14 June 2012 Last updated at 07:25 ET By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent

The first patients to take part in a clinical trial of a stem cell treatment for stroke have seen reductions in their disability, according to doctors.

Six patients in the west of Scotland had human stem cells inserted close to the damaged part of their brain.

After receiving the treatment, they saw improvements in the limb weakness they suffered as a result of their stroke.

Howeve, doctors have cautioned against reading too much into the early results of the clinical trial.

It is the world's first trial of a neural stem cell therapy for stroke.

Stroke is the third largest cause of death and the single largest cause of adult disability in the developed world.

The trial is being conducted at the Institute of Neurological Sciences at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, and is being led by Glasgow University neurologist Professor Keith Muir.

He said: "So far we've seen no evidence of any harmful effects. We're dealing with a group of people a long time after a stroke with significant disability and we don't really expect these patients to show any change over time.

"So it's interesting to see that in all the patients so far they have improved slightly over the course of their involvement in the study."

Read the original here:

Stem cells 'help' stroke patients

14 June 2012 Last updated at 10:45 ET By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News

Doctors in Scotland have said five stroke patients involved in an experimental stem cell treatment have shown signs of slight improvement.

They have stressed that it is too soon to tell whether the improvement is due to the therapy.

The medical team has talked about the first results of the treatment at a conference in Japan.

The procedure is controversial as brain cells from a foetus were originally used to create the stem cells.

A team, from Glasgow's Southern General Hospital, has been injecting the stem cells into the brains of stroke patients.

The trial began in November 2010. The participants are all men over the age of 60 who have been severely disabled by a stroke and have shown no sign of improvement for at least a year.

We hope to tease out over the next 18 months whether the improvement is due to the treatment

The doctors hope that the treatment will repair their damaged brain tissue and restore some of their movement and ability to speak.

The trail is at an early stage, and doctors are primarily looking to see that the treatment is safe. But they have found that five of the six patients treated so far have shown some slight signs of improvement.

More:

Stem cell stroke trial promising

COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (OSIR), announced today it has received consent from New Zealand to market its first-in-class stem cell therapy Prochymal (remestemcel-L), for the treatment of acute graft-vs-host disease (GvHD) in children. With this decision New Zealand joins Canada, which last month became the worlds first internationally recognized regulatory authority to grant approval to a stem cell drug. Prochymal is also the first therapy approved for GvHD - a devastating complication of bone marrow transplantation that kills up to 80 percent of children affected, many within just weeks of diagnosis.

"With each of our approvals it becomes clearer that the time for life-saving stem cell therapies in the practice of medicine has arrived, and we are humbled to have a leading role, said C. Randal Mills, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Osiris. I would like to thank the professionals at Medsafe for their thoughtful and expeditious review of this complex application. I would also like to thank the team at Osiris that continues to do an outstanding job of making Prochymal available to children around the world suffering from the devastating effects of GvHD."

Osiris submitted a New Medicine Application (NMA) to Medsafe(New Zealand's medical regulatory agency) in May of 2011, and was granted Priority Review in June of 2011. Priority review provides expedited review for new drugs which offer a significant clinical advantage over current treatment options. Prochymal was granted provisional consent under Section 23 of the Medicines Act 1981.

"The incidence of GvHD is likely to rise as the demographic profile of our transplant population evolves," said Hans Klingemann, M.D., Ph.D., a Professor of Medicine and the Director of the Bone Marrow & Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Program at Tufts University School of Medicine. "Effective strategies to manage the often lethal consequences of GvHD reduce the overall risk to transplantation and provide the transplant physician with better options when approaching their most difficult cases.

Clinical trials have shown that Prochymal is able to induce an objective, clinically meaningful response in 61-64 percent of children with GvHD that is otherwise refractory to treatment. Furthermore, treatment response with Prochymal resulted in a statistically significant improvement in survival.

As a mother who watched my son Christian suffer and die from the horrifying effects of GvHD, while waiting for the regulatory approvals necessary to allow him access to Prochymal, words cannot express how happy I am that significant progress is finally being made, said Sandy Barker, President and Co-founder of the Gold Rush Cure Foundation. We are proud to stand side-by-side with Osiris in this historic battle for our children around the world. Our motto is 'not one more child, not one more family' and when it comes to GvHD mortality, zero is the only acceptable number.

Prochymal is now approved in Canada and New Zealand, and is currently available in seven other countries including the United States under an Expanded Access Program (EAP). It is expected that Prochymal will be commercially available in New Zealand later this year.

