header logo image


Page 1,532«..1020..1,5311,5321,5331,534..»

Vaccines Derived from Patients’ Tumor Cells Are Individualizing Cancer Treatment

June 26th, 2010 8:23 am

The first discovery of a cancer gene marker--the BRAF oncogene for melanoma and colorectal malignancies--back in 2002 changed the way many researchers thought about cancer treatment. Rather than approach the disease based on what region of the body it stemmed from, scientists began to identify cancers in terms of their genetic signatures. Researchers now recognize more than 200 kinds of cancer--all genetically unique. [More]

Add to digg
Add to StumbleUpon
Add to Reddit
Add to Facebook
Add to del.icio.us
Email this Article




Cancer - Health - Conditions and Diseases - Colorectal cancer - Management of cancer

Read More...

Vaccines Derived from Patients’ Tumor Cells Are Individualizing Cancer Treatment

June 26th, 2010 8:20 am

The first discovery of a cancer gene marker--the BRAF oncogene for melanoma and colorectal malignancies--back in 2002 changed the way many researchers thought about cancer treatment. Rather than approach the disease based on what region of the body it stemmed from, scientists began to identify cancers in terms of their genetic signatures. Researchers now recognize more than 200 kinds of cancer--all genetically unique. [More]

Add to digg
Add to StumbleUpon
Add to Reddit
Add to Facebook
Add to del.icio.us
Email this Article




Cancer - Health - Conditions and Diseases - Colorectal cancer - Management of cancer

Read More...

Diabetes treated with Stem Cell Therapy

June 25th, 2010 1:12 pm

Cellonis Diabetes Stem Cell Therapy: A Chance for Insulin Independence and the Reversal of Complications

BEIJING, June 24 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Cellonis, a Beijing and HK-based biotech company, with its new personalized diabetes treatment concept has demonstrated an amazing improvement in their treated patients' conditions. The ongoing clinical study shows the treatment's best case could reconstruct a patient's natural insulin production and even reverse later complications like kidney failure. Treated patients may have the chance to return to the normal activities non-diabetes sufferers take for granted.

The clinical study, jointly conducted by scientists and doctors of the Cellonis clinical research team, aims to help patients be free from insulin and oral drugs, by reconstructing their natural insulin production damaged by either autoimmune disorder (T1DM) or hyperglycemia and also improve insulin sensitivity (T2DM). Using injections of autologous stem cells from the patient's bone marrow, the research team believes that this therapy could help patients return to a life without annoying everyday injections and drugs.

"Most of the patients in our clinical study are now taking less synthetic insulin or oral drugs for BG control," says Dr. Chase Dai, Chief Medical Officer at Cellonis. "We appear to have restored the biological insulin producing function of the body. We are excited to see that some patients have been treatment-free for five months now, and we believe the effect of the stem cell therapy can last much longer. We were also encouraged by some other happy surprises during the clinical study.

"For example, this therapy appears to reverse chronic kidney failure. It was a surprise for all of my team to observe that the kidney function of a 75- year-old patient improved remarkably."

This patient had suffered from diabetes for years, gradually developing diabetic foot and nephropathy. He can now walk freely after having been confined to bed or a wheelchair for six months, and his quality of life has improved significantly. Moreover, he only needs kidney dialysis one time a week instead of three times. In a follow-up visit he excitedly told us that he was hopeful that in the near future he could be completely rid of diabetes.

Diabetes, an increasingly spreading disease, can lead to life-threatening diseases such as blindness, amputation, strokes, or kidney failure in its natural course. Current treatments, including insulin, cannot change this situation.

"We believe that our stem cell therapy will bring promising hope for patients suffering from diabetes and its complications," comments Cindy Hao, CEO of Cellonis. "Personalized diabetes therapies for patients of various conditions will be developed by Cellonis in the near future. We believe what we have restored for patients will not only be their natural insulin production, but also a normal life filled with the activities non-diabetes sufferers can enjoy daily."

Cellonis Biotechnologies focuses on R&D and the clinical application of novel personalized stem cell therapies and immunotherapies for patients with diseases including cancer, diabetes and central nervous system disorders.

Read More...

Stem Cell Therapy for Animals

June 25th, 2010 12:56 pm

At three years old, Justin, a German Shepherd-cross, seems too young to be afflicted with osteoarthritis.

But his early life, marred by abuse, left Justin with arthritis, hip dysplasia, flesh-eating disease and a cracked molar. “He is a big mess. A lot of people would euthanize him, but I don’t want to give up on him,” said Jamie Lee, a Vancouverite who adopted Justin nine months ago from an animal rescue group.

