Pfizer, Verastem is committed to bringing innovative treatments to patients with cancer, said Garry Nicholson, President and General Manager of Pfizer Oncology. Verastems specific focus on targeting cancer stem cells makes them the ideal company to continue the development of this compound.

Under the terms of the agreement, Verastem will assume sole responsibility for global product development of VS-6063. Pfizer will receive an upfront payment in cash and Verastem equity, development milestones and royalties and milestones on future sales of VS-6063.

VS-6063 accelerates Verastems FAK inhibitor program with a clinical, Phase 2-ready product candidate targeting this key regulatory pathway for cancer stem cells, said Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Verastem. We believe our focus on identifying patients with a high cancer stem cell burden for treatment with our targeted therapies uniquely positions Verastem to lead the next wave of therapeutics in cancer.

Conference Call and Webcast Information Verastem will discuss the acquisition during the Research and Development Day to be held tomorrow, July 12, at 9:00am ET. A live webcast of the event can be accessed by visiting the investors section of the Companys website at http://www.verastem.com. A replay will be available for two weeks from the date of the event.

A live, listen-only conference call of the event can be accessed by dialing 1-866-700-7173 five minutes prior to the start of the event and providing the passcode 73322380.

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Verastem Acquires Clinical-Stage FAK Inhibitor from Pfizer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Verastem, Inc., (VSTM) a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat breast and other cancers by targeting cancer stem cells, announced a research collaboration with Eisai for the next-generation of small molecule Wnt inhibitors.

Verastem scientific co-founder and chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, Robert Weinberg, Ph.D., published a report in 2011 in the journal Cell describing the critical nature of the Wnt pathway in the development and maintenance of cancer stem cells.

Verastem and Eisai have a shared vision for the utility of Wnt inhibitors in the treatment of cancer, said Jonathan Pachter, Ph.D., Verastem Vice President and Head of Research. Our Wnt inhibitor, VS-507, shows activity in multiple cancer stem cell models both in vitro and in human tumor xenografts. Through this collaboration with Eisai, a world leader in complex natural product chemistry, we can jointly leverage our unique capabilities to develop the next-generation of Wnt inhibitors for the targeted killing of cancer stem cells.

VS-507 is a proprietary formulation of salinomycin and will be the starting point for the development of proprietary analogs in the collaboration with Eisai. The resulting compounds will be tested in Verastems Wnt signaling and cancer stem cell assays to evaluate their selective activity. Verastem will own the analogs that are generated in the 12-month collaboration. Eisai will be eligible to receive royalties on commercial sales of identified products. During the term of the agreement, Eisai has a right of first negotiation for products that are created through the collaboration.

With their particular expertise in natural product chemistry, Eisai is the perfect partner, said Robert Forrester, Verastem Chief Operating Officer. We believe Wnt signaling is a critical regulator of cancer stem cells, and a combined research effort to find novel inhibitors of this pathway is of great interest to both Eisai and Verastem.

About Verastem, Inc.

Verastem, Inc. (VSTM) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat breast and other cancers by targeting cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are an underlying cause of tumor recurrence and metastasis. For more information please visit http://www.verastem.com.

About Eisai Co., Ltd.

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Through a global network of research facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, Eisai actively participates in all aspects of the worldwide healthcare system. For more information about Eisai, please visit http://www.eisai.com.

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Verastem Enters Research Collaboration with Eisai for Small Molecule Wnt Inhibitors

Top Stories

Surgeon uses adult stem cell therapy in spinal fusion clinical trial

The Argonaut Interview: Dr. Hyun Bae

By Gary Walker

Stem cell research remains a controversial topic throughout much of the nation, for religious as well as ethical reasons. Embryonic stem cells, which can differentiate into extraembryonic tissues and are derived from human embryos, are a particularly hot-button topic.

Scientists and researchers around the globe have been exploring the potential that adult regenerative stem cells could have on patients suffering from a variety of ailments, including spinal cord injuries, heart conditions and diabetes.

While stem cell research - especially clinic studies involving human embryos - remains highly politicized, Californians have shown their support for the controversial therapy. Voters approved a 2004 initiative that allocated $3 million toward human embryonic stem cell research.

Proposition 71 made California the largest state-funded scientific research initiative in the United States.

Three years ago, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that reversed President George W. Bushs earlier policy of prohibiting the use of federal tax dollars for embryonic stem cell research.