About GvHD

GvHD represents a major unmet medical need with no approved treatment until Prochymal. GvHD is the leading cause of transplant related mortality, in which immune cells contained within the transplanted marrow recognize the recipient as foreign and mount an immunologic attack. Severe GvHD can cause blistering of the skin, intestinal hemorrhage and liver failure. Severe GvHD is extremely painful and fatal in up to 80 percent of cases. Currently, steroids are used as first-line therapy with a success rate of only 30-50 percent. When steroids fail, treatment options are limited to immunosuppressive agents used off-label with little benefit and significant toxicities.

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Osiris Receives Second Approval for Life-Saving Stem Cell Drug; Prochymal Granted Marketing Consent by New Zealand

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) http://www.internationalstemcell.com announced that scientists in its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lifeline Cell Technology (LCT), have developed a technology to modify human stem cells by using engineered proteins, called "transducible transcription factors" or "TTFs." TTFs are designed to pass into stem cells and direct the stem cells to change into specific cell types that can be both therapeutically-useful and can be used as revenue-generating research products.

In contrast to more traditional cell therapy methods this technology does not require the use of viruses or chemicals, and has the potential to produce safe therapeutic cells from stem cells. In addition, the TTF proteins are naturally eliminated by the cells when no longer required, a characteristic that further improves safety. The Company intends that this technology, once perfected, will first be used to create revenue-generating research products for sale through Lifeline Cell Technologys international distribution channels to the academic, biotechnology and pharmaceutical markets for cellular proteins, including the quickly growing markets for the study of stem cell biology and drug testing.

According to Jeffrey Janus, Lifeline Cell Technologys CEO, These proteins can be sold into the market for cellular proteins which exceeds $700 million and represents an excellent opportunity for LCT to grow sales. Since the technology also has broad application in research and therapy, it should provide ISCO with future out-licensing opportunities to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

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). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells 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 or follow us on Twitter @intlstemcell.

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

Forward-looking Statements

Statements pertaining to anticipated developments, the potential benefits of research programs and 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," "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, 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.

Originally posted here:

International Stem Cell Corporation Scientists Create New Protein-Based Stem Cell Technology

ReNeuron Group (Berlin: RQE.BE - news) plc

(the "Company")

Interim data from clinical trial of ReNeuron's stem cell therapy for stroke to be presented at leading scientific conference

Data show no safety concerns and evidence of sustained reductions in neurological impairment and spasticity

Guildford, UK, 14 June 2012: ReNeuron Group plc (the "Company") (LSE: RENE.L) is pleased to announce the presentation of interim data from the PISCES (Pilot Investigation of Stem Cells in Stroke) clinical trial of its ReN001 stem cell therapy for disabled stroke patients. In this open label, dose-ranging Phase I safety study, ReNeuron's ReN001 stem cell therapy is being administered in ascending doses to a total of 12 stroke patients who have been left disabled by an ischaemic stroke, the most common form of the condition.

The primary aim of the study is to test the safety and tolerability of the treatment in ascending doses of the ReN001 cells, in patients with moderate to severe functional neurological impairments resulting from their stroke. The secondary aim of the study is to evaluate efficacy measures for the design of future clinical trials with ReN001, including imaging measures as well as a number of tests of sensory, motor and cognitive functions.

To date, six patients have been treated in the PISCES stroke study, representing the first two of four dose cohorts. The interim data being presented are from the first five patients treated, at 2 x 12 month, 1 x six month and 2 x three month follow-up points.

No cell-related adverse events or adverse immune-related responses were reported in any of the patients treated to date. A number of the patients experienced minor procedure-related adverse events such as asymptomatic bleeds or superficial scalp infections at the implantation wound site.

Reductions in neurological impairment and spasticity were observed in all five patients compared with their stable pre-treatment baseline performance and these improvements were sustained in longer term follow-up.

Neurological deficits were measured using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), a higher score representing a worse deficit. Patients are required to have a NIHSS score of at least 6 to participate in the study. The pre-treatment median score for the first five patients was 8 (range 6 to 10) and the three month post-treatment median score was 4 (range 3 to 9).

Go here to read the rest:
ReNeuron Group plc - PISCES Trial Interim Data

14 June 2012 Last updated at 07:25 ET By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent

The first patients to take part in a clinical trial of a stem cell treatment for stroke have seen reductions in their disability, according to doctors.

Six patients in the west of Scotland had human stem cells inserted close to the damaged part of their brain.

After receiving the treatment, they saw improvements in the limb weakness they suffered as a result of their stroke.

Howeve, doctors have cautioned against reading too much into the early results of the clinical trial.