The mission to relieve Justin’s pain brought Ms. Lee to the frontier of veterinary medicine: stem-cell therapy.

It’s one of the holistic practices, including raw food, acupuncture and massage, showcased at The Petnership Project Tradeshow and Lecture Series in Vancouver on Saturday.

Justin broke one of his legs as a puppy, but his owners never took him to the vet. The injury resulted in osteoarthritis that spread to his other limbs.

The specialist said they could try an implant to relieve the pain, but there was a high risk that failure could lead to amputation, Ms. Lee said.

Instead, Ms. Lee decided to try an innovative treatment called stem-cell therapy, a procedure that extracts cells from the animal’s fat and moves them into the injured area to jump-start healing.

The procedure took less than 48 hours, even though the fat was shipped to a San Diego-based company called Vet-Stem. The company extracts cells from the fat tissue and sends back a needle to be inserted into the pet’s source of pain.

Ms. Lee said Justin’s mobility has gradually increased by 50 per cent after the surgery. Now the pooch, who could barely walk, can stroll for an easy 30 minutes.

But pain relief doesn’t come cheap: Ms. Lee spent around $4,000 to get treatment for all four of Justin’s joints.

The average treatment cost runs between $1,200 and $1,500, said Loridawn Fawcett of Vancouver’s The Healing Place, who advised Justin’s treatment. The treatment only has to be done once, unless there is a new injury, she said.

Results can take up to three months, said Dr. Fawcett, adding the success rate is 80 per cent.

Most dogs have the therapy to treat arthritis, but it can help heal fractures, tendon-ligament injuries and liver disease, said Dr. Fawcett.

This therapy goes beyond stem-cell treatments available for humans in Canada, which require adult stem cells to be taken from a donor’s bone marrow. Research into whether humans can successfully harvest and use their own stem cells for regenerative therapy is ongoing, but is not yet approved.

While it may be exciting, Thomas Koch of the Ontario Veterinary College cautions the science behind the therapy is not proven. The cells may have a therapeutic effect, he said, but scientists don’t know exactly how or why.

“The marketing is trumping the science and it’s obviously feeding off the hope and hype in the whole area of regenerative medicine,” said Dr. Koch. Still, the procedure seems safe in terms of infection because patients are receiving their own cells, he said, adding that there is still a risk people are paying for ineffective therapy.

It was worth it for Justin, said Ms. Lee.

She advises other pet owners considering the option to do some research, get a full blood test and consult with their vet about whether stem cell therapy is the right choice for their pet.

“If something goes wrong in surgery, you cannot go back,” said Ms. Lee. “With stem-cell therapy, what’s the worst that can happen? You pay more money.”

Read More...

Stem Cell Therapy: Age of Human Cell Engineering is Born

June 25th, 2010 12:13 pm

(06-18) 13:42 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, a stem cell researcher at UCSF's Gladstone Institutes who discovered a technique for transforming adult skin cells into "pluripotent" stem cells without resorting to human embryos, has won Japan's $550,000 Kyoto Prize, an international award that honors scientific, cultural and spiritual contributions to human knowledge.

His discovery resulted in a class of much-sought stem cells that scientists can induce to become virtually any other type of functioning human cell that one day might be used to treat varied diseases or injuries.

During their research, Yamanaka and his colleagues altered the genetics of adult skin cells by inserting four specific viral genes that produce proteins known as transcription factors into the cells. Those proteins in turn yielded other genes that reprogrammed the skin cells so they acquired all the characteristics that made them what are now known as induced pluripotent cells.

Before his discovery, those pluripotent human stem cells could only be harvested from human embryos, a source posing such powerful ethical issues that former President George W. Bush banned virtually all embryonic stem cell research eight years ago. The ban remained in force until President Obama reversed it last year.

Yamanaka, 47, who is attending the annual meeting of the International Society of Stem Cell Research in San Francisco this week, was not told of his award until just before midnight Pacific time on Thursday.

The Kyoto Prize is awarded annually by Japan's Inamori Foundation for major discoveries in many fields of advanced technology, and four other Bay Area scientists have won it in recent years.

They are Leonard Herzenberg, a Stanford geneticist and immunologist who developed a revolutionary cell-sorting machine now crucial to advanced biomedical research; Alan Kay, a Silicon Valley pioneer at Hewlett-Packard who led advanced computing technology for 40 years; Donald E. Knuth, a Stanford information technology expert and specialist in computer programming, language analysis and computerized printing and Richard Karp, a UC Berkeley computer scientist and pioneer in computational biology.

