Harvard Stem Cell Institute Sees Growth

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At its founding eight years ago, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute had fewer than ten principal faculty members, according to Benjamin D. Humphreys, co-director of the HSCI Kidney Program. Today, that number has ballooned to more than 80.

In the past decade, Harvard has increasingly poured resources into groundbreaking research in one of the largest collections of stem cell research labs in the country.

According to HSCI co-director Douglas A. Melton, a professor in the stem cell and regenerative biology department, there are more than 800 Harvard affiliates in stem cell science scattered throughout roughly 80 laboratories. The largest concentration of stem cell researchers are located in Harvards Sherman Fairchild Building, which reopened in August of 2011 after it underwent a two-year demolition and reconstruction project to accommodate the stem cell and regenerative biology department.

In the past decade, Harvard has focused on centralizing this research with the creation of HSCI and the stem cell and regenerative biology department.

HSCI consists of scientists and practitioners interested in stem cell research from all over the Harvard community, including the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the medical school, and 11 teaching hospitals and research institutions including the Childrens Hospital Boston and the Massachusetts General Hospital.

So far, HSCI has given out more than $100 million to its researchers, according to Humphreys.

"[Harvard has] definitely made a tangible commitment to stem cell research," Humphreys said. "The results are that we are leaders in certain areascertainly I can speak of the kidneynot even just in the U.S., but worldwide in terms of stem cell research in the kidney."

With important potential applications such as the generation of cells and tissues that could be used for cell-based therapies, stem cells are at the forefront of scientific research. Stem cells, which can differentiate into specific cell types, offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat some of the most serious diseases.

"What were doing at the HSCI Kidney Group is working collaboratively to identify new therapeutic strategies that will help slow disease progression," said Humphreys.

Still, Humphreys added that much more research is necessary before scientists can use stem cells to their fullest potential.

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Harvard Stem Cell Institute Sees Growth

Study Identifies Cell Subtypes For Potential Personalized Cellular Therapies

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Connie K. Ho for RedOrbit.com

A new study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has discovered two adult stem cell-like subpopulations in adult human skin.

The findings allow for further research to be done in the area of personalized medicine and patient-specific cellular therapies.

The study, using technology from Fibrocell Science, allowed the researchers to identify and confirm two types of cells in human skin cell cultures; the possible source of stem cell-like subpopulations from skin biopsies would be faster to perform, painless, and less invasive than current extractions from adipose tissues and bone marrow.

The research, featured in the inaugural issue of BioResearch Open Access, discusses two subtypes of cells. BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly, peer-reviewed journal. It features scientific topics like biochemistry, bioengineering, gene therapy, genetics, microbiology, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, stem cells, systems biology, tissue engineering and biomaterials, and virology.

Being able to identify two sub-populations of rare, viable and functional cells that behave like stem cells from within the skin is an important finding because both cell types have the potential to be investigated for diverse clinical applications, commented Dr. James A. Bryne, lead author of the report.

Brynes research, first at Stanford University then at UCLA, focused on reprogramming beginnings of cells from animals and then humans. A graduate of Cambridge University, Bryne studied the intra- and inter-species of epigenetic reprogramming. His work also highlighted how primate embryonic stem cells could be derived from somatic cell nuclear transfers.

The study published in BioResearch Open Access confirmed previous research that identified a rare population of cells in adult human skin that had a marker called stage-specific embryonic antigen 3 (SSEA3). Bryne and his colleagues found that there was an increase in the amount of SSEA3 expressing cells after injury to the human skin. It showed that the SSEA3 biomarker could be used to help identify and isolate cells with tissue-regenerative traits.

Finding these rare adult stem cell-like subpopulations in human skin is an exciting discovery and provides the first step towards purifying and expanding these cells to clinically relevant numbers for application to a variety of potential personalized cellular therapies for osteoarthritis, bone loss, injury and/or damage to human skin as well as many other diseases, remarked Bryne, an Assistant Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Bryne and his team used Fibrocell technology to collect cells from skin samples, cultured the cells in the lab, and purified them by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The FACS tagged suspended cells with fluorescent markers for undifferentiated stem cells. The researchers were able to separate the rare cell subpopulations from other kinds of cells.

