StemCell Therapy

24-02-2012 17:04 Dr.Mark Newkirk is once again on the cutting edge of medicine. Newkirk Family Veterinarians now offer STEM CELL THERAPY for pets. Dr. Mark Newkirk combines traditional medicine and surgery with Holistic Alternatives to access the best of both worlds. As a Veterinarian, Dr. Newkirk has been serving Southern New Jersey for over 25 years. He is extensively trained in medicine and surgery and also is skilled in the care of exotic pets such as reptiles and birds. Dr. Newkirk is also one of only 5 doctors in the country currently undergoing training by the nationally renowned Dr. Martin Goldstein, the author of "The Nature of Animal Healing", and founder of immuno-augmentative therapy for animals, a true alternative cancer therapy. Dr. Newkirk is a member of American Holistic Veterinary Medical Society, the American Veterinary Medical Association, New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association and the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association. For more information check out Stem Cell Therapy on The Animal Planet's dogs 101 http://www.youtube.com

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Stem Cell Therapy at Newkirk Family Veterinarians - Hunter's Story - Video

An experiment that has produced human eggs from stem cells could be a boon for women desperate to have a baby, scientists claim.

New research has swept away the belief women only have a limited stock of eggs and replaces it with the theory the supply is continuously replenished from precursor cells in the ovary.

'The prevailing dogma in our field for the better part of the last 50 or 60 years was that young girls at birth were given a bank account of eggs at birth that's not renewable,' says Jonathan Tilly, director of the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital, who led the research.

'As they become mature and become a woman, they use those eggs up (and) the ovaries will fail when they enter menopause.'

Tilly first challenged the 'bank account' doctrine eight years ago, suggesting female mammals continue producing egg-making cells into adulthood rather than from a stock acquired at birth.

His theory ran into a firestorm.

Other scientists challenged the accuracy of his experiments or dismissed their conclusions as worthless, given they were only conducted on lab mice.

But Tilly says the new work not only confirms his controversial idea, it takes it further.

In it, his team isolated egg-producing stem cells in human ovaries and then coaxed them into developing oocytes, as eggs are called.

Building on a feat by Chinese scientists, they pinpointed the oocyte stem cells by using antibodies which latched onto a protein 'handle' located on the side of these cells.

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Human eggs produced from stem cells

Norway's celebrated six-time Olympic medalist and world champion, Vegard Ulvang, leads a group at a "Ski with Vegard" event for the top fundraisers on behalf of MS research two days before the 2012 American Birkebeiner in Cable, Wis., on Feb. 23.

All American Birkebeiner coverage is brought to you through the generous support ofConcept2, makers of theSkiErg.

Dr. Ian Duncans first phone call to Vegard Ulvang two years ago met a little dead air. It wasnt that Ulvang, the executive director of the International Ski Federations cross-country committee, didnt want to talk. He couldnt at the time.

The former Norwegian cross-country skiing superstar had the Olympics to tend to.

Last summer, Duncan, a world-renowned National Multiple Sclerosis Society researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, had his second chance with Ulvang on a bike ride.

During one of his stem-cell advisory trips in Norway, Duncan arranged to meet Ulvang and his family. Already chummy with eight-time Olympic gold medalist Bjrn Daehlie, the MS Societys first ambassador at the American Birkebeiner in 2009, Duncan wanted to persuade both Daehlie and his former teammate, Ulvang, to come to Wisconsin for the 2012 Birkie.

Dr. Ian Duncan (l) and Ulvang during the "Ski with Vegard" session, in which top fundraisers for MS had a chance to ski with the Norwegian legend before the 2012 American Birkebeiner.

For Daehlie, the decision to ski North Americas largest ski marathon three years ago was fairly easy. His mother had MS, a chronic and often disabling disease that affects the central nervous system. Daehlie contacted Duncan to help her.

Aside from being a professor, BVMS, PhD and FRCPath, Duncan was also a leading researcher in determining how cell transplants could repair MS-damaged nerve fibers. The connection between the Wisconsin doctor and Daehlie led the retired skier to come to the U.S. on behalf of MS research. Participating in the Birkie was secondary, but it generated a lot of attention.

Three years later, Duncan hoped to attract two Norwegian ski celebrities to the event as MS research ambassadors. After learning that Daehlie couldnt make it, Duncan asked Vegard, who had already agreed to participate in his first Birkie, for some help.

Link:
Ulvang Serves as MS Ambassador, Talks About Change

COMMENTARY | The ever-heated abortion debate brings out the beast in both sides. Occasionally, key quotes from one side may actually advance the cause of the other, as the latest controversy suggests. Maybe this one just makes the issues more obvious.

Headlines exploded after two ethicists published "After-birth abortion: Why should the baby live?" in the Journal of Medical Ethics (JME), a British medical journal February 23.

The authors, Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva, essentially said no ethical difference exists between a fetus and a newborn. Either both are real humans or neither are. Following this logic, abortion and infanticide would be considered equal.

"Merely being human is not in itself a reason for ascribing someone a right to life," the article read. "Many humans are not considered subjects of a right to life: spare embryos where research on embryo stem cells is permitted, fetuses where abortion is permitted, criminals where capital punishment is legal."

Pro-lifers jumped on the idea, as The Sun reported. Giubilini and Minerva never indicated an age at which child-killing would be considered immoral. Could babies be offed at a month, six months, a year or more?