Unlike embryonic cells, the use of adult stem cells in research and therapy is much less controversial. Dr. Hyun Bae, a spine surgeon at Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, is the principal investigator in a clinical trial using adult stem cell technology. The hospital is one of only eight sites nationwide that have been chosen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the studies.

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Surgeon uses adult stem cell therapy in spinal fusion clinical trial

Sugarland cosmetic dentist Dr. Jue from A Beautiful Smile at Lake Pointe becomes the first provider of dental stem cell therapy in Fort Bend County through Store-A-Tooth.

Sugarland, TEXAS (PRWEB) July 10, 2012

Sugarland cosmetic dentist Dr. Lance Jue from A Beautiful Smile at Lake Pointe has become the first provider of dental stem cell therapy in Fort Bend County.

Dental stem cell therapy saves stem cells from baby teeth, teeth removed for orthodontic reasons and wisdom teeth to help with future infections, injuries or diseases.

Dr. Jue works with Store-A-Tooth, which provides a Tooth Transport Kit, collects and validates the stems cells that are collected from the tooth. The cells are kept frozen until the day they are needed, at which time they are sent to the patients healthcare provider.

Dental stem cells have been used to treat periodontal disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury, stroke and liver disease. Stem cells are different from other cells because they can transform into many different cell types and divide more than other types of cells.

Dental stem cells are particularly effective because they replicate faster than stem cells take from other body tissues.

The initial cost of the Store-A-Tooth service is one-third to one-half the initial cost of storing umbilical cord blood, another source of stem cells.

A Beautiful Smile at Lake Pointe is the dental practice of Dr. Lance Jue. It has served the Houston area's restorative, cosmetic and general dentistry needs for 19 years. Dr. Jue makes an effort to listen to every patient to give him or her the appropriate treatment.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prwebcosmetic-dentistry/a-beautiful-smile/prweb9682301.htm

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Dr. Jue Brings Store-A-Tooth Dental Stem Cell Therapy Service to Sugarland

Tuloy na ang stem cell therapy ni Annabelle Rama dahil naka-schedule na siyang pumunta sa Germany sa first week ng September.

Kasama ni Annabelle sa Germany trip ang kanyang anak na si Ruffa Gutierrez. Hindi ako sure kung may plano rin si Ruffa na magpa-stem cell therapy dahil walang age limit ang procedure na pinag-uusapan na ngayon sa apat na sulok ng showbiz.

Tinutukso si Annabelle Rama na may kinalaman sa kanyang pagkandidato sa Cebu ang desisyon niya na sumailalim sa stem cell therapy.

Tumawa lang si Bisaya na mukhang seryoso na sa pagkandidato bilang kongresista ng North Cebu sa eleksiyon sa susunod na taon.

Binibiro si Bisaya na magpapa-stem cell therapy siya para kundisyon na kundisyon ang katawan niya habang nangangampanya sa North Cebu.

Ayaw kumpirmahin ni Bisaya ang political plans niya. Hintayin na lamang daw ng mga tao ang kanyang bonggang announcement sa October.

Asawa ni Jose nag-iba ng abogado matapos matalo

How true na iba na raw ang lawyers ni Analyn Manalo kaya tumanggi nang magsalita ang kanyang mga dating abogado?

Si Analyn ang kontrobersiyal na dyowa ni Jose Manalo. Ilang buwan nang nasa news ang mag-asawa dahil sa kanilang paghihiwalay.

News noong weekend na natalo si Analyn sa kaso na isinampa niya laban kay Jose.

Link:
Bibiyahe sa Germany kasama si Ruffa, Annabelle magpapakondisyon sa kampanya kaya magpapa-stem cell therapy

Houston, TX (PRWEB) July 11, 2012

InGeneron Incorporated and Gulf Coast Veterinary Surgery (GCVS) teamed up with The Houston Zoo to help two of the zoos popular cats on June 20, 2012. Pandu, a 286-pound Malayan tiger, and Ivy, a 68-pound black leopard, suffer from arthritic pain. Zoo veterinarians Dr. Lauren Howard and Dr. Maud Marin have extensive experience with surgical procedures on the zoos animals, but these were unusually complicated cases. Therefore, the Houston Zoo called Dr. Brian Beale of Gulf Coast Veterinary Surgery to provide surgical expertise, and InGeneron Incorporated to provide the latest products enabling autologous stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis.