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Study Identifies Cell Subtypes For Potential Personalized Cellular Therapies

Stem cells take root in drug development

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Stem cells have assumed near-mythical status in the popular imagination as a possible cure for every disease under the sun. But while public attention has focused on their potential in regenerative medicine, stem cells have quietly gained a foothold in drug development a move that may hail a huge but unheralded shake-up of the biological sciences.

I think there are tremendous parallels to the early days of recombinant DNA in this field, says James Thomson, director of regenerative biology at the Morgridge Institute for Research in Madison, Wisconsin, and one of the founders of Cellular Dynamics International, also in Madison. I dont think people appreciated what a broad-ranging tool recombinant DNA was in the middle '70s." At the same time, he says, they underestimated the difficulty of using it in treatments.

Now stem cells are in a similar situation, he says, and although therapeutic use is likely to come to fruition eventually, people underappreciate how broadly enabling a research tool it is, he says.

Laboratory-grown stem cells hold much promise for regenerative medicine, but are being increasingly used in drug testing.

MASSIMO BREGA, THE LIGHTHOUSE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Drug companies began dipping a tentative toe into the stem-cell waters about two years ago (see 'Testing time for stem cells'). Now, the pharmaceutical industry is increasingly adopting stem cells for testing the toxicity of drugs and identifying potential new therapies, say those in the field.

Cellular Dynamics sells human heart cells called cardiomyocytes, which are derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Thomson says that essentially all the major pharma companies have bought some. The company also produces brain cells and cells that line blood vessels, and is about to release a line of human liver cells.

Yet Cellular Dynamics is just one of the companies in the field. Three years ago, stem-cell biologist Stephen Minger left his job in UK academia to head GE Healthcares push into stem cells (see 'Top scientist's industry move heralds stem-cell shift'). The medical-technology company, headquartered in Chalfont St. Giles, UK, has been selling human heart cells made from embryonic stem (ES) cells for well over a year, and is due to start selling liver cells soon.

Minger and his team at GE Healthcare assessed the heart cells in a blind trial against a set of unnamed drug compounds to see if the cells would reveal which compounds were toxic. When the compounds were unmasked, Minger says, they found that the cells had been affected by the known toxic compounds. But, crucially, in a number of cases, the cells identified a problem that had only been discovered after the drugs had reached the market and after they had been approved by agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

These are compounds which went all the way through animal testing, then went through phase I, II, III and then were licensed in many cases by the FDA, says Minger.

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Stem cells take root in drug development

Stem Cell Stocks: Mending Scarred Hearts

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A new study at Johns Hopkins University has shown that stem cells from patients' own cardiac tissue can be used to heal scarred tissue after a heart attack. This is certainly exciting news considering heart failure is still the No. 1 cause of death in men and women.

The study included 25 heart attack victims, 17 of whom got the stem cell treatment. Those patients saw a 50% reduction in cardiac scar tissue after one year, while the eight control patients saw no improvement.

The procedure involves removing a tiny portion of heart tissue through a needle, cultivating the stem cells from that tissue, and reinserting them in a second minimally invasive procedure, according to Bloomberg.

"If we can regenerate the whole heart, then the patient would be completely normal," said Eduardo Marban, director of Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute who was the study's lead author. "We haven't fulfilled that yet, but we've gotten rid of half of the injury, and that's a good start."

Business section: Investing ideas
Interested in investing in the promise that stem cell therapy holds? For a look at the investing landscape, we compiled a list of the 10 largest companies involved in stem cell therapy.

Do you think this industry will see growth from stem cell research? (Click here to access free, interactive tools to analyze these ideas.)

1. BioTime (NYSE: BTX  ) : Focuses on regenerative medicine and blood plasma volume expanders. Market cap at $291.95M. The company develops and markets research products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine. It develops therapeutic products derived from stem cells for the treatment of retinal and neural degenerative diseases; cardiovascular and blood diseases; therapeutic applications of stem cells to treat orthopedic diseases, injuries, and cancer; and retinal cell product for use in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

2. Cleveland BioLabs (Nasdaq: CBLI  ) : Market cap at $111.50M. Its products include Protectan CBLB502, a radioprotectant molecule with multiple medical and defense applications for reducing injury from acute stresses, such as radiation and chemotherapy by mobilizing various natural cell protecting mechanisms, including inhibition of apoptosis, reduction of oxidative damage, and induction of factors that induce protection and regeneration of stem cells in bone marrow and the intestines, and Protectan CBLB612, a modified lipopeptide mycoplasma that acts as a stimulator and mobilizer of hematopoietic stem cells to peripheral blood, providing hematopoietic recovery during chemotherapy and during donor preparation for bone marrow transplantation.