Would infanticide, relabeled after-birth abortion, lead to even more legal killings? "This slope has far more room left down which we could slide," Catholic Moral Theology writer Charles Camosy concluded.

Journal editor Julian Savulescu told The Telegraph the ethicist pair had received death threats. The two posted a somewhat side-straddling response in the JME blog on March 2. "We had no idea that our paper would raise such a heated debate," they wrote. "It was meant to be a pure exercise of logic: if X, then Y."

Could the two have played a devil's advocate, either inadvertently or intentionally, reigniting the age-old debate on when personhood begins?

"The Catholic Church has been making the same logical connections between abortion and infanticide for ... 2000 years," Camosy claimed in a post for Oxford University's Practical Ethics.

Giubilini and Minerva may have added ammunition to the pro-life camp by suggesting equality between the newly born and the unborn. Killing is either wrong or right. If life matters after birth, perhaps the ethical and medical communities will reexamine pre-birth existence.

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After-Birth Abortion Claim Points Instead to Pre-Birth Humanity

Pat receive a life altering Stem Cell Treatment with the help of World Stem Cells, LLC. Pat went from couch bound to walking 1.5 miles on country dirt road, climbing stairs, gardening and playing piano all thanks to a stem cell treatment.

(PRWEB) March 03, 2012

Pats neurological disorder is hereditary, and the official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is that CMT has no cure. Decades ago, Pat had gone to a neurologist for electromyography, or EMG. The purpose of the procedure was to evaluate her muscle function, and it involved painful needles and days of muscle soreness after each session. Pats neurologist had refused to tell her the results because he said that she would just give up if she knew how bad they were. At this point, Pats symptoms were so crippling and unbearable that she contacted World Stem Cells, LLC worldstemcells.com to explore stem cell treatment as an option. She knew that the procedures were still being developed and experimental, and that they came with no guarantees. She remained interested in learning more and becoming educated on the options presented. At the time, she was unable to walk without a four-leg quad cane, and air and car travel were exhausting and caused unbearable pain. Pat has a long history of surgeries and was told that further surgeries would not assist her. She decided that she was not interested in any treatment that involved surgery with incisions, which is an aggressive approach and would demand recovery time. Stem cell therapy met her requirements of being minimally uncomfortable, requiring only hours for recovery and having a high level of safety, along with a good potential for changing her health quotient for the better.

Pat arrived in Cancun, Mexico, to the treatment site of World Stem Cells, LLC contract clinics, doctors, and hospitals. The first day, she met with physicians to be evaluated, discuss her course of treatment and learn what to expect. She had been corresponding with Dr. Alan Kadish, the President of World Stem Cells, LLC. worldstemcells.com

Dr. Kadish is an unusual physician as he has training and practiced integrated primary care medicine combining conventional and naturopathic diagnostics and therapeutics for 27 years. He has been recognized as one of the leading quality physicians, in his field. Dr. Kadish is an American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine diplomat and completed numerous training programs in Achieving Clinical Excellence, or ACE, which provided opportunities to improve his practical skills in diagnosing and treating people based on their individual needs, using functional medical testing and treatment. He has been an advanced level practitioner (Autistic Research Institute) for autistic spectral disorder children and adults, since early 2000 and is certified in chelation therapy. As a naturopathic medical physician he lecturers frequently and is a host and guest on radio and internet outlets along with appearing in a number of print media publications. At World Stem Cells , LLC in addition to his management duties, he is a primary investigator engaged in research and designs of stem cell therapeutic protocols.

In Cancun, Pat met with specialists at Advanced Cellular Medicine Clinic. The clinic is headed by Dr. Sylvia Abblitt, who has the exclusive distinction of being among the few physicians who are licensed to perform autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplants in Mexico. Dr. Abblitt is a board-certified hematologist and oncologist. She has 11 years of expertise as a laboratory director and head of the hematology department at the Fernando Quiroz Hospital. She is a member of the American Association of Blood Banks and the International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS). The Cancun clinic that Pat visited is a contract clinic of World Stem Cells, LLC. It houses the state-of-the-art Advanced Cellular Engineering Lab. The high-tech lab is suited for providing patients with the most up to date stem cell treatments and for conducting stem cell research to improve future opportunities for health.

After her evaluation and discussion of treatment options, Pat decided to go ahead with the stem cell therapy. The procedure involved a needle puncture to harvest her bone marrow utilizing her own stem cells. Only a local anesthesia was necessary and though she described the procedure as uncomfortable, she added that it was livable. The procedure took less than half an hour, and she experienced no side effects.

Pats improvement was remarkable and rapid. In fact, she did not feel fatigued and overwhelmed with pain, as she had in the past, when she traveled back home from Cancun by airplane and car. Within days, she had regained her ability to play piano. Playing at church concerts had always been a passion of hers, but she had been unable to play before her stem cell treatment because of a lack of coordination. She had much more energy after treatment, and was able to garden, run errands and work, without feeling exhausted. Her sleep was more restful. Her husband and friends noticed that her agility and balance were better. She could climb up and down stairs more easily and walk around the house without clutching the walls. Her speed on the treadmill was increasing gradually and she now walks a mile and a half on country roads.

