Via Scoop.it – inPharmatics
Privacy controlled & safe social network for Healthcare launched by Jonathan Schwartz, Ex-CEO Sun Microsystems. The networks available at http://www.carezone.com Connects Caregivers With family members and allows health-care workers share information about aging or ill parents, spouses and children
Via http://www.bloomberg.com
The mainstream media waxed enthusiastic last month when a California hESC clinical trial reported positive results dealing with blindness.
The report was first published account of a human trial of embryonic stem cell based therapy and involved Advanced Cell Technology, which is headquartered in Santa Monica, Ca. Despite a glowing reception of the trial's results, the firm is years away from being able to market the therapy at a profit – if it ever can do so.
The firm's chief scientific officer, Robert Lanza, moved quickly, however, to capture some monetary gain from the news, which was announced in a press release Jan. 23 by ACT.
On Jan. 23 and 24, Lanza sold 7.7 million shares in ACT for $1.5 million, according to SEC documents. He sold the stock at 18 and 19 cents a share. That compares to an ACT price of about 8 cents at the end of 2011. Lanza still holds 26 million shares in the firm. The acquisition price of the stocks is unknown.
There is nothing to suggest anything untoward about Lanza's sale. But it is a reminder that creating a successful stem cell therapy is about making money. Without a profit, there will be no therapy, as Geron reminded everyone last November when it dropped its longstanding hESC trial.
The California Stem Cell Report has asked Lanza if he has any comments about the sale of the stock. We will carry his remarks verbatim when we receive them.
The Seeking Alpha web site appears to have been the first to report the sale. Here is their complete item.
"Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACTC.OB): ACTC is a development-stage biotech focused on the development and commercialization of human embryonic and adult stem cell technology in the field of regenerative medicine. On Wednesday, Chief Science Officer Robert Lanza filed SEC Form 4 indicating that he sold 7.7 million shares for $1.5 million, ending with 26.0 million shares after that sale. ACTC shares have rallied strongly since the beginning of the year, up from 8.2 cents at the end of last year to currently in 14-15c range after rising above 20c just earlier this week."
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
The California stem cell agency this week performed its semi-annual public disclosure of its contracts with outside firms, the second largest item in its operational budget of $18.5 million.
The contracts are scheduled to run about $3.3 million this fiscal year, according to the budget approved last May. That figure is up about 18 percent from the previous year.
According to the contract information posted this week, the two largest contracting expenditures this year are for information technology work, including the ongoing struggles with the grants management system – $1.3 million – and legal help – $887,282. The figures were compiled by the California Stem Cell Report. CIRM did not provide totals.
Outside contracts are second to the cost of salaries and benefits at the agency. One reason for the size of the contracting expense is the small size of the CIRM staff, which is now about 50.
The contracting information will be presented to the CIRM directors' Governance Subcommittee next Friday. The committee is being asked to approve an increase in the contract with Kutir Corp., from $250,000 to $470,000. By the end of 2011, CIRM had already paid out $219,680 to Kutir. The firm provides software development services.
Infonetica, which provides technology advice, would also see an increase from $236,060 to $300,000, under the staff proposal.
A staff memo to the board said,
"(Kutir's) services are key as CIRM continues to progress in automating its grants management systems to meet the requirements of both new RFAs as well as ongoing reporting obligations.""
The public can participate in the Governance meeting at locations in San Francisco, Sacramento, Irvine, Los Angeles, South San Francisco and La Jolla. Specific addresses can be found on the agenda.
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
The California stem cell agency today said the seven-year-old "audacious vision" of voters when they created the $3 billion research effort "is still possible."
The comment was made in an item on the agency's blog by Amy Adams, the agency's communications manager.
Her entry point was an opinion piece in The Sacramento Bee on Sunday exploring some of the ins and outs of the agency. Among other things, CIRM President Alan Trounson was quoted by writer David Lesher as "optimistically" predicting successful California stem cell treatments in five years.
Adams wrote,
"Lesher makes clear that there are many challenges ahead in bringing new therapies to patients: he said of the voters who created CIRM, 'It was pretty audacious of them in 2004 to try to create another economic driver like Silicon Valley and save lives at the same time.'
