James A. Thomson, VMD, PhD, founder of human pluripotent stem cells, to give opening lecture

Newswise LOS ANGELES Sept. 17, 2012 Leading scientists and clinicians from across the nation will discuss the latest findings on potential stem cell treatments for diabetes and eye diseases at the second Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Scientific Symposium.

WHO: Stem cell scientists, clinicians and industry leaders.

The symposium is being hosted by the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute, led by Clive Svendsen, PhD. The institute brings together basic scientists with specialist clinicians, physician scientists and translational scientists across multiple medical specialties to convert fundamental stem cell studies to therapeutic regenerative medicine.

FEATURED RESEARCH: The symposiums morning session will feature an overview of the current state of stem cells and diabetes, including efforts to start the first clinical trials with stem cells for the treatment of diabetes. Other research to be presented includes an update on regenerative medicine approaches to treating macular degeneration, a progressive deterioration of the eye that causes gradual loss of vision. This will include an update from Gad Heilweil, MD, on a key, stem-cell clinical trial on macular degeneration at the University of California Los Angeles.

WHEN: Sept. 21, 2012 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thomsons lecture begins at 8:40 a.m.

WHERE: Harvey Morse Auditorium Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 8700 Beverly Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90048

How to register: http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/RMI

Media Contact: Members of news media interested in attending or learning more about the presentations should contact Media Specialist Nicole White at nicole.white@cshs.org or 310-423-5215.

See the original post:
Leading Stem Cell Scientists to Focus on Diabetes, Eye Diseases at Cedars-Sinai Symposium

JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Gamida Cell, a leader in adult stem cell expansion technologies and products, announced today that it has completed enrollment for a Phase I/II clinical trial of NiCord, the companys second pipeline product.

NiCord is in development as an experimental treatment for a series of indications that potentially could be cured with a bone marrow transplantation including hematological malignancies (blood cancer), sickle cell disease, thalassemia, severe autoimmune diseases and metabolic diseases. The clinical trial announced today (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01221857) is studying NiCord as an alternative investigational treatment for hematological malignancies (HM). A combined total of 11 patients were transplanted at Duke University Medical Center and at Loyola University Medical Center. Dr. Mitchell E. Horwitz of Duke University Medical Center is the principal investigator. Final results of the Phase I/II study are expected within 6 months. The company is also actively enrolling for a Phase I/II study of NiCord as an experimental treatment for sickle cell, a genetic blood disease (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01590628).

NiCord is an expanded cell graft derived from an entire unit of umbilical cord blood enriched with stem cells. NiCord was developed based on Gamida Cells proprietary NAM technology. As the Phase I/II trial for HM is a first in man safety and efficacy study, for this stage, NiCord was transplanted with a second un-manipulated cord blood unit in a double cord blood configuration.

Dr. Tony Peled, chief scientific officer and vice president of research & development at Gamida Cell, said, Pre-clinical data demonstrated the uniqueness of NAM technology in not only decreasing the aging process but also preserving the characteristics and functions of ex vivo expanded stem cells (Experimental Hematology 2012;40:342355). Of significance, the Phase I/II clinical trial data have already shown that many of the patients in the study engrafted with the expanded cells of NiCord rather than with the second un-manipulated unit. This is the first time, in a situation where two units are transplanted, that the cultured stem cells demonstrated prompt and durable long-term engraftment (over one year) in the clinic. We look forward to sharing the complete results of this study in the coming months.

Dr. Yael Margolin, CEO of Gamida Cell, said, The clinical progress of the companys second pipeline product reaffirms Gamida Cells leadership role in the stem cell industry and the companys expertise in bone marrow transplantation. In the near future we plan to not only release the NiCord Phase I/II data but also the long awaited complete results of the Phase III study of StemEx, also for hematological malignancies, but clearly further ahead in development. The company remains on course with the development of StemEx and is considering strategic partners to develop its expanding pipeline of products and to bring StemEx to market.

About Gamida Cell

Gamida Cell is a world leader in stem cell population expansion technologies and stem cell therapy products for transplantation and regenerative medicine. The companys pipeline of stem cell therapy products are in development to treat a wide range of conditions including blood cancers, solid tumors, non-malignant hematological diseases such as hemoglobinopathies, neutropenia and acute radiation syndrome, autoimmune diseases and metabolic diseases as well as conditions that can be helped by regenerative medicine. Gamida Cells therapeutic candidates contain populations of adult stem cells, selected from non-controversial sources such as umbilical cord blood, bone marrow and peripheral blood, which are expanded in culture. Gamida Cells current shareholders include: Elbit Imaging (NASDAQ: EMITF), Clal Biotechnology Industries (TASE: CBI), Israel Healthcare Venture, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NADAQ:TEVA), Amgen, Denali Ventures and Auriga Ventures. For more information, please visit: http://www.gamida-cell.com.

Read the original:
Gamida Cell Completes Enrollment for Phase I/II Study of Second Pipeline Product NiCord® for Hematological Malignancies

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Seung-Jo Yang, a Parliament member, prepared a bill proposing new law for the management and transplantation of stem cells. On September 17, the National Health and Welfare Committee referred the bill to the Conference for review. The previous 18th National Assembly proposed a similar stem cell bill when much of its term had already passed so it was not fully discussed until the period ended, disappointing many patients with rare diseases. The Bill was referred to the 19th National Assembly, though, which shows the willingness of South Korean leaders to meet the expectations that this new law will be passed coming from the medical community and patient groups throughout South Korea.

Dr. Jeong-Chan Ra, president of RNL BIO's stem cell technology institute said "This effort for new stem cell bill will advance the use and sophistication of autologous adult stem cell technology as a powerful solution for overcoming incurable diseases." Dr. Ra, whose pioneering efforts in Korean stem cell research are known worldwide, is equally known in Korea as an ardent advocate for governmental investment in regenerative medicine. Perhaps no scientist has pushed harder for rigorous standards for stem cell banking, which this proposal may at last bring to fruition.

In South Korea stem cell banks have not been operated under a specific legal structure, so development and progress has been limited. The proposed law suggests that the harvesting and preservation of stem cells must be controlled by national regulation, specifically a management system for stem cell harvesting, storage and implantation. Through this, stem cell experts expect growth in responsible stem cell research and faster, even safer development of therapeutics.