In addition to heading his laboratory at the Gladstone Institute for Cardiovascular Research on the Mission Bay campus of UCSF, Yamanaka is also a professor at Kyoto University, where he began his efforts seeking a way of transforming adult cells.

Besides resolving ethical issues by his achievement, Yamanaka's success also means that the pluripotent stem cells needed to treat a patient's disease can be obtained from the ordinary skin cells of a patient's own body - thus making stem cell therapy possible without the hazards involved in immunologic rejection of cells from other people.

Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer of Advanced Cell Technology and an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University's stem cell research center, said recently that Yamanaka's work "is likely to be the most important stem cell breakthrough of all time."

"The ability to generate an unlimited supply of patient-specific stem cells will revolutionize the future of medicine," Lanza said.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com

Read More...

Strange lesions after stem-cell therapy

June 25th, 2010 12:03 pm

Unproven treatment results in mysterious masses.

David Cyranoski

In a stark reminder that stem-cell therapy is uncharted territory, a stem-cell transplant given to a patient in Thailand who had kidney disease resulted in the development of cellular masses not previously reported. The lesions, described in a paper published online on 17 June in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, were not directly linked to the patient's subsequent death (D. Thirabanjasak et al. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. doi:10.1681/ASN.2009111156; 2010).

With hundreds of poorly regulated clinics that offer unproven stem-cell therapies now running, notably in China and Thailand, the episode is a warning to patients who may be considering such treatment.

The patient had lupus nephritis, in which the immune system attacks the kidneys. In 2006, she underwent a procedure at a private clinic in which her own haematopoietic stem cells — which can develop into any type of blood cell — were injected into her kidneys. Details of the clinic and the rationale behind the treatment have not been released.

“She didn’t get any better from stem cells, we can say that.”

Haematopoietic stem cells have been used to treat lupus nephritis with some reports of success. But they are usually injected into the bloodstream, not the kidney,­ in an attempt to 'reset' the immune system.

Six months later, the patient complained of pain and blood in the urine. Imaging studies revealed a four-centimetre mass on her left kidney and smaller masses in the kidney, liver and adrenal gland. Doctors at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok removed the kidney, believing a malignant tumour to be present. But further analysis showed that it was something else.

"I had never seen anything like it," says Paul Thorner, a pathologist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, who has a joint position at Chulalongkorn University (thailand) and was a co-author on the paper. Thorner coined a term — angiomyeloproliferative — to describe the proliferation of blood-vessel and bone-marrow cells the team found.

Patients are undergoing other experimental stem-cell therapies, but there is usually little follow-up to establish safety or efficacy. In one case reported last year, a boy treated with fetal stem cells at a Russian clinic developed tumours in his brain and spinal cord. In the Thai case, no post-mortem was carried out, as far as Thorner is aware, so his team could work only on the removed kidney. It is not known whether the smaller masses were linked to the main mass, or what would have happened had the patient not died from other complications. "She didn't get any better from stem cells, we can say that," says Thorner, who may try to reproduce the masses in animal experiments.

source: naturenews

Read More...

International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO.OB) Announces New Patent Issuance Under License Agreement

June 25th, 2010 8:20 am

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), http://www.intlstemcell.com, a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products, congratulates Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT) on the issuance of its recent patent, U.S. Patent Number 7,736,896, covering a method for producing retinal pigment epithelial cells.

As licensee of the retinal cell technology covered by this ACT patent, ISCO looks forward to building on this discovery, either independently or in collaboration with ACT, with the goal of advancing the search for treatment of such diseases as Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa, leading causes of blindness in adults, both in the US and the World.

In addition to its licensed interest in the ACT patent, ISCO is developing its own proprietary technology for creating and implanting retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells that may be usable either in conjunction with its licensed technology from ACT or independently.

'This is just one more example of the remarkable advancement in science toward the treatment of life's more dreaded diseases, and we are proud to be one of the leading pioneers in that effort,' said Kenneth Aldrich, Chairman of ISCO.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB):

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human stem cells (hpSCs) from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal immune rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing sexes, ages and racial groups. This offers the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell(TM), while avoiding the ethical issue of using fertilized eggs. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology. More information is available at ISCO's website, http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements pertaining to anticipated technological developments and therapeutic applications, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiary, 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, application of capital resources among competing uses, 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 company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Key Words: Stem Cells, Biotechnology, Parthenogenesis

International Stem Cell Corporation
Kenneth C. Aldrich, Chairman
760-940-6383
kaldrich@intlstemcell.com
or
Brian Lundstrom, President
760-640-6383
bl@intlstemcell.com

Read More...