Dr. Beale and Dr. Howard harvested a small amount of fat tissue from the abdomen of each of the animals and then processed using InGenerons ARC System to isolate the stem cells. While the tissue from each animal was being processed, Dr. Beale performed arthroscopic surgery of the damaged elbow on each animal to evaluate and treat the cause of the arthritis. Arthroscopy is a minimally-invasive surgical technique that allows increased surgical precision and rapid patient recovery.

Dr. Carl Friddle of InGeneron Incorporated said, "Once the fat was removed, we cut it into small pieces before processing. This helps our proprietary enzyme mix gently remove the cells from the fat tissue." With InGenerons ARC System the veterinarian can rapidly isolate and concentrate the abundance of regenerative cells found in adipose (fat) tissue so that they can be administered in a single procedure without the need to grow the cells for several weeks. This enables veterinarians to use regenerative cell therapy in their clinics, or at remote locations, to treat orthopedic injuries, degenerative conditions and non-healing wounds in companion and performance animals.

With our process, we yield a high percentage of live regenerative cells, and systematic studies have shown these adipose-derived regenerative cells secrete growth factors that induce healing and formation of new blood vessels, elicit potent anti-inflammatory effects and have the great potential to engraft and differentiate into specialized cells to restore function to the tissue where they are administered, said Dr. Michael Coleman, President and Chief Scientific Officer of InGeneron Incorporated.

Veterinarians are hopeful that the new cell therapy will shorten the healing time and provide a better, longer lasting result.

Dr. Beale showed the degeneration in Pandu's elbow to the treatment collaborators on the operating room video monitor. In some areas of the damaged joint, there was bone on bone contact, and bone fragments had broken loose. "This is by far the largest fragment I've ever seen with this condition," said Dr. Beale, who often performs this same procedure on house cats and dogs. Ivy had similar changes to Pandu but in both elbows.

Thanks to InGenerons rapid method for cell isolation, Pandu and Ivy both had their own regenerative cells ready for injection by the end of their surgeries. Dr. Beale injected the cells into the affected elbow in only a couple of minutes, and both cats were taken back to familiar surroundings for rest and recuperation. Neither animal showed any complications from the surgery and within a week both were back on exhibit.

Veterinarians in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Mexico are currently using InGenerons ARC System. Last year, InGeneron collaborated with Dr. Francisco Cortes Van Aarem in Mexico to provide regenerative cell therapy to Tibetana, a rescued Bengal tiger, with serious injuries to her back. Today, Tibetana is doing well at the Zacango Zoo.

A wide range of injured animals, including household pets and performance animals, may benefit from this innovative type of procedure.

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Malayan Tiger and Black Leopard Undergo Treatment for Arthritis Using Stem Cells Prepared by InGeneron Incorporated

A virus infection Stephanie Connor acquired during pregnancy put her unborn daughter at significant risk for brain damage and lifelong hearing loss.

"It was traumatic," said Connor, of LaBelle, Fl, after learning about her daughter's condition. "It was like mourning the loss of a child."

At age 1, baby Madeleine was completely deaf in her right ear and her hearing was severely lost in the left, said Connor. While a hearing aid helped to amplify some sounds for Madeleine, it would never fully repair the damage in her ear.

But a simple experimental procedure that Connor enrolled in for Madeleine may have restored her hearing and reversed her condition.

In January 2012, Madeleine, 2, became the first child to undergo an experimental hearing loss treatment through an FDA-approved trial at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center that infused stem cells from her own banked cord blood into her damaged inner ear.

Within the last six months, Connor says she's seen a dramatic improvement in Madeleine's ability to hear.

"Before, when she would hear something she would look all around," Connor said. "But now we notice that she turns in the right direction of the sound."

Madeleine was also able to speak for the first time, Connor said.

For more than two decades, umbilical cord blood transplantation -- either by a baby's own cord blood or another's, depending on the type of procedure -- has been used to treat otherwise fatal diseases including blood disorders, immune diseases, and some types of cancers.

Courtesy Stephanie Connor

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Stem Cells Restore Toddler's Hearing

FRIDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have found a way to use stem cell technology to study Huntington's disease, a progressive inherited brain disorder that causes lack of muscle control, psychiatric disorders, dementia and ultimately death. The disease is currently incurable.

Working with an international consortium, researchers from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore cultured skin cells from a young person with a severe, early onset form of the disease. They used these cells to create stem cells, which were turned into neurons that degenerated rapidly, just as they do in people with Huntington's.

