StemCell Therapy

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 16:01 EST, 9 May 2012 | UPDATED: 01:37 EST, 10 May 2012

Stem cells have been transplanted into brain cancer patients for the first time in a bid to protect them against the toxic side effects of chemotherapy.

In a study involving three patients, scientists found that two of them survived longer than predicted following the surgery while the other has seen no disease progression after three years of treatment.

The study was carried out by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in the United States.

Breakthrough: Scientists have transferred stem cells into brain cancer sufferers in a bid to protect them against the harmful effects of chemotherapy

The centre's Dr Hans-Peter Kiem said: 'We found that patients were able to tolerate the chemotherapy better and without negative side effects after transplantation of the gene-modified stem cells.

'This compares with patients in previous studies who received the same type of chemotherapy without a transplant of gene-modified stem cells.'

Dr Kiem added that a major barrier to effective use of chemotherapy to treat cancers such as glioblastoma, which all three patients had, has been the toxicity of chemotherapy drugs to other organs, primarily bone marrow.

This results in decreased blood cell counts, increased susceptibility to infections and other side effects.

The rest is here:
Stem cells jab 'helps brain cancer patients tolerate chemotherapy'

Study is first to show feasibility and efficacy of a new use for autologous stem cell transplant

Newswise SEATTLE For the first time, scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have transplanted brain cancer patients own gene-modified blood stem cells in order to protect their bone marrow against the toxic side effects of chemotherapy. Initial results of the ongoing, small clinical trial of three patients with glioblastoma showed that two patients survived longer than predicted if they had not been given the transplants, and a third patient remains alive with no disease progression almost three years after treatment.

We found that patients were able to tolerate the chemotherapy better and without negative side effects after transplantation of the gene-modified stem cells than patients in previous studies who received the same type of chemotherapy without a transplant of gene-modified stem cells, said Hans-Peter Kiem, M.D., senior and corresponding author of the study published in the May 9 issue of Science Translational Medicine.

Kiem, a member of the Clinical Research Division at the Hutchinson Center, said that a major barrier to effective use of chemotherapy to treat cancers like glioblastoma has been the toxicity of chemotherapy drugs to other organs, primarily bone marrow. This results in decreased blood cell counts, increased susceptibility to infections and other side effects. Discontinuing or delaying treatment or reducing the chemotherapy dose is generally required, but that often results in less effective treatment.

In the current study, Kiem and colleagues focused on patients with glioblastoma, an invariably fatal cancer. Many of these patients have a gene called MGMT (O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase) that is turned on because the promoter for this gene is unmethylated. MGMT is a DNA repair enzyme that counteracts the toxic effect of some chemotherapy agents like temozolomide. Patients with such an unmethylated promoter status have a particularly poor prognosis.

A drug called benzylguanine can block the MGMT gene and make tumor cells sensitive to chemotherapy again, but when given with chemotherapy, the toxic effects of this combination are too much for bone marrow cells, which results in marrow suppression.

By giving bone marrow stem cells P140K, which is a modified version of MGMT, those cells are protected from the toxic effects of benzylguanine and chemotherapy, while the tumor cells are still sensitive to chemotherapy. P140K can repair the damage caused by chemotherapy and is impervious to the effects of benzylguanine, Kiem said.

This therapy is analogous to firing at both tumor cells and bone marrow cells, but giving the bone marrow cells protective shields while the tumor cells are unshielded, said Jennifer Adair, Ph.D., who shares first authorship of the study with Brian Beard, Ph.D., both members of Kiems lab.

The three patients in this study survived an average of 22 months after receiving transplants of their own circulating blood stem cells. One, an Alaskan man, remains alive 34 months after treatment. Median survival for patients with this type of high-risk glioblastoma without a transplant is just over a year.

Glioblastoma remains one of the most devastating cancers with a median survival of only 12 to 15 months for patients with unmethylated MGMT, said Maciej Mrugala, M.D., the lead neuro oncologist for this study.

Read this article:
Transplanted Gene-Modified Blood Stem Cells Protect Brain Cancer Patients From Toxic Side Effects of Chemotherapy

BOUDRY, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Celgene International Srl, a subsidiary of Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG - News), today announced that results from three phase III studies evaluating the use of continuous REVLIMID (lenalidomide) treatment in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients or maintenance treatment with lenalidomide following autologous stem cell transplant were published online in the May 10, 2012 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. All three publications highlight the expanding body of clinical evidence supporting lenalidomide treatment in these areas.

Continuous Lenalidomide Therapy (non-transplant eligible population):

The first article highlights a Celgene-sponsored study of continuous lenalidomide treatment in elderly patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

Continuous Lenalidomide Treatment for Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma (MM-015)

This double-blind, phase III, multicenter, randomized study conducted by Celgene compared melphalanprednisonelenalidomide induction followed by lenalidomide maintenance (MPR-R), with melphalanprednisonelenalidomide (MPR), or melphalanprednisone (MP) followed by placebo in 459 patients aged 65 years with newly-diagnosed myeloma who were not eligible for autologous stem-cell transplant.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1112704

Post-transplant maintenance

The two additional articles published in the edition highlighted cooperative group studies that evaluated the use of lenalidomide maintenance following autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).