International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO.OB) Announces New Patent Issuance Under License Agreement

June 25th, 2010 8:18 am

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), http://www.intlstemcell.com, a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products, congratulates Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT) on the issuance of its recent patent, U.S. Patent Number 7,736,896, covering a method for producing retinal pigment epithelial cells.

As licensee of the retinal cell technology covered by this ACT patent, ISCO looks forward to building on this discovery, either independently or in collaboration with ACT, with the goal of advancing the search for treatment of such diseases as Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa, leading causes of blindness in adults, both in the US and the World.

In addition to its licensed interest in the ACT patent, ISCO is developing its own proprietary technology for creating and implanting retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells that may be usable either in conjunction with its licensed technology from ACT or independently.

'This is just one more example of the remarkable advancement in science toward the treatment of life's more dreaded diseases, and we are proud to be one of the leading pioneers in that effort,' said Kenneth Aldrich, Chairman of ISCO.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB):

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human stem cells (hpSCs) from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal immune rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing sexes, ages and racial groups. This offers the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell(TM), while avoiding the ethical issue of using fertilized eggs. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology. More information is available at ISCO's website, http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements pertaining to anticipated technological developments and therapeutic applications, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiary, 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, application of capital resources among competing uses, 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 company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Key Words: Stem Cells, Biotechnology, Parthenogenesis

International Stem Cell Corporation
Kenneth C. Aldrich, Chairman
760-940-6383
kaldrich@intlstemcell.com
or
Brian Lundstrom, President
760-640-6383
bl@intlstemcell.com

Read More...

Stem Cells improve or reverse problems associated with Blindness, Eye Sight and Vision

June 25th, 2010 6:03 am

Stem cells reverse blindness caused by burns

By ALICIA CHANG (AP) – 1 day ago

LOS ANGELES — Dozens of people who were blinded or otherwise suffered severe eye damage when they were splashed with caustic chemicals had their sight restored with transplants of their own stem cells — a stunning success for the burgeoning cell-therapy field, Italian researchers reported Wednesday.

The treatment worked completely in 82 of 107 eyes and partially in 14 others, with benefits lasting up to a decade so far. One man whose eyes were severely damaged more than 60 years ago now has near-normal vision.

"This is a roaring success," said ophthalmologist Dr. Ivan Schwab of the University of California, Davis, who had no role in the study — the longest and largest of its kind.

Stem cell transplants offer hope to the thousands of people worldwide every year who suffer chemical burns on their corneas from heavy-duty cleansers or other substances at work or at home.

The approach would not help people with damage to the optic nerve or macular degeneration, which involves the retina. Nor would it work in people who are completely blind in both eyes, because doctors need at least some healthy tissue that they can transplant.

In the study, published online by the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers took a small number of stem cells from a patient's healthy eye, multiplied them in the lab and placed them into the burned eye, where they were able to grow new corneal tissue to replace what had been damaged. Since the stem cells are from their own bodies, the patients do not need to take anti-rejection drugs.

Adult stem cells have been used for decades to cure blood cancers such as leukemia and diseases like sickle cell anemia. But fixing a problem like damaged eyes is a relatively new use. Researchers have been studying cell therapy for a host of other diseases, including diabetes and heart failure, with limited success.

Adult stem cells, which are found around the body, are different from embryonic stem cells, which come from human embryos and have stirred ethical concerns because removing the cells requires destroying the embryos.

Currently, people with eye burns can get an artificial cornea, a procedure that carries such complications as infection and glaucoma, or they can receive a transplant using stem cells from a cadaver, but that requires taking drugs to prevent rejection.

The Italian study involved 106 patients treated between 1998 and 2007. Most had extensive damage in one eye, and some had such limited vision that they could only sense light, count fingers or perceive hand motions. Many had been blind for years and had had unsuccessful operations to restore their vision.

The cells were taken from the limbus, the rim around the cornea, the clear window that covers the colored part of the eye. In a normal eye, stem cells in the limbus are like factories, churning out new cells to replace dead corneal cells. When an injury kills off the stem cells, scar tissue forms over the cornea, clouding vision and causing blindness.

In the Italian study, the doctors removed scar tissue over the cornea and glued the laboratory-grown stem cells over the injured eye. In cases where both eyes were damaged by burns, cells were taken from an unaffected part of the limbus.

Researchers followed the patients for an average of three years and some as long as a decade. More than three-quarters regained sight after the transplant. An additional 13 percent were considered a partial success. Though their vision improved, they still had some cloudiness in the cornea.