Pat is extremely grateful to World Stem Cells, LLC for changing her life and giving her hope. For the first time, she has reversed many of the negative changes that she had been experiencing for years due to her CMT and lack of effective treatment. Now, Pat and her husband are experiencing a bright future and thankful that Pat was given this second opportunity, following stem cell therapy. worldstemcells.com.

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Pat was Diagnosed with “CMT” Disease and was Given a Second Chance with a Stem Cell Treatment

Public release date: 2-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Klaus Hansen klaus.hansen@bric.ku.dk (45) 21-15-55-64 University of Copenhagen

Upon fertilisation, a single cell is formed when egg and sperm fuse. Our entire body, with more than 200 specialised cell types and billions of cells are formed from this single cell. It is a scientific mystery how the early stem cells know what cell type to become, but a precise timing of the process is crucial for correct development and function of our body. Researchers across the world chase knowledge about our stem cells, as this knowledge holds great promises for development of treatment against several major diseases. Researchers from BRIC, University of Copenhagen, have just shown that the molecule REST acts as an adapter in stem cells, coupling molecular on-off switches with neural genes and thereby times neuronal development.

"REST secure neuronal genes to be turned off in our stem cells until the correct time point in fetal life, where the molecule is lost and development of the nervous system begins. Our results are very important for the understanding of how genes are turned on and off during fetal development, but also relates to disease development such as cancer. Hopefully, our future studies of REST will contribute to the development of new types of treatments," says Associate Professor and Group Leader at BRIC, Klaus Hansen.

Genetic switches

All our cells contain the same DNA, yet they can develop into specialised cells with different shapes and functions. This ability is due to only selective genes being turned on in for example neuronal cells and other genes in liver cells and skin cells. Postdoc Nikolaj Dietrich from Klaus Hansen's laboratory has been the main driver of the investigation:

"Our results show that REST act as an adapter for the protein complexes called PRCs, connecting these complexes to neuronal genes. The PRCs are genetic switches turning off genes and therefore REST and the PRCs act in concert to shutdown neuronal genes. A similar mechanism has previously been described in fruit flies, but until now, no one has been able to identify such adapter-molecules in humans or other mammals. This has led to various biological hypotheses, but now we are able to show that this genetic mechanism has been conserved trough out evolution," says Nikolaj Dietrich.

Brain damage and brain tumors

REST and PRC are attached to neuronal genes in the early fetal stem cells, keeping neuronal genes turned off. During fetal development, REST disappears in cells that are determined to develop into neuronal cells, whereas the molecule is preserved in other cell types. REST is also preserved in special neuronal stem cells, ensuring that these cells maintain their stem cell properties. This is crucial if we experience damage to our nervous system later in life, as only the neuronal stem cells can repair the damage by giving rise to new neurons and thereby secure vital body functions. However, REST also appears to be associated with a higher risk of cancer:

"An increased amount of REST has been found in the brain tumor form called neuroblastoma. Some of our results indicate that REST may be involved in cancer, as the molecule can turn off some growth-inhibitory and cancer-protective genes called tumor suppressors. This possible action of REST is the focus of ongoing studies," says Nikolaj Dietrich.

Excerpt from:
'REST' is crucial for the timing of brain development

A British ethics group has started a consultation on the morality of messing about in the human brain in ways that could result in thought-controlled weaponry and super-human capabilities.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics wants to get boffins, policy-makers, regulators and anyone working with or hoping to use futuristic technologies such as brain-computer interfaces, deep brain stimulation and neural stem cell therapy to send in their views on whether poking around in our grey matter is the right thing to do.

These technologies are mostly being developed to try to help people with severe brain injuries or neurological diseases like Parkinson's disease and stroke, but they are also being picked up for military applications and to enhance normal brain functions for commercial gain.

Intervening in the brain has always raised both hopes and fears in equal measure, said Thomas Baldwin, chair of the study and Professor of Philosophy at the University of York.

Hopes of curing terrible diseases, and fears about the consequences of trying to enhance human capability beyond what is normally possible. These challenge us to think carefully about fundamental questions to do with the brain: what makes us human, what makes us an individual, and how and why do we think and behave in the way we do.

Hi-tech warfare applications creating super-soldiers who can control missiles with their minds are a particular concern for the council.

For example if brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are used to control military aircraft or weapons from far away, who takes ultimate responsibility for the actions? Could this be blurring the line between man and machine? Baldwin asked.

BCIs, where a person's brain signals are measured and then converted into output, have already worked in a few reported cases. Medical benefits include a paralysed person being able to control their wheelchair with their mind or a computer being able to talk for people who are mute or have difficulty with speech by processing signals from their brains.

Military applications for BCIs for example, remotely controlling weapons and machines with the mind are already being researched and tested. BCIs are also being looked for their commercial value, for example, they could be used for playing video games via brain signals.

Brain stimulation, zapping the brain with electricity or magnetism in order to change brain activity, is already being used in some forms.

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Ethics profs fret over cyborg brains, mind-controlled missiles

29-02-2012 17:57 Learn more at http://www.cordblood.com CBR's team of dedicated professionals is prepared to guide you through every step of the banking process and beyond. Meet Sherry, CBR's transplant coordinator. As Sherry says, her employer is CBR, but she works for the families who need newborn stem cell medicine. She is the voice parents hear over the phone when they need to use their stored cord blood stem cells. Sherry's dedication and passion to deliver exceptional customer service to clients is one example of the many people at Cord Blood Registry who are committed to helping families live longer, healthier lives.