In each of the studies, one funded by the National Cancer Institute and conducted by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) and one by the Intergroupe Francophone du Myelome (IFM), maintenance treatment with lenalidomide following ASCT resulted in delayed time to disease progression or death compared to placebo.

More here:
New England Journal of Medicine Reports on Three Phase III REVLIMID® (lenalidomide) Trials in Patients with Newly ...

By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff

Two teams of Boston scientists have developed new ways to turn stem cells into different types of lung tissue, surmounting a major hurdle for scientists trying to harness the power of stem cell biology to study and develop treatments for major lung diseases.

One team then used skin cells from cystic fibrosis patients to create embryonic-like stem cells, then working in lab dishes used those cells to grow tissue that lines the airways and contains a defect responsible for the rare, fatal disease. The technique -- essentially a recipe for growing such lung tissue -- could provide a powerful platform to screen drugs and study the biology of the disease.

Growing lung tissue in the laboratory has long been a goal of stem cell scientists, but has been more technically difficult than growing other types of tissues, such as brain cells or heart cells. Such lung tissue is valuable because it could be used to screen potential drugs and more closely probe the problems that underlie diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and rare genetic diseases. Such techniques may also one day help researchers grow replacement tissues and devise ways to restore or repair injured lung tissue.

A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers created lung tissue from a patient with the genetic mutation that most commonly underlies cystic fibrosis and researchers hope the technique will also be a powerful tool to study other diseases that affect the airway tissue, such as asthma and lung cancer. The other team, led by Boston University School of Medicine scientists, was able to derive cells that form the delicate air sacs of the lung from mouse embryonic stem cells. The team is hoping to refine the recipe for making the cells so that they can be used to derive lung tissue from a bank of 100 stem cell lines of patients with lung disease. Both papers were published Thursday in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge biotechnology company, earlier this year received approval for Kalydeco -- the first drug to directly target the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis. That compound was discovered by screening massive numbers of potential drugs against cells engineered to carry the same defect that underlies cystic fibrosis.

We had to use engineered cells, and certainly using more native human cells ... would be potentially beneficial, said Dr. Frederick Van Goor, head of biology for Vertexs cystic fibrosis research program. We had to rely on donor tissue obtained from patients with cystic fibrosis, and its a bit more challenging, because the number of donor lungs you can get and the number of cells you can derive from there are more limited.

Van Goor said it was too soon to say whether the company would use the new technology in screening, but noted that the tests the company had used to determine whether a drug was likely to work against the disease had, in some cases, given scientists false leads. Some molecules that worked on the engineered cells did not work in the complicated biology of the lung.

Its a significant event for the lung field, said Dr. Thiennu Vu, associate professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, who was not involved in the research. She added that much work remains before such cells could be used to repair or replace damaged tissue, and even before such cells would necessarily be useful for drug screening. It will be important, she said, to refine the recipe to ensure that the technique yields pure populations of the specific types of functional lung cells.

In the competitive world of science, where credit for being the first to do something is crucially important, the two research teams accomplishments are an unusual example of competitors turning into collaborators -- forging a relationship that both teams felt helped speed up progress.

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Boston scientists grow lung tissue from cystic fibrosis patients’ skin cells

Transplanting gene-modified stem cells into brain cancer patients can prevent development of chemotherapys toxic side effects in them.

Researchers at the US Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre have for the first time transplanted stem cells into patients with brain cancer to protect them against the toxic side effects of a chemotherapy drug called temozolomide.

The study included three patients with a form of brain cancer called glioblastoma, two of whom survived longer than doctors expected. No disease progression has been seen in the third patient after three years of treatment, scientists reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

We found that patients were able to tolerate the chemotherapy better and without negative side effects after transplantation of the gene-modified stem cells, said senior researcher Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem.

This compares with patients in previous studies who received the same type of chemotherapy without a transplant of gene-modified stem cells.

One of the major barriers to effective use of chemotherapy drugs is their toxic effects on other organs, primarily bone marrow, which produces blood cells.

Damages to bone marrow make patients susceptible to infections due to lack of immune cells while lower production of red blood cells which carry oxygen in blood causes shortness of breath and tiredness.

To prevent those side effects, researchers isolated samples of blood producing stem cells of each patients bone marrow before chemotherapy. A virus was then used to deliver the cells a gene which protected them against the chemotherapy drug. The cells were then put back into the patient.

"This therapy is analogous to firing at both tumor cells and bone marrow cells, but giving the bone marrow cells protective shields while the tumor cells are unshielded," said co-author Dr Jennifer Adair.

Researchers say the method should be tested on more volunteers but it has already showed that the new approach can not only be used for patients receiving temozolomide but also for those taking other chemotherapy drugs.

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Stem cell jab cuts chemo side effects

ScienceDaily (May 9, 2012) For the first time, scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have transplanted brain cancer patients' own gene-modified blood stem cells in order to protect their bone marrow against the toxic side effects of chemotherapy. Initial results of the ongoing, small clinical trial of three patients with glioblastoma showed that two patients survived longer than predicted if they had not been given the transplants, and a third patient remains alive with no disease progression almost three years after treatment.

"We found that patients were able to tolerate the chemotherapy better and without negative side effects after transplantation of the gene-modified stem cells than patients in previous studies who received the same type of chemotherapy without a transplant of gene-modified stem cells," said Hans-Peter Kiem, M.D., senior and corresponding author of the study published in the May 9 issue of Science Translational Medicine.