Patients with superficial damage were able to see within one to two months. Those with more extensive injuries took several months longer.

"They were incredibly happy. Some said it was a miracle," said one of the study leaders, Graziella Pellegrini of the University of Modena's Center for Regenerative Medicine in Italy. "It was not a miracle. It was simply a technique."

The study was partly funded by the Italian government.

Researchers in the United States have been testing a different way to use self-supplied stem cells, but that work is preliminary.

One of the successful transplants in the Italian study involved a man who had severe damage in both eyes as a result of a chemical burn in 1948. Doctors grafted stem cells from a small section of his left eye to both eyes. His vision is now close to normal.

In 2008, there were 2,850 work-related chemical burns to the eyes in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Schwab of UC Davis said stem cell transplants would not help those blinded by burns in both eyes because doctors need stem cells to do the procedure.

"I don't want to give the false hope that this will answer their prayers," he said.

Dr. Sophie Deng, a cornea expert at the UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute, said the biggest advantage was that the Italian doctors were able to expand the number of stem cells in the lab. This technique is less invasive than taking a large tissue sample from the eye and lowers the chance of an eye injury.

"The key is whether you can find a good stem cell population and expand it," she said.

___

Online:

New England Journal: http://www.nejm.org

Read More...

Costa Rica: no longer a destination for stem cell tourists?

June 25th, 2010 5:12 am
By Alex Leff

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Doctors and patients claim it's a miracle cure, and one not yet available in the United States. They say it can be used to treat multiple sclerosis, strokes and diabetes.

Hundreds of international medical tourists have come to this Central American nation seeking adult stem cell treatment.

But now the government is calling the treatment "experimental" and "unproven." Last month the San Jose-based Stem Cell Institute announced it must shutter its doors because of a "lack of clarity regarding adult stem cell treatment regulation in Costa Rica," according to a statement from the institute.

The institute "was using therapies that are completely illegal in this country," Costa Rican Health Minister Dr. Maria Luisa Avila said before Supreme Court magistrates last week during a hearing about whether to allow stem cell treatment in Costa Rica. If the court rules in favor of the government, medical tourists and Costa Ricans will have to look elsewhere for their so-called "miracle cure."

Stem cell expert Dr. Fabio Solano says the treatment has a good enough track record to be used to fight the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS), strokes, diabetes and a number of other conditions. Patients, including one with heart problems and another who survived a plane accident, claim it's their constitutional right to have the treatment.

Since opening in mid-2005, the institute treated as many as 700 people, many of them from the U.S., where such treatment is mostly unavailable, Solano said. Patients and media have stirred a buzz with videos, blogs and articles, detailing the stem cell experience in often glowing words.

In a YouTube video interview, Police Sgt. Preston Walker from Fort Worth, Texas, says the stem cell treatment he received in Costa Rica was "absolutely the best experience I've had, ever."While foreign patients paid up to $5,000 for a week's treatment, Costa Ricans were receiving stem cell therapy free of charge, a gift from the Stem Cell Institute.

The treatment is conducted using cells extracted from the patient's own fatty tissue or from umbilical cords, both rich with adult stem cells that can give rise to almost any kind of the human body's more than 200 cell types. Doctors at the institute say when the cells are injected into patients' bodies, they work to regenerate tissue. Through the alternative medicine, they claim, patients have walked again when traditional doctors said they never would.

In an emailed statement, Health Minister Avila said "the results are merely anecdotal and there is no scientific evidence yet." She added that such therapies are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The health authorities said the Stem Cell Institute was licensed only to work as a "stem cell bank" for storage and research, but never gained authorization to administer treatment on patients. Costa Rica prohibits all work on human embryos.

Leading stem cell researchers in the United States say the treatment's success is wildly overstated.

Dr. Jack Kessler, an expert in stem cell research at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, told GlobalPost last year the practice has a long way to go to treat disorders like spinal cord injuries, strokes, Parkinson's disease or MS. He warned that medical tourists are being fed false hope, and even the placebo effect, rather than a proven cure.

While Costa Rica's government wants to see results from clinical trials, Solano insists use of the treatment should go forward right now. "Progress in medicine does not only come from clinical tests," he said, pointing out that pioneers in organ transplants such as Dr. Christiaan Barnard did not perform such tests.

"In this practice, we surgeons especially have to innovate all the time," Solano said.

Costa Rica's best-known anecdote of stem cell success is 30-year-old pilot Juan Carlos Murillo, who survived a plane crash landing May 13, 2008, with three cracked vertebrae. Doctors said he might never leave his wheelchair. At San Jose's Supreme Court, Murillo held just one crutch when he walked into the courtroom, saying it was thanks to his free treatment at the Stem Cell Institute.

