StemCell Therapy

Michael West, CEO of Biotime, Inc.of Alameda, Ca., has published the text of his prepared remarks to the Institute of Medicine panel examining the performance of the $3 billion California stem cell agency.

Here is one excerpt from the statement by West, who was also CEO at Advanced Cell Technology and founded Geron.

"To put it simply, stem cell research by itself will not lead to cures. Research and DEVELOPMENT leads to cures. In my opinion, if CIRM fails to deliver on its goal to deliver cures, it will not be a result of internal governance issues. Instead, it will be a result of inefficient capital allocation. A graphic way of visualizing my point is to say that CIRM has historically funded primarily research, and little product development, i.e. large “R” little “d”. Approximately 5% of CIRM’s expenditures have been allocated to biotechnology and health science entities whose expertise is product development, and 95% has been allocated to nonprofit institutions in the state for basic research. Human therapeutic product development in the United States requires a very intense and expensive process for approval that is primarily focused on development side of the equation. In this respect, therapeutic approvals differ significantly from the discovery and development of silicon-based technologies that have been so successfully commercialized in California."

Here is a link to the full text of what West posted on the Biotime web site.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

A venture capitalist who said earlier this week that the California stem cell agency rejected 15 grant applications from Advanced Cell Technology this afternoon retracted the statement, which he said was incorrect.

Gregory Bonfiglio, managing partner in Proteus Regenerative Medicine, said in an email,

"Although I believed that number to be true at the time I stated it, I have now determined that the number of CIRM grant applications ACT filed as the principal investigator was substantially below 15."

Bonfiglio made the assertion Tuesday at a meeting of the Institute of Medicine panel looking into the performance of the $3 billion California stem cell agency, which has been criticized for its lack of funding of biotech firms.

Here is more of what Bonfiglio had to say in his email this afternoon,

"Unfortunately, your California Stem Cell Report posting on April 11 contains some inaccurate information, for which I appear to have been the source.  As you will recall, I stated during the IOM Panel that Advanced Cell Technology had submitted multiple applications for funding from CIRM, but had been unsuccessful in obtaining any funding from CIRM.  I also stated that ACT had been involved in “15 grant applications” to CIRM.   You highlighted that number in your April 11 California Stem Cell Report posting.   Unfortunately, that number is not accurate.  Although I believed that number to be true at the time I stated it, I have now determined that the number of CIRM grant applications ACT filed as the Principal Investigator was substantially below 15.   The number I quoted in the IOM Meeting on April 10 included applications in which ACT had some involvement, but was not the lead principal Investigator.  ACT has filed several applications for CIRM funding as the lead PI, but the number of CIRM applications in which ACT was the lead PI was far below 15.   Moreover, some of ACT’s direct applications for CIRM funding were withdrawn by ACT, rather than denied by CIRM.

"I would request that you correct this inaccuracy regarding ACT's applications for CIRM funding as soon as possible.  I'm sure you will agree that the regenerative medicine community, and the general public, have a real and significant interest in obtaining accurate information about developments at CIRM, and that the publication of inaccurate information is a tremendous disservice to all involved.  More importantly, ACT is a publicly traded company and the publication of inaccurate information regarding ACT, its technologies, or its funding could have adverse consequences for the company.   Furthermore, as an active participant in the regenerative medicine community who has spent his professional career developing a reputation for honesty, accuracy, and integrity I am very concerned that I might be the source of inaccurate information regarding developments within the field of regenerative medicine.  For these reasons, I would ask that you retract the statement in your April 11 Blog posting that ACT was 'rejected 15 times for funding' by CIRM, and that you refrain from making any other statements to that effect.

"I appreciate your cooperation in this regard, and I would request that you move quickly to correct the inaccuracy in your April 11 Blog posting.   As I am sure you are aware, information in blog postings is sometimes picked up by more traditional media, and I would not want any republication of this inaccurate information regarding ACT’s grant applications to CIRM."

At the time Bonfiglio made his comments concerning ACT, top officials of the stem cell agency were in the room, but did not make any statement concerning his assertion. On the morning of April 11 prior to publication of the item, the California Stem Cell Report asked ACT for comment .

No response has been received from ACT about the figure. CIRM also has not commented since the item appeared.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

IRVINE, Ca. – The $3 billion California stem cell agency was praised this week for making progress in accountability and transparency during the last year.