It is the world's first trial of a neural stem cell therapy for stroke.

Stroke is the third largest cause of death and the single largest cause of adult disability in the developed world.

The trial is being conducted at the Institute of Neurological Sciences at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, and is being led by Glasgow University neurologist Professor Keith Muir.

He said: "So far we've seen no evidence of any harmful effects. We're dealing with a group of people a long time after a stroke with significant disability and we don't really expect these patients to show any change over time.

"So it's interesting to see that in all the patients so far they have improved slightly over the course of their involvement in the study."

Original post:
Stem cells 'help' stroke patients

Ethical, Clinical and Commercial Issues to be Navigated before Full Potential of Stem Cell Therapies can be Unleashed

LONDON, June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Stem cells offer exciting potential in regenerative medicine, and are likely to be widely used by mid-2017. Pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies are showing increased interest in stem cell research.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.pharma.frost.com), Analysis of the Stem Cell Markets-Unlocking the New Era in Therapeutics, finds that the market will be driven by stem cell applications in drug discovery platforms and by successful academia commercial company partnership models.

"The high attrition rates of potential drug candidates has piqued the interest of pharmaceutical and biotech industries in stem cell use during the drug discovery phase," notes Frost & Sullivan Consulting Analyst Vinod Jyothikumar. "Previously, animal cell lines, tumours, or genetic transformation have been the traditional platform for testing drug candidates; however, these 'abnormal' cells have significantly contributed to a lack of translation into clinical studies."

Many academic institutes and research centres are collaborating with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in stem cell research. This will provide impetus to the emergence of novel cell-based therapies.

Key challenges to market development relate to reimbursement, ethics and the complexity of clinical trials.

Securing reimbursement for stem cell therapeutic products is expected to be critical for commercial success. However, stem cell therapies are likely to be expensive. Insurers, therefore, may be unwilling to pay for the treatment. At the same time, patients are unlikely to be able to afford these treatments.

"The use of embryonic stem cells raises a host of thorny ethical, legal, and social issues," adds Jyothikumar. "As a result, market prices for various products may be affected."

Moreover, many research institutes are adopting policies promoting the ethical use of human embryonic tissues. Such policies are hindering the overall research process for several companies working in collaboration with these institutes.

"In addition to apprehensions about how many products will actually make it through human-based clinical trials, companies are also worried about which financial model can be applied to stem cell therapies," cautions Jyothikumar. "Possibly low return on investment (ROI) is also resulting in pharmaceutical companies adopting a cautious approach to stem cell therapeutics."

See the article here:
New Applications in Drug Discovery Platforms to Fuel Advance of Stem Cells, Says Frost & Sullivan

MANILA, Philippines -- "The Buzz" host Boy Abunda is going to Europe this weekend with his mother, who is suffering from dementia and Alzeimers disease.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News on Tuesday afternoon, Abunda said he will bring his mother to Germany to try stem cell therapy.

"Ako ay pupunta sa Europe hindi para magbakasyon. Dadalhin ko po ang aking ina para magpagamot sa Germany. Ito po 'yung fresh stem cell therapy. Maganda 'yung dini-diretso na dahil napag-uusapan ito," Abunda said.

While Abunda is in Germany, Kris Aquino will take his place on ABS-CBN's entertainment talk show "The Buzz."

In the interview, Abunda also said he's proud of Aquino, who's now open to doing extreme adventures, while continuing to be a good mother to her two sons.

"Ang daming nagbago kay Kris. May mga bagay na hindi ko inakala na gagawin ni Kris like 'yung diving, zipline at marami pang iba. Natutuwa ako that she has become more open to many things. She has become more adventurous. She has retained being the doting mother that she is pero mas malalim ang halakhak niya ngayon sa buhay. She's just so joyful. Natutuwa ako habang pinapanood ko ang kanyang adventure sa 'KrisTV,'" Abunda said.

Abunda said he's also hoping to do a new project with Aquino.

"I'm hoping na someday ay muli kaming magtagpo sa isang palabas dahil marami ang humihiling na kami ay magsama sa isang palabas. Sigurado ako sa puso ko na kami ay gagawa at gagawa dahil magkadugtong ang aming pusod," he said.

Excerpt from:

Abunda to try stem cell therapy for mom

Ethical, Clinical and Commercial Issues to be Navigated before Full Potential of Stem Cell Therapies can be Unleashed

LONDON, June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Stem cells offer exciting potential in regenerative medicine, and are likely to be widely used by mid-2017. Pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies are showing increased interest in stem cell research.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.pharma.frost.com), Analysis of the Stem Cell Markets-Unlocking the New Era in Therapeutics, finds that the market will be driven by stem cell applications in drug discovery platforms and by successful academia commercial company partnership models.