Additionally, the current Korean policy requires stem cell programs - regardless of whether there are available therapies for patients with any particular condition - to complete clinical trial phase III for market approval. Had such rules been in place, for example, for the treatment of H.I.V., tens of thousands of people would have died. Many treatments for those with incurable diseases have been approved without completion of Phase III including stem cell treatments in other nations, even for the treatment of HIV, which stem cells have now cured. The bill under consideration proposes that physicians can use their own stem cells to treat conditions under their discretion if those stem cells are properly expanded, managed, handled and provided to clinicians for them at or above the proposed standards, which is the best news patients with incurable diseases for which no existing cure is available by current medicine have had in a long time.

When the bill is passed, high standards will be established and the better methods will immediately be made obvious to both government and patients. Through this the stem cell community expects a leap in industrial growth, and a leap in the ethical adherence of physicians to do no harm to patients and to provide remedies where possible for the aid of their patients.

The Korean medical community also expects not only to see an influx of domestic patients but also many patients from other nations that lack standards for the growth of patients' own stem cells. South Korea, many economists predict, could become the Mecca for stem cell therapeutics.

Read more:
South Korean lawmakers one step from rigorous new system for stem cell Advancement: scientists, physicians and ...

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

America Stem Cell, Inc. (ASC) today announced that it has been awarded an Advanced Technology Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health. This grant will be conducted in collaboration with scientists at the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) in Winston-Salem, NC, and will explore the combination of two technologies: ASC-101 developed by America Stem Cell and amniotic fluid-derived stem cells discovered and pioneered by Dr. Shay Soker and colleagues at WFIRM. We will examine the effect of ASC-101-treated amniotic fluid-derived stem cells in an experimental model of compartment syndrome. Compartment syndrome results from a variety of injuries such as fractures, contusions, burns, trauma, post-ischemic swelling and blast injuries such as gunshot wounds. If not addressed quickly, it can lead to considerable loss of muscle tissue. Musculoskeletal disorders are the primary cause of disability in the United States with associated costs of more than $800 billion annually. In addition to civilian injuries, more than 42,000 soldiers have been injured since the beginning of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars: the majority of these injuries were musculoskeletal in nature.

America Stem Cell has demonstrated that ASC-101 enhances the ability of stem cells to migrate to their target tissue. While most companies are concerned with the type of cells used for cell therapy (i.e. the hardware), America Stem Cell addresses how to get the cells to go where they are needed most (i.e. the software). With this award, America Stem Cell will expand the potential for therapeutic application of ASC-101 with amniotic fluid-derived stem cells. According to Dr. Leonard Miller, the Co-Principal Investigator on the grant, The successful combination of ASC-101 with amniotic fluid-derived stem cells would be directly relevant to improving the treatment of muscle damage that occurs following compartment syndrome as well as multiple other types of injuries.

America Stem Cell, Inc. is a clinical stage company that is in clinical trials at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for improving clinical outcomes for cancer patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This award enables America Stem Cell to expand the development of ASC-101 to yet another cell type. Lynnet Koh, CEO of America Stem Cell, noted, The combination of ASC-101 with amniotic fluid-derived stem cells could synergistically enhance the therapeutic and regenerative capacity of these cells and most importantly provide an off-the-shelf, effective solution for tissue damage due to multiple types of injuries or diseases. ASC-101 is a transformative technology with the potential to improve clinical outcomes for patients undergoing a wide variety of cell therapies for the treatment of diseases such as graft versus host disease, diabetic complications, and ischemic diseases such as myocardial infarctions, retinopathy and critical limb ischemia. America Stem Cell has established a number of collaborations examining the potential of ASC-101 to improve cell therapies for multiple clinical conditions using a wide variety of cell types.

About America Stem Cell, Inc.

America Stem Cell is a privately held biotechnology company based in San Antonio, TX, with offices in San Diego, CA, and is dedicated to the development and commercialization of enabling technologies to enhance and expand the therapeutic potential of cell therapies. The key technology platforms (ASC-101 and ASC-102) are designed to improve the homing and engraftment of cells to target organs. ASC-101 is currently in clinical trials to improve the therapeutic potential of hematopoietic stem cells for patients in need of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Additionally, these technologies have the potential to enhance the efficacy of cell therapies for the treatment of inflammation from chemotherapy/radiation, autoimmune diseases, and ischemic diseases including myocardial infarction and stroke. America Stem Cell has partnerships and collaborations with Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Spectrum Medical Innvoations, Florida Biologix, and various medical research institutions including the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center,,University of California San Diego, Sanford-Burnham Institute, Indiana University, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, as well as corporate partnerships. For additional information, please contact Lynnet Koh at 210-410-6427, or view http://www.americastemcell.com.

Read more:
America Stem Cell, Inc. Awarded a Phase I STTR to Explore the Therapeutic Potential of Its Platform Technology (ASC ...

ScienceDaily (Sep. 14, 2012) The fate of an embryonic stem cell, which has the potential to become any type of body cell, is determined by a complex interaction of genes, proteins that bind DNA, and molecules that modify those genes and proteins.

In a new paper, biologists from MIT and the University of California at San Francisco have outlined how those interactions direct the development of stem cells into mature heart cells. The study, the first to follow heart-cell differentiation over time in such detail, could help scientists better understand how particular mutations can lead to congenital heart defects. It could also assist efforts to engineer artificial heart tissue.

"We're hoping that some of the information we've been able to glean from our study will help us to approach a new understanding of heart development, and also lead to the possibility of using cells that are generated in a dish to replace heart cells that are lost as a consequence of aging and disease," says Laurie Boyer, an associate professor of biology at MIT and a senior author of the paper, which appears in the Sept. 13 online edition of Cell.

Research in Boyer's lab focuses on how DNA is organized and controlled in different cell types to create the wide variety of cells that make up the human body.

Inside a cell, DNA is wrapped around proteins called histones, which help control which genes are accessible at any given time. Histones may be tagged with different chemical modifications, which influence whether a particular stretch of DNA is exposed or hidden.

"These modifications cause structural changes that can act as docking sites for other factors to bind," says Joe Wamstad, a postdoc in Boyer's lab and one of the lead authors of the Cell paper. "It may make the DNA more or less accessible to manipulation by other factors, helping to ensure that you don't express a gene at the wrong time."

In this paper, the researchers found that histone-modification patterns shift rapidly as a stem cell differentiates. Furthermore, the patterns reveal genes that are active at different stages, as well as regulatory elements that control those genes.