"And while the vote was audacious, we agree with his conclusion that despite risks and challenges that vision is still possible."
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
The California public is being given a chance to weigh in with anonymous comments about what they think of the performance of the $3 billion California stem cell agency.
Their opinions are being sought by a blue-ribbon, Institute of Medicine panel. The IOM is being paid $700,000 by the agency to examine its operations.
The questions include the importance of stem cell research and CIRM's role, its openness and transparency, an assessment of its grant programs and how it should share information with the public, suggestions for improvements and more.
The online form was posted recently on the IOM web site and can be found here. The deadline for submissions is March 19.
The IOM also has survey forms for academic and non-profit CIRM grant recipients, CIRM grant recipients that are businesses(which the IOM calls "industry partners") and "leadership of CIRM-funded institutions." The deadline for those is March 19 as well.
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
Via Scoop.it – inPharmatics
Privacy controlled & safe social network for Healthcare launched by Jonathan Schwartz, Ex-CEO Sun Microsystems. The networks available at http://www.carezone.com Connects Caregivers With family members and allows health-care workers share information about aging or ill parents, spouses and children
Via http://www.bloomberg.com
The mainstream media waxed enthusiastic last month when a California hESC clinical trial reported positive results dealing with blindness.
The report was first published account of a human trial of embryonic stem cell based therapy and involved Advanced Cell Technology, which is headquartered in Santa Monica, Ca. Despite a glowing reception of the trial's results, the firm is years away from being able to market the therapy at a profit – if it ever can do so.
The firm's chief scientific officer, Robert Lanza, moved quickly, however, to capture some monetary gain from the news, which was announced in a press release Jan. 23 by ACT.
On Jan. 23 and 24, Lanza sold 7.7 million shares in ACT for $1.5 million, according to SEC documents. He sold the stock at 18 and 19 cents a share. That compares to an ACT price of about 8 cents at the end of 2011. Lanza still holds 26 million shares in the firm. The acquisition price of the stocks is unknown.
There is nothing to suggest anything untoward about Lanza's sale. But it is a reminder that creating a successful stem cell therapy is about making money. Without a profit, there will be no therapy, as Geron reminded everyone last November when it dropped its longstanding hESC trial.
The California Stem Cell Report has asked Lanza if he has any comments about the sale of the stock. We will carry his remarks verbatim when we receive them.
The Seeking Alpha web site appears to have been the first to report the sale. Here is their complete item.
"Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACTC.OB): ACTC is a development-stage biotech focused on the development and commercialization of human embryonic and adult stem cell technology in the field of regenerative medicine. On Wednesday, Chief Science Officer Robert Lanza filed SEC Form 4 indicating that he sold 7.7 million shares for $1.5 million, ending with 26.0 million shares after that sale. ACTC shares have rallied strongly since the beginning of the year, up from 8.2 cents at the end of last year to currently in 14-15c range after rising above 20c just earlier this week."
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
The California stem cell agency this week performed its semi-annual public disclosure of its contracts with outside firms, the second largest item in its operational budget of $18.5 million.
The contracts are scheduled to run about $3.3 million this fiscal year, according to the budget approved last May. That figure is up about 18 percent from the previous year.
According to the contract information posted this week, the two largest contracting expenditures this year are for information technology work, including the ongoing struggles with the grants management system – $1.3 million – and legal help – $887,282. The figures were compiled by the California Stem Cell Report. CIRM did not provide totals.
Outside contracts are second to the cost of salaries and benefits at the agency. One reason for the size of the contracting expense is the small size of the CIRM staff, which is now about 50.
The contracting information will be presented to the CIRM directors' Governance Subcommittee next Friday. The committee is being asked to approve an increase in the contract with Kutir Corp., from $250,000 to $470,000. By the end of 2011, CIRM had already paid out $219,680 to Kutir. The firm provides software development services.
Infonetica, which provides technology advice, would also see an increase from $236,060 to $300,000, under the staff proposal.