3. Gentium: Focuses on the development and manufacture of its primary product candidate, defibrotide, an investigational drug based on a mixture of single-stranded and double-stranded DNA extracted from pig intestines. Market cap at $128.29M. The company develops defibrotide for the treatment and prevention of hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), a condition that occurs when veins in the liver are blocked as a result of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation, that are administered prior to stem cell transplantation.

4. Geron (Nasdaq: GERN  ) : Develops biopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer and chronic degenerative diseases, including spinal cord injury, heart failure, and diabetes. Market cap at $265.57M. The company has licensing agreement with the University Campus Suffolk to develop human embryonic stem cell-derived chondrocytes for the treatment of cartilage damage and joint disease.

5. Harvard Bioscience: Develops, manufactures, and markets apparatus and scientific instruments used in life science research in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, and government laboratories in the United States and internationally. Market cap at $118.28M. Develops devices used by clinicians and researchers in the field of regenerative medicine, including bioreactors for growing tissue and organs outside the body, and injectors for stem cell therapy.

6. Lydall (NYSE: LDL  ) : Designs and manufactures specialty engineered products for thermal/acoustical, filtration/separation, and bio/medical applications in the United States. Market cap at $163.44M. In addition, it offers Cell-Freeze, a medical device used for cryogenic storage of peripheral blood stem cells.

8. Osiris Therapeutics (Nasdaq: OSIR  ) : Focuses on the development and marketing of therapeutic products to treat various medical conditions in the inflammatory, autoimmune, orthopedic, and cardiovascular areas. Market cap at $157.26M. A stem cell company, focuses on the development and marketing of therapeutic products to treat various medical conditions in the inflammatory, autoimmune, orthopedic, and cardiovascular areas.

7. Verastem: Market cap at $229.00M. Focuses on discovering and developing proprietary small molecule drugs targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) in breast and other cancers.

Interactive Chart: Press Play to compare changes in analyst ratings over the last two years for the stocks mentioned above. Analyst ratings sourced from Zacks Investment Research.

Kapitall's Alexander Crawford does not own any of the shares mentioned above.

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Stem Cell Stocks: Mending Scarred Hearts

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 ...

Humex Medical Signs Agreement to Establish Stem Cell Center in Vietnam

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LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire -02/02/12)- PHI Group, Inc. (OTCQB: PHIE.PK - News) (Pinksheets: PHIE.PK - News) announced today that Humex Medical Group, Inc. has signed an agreement with Tri Phuoc Co., Ltd, a Vietnamese company, to establish a stem cell center in Vietnam.

According to the agreement, Tri Phuoc will provide the required investment capital and Humex will supply the stem cell technologies to set up and operate a stem cell research and cosmetic surgery center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Humex will be entitled to 60% of the anticipated profits from the center's operations.

Provimex, Inc., previously a majority-owned subsidiary of PHI Group, which has merged with Humex Medical Group, will complete its financial audits in conjunction with Humex's and file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to become a fully reporting public company focused on stem cell research and therapies. PHI Group and its shareholders currently retain a minority interest in the combined company.

Eric Jeong, President of Humex, said, "We are pleased to partner with Tri Phuoc to establish the first stem cell research center of its kind in Vietnam to provide treatment for various diseases using advanced stem cell technologies."

About Humex Medical and Provimex

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Provimex, Inc., Humex Medical Group has been engaged in cosmetic surgeries, anti-aging and regenerative treatments. Provimex plans to go public by filing a registration statement with the SEC and will focus on stem cell research, stem cell therapeutics, stem cell-based cosmetics and adult stem cell banking services.

About PHI Group

PHI Group, Inc. focuses on energy and natural resources in Southeast Asia and holds majority interests in subsidiaries engaged in real estate development and M&A consulting services. In addition, it also holds minority interests in other companies such as Provimex. Website: http://www.phiglobal.com.