The comments came from a representative of California state Controlller John Chiang, the state's top fiscal officer and who also chairs the only state entity specifically charged with financial oversight of the stem cell agency and its board.

Ruth Holton-Hodson, deputy state controller, told the blue-ribbon Institute of Medicine panel examining the performance of the stem cell agency that the controller's office "would like to acknowledge the progress the new leadership has made in the last year towards making CIRM a far more transparent and accountable agency than it has been in the past."

CIRM has a new chairman, J.T. Thomas, a Los Angeles financier, who has been in place since the beginning of last July. He succeeded Bob Klein, who was the initial agency chairman and who took office in 2004.

In her testimony at the IOM hearing here on Tuesday, Holton-Hodson discussed previous problems that CIRM had with the transparency of its budget. She said,

"We are very pleased that CIRM’s new leadership recognized this as a problem and quickly adopted a much more transparent budget format which is broken down by function. To make CIRM’s expenditures as transparent as possible, we have also recommended that they post the annual budget on the website. Again, we’re pleased to say that the new leadership has agreed to do this."

She also said,

"At our most recent meeting (of the Citizens Financial Accountability and Oversight Committee), we also recommended that CIRM post all of its private donations and they have agreed to do this."

Holton-Hodson criticized the dual executive arrangement at CIRM that is written into law by Proposition 71. She said,

"It is difficult to uphold the appearance of accountability and objectivity when the board chair has direct line authority over some CIRM staff positions. In essence under the current model, the chair is responsible for evaluating and approving some of the work of the chair.

"While this issue is still outstanding, it is important to acknowledge that the current leadership has made significant progress in more clearly delineating the responsibilities of the chair and the president."

Here is the full text of Holton-Hodson's remarks.Statement from California state controller's office to IOM-CIRM panel April 10, 2012

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

(Editor's note: The assertion in this item that 15 applications by ACT were rejected by the California stem cell agency is incorrect, according to the venture capitalist who made the statement. He retracted it on the afternoon of April 12. His explanation can be found here. )


IRVINE, Ca. --The only firm in the nation conducting an ongoing hESC clinical trial has been rejected 15 times for funding by California's $3 billion stem cell agency.

The figure was reported yesterday at a hearing by the blue-ribbon Institute of Medicine panel looking into the performance of the stem cell agency, which has been sharply criticized in recent years for its paucity of industry funding.

Gregory Bonfiglio, managing partner in Proteus Regenerative Medicine, a stem cell venture capital firm in Portola Valley, Ca., disclosed the grant attempts by Advanced Cell Technology, whose nominal headquarters are in Santa Monica, Ca. Bonfiglio indicated that it was a high profile example of how CIRM is not taking the necessary steps to fulfill its goal of developing therapies that actually reach the clinic.

He noted that ACT received national attention in January when it posted favorable findings for its clinical trial at UCLA dealing with blindness but that the firm was still unable to win a CIRM grant over the last several years.

ACT had moved much of its operations to California in the wake of passage of Proposition 71, the measure that created the state's stem cell research effort in 2004. It has since re-centered its operations in Massachusetts.

The California Stem Cell Report has queried ACT on its grant efforts and will carry its response verbatim when it is received.

Another firm, which cannot be identified, said privately yesterday that it was rejected 14 times.

According to our calculations based on figures this morning on the CIRM web site, businesses have received only $54.3 million in grants and loans during the last seven years, 4 percent of the $1.3 billion awarded. However, the CIRM list slightly understates the industry total. At least two other firms are sharing in two $20 million grants involving academic institutions, but are not noted on the list.

Yesterday's IOM meeting was the second and final California public session for the CIRM inquiry. Most of the day was occupied by a variety of critiques of the organization. The panel has already heard extensively from the agency itself and beneficiaries of its grants. The IOM report is expected in November.

Harold Shapiro, chairman of the panel and former president of Princeton University, described yesterday afternoon's panel involving stem cell business executives as "one of the more interesting" of the day.

One of the speakers was Michael West, CEO of Biotime in Alameda, which has received $4.7 million from CIRM. West, the founder of Geron, was also head of ACT when it moved it to California. He said CIRM had several "blind spots," including misconceptions about how products are made. For example, West said, CIRM's performance indicates that it does not fully understand that development leads directly to cures -- not research.

