Monthly Archives: January 2014

Failure to legislate ‘will hurt research’

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Failure to legislate will hurt research

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Even though stem cell manufacture has just been licensed in this country, the Governments ongoing failure to legislate in this area means pharmaceutical giants will still be wary of investing here, according to an expert in stem cell therapy.

CCMI General Manager Andrew Finnerty, CCMI Director Tim O'Brien, Minister Sean Sherlock and President of NUI Galway Dr. James Browne. Photograph by Aengus McMahon

Once the stem cells are harvested from the bone marrow of adult donors, they are grown in the Galway laboratory to generate sufficient quantities.

The first clinical trial using these stem cells is being funded by the Health Research Board and Science Foundation Ireland and will investigate the safety of using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from bone marrow for the treatment of critical limb ischemia, a complication associated with diabetes which can lead to limb amputation.

John ODea of the Irish Medical Devices Association (IMDA) said the centre was a key step.

I look forward to seeing its continued growth to assist in developing the skill sets and techniques that will be needed to embrace the new manufacturing opportunities that this exciting area will bring, he said.

The centre, one of a handful in Europe authorised for stem cell manufacture, has been developed by researchers at NUIGs regenerative medicine institute.

However, Dr Stephen Sullivan, chief scientific officer with the Irish Stem Cell Foundation warned all stem cell research operates at a pan-global level driven by big pharma and international equity firms and these players will only engage with researchers in countries where there is solid stem cell legislation in place. He welcomed the centre as a first step but said if Ireland is to compete at a top international standard, legislation remains necessary.

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Failure to legislate ‘will hurt research’

Q&A – Stem cells could offer treatment for a myriad of diseases

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Q&A - Stem cells could offer treatment for a myriad of diseases

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Q.What are stem cells?

Stem cells are different however as they are at an earlier stage in cell development and this means they can make more cells and transform into different cell types such as a skin stem cell can make all the different types of skin cells.

Q. And there are two types? A.Yes. There are two types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can generate all cells of the human body. Adult stem calls generate a more limited number of human cell types.

Q.Why are stem cells so important? A.For many years, adult stem cells have been used to treat rare blood and certain cancers.

However, adult stem cells cant generate all cell types. For example, scientists say there doesnt appear to be an adult stem cell that can make insulin- secreting cells of the pancreas. Embryonic stem cells can, however, as they can generate all cell types and the aim of scientists is to use these embryonic cells to generate healthy tissue to replace cells compromised by disease. This means that embryonic cells are more scientifically useful.

Q. And its also embryonic cells that are the more controversial, right? A.The use of embryonic stem cells is controversial here and in other countries as certain groups believe it is morally wrong to experiment on an embryo that could become a human. Embryonic stem cells are taken from embryos left over after assisted fertility treatments. According to the Irish Stem Cell Foundation, if they werent used for research into human disease, they would be discarded as medical waste. Embryos are not created purely for research purposes they say.

Q. Why are they so useful? A. Among the conditions which scientists believe may eventually be treated by stem cell therapy are Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, diabetes, burns and spinal cord damage. Early trials are under way for treating forms of blindness. It is also hoped we can learn from embryonic stem cells how early body tissues develops and more about the pathway of diseases. This will enable us to make better and more effective drugs.

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Q&A - Stem cells could offer treatment for a myriad of diseases

Making Music Videos Helps Young Cancer Patients Cope With Treatment

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January 28, 2014

Ranjini Raghunath for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Cancer treatment through chemotherapy, radiation or stem cell therapies can be physically and mentally exhausting for patients, especially younger ones. Many factors can help them feel positive about themselves and their treatment, including spiritual practices, supportive home environments and strong social connections with friends, family and physicians.

Now, a new study shows that making music videos and writing song lyrics may also help young cancer patients better cope with their treatment.

Researchers at the Indiana University School of Nursing, Indianapolis, carried out the music therapy intervention study, which was published online in the journal Cancer.

113 young patients aged 11-24 undergoing stem cell transplants for cancer were selected randomly for the study. Half of them were given audiobooks (the control group) and the other half were given three weeks to write down song lyrics, collect images and record music videos.

Patients in the second (test) group went through six training sessions each with a music therapist, who helped them identify and write about what was important to them, and guided them in creating the videos.

It really targeted them writing, having an opportunity to write about whats important to them, co-author of the study and music therapist, Sheri Robb, told Reuters. A lot of these kids as theyre going through treatment, they tend to not talk about these things.

