Author Archives: Fredricko

Drug 'raises elderly dementia risk'

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A POPULAR anti-anxiety drug has been linked with an increased risk of dementia in pensioners, according to new research.

Patients over the age of 65 who start taking benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, have a 50 per cent increased chance of developing dementia within 15 years compared with people who had never used the drug, according to the study.

Researchers from the University of Bordeaux, France, warned that "indiscriminate widespread use" of the drugs, which are also used to treat insomnia, should be cautioned against.

The drug is widely used in many countries. In France 30 per cent of people over the age of 65 take benzodiazepines. Many administer the drug for long periods despite guidelines suggesting it should only be used for a few weeks.

The research, which is published on bmj.com, examined 1063 people with an average age of 78 over two decades. They had never taken the drug before and were all free from dementia.

They found that 95 patients started taking benzodiazepine during the study.

After a 15-year follow-up, 253 people developed dementia. Of these, 30 had begun to take the drugs between three and five years into the study.

The chance of dementia occurring in those who had taken the drugs was 4.8 per 100 "person years" - a statistical measure representing one person at risk of development of a disease during a period of one year.

Of those who had not taken the drugs the likelihood was measured to be 3.2 per 100 person years, the researchers found.

"In this large, prospective, population based study of elderly people who were free of dementia and did not use benzodiazepines until at least the third year of follow-up, new use of benzodiazepines was associated with a significant, approximately 50% increase in the risk of dementia," the authors wrote.

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Drug 'raises elderly dementia risk'

Drug ‘raises elderly dementia risk’

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A POPULAR anti-anxiety drug has been linked with an increased risk of dementia in pensioners, according to new research.

Patients over the age of 65 who start taking benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, have a 50 per cent increased chance of developing dementia within 15 years compared with people who had never used the drug, according to the study.

Researchers from the University of Bordeaux, France, warned that "indiscriminate widespread use" of the drugs, which are also used to treat insomnia, should be cautioned against.

The drug is widely used in many countries. In France 30 per cent of people over the age of 65 take benzodiazepines. Many administer the drug for long periods despite guidelines suggesting it should only be used for a few weeks.

The research, which is published on bmj.com, examined 1063 people with an average age of 78 over two decades. They had never taken the drug before and were all free from dementia.

They found that 95 patients started taking benzodiazepine during the study.

After a 15-year follow-up, 253 people developed dementia. Of these, 30 had begun to take the drugs between three and five years into the study.

The chance of dementia occurring in those who had taken the drugs was 4.8 per 100 "person years" - a statistical measure representing one person at risk of development of a disease during a period of one year.

Of those who had not taken the drugs the likelihood was measured to be 3.2 per 100 person years, the researchers found.

"In this large, prospective, population based study of elderly people who were free of dementia and did not use benzodiazepines until at least the third year of follow-up, new use of benzodiazepines was associated with a significant, approximately 50% increase in the risk of dementia," the authors wrote.

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Drug 'raises elderly dementia risk'

Insomnia, Anxiety Drugs May Raise Dementia Risk

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Latest Mental Health News

By Brenda Goodman, MA WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Sept. 27, 2012 -- Seniors who take certain kinds of drugs to treat anxiety or insomnia may be more likely to develop dementia than those who do not, a new study shows.

Seniors are often prescribed benzodiazepines or similar drugs to help with sleeping problems or anxiety. And even though most of these drugs are only meant to be used for a few weeks or months at a time, the drugs can be habit forming. Studies have found that many older adults stay on them longer, sometimes for years.

The new study, which is published in the BMJ, compared the risk of dementia in two groups of French seniors -- 95 who were recent users of any of 23 benzodiazepines or similar drugs at the start of the study and 968 who were not.

During the next 15 years, doctors diagnosed 253 cases of dementia. Thirty people (32%) who had taken benzodiazepines or similar drugs developed memory loss and difficulty thinking, compared to 223 people (23%) who had not taken them. Drugs used by people in this study included Ambien, Halcion, Klonopin, Restoril, Valium, and Xanax.

Even after accounting for other things that are known to affect brain function, like age, living alone, depression, high blood pressure, and diabetes, researchers found that seniors who took benzodiazepines were about 60% more likely than those who didn't to develop dementia.

The study doesn't prove that benzodiazepines cause declines in memory and brain function. And researchers say very short-term use of the drugs is probably safe.

But other experts say seniors may want to avoid the drugs altogether.

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Insomnia, Anxiety Drugs May Raise Dementia Risk

FSU Autism Institute to Participate in Multi-Million Dollar Study

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Tallahassee, FL - September 27, 2012

The Autism Institute at the Florida State University College of Medicine is part of a new $8.3 million study to measure risk and resilience factors for autism in infants and toddlers.

The goal is to better understand developmental trajectories in children with autism and to improve early detection, intervention and outcomes. The Autism Institutes project has the potential to identify autism spectrum disorders (ASD) before an obvious disability has emerged as early as the first year of life.

The Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) grant is one of three in the country funded by the National Institutes of Health. Florida States project is one of four within the ACE grant awarded to Emory University. Collaboratorsinclude Emory University, the Marcus Autism Center at Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, the Emory University School of Medicine and the Emory University Yerkes National Primate Research Center.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal announced the grant Thursday, Sept. 27, in a ceremony at the Georgia Capitol.