"The high attrition rates of potential drug candidates has piqued the interest of pharmaceutical and biotech industries in stem cell use during the drug discovery phase," notes Frost & Sullivan Consulting Analyst Vinod Jyothikumar. "Previously, animal cell lines, tumours, or genetic transformation have been the traditional platform for testing drug candidates; however, these 'abnormal' cells have significantly contributed to a lack of translation into clinical studies."

Many academic institutes and research centres are collaborating with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in stem cell research. This will provide impetus to the emergence of novel cell-based therapies.

Key challenges to market development relate to reimbursement, ethics and the complexity of clinical trials.

Securing reimbursement for stem cell therapeutic products is expected to be critical for commercial success. However, stem cell therapies are likely to be expensive. Insurers, therefore, may be unwilling to pay for the treatment. At the same time, patients are unlikely to be able to afford these treatments.

"The use of embryonic stem cells raises a host of thorny ethical, legal, and social issues," adds Jyothikumar. "As a result, market prices for various products may be affected."

Moreover, many research institutes are adopting policies promoting the ethical use of human embryonic tissues. Such policies are hindering the overall research process for several companies working in collaboration with these institutes.

"In addition to apprehensions about how many products will actually make it through human-based clinical trials, companies are also worried about which financial model can be applied to stem cell therapies," cautions Jyothikumar. "Possibly low return on investment (ROI) is also resulting in pharmaceutical companies adopting a cautious approach to stem cell therapeutics."

Excerpt from:

New Applications in Drug Discovery Platforms to Fuel Advance of Stem Cells, Says Frost & Sullivan

This is a human ES cell-derived optic cup generated in our self-organization culture (culture day 26). Bright green, neural retina; off green, pigment epithelium; blue, nuclei; red, active myosin (strong in the inner surface of pigment epithelium). Credit: Nakano et al. Cell Stem Cell Volume 10 Issue 6

Human-derived stem cells can spontaneously form the tissue that develops into the part of the eye that allows us to see, according to a study published by Cell Press in the 5th anniversary issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell. Transplantation of this 3D tissue in the future could help patients with visual impairments see clearly.

"This is an important milestone for a new generation of regenerative medicine," says senior study author Yoshiki Sasai of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology. "Our approach opens a new avenue to the use of human stem cell-derived complex tissues for therapy, as well as for other medical studies related to pathogenesis and drug discovery."

During development, light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye, called the retina, forms from a structure known as the optic cup. In the new study, this structure spontaneously emerged from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs)cells derived from human embryos that are capable of developing into a variety of tissuesthanks to the cell culture methods optimized by Sasai and his team.

The hESC-derived cells formed the correct 3D shape and the two layers of the optic cup, including a layer containing a large number of light-responsive cells called photoreceptors. Because retinal degeneration primarily results from damage to these cells, the hESC-derived tissue could be ideal transplantation material.

Beyond the clinical implications, the study will likely accelerate the acquisition of knowledge in the field of developmental biology. For instance, the hESC-derived optic cup is much larger than the optic cup that Sasai and collaborators previously derived from mouse embryonic stem cells, suggesting that these cells contain innate species-specific instructions for building this eye structure. "This study opens the door to understanding human-specific aspects of eye development that researchers were not able to investigate before," Sasai says.

The anniversary issue containing Sasai's study will be given to each delegate attending the 2012 ISSCR meeting in Yokohama, Japan. To highlight the ISSCR meeting and showcase the strong advances made by Japanese scientists in the stem cell field, the issue will also feature two other papers from Japanese authors, including the research groups of Akira Onishi and Jun Yamashita. In addition, the issue contains a series of reviews and perspectives from worldwide leaders in stem cell research.

More information: Nakano et al.: "Self-Formation of Optic Cups and Storable Stratified Neural Retina from Human ESCs." DOI 10.1016/j.stem.2012.05.009

Journal reference: Cell Stem Cell

Provided by Cell Press

Read more here:

Scientists see new hope for restoring vision with stem cell help

CARLSBAD, Calif., June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) today announced a partnership with Cellular Dynamics International (CDI), the world's largest producer of human cells derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, to commercialize a set of three new products optimized to consistently develop and grow human iPS cells for both research and bioproduction.