Kiem, a member of the Clinical Research Division at the Hutchinson Center, said that a major barrier to effective use of chemotherapy to treat cancers like glioblastoma has been the toxicity of chemotherapy drugs to other organs, primarily bone marrow. This results in decreased blood cell counts, increased susceptibility to infections and other side effects. Discontinuing or delaying treatment or reducing the chemotherapy dose is generally required, but that often results in less effective treatment.

In the current study, Kiem and colleagues focused on patients with glioblastoma, an invariably fatal cancer. Many of these patients have a gene called MGMT (O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase) that is turned on because the promoter for this gene is unmethylated. MGMT is a DNA repair enzyme that counteracts the toxic effect of some chemotherapy agents like temozolomide. Patients with such an unmethylated promoter status have a particularly poor prognosis.

A drug called benzylguanine can block the MGMT gene and make tumor cells sensitive to chemotherapy again, but when given with chemotherapy, the toxic effects of this combination are too much for bone marrow cells, which results in marrow suppression.

By giving bone marrow stem cells P140K, which is a modified version of MGMT, those cells are protected from the toxic effects of benzylguanine and chemotherapy, while the tumor cells are still sensitive to chemotherapy. "P140K can repair the damage caused by chemotherapy and is impervious to the effects of benzylguanine," Kiem said.

"This therapy is analogous to firing at both tumor cells and bone marrow cells, but giving the bone marrow cells protective shields while the tumor cells are unshielded," said Jennifer Adair, Ph.D., who shares first authorship of the study with Brian Beard, Ph.D., both members of Kiem's lab.

The three patients in this study survived an average of 22 months after receiving transplants of their own circulating blood stem cells. One, an Alaskan man, remains alive 34 months after treatment. Median survival for patients with this type of high-risk glioblastoma without a transplant is just over a year.

"Glioblastoma remains one of the most devastating cancers with a median survival of only 12 to 15 months for patients with unmethylated MGMT," said Maciej Mrugala, M.D., the lead neuro oncologist for this study.

As many as 50 percent to 60 percent of glioblastoma patients harbor such chemotherapy-resistant tumors, which makes gene-modified stem cell transplant therapy applicable to a large number of these patients. In addition, there are also other brain tumors such as neuroblastoma or other solid tumors with MGMT-mediated chemo resistance that might benefit from this approach.

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Gene-modified stem cell transplant protects patients from toxic side effects of chemotherapy, study suggests

Public release date: 9-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dean Forbes dforbes@fhcrc.org 206-667-2896 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

SEATTLE For the first time, scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have transplanted brain cancer patients' own gene-modified blood stem cells in order to protect their bone marrow against the toxic side effects of chemotherapy. Initial results of the ongoing, small clinical trial of three patients with glioblastoma showed that two patients survived longer than predicted if they had not been given the transplants, and a third patient remains alive with no disease progression almost three years after treatment.

"We found that patients were able to tolerate the chemotherapy better and without negative side effects after transplantation of the gene-modified stem cells than patients in previous studies who received the same type of chemotherapy without a transplant of gene-modified stem cells," said Hans-Peter Kiem, M.D., senior and corresponding author of the study published in the May 9 issue of Science Translational Medicine.

Kiem, a member of the Clinical Research Division at the Hutchinson Center, said that a major barrier to effective use of chemotherapy to treat cancers like glioblastoma has been the toxicity of chemotherapy drugs to other organs, primarily bone marrow. This results in decreased blood cell counts, increased susceptibility to infections and other side effects. Discontinuing or delaying treatment or reducing the chemotherapy dose is generally required, but that often results in less effective treatment.

In the current study, Kiem and colleagues focused on patients with glioblastoma, an invariably fatal cancer. Many of these patients have a gene called MGMT (O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase) that is turned on because the promoter for this gene is unmethylated. MGMT is a DNA repair enzyme that counteracts the toxic effect of some chemotherapy agents like temozolomide. Patients with such an unmethylated promoter status have a particularly poor prognosis.

A drug called benzylguanine can block the MGMT gene and make tumor cells sensitive to chemotherapy again, but when given with chemotherapy, the toxic effects of this combination are too much for bone marrow cells, which results in marrow suppression.

By giving bone marrow stem cells P140K, which is a modified version of MGMT, those cells are protected from the toxic effects of benzylguanine and chemotherapy, while the tumor cells are still sensitive to chemotherapy. "P140K can repair the damage caused by chemotherapy and is impervious to the effects of benzylguanine," Kiem said.

"This therapy is analogous to firing at both tumor cells and bone marrow cells, but giving the bone marrow cells protective shields while the tumor cells are unshielded," said Jennifer Adair, Ph.D., who shares first authorship of the study with Brian Beard, Ph.D., both members of Kiem's lab.

The three patients in this study survived an average of 22 months after receiving transplants of their own circulating blood stem cells. One, an Alaskan man, remains alive 34 months after treatment. Median survival for patients with this type of high-risk glioblastoma without a transplant is just over a year.

Continued here:
Gene-modified stem cell transplant protects patients from toxic side effects of chemotherapy

A new study suggests stem cells may be able to act as a shield to protect the body from the harmful side effects of chemotherapy, the BBC News reported.