"These [Huntington's disease] cells acted just as we were hoping," one of the study's lead researchers, Dr. Christopher Ross, director of the Baltimore Huntington's Disease Center, said in a Johns Hopkins news release.

"A lot of people said, 'You'll never be able to get a model in a dish of a human neurodegenerative disease like this,'" he said. "Now we have them where we can really study and manipulate them, and try to cure them of this horrible disease. The fact that we are able to do this at all still amazes us."

By creating "Huntington's disease in a dish," the researchers said, they have made strides in understanding what disables and kills the cells in people with the disease. The findings also will help test the effects of possible treatments on cells that were previously found only deep inside the brain.

"Having these cells will allow us to screen for therapeutics in a way we haven't been able to before in Huntington's disease," said Ross, who also is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, neurology, pharmacology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "For the first time, we will be able to study how drugs work on human [Huntington's disease] neurons and hopefully take those findings directly to the clinic."

The study authors added that their findings could have implications for similar research on other degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

The study was published online in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas

Copyright 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Scientists Use Stem Cells to Mimic Huntington's Disease

DALLAS, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ReportsnReports.com adds a new market research report "Global Markets for Stem Cells" to its store. The highlights of this stem cells report includes:

The aim of this report is to provide detailed market, technology, and industry analyses to help readers quantify and qualify the market for prescription drug products. Important trends are identified and sales forecasts by product categories and major country markets are provided through 2016; these are based on industry sources and considered assessment of the regulatory environment, healthcare policies, demographics, and other factors that directly affect the stem cell-related drug market. The wider economic environment is also taken into account.

The report examines strategies employed by companies specializing in this field to meet the challenges of a competitive and fast-growing market.

SCOPE OF REPORT

This report discusses the implications of stem cell research and commercial trends in the context of the current size and growth of the pharmaceutical market, both in global terms and analyzed by the most important national markets. The important technologies supporting stem cells are reviewed, and the nature and structure of the stem cell industry is discussed with profiles of the leading companies, including recent M&A activity. Five-year sales forecasts are provided for the national markets and the major therapeutic categories of products involved.

MARKET ANALYSES AND FORECASTS

Market figures are based on revenues at the manufacturer level and are projected at 2012-dollar value without attempting to predict the effect of inflation/deflation. Therapeutic categories quantified and forecast include cancer, CNS diseases, infections and cardiovascular. Major country markets in three regionsAmericas, Europe and Asiaare analyzed and forecast, with a summary for the rest of the world.

METHODOLOGY

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Global Markets for Stem Cells and Stem Cell Products Expected to Reach $6.6 Billion by 2016

Public release date: 10-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: John Sterling jsterling@genengnews.com 914-740-2196 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, July 9, 2012More than half (52%) of the companies comprising the tissue engineering (TE) and stem cell industries are revenue-generating, compared to about 21% four years ago, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN). Of those companies, 31% have commercial products and 21% are service-based; another 30% have products in clinical trials, according to the current issue of GEN.

The GEN article is based on interviews with leading tissue engineering researchers and on the findings of a landmark paper ("Progress in the Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Industry, Are we there yet"), which appears in Tissue Engineering: Part B, Volume 18, Number 3, 2012, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

"Like many other biotechnologies, tissue engineering has experienced an up and down history," said John Sterling, Editor in Chief of GEN. "But with numerous technical advances moving the field forward combined now with rising revenues, this segment of bioresearch is really taking off."

The industry itself is beginning to attain profitability, with sales revenues reaching $3.5 billion and industry spending approaching $3.6 billion. The 2012 analysis by a group led by Robert Langer, Sc.D., one of the authors of the paper in the Liebert journal, reported a nearly threefold increase in commercial sales for TE and stem cell products and services compared to the previous four-year period. Furthermore, the number of companies selling products or offering services increased more than twofold to 106.

The GEN article also notes that Tissue Engineering has formed an industry council for the purpose of helping to guide the evolution of the industry and to create strategic initiatives aimed at overcoming some of the R&D, manufacturing, and regulatory challenges facing the industry.

Among the companies interviewed for the GEN article are Organogenesis, Cytograft Tissue Engineering, Scintellix, and Humacyte.

###

For a copy of the July issue of GEN, please call (914) 740-2146, or email: pbartell@genengnews.com

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GEN reports on growth of tissue engineering revenues

Tuloy na ang stem cell therapy ni Annabelle Rama dahil naka-schedule na siyang pumunta sa Germany sa first week ng September.

