Huntington’s Disease – Stem Cell Therapy Potential

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Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Huntingtons Disease Also Included In: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 19 Mar 2012 - 10:00 PDT

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However, according to a study published March 15 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, a special type of brain cell created from stem cells could help restore the muscle coordination deficits that are responsible for uncontrollable spasms, a characteristic of the disease. The researchers demonstrated that movement in mice with a Huntington's-like condition could be restored.

Su-Chun Zhang, a University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist and the senior author of the study, said:

In the study Zhang, who is an expert in creating various types of brain cells from human embryonic or induce pluripotent stem cells, and his team focused on GABA neurons. The degradation of GABA cells causes the breakdown of a vital neural circuit and loss of motor function in individuals suffering from Huntington's disease.

According to Zhang, GABA neurons generate a vital neurotransmitter, a chemical that helps support the communication network in the brain that coordinates movement.

Zhang and his team at the UW-Madison Waisman Center, discovered how to generate large quantities of GABA neurons from human embryonic stem cells. The team's goal was to determine whether these cells would safely integrate into the brain of a mouse model of Huntington's disease.

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Huntington's Disease - Stem Cell Therapy Potential

Devic’s Disease (NMO): Spotlight on Stem Cell Research – Michael Yeaman – Video

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15-04-2011 10:49 MIchael Yeaman, Ph.D. spoke at the "Spotlight on Devic's Disease (NMO)," an educational event presented at the CIRM Governing Board meeting on October 21, 2010. Yeaman is a professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles. Victoria Jackson, founder of the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation, introduced Yeaman. The CIRM-hosted event was presented at the University of California, Los Angeles

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Devic's Disease (NMO): Spotlight on Stem Cell Research - Michael Yeaman - Video

Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS): Progress and Promise in Stem Cell Research – Video

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29-10-2010 14:40 CIRM has funded the ALS Disease Team led by scientists at UC San Diego, The Salk Institute, and Life Technologies Corporation who aim to bring a human embryonic stem cell based ALS therapy to clinical trials within four years. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive motor neuron disorder. Most people with ALS die within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. For more information visit CIRM's ALS disease fact sheet (www.cirm.ca.gov/ALS_facts) and The ALS Association website (www.alsa.org)

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Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS): Progress and Promise in Stem Cell Research - Video

Leeza Gibbons: The California Stem Cell Agency’s Investment in Neurodegenerative Diseases – Video

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25-05-2011 10:37 (Part 2 of 7) Leeza Gibbons, member of the California Stem Cell Agency's Governing Board, gave the keynote presentation at "Synapses Firing: Connections Made", a patient advocacy event hosted by the California stem cell funding agency (CIRM). The 100+ people in attendance heard from patient advocates about living with neurodegenerative disease and from scientists about recent progress in stem cell research that may lead to new treatments. The event was held at UC-Irvine's Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center

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Leeza Gibbons: The California Stem Cell Agency's Investment in Neurodegenerative Diseases - Video

Bioheart to Present at BioFlorida’s Saturday Exchange

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SUNRISE, Fla., Feb. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bioheart (BHRT.OB), a leader in developing stem cell therapies to treat cardiovascular diseases, today announced that they have been chosen as a presenter in the BioFlorida Saturday Exchange conference later this month.

The Saturday Exchange is a reprise of the successful Biomed Exchange meeting, held for many years during the 1980-90's. Well over 100 life science professionals gathered in Miami on a Saturday morning each month to learn about various aspects of the community's growing life sciences cluster. The Exchange will take place at University of Miami's Life Science & Technology Park.

The Keynote Speaker is Bioheart's Chairman William P. Murphy Jr., MD. Dr. Murphy will share his career experiences and insights as a leading entrepreneur in the medical device industry, spanning the founding of Cordis Corporation to more recent ventures. In addition, Mike Tomas, Bioheart's president and CEO and Kristin Comella, Bioheart's CSO will present the use of stem cells in degenerative diseases

"The Saturday Exchange brings together many professionals to discuss the field of biotechnology," said Mike Tomas. "Bioheart is excited about the opportunity to represent the South Florida community and share our experiences in the field of regenerative medicine."

About Bioheart

Bioheart (BHRT.OB) is committed to developing stem cell therapies to treat congestive heart failure, lower limb ischemia, chronic heart ischemia, acute myocardial infarctions and other medical problems. The company focuses on the discovery and development of therapies that will improve patients' quality of life and reduce health care costs and hospitalizations. Bioheart's leading product, MyoCell, is a muscle-derived cell therapy designed to populate regions of scar tissue within a patient's heart to improve cardiac function.