The rest is here:
Cord Blood Registery Helps Families Use Stem Cells - Video

ScienceDaily (Mar. 1, 2012) Despite their unassuming appearance, the planarian flatworms in Whitehead Institute Member Peter Reddien's lab are revealing powerful new insights into the biology of stem cells -- insights that may eventually help such cells deliver on a promising role in regenerative medicine.

In this week's issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, Reddien and scientists in his lab report on their development of a novel approach to identify and study the genes that control stem cell behavior in planarians. Intriguingly, at least one class of these genes has a counterpart in human embryonic stem cells.

"This is a huge step forward in establishing planarians as an in vivo system for which the roles of stem cell regulators can be dissected," says Reddien, who is also an associate professor of biology at MIT and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Early Career Scientist. "In the grand scheme of things for understanding stem cell biology, I think this is a beginning foray into seeking general principles that all animals utilize. I'd say we're at the beginning of that process."

Planarians (Schmidtea mediterranea) are tiny freshwater flatworms with the ability to reproduce through fission. After literally tearing themselves in half, the worms use stem cells, called cNeoblasts, to regrow any missing tissues and organs, ultimately forming two complete planarians in about a week.

Unlike muscle, nerve, or skin cells that are fully differentiated, certain stem cells, such as cNeoblasts and embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, having the ability to become almost cell type in the body. Researchers have long been interested in harnessing this capability to regrow damaged, diseased, or missing tissues in humans, such as insulin-producing cells for diabetics or nerve cells for patients with spinal cord injuries.

Several problems currently confound the therapeutic use of stem cells, including getting the stem cells to differentiate into the desired cell type in the appropriate location and having such cells successfully integrate with surrounding tissues, all without forming tumors. To solve these issues, researchers need a better understanding of how stem cells tick at the molecular level, particularly within the environment of a living organism. To date, a considerable amount of embryonic stem cell research has been conducted in the highly artificial environment of the Petri dish.

With its renowned powers of regeneration and more than half of its genes having human homologs, the planarian seems like a logical choice for this line of research. Yet, until now, scientists have been unable to efficiently find the genes that regulate the planarian stem cell system.

Postdoctoral researcher Dan Wagner, first author of the Cell Stem Cell paper, and Reddien devised a clever method to identify potential genetic regulators and then determine if those genes affect the two main functions of stem cells: differentiation and renewal of the stem cell population.

After identifying genes active in cNeoblasts, Wagner irradiated the planarians, leaving a single surviving cNeoblast in each planarian. Left alone, each cNeoblast can form colonies of new cells at very specific rates of differentiation and stem cell renewal.

The researchers knocked down each of the active genes, one per planarian, and observed how the surviving cNeoblasts responded. By comparing the rate of differentiation and stem cell renewal to that of normal cNeoblasts, they could determine the role of each gene. Thus, if a colony containing a certain knocked down gene were observed to have fewer stem cells than the controls, it could be concluded that gene in question plays a role in the process of stem cell renewal. And if the colony had fewer differentiated cells than normal, the knocked down gene could be associated with differentiation.

Excerpt from:
Planarian genes that control stem cell biology identified

Newswise UCLA stem cell researchers have discovered a critical placental niche cell and signaling pathway that prevent blood precursors from premature differentiation in the placenta, a process necessary for ensuring proper blood supply for an individuals lifetime.

The placental niche, a stem cell safe zone, supports blood stem cell generation and expansion without promoting differentiation into mature blood cells, allowing the establishment of a pool of precursor cells that provide blood cells for later fetal and post-natal life, said study senior author Dr. Hanna Mikkola, an associate professor of molecular cell and developmental biology and a researcher at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Mikkola and her team found that PDGF-B signaling in trophoblasts, specialized cells of the placenta that facilitate embryo implantation and gas and nutrient exchanges between mother and fetus, is vital to maintaining the unique microenvironment needed for the blood precursors. When PDGF-B signaling is halted, the blood precursors differentiate prematurely, creating red blood cells in the placenta, Mikkola said.

The study, done in mouse models, appears March 1, 2012, in the peer-reviewed journal Developmental Cell.

We had previously discovered that the placenta provides a home for a large supply of blood stem cells that are maintained in an undifferentiated state. We now found that, by switching off one signaling pathway, the blood precursors in the placenta start to differentiate into red blood cells, Mikkola said. We learned that the trophoblasts act as powerful signaling centers that govern the niche safe zone.

The study found that the PDGF-B signaling in the trophoblasts is suppressing production of Erythropoietin (EPO), a cytokine that controls red blood cell differentiation.

When PDGF-B signaling is lost, excessive amounts of EPO are produced in the placenta, which triggers differentiation of red blood cells in the placental vasculature, said Akanksha Chhabra, study first author and a post-doctoral fellow in Mikkolas lab.

Mikkola and Chhabra used mouse models in which the placental structure was disrupted so they could observe what cells and signaling pathways were important components of the niche.

The idea was, if we mess up the home where the blood stem cells live, how do these cells respond to the altered environment, Chhabra said. We found that it was important to suppress EPO where blood stem cell expansion is desired and to restrict its expression to areas where red blood cell differentiation should occur.