West said that if the high tech industry had to rely on CIRM-type funding years ago, laptops and iPads would still be in the lab instead of the marketplace.

The business industry representatives said that creation of CIRM has been beneficial for stem cell  research, but cited a number of deficiencies in connection with industry applications.

In some ways, their comments echoed past remarks by several CIRM board members, who have expressed concern about the lack of funding for industry, as well as those of the agency's own external review panel. One issue raised by those CIRM directors has been the lack of grant reviewers with product development and industry expertise.

At yesterday's hearing, Gabriel Nistor, vice president of research and development at California Stem Cell in Irvine, said, it is "exceedingly rare to find academics (grant reviewers) that understand the complexities" involving industry. Nistor said his firm has applied for a "few" CIRM grants. None have been awarded.

Also speaking was Allan Robins, CEO of Viacyte in San Diego, who said his firm has done well with CIRM funding. It has received $26.2 million, nearly all of it in the form of a loan. But he said companies develop products – not academia.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

IRVINE, Ca. – The Center for Genetics and Society today said it would "wrong" to ask the people of California for more money to continue financing stem cell research at state expense.

Marcy Darnovsky, associate executive director of the Berkeley, Ca., non-profit group, addressed a blue-ribbon Institute of Medicine panel evaluating the performance of the $3 billion California stem cell agency, which is financed by money borrowed by the state. The agency is expected to run out of cash in about five years.

Darnovsky said,

"In structural terms, a key question now is what will happen after CIRM’s public funding is exhausted. According to CIRM’s transition plan, another bond measure for additional public funding 'would be premature at this time,' but is still on the table. In our view, any additional public monies for CIRM would have to be justified in an analysis that emphasized health care priorities and health care disparities. While there is always tension between the allocation of public funds to scientific research and to other public goods, given our state’s economic decline and budgetary crisis, with so many critical social programs being gutted, we believe it would be simply wrong to ask Californians to set aside more money for one avenue of research, however important."

Representatives of the stem cell agency were present at today's hearing on the UC Irvine campus, but did not speak publicly at today's session. CIRM officials, however, have testified before the panel on two other days of public hearings. The agency is paying the IOM $700,000 to conduct the study. Its results and recommendations are expected to be published in November.

Darnovsky and others testifying at the morning session were critical of the agency's lack of accountability, built-in conflicts of interest and immunity from normal government oversight (see here and here).

Darnovsky said, "

The requirement for 70% super-majorities (to change the law regarding CIRM) means that there is still no meaningful oversight of CIRM by elected officials. The ICOC is still tainted by its built-in conflicts of interest. It still includes no representation of the public beyond disease advocates. Members of CIRM’s powerful Working Groups, including the one that reviews grant applications, are still not required to publicly disclose their individual financial interests.

"Given that hundreds of millions of dollars remain to be disbursed, and the widely mooted possibility that CIRM will develop a role that continues beyond the public funding stream that was allocated in 2004, now is the time to clarify and address these issues."

Here is the full text of Darnovsky's comments.
Center for Genetics and Society statement to IOM-CIRM panel, April 10 2012

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

IRVINE, Ca.-- California's unprecedented stem cell research effort faces a tight timetable for making major progress in fulfilling promises to voters seven years ago, complicated by potential conflicts of interest, a blue-ribbon panel was told this morning.

David Jensen, editor of the California Stem Cell Report, made the comments to the Institute of Medicine panel looking into the performance of the $3 billion California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

The panel's inquiry comes as the agency is re-evaluating its strategies as it faces loss of funding in about 2017.

Here is the full text of Jensen's statement.
Statement to IOM-CIRM Panel by California Stem Cell Report April 9, 2012

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Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

IRVINE, Ca. – The Consumer Watchdog organization says that serious consideration should be given to whether the state should halt borrowing money to finance the $3 billion California stem cell agency.

The statement was prepared for delivery tomorrow here to a blue-ribbon Institute of Medicine panel evaluating the performance of the research effort, which was created by a ballot initiative in 2004. The agency's only real source of cash is bonds issued by the state, which means the agency will cost $6 billion including interest by end of its grant-making life in about 2017.

John M. Simpson, stem cell project director for Consumer Watchdog of Santa Monica, Ca., said that the political and scientific environment has changed substantially since 2004. The Bush Administration had restricted federal funding of hESC research then, causing an uproar in the scientific community. Funding has since been restored.