Among other things, a team of researchers in Atlanta will focus on social visual engagement and social vocal engagement in infants at risk for ASD. The goal is to identify ASD infants, which is far earlier than has previously been effectively demonstrated.

The Autism Institute at Florida State will oversee the intervention study aimed at changing the way children with ASD develop. The Autism Institute already is recognized as a leader in the effects of early intervention on improved outcomes for toddlers and older children with ASD. The Autism Institute has focused on identifying ASD and providing interventions in infants as early as 18 months.

Keep in mind that the average age for diagnosis is after age 4, so 18 months is very early and 12months of age is incredibly early. Its very exciting to think about the potential, said Amy Wetherby, Distinguished Research Professor in Clinical Sciences at the FSU College of Medicine and director of the Autism Institute. Children at that age have more brain plasticity, and the hope is we can change their developmental trajectories and possibly prevent some of the symptoms, Wetherby said.

Wetherby and Juliann Woods, associate director of the Autism Institute and a professor in the Florida State College of Communication and Information, will lead a team that will teach parents how to implement techniques to improve development in their children with ASD.

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FSU Autism Institute to Participate in Multi-Million Dollar Study

Many Children With Autism Have Other Health Problems, Study Says

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TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Many children with autism have interrelated health problems that can have a significant impact on their home and school lives, a new study finds.

Researchers looked at nearly 3,000 children with autism and found that nearly one-fourth also had chronic gastrointestinal problems such as constipation, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and nausea.

The children with the chronic gastrointestinal problems also had anxiety and so-called "atypical sensory responses," which are heightened reactions to light, sound or particular textures, according to the study, which was published recently in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.

"These problems can have a very real impact on daily life. Children with anxiety may be distressed or reluctant to engage in new activities, and those with sensory problems may have trouble paying attention or participating in overstimulating environments," Micah Mazurek, assistant professor of health psychology and a clinical child psychologist at the University of Missouri, said in a university news release. "These children may also suffer uncomfortable [gastrointestinal] problems that they may not be able to communicate about to adults."

Effective management of these problems may improve autistic children's quality of life and response to treatment, she said.

"Parents need to be aware that these problems may underlie some of their children's difficulties, so if they notice any symptoms, they should talk to their doctors or therapists about treatment options," Mazurek said.

"Practitioners who work with children with [autism spectrum disorders] need to be mindful that there is a pretty high rate of these problems, so if children are treated for one issue, it may be helpful to screen for these additional symptoms," she added.

"Autism spectrum disorder" is a term for a group of developmental disorders with similar features, ranging from Asperger's syndrome at the mild end to full-blown autism. In general, it causes problems with social interaction and communication, and often is marked by obsessive and repetitive behaviors.

One in 88 children in the United States has been diagnosed with autism, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

-- Robert Preidt

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Many Children With Autism Have Other Health Problems, Study Says

Autism and a Political Career Collide in Dad's Two Worlds

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Mike Lake describes his autistic son Jaden as a "3- or 4-year-old trapped in a 16-year-old body," a boy who is nonverbal.

For Jaden, abstract thinking is a challenge and his most direct communication is reaching for his father's face and crying out "bababa" when he needs to be understood.

But that "beautiful simplicity" is enough for his dad.

"I lay down with him on the bed at night and he looks at me in communication mode," said Lake, 43. "Oftentimes, I just drift into his language ... He talks along with me at the same time bababa-ing. It's the strangest thing. We are not communicating anything concrete, not the world I am living in, but for us it is a connection."

Since 2006, Lake's world has been Canada's House of Commons, where he delves into the complex political issues of the day as a member of Parliament and secretary to the minister of industry.

But at home with Jaden, he enters a different world where speech doesn't matter as much as unequivocal love.

"I didn't get elected to Parliament on the autism issue," said Lake. "But as time has gone by, it's one world. It has allowed me a platform to get out there and raise awareness.

"We decided early on to include him in every opportunity we could and not to hide the family and to use the opportunities over time to share the story of an amazing kid and what life has been like for us."

Lake, whose family also includes wife Debi and 13-year-old Jenae, lives in Edmonton, Alberta. This week, he is in New York City speaking before the fifth annual World Focus on Autism, co-hosted by Autism Speaks and Ban Soon-taek, wife of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The world of autism is still a mystery. And while research has advanced, particularly in the area of genetics, it is still a puzzle to scientists. Some studies show autism strikes as many as 1 in 88 children, mostly boys.

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Autism and a Political Career Collide in Dad's Two Worlds

Autism and a Political Career Collide in Dad’s Two Worlds

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Mike Lake describes his autistic son Jaden as a "3- or 4-year-old trapped in a 16-year-old body," a boy who is nonverbal.

For Jaden, abstract thinking is a challenge and his most direct communication is reaching for his father's face and crying out "bababa" when he needs to be understood.

But that "beautiful simplicity" is enough for his dad.

"I lay down with him on the bed at night and he looks at me in communication mode," said Lake, 43. "Oftentimes, I just drift into his language ... He talks along with me at the same time bababa-ing. It's the strangest thing. We are not communicating anything concrete, not the world I am living in, but for us it is a connection."