The finding, Chhabra said, was exciting in that one single molecular change was enough to change the function of an important blood stem cell niche.

Continued here:
UCLA Scientists Identify Cell and Signaling Pathway that Regulates the Placental Blood Stem Cell Niche

Public release date: 1-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kim Irwin kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu 310-206-2805 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

UCLA stem cell researchers have discovered a critical placental niche cell and signaling pathway that prevent blood precursors from premature differentiation in the placenta, a process necessary for ensuring proper blood supply for an individual's lifetime.

The placental niche, a stem cell "safe zone," supports blood stem cell generation and expansion without promoting differentiation into mature blood cells, allowing the establishment of a pool of precursor cells that provide blood cells for later fetal and post-natal life, said study senior author Dr. Hanna Mikkola, an associate professor of molecular cell and developmental biology and a researcher at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Mikkola and her team found that PDGF-B signaling in trophoblasts, specialized cells of the placenta that facilitate embryo implantation and gas and nutrient exchanges between mother and fetus, is vital to maintaining the unique microenvironment needed for the blood precursors. When PDGF-B signaling is halted, the blood precursors differentiate prematurely, creating red blood cells in the placenta, Mikkola said.

The study, done in mouse models, appears March 1, 2012, in the peer-reviewed journal Developmental Cell.

"We had previously discovered that the placenta provides a home for a large supply of blood stem cells that are maintained in an undifferentiated state. We now found that, by switching off one signaling pathway, the blood precursors in the placenta start to differentiate into red blood cells," Mikkola said. "We learned that the trophoblasts act as powerful signaling centers that govern the niche safe zone."

The study found that the PDGF-B signaling in the trophoblasts is suppressing production of Erythropoietin (EPO), a cytokine that controls red blood cell differentiation.

"When PDGF-B signaling is lost, excessive amounts of EPO are produced in the placenta, which triggers differentiation of red blood cells in the placental vasculature," said Akanksha Chhabra, study first author and a post-doctoral fellow in Mikkola's lab.

Mikkola and Chhabra used mouse models in which the placental structure was disrupted so they could observe what cells and signaling pathways were important components of the niche.

Continued here:
UCLA scientists identify crucial cell and signaling pathway in placental blood stem cell niche

ScienceDaily (Mar. 1, 2012) UCLA stem cell researchers have discovered a critical placental niche cell and signaling pathway that prevent blood precursors from premature differentiation in the placenta, a process necessary for ensuring proper blood supply for an individual's lifetime.

The placental niche, a stem cell "safe zone," supports blood stem cell generation and expansion without promoting differentiation into mature blood cells, allowing the establishment of a pool of precursor cells that provide blood cells for later fetal and post-natal life, said study senior author Dr. Hanna Mikkola, an associate professor of molecular cell and developmental biology and a researcher at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Mikkola and her team found that PDGF-B signaling in trophoblasts, specialized cells of the placenta that facilitate embryo implantation and gas and nutrient exchanges between mother and fetus, is vital to maintaining the unique microenvironment needed for the blood precursors. When PDGF-B signaling is halted, the blood precursors differentiate prematurely, creating red blood cells in the placenta, Mikkola said.

The study, done in mouse models, appears March 1, 2012, in the peer-reviewed journal Developmental Cell.

"We had previously discovered that the placenta provides a home for a large supply of blood stem cells that are maintained in an undifferentiated state. We now found that, by switching off one signaling pathway, the blood precursors in the placenta start to differentiate into red blood cells," Mikkola said. "We learned that the trophoblasts act as powerful signaling centers that govern the niche safe zone."

The study found that the PDGF-B signaling in the trophoblasts is suppressing production of Erythropoietin (EPO), a cytokine that controls red blood cell differentiation.

"When PDGF-B signaling is lost, excessive amounts of EPO are produced in the placenta, which triggers differentiation of red blood cells in the placental vasculature," said Akanksha Chhabra, study first author and a post-doctoral fellow in Mikkola's lab.

Mikkola and Chhabra used mouse models in which the placental structure was disrupted so they could observe what cells and signaling pathways were important components of the niche.

"The idea was, if we mess up the home where the blood stem cells live, how do these cells respond to the altered environment," Chhabra said. "We found that it was important to suppress EPO where blood stem cell expansion is desired and to restrict its expression to areas where red blood cell differentiation should occur."

The finding, Chhabra said, was exciting in that one single molecular change "was enough to change the function of an important blood stem cell niche."

See more here:
Cell and signaling pathway that regulates the placental blood stem cell niche identified

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

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT, OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced year-end results for the year ended December 31, 2011. The Company utilized $13.6 million in cash for operations during the year, compared to $8.8 million in the year-earlier period. The increase in cash utilization resulted primarily from ACTs ongoing clinical activities in the US and Europe. ACT ended the year with cash and cash equivalents of $13.1 million, compared to $15.9 million in cash and cash equivalents in the year-earlier period.