A staff memo to the board said,
"(Kutir's) services are key as CIRM continues to progress in automating its grants management systems to meet the requirements of both new RFAs as well as ongoing reporting obligations.""
The public can participate in the Governance meeting at locations in San Francisco, Sacramento, Irvine, Los Angeles, South San Francisco and La Jolla. Specific addresses can be found on the agenda.
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
The California stem cell agency today said the seven-year-old "audacious vision" of voters when they created the $3 billion research effort "is still possible."
The comment was made in an item on the agency's blog by Amy Adams, the agency's communications manager.
Her entry point was an opinion piece in The Sacramento Bee on Sunday exploring some of the ins and outs of the agency. Among other things, CIRM President Alan Trounson was quoted by writer David Lesher as "optimistically" predicting successful California stem cell treatments in five years.
Adams wrote,
"Lesher makes clear that there are many challenges ahead in bringing new therapies to patients: he said of the voters who created CIRM, 'It was pretty audacious of them in 2004 to try to create another economic driver like Silicon Valley and save lives at the same time.'
"And while the vote was audacious, we agree with his conclusion that despite risks and challenges that vision is still possible."
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
The California public is being given a chance to weigh in with anonymous comments about what they think of the performance of the $3 billion California stem cell agency.
Their opinions are being sought by a blue-ribbon, Institute of Medicine panel. The IOM is being paid $700,000 by the agency to examine its operations.
The questions include the importance of stem cell research and CIRM's role, its openness and transparency, an assessment of its grant programs and how it should share information with the public, suggestions for improvements and more.
The online form was posted recently on the IOM web site and can be found here. The deadline for submissions is March 19.
The IOM also has survey forms for academic and non-profit CIRM grant recipients, CIRM grant recipients that are businesses(which the IOM calls "industry partners") and "leadership of CIRM-funded institutions." The deadline for those is March 19 as well.
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
A research team led by UC Davis Health System scientists has developed a novel technique to enhance bone growth by using a molecule which, when injected into the bloodstream, directs the body's stem cells to travel to the surface of bones.
Once these cells are guided to the bone surface by this molecule, the stem cells differentiate into bone-forming cells and synthesize proteins to enhance bone growth. The study, which was published online today in Nature Medicine, used a mouse model of osteoporosis to demonstrate a unique treatment approach that increases bone density and prevents bone loss associated with aging and estrogen deficiency.
"There are many stem cells, even in elderly people, but they do not readily migrate to bone," said Wei Yao, the principal investigator and lead author of the study. "Finding a molecule that attaches to stem cells and guides them to the targets we need is a real breakthrough."
Researchers are exploring stem cells as possible treatments for a wide variety of conditions and injuries, ranging from peripheral artery disease and macular degeneration to blood disorders, skin wounds and diseased organs. Directing stem cells to travel and adhere to the surface of bone for bone formation has been among the elusive goals in regenerative medicine.
The researchers made use of a unique hybrid molecule, LLP2A-alendronate, developed by a research team led by Kit Lam, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. The researchers' hybrid molecule consists of two parts: the LLP2A part that attaches to mesenchymal stem cells in the bone marrow, and a second part that consists of the bone-homing drug alendronate. After the hybrid molecule was injected into the bloodstream, it picked up mesenchymal stem cells in the bone marrow and directed those cells to the surfaces of bone, where the stem cells carried out their natural bone-formation and repair functions.
"Our study confirms that stem-cell-binding molecules can be exploited to direct stem cells to therapeutic sites inside an animal," said Lam, who also is an author of the article. "It represents a very important step in making this type of stem cell therapy a reality."
See the original post:
Stem cells used to increase bone strength
JANIE McCAULEY PHOENIX— The Associated Press Published Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 5:50PM EST
Bartolo Colon had no idea how he would bounce back from a stem-cell procedure that saved his career.
Two years ago, fat and bone marrow stem cells were collected from Colon and injected into his troublesome right elbow and shoulder in an innovative and unproven technique. Colon had no idea how it would turn out, but he responded and spent 2011 with the Yankees.
