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

Epidermolysis Bullosa: Corrected iPS Stem Cell-Based Therapy

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(Part 5 of 6) Marius Wernig, MD, spoke at the "Spotlight on Disease Team Awards: Genetic Skin Disease," an educational event presented at the CIRM Governing Board meeting on February 4, 2010. Wernig is an assistant professor of pathology at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in the Stanford School of Medicine. He is a co-principal investigator on the CIRM Disease Team that is developing a stem cell-based therapy for epidermolysis bullosa.

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Epidermolysis Bullosa: Corrected iPS Stem Cell-Based Therapy

Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS): Stem Cell Therapy – A Patient's Perspective – Video

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(Part 7 of 8) Dan Desmond, spoke at the "Spotlight on Disease Team Awards: ALS," an educational event presented at the CIRM Governing Board meeting on June 23, 2010. Desmond has a Master of Arts in counseling psychology and is founding director of Family Focus Christian Counseling, Inc.

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Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS): Stem Cell Therapy - A Patient's Perspective - Video

ACT Announces First Dry AMD Patient Treated with Higher Dosage of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived RPE Cells

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MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced treatment of the fourth patient, the first in the second patient cohort, in the companys Phase I/II clinical trial for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The surgery was performed on Wednesday, Aug. 1 atWills Eye Institutein Philadelphia, by a surgical team lead by Carl D. Regillo, M.D., Chief of the Wills Eye Institute Retina Service, and professor of ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University. The patient was injected with 100,000 hESC-derived RPE cells and is recovering uneventfully.

We are very pleased to have the second dose cohort in both of our U.S. clinical trials underway, commented Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of ACT. We are encouraged by our ongoing progress in all three of our clinical trials using our hESC-derived RPE cells to treat forms of macular degeneration. We have not observed any complications or side effects from the stem cell-derived RPE cells, and we will continue to monitor the patients for safety, tolerability and efficacy of this therapy.

The dry AMD trial is one of three clinical trials being carried out by the company in the U.S. and in Europe. Each trial will enroll 12 patients, with cohorts of three patients in an ascending dosage format. These trials are prospective, open-label studies, designed to determine the safety and tolerability of hESC-derived RPE cells following sub-retinal transplantation into patients with dry AMD or Stargardt's macular dystrophy (SMD) at 12 months, the studys primary endpoint. Preliminary results from the two U.S. trials were reported in The Lancet earlier this year.

Doubling the cell dosage in both our U.S. trials is an important step forward in our clinical programs, said Robert Lanza, M.D., ACTs chief scientific officer. We anticipate continued progress and safety findings in both our U.S. trials as well as our concurrent European trial.

Dry AMD is the most common cause of vision loss in patients over 50 years and affects around 30 million people worldwide, said Dr. Regillo. Dry AMD is a form of macular degeneration with no approved drug treatment available to date. ACTs hESC-derived RPE cells could address the unmet medical need of combating dry AMD and other macular degenerations such as Stargardts disease. We are looking forward to analyzing the safety and efficacy data.

Further information about patient eligibility for ACTs dry AMD study and the concurrent studies in the U.S. and the E.U. for SMD is available atwww.clinicaltrials.gov,with the following Identifiers: NCT01344993 (dry AMD), NCT01345006 (U.S. SMD), and NCT01469832 (E.U. SMD).

About dry AMD

Degenerative diseases of the retina are among the most common causes of untreatable blindness in the world. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over age 60 in the United States, and the vast majority of cases of AMD are of the dry form, which is currently untreatable.

About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

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ACT Announces First Dry AMD Patient Treated with Higher Dosage of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived RPE Cells

CIRM awards $151 million in stem cell grants to 8 projects statewide

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American Cancer Society/Getty Images

File photo: Close up of cancer cells in the cervix. CIRM awarded UCLA $20 million for the university's study on the reprogramming of cancer cells.

This week, Californias public stem-cell agency awarded more than $150 million to advance research into eight diseases now under study by researchers at several California universities, one L.A. hospital and a biotech company.