Some of the 2011 highlights included:

2011 was a very important and successful year for ACT as we began our Phase 1/2 trials for the treatment of macular degeneration, said Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of ACT. We are very excited about the preliminary Phase 1/2 clinical data from our dry-AMD and Stargardts disease trials, which were published in The Lancet earlier this year. The data demonstrated the safety of ACTs human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells for the treatment of both diseases. The vision of both patients appears to have improved after transplantation, and no adverse safety issues have been observed. We look forward to validating these early findings as we expand these clinical activities throughout this year. Additionally, we made significant progress in advancing our scientific platform, expanding our board of directors and management team and strengthening our balance sheet.

The Company also announced today that it expects to shortly file a preliminary proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in which it will seek shareholder approval for a reverse split of between 1-for 20 and 1-for 80 shares. The Company is pursuing the reverse split for the sole purpose of meeting the requirements necessary for a listing on the Nasdaq Global Market. The Company believes that a listing on a national change will allow it to expand its shareholder base and improve the marketability of its common stock by attracting a broader range of investors.

Conference Call

The Company will hold a conference call at 9:00 a.m. EST tomorrow, during which it will discuss 2011 results and provide an update on clinical activities. Interested parties should dial (888)264-3177 followed by the reference conference ID number: 57426004. The call will be available live and for replay by webcast at: http://us.meeting-stream.com/advancedcelltechnology030212

About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

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

Forward-Looking Statements

See the article here:
Advanced Cell Technology Announces 2011 Financial Results

27-02-2012 14:16 There may be new hope for those trying to overcome infertility. Convential wisdom from the past fifty or so years holds that women are born with a finite number of egg cells for reproduction. But a newly released report suggests that rare stem cells discovered in the ovaries of young women may be key to producing new eggs. Jonathan Tilly of Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital, led a team that used a protein to gather stem cells from healthy human ovaries donated by young Japanese women. The researchers then injected those stem cells into pieces of human ovary, and new egg cells formed within two weeks. While there's no guarantee the cells will mature into usable, quality eggs, the findings could lead to better treatments for women left infertile because of disease or age. According to Tilly, "Our current views of ovarian aging are incomplete. There's much more to the story than simply the trickling away of a fixed pool of eggs."

Read more:
: Stem Cells May Offer Fertility Hope by Helping Generate New Eggs - Video

FINDINGS: Devising a novel method to identify potential genetic regulators in planarian stem cells, Whitehead Institute scientists have determined which of those genes affect the two main functions of stem cells. Three of the genes are particularly intriguing because they code for proteins similar to those known to regulate mammalian embryonic stem cells. Such genetic similarity makes planarians an even more attractive model for studying stem cell biology in vivo.

RELEVANCE: Stem cells may hold the promise to regrow damaged, diseased, or missing tissues in humans, such as insulin-producing cells for diabetics and nerve cells for patients with spinal cord injuries. With its renowned powers of regeneration and more than half of its genes having human homologs, the planarian seems like a logical choice for studying stem cell behavior. Yet, until now, scientists have been unable to efficiently identify the genes that regulate the planarian stem cell system.

Newswise CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (March 1, 2012) Despite their unassuming appearance, the planarian flatworms in Whitehead Institute Member Peter Reddiens lab are revealing powerful new insights into the biology of stem cellsinsights that may eventually help such cells deliver on a promising role in regenerative medicine.

In this weeks issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, Reddien and scientists in his lab report on their development of a novel approach to identify and study the genes that control stem cell behavior in planarians. Intriguingly, at least one class of these genes has a counterpart in human embryonic stem cells.

This is a huge step forward in establishing planarians as an in vivo system for which the roles of stem cell regulators can be dissected, says Reddien, who is also an associate professor of biology at MIT and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Early Career Scientist. In the grand scheme of things for understanding stem cell biology, I think this is a beginning foray into seeking general principles that all animals utilize. Id say were at the beginning of that process.

Planarians (Schmidtea mediterranea) are tiny freshwater flatworms with the ability to reproduce through fission. After literally tearing themselves in half, the worms use stem cells, called cNeoblasts, to regrow any missing tissues and organs, ultimately forming two complete planarians in about a week.

Unlike muscle, nerve, or skin cells that are fully differentiated, certain stem cells, such as cNeoblasts and embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, having the ability to become almost cell type in the body. Researchers have long been interested in harnessing this capability to regrow damaged, diseased, or missing tissues in humans, such as insulin-producing cells for diabetics or nerve cells for patients with spinal cord injuries.

Several problems currently confound the therapeutic use of stem cells, including getting the stem cells to differentiate into the desired cell type in the appropriate location and having such cells successfully integrate with surrounding tissues, all without forming tumors. To solve these issues, researchers need a better understanding of how stem cells tick at the molecular level, particularly within the environment of a living organism. To date, a considerable amount of embryonic stem cell research has been conducted in the highly artificial environment of the Petri dish.

With its renowned powers of regeneration and more than half of its genes having human homologs, the planarian seems like a logical choice for this line of research. Yet, until now, scientists have been unable to efficiently find the genes that regulate the planarian stem cell system.

Postdoctoral researcher Dan Wagner, first author of the Cell Stem Cell paper, and Reddien devised a clever method to identify potential genetic regulators and then determine if those genes affect the two main functions of stem cells: differentiation and renewal of the stem cell population.

See the article here:
Planarian Genes That Control Stem Cell Biology Identified

The ethical issues around technologies that 'intervene' in the brain are set to come under scrutiny as part of a consultation by The Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are of particular concern, as they could be used in various military applications, to develop weapons or vehicles that are controlled remotely by brain signals. These are not yet in wide use but are being researched and tested, and some commercial BCI developments are already on the market.