“I was a little bit nervous,” he said in Spanish. “I didn't know what the result would be.”
Now, Colon is getting a new start back in the AL West with the Oakland Athletics, whose pitchers and catchers reported to spring training Saturday.
The fact he is pitching another season with a fresh arm? “Incredible,” he says.
Colon received a handshake and hug from new teammate and outfielder Jonny Gomes after completing his physical. The pitcher proclaimed himself healthy and appreciative of another shot at age 38.
“He continues at his age to be a power pitcher,” manager Bob Melvin said following a four-hour meeting of the A's brass. “He's a cagey veteran, he knows what he has to do each and every year to make some adjustments to keep on top of his game like he has. ... We felt he was the right fit here based on the guys we had a chance to get.”
The 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner went 8-10 with a 4.00 ERA in 29 appearances and 26 starts in his 14th big league season after missing all of 2010.
“My health is good,” he said. “No problems. I'm ready to play for Oakland.”
Colon signed a $2 million, one-year contract last month to join a rotation that lost two top pitchers this offseason. All-Star left-hander Gio Gonzalez got traded to the Washington Nationals, while Trevor Cahill was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Closer Andrew Bailey is also gone, sent to Boston in late December.
Colon said he will embrace being a veteran presence for the young A's, whose roster still could change over the next week. The A's are considering signing slugger Manny Ramirez, who would have to sit out the first 50 games for his second violation of baseball's drug policy.
“Definitely possibilities,” Melvin said. “I'm not certain that we're done on what our roster's going to look like. I think we've shown this offseason that we're not afraid to make some moves.”
Gomes, who lives in Arizona during the offseason, showed up early to get going — and make a few more introductions for those he didn't meet at FanFest last month.
“This is the time of year you want to get out of the batting cage and get out of the weight room and put some cleats on,” Gomes said. “You know your feet are going to hurt and your calves are going to cramp.”
Everybody knows there's plenty to get done in an abbreviated spring. Oakland opens the season with two games in Japan next month against the Mariners, who started at spring training a week ago. The A's opted to wait.
Melvin said he would typically try to get position players 60 to 65 at-bats during Cactus League play before the season starts, but “we're not going to try to cram that into 21 games.”
The emphasis will be to get as much work done each day while minimizing players' time standing around between drills.
“Oh, we're rusty,” reliever Jerry Blevins halfway joked while signing autographs for a couple of diehard fans in the bleachers after playing Frisbee at Phoenix Municipal Stadium with 6-foot-6 starting candidate Tyson Ross.
Dallas Braden is upbeat entering the spring. Braden, who threw a perfect game on May 9, 2010, against Tampa Bay, is encouraged by his progress following surgery May 17 to a repair a torn capsule in his left shoulder.
While Braden is ahead of schedule in his recovery, his best guess is that he will be ready to return in mid-April or shortly thereafter. Melvin said it could be early May for Braden, who will be treated cautiously.
Braden threw his fourth bullpen of the winter Thursday and is slated for another on Monday. He praised the training staff for being “lights out.”
“Just being able to throw a baseball pain-free has been tremendous,” Braden said. “The last two years I had been throwing in pain, not with pain but in pain. That's tough to do. I take my bullpens very seriously. To be getting back to a position where I can learn again from my work, that's Christmas for me. Everything points to positive.”
Braden has some other business to attend to this spring. He wears No. 51, and that has been the jersey number for new outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, the Cuban defector who this past week agreed to terms on a $36 million, four-year contract.
“For $35.5 million he can have No. 51,” Braden said with a chuckle. “I'm going to put that on his locker. I don't know if we go much lower than that. Do you really want No. 51?”
Perhaps Colon will be up for a swap as he is No. 52. He has surprised even himself considering he's still pitching after all the years of injury problems.
“It is a surprise for me,” he said. “I didn't know I was going to come back and pitch.”
Melvin is confident in Colon, saying, “If he's pitching at the level he is at this age he's doing something right.”