As chemotherapy drugs attempt to kill cancer drugs, they can also affect the bone marrow and other healthy tissues.

In a new study, however, researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle were able to use genetically modified stem cells to protect the bone marrow.

The bone marrow is very susceptible to chemotherapy, and in response to the treatment, produces less blood cells. This leaves the body more prone to infection and fatigue.

Stem cell shielding appeared to stave off some of these negative side effects. Researchers took bone marrow from patients with brain cancer and isolated the stem cells. They infected the cells with a virus which carried a gene to protect the cells against a chemotherapy drug, and then re-implanted the cells into the patients.

"We found that patients were able to tolerate the chemotherapy better, and without negative side effects, after transplantation of the gene-modified stem cells than patients in previous studies who received the same type of chemotherapy without a transplant of gene-modified stem cells, Professor Hans-Peter Kiem told the BBC News.

All three patients lived longer than the average survival time of 12 months. One patient was still alive 34 months after treatment, according to the BBC.

Click here to read more from the BBC News.

More:
Stem cell shield may protect body from chemotherapy side effects

Public release date: 9-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Emma Mason wordmason@mac.om European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO)

Barcelona, Spain: Researchers believe they may have found a way to avoid damaging salivary glands during radiotherapy treatment for head and neck cancer a discovery that could improve the quality of life of 500,000 patients a year worldwide with the disease.

Presenting their findings to the 31st conference of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO31) [1], the researchers said that they had discovered that the stem cells essential for regenerating the parotid gland (the largest pair of salivary glands) were located mainly in its major ducts, and that these could easily be avoided during radiotherapy or given a minimal radiation dose. "This would significantly reduce complications arising from radiotherapy for head and neck cancer," said Dr Peter van Luijk, a research associate at the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.

Around 40% of patients treated for head and neck cancer suffer from the distressing side-effects of dry mouth syndrome a condition that can occur when the parotid gland stops working properly after radiation damage. This causes problems with eating, sleeping, speech, tooth loss and oral hygiene, leading to diminished quality of life, social isolation and difficulty in continuing work. Attempts to treat dry mouth syndrome and its consequences can cost hundreds or even thousands of Euros per patient per year and are mostly insufficient.

Dr van Luijk said: "Parotid gland dysfunction after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer was, and still is, a major clinical problem. During radiotherapy, attempts to minimise the risk of this complication have been aimed at reducing the average dose to the salivary gland, on the assumption that it would not make a difference where in the gland the radiation dose was reduced. However, this does not seem logical according to the anatomy of the salivary gland and, in previous work, we discovered that reductions in the radiotherapy dose to some parts of the gland allowed the parotid gland to regenerate, whereas a dose to other parts did not. Therefore, we decided to investigate the reason for these regional differences. We hypothesised that our observations could be explained by a non-uniform distribution of stem cells necessary for the long-term maintenance of organ function and affected by irradiation."

Dr van Luijk and his colleagues investigated the location of stem cells and the effects of radiotherapy to particular regions of the gland first in mouse and rat models, and then in parotid and salivary gland tissue taken from patients (after informed consent) undergoing a neck dissection for head and neck cancer.

They found that in mouse, rat and human tissue, the stem cells were predominately located in the major ducts of the parotid gland. "We have found in previous work that these stem cells are capable of regenerating a parotid gland when they have been transplanted after irradiation," said Dr van Luijk.

Dissection of the rat parotid gland and culturing of the different parts of the gland in Petri dishes showed that a greater concentration of stem cells capable of regenerating the gland were located in the centre, where the largest ducts are located. The researchers then directed high-precision irradiation at this centre part in living rats and found that it resulted in excessive reduction of saliva production, in contrast to the minimal effects observed after irradiating other parts of the gland.

Dr van Luijk explained: "The position of the stem cells in rats corresponds to the cranio-ventral extension of the gland in humans, where the excretory duct leaves the gland on the ventral, or outward-facing side. So even though the glands have different shapes in rats and humans, the stem cells are in the exact same anatomical structure."

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Stem cell sparing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer may avoid salivary gland damage

MELBOURNE, Australia, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Global regenerative medicine company Mesoblast Limited (MSB.AX) today announced the appointment of Dr Ben-Zion Weiner, Special Adviser to the CEO of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, as a non-executive Director of Mesoblast, effective immediately.

Dr Weiner has been Teva's head of global research and development for over three decades, most recently as Chief R&D Officer and a member of the Teva Executive Committee. In this role, he has directly overseen all pharmaceutical R&D and innovative branded product pipeline development.

Dr Weiner has been responsible for the development of hundreds of generic products for the US, EU and other markets. In parallel, he has been responsible for the development and regulatory approval of Teva's innovative product portfolio. Dr Weiner has twice been the recipient of the Rothschild prize for innovation, including for the commercialization of Copaxone in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Dr Weiner said: "I am happy and proud to be a Board member of Mesoblast. I trust that stem cell technology is the future of medicine, and that Mesoblast is at the cutting edge of this exciting new field.

"I believe that Mesoblast's unique technology and professional execution capabilities have the potential to deliver multiple innovative biologic products across a broad range of clinical indications," added Dr Weiner.