Since 2006, Lake's world has been Canada's House of Commons, where he delves into the complex political issues of the day as a member of Parliament and secretary to the minister of industry.

But at home with Jaden, he enters a different world where speech doesn't matter as much as unequivocal love.

"I didn't get elected to Parliament on the autism issue," said Lake. "But as time has gone by, it's one world. It has allowed me a platform to get out there and raise awareness.

"We decided early on to include him in every opportunity we could and not to hide the family and to use the opportunities over time to share the story of an amazing kid and what life has been like for us."

Lake, whose family also includes wife Debi and 13-year-old Jenae, lives in Edmonton, Alberta. This week, he is in New York City speaking before the fifth annual World Focus on Autism, co-hosted by Autism Speaks and Ban Soon-taek, wife of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The world of autism is still a mystery. And while research has advanced, particularly in the area of genetics, it is still a puzzle to scientists. Some studies show autism strikes as many as 1 in 88 children, mostly boys.

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Autism and a Political Career Collide in Dad's Two Worlds

Massel: More guidance, community forums needed on autism

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Your greatest fear, if you are the parent of an adult child with a disability, is that you will not outlive your offspring and leave them to a world where they are not protected, cared for and loved. As The Star's series on autism showed, many families struggle as their autistic young people work to make that transition.

Despite some good intentions, the state of California and insurance companies are frightening the parents of adult children with autism. In 2011, the Legislature passed SB 946, making our state one of the few that require health insurers to cover treatment for adults with autism.

Autism remains a truly confounding condition and there is much to be learned about its causes and treatment. Through applied behavior, however, we have seen great improvements in living skills, communications skills and self-care skills.

Parents were rightfully joyful when SB 946 passed. Their adult children would be covered by health insurance and they could get the treatment that could lead to independence or semi-independence. It hasn't worked out exactly that way, yet.

In August, Vista Center for Behavior Analysis held a panel discussion, featuring experts in autism and insurance, for parents of adult children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Our goal was to help parents and others understand what services are available for adults with autism and how to access these services.

Parents who formerly received treatment services for their children from California Regional Centers were now to seek treatment from the private health care sector and either be reimbursed or covered by their health insurer. Parents told us they have been given little information about what services are available and covered through private health care.

Connie Lapin, one of our panelists and a parent of an adult child with autism who has been a leading advocate for those with autism, asked, "What is going to happen to all of these kids?" She described past practices in which people with autism were overmedicated and lived in homes in which they did receive effective treatment and were subject to neglect.

Rick Rollens, an internationally known autism speaker and the parent of an adult with autism, warned of the coming and overwhelming need for adult services. Adolescents and adults with ASD are being neglected. A law with all the best intentions has created chaos. These things need to happen:

The California Department of Developmental Services must step in at the regional center level and provide information and guidance to parents; the Department of Managed Health Care must hold insurers accountable and demand that they produce within 30 days a plan to cover adults with autism; and there must be forums held across the state to inform parents.

Vista is deeply involved in this issue and will continue to seek answers, prod government officials and insurers and advocate for our patients and all adults with autism.

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Massel: More guidance, community forums needed on autism

Autism treatment slots open Monday for young Utah kids

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Starting Monday, Utah families who have young children with autism can apply for free treatment provided by a new pilot project but if too many seek help, theyll need luck to win a slot.

About 250 kids can be served through the Medicaid-funded portion of the project, which is open to children who are not covered by the low-income public health insurance plan. If more children apply than can be helped, which is likely, applications will be ranked at random, similar to a lottery, explained Utah Department of Health spokesman Tom Hudachko.

How to apply

Children between the ages of 2 and 6 who meets certain requirements can apply for autism treatment through the Medicaid-funded portion of a state pilot project.

Applicants need not be on Medicaid. To be eligible, kids must:

Be clinically diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

Be a U.S. citizen and Utah resident.

Have been born between April 1, 2007 and October 31, 2010.

Not have assets, such as a bank account or trust fund, in his or her name in excess of $2,000.

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Autism treatment slots open Monday for young Utah kids

CHOP seeks infants for autism study

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The Center for Autism Research at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia recently received a five-year, $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue its research into autism.

The hospital is seeking expectant parents and the parents of newborns from families with and without a history of autism to allow their children to be part of the study from age 3 months to 24 months. The hospital hopes to take images of the babies brains to detect when the changes that lead to autism begin to appear to find early signs of the disease, said Sarah Paterson, a research associate professor at CHOP.

Autism, a condition that causes several developmental problems, particularly with socialization and communication skills, is affecting more and more children, particularly boys. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it has increased 23 percent from 2006 to 2008 and now affects 1 in 88 American children. The rate in New Jersey is 1 in 49 children, mostly boys.

It is typically diagnosed around age 2 or 3, and a growing body of research shows that early intervention yields better outcomes for individuals with autism, according to information from the hospital.

In an earlier study, CHOP found that there are significant differences in brain development as early as 6 months of age, well before the appearance of behavioral or outward signs of autism.