Kasama ni Annabelle sa Germany trip ang kanyang anak na si Ruffa Gutierrez. Hindi ako sure kung may plano rin si Ruffa na magpa-stem cell therapy dahil walang age limit ang procedure na pinag-uusapan na ngayon sa apat na sulok ng showbiz.

Tinutukso si Annabelle Rama na may kinalaman sa kanyang pagkandidato sa Cebu ang desisyon niya na sumailalim sa stem cell therapy.

Tumawa lang si Bisaya na mukhang seryoso na sa pagkandidato bilang kongresista ng North Cebu sa eleksiyon sa susunod na taon.

Binibiro si Bisaya na magpapa-stem cell therapy siya para kundisyon na kundisyon ang katawan niya habang nangangampanya sa North Cebu.

Ayaw kumpirmahin ni Bisaya ang political plans niya. Hintayin na lamang daw ng mga tao ang kanyang bonggang announcement sa October.

Asawa ni Jose nag-iba ng abogado matapos matalo

How true na iba na raw ang lawyers ni Analyn Manalo kaya tumanggi nang magsalita ang kanyang mga dating abogado?

Si Analyn ang kontrobersiyal na dyowa ni Jose Manalo. Ilang buwan nang nasa news ang mag-asawa dahil sa kanilang paghihiwalay.

News noong weekend na natalo si Analyn sa kaso na isinampa niya laban kay Jose.

Originally posted here:
Bibiyahe sa Germany kasama si Ruffa, Annabelle magpapakondisyon sa kampanya kaya magpapa-stem cell therapy

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Stem Cell Research Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics;Pediatrics / Children's Health;Biology / Biochemistry Article Date: 09 Jul 2012 - 9:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Stem Cells From Amniotic Fluid

Scientists from Imperial College London, and University College London Institute of Child Health, and colleagues, said their discovery means it may be possible to store stem cells from donated amniotic fluid for clinical and research use, offering a much needed alternative to the limited supply of embryonic stem cells.

"These cells have a wide range of potential applications in treatments and in research. We are particularly interested in exploring their use in genetic diseases diagnosed early in life or other diseases such as cerebral palsy," said co-senior author Dr Pascale Guillot, from the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial.

Stem cells hold promise for regenerative medicine because they have the potential to become virtually any cell in the body. The current "gold standard" of human stem cells is the human embryonic stem cell (hESC), which is harvested from human embryos.

However, researchers and clinicians are keen to find alternatives to hESCs because of ethical concerns about using human embryos and also because of their limited availability.

Previous studies have shown it is possible to use other types of cell and, by introducing extra genes, often using viruses as carriers, make them almost as versatile or pluripotent as hESCs. For instance, scientists have reprogrammed human skin cells to behave like embryonic stem cells.

But this way of making induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is not efficient and there is also a risk that the DNA disruption that occurs (something the authors attribute to "random integration of the reprogramming transgenes into the host genome") will lead to tumors.

This new study is the first to make iPSCs without having to insert foreign genetic material into the cells.

Guillot and colleagues also found the iPSCs they made from amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs) showed some of the characteristics normally only seen in embryonic stem cells, that are not present in iPSCs made from adult cells.

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Stem Cells From Amniotic Fluid

ScienceDaily (July 9, 2012) Scientists showed in mice that disabling a gene linked to a common pediatric tumor disorder, neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), made stem cells from one part of the brain proliferate rapidly. But the same genetic deficit had no effect on stem cells from another brain region.

The results can be explained by differences in the way stem cells from these regions of the brain respond to cancer-causing genetic changes.

NF1 is among the world's most common genetic disorders, occurring in about one of every 3,000 births. It causes a wide range of symptoms, including brain tumors, learning disabilities and attention deficits.

Brain tumors in children with NF1 typically arise in the optic nerve and do not necessarily require treatment. If optic gliomas keep growing, though, they can threaten the child's vision. By learning more about the many factors that contribute to NF1 tumor formation, scientists hope to develop more effective treatments.

"To improve therapy, we need to develop better ways to identify and group tumors based not just on the way they look under the microscope, but also on innate properties of their stem cell progenitors," says David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor of Neurology.

The study appears July 9 in Cancer Cell. Gutmann also is the director of the Washington University Neurofibromatosis Center.