Mesoblast Chairman, Mr Brian Jamieson, said: "Dr Weiner's extensive pharmaceutical industry experience and his current role as Special Adviser to the Teva CEO make him a very valuable and strategic addition to the Board. We also acknowledge the important contributions and insights provided by Teva's retiring board representative, Kevin Buchi, and wish him well.

"As Mesoblast expands its clinical product portfolio and approaches product commercialization, we will continue to broaden the mix of skills and international expertise of our Directors to ensure that the Board is in the best position to deliver maximal shareholder value."

About Mesoblast Mesoblast Limited (MSB.AX) is a world leader in commercialising biologic products for the broad field of regenerative medicine. Mesoblast has the worldwide exclusive rights for a series of patents and technologies developed over more than 10 years relating to the identification, extraction, culture and uses of adult Mesenchymal Precursor Cells (MPCs). http://www.mesoblast.com

For further information, please contact: Julie Meldrum Corporate Communications Mesoblast Limited E: julie.meldrum@mesoblast.com

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New Teva Representative Joins Mesoblast Board of Directors

ScienceDaily (May 10, 2012) This summer's action film, "The Amazing Spider-Man," is another match-up between the superhero and his nemesis the Lizard. Moviegoers and comic book fans alike will recall that the villain, AKA Dr. Curt Connors, was a surgeon who, after losing an arm, experimented with cell generation and reptilian DNA and was eventually able to grow back his missing limb.

The latest issue of the journal Physiology contains a review article that looks at possible routes that unlock cellular regeneration in general, and the principles by which hair and feathers regenerate themselves in particular.

The authors apply what is currently known about regenerative biology to the emerging field of regenerative medicine, which is being transformed from fantasy to reality.

Review Article

While the concept of regenerative medicine is relatively new, animals are well known to remake their hair and feathers regularly by normal regenerative physiological processes. In their review, the authors focus on (1) how extrafollicular environments can regulate hair and feather stem cell activities and (2) how different configurations of stem cells can shape organ forms in different body regions to fulfill changing physiological needs.

The review outlines previous research on the role of normal regeneration of hair and feathers throughout the lifespan of various birds and mammals. The researchers include what is currently known about the mechanism behind this re-growth, as well as what gaps still exist in the knowledge base and remain ripe for future research.

The review examines dozens of papers on normal "physiological regeneration" -- the re-growth that happens over the course of an animal's life and not in response to an injury. This regeneration takes place to accommodate different stages in an animal's life (e.g., replacing downy chick feathers with an adult chicken's, or replacing the fine facial hair of a young boy with the budding beard of an adolescent), or in response to various environmental conditions (e.g., cats shedding a thick winter coat in the summer heat but re-growing it when the seasons change again, or snowshoe hares switching from brown in the summer to white in the winter for camouflage).

These changes seem to respond both to internal cues such as physiology of the hair follicle itself, or external cues such as the environment, but the mechanisms behind these normal alterations are largely unknown. Stem cells inside the follicle prompt hair and feather regeneration, but researchers are still unsure how to guide those cells to form the shape, size, and orientation of these "skin appendages" so that controlled re-growth is possible. Additionally, scientists are still unsure how to re-grow hair on skin in people after severe injuries that lead to scar tissue.

Importance of the Findings

The reviewed studies suggest that while researchers are making headway in understanding how and why hair and feathers regenerate after normal loss or in response to different life stages, much still remains unknown. This missing knowledge could hold valuable clues to learning how to regenerate much more complicated and valuable structures after loss to injury, such as fingers and toes.

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Regenerative medicine: Could the ways animals regenerate hair and feathers help restore human fingers and toes?

Connie K. Ho for RedOrbit.com

A new study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has discovered two adult stem cell-like subpopulations in adult human skin.

The findings allow for further research to be done in the area of personalized medicine and patient-specific cellular therapies.

The study, using technology from Fibrocell Science, allowed the researchers to identify and confirm two types of cells in human skin cell cultures; the possible source of stem cell-like subpopulations from skin biopsies would be faster to perform, painless, and less invasive than current extractions from adipose tissues and bone marrow.

The research, featured in the inaugural issue of BioResearch Open Access, discusses two subtypes of cells. BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly, peer-reviewed journal. It features scientific topics like biochemistry, bioengineering, gene therapy, genetics, microbiology, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, stem cells, systems biology, tissue engineering and biomaterials, and virology.

Being able to identify two sub-populations of rare, viable and functional cells that behave like stem cells from within the skin is an important finding because both cell types have the potential to be investigated for diverse clinical applications, commented Dr. James A. Bryne, lead author of the report.

Brynes research, first at Stanford University then at UCLA, focused on reprogramming beginnings of cells from animals and then humans. A graduate of Cambridge University, Bryne studied the intra- and inter-species of epigenetic reprogramming. His work also highlighted how primate embryonic stem cells could be derived from somatic cell nuclear transfers.

The study published in BioResearch Open Access confirmed previous research that identified a rare population of cells in adult human skin that had a marker called stage-specific embryonic antigen 3 (SSEA3). Bryne and his colleagues found that there was an increase in the amount of SSEA3 expressing cells after injury to the human skin. It showed that the SSEA3 biomarker could be used to help identify and isolate cells with tissue-regenerative traits.