The partnership marries CDI's leadership in human iPS cell development with Life Technologies' expertise in stem cell research tool manufacturing and global distribution network to make these novel technologies accessible to researchers around the world. Life Technologies' commercialization of Essential 8 Medium, Vitronectin (VTN-N), and Episomal iPSC Reprogramming Vectors addresses several challenges associated with developing relevant cells for use in a wide range of studies, from basic and translational research to drug discovery efforts. The effectiveness of these products is the focus of recent validation studies published in the journals Nature Methods and PLoS One.

"The launch of these new stem cell culture products furthers CDI founder and stem cell pioneer Jamie Thomson's vision to enable scientists worldwide to easily access the power of iPSC technology, thus driving breakthroughs in human health," noted Bob Palay, CDI Chief Executive Officer.

To eliminate the variability introduced by a mouse cell feeder layer previously used during the culture of human iPS cells, researchers have adopted "feeder-free" media. However, existing feeder-free culture media contain more than 20 interactive ingredients, many of which, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lipids, are highly uncharacterized and vary significantly from lot-to-lot.This leads to variability in iPS cell growth and differentiation and impedes the progress of disease studies and potential clinical applications.

Essential 8 Medium, manufactured in a Life Technologies current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) facility, overcomes this barrier. In addition, BSA and other undesirable components have been removed from the media, thus reducing the number of ingredients to just eight well-characterized elements required to support efficient growth, eliminate variability, and enable large-scale production of human iPS cells.

"Essential 8 has far fewer variables, it's more straight-forward and a lot more reproducible," said Emile Nuwaysir, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Cellular Dynamics International. "If the goal is to make a billion cardiomyocytes a day, every day, you want to make sure they're all the same. That's virtually impossible using mouse embryonic fibroblasts and it's very difficult using the more complex, feeder-free media that were available before Essential 8."

Optimized for use with Essential 8 Medium, Vitronectin (VTN-N) is a defined, human protein-based substrate that further eliminates variability during iPS cell culture unlike most existing feeder-free media that requires the use of an undefined matrix derived from mouse tumor cells for cell attachment and growth. The combination of Essential 8 Medium and Vitronectin (VTN-N) provides a defined, culture system free of non-human components for robust, cost-effective and scalable iPS cell culture.

Life Technologies is also introducing the Episomal iPSC Reprogramming Vectors, which leverages non-viral, non-integrating technology to deliver six genes to initiate the reprogramming of human somatic cells, such as blood and skin cells, to iPS cells. A non-viral approach offers a key advantage: human-derived iPS cells have more relevance for patient-specific, disease research. Traditional viral-based methods, such as lentivirus or retrovirus, require integration into the host genome for replication and can disrupt the genome of the reprogrammed cells.

"The ability to reproducibly establish andculture iPS cells using defined reagent systems is key for the advancement of stem cell research, disease modeling and drug discovery," said Chris Armstrong Ph.D, General Manager and Vice President of Primary and Stem Cell Systems at Life Technologies. "The commercialization of these exciting new products serves that purpose and underscores our commitment to provide the most innovative and relevant workflow tools to our customers."

All three products were developed at the University of Wisconsin by Dr. James Thomson, whose lab pioneered embryonic stem cell research and much of the technology surrounding stem cell culturing conditions, in vitro differentiation and iPS cell generation.

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Life Technologies and Cellular Dynamics International Partner for Global Commercialization of Novel Stem Cell ...

Public release date: 12-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jia Liu liujia@genomics.cn BGI Shenzhen

Chalfont St. Giles, UK, and Shenzhen, China 12 June, 2012 GE Healthcare, the healthcare business of GE (NYSE: GE), and BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, jointly announced today a pioneering multi-year research collaboration in stem cell science. The objective of the collaboration is to help advance the potential global utility of stem cell-derived assays for use in drug discovery and toxicity testing by exploring the underlying genetic variation between ethnically diverse human stem cell lines. The collaboration was announced at a signing ceremony attended by Dr Amr Abid, General Manager Cell Technologies, GE Healthcare Life Sciences and Lin Fang, Vice President of BGI, Ye Yin, Deputy President of BGI, and Yutao Du, Deputy President of BGI.

The collaborating parties are initially undertaking two ground-breaking projects. Firstly, BGI is performing genome sequencing and epigenetic analysis on cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes supplied by GE Healthcare Life Sciences. The aim is to map out the genetic variation across an ethnically diverse range of stem cell lines and to examine the changes that occur during differentiation into specific cell types in order to increase the understanding of cell models used in drug development research. Secondly, GE Healthcare is providing BGI with an IN Cell Analyzer 2000 system, a research tool for high content cellular imaging analysis. Training on the IN Cell Analyzer will be provided to BGI, enabling it to investigate gene function for a library of previously sequenced cell types by overexpressing or blocking the activity of single genes and observing the effect in selected populations of cells.