More here:
Bartolo Colon eager to pitch for A's
A UCLA research team discovered that migrating cells prefer to turn right when encountering changes in their environment. The researchers were then able to translate what was happening in the cells to recreate this left–right asymmetry on a tissue level. Such asymmetry is important in creating differences between the right and left sides of structures like the brain and the hand.
The research, a collaboration between the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Center for Cell Control at UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, appears in the Feb. 17 issue of the journal Circulation Research.
"Our findings suggest a mechanism and design principle for the engineering of tissue," said senior author Dr. Linda L. Demer, a professor of medicine, physiology and bioengineering and executive vice chair of the department of medicine at the Geffen School of Medicine. "Tissue and organs are not simply collections of cells but require careful architecture and design to function normally. Our findings help explain how cells can distinguish and develop highly specific left–right asymmetry, which is an important foundation in tissue and organ creation."
Using microtechnology, the team engineered a culture surface in the lab with alternating strips of protein substrates that were cell-adhesive or cell-repellent, analogous to a floor with narrow horizontal stripes of alternating carpet and tile. Cells may encounter such surface changes when they travel through the body.
The researchers observed that as the migrating cells crossed the interface between "carpet" and "tile" sections, they exhibited a significant tendency to turn right by 20 degrees, and, like a marching band, lined up in long, parallel rows, producing diagonal stripes over the entire surface.
"We had been noticing how these vascular cells would spontaneously form structures in cultures and wanted to study the process," said first author Ting-Hsuan Chen, a graduate student researcher in the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UCLA Engineering. "We had no idea our substrates would trigger the left–right asymmetry that we observed in the cells. It was completely unexpected.
"We found that cells demonstrated the ability to distinguish right from left and to self-organize in response to mechanical changes in the surfaces that they encounter. This provides insight into how to communicate with cells in their language and how to begin to instruct them to produce tissue-like architecture."
According to the researchers, the cells can sense the substrates beneath them, and this influences the direction of their migration and what shapes they form in the body. Of most interest, the researchers said, was the fact that the cells responded to the horizontal stripes by reorganizing themselves into diagonal stripes.
The team hopes to harness this phenomenon to use substrate interfaces to communicate with cells and instruct them to produce desired tissue structures for replacement. By adjusting the substrates, the researchers say, they have the potential to guide what structures the cells and tissue form.
The next stage of the research will be to control and guide cells to self-organize into two-dimensional and, eventually, three-dimensional patterns chosen by the researchers.
According to the research team, this is one of the first studies to demonstrate that encountering a change in substrate can trigger a cell's preference for turning left or right. It is also one of the first studies showing that cells can integrate left–right asymmetry into a patterned structure of parallel diagonal stripes resembling tissue architecture.
"Applications for this research may help in future engineering of organs from a patient's own stem cells," Demer said. "This would be especially important given the limited supply of donor organs for transplant and problems with immune rejection."
Provided by University of California - Los Angeles
Read more from the original source:
Discovery that migrating cells 'turn right' has implications for engineering tissues, organs
ScienceDaily (Feb. 16, 2012) — Scientists have found a way to generate and maintain stem cells much more efficiently by amplifying the effect of an essential protein.
Researchers from Denmark, Scotland and the USA have created synthetic versions of a protein, which manipulates adult cells -- such as skin cells -- so that they can subsequently revert to an earlier, embryonic like state. These reverted cells have the potential to become any cell in the body.
As well as reverting adult cells to this state -- known as induced pluripotent stem cells , the protein also plays a key role in maintaining embryonic stem cells in a pure form. If the protein -- Oct4 -- is not present, the embryonic stem cells will start to differentiate into specific cells.
In order to reprogamme adult cells to have stem cell properties viruses need to be added to cell cultures to trigger production of significant quantities of Oct4.
Oct4 plays a powerful role in regulating stem cell genes. However, while large quantities of Oct4 are needed too much of it can ruin the properties of stem cells.
Scientists, whose work is published in the journal Cell Reports, were able to overcome this by producing a synthetic version of Oct4 that amplified the effect of the protein in its natural form.