Simpson said the stem cell measure "made sense" seven years ago. He said the stem cell agency and its governing board "must recognize that the political, scientific and economic environment have dramatically altered since the passage of Proposition 71."

His statement continued,

"It is also appropriate to consider seriously whether issuing all $3 billion in authorized bonds is the correct policy in light of the new environment and economic realties facing the state."

Simpson was invited make his statement to the IOM panel, which is midway through its public process of looking into CIRM's operations. It is doing so at the behest of CIRM, which is paying the prestigious organization $700,000 to perform the work.

Simpson also made a number of recommendations for changes at CIRM, many of which would require a change in state law or passage of another ballot measure. Proposition 71, which created CIRM and altered the state Constitution, requires a super, super-majority vote (70 percent) by the legislature to make changes at CIRM.

The Consumer Watchdog proposals (full text below) include reducing the size of the 29-member board to 15, including public members on the board, reducing the super-majority requirement on board quorums to a majority, eliminating the controversial dual executive arrangement at CIRM, conducting grant reviews in public and publicly disclosing the financial interests of reviewers.Consumer Watchdog Statement to IOM-CIRM Panel April 9, 2012

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

An Indian-origin professor in the U.K. will head the worlds first trial using liver stem cells that could avoid transplant surgery.

Paediatric liver consultant Professor Anil Dhawan, who will head the trial at Kings College Hospital, has described the use of stem cells to treat liver disease as an exciting breakthrough, The Daily Mail reported.

Doctors have developed a pioneering treatment for liver disease that could save hundreds of lives a year and avoid the need for transplant surgery, it said.

Eighteen British children suffering from rare and life threatening liver conditions are to receive infusions of specially treated liver cells removed from the organs of dead donors, the paper said.

It said that doctors believe they will make vital stem cells the building blocks of life and repair the damaged organ.

We have many very sick children and babies who need transplants. If we can cure them without a transplant that will be a fantastic development.

We have tried using ordinary liver cells with limited success, but is the first time a treatment has been developed that gets the liver to regrow using stem cells, Mr. Dhawan was quoted, as saying by the daily.

He added that if all goes well, the children, who are being treated with the cells, will show an improvement within a couple of months.

We would expect those children to come off their medicines and therapy. It will mean the liver cells have done their job and corrected the defects that made them ill. Then we will have to see how long the effect lasts and whether we have to top up these children with further infusions. I am optimistic the treatment will work, he said.

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Indian to head world’s first trial with liver stem cells

NEW YORK, April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --IntelliCell BioSciences, Inc.("Company") (OTCQB: SVFC.PK) announced today that the Company has signed a technology licensing agreement with Stem Cells 21 of Thailand, http://www.StemCells21.com. Stem Cells 21 is led by Dr. Chatchai Sribundit MD, a fellow of the College of Anti-ageing Medicine and a member of the National Olympic Committee and Mr. Paul Collier, the Managing Director for the Stem Cells 21. They have been in the cellular treatment business for over 11 years in Thailand and have a vast amount of experience. They run the Absolute Health Integrative Medical Center in Bangkok. In partnership with clinics and hospitals, they manage patient care for foreigners traveling to Thailand for medical care. Their partner laboratories and physicians have developed a range of treatment protocols using either umbilical cord blood-derived adult stem cells or adipose-derived cells, from the patient's own body for a wide variety of progressive and debilitating diseases.

Dr. Steven Victor, Chairman of IntelliCell BioSciences stated, "We are excited to sign this technology licensing agreement in Thailand with Stem Cells 21. With Dr. Chatchai Sribundit and Mr. Paul Collier's extensive experience in cellular therapy, our technology can be utilized to its fullest potential. We look forward to working with Stem Cells 21 and the Absolute Health Integrative Medical Center in Bangkok to advance the science of adult autologous vascular cellular therapy in Thailand."

About IntelliCell BioSciencesIntelliCell is a pioneering regenerative medicine company focused on the expanding regenerative medical markets using adult autologous vascular cells (HCT/P's) derived from the blood vessels in the adult adipose tissue. IntelliCell BioSciences has developed its own patent pending protocol to separate adult autologous vascular cells from adipose tissue without the use of enzymes. IntelliCell will also be seeking to enter into technology licensing agreements that cover a particular international territory or country.