Murillo was expecting a new injection the week of the court hearing. When he heard about the institute's closure and the government's stance, he said, he went into shock. He said, "They're taking away the last thing we've got."

The shuttered institute, owned by Arizona entrepreneur Neil Riordan, announced it is concentrating its operations in Costa Rica's neighbor to the south, Panama, claiming that the Panamanian government "has clearly defined laws that regulate adult stem cell therapies."

Riordan could be in for another rude awakening.

The Panamanian Health Ministry denies permitting stem cell treatment and said no hospital or clinic in the country practices it. Dr. Eduardo Lucas Mora, the ministry's general director, said any treatment conducted in Panama "must, among other things, demonstrate its effectiveness. You cannot come and experiment on a person and use medicine that is not yet proven."

source minnpost

Read More...

Cancer Therapy Goes Viral: Progress Is Made Tackling Tumors with Viruses

June 24th, 2010 8:26 am

The adapted virus that immunized hundreds of millions of people against smallpox has now been enlisted in the war on cancer. Vaccinia poxvirus joins a herpesvirus and a host of other pathogens on a growing list of engineered viruses entering late-stage human testing against cancer. [More]

Add to digg
Add to StumbleUpon
Add to Reddit
Add to Facebook
Add to del.icio.us
Email this Article




Cancer - Smallpox - Virus - Vaccinia - Health

Read More...

Cancer Therapy Goes Viral: Progress Is Made Tackling Tumors with Viruses

June 24th, 2010 8:23 am

The adapted virus that immunized hundreds of millions of people against smallpox has now been enlisted in the war on cancer. Vaccinia poxvirus joins a herpesvirus and a host of other pathogens on a growing list of engineered viruses entering late-stage human testing against cancer. [More]

Add to digg
Add to StumbleUpon
Add to Reddit
Add to Facebook
Add to del.icio.us
Email this Article




Cancer - Smallpox - Virus - Vaccinia - Health

Read More...

International Stem Cell Corporation Names Charles J. Casamento to Board of Directors

June 23rd, 2010 8:21 am

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), http://www.intlstemcell.com, a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products, announced today that Charles J. Casamento was elected to the Board of Directors, on June 21, 2010.

Mr. Casamento is currently Executive Director and Principal of The Sage Group, a healthcare advisory group specializing in mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships between biotechnology companies and pharmaceutical companies. During his career, Mr. Casamento has served as a director on the boards of eight public biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies. He was the president and CEO of Osteologix, Inc., a public biopharmaceutical company developing products for treating osteoporosis, from 2004 through 2007. From 1999 through 2004, he served as chairman of the board, president and CEO of Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mr. Casamento formerly served as RiboGene, Inc.'s president, CEO and chairman of the board from 1993 through 1999 until it merged with Cypros to form Questcor. He was co-founder, president and CEO of Interneuron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Indevus), a biopharmaceutical company, from 1989 until 1993. Mr. Casamento has also held senior management positions at Genzyme Corporation, where he was senior vice president, pharmaceuticals and biochemicals; American Hospital Supply, where he was vice president of business development and strategic planning for the Critical Care Division; Johnson & Johnson, Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc. and Sandoz Inc. Mr. Casamento also serves on the Boards of Directors of CORTEX Pharmaceuticals, SuperGen, Inc. and VIVUS, Inc. He holds a bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from Fordham University and an M.B.A. from Iona College and was originally licensed to practice pharmacy in the states of New York and New Jersey.

'Mr. Casamento is a vital addition to our Board and brings to International Stem Cell Corporation expertise in areas that will help guide our company through growth, including corporate governance, business development, strategic planning, financing, mergers and acquisitions, product development, clinical trials and corporate and research and development collaboration activities,' said Kenneth Aldrich, Chairman.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB):

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal immune rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing sexes, ages and racial groups. This offers the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell(TM), while avoiding the ethical issue of using fertilized eggs. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology. More information is available at ISCO's website, http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

FORWARD-LOOKING

Statements pertaining to anticipated technological developments and therapeutic applications, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiary, 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, application of capital resources among competing uses, 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 company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Key Words: Stem Cells, Biotechnology, Parthenogenesis

International Stem Cell Corporation
Kenneth C. Aldrich, Chairman
760-940-6383
kaldrich@intlstemcell.com
or
Brian Lundstrom, President
760-640-6383
bl@intlstemcell.com

Read More...