If brain-computer interfaces are used to control military aircraft or weapons from far away, who takes ultimate responsibility for the actions? asked Thomas Baldwin, chair of the Councils study and Professor of Philosophy at the University of York. Could this be blurring the line between man and machine?

BCI measures and analyses a persons brain signals and converts them into an output such as movement. The use of BCI will sometimes require surgery to implant electrodes into a persons brain, although the most successful current developments are those that detect brain signals from the scalp, so they are less invasive.

This kind of technology can have very positive applications. For example, a person who is disabled and cannot speak might be able to move independently through a thought-controlled wheelchair, or communicate via a computer voice. There are also commercial possibilities in the gaming industry the development of thought-controlled computer games, for example.

However, many of these technologies are in the early stages of research, and Nuffield Council has raised concerns about the safety of some of the techniques that are currently in development.

The impact on a person and on their mind has to be considered, for example, are there risks of unwanted changes in mood, behaviour or personality being introduced into the brain? said Baldwin.

The consultation will also examine the ethics of deep brain stimulation, and neural stem cell therapy. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a form of neurostimulation that requires brain surgery to place an electrode in the brain and wires under the skin. Electric or magnetic stimuli are then applied to nerves to alter brain activity in a specific area.

DBS is currently used in the treatment of Parkinsons disease, obsessive-compulsive disorders and movement disorders such as dystonia (which causes tremors). However, possible complications include stroke, speech disorders and visual problems.

Meanwhile, neural stem cell therapy involves stem cells being injected into the brain under general anaesthetic. Researchers are looking at using this method to treat conditions such as Alzheimers or Huntingdons disease.

Link:
Thought-controlled weapons spark ethics debate

A University of Georgia study published in the March 2 edition of the journal Cell Stem Cell, however, creates the first ever blueprint of how stem cells are wired to respond to the external signaling molecules to which they are constantly exposed. The finding, which reconciles years of conflicting results from labs across the world, gives scientists the ability to precisely control the development, or differentiation, of stem cells into specific cell types.

"We can use the information from this study as an instruction book to control the behavior of stem cells," said lead author Stephen Dalton, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar of Molecular Biology and professor of cellular biology in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "We'll be able to allow them to differentiate into therapeutic cell types much more efficiently and in a far more controlled manner."

The previous paradigm held that individual signaling molecules acted alone to set off a linear chain of events that control the fate of cells. Dalton's study, on the other hand, reveals that a complex interplay of several molecules controls the "switch" that determines whether a stem cell stays in its undifferentiated state or goes on to become a specific cell type, such as a heart, brain or pancreatic cell.

"This work addresses one of the biggest challenges in stem cell researchfiguring out how to direct a stem cell toward becoming a specific cell type," said Marion Zatz, who oversees stem cell biology grants at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which partially supported the work.

"In this paper, Dr. Dalton puts together several pieces of the puzzle and offers a model for understanding how multiple signaling pathways coordinate to steer a stem cell toward differentiating into a particular type of cell. This framework ultimately should not only advance a fundamental understanding of embryonic development, but facilitate the use of stem cells in regenerative medicine."

To get a sense of how murky the understanding of stem cell differentiation was, consider that previous studies reached opposite conclusions about the role of a common signaling molecule known as Wnt. About half the published studies found that Wnt kept a molecular switch in an "off" position, which kept the stem cell in its undifferentiated, or pluripotent, state. The other half reached the opposite conclusion.

Could the same Wnt molecule be responsible for both outcomes? As it turns out, the answer is yes. Dalton's team found that in small amounts, Wnt signaling keeps the stem cell in its pluripotent state. In larger quantities, it does the opposite and encourages the cell to differentiate.

But Wnt doesn't work alone. Other molecules, such as insulin-like growth factor (Igf), fibroblast growth factor (Fgf2) and Activin A also play a role. To complicate things further, these signaling molecules amplify each other so that a two-fold increase in one can result in a 10-fold increase in another. The timing with which the signals are introduced matters, too.

"One of the things that surprised us was how all of the pathways 'talk' to each other," Dalton said. "You can't do anything to the Igf pathway without affecting the Fgf2 pathway, and you can't do anything to Fgf2 without affecting Wnt. It's like a house of cards; everything is totally interconnected."

Dalton and his team spent a painstaking five years creating hypotheses about the how the signaling molecules function, testing those hypotheses, andwhen faced with an unexpected resultrebuilding their hypotheses and re-testing. This process continued until the entire system was resolved.

Continue reading here:
New study reveals basic molecular 'wiring' of stem cells

ScienceDaily (Mar. 1, 2012) Despite the promise associated with the therapeutic use of human stem cells, a complete understanding of the mechanisms that control the fundamental question of whether a stem cell becomes a specific cell type within the body or remains a stem cell has-until now-eluded scientists.

A University of Georgia study published in the March 2 edition of the journal Cell Stem Cell, however, creates the first ever blueprint of how stem cells are wired to respond to the external signaling molecules to which they are constantly exposed. The finding, which reconciles years of conflicting results from labs across the world, gives scientists the ability to precisely control the development, or differentiation, of stem cells into specific cell types.