The University of California Davis received the largest share of stem cell research grants from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

The voter-approved agency, also known as CIRM, awarded nearly $50 million to three UC Davis research teams studying treatments for the bone disease osteoperosis, for the genetic brain disorder known as Huntingtons Disease and for Critical Limb Ischemia, a painful condition caused by severe blockage of arteries.

CIRM gave $20 million to a UCLA study on the reprogramming of cancer cells. And the agency awarded UC-Irvine and the biotech firm, StemCells, Inc. of Newark, California $20 million for their joint study into treatments for cervical spinal injuries.

Cedar Sinai Medical Center also made the list with an $18 million grant to speed their research into possible treatments for Lou Gehrigs disease, a neuromuscular condition that leads to paralysis and death.

And Stanford University won two awards of $20 million each to study cardiovascular disease at metastatic melanoma.

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CIRM awards $151 million in stem cell grants to 8 projects statewide

Stem Cell Therapy May Fix Defects From Injuries To Head And Mouth

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Editor's Choice Main Category: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 03 Aug 2012 - 14:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Stem Cell Therapy May Fix Defects From Injuries To Head And Mouth

4 (1 votes)

The clinical trial was a collaboration of researchers from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research together with Ann Arbor-based Aastrom Biosciences Inc. involving 24 patients who required jawbone reconstruction after tooth removal. The researchers divided the patients into two groups, with one group receiving experimental tissue repair cells (ixmyelocel-T) and the other group receiving traditional guided bone regeneration therapy. The tissue repair cells ixmyelocel-T are currently being development at Aastrom.

Leading investigator Darnell Kaigler, who is assistant professor at the U-M School of Dentistry said:

Kaigler stated that the treatment is best suited for large defects, like those resulting from trauma, diseases or birth defects, since these are very challenging to treat due to their complex nature of requiring various different tissue types, including bone, skin and gum tissue.

He continued saying that the key advantage of using stem cell therapy is that the patient's own cells are used to regenerate tissue instead of using man-made, foreign materials.

The study achieved promising results. Study participants in the cell therapy group received dental implants at 6 and 12 weeks after their experimental cell therapy and were noted to have a greater bone density and quicker bone repair compared with those who underwent traditional guided bone regeneration therapy. They also needed less secondary bone grafting when receiving their implants compared with the traditional bone regeneration group.

The team used cells extracted from the patient's hip bone marrow, which was subsequently processed using Aastrom's proprietary system. This allows the growths of many different cells, including stem cells, which were then relocated into different areas in the patient's mouth and jaw.

Kaigler concluded saying that stem cell therapies are still probably 5-10 years away from becoming a standard treatment for oral and facial injuries and defects and that more clinical trials need to be conducted, which include a larger number of patients with larger craniofacial defects.

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Stem Cell Therapy May Fix Defects From Injuries To Head And Mouth

UC Davis gets $53 million in stem cell funds to study Huntington's, other diseases

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The University of California, Davis, scored a major coup in stem cell funding with a $53 million award Thursday for research into Huntington's disease, limb ischemia and osteoporosis.

The grants were approved Thursday afternoon by CIRM the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. They are a major milestone for the university, which had received $73 million in past funding from the state agency.

"We're here to bring this new era of medicine to patients," UC Davis stem cell program director Jan Nolta said.

For Melissa Biliardi of Santa Maria, the vote symbolizes hope. Her son, James Birdsall, 32, was diagnosed four years ago with Huntington's disease. The degenerative brain disorder could prove fatal over the next 10 to 15 years. There is currently no cure or treatment, but with the grant, UC Davis researchers hope to deliver an effective therapy in four years.

"This is the most hope we've ever had for a cure or treatment," Biliardi said.

Her son suffers from involuntary movement and fatigue, all symptoms of the disease, and relies on a wheelchair to get around. Birdsall is one of 30,000 Americans living with the genetic disorder, according to Nolta. Another 150,000 are at risk, but many aren't diagnosed until their early 30s.

Created by voters in 2004, CIRM is financed by state bonds. The agency started with a $3 billion fund in 2007. Since then, it has doled out a quarter of its money about $900 million to various universities and private companies doing stem cell work in the state.