For more information on Bioheart, visit http://www.bioheartinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "to," "plan," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would," "estimate," or "continue" or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

The Company is subject to the risks and uncertainties described in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2011.

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Bioheart to Present at BioFlorida's Saturday Exchange

Huntington’s Disease: Stem Cell Treatment Strategies at UC Davis – Video

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09-06-2011 12:23 (Part 3 or 5) Jan Nolta, Ph.D., spoke at the "Spotlight on Huntington's Disease," an educational event presented at the CIRM Governing Board meeting on March 11, 2010. Nolta is director of the Stem Cell Program and Institute for Regenerative Cures at the University of California, Davis. She was introduced by Claire Pomeroy, MD, MBA The CIRM-hosted event was presented in partnership with UC Davis at the California State Capitol Building. To view the other videos in this playlists, go to: http://www.youtube.com

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Huntington's Disease: Stem Cell Treatment Strategies at UC Davis - Video

Batten Disease: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research – A Father’s Story – Video

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12-06-2011 17:26 (Part 4 of 4) Tony Ferrandino spoke at the "Spotlight on Batten Disease," an educational event presented at the CIRM Governing Board Meeting on August 13, 2008. Ferrandino's son, Drew, was diagnosed with Batten disease in January 2007. Ferrandino spoke about his family's journey to identify Drew's condition and to seek out a treatment. Drew is enrolled in a stem cell trial being run by StemCells, Inc. To view the other videos in this playlist, go to: http://www.youtube.com

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Batten Disease: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research - A Father's Story - Video

Alzheimer’s Disease: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research – Leeza Gibbons – Video

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10-06-2011 22:33 (Part 1 of 4) Robert Klein, JD and Leeza Gibbons, gave the welcoming remarks for the "Spotlight on Alzheimer's Disease," an educational event presented at the CIRM Governing Board meeting on December 10, 2008. Klein is Chair of the CIRM Governing Board and President of Klein Financial Corporation. Gibbons is a patient advocate member of the CIRM Governing Board and is the founder of the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation. The CIRM-hosted event was presented in partnership with the University of California, Irvine at the UC Irvine Student Center.

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Alzheimer's Disease: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research - Leeza Gibbons - Video

Huntington’s Disease: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research 2007 – Han Keirstead – Video

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23-06-2011 17:20 (Part 3 of 4) Hans Keirstead, Ph.D., spoke at the "Spotlight on Huntington's Disease," an educational event presented at the CIRM Governing Board meeting on December 12, 2007. Keirstead described strategies for using human embryonic stem cells to better understand Huntington's disease. He also explained the importance of generating highly purified human stem cell lines in a FDA-compliant manner that is scalable for future clinical use. Keirstead is co-director of the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center and associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine.

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Huntington's Disease: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research 2007 - Han Keirstead - Video

Huntington’s Disease: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research 2007 – Frances Saldana – Video

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23-06-2011 16:50 (Part 4 of 4) Frances Saldana spoke at the "Spotlight on Huntington's Disease," an educational event presented at the CIRM Governing Board Meeting on December 12, 2007. Saldana spoke about the impact of Huntington's disease on her family. Saldana's daughter, a Huntington's disease patient, also spoke about the challenges of living with the disease. To view the other videos in this playlist, go to: http://www.youtube.com

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Huntington's Disease: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research 2007 - Frances Saldana - Video

Stem Cell Research: Huntington’s Disease – Video

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21-07-2011 14:02 Huntington's disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that typically strikes in a person's thirties and leads to death about 10 to 15 years later. No effective therapy exists for the disease. Jan Nolta, director of the UC Davis Stem Cell Program and Institute for Regenerative Cures, has a CIRM Early Translational Award to develop stem cell-based therapies for Huntington's disease. Series: "California Institute for Regenerative Medicine" [Show ID: 22470]

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Stem Cell Research: Huntington's Disease - Video

Experimental Neurology Journal: BrainStorm’s NurOwn™ Stem Cell Technology Shows Promise for Treating Huntington’s …

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NEW YORK & PETACH TIKVAH, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB: BCLI.OB - News), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced today that the prestigious Experimental Neurology Journal, published an article indicating that preclinical studies using cells that underwent treatment with Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ technology show promise in an animal model of Huntington’s disease. The article was published by leading scientists including Professor Melamed and Professor Offen of the Tel Aviv University.

In these studies, bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells secreting neurotrophic factors (MSC-NTF), from patients with Huntington’s disease, were transplanted into the animal model of this disease and showed therapeutic improvement.