The synthetic version of Oct4 was much more efficient in turning on genes that instruct cells on how to be stem cells and, as a result, the cells did not need as much Oct4 for either reprogramming or to remain as stem cells -- thereby eliminating problems caused by too much Oct4.
In fact, the synthetic Oct4 could support stem cells under conditions that they do not normally grow. These findings could also help scientists find new ways generate stem cells in the laboratory.
The study showed that Oct4 was mainly responsible for turning on genes that instruct cells on how to become stem cells, rather than turning off genes that encourage the cells to differentiate.
"Our discovery is an important step towards generating and maintaining stem cells much more effectively," says Professor Joshua Brickman, affiliated with both The Danish Stem Cell Center (DanStem), University of Copenhagen and Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
"Embryonic stem cells are characterized, among other things, by their ability to perpetuate themselves indefinitely and differentiate into all the cell types in the body -- a trait called pluripotency. But to be able to use them medically, we need to be able to maintain them in a pure state, until they're needed. When we want to turn a stem cell into a specific cell, such as insulin producing beta cell, or a nerve cell in the brain, we'd like this process to occur accurately and efficiently. This will not be possible if we don't understand how to maintain stem cells as stem cells. As well as maintaining embryonic stem cells in their pure state more effectively, the artificially created Oct4 was also more effective at reprogramming adult cells into so-called induced Pluripotent Stem cells, which have many of the same traits and characteristics as embryonic stem cells but can derived from the patients to both help study degenerative disease and eventually treat them."
Oct4 is a so-called transcription factor -- a protein that binds to specific DNA sequences, thereby controlling the flow (or transcription) of genetic information from DNA to mRNA. The synthetic version of Oct4 was created by using recombinant DNA technology whereby a gene was modified to produce new and more active protein. The modified gene was either introduced into stem cells or used to reprogram adult skin cells.
If scientists can exploit this programming of stem cell programs, it will improve the ability to generate stem cells directly from a patient. These cells could in turn potentially be used for individualised studies and for developing individualized therapies for degenerative diseases such as type 1 diabetes and neuro-degenerative diseases.
The study involved mouse embryonic stem cells, early embryonic progenitors cells in frogs as well as iPS cells from both mouse and human sources. The research was supported by grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation (DK), the Medical Reseach Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (MRC and BBSRC, UK).
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Edinburgh.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Fella Hammachi, Gillian M. Morrison, Alexei A. Sharov, Alessandra Livigni, Santosh Narayan, Eirini P. Papapetrou, James O'Malley, Keisuke Kaji, Minoru S.H. Ko, Mark Ptashne, Joshua M. Brickman. Transcriptional Activation by Oct4 Is Sufficient for the Maintenance and Induction of Pluripotency. Cell Reports, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2011.12.002
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Read more:
Synthetic protein amplifies genes needed for stem cells
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
BioTime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BTX), a biotechnology company that develops and markets products in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced that Chief Executive Officer Michael D. West, Ph.D. will present at the 7th Annual New York Stem Cell Summit at Bridgewaters New York City on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 8:48 a.m. ET. Dr. West will provide an update and new information on the Company's manufacturing technologies and cell-based therapeutics in development. The presentation will be available online at http://www.biotimeinc.com.
The annual New York Stem Cell Summit provides investors, industry, practitioners, and analysts with the latest developments and investment opportunities in the stem cell marketplace.
About BioTime, Inc.