Safe Harbor: This news release and the featured interview contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected on the basis of such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based upon management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the "safe-harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

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Humex Medical Signs Agreement to Establish Stem Cell Center in Vietnam

Stem cell therapy in Hawaii going to the dogs

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HAWAII KAI (HawaiiNewsNow) -

Cutting-edge technology is helping Hawaii's pets live better lives for months, even years. We were there as a beloved dog named Kumba received one of the first-ever, in-clinic stem cell therapy surgeries in the islands.

13 year old Kumba doesn't know he's a guinea pig. The Rottweiler-Lab mix is one of the first in Hawaii to undergo the stem cell procedure at Surf Paws in Hawaii Kai.

Kumba suffers severe arthritis in his hips and knees, doesn't eat much, and is even a bit depressed. "It's an effort for him to get up off the floor, and when he gets up and crosses the room, you can see the stiffness," says his owner, Rumi Hospodar.

Kumba's kids learn some of details of his surgery. Then, he's moved to a table and nods off from anesthesia. Once he's prepped, the procedure begins. The vet removes about two tablespoons of fat tissue from Kumba's shoulder. From there, the stem cells are separated from the fat and activated. Then, they're injected back into the affected areas.

The entire process takes four hours, but the dog is actually only under for about 20 minutes. Surf Paws used to send the tissue to the mainland for processing, but with technology from Medi-Vet America, they can do it all here.

"The patient had to be, you know, go home and come back a few days later and the timing was a little bit difficult. Now, everything is same day," says Surf Paws veterinarian Dr. Cristina Miliaresis.

Cost depends on the size of animal but can run up to $2,800. It's mainly done on dogs, cats, and horses who suffer osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, ligament and cartilage damage, and other degenerative diseases. Their quality of life can improve within a couple of weeks.

Dr. Miliaresis says, "Some people might say, 'Oh, the dog's 13. Why are you doing this for a 13 year old dog? But even 6 months, pain-free, after a very, it's not simple, but it's a pretty straightforward procedure, to me (would be) just amazing."

The techs move all 97 pounds of Kumba to post-op - while his anxious owner looks on.

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Stem cell therapy in Hawaii going to the dogs

Details revealed in complicated stem-cell case

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September 08, 2012 10:01 PM

A Brownsville man admitted to charging a couple more than $8,000 to perform an unapproved stem-cell procedure on their child who had experienced neurological problems after nearly drowning.

Francisco Morales, 52, has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to introduce misbranded and unapproved drugs into interstate commerce, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced Friday.

Lawrence Stowe, 59, of Illinois, pleaded guilty to the same charges.

These pleas are a victory for the American public, in demonstrating the FDAs commitment to investigating cases of individuals and businesses that prey on the sick and vulnerable with phony medical treatments, said Patrick J. Holland of the Food and Drug Administrations Office of Criminal Investigations.

Alberto Ramon, 50, of Del Rio, and Vincent Dammai, 42, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., are also charged in the case and will go to trial in late November.

Magidson said in a press release that Morales and Stowe both falsely represented that they were licensed to practice medicine and that they each operated medical clinics in Brownsville.

In January 2006, Stowe admitted that he started using Stowe BioTherapy Inc. and The Stowe Foundation to advertise and promote a medical treatment protocol for several neurological diseases that have no cures.

The treatment was called Applied Biologics and consisted of supplements, vaccines, patient specific transfer factors and stem cell therapy. Stowe told patients that the FDA reviewed the treatment and considered it effective for Lou Gehrigs disease, MS and Parkinsons. There are no cures for these diseases.

Stowe and Morales pleaded guilty to introducing an unapproved drug called Immune Factor G-40, and Stowe further admitted that he introduced an unapproved treatment called patient specific transfer factors.

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Details revealed in complicated stem-cell case

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State stem cell research funding agency awards $37.3 million to aid UC Irvine efforts

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Public release date: 6-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Tom Vasich tmvasich@uci.edu 949-824-6455 University of California – Irvine

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 6, 2012 Efforts to begin human clinical trials using stem cells to treat Alzheimer’s disease and retinitis pigmentosa received a $37.3 million boost from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine during its most recent round of funding on Sept. 5.

UC Irvine scientists will be part of two research teams garnering CIRM Disease Team Therapy Development Awards, which are designed to accelerate collaborative translational research leading to human clinical trials. In one, Dr. Henry Klassen, an associate professor of ophthalmology in UC Irvine’s Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, and his collaborators at UC Santa Barbara and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, received $17.3 million to cultivate therapeutically potent retinal progenitor stem cells to treat the blinding effects of retinitis pigmentosa.