This new study will examine babies at 3 months to see if the changes can be detected even then. The children will then be followed with scans three more times until age 24 months and will have follow-up testing until age 5.

Were interested in the very early brains of children at risk, Paterson said.

Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that 20 percent of children with autism will have a brother or sister with autism, she said.

Since this is the case, the study will evaluate infants from families with a history of the condition, as well as those from families without it, so second or later children are especially needed.

MRIs will be taken while the babies are in natural sleep, Paterson said. Parents will bring a baby to the hospital close to bedtime and get the child to sleep. Then, headphones and special padding will be placed around the childs ears so that he or she wont hear the noise of the MRI machine as it takes images of the brain.

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CHOP seeks infants for autism study

Autism event pegged to U.N. draws story of perseverance

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

New York (CNN) -- A milestone for 16-year-old Jaden Lake, who has autism, is sometimes as basic as a kiss.

He's the son of Canadian Parliament member Mike Lake, who traveled to New York this week in the shadow of the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorders, believed to affect roughly 1 in 88 children in the United States.

Lake and his wife, Debi, say it's often the small victories that count most when raising the eldest of their two children.

"When he was 11, I remember my wife phoning me and saying, 'Jaden just kissed me for the first time,'" Lake said.

The revelation came when Debi had been teaching their son to blow, using a straw she placed in his mouth.

"She noticed that when she pulled it out," a kissing sound sprung from his puckered lips, he said.

"She used that to teach him how to kiss."

Autism is defined as one group of developmental problems within autism spectrum disorders, which surface in early childhood and come with varying degrees of severity, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

It's not clear what causes the disorder and there is no known cure. And though its overall prevalence has been on the rise, it's also unclear whether that increase is a result of better detection or an increase in cases, or both.

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Autism event pegged to U.N. draws story of perseverance

A 'World Focus on Autism'

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

New York (CNN) -- A milestone for 16-year-old Jaden Lake, who has autism, is sometimes as basic as a kiss.

He's the son of Canadian Parliament member Mike Lake, who traveled to New York this week in the shadow of the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorders, believed to affect roughly 1 in 88 children in the United States.

Lake and his wife, Debi, say it's often the small victories that count most when raising the eldest of their two children.

"When he was 11, I remember my wife phoning me and saying, 'Jaden just kissed me for the first time,'" Lake said.

The revelation came when Debi had been teaching their son to blow, using a straw she placed in his mouth.

"She noticed that when she pulled it out," a kissing sound sprung from his puckered lips, he said.

"She used that to teach him how to kiss."

Autism is defined as one group of developmental problems within autism spectrum disorders, which surface in early childhood and come with varying degrees of severity, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

It's not clear what causes the disorder and there is no known cure. And though its overall prevalence has been on the rise, it's also unclear whether that increase is a result of better detection or an increase in cases, or both.

Read more here:
A 'World Focus on Autism'

A ‘World Focus on Autism’

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

New York (CNN) -- A milestone for 16-year-old Jaden Lake, who has autism, is sometimes as basic as a kiss.

He's the son of Canadian Parliament member Mike Lake, who traveled to New York this week in the shadow of the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorders, believed to affect roughly 1 in 88 children in the United States.

Lake and his wife, Debi, say it's often the small victories that count most when raising the eldest of their two children.

"When he was 11, I remember my wife phoning me and saying, 'Jaden just kissed me for the first time,'" Lake said.

The revelation came when Debi had been teaching their son to blow, using a straw she placed in his mouth.

"She noticed that when she pulled it out," a kissing sound sprung from his puckered lips, he said.

"She used that to teach him how to kiss."

Autism is defined as one group of developmental problems within autism spectrum disorders, which surface in early childhood and come with varying degrees of severity, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

It's not clear what causes the disorder and there is no known cure. And though its overall prevalence has been on the rise, it's also unclear whether that increase is a result of better detection or an increase in cases, or both.

Read more here:
A 'World Focus on Autism'

Autism Speaks awards nearly $5 million

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Public release date: 28-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jane E. Rubinstein jrubinstein@rubenstein.com 212-843-8287 Autism Speaks

New York, N.Y. (September 28, 2012) Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced the awarding of new research grants totaling nearly $5 million. "Autism Speaks is committed to continuing our research which has tremendous potential to increase our understanding of autism and addressing the needs of individuals with autism," said Autism Speaks Co-founder Bob Wright, "and we are grateful to the donors who make this research possible."

This round of grants includes studies of pre-and post-natal environmental risk factors and their interaction with autism risk genes; prenatal supplements for reducing autism risk; a web-based autism screening tool; new approaches for teaching language to nonverbal children with autism; an intervention to expand food choices in adolescents with autism who are picky eaters; a community-based parent-training program to promote social communication; acamprosate, an experimental medication for relieving social disabilities; identification of biomarkers that can predict response to autism medications; a large-scale evaluation of autism prevalence and risk factors in South Asia; and new interventions for enhancing social interaction, language and motor development.

"With each round of research grants we're seeing tremendous advances in science's ability to deliver treatments and services that transform lives," says Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. "We are lucky and thankful to partner with expert and passionate scientists in this work."