Dr Amr Abid, General Manager Cell Technologies, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, said, "As the pharmaceutical industry seeks to reduce the cost of drug development and to bring more effective, safer drugs to market, the availability of more biologically relevant and predictive cell models is becoming increasingly important. Our long term vision is to help this process by developing a broad range of Cytiva stem-cell derived assays, to include cell types from a wide diversity of ethnic backgrounds. This is a big challenge and we are delighted to be working with such a prestigious institute as the BGI, with its significant resources and world-class capabilities in genomics and epigenomics. By working together, we will advance our understanding of different stem cell lines, which in turn may in the future help in the global drive to develop new, safer and more effective medicines."

Yutao Du, Deputy President of BGI, said, "The importance of high-throughput sequencing has been increasing rapidly in the areas of healthcare, agriculture, environment, and others. Genetic variation analysis of functional cells derived from embryonic stem cells may provide a promising cell model resource for drug development and cell therapy. We are grateful for this opportunity to join hands with an outstanding healthcare organization to push the boundaries of understanding in the field of stem cells. "

###

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems. Our "healthymagination" vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at http://www.gehealthcare.com.

About BGI

Read more here:

BGI, GE Healthcare team up on pioneering stem cell science projects

A few years ago, concerns over these heart trials were voiced by a Norwegian professor, Harald Arnesen. He concluded in 2007 that they are not convincing and that one German team had achieved striking results only because the control group in its trial had done particularly badly. Prof Arnesen called for a moratorium on this kind of stem-cell therapy.

That still did not deter the clinicians. This January, another trial funded by the EU was announced the largest of all, with 3,000 heart-attack patients recruited from across Europe.

The idea behind the trials is straightforward. During a heart attack, a clogged blood vessel starves heart muscle of oxygen. Up to a billion heart muscle cells, called cardiomyocytes, can be damaged, and the body responds by replacing them with relatively inflexible scar tissue, which can lead to fatal heart failure. So why not implant stem cells that can grow into cardiomyocytes?

Stem cells, of course, come in many kinds: the embryonic variety have the potential to turn into all 200 cell types in the body. Adult stem cells, harvested from the patient, have a more limited repertoire: bone marrow stem cells generate blood cells, for example. So to claim, as was done in 2001, these bone marrow stem cells could turn into heart muscle was both surprising and exciting.

Analysis shows that, at best, the amount of blood pumped during a contraction of one heart chamber rose by 5 per cent after treatment. In a patient where heart efficiency has fallen to 30 per cent of normal, that could be significant but it is relatively meagre, none the less. And it turns out that this level of improvement results whatever the cells injected into the damaged muscle even if they have no prospect of forming cardiomyoctes.

Even the believers in the technique now agree that implanted cells exert a paracrine action, triggering a helpful inflammatory response or secreting chemicals that boost blood vessel formation. But were still waiting for convincing evidence that a patients lost heart muscle cells can be replaced.

Embryonic stem cells offer one route to that goal, though it is difficult to turn them into the right cell type reliably, and there are other risks, such as uncontrolled growths. Another option has come from work by Prof Richard Lee at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, who has found that some adult stem cells can recruit other stem cells already in the heart to become cardiomyocytes.

Meanwhile, other fields of medicine that have seen more systematic research on stem cells are making real progress in using them for example, to treat Parkinsons, diabetes and macular degeneration. The lesson here is that, ultimately, it takes careful experiments, not belief, to make that huge leap from the laboratory to the hospital.

Roger Highfield is director of external affairs at the Science Museum Group

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Heart disease and stem-cell treatments: caught in a clinical stampede

The second phase of trials for a new post-acute ischemic stroke treatment has been approved by the Data Safety Monitoring Board. This treatment utilizes platelet and adult stem cell technologies to help patients who suffer from ischemic stroke to recover. Dr. Rachna Mehra, a healthcare professional who specializes in adult stem cell treatment, believes this approach to be the future of the ...

Excerpt from:

Rachna Mehra Discusses Clinical Trials of Platelet Rich Plasma Adult Stem Cell Study

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/pqrlwc/analysis_of_the_st) has announced the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report "Analysis of the Stem Cell Markets-Unlocking the New Era in Therapeutics" to their offering.

This Frost & Sullivan research service titled Analysis of the Stem Cell Markets-Unlocking the New Era in Therapeutics focuses on prospects for the stem cell therapeutics market in Europe and provides valuable recommendations and conclusions for market participants. Market segmentation is based on regulatory framework in Europe relating to research on adult and embryonic stem cells. The main countries discussed are the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Finland, and the remaining parts of Europe.