"We're driving opportunity here," CIRM President Alan Trounson said.

Huntington's is caused by toxic proteins that kill nerves in the brain. Limb ischemia causes blood clots that eventually lead to amputation. Osteoporosis is characterized by a loss in bone mass.

Together, the diseases afflict millions of Americans each year. UC Davis researchers said they are on the cusp of a major breakthrough to treating all three.

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UC Davis gets $53 million in stem cell funds to study Huntington's, other diseases

California Stem Cell Agency Approves $150M In Grants To Fight Diseases

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BURLINGAME (KCBS) The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine decided on Thursday to approve $150 million in grants for fighting deadly diseases.

According to the institute, eight grants were issued to researchers throughout the state. Three of the grants went to teams at UC Davis, while teams at Stanford University received two. Newark-based StemCells Inc. also received a grant. The remaining grants went to teams at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Awards from the institute ranged from $14.1 million to $20 million.

The grants will go towards researching therapies for several diseases and disorders, including Huntingtons disease, osteoporosis, spinal cord injury and ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease.

KCBS Anna Duckworth Reports:

State Stem Cell Agency To Vote On Granting Research Funding At California Universities

Researchers, patients and parents addressed the 29-member governing board of the states stem cell agency before Thursdays vote at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Burlingame, voicing support for the grants.

UC Davis Stem Cell Program Director Dr. Jan Nolta said the money would allow them to start clinical trials for Huntingtons disease, which causes neurons in the brain to die slowly over the course of about 10 years.

At times the testimony was emotional with researchers speaking about patients that would most likely loose their ability to walk due to their disease.

Others spoke hopefully about the developing therapies that would hopefully keep the brain healthy.

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California Stem Cell Agency Approves $150M In Grants To Fight Diseases

Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) Files Additional Legal Arguments in Sherley v. Sebelius Stem Cell Case

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To: HEALTH, LEGAL AFFAIRS AND MEDICAL EDITORS

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week the Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) joined the Coalition for Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR) in filing an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, supporting federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research.

GPI previously filed amicus briefs in the United States District Court and in the Court of Appeals, the latter in collaboration with CAMR and the State of Wisconsin. Both earlier briefs focused on the preliminary injunction in the case.

Bernard Siegel, GPI's executive director, stated, "Our brief supports the District Court's ruling on behalf of the government upholding federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. We make clear that the NIH complied with the Administrative Procedures Act in adopting stem cell research rules. The brief also focused upon arguments relating to statutory interpretation of the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, maintaining that the government has a complete right to fund research on ethically derived stem cell lines."

GPI's mission is to promote and defend stem cell research and its application in medicine to develop therapeutics and cures for many otherwise intractable diseases and disorders. GPI pursues this mission through production of its flagship annual World Stem Cell Summit, publication of the World Stem Cell Report, special projects, speaking engagements, online newsletters and strategic collaborations. Among its initiatives, GPI maintains the Stem Cell Action Coalition, an alliance of 75 independent organizations, including patient groups, academic institutes, medical philanthropies and science and medical societies, all supporting stem cell research targeting cures.

SOURCE Genetics Policy Institute

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Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) Files Additional Legal Arguments in Sherley v. Sebelius Stem Cell Case

Researchers urge EU not to cut stem cell funding

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* European Parliament debating funding for 2014 to 2020

* Scientists fear cuts to embryonic stem cell research

* Experts say cutting funds would hold back entire field

LONDON, June 15 (Reuters) - Leading scientists, biomedical research bodies and patient groups urged the European Parliament on Friday to maintain vital European Union funding for studies using embryonic stem cells.

Hailing the field as "one of the most exciting and promising" in modern biomedical research, the group said they feared research grants currently under review may be under threat from pro-life European parliamentarians who say public funds should not be spent on embryonic stem cell work.

"(EU) Commission funding must be available to continue to support scientists investigating all types of stem cells - including human embryonic stem cells - with potential to make advances in regenerative medicine," they wrote in an open letter released by the Wellcome Trust, a charitable health foundation.

The European Parliament is currently debating the future outline of Horizon (Euronext: HOR.NX - news) 2020, the EU's programme for research and innovation which will run from 2014 to 2020.