The newest Suzanne and Bob Wright Trailblazer Award was granted to Erick Mortensen, Ph.D., (Institute of Preventive Medicine at Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark) to track the effects of pregnancy medications across generations, in children and grandchildren. Mortensen will use Denmark's national health database to identify women who took medications during pregnancy between 1969 and 1971. He will track developmental outcomes across two generations. "Studies of grandchildren are important because we now know that medications and other exposures can produce epigenetic changes that can be passed down through generations," Dr. Dawson explains. Epigenetic changes alter gene activity without changing the genetic code. The study will advance understanding of how environmental influences during pregnancy affect autism risk. Autism Speaks launched its Suzanne and Bob Wright Trailblazer Awards to support highly novel "out of the box" autism-relevant research.

This round of funding includes both two-year pilot grants to support preliminary research, often by scientists new to autism research, and three-year, full treatment grants to fund large-scale projects that build on preliminary findings as well as targeted research grants.

A full treatment grant was awarded to Craig Erickson, M.D. (Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center), who will test the effectiveness of the medicine acamprosate for treating ASD social impairment. The clinical trial will enroll 36 participants ages 5 to 17. Researchers will also examine biomarkers to better identify those likely to respond to treatment.

The second full treatment grant awarded to Aubyn Stahmer, Ph.D. (University of California, San Diego) to evaluate the effectiveness of a program focused on broad community-based dissemination of a parent-led intervention program. The "Teaching Social" curriculum helps families use daily-life techniques that improve social communication.

Pilot treatment grants were awarded to researchers to study the biology of autism, dietary, social behavior, and language interventions, including several technology applications.

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Autism Speaks awards nearly $5 million

Researchers find multiple similarities between cancer cells and induced pluripotent stem cells

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Public release date: 28-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Charles Casey charles.casey@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 916-734-9048 University of California - Davis Health System

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) UC Davis investigators have found new evidence that a promising type of stem cell now being considered for a variety of disease therapies is very similar to the type of cells that give rise to cancer. The findings suggest that although the cells -- known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) -- show substantial promise as a source of replacement cells and tissues to treat injuries, disease and chronic conditions, scientists and physicians must move cautiously with any clinical use because iPSCs could also cause malignant cancer.

The article, "Induced pluripotency and oncogenic transformation are related processes," is now online in the journal, Stem Cells and Development.

"This is the first study that describes the specific molecular pathways that iPSCs and cancer cells share from a direct comparison" said Paul Knoepfler, associate professor of cell biology and human anatomy, and principal investigator of the study. "It means that much more study is required before iPSCs can be used clinically. However, our study adds to a growing knowledge base that not only will help make stem cell therapies safer, but also provide us with new understandings about the cancer-causing process and more effective ways to fight the disease."

Since 2007, cell biologists have been able to induce specialized, differentiated cells (such as those obtained from the skin or muscle of a human adult) to become iPSCs. Like embryonic stem cells, iPSCs are a type of stem cell that is able to become any cell type. This "pluripotent" capability means that iPSCs have the potential of being used in treatments for a variety of human diseases, a fundamentally new type of clinical care known as regenerative medicine.

iPSCs are considered particularly important because their production avoids the controversy that surrounds embryonic stem cells. In addition, iPSCs can be taken from a patient's own skin and induced to produce other needed tissues, thereby evading the possibility of immunologic rejection that arises when transplanting cells from a donor to a recipient. In contrast to therapies based on ES cells, iPSCs would eliminate the need for patients to take immunosuppressive drugs.

Earlier research indicated that both ES cells and iPSCs pose some health risks. Increasing evidence suggests that pluripotency may be related to rapid cellular growth, a characteristic of cancer. iPSCs, as well as embryonic stem cells, are well known by scientists to have the propensity to cause teratomas, an unusual type of benign tumor that consists of many different cell types. The new UC Davis study demonstrates for the first time that iPSCs -- as well as ES cells -- share significant similarities to malignant cancer cells.

The investigators compared iPSCs to a form of malignant cancer known as oncogenic foci that are also produced in laboratories; these cell types are used by medical researchers to create models of cancer, particularly sarcoma. Specifically, the scientists contrasted the different cells' transcriptomes, comprised of the RNA molecules or "transcripts." Unlike DNA analysis, which reflects a cell's entire genetic code whether or not the genes are active, transcriptomes reflect only the genes that are actively expressed at a given time and therefore provide a picture of actual cellular activity.

From this transcriptome analysis, the investigators found that the iPSCs and malignant sarcoma cancer cells are unexpectedly similar in several respects. Genes that were not expressed in iPSCs were also not expressed in the cancer-generating cells, including many that have properties that guide a cell to normally differentiate in certain directions. Both cell types also exhibited evidence of similar metabolic activities, another indication that they are related cell types.

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Researchers find multiple similarities between cancer cells and induced pluripotent stem cells

Multiple similarities discovered between cancer cells and induced pluripotent stem cells

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ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2012) UC Davis investigators have found new evidence that a promising type of stem cell now being considered for a variety of disease therapies is very similar to the type of cells that give rise to cancer. The findings suggest that although the cells -- known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) -- show substantial promise as a source of replacement cells and tissues to treat injuries, disease and chronic conditions, scientists and physicians must move cautiously with any clinical use because iPSCs could also cause malignant cancer.