Forward-LookingStatementsCertain statements set forth in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words "estimate," "project," "intend," "forecast," "anticipate," "plan," "planning," "expect," "believe," "will likely," "should," "could," "would," "may" or words or expressions of similar meaning. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from those included within the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Company's ability to grow its business. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the Company's limited operating history, the limited financial resources, domestic or global economic conditions, activities of competitors and the presence of new or additional competition, and changes in Federal or State laws. More information about the potential factors that could affect the Company's business and financial results is included in the Company's filings, available via the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:IntelliCell BioSciences, Inc. Rubenstein Investor Relations Contact: Tim Clemensen Email Contact:TClemensen@rubensteinir.com (212) 843-9337

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IntelliCell BioSciences Signs Technology Licensing Agreement with Stem Cells 21 Thailand

11.04.2012 - (idw) Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitt Bonn

Until recently, the production of pluripotent multipurpose stem cells from skin cells was considered to be the ultimate new development. In the meantime, it has become possible to directly convert cells of the body into one another without the time-consuming detour via a pluripotent intermediate stage. However, this method has so far been rather inefficient. Scientists from the Bonn Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology (director: Prof. Dr. Oliver Brstle) have now developed the method to the point that it can be used for biomedical applications. The scientists are presenting their results in the journal Nature Methods. There was much excitement surrounding cell reprogramming with the breakthrough of Shinya Yamanaka. In 2006, the Japanese scientist was able to reprogram skin cells for the first time with the aid of a few control factors into so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) multipurpose cells from which all body cells can in principle be produced. In 2010, Marius Wernig, a former postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Brstle and meanwhile the director of the institute at Stanford University in California, developed the idea further: Using only three so-called transcription factors, his team was able to perform direct transformation of skin cells into so-called induced neurons (iN). However, the method has so far been rather inefficient: Only a small percentage of the skin cells were converted into the desired nerve cells.

Researchers are increasing yields during transformation of cells

For the scientists at the LIFE & BRAIN Center at the University of Bonn, that was not enough. They are interested in the biomedical utilization of artificially produced human nerve cells for disease research, cell replacement, and the development of active substances. One concept seemed likely: Why not use low-molecular active substances - so-called small molecules - to optimize the process? Julia Ladewig, post-doctoral researcher and lead author of the study, began using such active substances to influence several signaling pathways important for cell development.

By blocking the so-called SMAD signaling pathway and inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3), they increased the transformational efficiency by several times and were thus able to even simplify the means of extraction. Using only two instead of previously three transcription factors and three active substances, the Bonn researchers were able to convert a majority of the skin cells into neurons. In the end, their cell cultures contained up to more than 80% human neurons. And since the cells divide even further during the conversion process, the actual efficiency is even higher.

We can obtain up to more than 200,000 nerve cells converted in this way from 100,000 skin cells, says Julia Ladewig. In order to find the right combination of active substances, the Bonn scientists are focusing on signaling pathways which are especially important for cell specialization. The SMAD signaling pathway and also GSK3 were suspected of inhibiting the conversion of connective tissue cells and pluripotent stem cells into neural cells. The obvious step was to block both of them using corresponding active substances, says Philipp Koch, team leader and senior author responsible for the study, together with Prof. Brstle. The results were intriguing: We were able to demonstrate how the genes typical for skin fibroblast were gradually down-regulated and nerve-cell-specific genes were activated during the cell transformation. In addition, the nerve cells thus obtained were functionally active, which also makes them interesting as a source for cell replacement, says Ladewig.

Scientists are now transferring the method to other types of cells

The Bonn scientists have already transferred the method to other types of cells such as, for example, umbilical cord cells. Brstle clearly foresees the next steps: First of all, we want to use nerve cells obtained in this way for disease and active substance research. The long-term goal will be to convert cells directly in the body into nerve cells.

Publication: Ladewig, J., Mertens, J., Kesavan, J., Doerr, J., Poppe, D., Glaue, F., Herms, S., Wernet, P., Kgler, G., Mller, F.-J., Koch, P., Brstle, O. (2012) Small molecules enable highly efficient neuronal conversion of human fibroblasts. Nature Methods (DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1972)

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Researchers convert skin and umbilical cord cells directly into nerve cell

(PRWEB UK) 11 April 2012

Renowned French plastic surgeon Dr. Roger Amar is the pioneer of the Facial Autografting Muscle Injection (FAMI) process. Dr. Amar has been using and perfecting this method of stem cell face lift surgery since 1997 and the procedure has been successfully performed on over 500 patients.