International Stem Cell Corporation Names Charles J. Casamento to Board of Directors

June 23rd, 2010 8:18 am

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), http://www.intlstemcell.com, a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products, announced today that Charles J. Casamento was elected to the Board of Directors, on June 21, 2010.

Mr. Casamento is currently Executive Director and Principal of The Sage Group, a healthcare advisory group specializing in mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships between biotechnology companies and pharmaceutical companies. During his career, Mr. Casamento has served as a director on the boards of eight public biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies. He was the president and CEO of Osteologix, Inc., a public biopharmaceutical company developing products for treating osteoporosis, from 2004 through 2007. From 1999 through 2004, he served as chairman of the board, president and CEO of Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mr. Casamento formerly served as RiboGene, Inc.'s president, CEO and chairman of the board from 1993 through 1999 until it merged with Cypros to form Questcor. He was co-founder, president and CEO of Interneuron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Indevus), a biopharmaceutical company, from 1989 until 1993. Mr. Casamento has also held senior management positions at Genzyme Corporation, where he was senior vice president, pharmaceuticals and biochemicals; American Hospital Supply, where he was vice president of business development and strategic planning for the Critical Care Division; Johnson & Johnson, Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc. and Sandoz Inc. Mr. Casamento also serves on the Boards of Directors of CORTEX Pharmaceuticals, SuperGen, Inc. and VIVUS, Inc. He holds a bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from Fordham University and an M.B.A. from Iona College and was originally licensed to practice pharmacy in the states of New York and New Jersey.

'Mr. Casamento is a vital addition to our Board and brings to International Stem Cell Corporation expertise in areas that will help guide our company through growth, including corporate governance, business development, strategic planning, financing, mergers and acquisitions, product development, clinical trials and corporate and research and development collaboration activities,' said Kenneth Aldrich, Chairman.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB):

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal immune rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing sexes, ages and racial groups. This offers the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell(TM), while avoiding the ethical issue of using fertilized eggs. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology. More information is available at ISCO's website, http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

FORWARD-LOOKING

Statements pertaining to anticipated technological developments and therapeutic applications, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiary, 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, application of capital resources among competing uses, 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 company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Key Words: Stem Cells, Biotechnology, Parthenogenesis

International Stem Cell Corporation
Kenneth C. Aldrich, Chairman
760-940-6383
kaldrich@intlstemcell.com
or
Brian Lundstrom, President
760-640-6383
bl@intlstemcell.com

Read More...

OncoMed Has ‘Wnt’ in its Sails

June 21st, 2010 8:19 am

OncoMed Has 'Wnt' in its Sails; Bayer Deal Adds $40M Up Front by Jennifer Boggs, Bioworld, June 18, 2010. Excerpts:

[OncoMed's] latest accomplishment is another early stage deal, this time with Bayer Schering Pharma AG, to develop drugs targeting the Wnt signaling pathway. It's an agreement that brings $40 million up front, with the potential for more than $1 billion in future milestones.

.....

The Wnt pathway is believed to be a key target in halting cancer stem cell activity. But only a few other firms - Avalon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (now part of Clinical Data Inc.) and 2008 start-up Wintherix LLC, for example - have entered that space, largely because Wnt is not an easily druggable target.

News release from Bayer: Bayer Schering Pharma and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Enter Strategic Alliance to Develop Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutics, June 17, 2010. Excerpt:

Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced a global strategic alliance to discover, develop and commercialize novel anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics targeting the Wnt signaling pathway. Cancer stem cells are a subset of tumor cells believed to play a significant role in the establishment, metastasis and recurrence of cancer and agents targeting the Wnt pathway have the potential to be developed as pan-tumor drugs.

Comment: The Bayer-OncoMed strategic alliance has received attention via the social media. See, for example, the results of this FriendFeed search.

Read More...

OncoMed Has ‘Wnt’ in its Sails

June 21st, 2010 8:17 am

OncoMed Has 'Wnt' in its Sails; Bayer Deal Adds $40M Up Front by Jennifer Boggs, Bioworld, June 18, 2010. Excerpts:

[OncoMed's] latest accomplishment is another early stage deal, this time with Bayer Schering Pharma AG, to develop drugs targeting the Wnt signaling pathway. It's an agreement that brings $40 million up front, with the potential for more than $1 billion in future milestones.

.....

The Wnt pathway is believed to be a key target in halting cancer stem cell activity. But only a few other firms - Avalon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (now part of Clinical Data Inc.) and 2008 start-up Wintherix LLC, for example - have entered that space, largely because Wnt is not an easily druggable target.