The article, "Induced pluripotency and oncogenic transformation are related processes," is now online in the journal, Stem Cells and Development.

"This is the first study that describes the specific molecular pathways that iPSCs and cancer cells share from a direct comparison" said Paul Knoepfler, associate professor of cell biology and human anatomy, and principal investigator of the study. "It means that much more study is required before iPSCs can be used clinically. However, our study adds to a growing knowledge base that not only will help make stem cell therapies safer, but also provide us with new understandings about the cancer-causing process and more effective ways to fight the disease."

Since 2007, cell biologists have been able to induce specialized, differentiated cells (such as those obtained from the skin or muscle of a human adult) to become iPSCs. Like embryonic stem cells, iPSCs are a type of stem cell that is able to become any cell type. This "pluripotent" capability means that iPSCs have the potential of being used in treatments for a variety of human diseases, a fundamentally new type of clinical care known as regenerative medicine.

iPSCs are considered particularly important because their production avoids the controversy that surrounds embryonic stem cells. In addition, iPSCs can be taken from a patient's own skin and induced to produce other needed tissues, thereby evading the possibility of immunologic rejection that arises when transplanting cells from a donor to a recipient. In contrast to therapies based on ES cells, iPSCs would eliminate the need for patients to take immunosuppressive drugs.

Earlier research indicated that both ES cells and iPSCs pose some health risks. Increasing evidence suggests that pluripotency may be related to rapid cellular growth, a characteristic of cancer. iPSCs, as well as embryonic stem cells, are well known by scientists to have the propensity to cause teratomas, an unusual type of benign tumor that consists of many different cell types. The new UC Davis study demonstrates for the first time that iPSCs -- as well as ES cells -- share significant similarities to malignant cancer cells.

The investigators compared iPSCs to a form of malignant cancer known as oncogenic foci that are also produced in laboratories; these cell types are used by medical researchers to create models of cancer, particularly sarcoma. Specifically, the scientists contrasted the different cells' transcriptomes, composed of the RNA molecules or "transcripts." Unlike DNA analysis, which reflects a cell's entire genetic code whether or not the genes are active, transcriptomes reflect only the genes that are actively expressed at a given time and therefore provide a picture of actual cellular activity.

From this transcriptome analysis, the investigators found that the iPSCs and malignant sarcoma cancer cells are unexpectedly similar in several respects. Genes that were not expressed in iPSCs were also not expressed in the cancer-generating cells, including many that have properties that guide a cell to normally differentiate in certain directions. Both cell types also exhibited evidence of similar metabolic activities, another indication that they are related cell types.

"We were surprised how similar iPSCS were to cancer-generating cells," said Knoepfler. "Our findings indicate that the search for therapeutic applications of iPSCs must proceed with considerable caution if we are to do our best to promote patient safety."

Knoepfler noted, for example, that future experimental therapies using iPSCs for human transplants would most often not involve implanting iPSCs directly into a patient. Instead, iPSCs would be used to create differentiated cells -- or tissues -- in the laboratory, which could then be transplanted into a patient. This approach avoids implanting the actual undifferentiated iPSCS, and reduces the risk of tumor development as a side effect. However, Knoepfler noted that even trace amounts of residual iPSCs could cause cancer in patients, a possibility supported by his team's latest research.

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Multiple similarities discovered between cancer cells and induced pluripotent stem cells

The great stem cell dilemma

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By Jeffrey M. O'Brien, contributor

Stem cells stored in liquid nitrogen at Advanced Cell Technology in Marlborough, Mass.

FORTUNE -- Imagine yourself the proud but rueful owner of an ancient Jaguar. Every day you dread the uncertainty that comes with trying to get from here to there -- there, more often than not, being the shop. No sooner does one ailment find repair than another appears. At best, it's a slow, uncomfortable ride. Lonely too. There's really no one around who fully understands your plight.

That is how Patricia Riley describes life in a 95-year-old body. Riley, who reached that milestone birthday last St. Patrick's Day, lives alone in the same 1,100-square-foot house in Plainfield, Conn., that she's called home for 64 years, having survived her husband (heart disease), a daughter (breast cancer), and every friend she ever had. "All the people I knew have all gone, Jeffrey," she says in a quivering voice laced with melancholy. "They've all died. I go to church and I never see people my age." Her remaining family includes two daughters, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren, including my two young sons. In a nod to her French-Canadian heritage, we call her Mme.

Mme attributes her longevity to good genes, but she clearly owes a debt to modern medicine. Over the years she's had a cholecystectomy, a hysterectomy, esophageal surgery, a stroke, and ulcerative colitis. Lately she relies on a cane and a walker, and her daily regimen includes pain pills for arthritis, two inhalers for asthma, high-blood-pressure meds, a statin, vitamins, digestion aids, and an anti-anxiety drug that she calls "my nerve pill." Her vision also comes courtesy of medical science. Three years ago Mme was diagnosed with a form of age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, a disease of the back of the retina that is the leading cause of vision loss in the developed world. The ophthalmologist gave her a choice: a needle into her eyeballs every six weeks, or blindness. Mme opted for the injections and now receives shots of an off-label cancer drug called Avastin, which has demonstrated efficacy in halting the progress of her type of AMD. Holding the ailment at bay is all she can hope for. "I'll have to go for as long as I live," she says. "It's just a treatment -- it's not a cure."