Tracking development

To discover those patterns, the researchers grew mouse embryonic stem cells in a lab dish and treated them with proteins and growth factors that drive heart cell development. The cells could be followed through four distinct stages, from embryonic stem cells to fully differentiated cardiomyocytes (the cells that compose heart muscle). At each stage, the researchers used high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze histone modifications and determine which genes were being expressed.

"It's basically watching differentiation over time in a dish, and being able to take snapshots of that and put it all together to try to understand how the complex process of cardiac commitment is regulated," Boyer says.

The rest is here:
Probing matters of the heart: Stem cell differentiation study sheds light on genetic basis of heart disease

Newswise CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (September 13, 2012) Several years ago, biologists discovered that regular body cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells cells with the ability to become any other type of cell. Such cells hold great promise for treating many human diseases.

These induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are usually created by genetically modifying cells to overexpress four genes that make them revert to an immature, embryonic state. However, the procedure works in only a small percentage of cells.

Now, new genetic markers identified by researchers at Whitehead Institute and MIT could help make that process more efficient, allowing scientists to predict which treated cells will successfully become pluripotent.

The new paper, published in the Sept. 13 online edition of Cell, also identifies new combinations of reprogramming factors that produce iPSCs, according to the researchers.

Led by Rudolf Jaenisch, a Whitehead Founding Member and an MIT professor of biology, the study is the first to examine genetic changes that occur in individual cells as they become pluripotent. Previous studies have only looked at gene-expression changes in large populations of cells not all of which will actually reprogram making it harder to pick out genes involved in the process.

In previous studies, you werent able to detect the few cells that expressed predictive pluripotency markers. The really cool part of this study is that you can detect two or three cells that express these important genes early, which has never been done before, says Dina Faddah, a graduate student in Jaenischs lab and one of the papers lead authors.

The other lead author is Yosef Buganim, a postdoc at Whitehead Institute.

Single-cell analysis

In 2007, scientists discovered that adult human cells could be reprogrammed by overexpressing four genes Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4. However, in a population of cells in which those genes are overexpressed, only about 0.1 to 1 percent will become pluripotent.

In the new study, Jaenischs team reprogrammed mouse embryonic fibroblast cells and then measured their expression of 48 genes known or suspected to be involved in pluripotency at several points during the process. This allowed them to compare gene-expression profiles in cells that became pluripotent, those that did not, and those that were only partially reprogrammed.

The rest is here:
Whitehead Scientists Bring New Efficiency to Stem Cell Reprogramming

In this image of mouse embryonic fibroblasts undergoing reprogramming, each colored dot represents messenger RNA associated with a specific gene that is active in cells being reprogrammed. Red dots represent mRNA for the gene Sall4, green is Sox2, and blue is Fbxo15. The researchers determined that Sox2 activates Sall4 and then activates the downstream gene Fbxo15, creating a gene hierarchy in the later phase of reprogramming. Credit: Dina Faddah/Whitehead Institute

Several years ago, biologists discovered that regular body cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cellscells with the ability to become any other type of cell. Such cells hold great promise for treating many human diseases.

These induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are usually created by genetically modifying cells to overexpress four genes that make them revert to an immature, embryonic state. However, the procedure works in only a small percentage of cells.

Now, new genetic markers identified by researchers at Whitehead Institute and MIT could help make that process more efficient, allowing scientists to predict which treated cells will successfully become pluripotent.

The new paper, published in the Sept. 13 online edition of Cell, also identifies new combinations of reprogramming factors that produce iPSCs, according to the researchers.

Led by Rudolf Jaenisch, a Whitehead Founding Member and an MIT professor of biology, the study is the first to examine genetic changes that occur in individual cells as they become pluripotent. Previous studies have only looked at gene-expression changes in large populations of cellsnot all of which will actually reprogrammaking it harder to pick out genes involved in the process.

"In previous studies, you weren't able to detect the few cells that expressed predictive pluripotency markers. The really cool part of this study is that you can detect two or three cells that express these important genes early, which has never been done before," says Dina Faddah, a graduate student in Jaenisch's lab and one of the paper's lead authors.

The other lead author is Yosef Buganim, a postdoc at Whitehead Institute.

Single-cell analysis

In 2007, scientists discovered that adult human cells could be reprogrammed by overexpressing four genesOct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4. However, in a population of cells in which those genes are overexpressed, only about 0.1 to 1 percent will become pluripotent.

Continue reading here:
Scientists bring new efficiency to stem cell reprogramming

ScienceDaily (Sep. 13, 2012) Several years ago, biologists discovered that regular body cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells -- cells with the ability to become any other type of cell. Such cells hold great promise for treating many human diseases.

These induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are usually created by genetically modifying cells to overexpress four genes that make them revert to an immature, embryonic state. However, the procedure works in only a small percentage of cells.

Now, new genetic markers identified by researchers at MIT and the Whitehead Institute could help make that process more efficient, allowing scientists to predict which treated cells will successfully become pluripotent.

The new paper, published in the Sept. 13 online edition of Cell, also identifies new combinations of reprogramming factors that produce iPSCs, according to the researchers.

Led by Rudolf Jaenisch, an MIT professor of biology and member of the Whitehead Institute, the study is the first to examine genetic changes that occur in individual cells as they become pluripotent. Previous studies have only looked at gene-expression changes in large populations of cells -- not all of which will actually reprogram -- making it harder to pick out genes involved in the process.

"In previous studies, you weren't able to detect the few cells that expressed predictive pluripotency markers. The really cool part of this study is that you can detect two or three cells that express these important genes early, which has never been done before," says Dina Faddah, a graduate student in Jaenisch's lab and one of the paper's lead authors.

The other lead author is Yosef Buganim, a postdoc at the Whitehead Institute.

Single-cell analysis

In 2007, scientists discovered that adult human cells could be reprogrammed by overexpressing four genes -- Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4. However, in a population of cells in which those genes are overexpressed, only about 0.1 to 1 percent will become pluripotent.

In the new study, Jaenisch's team reprogrammed mouse embryonic fibroblast cells and then measured their expression of 48 genes known or suspected to be involved in pluripotency at several points during the process. This allowed them to compare gene-expression profiles in cells that became pluripotent, those that did not, and those that were only partially reprogrammed.

Here is the original post:
Tracking stem cell reprogramming: Biologists reveal genes key to development of pluripotency, in single cells

Zutphen, The Netherlands (ots/PRNewswire) -

Cryo-Save Group promotes the awareness of cord blood storage and stem cell therapies at several professional conferences held throughout eastern and southern Europe.