Draft rules provide for stem cell research funding, including embryonic stem cells but some member states have been lobbying for embryonic stem cell research to be excluded.

Many scientists believe stem cell research has the potential to lead to the development of treatments for a whole host of diseases including incurable neurodegenerative illnesses such as Parkinson's, motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis, as well as type 1 diabetes, various serious heart conditions, liver damage, spinal cord damage and blindness.

Europe (Chicago Options: ^REURUSD - news) , and particularly Britain, is considered a world leader in stem cell research. The experts, from charities, funding bodies and patient groups, said if Europe is to hold on to this competitive edge, it is crucial to maintain funding for all stem cell research.

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Researchers urge EU not to cut stem cell funding

State stem cell research funding agency awards $20 million to UCI, StemCells Inc.

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Public release date: 27-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cathy Lawhon clawhon@uci.edu 949-824-1151 University of California - Irvine

Irvine, Calif., July 26, 2012 Efforts to begin human clinical trials using stem cells to treat cervical spinal cord injury in the U.S. received a $20 million boost Thursday, July 26, from the state's stem cell research funding agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

The award will be shared by Aileen Anderson and Brian Cummings, associate professors of physical medicine & rehabilitation at UC Irvine's Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, and Nobuko Uchida of StemCells Inc. in Newark, Calif. Anderson and Cummings proved that transplanting human neural stem cells discovered and developed by Stem Cells, Inc. into rodents with thoracic spinal cord injury could restore mobility. The CIRM award announced Thursday will fund the collection of data necessary to establish human clinical trials in the U.S.

"Our therapeutic approach is based on the hypothesis that transplanted human neural stem cells integrate into the injured spinal cord to repair the protective myelin sheath and spinal circuitry," Anderson said. "Any therapy that can partially reverse some of the effects of spinal cord injury could substantially change the quality of life for patients by altering their dependence on assisted living and medical care."

CIRM's governing board on Thursday gave authorized $150 million for eight teams at five institutions statewide. The projects backed are considered critical to the institute's mission of translating basic stem cell discoveries into clinical cures.

"CIRM's support for UC Irvine's efforts to advance novel stem cell-based therapies for a variety of diseases is extremely gratifying," said Peter Donovan, director of the university's Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. "This latest award for spinal cord treatment holds great promise. We are delighted."

About 1.3 million Americans suffer chronically from spinal cord injuries. In California, nearly 147,000 individuals are living with such damage, which can severely impair the movement, sensation and autonomic function of otherwise healthy people. Recovery from spinal cord injury is often limited, even after aggressive emergency intervention with steroids and surgery, followed by rehabilitation.

"That's crushing for anyone," Anderson noted. "It's very tough for patients and their families. We believe stem cell therapies could provide significant functional recovery, improve quality of life and reduce the cost of care for those with spinal cord injury. That's our goal."

Anderson's and Cummings' laboratory has a long history of collaboration with StemCells Inc. in addressing spinal cord injury, including studies that led to the world's first clinical trial of a neural stem cell therapy for chronic spinal cord injury. This Phase I/II clinical trial, currently under way in Zurich, recently reported positive safety data from the first cohort of treated patients and continues to enroll subjects.

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State stem cell research funding agency awards $20 million to UCI, StemCells Inc.

Baxter Initiates Phase III Adult Stem Cell Clinical Trial for Chronic Cardiac Condition

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DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - News) announced today that it has initiated a phase III pivotal clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adult autologous (an individuals own) CD34+ stem cells to increase exercise capacity in patients with chronic myocardial ischemia (CMI).

Chronic myocardial ischemia (CMI) is one of the most severe forms of coronary artery disease, causing significant long-term damage to the heart muscle and disability to the patient. It is often diagnosed based on symptoms of severe, refractory angina, which is severe chest discomfort that does not respond to conventional medical management or surgical interventions.

The prospect of using a persons own adult stem cells to restore and repair blood flow in CMI is a very exciting concept based on a biological regenerative approach, said Norbert Riedel, Ph.D., Baxters chief science and innovation officer. The goals of this phase III trial are aligned with Baxters overall mission to develop life-saving and life-sustaining therapies and it will help us determine if the therapy can make a meaningful difference for CMI patients.