Finding these rare adult stem cell-like subpopulations in human skin is an exciting discovery and provides the first step towards purifying and expanding these cells to clinically relevant numbers for application to a variety of potential personalized cellular therapies for osteoarthritis, bone loss, injury and/or damage to human skin as well as many other diseases, remarked Bryne, an Assistant Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Bryne and his team used Fibrocell technology to collect cells from skin samples, cultured the cells in the lab, and purified them by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The FACS tagged suspended cells with fluorescent markers for undifferentiated stem cells. The researchers were able to separate the rare cell subpopulations from other kinds of cells.

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Study Identifies Cell Subtypes For Potential Personalized Cellular Therapies

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGEN - News) today announced that interim results from an investigator-sponsored phase II clinical trial of ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) in patients with relapsed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) were presented at the Society for Investigative Dermatology annual meeting being held May 9-12, 2012 in Raleigh, NC. ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30. ADCETRIS has not been approved for use in CTCL.

The trial enrolled CTCL patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sezary syndrome. At the time of data analysis, 17 patients had been enrolled, including 16 with MF and one with Sezary syndrome. Patients had received a median of six prior therapies, including a median of four prior systemic therapies. The primary endpoint of the trial is clinical response rate. Secondary endpoints include correlation of clinical response with CD30 expression levels, duration of response, progression-free survival and safety. The study is led by principal investigator Dr. Youn H. Kim, Professor, Department of Dermatology, and Director, Multidisciplinary Cutaneous Lymphoma Program at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, CA. Key findings include:

This is the second data set reported with ADCETRIS in CTCL patients. At the T-Cell Lymphoma Forum in January 2012, interim data were presented from a phase II investigator-sponsored trial in CD30-positive CTCL patients, including lymphomatoid papulosis, primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pcALCL) or MF. In the trial, which is being conducted by Dr. Madeleine Duvic at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 11 of 17 evaluable patients (65 percent) achieved an objective response, including seven complete remissions (CRs) and four partial remissions (PRs). The most common adverse events were Grade 1, including diarrhea, chest tightness, alopecia, nausea, elevated liver enzymes and peripheral neuropathy.

Seattle Genetics and Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company recently initiated a randomized phase III clinical trial of ADCETRIS for relapsed CD30-positive CTCL patients. The trial will assess ADCETRIS versus investigators choice of methotrexate or bexarotene in patients with CD30-positive CTCL, including those with pcALCL or MF. The primary endpoint of the study is overall response rate lasting at least 4 months. Approximately 124 patients will be enrolled in the pivotal trial. The phase III trial is being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment agreement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The study also received European Medicines Agency scientific advice.

About CTCL

Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. There are two major categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Cutaneous lymphomas are a category of non-Hodgkin lymphomas that primarily involve the skin. According to the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation, CTCL is the most common type of cutaneous lymphoma and typically presents with red, scaly patches or thickened plaques of skin that often mimic eczema or chronic dermatitis. Progression from limited skin involvement is variable and may be accompanied by tumor formation, ulceration and exfoliation, complicated by itching and infections. Advanced stages are defined by involvement of lymph nodes, peripheral blood and internal organs. According to published literature, up to 50 percent of CTCL patients lesions express CD30.

About ADCETRIS

ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.

ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) received accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for two indications: (1) the treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma after failure of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates, and (2) the treatment of patients with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) after failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. The indications for ADCETRIS are based on response rate. There are no data available demonstrating improvement in patient-reported outcomes or survival with ADCETRIS.

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Seattle Genetics Announces Data from Investigator Trial of ADCETRIS™ in Relapsed Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

Chimp receives stem cells 25-year-old chimp received treatments for a torn ...

Photo by Eric Hasert

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Dr. Darrell Nazareth, of the Florida Veterinary League in Vero Beach (background) injects chimpanzee stem cells with the help of veterinarian Dr. Jocelyn Bezner, of Save the Chimps, into the knee of Angie, a 25-year-old female chimp suffering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, at the Save The Chimps Sanctuary in Fort Pierce. The surgery was performed inside the sanctuary's mobile surgical unit, which involved extraction of fat and blood cells that were transported to the Florida Veterinary League in Vero Beach to extract approximately 2.3 billion stem cells, then returning to the chimp sanctuary to finish the one-day procedure. "It feels wonderful, I can't wait to see the results two to three weeks out," Nazareth said about performing the procedure.

Photo by Eric Hasert

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Nicole Devlin, a laboratory technician at the Florida Veterinary League in Vero Beach, works on a procedure to remove stem cells from blood and fat removed from Angie, a female chimp at Save The Chimps Sanctuary in Fort Pierce. After the stem cells were isolated, they were transported back to the chimp sanctuary in Fort Pierce to be injected back into Angie.

FORT PIERCE A 25-year-old female chimpanzee at the Save-the-Chimps sanctuary in Fort Pierce may be able to run again, thanks to a revolutionary stem cell treatment performed on Wednesday.

Angie, one of the 271 chimpanzees that live at the 150-acre sanctuary, received the cutting-edge treatment for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, thanks to its Florida developer, Stemlogix LLC in Weston, and the Florida Veterinary League in Vero Beach.

The procedure, which normally would cost about $2,000, uses an animal's own fat to obtain adult stem cells, which are then injected into the problem area to stimulate growth of healthy cells.