FAMI is an innovative procedure that uses the patients own living fatty connective tissue (adult stem cells) extracted through fat grafting. This tissue is injected into the patients face to restore the natural symmetry and fullness of the face that changes with age or disfiguring accident. Using the patients own fat cells also prevent the introduction of foreign bodies into system.

As we age, the youthful contours of the face become harsher and the edges and angles of the face become sharper. FAMI attacks this aging process by recreating the harmonious lines present in a youthful face and restoring the contours of the face. In the process, the nose seems smaller, the cheeks fuller and the lips fleshier. The entire face regains its normal harmonious proportions.

For years doctors have advocated the use of fat as a natural filler in cosmetic surgery, but what sets FAMI apart is the utilization of adult stem cells (from a living person, not from an embryo). These cells are injected into the facial muscles and after years of using this method it has been discovered that using stem cells prolongs the longevity of the fat graft, unlike the simple fat injection methods used in the 1980s. Since he first began using the FAMI method in the late 1990s, Dr. Amar has taught it to over 200 surgeons who travel to international conferences to learn the Amar Technique.

Facial FAMI is considered much safer than standard plastic surgery and can be used as a non surgical facelift. Whereas more traditional open surgeries risk damage to the nerves, arteries, veins and other facial structures, FAMI features non-invasive injections performed on an out-patient basis with minimal risk of complications. With the promise of taking years off of a face in less than three hours, with little or no risk of complication, it is no wonder the FAMI procedure has proven so popular.

Perhaps nothing else speaks to the effectiveness and popularity of the FAMI procedure more than the fact that an estimated 10-15% of all FAMI patients are doctors themselves. For anyone seeking the return to a more natural youthful face, FAMI is ideal.

The basics of FAMI are:

To learn more about FAMI stem cell face lift visit Dr. Amars website http://www.rogeramar.com

Originally posted here:
Dr Roger Amar FAMI Stem Cell Face Lift

The new suspension method allows stem cells to be collected in larger numbers instead of being scraped off of a surface

Researchers from the University of Toronto's Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) have created a new method for growing stem cells in larger quantities.

David Fluri, a postdoctoral researcher at IBBME, and Peter Zandstra, a professor at IBBME, have developed a new suspension method for growing stem cells, which allows for the collection of greater numbers of stem cells and increases the chance of obtaining viable cells in a cost-effective way.

Traditionally, stem cells are grown on surfaces that need to be scraped and are then differentiated from other kinds of cells to avoid cell death. However, this method doesn't produce enough viable stem cells from each culture, and the high cost to use this method doesn't match the results.

But now, Fluri and Zandstra have combined the stem cell creation process with a bioreactor, which provides stable environments for such processes. The cells were also grown in suspension, making the process more stable and safer for more viable cells.

By doing this, mouse cells were reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells, which can become any kind of cell. They were then changed into cardiac cells.

Fluri and Zandstra hope that this new technique can be used to eventually treat heart disease. It is designed to work with large scale processes and provide the quantity needed for successful stem cell research and drug development.

"This is an enabling technology," said Zandstra. "It takes something we showed we could do before at low efficiency but not at such numbers that could be used in manufacturing."

Source: Eurekalert

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Canadian Researchers Find Way to Grow Stem Cells in Larger Quantities

STROKE BACKGROUND: A stroke is an attack on the brain. It occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and food. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die.In the United States alone, stroke is the third leading cause of death, killing about 137,000 people each year. Approximately 795,000 people will suffer from some form of stroke this year. Strokes can happen to anyone at any time, regardless of race, sex or age and it is the leading cause of serious, long-term adult disability. (SOURCE: http://www.stroke.org, http://www.mayoclinic.com)

TYPES OF STROKES: There are two major types of strokes: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke occurs when arteries are blocked by blood clots or by the gradual build-up of plaque and other fatty deposits. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain breaks leaking blood into the brain. SOURCE: (www.stroke.org).