Treatments, not cures. This, in a nutshell, is the MO of our health care system, and it's precisely the reason that regenerative medicine -- and stem cell therapy in particular -- has been the subject of so much hope and hype over the past decade or so. Stem cell therapies promise to empower a body to fight ailments by enabling it to build new parts. Think about growing new neurons or heart tissue. Think about the difference between perpetually slathering that old Jag with Bondo and having it heal itself overnight in the garage.

MORE:Stem cell dollars: California leads the way

While stem cells have ignited plenty of religious outrage and political grandstanding, behind the headlines the underlying science has been advancing the way science often does -- by turns slowly and dramatically. To be clear, the earliest stem cell therapies are almost certainly years from distribution. But so much progress has been made at venerable research institutions that it now seems possible to honestly discuss the possibility of a new medical paradigm emerging within a generation. Working primarily with rodents in preclinical trials, MDs and Ph.D.s are making the paralyzed walk and the impotent virile. A stem cell therapy for two types of macular degeneration recently restored the vision of two women. Once they were blind. Now they see! Some experts assert that AMD could be eradicated within a decade. Other scientists are heralding a drug-free fix for HIV/AIDS. Various forms of cancer, Parkinson's, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and ALS have already been eradicated in mice. If such work translates to humans, it will represent the type of platform advancement that comes along in medicine only once in a lifetime or two. The effect on the economy would be substantial. Champions of stem cell research say it would be on the order of the Internet or even the transistor.

The obstacles along the road from lab rat to human patients are many, of course, but the biggest by far is money. With the dramatic events in the lab, you might think that a gold rush would be under way. That's far from true. Long time horizons, regulatory hurdles, huge R&D costs, public sentiment, and political headwinds have all scared financiers. Wall Street isn't interested in financing this particular dream. Most stem cell companies that have dared go public are trading down 90% or more from their IPOs. Sand Hill Road is AWOL. The National Venture Capital Association doesn't even have a category to track stem cell investments.

Big Pharma would seem to be the most obvious benefactor. The drug companies understand the complexities (and billion-dollar outlays) involved in bringing therapies to market. A few drug companies have kicked the tires on stem cells over the years, but waiting for them to undo the current model is akin to banking on Big Oil to rethink energy. They may do it, but it's unlikely to be by choice. Which leaves stem cell researchers begging for state and federal grants at a time scientific funding is under siege.

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The great stem cell dilemma

International Stem Cell Corp Granted Key Patent for Liver Disease Program

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CARLSBAD, CA--(Marketwire - Sep 25, 2012) - International Stem Cell Corporation ( OTCQB : ISCO ) (www.internationalstemcell.com) ("ISCO" or "the Company") a California-based biotechnology company, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted the Company a patent for a method of creating pure populations of definitive endoderm, precursor cells to liver and pancreas cells, from human pluripotent stem cells.This patent is a key element of ISCO's metabolic liver disease program and allows the Company to produce the necessary quantities of precursor cells in a more efficient and cost effective manner.

The patent, 8,268,621, adds to the Company's growing portfolio of proprietary technologies relating to the development of potential treatments for incurable diseases using human parthenogenetic Stem Cells (hpSC).Human parthenogenetic stem cells are unique pluripotent stem cells that offer the possibility to reduce the cost of health care while avoiding the ethical issues that surround the use of fertilized human embryos.Aside from the Company's current liver disease program, this new patented method can be used as a route to create pancreatic and endocrine cells that could be used in future studies of diabetes and other metabolic disorders.

ISCO currently has the largest collection of hpSC including cell lines which immune match the donor, as is the case with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), and cell lines which immune-match millions of individuals and potentially reduce tissue rejection issues.The Company is focusing its therapeutic development efforts on three clinical applications where cell and tissue therapy is already proven but where there currently is an insufficient supply of safe and efficacious cells: Parkinson's disease, inherited/metabolic liver diseases and corneal blindness.

About International Stem Cell Corporation

International Stem Cell Corporation is focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products.ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs) hence avoiding ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos.ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenetic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells for hundreds of millions of individuals of differing genders, ages and racial background with minimal immune rejection after transplantation. hpSCs offer the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology (www.lifelinecelltech.com), and stem cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care (www.lifelineskincare.com). More information is available at http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

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Safe harbor statement

Statements pertaining to anticipated developments, the potential use of technologies to develop therapeutic products and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects" or "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 and the management of collaborations, 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 forward-looking statements.

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International Stem Cell Corp Granted Key Patent for Liver Disease Program

Cancer, induced pluripotent stem cell similarities

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SACRAMENTO UC Davis investigators have found new evidence that a promising type of stem cell now being considered for a variety of disease therapies is very similar to the type of cells that give rise to cancer. The findings suggest that although the cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) show substantial promise as a source of replacement cells and tissues to treat injuries, disease and chronic conditions, scientists and physicians must move cautiously with any clinical use because iPSCs could also cause malignant cancer.