It is with great pleasure that Cryo-Save supports the awareness, research and advancement of cord blood storage and therapies by taking part in and sponsoring four major conferences in Cyprus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Hungary during the months of September and October.

Stem cells are becoming ever more important in the medical field as a way to treat a broad variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases such as leukemia's and other childhood cancers. Patients suffering from sickle cell anemia have been considered cured after being treated with stem cells.[1] Over 4,000 clinical trials using cord blood stem cells are taking place to treat diseases such as cerebral palsy, diabetes and autism with many more potential clinical trials continuing to develop.

"Cryo-Save's efforts to inform the medical community about advances in regenerative medicine means that patients suffering from diseases treatable with stem cells can also become better informed," says Dr. Cherie Daly, Medical Affairs Manager Cryo-Save. "Having a series of events and programs as part of Cord Blood Awareness Months makes an even stronger impact on the meaningfulness of this research and its application." Cryo-Save Group will continue its commitment to promoting the storage of cord blood and stem cells even after Cord Blood Awareness Months by offering several customer related promotions.

A half-day conference in Limassol, Cyprus will be held September 15 giving the medical community the opportunity to talk with scientists specialized in stem cells about the latest applications and cord blood and tissue regulatory requirements. Cryo-Save's Medical Affairs Manager Dr. Cherie Daly, member of ITERA (International Tissue Engineering Research Association), member of the Advisory Panel for the Parents' Guide to Cord Blood Foundation and Dr. Sally Sennitt, Cryo-Save Lab Director, will be there to present on these topics.

The third International Conference on Regenerative Medicine: Stem Cells, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnologies will take place September 21 in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Arnoud van Tulder, Cryo-Save Group CEO, will present on the "Importance of Family Stem Cell Banking: Over 10 Years of Leading Experience." Medical professionals will also present on subjects like applications of cord blood, stem cell therapies and pharmacogenomics.

--------------------------------------------------

1. University of Illinois at Chicago (2012, June 18). Chicago woman cured of sickle cell disease. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 12, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120618194714.htm

With the idea of broadening perspectives and expanding knowledge in the areas of regenerative medicine, genetics and clinical applications, Cryo-Save Serbia will be sponsoring the fifth International Symposium on Regenerative and Personalised Medicine on October 4 in Belgrade. Leading speakers such as Prof. Dr. Daniel Surbek from the University of Bern, Switzerland and Maja Stojiljkovic Petrovic, PhD of IMGGE, University of Belgrade will present their research and other works pertaining to stem cell application in tissue engineering at the symposium.

Excerpt from:
Professional Conferences Held as Part of Cryo-Save's Cord Blood Awareness Months

The number of hematopoietic stem cell donors in the Chinese mainland hit 3,000 on Friday, as the country saw a rapid increase in donors over the last four years, an official said.

Hong Junling, director of the China Marrow Donor Program, a nonprofit organization under the auspices of the Red Cross Society of China, said that 3,000 people have donated their blood cells to domestic and overseas patients through the program.

"It took 12 years for the CMDP to witness the growth of stem cell donors from the first case to the 1,000th case from 1996 to 2008, yet the number increased from 1,000 to 3,000 cases within the last four years," he said during a news conference on Friday.

Hematopoietic stem cells are routinely used to treat a series of blood diseases, including leukemia and anemia, according to a leaflet published by the program.

The organization, established in 1992, has become the world's fourth-largest databank of stem cells donors, ranking after the United States, Germany and Brazil, with more than 1.5 million candidate donors listed in its database, Hong said.

"The number of candidate donors who had their blood samples enlisted in the program is expected to reach 2 million in 2015," he said.

The 3,000th donor was Ma Yahui, a 34-year-old woman from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, who had her blood extracted on Thursday at a hospital in Beijing. She received a certificate on Friday from the program with the number "3,000".

"I thought previously that donating stem cells is quite complicated, but I found out it is very simple after my blood was extracted yesterday," she said. "It's similar to donating blood."

The donated stem cells will be transplanted to a 2-year-old boy in South Korea who has leukemia, Ma said.

"I am a mother of a 4-year-old boy, and I felt deep sympathy toward the Korean baby patient," she said. "Saving the life of other people is not so difficultwhat we should do is just reach out our arms and give a little blood to the patients."

View original post here:
Eastday-Stem cell donors reaches 3,000 mark

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --RNL Bio (www.rnl.co.kr) announced on Sep 11, 2012 that it signed the agreement with RST Biomedikal Sanayi A.S. (RST), a Turkish company, to license RNL Bio's stem cell technology. Turkey is the 6th country where RNL Bio's stem cell technology has entered. This is one of the major accomplishments that RNL BIO has long focused on establishing the so-called 'Stem Cell Silk Road' with South Korean stem cell technology to give hope to patients with intractable diseases in the world.

RST as a licensee will pay the $5 million fee upfront within 60 days from the agreement and will continue to pay the running royalty of 15% of the revenue, which could be up to $ 200 million. RST will benefit from the geographical advantages of Turkey where Western, Arabic and Oriental cultures are crossed. It plans to establish a GMP facility and invite patients from Europe and Middle East early next year.

Ilknur Erdemin, CEO of RST said, "We expect to improve public health and the quality of life in Turkey through stem cell therapy technology imported from RNL BIO in treating various intractable diseases. We will also grow Turkey to one of the world's most renowned country in regards to medical tourism with RNL's stem cell technology in combination with Turkish World's Heritage." To begin with, RST will focus on the treatment ofdiabeticcomplications, autoimmune diseases, cerebral palsy, and degenerative arthritis with RNL's autologous adipose derived stem cell technology. Stem cell therapy has already been allowed by Turkish health authority since 2011. Turkey actively promotes the industry of regenerative medicine and makes a quick move to expand in related fields.

Dr. Jeong-Chan Ra, president of RNL Stem Cell Technology Institute said, "This licensing deal will be a good opportunity todevelopRNL's stem cell technology to be the world's standards and tofulfillmy goal to make RNL BIO a company that will have treated and helped the most patients suffering from intractable diseases." He had a seminar introducing his stem cell studies to Turkish attendees from related fields and distinguished invitees one day prior to signing licensing agreement.

Read the original:
RNL BIO, a South Korean adult stem cell firm, introduces its autologous stem cell therapeutics in Turkey to treat ...

