Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. & YOKOHAMA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fluidigm (FLDM) today unveiled the details of its new C1 Single-Cell AutoPrep System to attendees at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) meeting in Yokohama, Japan. The C1 System, based on Fluidigms innovative microfluidic technology, enables a researcher to isolate and process individual cells rapidly and reliably for genomic analysis. For the first time, a researcher can isolate cells, extract RNA, and then reverse transcribe and preamplify mRNA transcripts automatically to enable detection and analysis of cell activity.

Fluidigm has become a leader in the emerging field of single-cell genomics with its widely adopted BioMark and BioMark HD Systems, enabling scientists to routinely examine previously unavailable genomic signatures generated from a single cell. The stem cell research community in Japan, and indeed around the world, has been an important early customer group exploring single cells. Stem cell, cancer and immunology research are expected to be the initial focus applications for the C1 System.

As part of its activities at ISSCR, Fluidigm also announced the start of its Early Access Program for the C1 System. The C1 System has been specifically designed to work seamlessly with the BioMark HD System to enhance the workflow and reliability of data for scientists studying single-cell genomics. The Early Access Program allows select customers the opportunity to receive the first commercial shipments during the second half of 2012 before shipment to the broader group of customers. In addition to being the first to utilize the new technology, Early Access Program partners will be provided with no-cost startup consumables, participate in the development of new platform capabilities, and receive pre-market access to future platform expansions. Researchers interested in the Early Access Program can register at http://www.fluidigm.com/c1system.

The new C1 Single-Cell AutoPrep System is the first of its kind. The C1 System handles, separates and prepares individual single cells for genetic analysis. We are very excited about the commercial release of the C1, for we believe it will enable single-cell research on a broad scale that will in turn make profound contributions to numerous fields in biology, said Gajus Worthington, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fluidigm. Though the C1 represents a major advance in single-cell genomics, we are at the beginning of what we can do together with the scientific community. Ultimately, the C1 System will allow researchers to study cell differentiation, measure individual cell responses to specific stimuli, verify critical disease biomarkers, validate RNAi knockdown, and sequence individual cells, Worthington concluded.

The C1 System workflow is initiated by loading a sample of cells in solution into the C1 microfluidic chip in a single pipetting step, then directing the C1 System to rapidly and automatically isolate up to 96 individual cells into individual chambers for preparation. After loading, researchers can choose an in-process quality control checkpoint to verify the number of captured cells and distinguish live from dead cells to preserve data integrity. The workflow then proceeds with a rapid on-chip cell lysis without RNA purification, reverse transcription, and preamplification without hands-on reagent mixing and sample transfer. The final preamplified cDNA product is thereafter harvested to collection wells for transfer to the BioMark HD System for quantitative PCR analysis.

The C1 Single Cell AutoPrep System consists of:

Use of Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements relating to our new products and programs and our plans, objectives, expectations and/or strategies relating to such new products and programs. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from currently anticipated results. Factors that could materially affect future results include, but are not limited to, challenges inherent in developing, manufacturing, and launching new products and programs and the other risk factors contained in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q. These forward- looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Fluidigm Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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Fluidigm Introduces the C1™ Single-Cell AutoPrep System to Researchers at ISSCR – Starts Early Access Program

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOS ANGELES UCLA stem cell scientists who purified a subset of stem cells from fat tissue and used the stem cells to grow bone discovered that the bone formed faster and was of higher quality than bone grown using traditional methods.

The finding may one day eliminate the need for painful bone grafts that use material taken from patients during invasive procedures.

Adipose, or fat, tissue is thought to be an ideal source of mesenchymal stem cells cells capable of developing into bone, cartilage, muscle and other tissues because such cells are plentiful in the tissue and easily obtained through procedures like liposuction, said Dr. Chia Soo, vice chair of research for the UCLA Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Soo and Bruno Pault, the co-senior authors on the project, are members of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Traditionally, cells taken from fat had to be cultured for weeks to isolate the stem cells which could become bone, and their expansion increases the risk of infection and genetic instability. A fresh, non-cultured cell composition called stromal vascular fraction (SVF) also is used to grow bone. However, SVF cells taken from adipose tissue are a highly heterogeneous population that includes cells that aren't capable of becoming bone.

Pault and Soo's team used a cell-sorting machine to isolate and purify human perivascular stem cells (hPSC) from adipose tissue and showed that those cells worked far better than SVF cells in creating bone. They also showed that a growth factor called NELL-1, discovered by Dr. Kang Ting of the UCLA School of Dentistry, enhanced bone formation in their animal model.

"People have shown that culture-derived cells could grow bone, but ours are a fresh cell population, and we didn't have to go through the culture process, which can take weeks," Soo said. "The best bone graft is still your own bone, but that is in limited supply and sometimes not of good quality. What we show here is a faster and better way to create bone that could have clinical applications."

The study was published Monday (June 11) in the early online edition of Stem Cells Translational Medicine, a new peer-reviewed journal that seeks to bridge stem cell research and clinical trials.