The article, "Induced pluripotency and oncogenic transformation are related processes," is now online in the journal Stem Cells and Development.

"This is the first study that describes the specific molecular pathways that iPSCs and cancer cells share from a direct comparison" said Paul Knoepfler, associate professor of cell biology and human anatomy, and principal investigator of the study. "It means that much more study is required before iPSCs can be used clinically. However, our study adds to a growing knowledge base that not only will help make stem cell therapies safer, but also provide us with new understandings about the cancer-causing process and more effective ways to fight the disease."

Since 2007, cell biologists have been able to induce specialized, differentiated cells (such as those obtained from the skin or muscle of a human adult) to become iPSCs. Like embryonic stem cells, iPSCs are a type of stem cell that is able to become any cell type. This "pluripotent" capability means that iPSCs have the potential of being used in treatments for a variety of human diseases, a fundamentally new type of clinical care known as regenerative medicine.

iPSCs are considered particularly important because their production avoids the controversy that surrounds embryonic stem (ES) cells. In addition, iPSCs can be taken from a patient's own skin and induced to produce other needed tissues, thereby evading the possibility of immunologic rejection that arises when transplanting cells from a donor to a recipient. In contrast to therapies based on ES cells, iPSCs would eliminate the need for patients to take immunosuppressive drugs.

Earlier research indicated that both ES cells and iPSCs pose some health risks. Increasing evidence suggests that pluripotency may be related to rapid cellular growth, a characteristic of cancer. iPSCs, as well as embryonic stem cells, are well known by scientists to have the propensity to cause teratomas, an unusual type of benign tumor that consists of many different cell types. The new UC Davis study demonstrates for the first time that iPSCs as well as ES cells share significant similarities to malignant cancer cells.

The investigators compared iPSCs to a form of malignant cancer known as oncogenic foci that are also produced in laboratories; these cell types are used by medical researchers to create models of cancer, particularly sarcoma. Specifically, the scientists contrasted the different cells' transcriptomes, comprised of the RNA molecules or "transcripts." Unlike DNA analysis, which reflects a cell's entire genetic code whether or not the genes are active, transcriptomes reflect only the genes that are actively expressed at a given time and therefore provide a picture of actual cellular activity.

From this transcriptome analysis, the investigators found that the iPSCs and malignant sarcoma cancer cells are unexpectedly similar in several respects. Genes that were not expressed in iPSCs were also not expressed in the cancer-generating cells, including many that have properties that guide a cell to normally differentiate in certain directions. Both cell types also exhibited evidence of similar metabolic activities, another indication that they are related cell types.

"We were surprised how similar iPSCS were to cancer-generating cells," said Knoepfler. "Our findings indicate that the search for therapeutic applications of iPSCs must proceed with considerable caution if we are to do our best to promote patient safety."

Knoepfler noted, for example, that future experimental therapies using iPSCs for human transplants would most often not involve implanting iPSCs directly into a patient. Instead, iPSCs would be used to create differentiated cells or tissues in the laboratory, which could then be transplanted into a patient. This approach avoids implanting the actual undifferentiated iPSCS, and reduces the risk of tumor development as a side effect. However, Knoepfler noted that even trace amounts of residual iPSCs could cause cancer in patients, a possibility supported by his team's latest research.

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Cancer, induced pluripotent stem cell similarities

RBCC: Stem Cell Market Poised for Billion-Dollar Growth

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NOKOMIS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

As Rainbow BioSciences, the biotech subsidiary of Rainbow Coral Corp. (RBCC), works to acquire licensing for commercial use of NASA-developed stem cell expansion technology, the company received good news from a Wall Street analysts forecast on Wednesday.

Writing for Seeking Alpha, George Kesarios predicted major growth for the global stem cell market in coming years. Its estimated that the market will be worth about $64 billion by 2015, up from $21.5 billion in 2010.

Kesarios attributed the growth largely to a potential revolution in drug companies research and development made possible by an abundance of induced pluripotent stem cells.

With these stem cells, scientists can actually create working facsimiles of living human tissue, introduce diseases and observe how they unfold under a microscope, said RBCC CEO Patrick Brown. Spending a decade on research only to discover in trials that a drug doesnt work could become a thing of the past. Stem cells hold the key to the future of profitable, effective drug development.

Thats why RBCC has engaged Regenetech in discussions regarding the potential acquisition of a license to perform cell expansion using that companys Rotary Cell Culture SystemTM.

The Rotary Cell Culture SystemTM is a rotating-wall bioreactor designed to facilitate the growth of human cells in simulated weightlessness. Cell cultures, including stem cells, grown inside the bioreactor look and function much closer to human cells grown within the body than the flat cell cultures grown in Petri dishes.

The potential for stem cells expansion using this unique culturing system originally devised for the space program is incredible, Brown said. Every cell researcher in the world is going to want access to this technology.

RBCC plans to offer new technology to compete in the stem-cell research industry alongside Amgen, Inc. (AMGN), Celgene Corporation (CELG), Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ:GENZ) and Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD).

For more information on Rainbow BioSciences, please visit http://www.rainbowbiosciences.com/investors.html.

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RBCC: Stem Cell Market Poised for Billion-Dollar Growth