Newswise The governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has announced that six investigators from the University of California, San Diego Stem Cell Research program have received a total of more than $7 million in the latest round of CIRM funding. This brings UC San Diegos total to more than $128 million in CIRM funding since the first awards in 2006.

UC San Diego scientists funded by the newly announced CIRM Basic Biology Awards IV include Maike Sander, MD, professor of Pediatrics and Cellular and Molecular Medicine; Miles Wilkinson, PhD, professor, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology; Gene Yeo, PhD, MBA, assistant professor with the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Institute for Genomic Medicine; George L. Sen, PhD, assistant professor of cellular and molecular medicine; David Traver, PhD, associate professor with the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Ananda Goldrath, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Biological Sciences.

Sander was awarded nearly $1.4 million for her proposal to define and characterize the key transcription factors necessary to promote maturation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived pancreatic progenitors into mature insulin-secreting beta cells. The loss of pancreatic beta cells in type 1 diabetes results in the absence of insulin secreted by the pancreas. The goal of this work is to enable scientists to one day produce an unlimited source of transplantable beta-cells for patients with diabetes.

Wilkinsons grant of $1.36 million will allow his lab to develop and test induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) from patients with genetic mutations in a component of the pathway that results in intellectual disabilities. Many of these patients also have autism, attention-deficit disorders or schizophrenia. Directed towards understanding fundamental mechanisms by which all stem cells are maintained, his research has the potential to impact non-psychiatric disorders as well.

A grant of almost $1.4 million will fund Yeos research to help decode the mechanisms that underlie the single most frequent genetic mutation found to contribute to neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Yeo will generate iPSCs and differentiated motor neurons derived from patients with these mutations, then use genome-wide technologies to analyze these and normal cells and test strategies to rescue mutation-induced defects in iPSC-derived motor neurons.

Sen received a grant of just over $1 million to investigate how tissue specific stem and progenitor cells exist to replenish both healthy, normal tissue and for regeneration from a wound. Disease and aging deplete stem and progenitor cells, impeding the bodys ability to regenerate itself. Sens work aims to better understand the mechanisms of self-renewal and differentiation in epidermal (skin) stem cells. Imbalanced growth and differentiation of epidermal cells can lead to a variety of human skin disorders, including psoriasis and cancer.

Traver, who was awarded a CIRM grant of more than $1.3 million in collaboration with Thierry Jaffredo of the Universit Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, studies hematopoietic stem cells. HSCs are rare, multipotent stem cells that give rise to all blood cell types, including red blood and immune cells. Travers lab investigates the genes and signaling pathways used by vertebrate embryos to create the first HSCs. An understanding of this developmental process has implications for producing restorative stem cell-based therapies for diseases like leukemia and congenital blood disorders. Currently, medical treatments using HSCs are hampered by cell shortages and finding compatible matches between donors and recipients.

Goldraths $1.16 million grant will help develop strategies to induce immunological tolerance to hESC-derived tissues and cells. Immune-mediated rejection of hESC-derived tissues remains a significant barrier to the promise of regenerative therapies. She proposes a novel approach to promote long-term acceptance of hESC-derived tissues by exploring the molecular pathways and immune cell types that mediate the induction of immune tolerance and pursuing additional targets that halt rejection of tissue grafts derived from these stem cells. If successful, this would increase the potential reach of cellular therapies by decreasing the undesirable side effects of generalized immune suppression.

The CIRM Basic Biology Awards are designed to fund investigations into the basic mechanisms underlying stem cell biology, cellular plasticity, and cellular differentiation. These awards will also fund the development and use human stem cell based models for exploring disease. According to CIRM, studies supported by these awards will form the foundation for future translational and clinical advances, enabling the realization of the full potential of human stem cells and reprogrammed cells for therapies and as tools for biomedical innovation.

CIRM was established in November 2004 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act. The statewide ballot measure provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions and called for the establishment of an entity to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities, and other vital research opportunities.

Original post:
CIRM Funds Six UC San Diego Stem Cell Researchers

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Jeong-Chan Ra, founder and largest shareholder of RNL Bio (www.rnl.co.kr),an international biotechnology research and development firm, has pledged to give away 90% of his personal wealth over the next 10 years to promote social causes consistent with the values of human life. Dr. Ra will donate 90% privately owned equity, equity-related bonds, warrants and other assets of RNL Bio Co. and RNL Bio affiliates to the following four non-profit organizations: Bethesda Life Foundation, Yesung Medical Corporation, Academia Christiana of Korea, and Central Christian Academy.

Since 2009, Dr. Ra, based on the value of respect for human life, has supported various causes that promote social justice, access to health care, and wellness across the lifespan. A donation of $1M from Dr. Ra established the Bethesda Life Foundation (http://www.bethesdalife.org/index.php/donate), a nonprofit organization for social welfare, committed to providing patients with chronic rare diseases with access to medical care and life-saving therapies.

Through his donation, Dr. Ra wants to continue his healthcare support for those with retractable diseases as well as support for educating children of underprivileged patients with such diseases. Dr. Ra "hoped that this donation becomes the turning point for RNL Bio to fulfill its responsibility as a society helping enterprise." He also explained that while he continues to serve as a stem cell scientist at RNL Stem Cell Technology Institute he plans to focus his efforts upon the research on finding cure of rare chronic diseases.

Dr. Ra's gift is made in the spirit of other major corporate leaders worldwide who have become instrumental philanthropists by converting their personal fortune into a foundation for good, including Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Bill Clinton. Dr. Ra is mirroring Mr. Buffet and Mr. Gates' contributions that were made in late 2010 for the wealthy to donate at least 50% of their personal wealth.

A Commitment to Healing and Social Justice

< Bethesda Life Foundation > Bethesda Life Foundation supports patients of rare and chronic disease in the socially and economically underprivileged class with various medical help. The mission of Bethesda Life Foundation is, based on the value life-respect, for all mankind to enjoy a healthy and happy life.

< Yesung Medical Corporation > Yesung Medical Corporation operates the Bethesda General Hospital, located in Yangsan, Korea and the hospital has advanced in specializing theregenerative medicine using adult stem cell research and technology. With the realization of 100-year longevity utilizing stem cells as the mission, the corporation is enhancing the medical technology of respect for life.

< Academia Christiana of Korea > Academia Christiana was established in order to contribute to establish the mental discipline of the country and people by Christian studies to meet the growth and development of the Church in Korea. Academia Christiana of Korea has been organizing academic seminars and public lectures, publishing academic research papers and operating Ulaanbaatar University in Mongol.