Save-the-Chimps Veterinarian Dr. Linda Gregard handled the stem cell recovery procedures. Under anesthesia, fat was removed from chimp's abdomen Wednesday morning and transported to Dr. Darrell Nazareth at the Florida Veterinary League. Nazareth then isolated stem and regenerative cells from the fat, suspended them in platelet-rich plasma and transported the stem cells back to the sanctuary for the chimp's treatment.

"Hopefully, it stops the inflammation and encourages the injury to heal," said Nazareth, who has performed a similar treatment on 15 dogs and cats from his practice. He estimates that within two to three weeks, improvement will be seen in both the chimp's mobility and pain level.

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Angie the chimp undergoes revolutionary stem cell treatment | Video

Chimp receives stem cells 25-year-old chimp received treatments for a torn ...

Photo by Eric Hasert

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Dr. Darrell Nazareth, of the Florida Veterinary League in Vero Beach (background) injects chimpanzee stem cells with the help of veterinarian Dr. Jocelyn Bezner, of Save the Chimps, into the knee of Angie, a 25-year-old female chimp suffering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, at the Save The Chimps Sanctuary in Fort Pierce. The surgery was performed inside the sanctuary's mobile surgical unit, which involved extraction of fat and blood cells that were transported to the Florida Veterinary League in Vero Beach to extract approximately 2.3 billion stem cells, then returning to the chimp sanctuary to finish the one-day procedure. "It feels wonderful, I can't wait to see the results two to three weeks out," Nazareth said about performing the procedure.

Photo by Eric Hasert

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Nicole Devlin, a laboratory technician at the Florida Veterinary League in Vero Beach, works on a procedure to remove stem cells from blood and fat removed from Angie, a female chimp at Save The Chimps Sanctuary in Fort Pierce. After the stem cells were isolated, they were transported back to the chimp sanctuary in Fort Pierce to be injected back into Angie.

FORT PIERCE A 25-year-old female chimpanzee at the Save-the-Chimps sanctuary in Fort Pierce may be able to run again, thanks to a revolutionary stem cell treatment performed on Wednesday.

Angie, one of the 271 chimpanzees that live at the 150-acre sanctuary, received the cutting-edge treatment for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, thanks to its Florida developer, Stemlogix LLC in Weston, and the Florida Veterinary League in Vero Beach.

The procedure, which normally would cost about $2,000, uses an animal's own fat to obtain adult stem cells, which are then injected into the problem area to stimulate growth of healthy cells.

Save-the-Chimps Veterinarian Dr. Linda Gregard handled the stem cell recovery procedures. Under anesthesia, fat was removed from chimp's abdomen Wednesday morning and transported to Dr. Darrell Nazareth at the Florida Veterinary League. Nazareth then isolated stem and regenerative cells from the fat, suspended them in platelet-rich plasma and transported the stem cells back to the sanctuary for the chimp's treatment.

"Hopefully, it stops the inflammation and encourages the injury to heal," said Nazareth, who has performed a similar treatment on 15 dogs and cats from his practice. He estimates that within two to three weeks, improvement will be seen in both the chimp's mobility and pain level.

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Angie the chimp undergoes revolutionary stem cell treatment

A stem cell breakthrough at UCLA could mark a big step for a biopharmaceutical company to use its proprietary technology to forge partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and other research institutions.

Fibrocell Sciences technology isolates, purifies and multiplies a patients fibroblast cells, connective skin cells that make collagen. In a research collaboration with the company, UCLA used the technology to isolate, identify and increase the number of different skin cell types, which lead to two rare adult stem cell-like subpopulations being identified in adult human skin SSEA3-expressing regeneration-associated cells associated with skin regeneration after injuries and mesenchymal adult stem cells.

The findings could have broad applications for personalized medicine. Currently, adult stem cells are derived from adipose tissue and bone marrow. Using mesenchymal stem cells would be less invasive and could be more efficient. Mesenchymal stem cells are being used in research to develop osteoblasts, or bone cells; chondrocytes, or cartilage cells; and adipocytes, or fat cells.

David Pernock, the chairman and CEO of Fibrocell, said the move could mark a significant step in the companys growth.

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Stem cell collaboration could set stage for company’s growth

(CBS News) Patients with brain cancer may face devastating side effects from chemotherapy, but a new study offers a possible solution: stem cells.

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The stem cells form a shield of sorts against the toxic side effects from chemo, according to the researchers behind the study. It was a small trial that involved only three patients with glioblastoma, the most aggressive and common form of a malignant brain tumor that's usually fatal.

Two of the patients survived longer than predicted with help from the stem cell treatment - an average of 22 months - and a third man from Alaska remains alive today with no disease progression almost three years following treatment.

How does it work?

Many patients with the deadly form of brain cancer possess a gene called MGMT. The MGMT gene is typically turned on and counters the effects from some chemotherapy agents, such as temozolomide, rendering them less effective. As such, people with such a gene often have a particularly poor prognosis.

A drug called benzylguanine can block the MGMT gene, thus making tumors more receptive to chemotherapy, but the combination of the drug and chemo are often too toxic for healthy bone marrow cells.