“The findings from this study demonstrate that stem cells derived from patients with a neurodegenerative disease, which are processed using BrainStorm’s NurOwn™ technology, may alleviate neurotoxic signs, in a similar way to cells derived from healthy donors. This is an important development for the company, as it confirms that autologous transplantation may be beneficial for such additional therapeutic indications,” said Dr. Adrian Harel, BrainStorm’s CEO.

"These findings provide support once again that BrainStorm’s MSC-NTF secreting cells have the potential to become a platform that in the future will provide treatment for various neuro-degenerative diseases," says Chaim Lebovits, President of BrainStorm. "This study follows previously published pre-clinical studies that demonstrated improvement in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and neural damage such as optic nerve transection and sciatic nerve injury. Therefore, BrainStorm will consider focusing on a new indication in the near future, in addition to the ongoing Clinical Trials in ALS.”

BrainStrom is currently conducting a Phase I/II Human Clinical Trial for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease at the Hadassah Medical center. Initial results from the clinical trial (which is designed mainly to test the safety of the treatment), that were announced last week, have shown that the Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ therapy is safe and does not show any significant treatment-related adverse events and have also shown certain signs of beneficial clinical effects.

To read the Article entitled ‘Mesenchymal stem cells induced to secrete neurotrophic factors attenuate quinolinic acid toxicity: A potential therapy for Huntington's disease’ by Sadan et al. please go to:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014488612000295

About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a biotech company developing adult stem cell therapeutic products, derived from autologous (self) bone marrow cells, for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Ltd., holds rights to develop and commercialize the technology through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Ramot at Tel Aviv University Ltd., the technology transfer company of Tel-Aviv University. The technology is currently in a Phase I/II clinical trials for ALS in Israel.

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'s actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, inter alia, regarding safety and efficacy in its human clinical trials and thereafter; the Company's ability to progress any product candidates in pre-clinical or clinical trials; the scope, rate and progress of its pre-clinical trials and other research and development activities; the scope, rate and progress of clinical trials we commence; clinical trial results; safety and efficacy of the product even if the data from pre-clinical or clinical trials is positive; uncertainties relating to clinical trials; risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of our proposed product candidates; dependence on the efforts of third parties; failure by us to secure and maintain relationships with collaborators; dependence on intellectual property; competition for clinical resources and patient enrollment from drug candidates in development by other companies with greater resources and visibility, and risks that we may lack the financial resources and access to capital to fund our operations. The potential risks and uncertainties include risks associated with BrainStorm's limited operating history, history of losses; minimal working capital, dependence on its license to Ramot's technology; ability to adequately protect its technology; dependence on key executives and on its scientific consultants; ability to obtain required regulatory approvals; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements made by us.

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Experimental Neurology Journal: BrainStorm's NurOwn™ Stem Cell Technology Shows Promise for Treating Huntington's ...

Stem Cell Research Today: Larry Goldstein – CIRM Science Writer’s Seminar – Video

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17-11-2011 09:48 (Part 1 of 9) Larry Goldstein, MD, spoke at the Scientific Writer's Seminar, a workshop presented on September 17, 2008 at CIRM headquarters in San Francisco. Goldstein presented an overview of the basic principles and concepts of stem cell biology and stem cell clinical trial development. He has a CIRM grant to use human embryonic stem cells to understand and to develop new therapies for Alzheimer's disease.

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Stem Cell Research Today: Larry Goldstein - CIRM Science Writer's Seminar - Video

Stem cells for Parkinson’s Disease, Spinal Cord Injury – Video

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Dr. Xiaodi Han, chief neurosurgeon at Beijing Tiantan Puhua Hospital, talks to Vigendo about the surgical methods he uses to implant stem cells into patients with conditions such as Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury and the importance of selecting the right procedure for each patient. To access Dr

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Stem cells for Parkinson's Disease, Spinal Cord Injury - Video

Alzheimer’s Stem Cell Research Patient Advocate Spotlight: The Faces of Neurodegenerative Disease – Video

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(Part 3 of 7) Neal Hermanowicz, specialist, and, gave the keynote presentation at "Synapses Firing: Connections Made", a patient advocacy event hosted by the California stem cell funding agency (CIRM). The 100+ people in attendance heard from patient advocates about living with neurodegenerative disease and from scientists about recent progress in stem cell research that may lead to new treatments.

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Alzheimer's Stem Cell Research Patient Advocate Spotlight: The Faces of Neurodegenerative Disease - Video