News release from Bayer: Bayer Schering Pharma and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Enter Strategic Alliance to Develop Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutics, June 17, 2010. Excerpt:

Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced a global strategic alliance to discover, develop and commercialize novel anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics targeting the Wnt signaling pathway. Cancer stem cells are a subset of tumor cells believed to play a significant role in the establishment, metastasis and recurrence of cancer and agents targeting the Wnt pathway have the potential to be developed as pan-tumor drugs.

Comment: The Bayer-OncoMed strategic alliance has received attention via the social media. See, for example, the results of this FriendFeed search.

Read More...

GE Healthcare announces SaaS Electronic Medical Records Management

June 19th, 2010 8:22 am

http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com/

GE Health Care is rolling out a new, cloud-based platform that makes it easier for physicians with small practices to maintain and keep track of the electronic medical records of their patients. The new SAAS offering is part of GE’s Centricity offering.

Introducing Centricity Advance
Colonnades Family Medicine is running on Centricity Advance, a web-based EMR solution launched today by GE Healthcare and specifically designed for the smaller physician practice.

Unlike most clinical and financial management solutions, Centricity Advance is a web-based service that costs less than a standard client-server software deployment and is maintained and supported with little or no strain on the healthcare provider’s resources, freeing up more time for patient care.

Ideal as a Web-Based Service
The fact that Centricity Advance was designed from the ground up as a web service is significant. Instead of simply providing web-based gateway into a standard EMR application, the Centricity Advance is created with anywhere/anytime access in mind, resulting in an intuitive and efficient interface without sacrificing functionality. Since system management is centralized as part of the Centricity Advance service, small practices don’t have to worry about data protection, updates, equipment failures and other typically stressful responsibilities of user-driven IT management.

Another key feature of Centricity Advance is the Patient Self-Service Portal, which connects patients to their care. By using their own secure password to log in, patients can communicate privately with their doctor and view their own information such as statements, prescriptions and lab results. Patients can also request and confirm appointments, request prescription refills and get automatic reminders for immunizations and lab tests.

Read More...

22 Million Australian Cloud computing initiative to benefit life science researchers

June 19th, 2010 8:22 am

The Australian Research Collaboration Service (ARCS) http://www.arcs.org.au has launched its Computer Cloud scheme, a $22 million project funded by the government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.

More details check http://www.arcs.org.au/index.php/services/cloud-computing

Bob Correll, the chief information officer for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, said his agency is also looking into using cloud computing for its electronic visa system

Read More...

GE Healthcare announces SaaS Electronic Medical Records Management

June 19th, 2010 8:19 am

http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com/

GE Health Care is rolling out a new, cloud-based platform that makes it easier for physicians with small practices to maintain and keep track of the electronic medical records of their patients. The new SAAS offering is part of GE’s Centricity offering.

Introducing Centricity Advance
Colonnades Family Medicine is running on Centricity Advance, a web-based EMR solution launched today by GE Healthcare and specifically designed for the smaller physician practice.

Unlike most clinical and financial management solutions, Centricity Advance is a web-based service that costs less than a standard client-server software deployment and is maintained and supported with little or no strain on the healthcare provider’s resources, freeing up more time for patient care.

Ideal as a Web-Based Service
The fact that Centricity Advance was designed from the ground up as a web service is significant. Instead of simply providing web-based gateway into a standard EMR application, the Centricity Advance is created with anywhere/anytime access in mind, resulting in an intuitive and efficient interface without sacrificing functionality. Since system management is centralized as part of the Centricity Advance service, small practices don’t have to worry about data protection, updates, equipment failures and other typically stressful responsibilities of user-driven IT management.

Another key feature of Centricity Advance is the Patient Self-Service Portal, which connects patients to their care. By using their own secure password to log in, patients can communicate privately with their doctor and view their own information such as statements, prescriptions and lab results. Patients can also request and confirm appointments, request prescription refills and get automatic reminders for immunizations and lab tests.

Read More...

22 Million Australian Cloud computing initiative to benefit life science researchers

June 19th, 2010 8:19 am

The Australian Research Collaboration Service (ARCS) http://www.arcs.org.au has launched its Computer Cloud scheme, a $22 million project funded by the government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.

More details check http://www.arcs.org.au/index.php/services/cloud-computing

Bob Correll, the chief information officer for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, said his agency is also looking into using cloud computing for its electronic visa system

Read More...

Page 1,532«..1020..1,5311,5321,5331,534..»


2024 © StemCell Therapy is proudly powered by WordPress
Entries (RSS) Comments (RSS) | Violinesth by Patrick