< Central Christian Academy School Corporation > Founder Pastor Billy Kim and his wife were sent out to return to Korea in 1959 as missionaries from the Christian Service Center, an international mission organization, based in Ohio, USA and appointed to Suwon Central Baptist Church. After establishing Central Kindergarten in 1978, he obtained the lot in Woncheon-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Korea, received the approval of School Corporation to open the Central Christian School to achieve the goal of nurturing Christians to become the world's salt and light through cooperation of homes, schools and churches.

Visit link:
Unprecedented Donation by Korean Stem Cell Leader: Dr. Jeong-Chan Ra of RNL Bio announces the donation of 90% of his ...

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9fkkzb/cell_therapy_tec) has announced the addition of Jain PharmaBiotech's new report "Cell Therapy - Technologies, Markets and Companies" to their offering.

This report describes and evaluates cell therapy technologies and methods, which have already started to play an important role in the practice of medicine. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is replacing the old fashioned bone marrow transplants. Role of cells in drug discovery is also described. Cell therapy is bound to become a part of medical practice.

Stem cells are discussed in detail in one chapter. Some light is thrown on the current controversy of embryonic sources of stem cells and comparison with adult sources. Other sources of stem cells such as the placenta, cord blood and fat removed by liposuction are also discussed. Stem cells can also be genetically modified prior to transplantation.

Cell therapy technologies overlap with those of gene therapy, cancer vaccines, drug delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Pharmaceutical applications of stem cells including those in drug discovery are also described. Various types of cells used, methods of preparation and culture, encapsulation and genetic engineering of cells are discussed. Sources of cells, both human and animal (xenotransplantation) are discussed. Methods of delivery of cell therapy range from injections to surgical implantation using special devices.

Cell therapy has applications in a large number of disorders. The most important are diseases of the nervous system and cancer which are the topics for separate chapters. Other applications include cardiac disorders (myocardial infarction and heart failure), diabetes mellitus, diseases of bones and joints, genetic disorders, and wounds of the skin and soft tissues.

Regulatory and ethical issues involving cell therapy are important and are discussed. Current political debate on the use of stem cells from embryonic sources (hESCs) is also presented. Safety is an essential consideration of any new therapy and regulations for cell therapy are those for biological preparations.

The cell-based markets was analyzed for 2011, and projected to 2021. The markets are analyzed according to therapeutic categories, technologies and geographical areas. The largest expansion will be in diseases of the central nervous system, cancer and cardiovascular disorders. Skin and soft tissue repair as well as diabetes mellitus will be other major markets.

The number of companies involved in cell therapy has increased remarkably during the past few years. More than 500 companies have been identified to be involved in cell therapy and 284 of these are profiled in part II of the report along with tabulation of 274 alliances. Of these companies, 154 are involved in stem cells. Profiles of 70 academic institutions in the US involved in cell therapy are also included in part II along with their commercial collaborations. The text is supplemented with 55 Tables and 11 Figures. The bibliography contains 1,050 selected references, which are cited in the text.

Key Topics Covered:

Original post:
Research and Markets: Cell Therapy - Technologies, Markets and Companies - Updated 2012 Report

Newswise UCLA researchers have discovered a type of cell that is the missing link between bone marrow stem cells and all the cells of the human immune system, a finding that will lead to a greater understanding of how a healthy immune system is produced and how disease can lead to poor immune function.

The studies were done using human bone marrow, which contains all the stem cells that produce blood during postnatal life.

We felt it was especially important to do these studies using human bone marrow as most research into the development of the immune system has used mouse bone marrow, said study senior author Dr. Gay Crooks, co-director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and a co-director of the Cancer and Stem Cell Biology program at UCLAs Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. The few studies with human tissue have mostly used umbilical cord blood, which does not reflect the immune system of postnatal life.

The research team was intrigued to find this particular bone marrow cell because it opens up a lot of new possibilities in terms of understanding how human immunity is produced from stem cells throughout life, said Crooks, a professor of pathology and pediatrics.

Understanding the process of normal blood formation in human adults is a crucial step in shedding light on what goes wrong during the process that results in leukemias, or cancers of the blood.

The study appears Sept. 2 in the early online edition of Nature Immunology.

Before this study, researchers had a fairly good idea of how to find and study the blood stem cells of the bone marrow. The stem cells live forever, reproduce themselves and give rise to all the cells of the blood. In the process, the stem cells divide and produce intermediate stages of development called progenitors, which make various blood lineages like red blood cells or platelets. Crooks was most interested in the creation of the progenitors that form the entire immune system, which consists of many different cells called lymphocytes, each with a specialized function to fight infection.

Like the stem cells, the progenitor cells are also very rare, so before we can study them we needed to find the needle in the haystack. said Lisa Kohn, a member of the UCLA Medical Scientist Training Program and first author in the paper.

Previous work had found a fairly mature type of lymphocyte progenitor with a limited ability to differentiate, but the new work describes a more primitive type of progenitor primed to produce the entire immune system, Kohn said

Once the lymphoid primed progenitor had been identified, Crooks and her team studied how gene expression changed during the earliest stages of its production from stem cells.

Read the original post:
UCLA Researchers Discover "Missing Link" Between Stem Cells and the Immune System

- A study led by Dr. Ko and Dr. Choi of Asan Medical Center and Dr. Ra of RNL Stem Cell Technology Institute posted on the Annals of Plastic Surgery

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark clinical study, scientists of the RNL Stem Cell Technology Institute have demonstrated that the transplant of patients own ("autologous") stem cells can dramatically improve the ability of plastic surgeons to repair diseases. In the September 2012 issue of the prestigious international plastic surgery journal Annals of Plastic Surgery (69:3), researchers published their controlled study of the power of stem cells, describing a breakthrough with patients who have Parry-Romberg Syndrome. More than 200,000 have this tragic and debilitating disease in the U.S. alone. Their prognosis without treatment is the slow loss of control, then paralysis of the face and in some cases the mouth and even eyes. Most patients with Parry-Romberg begin to experience these symptoms between the age of five (5) and fifteen (15) years of age. There is, says the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, "no cure." To date, treatments have involved waiting until the disease slows and then transplanting fat into patients faces, strengthening bones in their faces, and using microvascular surgery to "install" a free flap of skin.