Market Overview

New Applications in Drug Discovery Platforms to Drive Stem Cells Market

Stem cells offer exciting potential in regenerative medicine, and are likely to be widely used by mid-2017. Pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies are showing increased interest in stem cell research. The market will be driven by stem cell applications in drug discovery platforms and by successful academia -commercial company partnership models.

The high attrition rates of potential drug candidates has piqued the interest of pharmaceutical and biotech industries in stem cell use during the drug discovery phase, notes the analyst of this research. Previously, animal cell lines, tumours, or genetic transformation have been the traditional platform for testing drug candidates; however, these abnormal' cells have significantly contributed to a lack of translation into clinical studies. Many academic institutes and research centres are collaborating with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in stem cell research. This will provide impetus to the emergence of novel cell-based therapies.

Host of Challenges Need to be Confronted before Stem Cell Therapeutics can Realise its Potential

Key challenges to market development relate to reimbursement, ethics and the complexity of clinical trials. Securing reimbursement for stem cell therapeutic products is expected to be critical for commercial success. However, stem cell therapies are likely to be expensive. Insurers, therefore, may be unwilling to pay for the treatment. At the same time, patients are unlikely to be able to afford these treatments. The use of embryonic stem cells raises a host of thorny ethical, legal, and social issues, adds the analyst. As a result, market prices for various products may be affected. Moreover, many research institutes are adopting policies promoting the ethical use of human embryonic tissues. Such policies are hindering the overall research process for several companies working in collaboration with these institutes.

In addition to apprehensions about how many products will actually make it through human-based clinical trials, companies are also worried about which financial model can be applied to stem cell therapies, cautions the analyst. Possibly low return on investment (ROI) is also resulting in pharmaceutical companies adopting a cautious approach to stem cell therapeutics. To push through policy or regulatory reforms, the technology platform and geographical location of stem cell companies should complement the terms laid down in EMEA. The methodology for cell expansion and synchronisation must be optimised to acquire a large population of the desired cell at the right differentiation point, adds the analyst. More research is needed in human pluripotent and multi potent stem cell as it differs from mice to humans. Completion of clinical trials will be essential to ensure the safety and efficacy of the stem cell therapy.

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Research and Markets: Analysis of the Stem Cell Markets-Unlocking the New Era in Therapeutics

Public release date: 11-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Susan Martonik smartonik@snm.org 703-652-6773 Society of Nuclear Medicine

Miami Beach, Fla.Finding a way to restore hair growth after substantial hair loss is something of an obsession worldwide. Investigators at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 2012 Annual Meeting presented how stem cell research for the development of new hair follicles can be monitored with an optical imaging technique that uses bioluminescence, the same process that allows fireflies to light up.

There is a host of treatments available for hair loss, including creams and drugs, but these have not shown to be very effective for hair growth. Hair stem cells signal the actual regeneration of hair follicles and natural hair. A molecular imaging technique called bioluminescence is used to display processes at the cellular level. Bioluminescent signal is generated in specific chemical substances called substrates. These signals are easily recognized with very sensitive optical imaging systems that can see what is happening in the smallest placesin this case in hair stem cells.

"Hair regeneration using hair stem cells is a promising therapeutic option emerging for hair loss, and molecular imaging can speed up the development of this therapy," saysByeong-Cheol Ahn, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director of the department of nuclear medicine at Kyungpook National University School of Medicine and Hospital in Daegu, South Korea. "This study is the first study of hair follicle regeneration using an in vivo molecular imaging technique."

The current research involves grafting hair stem cells in animal models to investigate if they can grow and proliferate as normal cells do. The progress of hair stem cell therapy is non-invasivelytracked with bioluminescentreporter genes in specialized substrates. There are several bioluminescent reporter genes originating fromnot only fireflies, but also beetles, glowworms and other bioluminescent organisms. The strategy of using bioluminescent reporter genesis ideal for stem cell research, because bioluminescence works only in living cells.

In this study, researchers used bioluminescence imaging usingfirefly luciferase coupled with D-luciferin to monitor the engraftment of hair follicle stem cellscalled newborn fibroblastsin mice to track their viability and development into hair folliclesover time. Bioluminescence imaging was performed five times over the course of 21 days after transplantation of the stem cells.

Results of the study showed successful bioluminescence imaging forhair regeneration with hair stem cell transplantation, and new hair follicles were apparent on the surface of skin samples under microscope. More studies will have to be conducted before clinical trials could be initiated to verify whether this therapy would work for human hair regeneration.