The trial will enroll approximately 450 patients across 50 clinical sites in the United States, who will be randomized to one of three arms: treatment with their own autologous CD34+ stem cells, treatment with placebo (control), or unblinded standard of care. The primary objective is to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with CD34+ stem cells to improve the functional capacity of patients with CMI, as measured by a change in total exercise capacity at 12 months following treatment. Secondary objectives include reduced frequency of angina episodes at 12 months after treatment and the safety of targeted delivery of the cells.

After stem cell mobilization, apheresis (collecting the cells from the body) and cell processing, participants will receive CD34+ stem cells or placebo in a single treatment via 10 intramyocardial injections into targeted areas of the heart tissue. Efficacy will be measured by a change in total exercise capacity during the first year following treatment and safety data will be collected for two years. Stem cell processing will be conducted in GMP facilities in the United States by Progenitor Cell Therapy (PCT), a subsidiary of NeoStem, Inc. To learn more or enroll, visit http://www.renewstudy.com or http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

This trial is being initiated based on the phase II data, which indicated that injections of patients own CD34+ stem cells may improve exercise capacity and reduce reports of angina episodes in patients with chronic, severe refractory angina.

The phase II trial provided evidence that this strategy, leveraging the bodys own natural repair mechanisms, can improve exercise capacity and reduce chest pain, the first time these endpoints have been achieved in a population of patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options, said Douglas Losordo, MD, vice president of new therapeutic development at Baxter.

CD34+ cells, which are blood-forming stem cells derived from bone marrow, are comprised of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which develop into new blood vessels. Previous preclinical studies investigating these cells have shown an increase in capillary density and improved cardiac function in models of myocardial ischemia.

About Baxter

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Baxter Initiates Phase III Adult Stem Cell Clinical Trial for Chronic Cardiac Condition

Bioheart Announces University of Miami as Clinical Site for ANGEL Trial of LipiCell(TM)

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SUNRISE, Fla., Feb. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bioheart, Inc. (BHRT.OB) announced that the company will conduct the ANGEL trial using adipose (fat) derived stem cell technology or LipiCell(TM) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Bioheart recently applied to the FDA to begin trials using adipose derived stem cells in patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy.

"Dr. Joshua Hare and the University of Miami are world leaders in the field of stem cell research," said Mike Tomas, President and CEO of Bioheart. "We look forward to working with these acclaimed experts and bringing the LipiCell(TM) technology to patients in the U.S."

The clinical protocol of the ANGEL trial is designed to assess the safety and cardiovascular effects of intramyocardial implantation of autologous adipose derived stem cells (LipiCell(TM)) in patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy. Joshua Hare, MD, Director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is the principle investigator of the clinical program.

The Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute was established to capitalize on pioneering work in the use of adult stem cells for the repair of malfunctioning human organs. The goal of the Institute is to find new treatments for heart disease, neurological disease, bone disease, diabetes, cancer, eye diseases and other chronic, debilitating, or incurable diseases. University of Miami scientists have led in the development of procedures to extract adult stem cells and have conducted ground breaking research in cell-based therapy for the diseased human heart.

About Bioheart, Inc.

Bioheart is committed to maintaining our leading position within the cardiovascular sector of the cell technology industry delivering cell therapies and biologics that help address congestive heart failure, lower limb ischemia, chronic heart ischemia, acute myocardial infarctions and other issues. Our goals are to cause damaged tissue to be regenerated, if possible, and to improve a patient's quality of life and reduce health care costs and hospitalizations.

Specific to biotechnology, we are focused on the discovery, development and, subject to regulatory approval, commercialization of autologous cell therapies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage and peripheral vascular disease. Our leading product, MyoCell, is a clinical muscle-derived cell therapy designed to populate regions of scar tissue within a patient's heart with new living cells for the purpose of improving cardiac function in chronic heart failure patients. 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 Announces University of Miami as Clinical Site for ANGEL Trial of LipiCell(TM)