However the only solution for patients with this disorder, and those with similar disorders, the grafting of fat, is at best a temporary solution, which alleviates none of the pain felt by these patients, and can in fact result in an increase in pain when fat grafts fail. So, plastic surgeons, engineers and others have searched for years for a solution with longer term effects, or even a way to fight the diseases symptoms in a sustained way.

Dr. Kyeung-Suk Ko and Dr. Jong-Woo Choi led a research team under Dr. Jeong-chan Ra of RNL Stem Cell Technology Institute that may have uncovered, for the first time, just such a tool for plastic surgeons: patients own stem cells. In their controlled study, the team painlessly removed a few ounces of fat from one group Parry-Romberg Syndrome patients, harvesting stem cells from these patients fat, cells that are genetically identical to the patients cells throughout their body and that have well documented abilities to "home in" on inflammation and disease and have dramatic effects on patients symptoms and even disease itself. In this study, those patients in the "treated" group received stem cells magnified into the millions (using the teams patented technology whose safety has been well published). These patients outcomes, adding stem cells to standard-of-care therapies, were measured against traditional microfat grafts in the control group receiving no stem cells.

In what many have described as a revolutionary finding, the team found that those patients who received their own "adult" mesenchymal stem cells saw unprecedented improvement in the effectiveness of therapies. Fat grafts that are often "resorbed" into patients skin shortly after they are placed were 50% less likely to disappear when provided alongside stem cells (20.59% vs 46.81%).

This study was approved by the Korea Food and Drug Administration, the institutional IRB of the Asan Medical Center, and peer-reviewed prior to acceptance in the renowned plastic surgery publication under the title: "Clinical application of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells in progressive hemifacial atrophy (Parry-Romberg Disease) with microfat grafting techniques using three-dimensional computed tomography and three-dimensional camera." Authors and investigators included: Koh KS, Oh TS, Kim H, Chung IW, Lee KW, Lee HB, Park EJ, Chung JS, Shin IS, Ra JC, Choi JW. Media and others may access the article at http://journals.lww.com/annalsplasticsurgery/Abstract/2012/09000/Clinical_Application_of_Human_Adipose.22.aspx [http://journals.lww.com/annalsplasticsurgery/Abstract/2012/09000/Clinical_Application_of_Human_Adipose.22.aspx]. Its National Library of Medicine ID is PMID:22878516.

Dr. Ra, senior author, said, "We believe that this is a big step for Parry-Romberg Syndrome patients and expect to see autologous stem cell transplantation as standard of care for their treatment. The next step is to test the efficacy of the many ways in which stem cells from adults own bodies will expand the quality of life and even identify cures for many rare diseases."

RNL Stem Cell Technology Institute

Originally posted here:
Stem Cells Bring New Hope for Parry-Romberg Syndrome Patients

ScienceDaily (Aug. 30, 2012) The skin, the blood, and the lining of the gut -- adult stem cells replenish them daily. But stem cells really show off their healing powers in planarians, humble flatworms fabled for their ability to rebuild any missing body part. Just how adult stem cells build the right tissues at the right times and places has remained largely unanswered.

Now, in a study published in an upcoming issue of Development, researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research describe a novel system that allowed them to track stem cells in the flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea. The team found that the worms' stem cells, known as neoblasts, march out, multiply, and start rebuilding tissues lost to amputation.

"We were able to demonstrate that fully potent stem cells can mobilize when tissues undergo structural damage," says Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stowers Investigator Alejandro Snchez Alvarado, Ph.D., who led the study. "And these processes are probably happening to both you and me as we speak, but are very difficult to visualize in organisms like us."

Stem cells hold the potential to provide an unlimited source of specialized cells for regenerative therapy of a wide variety of diseases but delivering human stem cell therapies to the right location in the body remains a major challenge. The ability to follow individual neoblasts opens the door to uncovering the molecular cues that help planarian stem cells navigate to the site of injury and ultimately may allow scientists to provide therapeutic stem cells with guideposts to their correct destination.

"Human counterparts exist for most of the genes that we have found to regulate the activities of planarian stem cells," says Snchez Alvarado. "But human beings have these confounding levels of complexity. Planarians are much simpler making them ideal model systems to study regeneration."

Scientists had first hypothesized in the late 1800s that planarian stem cells, which normally gather near the worms' midlines, can travel toward wounds. The past century produced evidence both for and against the idea. Snchez Alvarado, armed with modern tools, decided to revisit the question.

For the new study, first author Otto C. Guedelhoefer, IV, Ph.D., a former graduate student in Snchez Alvarado's lab, exposed S. mediterranea to radiation, which killed the worms' neoblasts while leaving other types of cells unharmed. The irradiated worms would wither and die within weeks unless Guedelhoefer transplanted some stem cells from another worm. The graft's stem cells sensed the presence of a wound -- the transplant site -- migrated out of the graft, reproduced and rescued their host. Unlike adult stem cells in humans and other mammals, planarian stem cells remain pluripotent in fully mature animals and remain so even as they migrate.

But when Guedelhoefer irradiated only a part of the worm's body, the surviving stem cells could not sense the injury and did not mobilize to fix the damage, which showed that the stem cells normally stay in place. Only when a fair amount of irradiated tissue died did the stem cells migrate to the injured site and start to rebuild. Next, Guedelhoefer irradiated a worm's body part and cut it with a blade. The surviving stem cells arrived at the scene within days.

To perform the experiments, Guedelhoefer adapted worm surgery and x-ray methods created sixty to ninety years ago. "Going back to the old literature was essential and saved me tons of time," says Guedelhoefer, currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was able to reproduce and quantify results obtained in 1949 by F. Dubois, a French scientist, who first developed the techniques for partially irradiating planarians with x-rays.

But Guedelhoefer went further. He pinpointed the locations of stem cells and studied how far they dispersed using RNA whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH), specifically adapted to planarians in Snchez Alvarado's lab. Using WISH, he observed both original stem cells and their progeny by tagging specific pieces of mRNA . The technique allowed him to determine that pluripotent stem cells can travel and produce different types of progeny at the same time.

See the article here:
Moving toward regeneration

Regulated information August 23, 2012

TiGenix Business Update & Financial Highlights for the First Half of 2012

Leuven (BELGIUM) - August 23, 2012 -TiGenix NV (NYSE Euronext: TIG), the European leader in cell therapy, gives an update of its business activities and provides the financial highlights for the half year ending June 30, 2012.