In the other, StemCells, Inc. in Newark, Calif., received $20 million and will collaborate with Frank LaFerla and Mathew Blurton-Jones neurobiologists with the stem cell research center and the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) to advance research using the company’s proprietary purified human neural stem cells to improve memory in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

“CIRM’s support for UC Irvine’s efforts to advance stem cell-based treatments for a variety of diseases is extremely gratifying,” said Peter Donovan, director of the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. “Henry’s work on retinitis pigmentosa and Frank and Mathew’s on Alzheimer’s disease hold great promise, and we are delighted that they have the support to see their work move toward the clinic.”

Klassen’s objective is to introduce stem cells that rescue and reactivate damaged and dying photoreceptor rods and cones, thus reversing the course of RP even at relatively advanced stages. The current CIRM funding will allow Klassen and his collaborators to grow these cells under conditions ensuring that pharmaceutical standards are met. The resulting cells will be tested in animals for safety and to make certain that they are therapeutically potent. Then the team will seek FDA approval for the use of these cells in early clinical trials, in which a small number of patients with severe RP will be injected with cells in their worse-seeing eye and followed clinically for a specified period of time to determine the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.

“We believe it’s possible to rejuvenate a clinically significant number of cones in the degenerating retina,” said Klassen, whose work also has received long-standing support from the Discovery Eye Foundation. “Our methods have been validated, and I’m optimistic that stem cell-based treatments can help restore fading vision in people with eye diseases.”

The CIRM award will further LaFerla and Blurton-Jones’s efforts with StemCells, Inc. to understand how human neural stem cells can treat Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia in the U.S. Earlier this year, the researchers reported findings showing that neural stem cells restored memory and enhanced synaptic function in two animal models relevant to Alzheimer’s disease, possibly by providing growth factors that protect neurons from degeneration. With these studies establishing proof of concept, the team intends to conduct further animal studies necessary to seek FDA approval to start testing this therapeutic approach in human patients.

“Our goal is to research ways to make memories last a lifetime, and we’re excited to investigate the potential efficacy of stem cells for Alzheimer’s disease,” said LaFerla, the UCI MIND director and Chancellor’s Professor and chair of neurobiology & behavior.

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Notre Dame establishes professorships in adult stem cell research

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Public release date: 22-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: William Gilroy gilroy.6@nd.edu 574-631-4127 University of Notre Dame

Alumnus Michael Gallagher and his wife, Elizabeth, have made a $5 million gift to establish the Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher Family Professorships in Adult Stem Cell Research at the University of Notre Dame.

Their gift, which will fund three new endowed professorships in adult and all forms of non-embryonic stem cell research, will strengthen Notre Dame's leadership in the field of stem cell research and enhance the University's effective dialogue between the biomedical research community and the Catholic Church on matters related to the use and application of stem cells and regenerative medicine.

"As a Catholic university, Notre Dame carries a mantle of responsibility to use our scholarship and resources to help alleviate human suffering, and, in this area of research in particular, to do so with deep respect for the sanctity of all human life," said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., the University's president. "These new professorships will enable us to effectively build upon an already strong foundation in this critically important field. We are tremendously grateful to the Gallaghers for making this possible with their transformative gift."

Despite years of research, there are no known cures for a large number of degenerative diseases, such as Type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration and spinal cord injuries. Stem cell research has the potential to contribute to the discovery of new and successful treatments for these and other diseases because it holds the unique promise of regenerating damaged cells and tissues, fully restoring tissues and organs to their normal function.

Although this vital area of research could accelerate the ability to alleviate much human suffering, it has generated extensive ethical debate with the use of embryonic versus non-embryonic stem cells. The Catholic Church affirms the dignity of all human life at every stage and vigorously opposes the destruction of human embryos for the harvesting of stem cells. At the same time, the Church strongly endorses the use of adult and non-embryonic stem cell research as a potential therapy for individuals suffering from these debilitating diseases. Research has demonstrated that adult stem cells, including all forms of non-embryonic stem cells, such as induced pluripotent stem cells and umbilical cord stem cells, can be harvested and programmed to achieve pluripotency the same characteristic that enables embryonic stem cells to differentiate into any type of cell.