In the new study, researchers compared brain stem cells from two primary sources: the third ventricle, located in the midbrain, and the nearby lateral ventricles. Before birth and for a time afterward, both of these areas in the brain are lined with growing stem cells.

First author Da Yong Lee, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate, showed that the cells lining both ventricles are true stem cells capable of becoming nerve and support cells (glia) in the brain. Next, she conducted a detailed analysis of gene expression in both stem cell types.

"There are night-and-day differences between these two groups of stem cells," Gutmann says. "These results show that stem cells are not the same everywhere in the brain, which has real consequences for human neurologic disease."

The third ventricle is close to the optic chiasm, the point where the optic nerves cross and optic gliomas develop in NF1 patients. Lee and Gutmann postulated that stem cells from this ventricle might be the source of progenitor cells that can become gliomas in children with NF1.

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Pediatric brain tumors traced to brain stem cells

Opinion is divided on a new paper showing that adult ovaries do not contain egg-making stem cells, contrary to the findings of two recent studies that themselves appeared to overturn longstanding dogma.

For more than half a century, textbooks have stated that women and other female mammals are born with all the eggs, or oocytes, they will ever have. This supply gradually shrinks with age, and ovaries are incapable of producing more of these reproductive cells.

This dogma has taken a pounding in recent years, however. Starting in 2004, Ji Wu of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China and Jonathan Tilly of Massachusetts General Hospital isolated stem cells from the ovaries of mice, which could apparently divide to produce fresh oocytes. And earlier this year, Tilly announced that he has found cells with the same qualities, known as oogonial stem cells (OSCs), in the ovaries of middle-aged women.

These discoveries promised to offer new treatments for fertility, allowing women to have babies without worrying about an ageing supply of eggs. But as with all dogma-contradicting discoveries, they remained contentious.

Now, a new study from researchers at the University of Gothenburg is likely to fuel the controversy. Kui Liu and his colleagues used fluorescing proteins to identify the alleged egg-producing stem cells in the ovaries of mice, and found that the cells do not divide into oocytes. They published their results today (July 9) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The reaction to Lius study is strongly divided. Patricia Hunt, a reproductive biologist from Washington State University, described it as solid and informative. For those of us who have remained skeptical about the existence or role of stem cells in the ovary, this approach is a most welcome addition to the field, she said.

I took a close look at this and the work is fantastic, agreed David Albertini, a physiologist from the University of Kansas. It should put previous discussions into perspective. At least in mice, OSCs do not exist.

But Evelyn Telfer, a cell biologist from the University of Edinburgh, is less impressed, and said that Liu missed the opportunity to obtain robust experimental evidence. Because Liu used completely new methods, it is unclear how the cells he identified compare with those from previous studies. We are left with more questions than answers, said Telfer.

When Liu first saw the papers by Wu and Tilly, he was more excited than sceptical. My first impulse was: I want to repeat this, he said. But he was troubled by the fact that both Wu and Tillys teams fished for their cells using antibodies that recognize DDX4, a protein found in reproductive stem cells. But DDX4 is not a surface protein, Liu said, and is mainly found inside cells. The fishing technique should not have worked.

To avoid this problem, Lius members Hua Zhang and Wenjing Zheng worked with rainbow mice, whose reproductive cells glow green under normal conditions, but change to red, orange, or blue if they switch on the Ddx4 gene. Zhang and Zheng identified several such cells and watched them for 72 hours. They never once divided or produced oocytes. The duo did find some cells that looked like oocytes, but these did not express Ddx4.

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Ovarian Stem Cell Debate

ScienceDaily (July 9, 2012) The ability to control whether certain stem cells ultimately become bone cells holds great promise for regenerative medicine and potential therapies aimed at treating metabolic bone diseases.

Now, UCLA School of Dentistry professor and leading cancer scientist Dr. Cun-Yu Wang and his research team have made a significant breakthrough in that direction. The scientists have discovered two key epigenetic regulating genes that govern the cell-fate determination of human bone marrow stem cells.

Wang's new research is featured on the cover of the July 6 issue of Cell Stem Cell, the affiliated journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

The groundbreaking study grew out of Wang's desire to better understand the epigenetic regulation of stem cell differentiation, in which the structure of genes is modified while the sequence of the DNA is not. He and his team found that KDM4B and KDM6B, two gene-activating enzymes, can promote stem cells' differentiation into bone cells by removing methyl markers from histone proteins. This process occurs through the activation of certain genes favoring a commitment to one lineage and the concurrent deactivation of genes favoring other lineages.