In the animal model, Soo and Pault's team put the hPSCs with NELL-1 in a muscle pouch, a place where bone is not normally grown. They then used X-rays to determine that the cells did indeed become bone.

"The purified human hPSCs formed significantly more bone in comparison to the SVF by all parameters," Soo said. "And these cells are plentiful enough that patients with not much excess body fat can donate their own fat tissue."

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Fresh, purified fat stem cells grow bone faster, better

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Originally posted here:
Life Technologies and Cellular Dynamics International Partner for Global Commercialization of Novel Stem Cell ...

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

International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) (www.internationalstemcell.com) has announced new sales and marketing initiatives for its Lifeline Skin Care products (www.lifelineskincare.com). These efforts are designed to enable Lifeline to robustly, strategically and profitably grow the business.

Consumer Advertising

During June and July, new integrated advertising campaigns will be launched in three marketing channelsonline, in newspapers and magazines, and through direct mail. The campaigns will feature Lifelines innovative stem cell technology and proof of the brands potential: younger looking skin. Although the ads will eventually be national in reach, the first few months will be devoted to optimizing the creative approach, targeting, frequency, timing, positioning, offer and ROI.

Key Opinion Leader and Peer Group Influencer

Elizabeth K. Hale, MD, one of the nation's top dermatologists, is now endorsing Lifeline Skin Care to both consumer and trade audiences. Dr. Hale is an Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at New York University, a private practitioner and a guest of the Doctor Oz show, the Today Show and Good Morning America. During the week of June 4 she met with beauty editors for Prevention, Health, Town and Country, Allure, FoxNews.com and InStyle, to present Lifeline Skin Care and its unique technology. The endorsement of a leading dermatologist should not only enhance the credibility of the brand but increase its visibility.

Strategic Partners

Email campaigns through strategic partners have been very successful at marketing Lifeline products. To expand that effort, several new key opinion leaders have now agreed to endorse Lifeline Skin Care to their social networks, including Mrs. Jeri Thompson, a conservative spokesperson, radio and TV guest and advocate for non-embryonic stem cell research; and authors, experts and media personalities in the areas of women's health, yoga, cosmetic dentistry, and retirement planning. Many of these partners plan to market Lifeline through their social network (email marketing, blogs, Facebook, etc.) as well as through personal and radio appearances. Most of these campaigns will launch during the third quarter.

Professional Channels

During the week of June 12, Lifeline is launching two campaigns directed to 27,000 cosmetic dermatologists and day spas. These campaigns are focused on providing information to skin care professionals, including dermatologists and plastic surgeons, to understand and embrace the significance and value of stem cell extracts for skin rejuvenation.

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International Stem Cell Corporation Announces Marketing Plans for Its Wholly Owned Subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care

Newswise UCLA stem cell scientists purified a subset of stem cells found in fat tissue and made from them bone that was formed faster and was of higher quality than bone grown using traditional methods, a finding that may one day eliminate the need for painful bone grafts that use material taken from the patient during invasive procedures.

Adipose, or fat, tissue is thought to be an ideal source of cells called mesenchymal stem cells - capable of developing into bone, cartilage, muscle and other tissues - because they are plentiful and easily attained through procedures such as liposuction, said Dr. Chia Soo, vice chair for research at UCLA Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The co-senior authors on the project, Soo and Bruno Pault, are members of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Traditionally, cells taken from fat had to be cultured for weeks to isolate the stem cells which could become bone, and their expansion increases risk of infection and genetic instability. A fresh, non-cultured cell composition called stromal vascular fraction (SVF) also is used to grow bone. However, SVF cells taken from adipose tissue are a highly heterogeneous population that includes cells that arent capable of becoming bone.

Pault and Soos team used a cell sorting machine to isolate and purify human perivascular stem cells (hPSC) from adipose tissue and showed that those cells worked far better than SVF cells in creating bone. They also showed that a growth factor called NELL-1, discovered by Dr. Kang Ting of the UCLA School of Dentistry, enhanced the bone formation in their animal model.

People have shown that culture-derived cells could grow bone, but these are a fresh cell population and we didnt have to go through the culture process, which can take weeks, Soo said. The best bone graft is still your own bone, but that is in limited supply and sometimes not of good quality. What we show here is a faster and better way to create bone that could have clinical applications.

The study appears June 11, 2012 in the early online edition of the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, a new journal that seeks to bridge stem cell research and clinical trials.

In the animal model, Soo and Paults team put the hPSCs with NELL-1 in a muscle pouch, a place where bone is not normally grown. They then used X-rays to determine that the cells did indeed become bone.

The purified human hPSCs formed significantly more bone in comparison to the SVF by all parameters, Soo said. And these cells are plentiful enough that patients with not much excess body fat can donate their own fat tissue.

Soo said if everything goes well, patients may one day have rapid access to high quality bone graft material by which doctors get their fat tissue, purify that into hPSCs and replace their own stem cells with NELL-1 back into the area where bone is required. The hPSC with NELL-1 could grow into bone inside the patient, eliminating the need for painful bone graft harvestings. The goal is for the process to isolate the hPSCs and add the NELL-1 with a matrix or scaffold to aid cell adhesion to take less than an hour, Soo said.