An urgent need exists to increase the number of faculty experts performing adult stem cell research at Notre Dame. Doing so will expand upon the strong foundation the College of Science holds in these areas and will help create an environment for excellence in which faculty and students can learn, grow, collaborate and ultimately affect human health.

"We are overwhelmed with gratitude at the generous gift from Mike and Liz Gallagher," said Gregory P. Crawford, dean of the College of Science. "The impact of this gift is truly beyond measure. It will play a crucial role in attracting three more of the best faculty in the field of adult stem cell research to Notre Dame. Furthermore, this gift will equip our existing talented group of adult stem cell researchers at Notre Dame to take the next great leap toward ultimately forming a premier center in adult stem cell research."

Michael Gallagher is a 1991 graduate of Notre Dame, and his wife, Elizabeth, is a 1992 graduate of Saint Mary's College. They have two sons, Brock and Jack, and currently live near Denver.

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Notre Dame establishes professorships in adult stem cell research

Rensselaer and New York State Launch New Stem Cell Research Center

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Newswise Troy, N.Y. Ground-breaking research to advance the application of stem cells to address critical injuries and diseases will be taking place at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in a new center funded by New York state and opened today (June 22, 2012).

The Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research was launched officially by Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson, New York State Department of Health Commissioner Nirav Shah, and Jonathan Dordick, director of the Rensselaer Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS) and the Howard P. Isermann 42 Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering. They were joined at the ribbon cutting by Glenn Monastersky, CBIS operations director and biomedical engineering professor of practice. Monastersky is also principal investigator under the $2.45 million grant awarded to fund the new center, from the New York State Stem Cell Science Program (NYSTEM).

The opening of the Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research marks a milestone on the path toward this important area of exploration, which promises so much in terms of alleviating disease and improving health, said Jackson. At the center we will work at the frontiers of this promising discipline in collaboration with New York state and investigators from across the region.

This research complements stem cell research, sponsored by New York and the National Institutes of Health, that is already in progress at Rensselaer, Jackson added. Due to our commitment to biotechnology that began over 10 years ago under The Rensselaer Plan, we are able to link engineering with the life and physical sciences in ways that allow us to explore new possibilities. We are grateful to Dr. Shah and the state of New York for their leadership in this important research area, and for providing the funding to launch this center.

Governor Cuomo recognizes that stem cell research is a vital and growing industry that helps create jobs here in the Capital Region and around the state, said Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., New York State Commissioner of Health. Targeting our investment in results-oriented research enterprises like this center will lead to medical advances as well as expand our economy and make New York the place to be for 21st century health and science research.

According to Dordick, the new center continues to place CBIS and the research conducted there on the leading edge of efforts to harness advances in biotechnology to address 21st century health challenges.

Ranging from our work on the blood anti-coagulant drug heparin to solutions to fighting some of todays super bugs to important advances in understanding Alzheimers disease, we are focusing our efforts on scientific advances that will ultimately open the doors to new cures for traumatic injuries or treatments for long-term conditions and diseases, Dordick said. Now, working with our partners at New York state and other researchers in the region, we will expand our work on stem cells to help the medical and scientific research communities advance efforts to better understand those cells and how they can be used in medicine.

Research on stem cells offers promise in an array of health areas, ranging from trying to regenerate damaged nerve cells following spinal cord injuries to offering potential cures for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Type 1 diabetes. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), stem cells are important because unlike other cells in the human body they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods. In addition, because stem cells are unspecialized meaning that they are not associated with any tissue-specific functions early research has shown that under the right circumstances these cells can give rise to cells associated with specific functions, under a process called differentiation. Today, according to NIH, scientists are just beginning to understand the so-called triggers that can start stem cell differentiation into, for example, nerve, muscle, or bone cells.

The new state-of-the-art center is housed on the ground floor of the Rensselaer biotechnology center. In addition to advanced cell biology research equipment, new lab equipment acquired with funding from New York state includes an Olympus VivaView microscopy/incubation system and a Thermo Fisher Arrayscan cell-imaging system that utilizes advanced optics and analytical software to guide the analysis of stem cell development.

The Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research and its associated scientific staff, will enable collaborations with several New York partners including the New York Neural Stem Cell Institute, Albany Medical College, the University at Albany, the University of Rochester Medical School, and the Trudeau Institute. The main focus of the center is the basic science critical to development of stem cell-based therapies for human diseases and traumatic injuries.