The patients also had a chance to share the videos they created with family and friends. After about 100 days of treatment, patients in the test group reported that making those videos helped them better connect with their loved ones.

The intervention therapy helped the young patients feel stronger, more positive and helped improve their relationships with family and physicians, based on their responses to follow-up questionnaires, the researchers reported.

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Making Music Videos Helps Young Cancer Patients Cope With Treatment

Applied Research Associates, Inc. Wins Contract to Develop BioGears™, Army’s Human Physiology Engine

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San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 28, 2014

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) has been awarded a multiyear, $7 million contract by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) in Fort Detrick, MD under Contract Number: W81XWH-13-2-0068.

A biomedical research team from ARA will develop BioGears, an open-source physiology engine to allow for distributed collaboration and consistent simulation across the medical training community. The BioGears physiology engine will model human response to trauma and treatment and will include physiologically accurate models for multiple systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and endocrine.

BioGears is based on a common data model that will create standard inputs and outputs, making it easy to extend existing and add new physiology models. BioGears will provide a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) for real-time retrieval of accurate physiology state. This allows for easy integration with immersive medical education software built on popular game engines such as the award-winning Unreal Engine technology and Unity game engine. BioGears will be a GCC compliant, C++ library.

Joint Program Committee 1 - Medical Training and Health Information Sciences Research Program (JPC1) and the U.S. Armys Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) will administer the program.

The main goals for BioGears are:

Our team is thrilled to have been selected by TATRC. This project is one of great importance to the medical simulation community and the advancement of immersive medical training technologies. We look forward to creating the most comprehensive, open source mathematical model of human physiology available, said Jerry Heneghan, BioGears principal investigator at ARA.

ARAs biomedical modeling and simulation research group has a proven track record of creating innovative, physiologically accurate mathematical models that drive immersive, game-based medical training technologies. Jerry Heneghan will present on BioGears at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH) conference on Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 2 to 2:45 p.m. at the Moscone Center West in Interactive Learning Center Room #7.

About Applied Research Associates, Inc.:

Applied Research Associates, Inc. is an international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically excellent solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. Our mission is to provide in-depth and diversified research, engineering, and technical support services. We have a broad range of technical expertise in biomedical engineering, defense technologies, civil engineering, computer software and simulation, systems analysis and environmental technologies. For additional information, please visit http://www.ara.com.

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Applied Research Associates, Inc. Wins Contract to Develop BioGears™, Army's Human Physiology Engine

Island Living Shapes Physiology and Lifestyle of Eastern Bluebirds

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Island plants and animals often differ from their mainland relatives. Why? In general, isolated islands lack top predators and large herbivores, which can influence food chains and traits of island organisms. In addition, differences in human interactions and threats posed by pathogens and parasites can also contribute to variances in traits.

In a case study involving eastern bluebirds, (Sialia sialis) researchers show just how island life shapes the physiology and life history of a species.

Eastern bluebirds are familiar to many people living in the eastern United States, and also to residents and tourists in Bermuda, an archipelago that lies in the North Atlantic Ocean about 1,100 km off the East Coast of the United States. Although the current outlook for the bluebirds in the U.S. is good, their Bermuda relatives have been designated as threatened and vulnerable.

In an effort to determine the differences of this species, researchers compared island (Bermuda) and continental (Ohio, U.S.) populations of the Eastern bluebird.

First, researchers investigated how nestlings and adults differed in growth, size and shape, immune function, numbers of eggs and nestlings that pairs produce, and how frequently parents deliver food to their young.

Researchers also attempted to identify differences between continental and island birds that might intensify the risks of decline typically associated with small and geographically isolated populations, such as the Bermuda bluebirds.

The study showed that bluebirds in Bermuda were lighter weight and had longer wings than the Ohio birds.

Also, while parents fed their nestlings at equal rates throughout the season in both locations, island nestlings grew slower and, as the breeding season progressed, more chicks died in their nests in Bermuda, though no similar seasonal pattern was observed in Ohio.

Overall, the results suggest that the Bermuda bluebirds may be adjusted to certain aspects of the island environment but not to others.

As a result, the study provides insight on how conservationists in Bermuda can manage declining bluebird populations. For example, by removing any mammalian or avian predators and competitors, or by managing human-driven changes in populations of insects (which the bluebirds feed on), both changes in survival and mortality rates and changes regarding physiology and reproduction of the species may occur.

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Island Living Shapes Physiology and Lifestyle of Eastern Bluebirds