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Scientific Paper 74: Jung Eun Kim, Byeong-Cheol Ahn, Ho Won Lee, Mi-hye Hwang, Sang-Woo Lee and Jaetae Lee, Nuclear Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea; Seng Hyun Shin and Young Kwan Sung, Immunology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea, "In vivo monitoring of survival and proliferation of hair stem cells in hair follicle regeneration animal model," SNM's 59th Annual Meeting, June 9, 2012, Miami Beach, Fla.

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Bioluminescence imaging lights up stem cell therapy for hair growth

In Early Study, Procedure Helps Teens Halt Insulin Injections

June 11, 2012 (Philadelphia) -- In an early study, an experimental stem cell procedure helped 15 teens with type 1 diabetes stay off of insulin injections for about 1.5 years, on average.

The study was very small, and the procedure is not ready for widespread use. "We now have a unique approach with some positive findings, but it's still early. We need to better understand the biology behind the treatment and follow patients for long-term side effects," Robert E. Ratner, MD, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association, tells WebMD.

This is the latest of several stem cell studies to show promising results for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, Ratner notes.

In the new study, 15 of 28 teens with type 1 diabetes who got an experimental treatment using their own stem cells went into remission and did not need insulin injections for an average of about 1.5 years.

The "cocktail treatment" combines stem cell therapy with drugs that suppress the body's immune system. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells within the pancreas.

The experimental treatment is called autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). It aims to kill the destructive immune system cells and replace them with immature stem cells not programmed to destroy insulin-producing cells.

First, patients are given drugs to stimulate production of blood stem cells. The blood stem cells are then removed from the body and frozen. Then, patients are hospitalized and given drugs to kill the destructive immune system cells. The harvested blood stem cells are then put back into the patient.

Eight teens who took part in the study have remained insulin-free for two years, on average. One patient has gone without insulin injections for 3.5 years.

"All our patients considered the [treatment] to be worthwhile and beneficial, though some patients experienced side effects," study head Weiqiong Gu, MD, of Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai, tells WebMD.

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Experimental Stem Cell Treatment Tested for Type 1 Diabetes

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Calcutta News.Net Sunday 10th June, 2012 (IANS)

Simran Kaur, 42, was suffering from cerebellar ataxias, a rare genetic disorder, which left her wheelchair bound, incontinent, with slurred speech and no chances of improvement. Her family then came to know about human embryonic stem cell therapy. A few weeks of treatment later her condition improved, giving a new ray of hope to the family.

Simran is among the few people from 43 countries who are undergoing human embryonic stem cell therapy in a Delhi-based hospital, Nutech Mediworld, which claimed to be the first facility in the world providing treatment for incurable diseases through this therapy.

In embryonic stem cell therapy, cells are taken from a discarded embryo during in-vitro fertilization (IVF), cultured and injected into the body of a person suffering from terminal disease.

Embryonic stem cells can divide and grow into any body part and cell following the normal division that is initially inherent in an embryo.

Over the last ten years, the technology developed by Geeta Shroff, the medical director of Nutech Mediworld, has been used to treat more than 1,000 patients, one-fourth of them from abroad, suffering from conditions labelled as incurable or terminal.

"I have been on a wheelchair for the last 10 years and with time, the condition was becoming worse. I was not able to talk, walk or do any routine work on my own. Doctors had told my family that for the rest of my life, I would be wheelchair bound," Simran told IANS.

While searching online for any possible cure, Simran's brother who lives in Canada came to know about the treatment offered by Shroff, and the family approached her two months ago. The results of two months of treatment have left the family with hope of Simran becoming self-dependent if not recovering fully.

"I was injected with human embryonic stem cells two months back and I can feel the change. I can talk much clearer and move my limbs a little bit," said Simran, who has been enrolled for 18 months of treatment at a cost of Rs.8 lakh.

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Embryo stem cell therapy brings hope to those with incurable diseases

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Stem cell therapy offers new treatment options for pets -- and humans

New stem cell therapy program using the in SRT injection is a state-of-the-art spinal and joint rejuvenation procedure that is minimally invasive, fast to implement, and highly successful.Orange, CA (PRWEB) June 07, 2012 Dr. Thaiyananthan, also known as “Dr. Ty,” has become the first American surgeon to use inSRT stem cell therapy to treat spine diseases and joint pain. Dr. Ty, founder of the ...

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Breakthrough inSRT Spinal Rejuvenation Therapy Offers Brand New Pain Treatment Options