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Rensselaer and New York State Launch New Stem Cell Research Center

Stem Cell Treatment Lung Disease – Video

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22-01-2011 12:29 http://www.StemCellTreatment.org This is Zebiba Shekhia, a patient with lung disease that received stem cell treatment for lung disease at American Stem Cell and Anti-Aging Center. After receiving her stem cell treatment lung disease she is now breathing much better and feels fantasitc! Go to your website for more information and find out how ASCAAC can help you!

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Stem Cell Treatment Lung Disease - Video

Stem Cell Action Coalition Opposes Virginia Personhood Bill

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To: HEALTH, MEDICAL AND POLITICAL EDITORS

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Stem Cell Action Coalition opposes Virginia House Bill No.1, the so-called Virginia "personhood bill." The Virginia Senate Committee on Education and Health is scheduled to take the matter up this week.

The language of the personhood bill states, in part, that the laws of Virginia "shall be interpreted and construed to acknowledge on behalf of unborn children at every stage of development all of the rights, privileges and immunities available to other persons, citizens and residents." The bill further states "unborn children shall include the offspring of human beings from the moment of conception until birth at every stage of biological development."

HB 1 arguably would apply to every aspect of Virginia law thus profoundly impacting inheritance, adoption, guardianship, civil and criminal liability by according the same rights as adults and children to a single cell.

The personhood bill would surely interfere with reproductive and related rights of women and couples along several fronts. These interferences include making it exceedingly difficult for couples in Virginia to seek in vitro fertilization as a means of creating families and donating for research IVF-created embryos not needed for implantation or not sufficiently healthy for implantation. Moreover, the law would prevent the pursuit of medical research in Virginia that utilizes human embryonic stem cells.

In this twisted new world, Virginia researchers deriving embryonic stem cells from donated embryos might be charged with capital crimes, even murder. Couples donating embryos to research might be designated as accessories to these crimes. Microscopic embryos, consisting of a few cells in lab dishes or frozen in IVF clinics might be designated as wards of the state and by mandate have legal guardians appointed on their behalf.

Human embryonic stem cell research has been described by scientists as the "gold standard" for those seeking to develop cures based on stem cell technology for many diseases and maladies such as Parkinson's, ALS, diabetes, MS, macular degeneration and other causes of blindness, spinal cord injuries, and other medical conditions for which there is no known cure.

Bernard Siegel, J.D., spokesperson for the Coalition and executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute commented, "It is a sad day indeed when the Commonwealth of Virginia should become an outpost for extremism by impeding potentially lifesaving scientific research. Thomas Jefferson would be appalled. The wise voters of Colorado (twice) and Mississippi overwhelmingly rejected personhood amendments to their state constitutions.

The profound implications of the personhood bill cannot be wished away by its sponsors. Passage of this bill would be an affront to couples trying to avail themselves of modern infertility treatments, stem cell researchers targeting cures and to all Virginians suffering from chronic and life threatening disease. Passage of HB 1 is akin to crushing hope.

Human embryonic stem cell research holds the promise of discovering the root causes of disease, serves as a tool for drug discovery, and will surely lead to regenerative medicines and cell therapies for repairing or replacing damaged tissues and organs.

Microscopic cells in a lab dish, that by a couples' decision, will never be implanted in a womb, should not be defined as 'people'," Siegel continued.

HB 1 represents a concerted move by opponents of all forms of early termination of pregnancy and medical research involving human embryos to attempt to pass laws to define "person" as the being that comes into existence at conception. In addition to Virginia, similar efforts to pass "personhood" legislation are underway in Oklahoma, Mississippi and in other states.

The Stem Cell Action Coalition has 75 nonprofit affiliated organizations including patient groups, medical philanthropies, scientific and medical societies and public interest organizations all dedicated to advancing scientifically meritorious and ethically responsible research.

The Stem Cell Action Coalition serves as an engine to unite the pro-cures community. It recognizes that human embryonic stem cell research must be a national public health priority at all branches and levels of government, not only as a matter of the medical health of the individuals who comprise the United States, but also as a matter of national financial health. The Coalition sponsors a web site http://www.stemcellaction.org and can be found on Twitter @StemCellAction and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/stemcellaction.