BioTime, headquartered in Alameda, California, is a biotechnology company focused on regenerative medicine and blood plasma volume expanders. Its broad platform of stem cell technologies is developed through subsidiaries focused on specific fields of applications. BioTime develops and markets research products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, including a wide array of proprietary ACTCellerate™ cell lines, culture media, and differentiation kits. BioTime's wholly owned subsidiary ES Cell International Pte. Ltd. has produced clinical-grade human embryonic stem cell lines that were derived following principles of Good Manufacturing Practice and currently offers them for use in research. BioTime's therapeutic product development strategy is pursued through subsidiaries that focus on specific organ systems and related diseases for which there is a high unmet medical need. BioTime's majority owned subsidiary Cell Cure Neurosciences, Ltd. is developing therapeutic products derived from stem cells for the treatment of retinal and neural degenerative diseases. Cell Cure's minority shareholder Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has an option to clinically develop and commercialize Cell Cure's OpRegen™ retinal cell product for use in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. BioTime's subsidiary OrthoCyte Corporation is developing therapeutic applications of stem cells to treat orthopedic diseases and injuries. Another subsidiary, OncoCyte Corporation, focuses on the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of stem cell technology in cancer, including the diagnostic product PanC-DxTM currently being developed for the detection of cancer in blood samples, therapeutic strategies using vascular progenitor cells engineered to destroy malignant tumors. ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. is developing applications of BioTime's proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell technology to reverse the developmental aging of human cells to treat cardiovascular and blood cell diseases. BioTime's newest subsidiary, LifeMap Sciences, Inc., is developing an online database of the complex cell lineages arising from stem cells to guide basic research and to market BioTime's research products. In addition to its stem cell products, BioTime develops blood plasma volume expanders, blood replacement solutions for hypothermic (low-temperature) surgery, and technology for use in surgery, emergency trauma treatment and other applications. BioTime's lead product, Hextend®, is a blood plasma volume expander manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by Hospira, Inc. and in South Korea by CJ CheilJedang Corp. under exclusive licensing agreements. Additional information about BioTime, ReCyte Therapeutics, Cell Cure, OrthoCyte, OncoCyte, BioTime Asia, LifeMap Sciences, and ESI can be found on the web at http://www.biotimeinc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for BioTime and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of BioTime and its subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in BioTime's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. BioTime disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
To receive ongoing BioTime corporate communications, please click on the following link to join our email alert list:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83805&p=irol-alerts
The rest is here:
BioTime CEO Michael D. West to Present at New York Stem Cell Summit
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
BioTime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BTX), a biotechnology company that develops and markets products in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced that Chief Executive Officer Michael D. West, Ph.D. will present at the 7th Annual New York Stem Cell Summit at Bridgewaters New York City on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 8:48 a.m. ET. Dr. West will provide an update and new information on the Company's manufacturing technologies and cell-based therapeutics in development. The presentation will be available online at http://www.biotimeinc.com.
The annual New York Stem Cell Summit provides investors, industry, practitioners, and analysts with the latest developments and investment opportunities in the stem cell marketplace.
About BioTime, Inc.
BioTime, headquartered in Alameda, California, is a biotechnology company focused on regenerative medicine and blood plasma volume expanders. Its broad platform of stem cell technologies is developed through subsidiaries focused on specific fields of applications. BioTime develops and markets research products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, including a wide array of proprietary ACTCellerate™ cell lines, culture media, and differentiation kits. BioTime's wholly owned subsidiary ES Cell International Pte. Ltd. has produced clinical-grade human embryonic stem cell lines that were derived following principles of Good Manufacturing Practice and currently offers them for use in research. BioTime's therapeutic product development strategy is pursued through subsidiaries that focus on specific organ systems and related diseases for which there is a high unmet medical need. BioTime's majority owned subsidiary Cell Cure Neurosciences, Ltd. is developing therapeutic products derived from stem cells for the treatment of retinal and neural degenerative diseases. Cell Cure's minority shareholder Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has an option to clinically develop and commercialize Cell Cure's OpRegen™ retinal cell product for use in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. BioTime's subsidiary OrthoCyte Corporation is developing therapeutic applications of stem cells to treat orthopedic diseases and injuries. Another subsidiary, OncoCyte Corporation, focuses on the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of stem cell technology in cancer, including the diagnostic product PanC-DxTM currently being developed for the detection of cancer in blood samples, therapeutic strategies using vascular progenitor cells engineered to destroy malignant tumors. ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. is developing applications of BioTime's proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell technology to reverse the developmental aging of human cells to treat cardiovascular and blood cell diseases. BioTime's newest subsidiary, LifeMap Sciences, Inc., is developing an online database of the complex cell lineages arising from stem cells to guide basic research and to market BioTime's research products. In addition to its stem cell products, BioTime develops blood plasma volume expanders, blood replacement solutions for hypothermic (low-temperature) surgery, and technology for use in surgery, emergency trauma treatment and other applications. BioTime's lead product, Hextend®, is a blood plasma volume expander manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by Hospira, Inc. and in South Korea by CJ CheilJedang Corp. under exclusive licensing agreements. Additional information about BioTime, ReCyte Therapeutics, Cell Cure, OrthoCyte, OncoCyte, BioTime Asia, LifeMap Sciences, and ESI can be found on the web at http://www.biotimeinc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for BioTime and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of BioTime and its subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in BioTime's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. BioTime disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
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BioTime CEO Michael D. West to Present at New York Stem Cell Summit
16-02-2012 20:19 Many of our patients travel to Guangzhou from all over the world for medical treatment and tourism. China medical tourism can help with becoming a patient, travel arrangements and language assistance. If you want to know more about our services, please browse the web:htttp://www.medicaltourism.hk/ or mail to us: giels-x@medicaltourism.hk firstcare-china@hotmail.com Adult stem cells provide real improvement for cirrhosis patients Breakthrough adult stem cell research has shown that stem cells are able to regenerate and repair damaged or destroyed liver cells. For patients with cirrhosis, this means improved liver function, decreased pain and a significantly improved quality of life. Stem cell therapy offers the safest and most effective treatment alternative for liver cirrhosis and it is quickly becoming a preferred treatment in Asia. China medical tourism offers unique access to the best stem cell therapies available at leading medical facilities. Supporting data and statistics Three out of every four patients treated experienced a significant improvement in their condition following stem cell treatment. The following clinical results were observed: •Improved liver function •Decreased pain •Improved values for liver function, PLT (blood platelet) and blood ammonia You may see improvements during your hospitalization due to neurotrophic factors released during the stem cell transplantation, which stimulate nerve activity; new cells will grow for up to six months after you ...
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China medicdal tourism-- Cirrhosis--Stem cells therapy 1.mp4 - Video
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. (“ImmunoCellular” or the “Company”) (OTCBB: IMUC –News), a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immune-based cancer therapies, today announced that John Yu, MD, Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer of ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, will deliver a presentation at the Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s inaugural Targeting Stem Cells Symposium as a part of the 19th Annual Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference from February 19-23, 2012. Dr. Yu will present during a session highlighting Emerging Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutics, featuring the Company’s discovery and development of cancer stem cell therapy.
The Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Targeting Cancer Stem Cells Symposium reflects a growing interest in cancer stem cells and their developing importance in the field of oncology, as more pharmaceutical and biotech companies have begun to focus on cancer stem cells as oncological drug targets. The symposium will feature case studies from those working with cancer stem cells, a history of the role of cancer stem cells in treatment resistance, as well as highlights from ongoing novel cancer stem cell therapeutic development programs and platforms.
About ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd.
IMUC is a Los Angeles-based clinical-stage company that is developing immune-based therapies for the treatment of brain and other cancers. The Company recently commenced a Phase II trial of its lead product candidate, ICT-107, a dendritic cell-based vaccine targeting multiple tumor associated antigens including those associated with cancer stem cells for glioblastoma treatment. To learn more about IMUC, please visit www.imuc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the risk that any patents issued covering IMUC’s vaccine technology will not provide significant commercial protection for IMUC’s technology or products; the risk that the safety and efficacy results obtained in the Phase I trial for the dendritic cell- based vaccine will not be confirmed in subsequent trials; the risk that the correlation between immunological response and progression-free and overall survival in the Phase I trial for ICT-107 will not be reflected in statistically significant larger patient populations; the risk that IMUC will not be able to secure a partner company for development or commercialization of ICT-107. Additional risks and uncertainties are described in IMUC's most recently filed SEC documents, such as its most recent annual report on Form 10-K, all quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and any current reports on Form 8-K. IMUC undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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ImmunoCellular Therapeutics To Present at Targeting Stem Cells Symposium during 19th Annual Molecular Medicine Tri ...
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