Business highlights

Financial highlights

"The significant progress in all our clinical programs and the commercial ramp up of ChondroCelect in the first half year of 2012 reinforce our position as the European leader in cell therapy," says Eduardo Bravo, CEO of TiGenix. "We continue to consistently deliver on the objectives we set more than a year ago, keeping all key programs on plan, meeting our aggressive targets, and keeping costs under control. In addition, we are in discussions with a number of companies in connection with the US rights to Cx601."

Business update

Commercial roll-out of ChondroCelect continues to gain momentum

ChondroCelect sales for the first half of 2012 amounted to EUR 2.1 million, comprising EUR 1.5 million from 2012 sales, up 115% compared to the same period of last year, and EUR 0.7 million of deferred sales from 2011 as a result of the retroactive reimbursement in the Netherland per January 1, 2011.

Discussions to obtain full national reimbursement keep advancing in Spain, France, and Germany. In addition to the recent important reimbursement success, the Company has obtained a positive decision in the Netherlands by one of the leading private healthcare insurance companies to make treatment with ChondroCelect compulsory for its insured, no longer reimbursing non-ATMP cartilage products. Similarly, two of the large private insurers in the UK expressed their intention to routinely reimburse ChondroCelect going forward.

Go here to see the original:
TiGenix : Business Update & Financial Highlights for the First Half of 2012

Sacramento, CA /PRNewswire/ Sutter Neuroscience Institute, a recognized Center of Excellence, andCBR(Cord Blood Registry), the worlds largest stem cell bank, are launching the firstFDA- approved clinical trial to assess the use of a childs own cord blood stem cells to treat select patients with autism. This first-of-its-kind placebo controlled study will evaluate the ability of an infusion of cord blood stem cells to help improve language and behavior. The study is in conjunction with the Sutter Institute for Medical Research.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism spectrum disorders impact one in 88 children in the U.S., and one in 54 boys.1The condition is thought to have multiple risk factors including genetic, environmental and immunological components.

This is the start of a new age of research in stem cell therapies for chronic diseases such as autism, and a natural step to determine whether patients receive some benefit from an infusion of their own cord blood stem cells, said Michael Chez, M.D., director of Pediatric Neurology with the Sutter Neuroscience and principal study investigator. I will focus on a select portion of children diagnosed with autism who have no obvious cause for the condition, such as known genetic syndromes or brain injury.

The study will enroll 30 children between the ages of two and seven, with a diagnosis of autism who meet theinclusion criteria for the study. Enrolled participants will receive two infusionsone of the childs own cord blood stem cells and one of a placeboover the course of 13 months. Both the participants and the lead investigators will be blinded from knowing the content of each infusion. To ensure the highest quality and consistency in cord blood stem cell processing, storage and release for infusion,CBRis the only family stem cell bank providing units from clients for the study.

For information on study, visithttp://www.cordblood.com/autism.

Study Rationale A newborns umbilical cord blood contains a unique population of stem cells that have been used for more than 20 years in medical practice to treat certain cancers, blood diseases and immune disorders. When patients undergo a stem cell transplant for these conditions, the stem cells effectively rebuild the blood and immune systems.

A focus of my research has been the complex relationship between a childs immune system and central nervous system. We have evidence to suggest that certain children with autism have dysfunctional immune systems that may be damaging or delaying the development of the nervous system, continued Dr. Chez. Cord blood stem cells may offer ways to modulate or repair the immune systems of these patients which would also improve language and some behavior in children who have no obvious reason to have become autistic. The study is similar to otherFDA-approved clinical trials looking at cord blood stem cells as a therapy for cerebral palsy.

Its exciting to partner with thought-leading medical researchers and clinicians, like Dr. Chez, who are pursuing a scientifically-sound approach in evaluating new therapeutic uses for cord blood stem cells for conditions that currently have no cures, said Heather Brown, vice president of scientific & medical affairs atCBR. Families who made the decision to bank their stem cells to cover the unknowns and what ifs in life are gaining access to this and other important clinical trials while playing an important role in the advancement of science.

The co-investigator of the study is Michael Carroll, M.D., medical director of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Hematological Malignancies Program at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento.

There is a vast amount of unchartered territory when it comes to how stem cell therapies may help patients living with these conditions, said Dr. Carroll. Ive seen how stem cell therapy has changed my field of medicine and how I care for my blood cancer patients. I am eager to see how our work can open new doors for patients and families dealing with autism.

Excerpt from:
Autism And Cord Blood Stem Cells: FDA Gives Green Light For Groundbreaking Clinical Trial

Public release date: 23-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Hilary Glover hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com 44-020-319-22370 BioMed Central

Stem cells isolated from fat are being considered as an option for treating tissue damage and diseases because of their accessibility and lack of rejection. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy shows that this is not as straightforward as previously believed, and that fat-derived stem cells secrete VEGF and other factors, which can inhibit cartilage regeneration. However pre-treating the cells with antibodies against VEGF and growing them in nutrients specifically designed to promote chondrocytes can neutralize these effects.

Chondrocytes make and maintain healthy cartilage but damage and disease including osteoarthritis can destroy cartilage resulting in pain and lack of mobility. Stem cell therapy using cells isolated from adult tissue (such as fat) are being investigated as a way of repairing this damage. Stem cells have the ability to become many different types of tissue so the real trick is persuading them to become cartilage rather than bone, or blood vessels, for example.

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology found that adipose (fat) stem cells (ASCs) secrete large amounts of factors, especially the growth factor VEGF, which prevent cartilage regeneration and actually causes the death (apoptosis) of chondrocytes along with the formation of blood vessels. Treating ASCs with medium designed to encourage their differentiation into cartilage cells was able to reduce the amount of these secreted factors and also prevented the growth of blood vessels. Specifically, an antibody designed to neutralize VEGF prevented chondrocyte apoptosis.

Prof Barbara Boyan, who led this research, explained, "Non-treated ASCs actually impeded healing of hyaline cartilage defects, and although treating ASCs improved the situation they added no benefit to compared to cartilage allowed to heal on its own. However we only looked at cartilage repair for a week after treatment, and other people have shown that two to six weeks is required before the positive effect of ASCs on influence cartilage regeneration is seen."

So while stem cells from fat may be able to help repair damaged cartilage, careful handling and pre-treatment may be required to ensure a positive result.

###

Media contact

Dr Hilary Glover Scientific Press Officer, BioMed Central Tel: +44 (0) 20 3192 2370 Mob: +44 (0) 778 698 1967 Email: hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com

Read the rest here:
Repairing cartilage with fat: Problems and potential solutions