SOURCE The Stem Cell Action Coalition

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Stem Cell Action Coalition Opposes Virginia Personhood Bill

Living with Sickle Cell Disease – Video

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21-01-2011 14:02 Meet Damali and Amiel Reid, two siblings who are living with sickle cell anemia, and learn about their struggles with the disease and their hopes for a cure. Damali, 33, has started a support group for other people living with the disease, and Amiel, 16, has spent a summer learning about sickle cell by working in the lab of Dr. George Daley, Director of Stem Cell Transplantation at Children's Hospital Boston. Give patients like Damali and Amiel hope by supporting stem cell research at Children's Hospital Boston. Please visit the stem cell website stemcell101.org for more information about how you can help.

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Living with Sickle Cell Disease - Video

U-M human embryonic stem cell line placed on national registry

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Public release date: 14-Feb-2012
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Contact: Mary F. Masson
mfmasson@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? The University of Michigan's first human embryonic stem cell line will be placed on the U.S. National Institutes of Health's registry, making the cells available for federally-funded research. It is the first of the stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan to be placed on the registry.

The line, known as UM4-6, is a genetically normal line, derived in October 2010 from a cluster of about 30 cells removed from a donated five-day-old embryo roughly the size of the period at the end of this sentence. That embryo was created for reproduction but was no longer needed for that purpose and was therefore about to be discarded.

"This is significant, because acceptance of these cells on the registry demonstrates our attention to details of proper oversight, consenting, and following of NIH guidelines established in 2009," says Gary Smith, Ph.D., who derived the line and also is co-director of the U-M Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies, part of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.

"It now makes the line available to researchers who can apply for federal funding to use it in their work; this is an important step."

The line is the culmination of years of planning and preparation and was made possible by Michigan voters' November 2008 approval of a state constitutional amendment permitting scientists here to derive embryonic stem cell lines using surplus embryos from fertility clinics or embryos with genetic abnormalities and not suitable for implantation.

"We expect these cells will be used by investigators worldwide to enhance our understanding of stem cell biology, and together with disease-specific lines, discover treatments and cures for genetic diseases," says Smith, who is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School.

U-M is among just a handful of U.S. universities creating human embryonic stem cell lines. There are only 147 stem cell lines available on the registry.

"We envision in the future that investigators will be able to use the genetically normal embryonic stem cell lines like UM4-6, together with disease-specific embryonic stem cell lines, as a model system to investigate what causes these diseases and come up with treatments," says Sue O'Shea, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, and co-director of the Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies.

U-M also has two other human embryonic stem cells lines submitted to the national registry. Both are disease specific, the first carrying the genetic defect that causes hemophilia B, and the other carries the gene responsible for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a hereditary neurological disorder.

Smith expects to soon submit eight additional human embryonic stem lines for consideration on the national registry: three genetically normal and five new disease specific lines.

This is a historic achievement that will lead to treatments and cures for serious, life-altering diseases and is more evidence that our University of Michigan researchers are leading the world in cutting-edge science that will impact health around the globe, says Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.

"This is another major step forward for medical science in Michigan. This opens us another avenue for researchers to really begin exploring the causes and progression of those diseases, with the ultimate goal of finding new therapies for patients," says Feldman.

Contributors to the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute's Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies include the Taubman Institute; the Office of the Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs; the Office of the Medical School Dean; the Comprehensive Cancer Center; the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases; the Office of the Vice President for Research; the School of Dentistry; the Department of Pathology; the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; the College of Engineering; the Life Sciences Institute; the Department of Neurology; and U-M's Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research.

A. Alfred Taubman, founder and chair of U-M's Taubman Institute, called the registry placement a tremendous step for stem cell research.

"I consider stem cells to be a modern medical miracle ? the most exciting advance in medicine since antibiotics. The progress we have made throughout the state in stem cell research has been nothing short of remarkable," says Taubman.

"This milestone means much to the University of Michigan and the state of Michigan, but also to the world. It offers another route for researchers to move ahead in studying these horrible diseases. We hope it is the first of many lines that the University of Michigan can contribute to the global efforts to improve human health."

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For more information about the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute at the University of Michigan Medical School, visit http://www.taubmaninstitute.org

For more information about stem cell research at U-M, visit http://www.umich.edu/stemcell


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U-M human embryonic stem cell line placed on national registry

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