The findings imply that chemical manipulation of these gene-activating enzymes may allow stem cells to differentiate specifically into bone cells, while inhibiting their differentiation into fat cells. The group's research could pave the way toward identifying potential therapeutic targets for stem cell-mediated regenerative medicine, as well as the treatment of bone disorders like osteoporosis, the most common type of metabolic bone disease.

"Through our recent discoveries on the lineage decisions of human bone marrow stem cells, we may be more effective in utilizing these stem cells for regenerative medicine for bone diseases such as osteoporosis, as well as for bone reconstruction," Wang said. "However, while we know certain genes must be turned on in order for the cells to become bone-forming cells, as opposed to fat cells, we have only a few clues as to how those genes are switched on."

The research group, through its study of aging mice, found that the two enzymes KDM4B and KDM6B could specifically activate genes that promote stem cell differentiation toward bone, while blocking the route toward fat.

"Interestingly, in our aged mice, as well as osteoporotic mice, we observed a higher amount of silencing histone methyl groups which were normally removed by the enzymes KDM4B and KDM6B in young and healthier mice," Wang said. "And since these enzymes can be easily modified chemically, they may become potential therapeutic targets in tissue regeneration and treatment for osteoporosis."

"The discovery that Dr. Wang and his team have made has considerable implications for craniofacial bone regeneration and treatment for osteoporosis," said Dr. No-Hee Park, dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry. "As a large portion of our population reaches an age where osteoporosis and gum disease could be major health problems, advancements in aging-related treatment are very valuable."

Professor Wang holds the No-Hee Park Endowed Chair in Dentistry at the UCLA School of Dentistry, where he is also chair of the division of oral biology and medicine and the associate dean for graduate studies.

The rest is here:
Discovery of epigenetic links in cell-fate decisions of adult stem cells paves way for new osteoporosis treatments

Public release date: 6-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Brianna Deane bdeane@dentistry.ucla.edu 310-206-0835 University of California - Los Angeles

The ability to control whether certain stem cells ultimately become bone cells holds great promise for regenerative medicine and potential therapies aimed at treating metabolic bone diseases.

Now, UCLA School of Dentistry professor and leading cancer scientist Dr. Cun-Yu Wang and his research team have made a significant breakthrough in that direction. The scientists have discovered two key epigenetic regulating genes that govern the cell-fate determination of human bone marrow stem cells.

Wang's new research is featured on the cover of the July 6 issue of Cell Stem Cell, the affiliated journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

The groundbreaking study grew out of Wang's desire to better understand the epigenetic regulation of stem cell differentiation, in which the structure of genes is modified while the sequence of the DNA is not. He and his team found that KDM4B and KDM6B, two gene-activating enzymes, can promote stem cells' differentiation into bone cells by removing methyl markers from histone proteins. This process occurs through the activation of certain genes favoring a commitment to one lineage and the concurrent deactivation of genes favoring other lineages.

The findings imply that chemical manipulation of these gene-activating enzymes may allow stem cells to differentiate specifically into bone cells, while inhibiting their differentiation into fat cells. The group's research could pave the way toward identifying potential therapeutic targets for stem cellmediated regenerative medicine, as well as the treatment of bone disorders like osteoporosis, the most common type of metabolic bone disease.

"Through our recent discoveries on the lineage decisions of human bone marrow stem cells, we may be more effective in utilizing these stem cells for regenerative medicine for bone diseases such as osteoporosis, as well as for bone reconstruction," Wang said. "However, while we know certain genes must be turned on in order for the cells to become bone-forming cells, as opposed to fat cells, we have only a few clues as to how those genes are switched on."

The research group, through its study of aging mice, found that the two enzymes KDM4B and KDM6B could specifically activate genes that promote stem cell differentiation toward bone, while blocking the route toward fat.

"Interestingly, in our aged mice, as well as osteoporotic mice, we observed a higher amount of silencing histone methyl groups which were normally removed by the enzymes KDM4B and KDM6B in young and healthier mice," Wang said. "And since these enzymes can be easily modified chemically, they may become potential therapeutic targets in tissue regeneration and treatment for osteoporosis."

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UCLA researcher discovers epigenetic links in cell-fate decisions of adult stem cells