"We can use the information from this study as an instruction book to control the behavior of stem cells," said lead author Stephen Dalton, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar of Molecular Biology and professor of cellular biology in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "We'll be able to allow them to differentiate into therapeutic cell types much more efficiently and in a far more controlled manner."

The previous paradigm held that individual signaling molecules acted alone to set off a linear chain of events that control the fate of cells. Dalton's study, on the other hand, reveals that a complex interplay of several molecules controls the "switch" that determines whether a stem cell stays in its undifferentiated state or goes on to become a specific cell type, such as a heart, brain or pancreatic cell.

"This work addresses one of the biggest challenges in stem cell research-figuring out how to direct a stem cell toward becoming a specific cell type," said Marion Zatz, who oversees stem cell biology grants at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which partially supported the work.

"In this paper, Dr. Dalton puts together several pieces of the puzzle and offers a model for understanding how multiple signaling pathways coordinate to steer a stem cell toward differentiating into a particular type of cell. This framework ultimately should not only advance a fundamental understanding of embryonic development, but facilitate the use of stem cells in regenerative medicine."

To get a sense of how murky the understanding of stem cell differentiation was, consider that previous studies reached opposite conclusions about the role of a common signaling molecule known as Wnt. About half the published studies found that Wnt kept a molecular switch in an "off" position, which kept the stem cell in its undifferentiated, or pluripotent, state. The other half reached the opposite conclusion.

Could the same Wnt molecule be responsible for both outcomes? As it turns out, the answer is yes. Dalton's team found that in small amounts, Wnt signaling keeps the stem cell in its pluripotent state. In larger quantities, it does the opposite and encourages the cell to differentiate.

But Wnt doesn't work alone. Other molecules, such as insulin-like growth factor (Igf), fibroblast growth factor (Fgf2) and Activin A also play a role. To complicate things further, these signaling molecules amplify each other so that a two-fold increase in one can result in a 10-fold increase in another. The timing with which the signals are introduced matters, too.

"One of the things that surprised us was how all of the pathways 'talk' to each other," Dalton said. "You can't do anything to the Igf pathway without affecting the Fgf2 pathway, and you can't do anything to Fgf2 without affecting Wnt. It's like a house of cards; everything is totally interconnected."

Read the rest here:
Basic molecular 'wiring' of stem cells revealed

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

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT, OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced year-end results for the year ended December 31, 2011. The Company utilized $13.6 million in cash for operations during the year, compared to $8.8 million in the year-earlier period. The increase in cash utilization resulted primarily from ACTs ongoing clinical activities in the US and Europe. ACT ended the year with cash and cash equivalents of $13.1 million, compared to $15.9 million in cash and cash equivalents in the year-earlier period.

Some of the 2011 highlights included:

2011 was a very important and successful year for ACT as we began our Phase 1/2 trials for the treatment of macular degeneration, said Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of ACT. We are very excited about the preliminary Phase 1/2 clinical data from our dry-AMD and Stargardts disease trials, which were published in The Lancet earlier this year. The data demonstrated the safety of ACTs human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells for the treatment of both diseases. The vision of both patients appears to have improved after transplantation, and no adverse safety issues have been observed. We look forward to validating these early findings as we expand these clinical activities throughout this year. Additionally, we made significant progress in advancing our scientific platform, expanding our board of directors and management team and strengthening our balance sheet.

The Company also announced today that it expects to shortly file a preliminary proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in which it will seek shareholder approval for a reverse split of between 1-for 20 and 1-for 80 shares. The Company is pursuing the reverse split for the sole purpose of meeting the requirements necessary for a listing on the Nasdaq Global Market. The Company believes that a listing on a national change will allow it to expand its shareholder base and improve the marketability of its common stock by attracting a broader range of investors.

Conference Call

The Company will hold a conference call at 9:00 a.m. EST tomorrow, during which it will discuss 2011 results and provide an update on clinical activities. Interested parties should dial (888)264-3177 followed by the reference conference ID number: 57426004. The call will be available live and for replay by webcast at: http://us.meeting-stream.com/advancedcelltechnology030212

About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

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

Forward-Looking Statements

Link:
Advanced Cell Technology Announces 2011 Financial Results

But do they have the education to understand what they are reading?

Ah, the Cult of the Expert.

Not that we don't need experts. We do, obviously. What we don't need is the Cult of Expertise, which tells us that only experts understand things in their field, and that everyone else should, without question, just shut up and do as they're told by said experts. Nevermind that even in highly specialized fields, experts can disagree with each other vociferously on things.

You wouldn't want your next door neighbor to perform surgery on you. But it's silly... and quite arrogant... to miss the fact that it's quite easy to pick up books and fire up a browser to access a wealth of information where your neighbor can learn enough to understand the issues involved in surgery and make informed decisions regarding his self. This goes for any field. I don't have to be an expert in auto transmissions to read enough to spot trouble signs when they happen with my car. With stem cells, there's enough info out there... much of it peer reviewed... that's freely available to the public.

Eisenhower famously warned of the Military-Industrial Complex in his farewell speech. What he also warned of in the same address was the danger of citizens falling into line behind a scientific-technological elite [youtube.com], without question. We need to pay more attention to that part as well.

See the article here:
Stem Cell Firm May Have Administered Unproven Treatments