That's where the new stem cell treatment comes in. By combining bone marrow stem cells with a modified version of MGMT in the form of the new treatment, patients' cells were protected from the toxic effects of the cancer drugs and chemotherapy while keeping the tumor cells targeted.

"This therapy is analogous to firing at both tumor cells and bone marrow cells, but giving the bone marrow cells protective shields while the tumor cells are unshielded," study author Dr. Jennifer Adair, a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, said in a news release.

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Stem cells boost brain tumor treatments for some patients, study finds

Wed May 9, 2012 3:35pm BST

(Reuters) - Pluristem Therapeutics Inc said a 7-year old girl suffering from a bone marrow disease experienced a reversal of her condition after receiving its experimental stem cell therapy, sending the Israeli company's shares up 32 percent.

The girl, suffering from aplastic bone marrow in which the patient has no blood-forming stem cells, had a significant rise in her red cells, white cells and platelets following an injection of Pluristem's therapy -- PLacental eXpanded cells.

"The results of this unique case indicate that PLX cells may be effective in treating other diseases that affect the bone marrow," Reuven Or, the child's physician at Hadassah Medical Center, was quoted in a statement by Pluristem.

Last September, the company said animal studies showed that the therapy had the potential to treat blood tissue complications related with acute radiation syndrome, commonly called radiation sickness.

Last month, the U.S. health regulators gave a go ahead to the company to start a mid-stage trial of the therapy for treating Intermittent Claudication -- a subset of peripheral artery disease.

Pluristem shares, which have gained 5 percent since receiving the FDA nod for the mid-stage trial, were up 15 percent at $2.70 in morning trade on the Nasdaq. They touched a high of $3.10 earlier.

(Reporting by Esha Dey in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

Originally posted here:
Pluristem stem cell therapy saves a patient, shares jump

9 May 2012 Last updated at 14:14 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

It may be possible to use "stem cell shielding" to protect the body from the damaging effects of chemotherapy, early results from a US trial suggest.

Chemotherapy drugs try to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells, but they can also affect other healthy tissues such as bone marrow.

A study, in Science Translational Medicine, used genetically modified stem cells to protect the bone marrow.

Cancer Research UK said it was a "completely new approach".

The body constantly churns out new blood cells in the hollow spaces inside bone. However, bone marrow is incredibly susceptible to chemotherapy.

The treatment results in fewer white blood cells being produced, which increases the risk of infection, and fewer red blood cells, which leads to shortness of breath and tiredness.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle, said these effects were "a major barrier" to using chemotherapy and often meant the treatment had to be stopped, delayed or reduced.

They have tried to protect the bone marrow in three patients with a type of brain cancer, glioblastoma.

One of the researchers, Dr Jennifer Adair, said: "This therapy is analogous to firing at both tumour cells and bone marrow cells, but giving the bone marrow cells protective shields while the tumour cells are unshielded."

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'Cell shield' for cancer patients

Dr. Julio C. Voltarelli, who made a significant impact in cell transplantation, dies at 63

Distinguished Brazilian professor pioneered bone marrow transplantation

Newswise Tampa, Fla. (May. 9th , 2012) Julio C. Voltarelli, MD, PhD, professor at the Ribeiro Preto School of Medicine at the University of So Paulo, Brazil, died March 21, 2012 at the age of 63. Dr. Voltarelli, who was on the editorial board of the Cell Transplantation journal, published by Cognizant Communication Corporation, and an important factor in the journals success, was a distinguished stem cell researcher and head of the bone marrow transplantation unit at the Ribeiro Preto School of Medicine.

Dr. Voltarelli had a significant impact on Brazilian stem cell transplantation science, said Dr. Maria C. O. Rodrigues, Dr. Voltarellis longtime colleague. He was driven to bring the benefits of the newest cellular therapies to those with ALS, MS and type 1 diabetes. His efforts and dedication will be greatly missed.

Dr. Voltarelli, a graduate of the Ribeiro Preto School of Medicine, served post-doctoral fellowships at the University of California San Francisco, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego. He returned to Brazil in 1992 and started a highly ranked bone marrow transplantation program at the Ribeiro Preto School of Medicine. In 2002, Dr. Voltarelli initiated the schools research efforts in stem cell transplantation for autoimmune diseases, later focusing on diabetes, graft-versus-host disease and sickle cell anemia.

At the time of his death, Dr. Voltarelli, in addition to serving as head of the bone marrow transplantation unit, also served as research coordinator for the Center for Cellular Therapy at the So Paulo Research Foundation and the National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cells and Cell Therapy. He was recently elected president of the Brazilian Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation.

His publications included the first books on stem cell transplantation and clinical immunology written in Portuguese. He also founded the Brazilian Society of Stem Cell Transplantation.

His colleagues in Brazil called his lifelong contributions priceless and remembered him for his leadership skills, vision, and sense of humor.

# The Coeditor-in-chiefs for CELL TRANSPLANTATION are at the Center for Neuropsychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, TaiChung, Taiwan, and the Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Contact, Shinn-Zong Lin, MD, PhD at shinnzong@yahoo.com.tw or Camillo Ricordi, MD at ricordi@miami.edu or David Eve, PhD at celltransplantation@gmail.com #

News release by Florida Science Communications http://www.sciencescribe.net

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Julio C. Voltarelli, Pioneer in Cell Transplantation, Dies at 63