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOWN: Approximately 55,000 more women than menhave a stroke each year. Mens stroke incidence rates are greater than womens at younger ages, but not older ages; and African Americans are twice as likely of having a stroke compared to whites. About 87 % of all strokes are ischemic. Hemorrhagic strokes account for 13% of all strokes, yet are responsible for more than thirty percent of all stroke deaths. SOURCE: (www.stroke.org)

DETECTION: Use the F.A.S.T. to detect signs of a Stroke:

F = FACE Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? A = ARMS Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? S = SPEECH Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Does the speech sound slurred or strange? T = TIME If you observe any of these signs (independently or together), call 9-1-1 immediately. SOURCE: (www.stroke.org)

PREVENTION: There are ways to prevent a stroke, such as: Not smoking or quitting smoking; controlling your cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes; exercising at least 30 minutes a day; maintaining a healthy weight; and limiting how much alcohol you drink. This means 1 drink a day for women and 2 a day for men. SOURCE: (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth)

LIFE AFTER A STROKE: Stroke rehabilitation is the process by which a stroke survivor works with a team of health care providers with the aim of regaining as much of the function lost after a stroke as possible. By joining a comprehensive rehabilitation program immediately after leaving the hospital, stroke survivors can maximize their chances of recovery, and in most cases they can regain a substantial portion of the functions they lost as a result of their stroke.

Some of the different types of medical professionals who participate in the care of stroke patients during the rehabilitation process include:

1. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians (Physiatrists)

2 .Physical Therapists

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Stem cells for stroke?

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

Contact: Jill Scoggins jill.scoggins@louisville.edu 502-852-7461 University of Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. To paraphrase Yogi Berra: It's dj vu all over again with a twist.

A University of Louisville researcher known for his prowess at winning competitive grants from the National Institutes of Health has won another one his first for clinical research.

During his 18-year tenure at UofL, Dr. Roberto Bolli has generated more than $100 million in grants for basic research from the NIH. Today, Bolli joined with University of Louisville President James R. Ramsey to announce a new NIH grant he has won for clinical research, a seven-year, $3.4 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to establish one of seven regional centers across the United States in the Cardiac Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN). The network conducts early clinical trials of adult stem cell therapies in patients with heart disease.

"Stem cell therapy holds great promise for treating heart disease, and researchers involved in CCTRN are helping determine how these promising therapies might be most beneficial to patients," said Dr. Sonia Skarlatos, deputy director of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences in the NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. "This new round of funding is an important step in helping to improve cardiovascular health."

This move from basic to clinical research from "bench to bedside" in medical lingo will test the validity of new therapies by replicating studies in patients at two or more of the network's centers located at UofL, Stanford University, Texas Heart Institute, Minneapolis Heart Institute, University of Florida, University of Miami and Indiana University.

Replicating studies in several locations with a large number of patients is necessary for researchers to ultimately determine which ones can be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for approval.

"Through the work of Dr. Bolli and his team, the UofL Health Sciences Center continues to fulfill the promise of a great metropolitan research university," Ramsey said. "Success like Dr. Bolli's in conducting basic research lays the foundation for him to conduct clinical studies that will determine the standard of care for the future.

"Clinical trials of new adult stem cell therapies are among the most promising and exciting areas of medical research today, and being part of a national network such as the CCTRN means UofL can bring this cutting-edge medicine to the people of Kentucky and beyond."

Original post:
From bench to bedside: NIH grant establishes cardiac clinical research center at UofL

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN), a nationwide U.S. network funded by the National Institutes of Healths (NIH) National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has selected the Minneapolis Heart Institute (MHI) as one of its seven U.S. centers of excellence. The network will receive $63 million from the NIH and NHLBI over the next seven years to help achieve its mission of driving public health advances in cardiovascular cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

MHI was integral to the success of the first CCTRN initiativea series of clinical studies that took place over five years involving five sites using bone marrow stem cells in patients with heart disease, and in which nearly 50 percent of the patients were enrolled in Minnesota. As principal investigator, Timothy D. Henry, MD, director of research at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF), will be responsible for a network of Minnesota hospitals including the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, United Hospital in St. Paul, Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids and Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

This extension of CCTRN already has three trials planned, including

These trials will play a key role in identifying the benefits of cell therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease. The Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital has been a leader in cardiovascular cell therapy research with more than 300 patients treated for a variety of conditions including acute heart attack, heart failure, ischemic heart disease and peripheral arterial disease, Henry said. The first CCTRN was highly successful in achieving the NIHs goal of promoting clinical research and has led to the expansion of the network to seven clinical centers for seven years.