Excitingly, recent studies have already demonstrated the utility of perivascular stem cells for regeneration of disparate tissue types, including skeletal muscle, lung and even myocardium, said Pault, a professor of orthopedic surgery Further studies will extend our findings and apply the robust osteogenic potential of hPSCs to the healing of bone defects.

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A Better Way to Grow Bone: Fresh, Purified Fat Stem Cells Grow Bone Better, Faster

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

Contact: Kim Irwin kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu 310-206-2805 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

UCLA stem cell scientists purified a subset of stem cells found in fat tissue and made from them bone that was formed faster and was of higher quality than bone grown using traditional methods, a finding that may one day eliminate the need for painful bone grafts that use material taken from the patient during invasive procedures.

Adipose, or fat, tissue is thought to be an ideal source of cells called mesenchymal stem cells - capable of developing into bone, cartilage, muscle and other tissues - because they are plentiful and easily attained through procedures such as liposuction, said Dr. Chia Soo, vice chair for research at UCLA Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The co-senior authors on the project, Soo and Bruno Pault, are members of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Traditionally, cells taken from fat had to be cultured for weeks to isolate the stem cells which could become bone, and their expansion increases risk of infection and genetic instability. A fresh, non-cultured cell composition called stromal vascular fraction (SVF) also is used to grow bone. However, SVF cells taken from adipose tissue are a highly heterogeneous population that includes cells that aren't capable of becoming bone.

Pault and Soo's team used a cell sorting machine to isolate and purify human perivascular stem cells (hPSC) from adipose tissue and showed that those cells worked far better than SVF cells in creating bone. They also showed that a growth factor called NELL-1, discovered by Dr. Kang Ting of the UCLA School of Dentistry, enhanced the bone formation in their animal model.

"People have shown that culture-derived cells could grow bone, but these are a fresh cell population and we didn't have to go through the culture process, which can take weeks," Soo said. "The best bone graft is still your own bone, but that is in limited supply and sometimes not of good quality. What we show here is a faster and better way to create bone that could have clinical applications."

The study appears June 11, 2012 in the early online edition of the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, a new journal that seeks to bridge stem cell research and clinical trials.

In the animal model, Soo and Pault's team put the hPSCs with NELL-1 in a muscle pouch, a place where bone is not normally grown. They then used X-rays to determine that the cells did indeed become bone.

"The purified human hPSCs formed significantly more bone in comparison to the SVF by all parameters," Soo said. "And these cells are plentiful enough that patients with not much excess body fat can donate their own fat tissue."

Read the original post:
A better way to grow bone: Fresh, purified fat stem cells grow bone faster and better

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

###

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

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Bioluminescence imaging lights up stem cell therapy for hair growth

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

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

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

Market Overview

New Applications in Drug Discovery Platforms to Drive Stem Cells Market

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

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

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

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

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

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

Editor's Choice Main Category: Heart Disease Also Included In: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 09 Jun 2012 - 2:00 PDT

Current ratings for: 'Scientists Discover A Stem Cell That Causes Heart Disease'

3.94 (18 votes)

4 (1 votes)

The research is profound because it contradicts much of the generally accepted theories of what causes arterial hardening, and the concept may also relate to many other diseases could the associated stem cells be pinpointed.

What senior author Song Li, a bioengineering professor at UC Berkeley and a researcher at the Berkeley Stem Cell Center, and his team have uncovered is a dormant stem cell in blood vessel walls, that seems to sit inactive for most of a person's lifetime, before coming to life and causing less functional cells to begin to grow. Li says these new types of cells that start growing in later life, are the root cause of arterial hardening and clogging that are associated with deadly strokes and heart attacks.

Originally, it was thought that the smooth muscle cells in the arteries lining become scarred over time, and this leads to the narrow and brittle arteries that play a major part in causing cardiovascular disease. Not so says Liu: Essentially, what the scientists are saying is that the smooth muscle cells are not to blame. Rather a different kind of stem cell, that Li calls multipotent vascular stem cells, kicks in, and begins growing cells that look much like the smooth muscle cells, but don't function correctly. The cells were not found previously, because there are so few of them, that they were hard to isolate.

Li continues:

It almost sounds like something from Blade Runner, where the replicant humans have been deliberately designed to deteriorate and die at a much faster rate than the natural ones. What purpose would it serve the body under standard evolutionary terms to have cells activating later in life that effectively lead to its demise? With the arteries poorly formed, with wrong cell types, the blood flow becomes slowed and can then stopped completely. This causes strokes or heart attacks, depending on the location of the blockage. Strokes and heart attacks are one of the leading causes of death in the United States.

Creating drugs or other genetic treatments to shut down these stem cells or even deactivate them while a person is still young has the potential in the future to prevent arteriole hardening, reverse the damage already done, and even make this type of cardiovascular disease a thing of the past. Perhaps the futuristic Woody Allen movie "Sleeper" where people smoke tobacco and eat a high fat diet because it's healthier is not so far fetched after all.

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Scientists Discover A Stem Cell That Causes Heart Disease