Henry noted the remarkable progress in cell therapy over the past several years. Currently, there are several large Phase 3 trials, which if proven efficacious, will lead to cell therapy added to the armamentarium for treating patients with challenging cardiovascular diseases. The CCTRN in particular is critical to provide key insights into the preferred cell, and method of delivery to increase the chance of success.

The CCTRN was created to support the collaboration of physicians, researchers and support staff with expertise in innovative stem cell therapies and experience in leading clinical trials that evaluate leading edge treatments for heart disease.

Stem cell therapy holds great promise for treating heart disease, and researchers involved in CCTRN are helping determine how these promising therapies might be most beneficial to patients, said Sonia I. Skarlatos, PhD, NHBLIs deputy director of the division of cardiovascular sciences and program director of CCTRN. This new round of funding is an important step in helping to improve cardiovascular health.

The CCTRN also includes the University of Miami, the University of Florida, Stanford University, Texas Heart Institute, Indiana University and University of Louisville.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming nearly 900,000 lives each year and more lives than the next five leading causes of death combined. One in three Americans suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease and associated costs are estimated at $432 billion in 2007.

Excerpt from:
Minneapolis Heart Institute Again Selected to Participate in Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN)

Source:
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A little more than three years ago a medical team from Berlin published the results of a unique experiment that astonished HIV researchers. The German group had taken bone marrow--the source of the body’s immune cells--from an anonymous donor whose genetic inheritance made him or her naturally resistant to HIV. Then the researchers transplanted the cells into a man with leukemia who had been HIV-positive for more than 10 years. Although treatment of the patient’s leukemia was the rationale for the bone marrow transplant therapy, the group also hoped that the transplant would provide enough HIV-resistant cells to control the man’s infection. The therapy exceeded the team’s expectations. Instead of just decreasing the amount of HIV in the patient’s blood, the transplant wiped out all detectable traces of the virus from his body, including in multiple tissues where it could have lain dormant. The German researchers were so surprised by the spectacularly positive results that they waited nearly two years before publishing their data.

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Antidepressants restore well-being to many people, but sometimes at the cost of such side effects as weight gain or loss of interest in sex. And these side effects can be just part of the frustration. As Robin Marantz Henig wrote in " Lifting the Black Cloud ," in the March issue of Scientific American , the drugs that have long dominated the market--the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)--"do not help everyone and eventually fail in more than a third of users. A pill that seems to be working today might well stop helping tomorrow. And the drugs can take several weeks to start having a marked effect." Equally disturbing, some major pharmaceutical houses, such as GlaxoSmithKline , are pulling back from developing psychiatric medicines.

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A young woman who calls herself blue­berryoctopus had been taking anti­depressants for three years, mostly for anxiety and panic attacks, when she recounted her struggles with them on the Web site Experience Project. She said she had spent a year on Paxil, one of the popular SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), but finally stopped because it destroyed her sex drive. She switched to Xanax, an ­antianxiety drug , which brought back her libido but at the cost of renewed symptoms. Then Paxil again, then Lexapro (another SSRI), then Pristiq, a member of a related class of antidepressants, the SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors). At the time of the post, she was on yet another SSRI, Zoloft, plus Wellbutrin (a cousin of SNRIs that affects the activity of dopamine as well as norepinephrine), which was intended to counteract the sexual side effects of Zoloft. “I don’t notice much of a difference with the Wellbutrin, but I’m on the lowest dose now,” she wrote. “I’m going back to my psychiatrist next week, so maybe he’ll up it. Who knows.”

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Via Scoop.it – inPharmatics

 Quintiles and the American Diabetes Association announced a strategic agreement in which Quintiles’ Digital Patient Unit will provide the Association’s millions of website users access to Quintiles’ medication monitoring service.

The Association’s constituents who opt in for the service will receive free safety checks of their medications to identify potential interactions and other risk factors, which are already provided to the 2.5 million registered users of Quintiles’ http://www.MediGuard.org. Registrants will also be eligible to participate in select direct-to-patient programs to benefit their medical conditions and advance global diabetes patient care.

The Association’s constituents may opt in to this service from the Association’s website http://www.Diabetes.org

Via http://www.quintiles.com

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