Monthly Archives: May 2013

Washington, May 28 (ANI): A new research has found that human foetal stem cell grafts improve both motor and sensory functions in rats suffering from a spinal cord injury.

This cell replacement therapy also improves the structural integrity of the spine, providing a functional relay through the injury site.

The research gives hope for the treatment of spinal cord injuries in humans.

Grafting human neural stem cells into the spine is a promising approach to promote the recovery of function after spinal injury.

Sebastian van Gorp, from the University of California San Diego, and team's work looks specifically at the effect of intraspinal grafting of human foetal spinal cord-derived neural stem cells on the recovery of neurological function in rats with acute lumbar compression injuries.

A total of 42 three month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats, with spinal compression injuries, were allocated to one of three groups. The rats in the first group received a spinal injection with the stem cells, those in the second group received a placebo injection, while those in the third group received no injection.

Treatment effectiveness was assessed by a combination of measures, including motor and sensory function tests, presence of muscle spasticity and rigidity that causes stiffness and limits residual movement. The team also evaluated of how well the grafted cells had integrated into the rodents' spines.

Gorp and colleagues found that, compared to rats who received either the placebo injection or no injection, those who received the stem cell grafts showed a progressive and significant improvement in gait/paw placement, reduced muscle spasticity as well as improved sensitivity to both mechanical and thermal stimuli. In addition to these behavioural benefits, the researchers observed long-term improvements in the structural integrity of previously injured spinal cord segments.

"Importantly, spinal cavity formation and muscle spasticity are frequently observed in human patients with high-speed, high-impact induced spinal cord injuries. Our findings demonstrate that human foetal spinal cord-derived neural stem cells, with an already established favorable clinical safety profile, represent a potential cell candidate for cell replacement therapy in patients with traumatic spinal injuries," the researchers added.

The research was published this week in BioMed Central's open access journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy. (ANI)

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Spine function improves after cell replacement therapy with human fetal stem cells

May 28, 2013

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

For years, stem-cell based therapies have been described as a potential way to treat spinal cord injuries in humans, and a new study published in the journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy describes an exciting step forward in that pursuit.

According to the report, a single injection of human stem cells was able to induce neuronal regeneration and improved mobility in rats that were afflicted with a severe spinal cord injury.

This is exciting, especially because, historically, there has been very little to offer patients with acute spinal cord injury, said co-author Dr. Joseph Ciacci, chief of neurosurgery for the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System.

The research team observed as the injected rats regained motor skills and experienced a loss of the uncontrollable muscle spasms typically associated with traumatic spinal cord injury.The stem cell therapy also improved the integrity of the spine, allowing for signals to pass through the injury location.

The primary benefits were improvement in the positioning and control of paws during walking tests and suppression of muscle spasticity, said Dr. Martin Marsala, a medical doctor and professor at the University of California, San Diego and a specialist in treating spinal injury-related disorders.

In the study, the researchers sorted 42 three-month-old female rats with recently induced spinal compression injuries into one of three groups. The first group received a stem cell injection, the second group received a placebo injection, and the third group was left alone.

Weekly assessments were performed on the three groups over eight weeks following the treatment using a combination of tests. The rats motor and sensory functions, presence of muscle spasticity and rigidity were all tested. Using MRI images, visual inspections, and staining techniques, the team also assessed how well the grafted cells had integrated into the rat spines.

The team found that the stem-cell treated mice experienced a progressive improvement in their walking ability, a reduction in muscle spasticity, and improved sensitivity to mechanical and thermal stimuli. The researchers also saw lasting improvements in the structural reliability of previously injured spinal cord sections.

Read more:
Breakthrough In Use Of Stem Cells To Treat Spinal Cord Injuries

Tucson, AZ and San Juan Capistrano, CA (PRWEB) May 29, 2013

Liposuction.com, the largest website dedicated to liposuction education, and AdiCyte, the nations leading cryobank for adipose [fat] derived tissue and stem cells, have partnered to educate consumers about StemCellLipo and the value of banking adipose tissue and stem cells following liposuction.

StemCellLipo is a new add-on procedure that enables liposuction patients to collect and preserve their youngest stem cells for use in the future in regenerative medicine or tissue engineering.

Oddly, fat is the largest source of mesenchymal stem cells [MSC] in the human body. These stem cells can replicate into other types of cells such as bone, nerve, cartilage and muscle.

Doctors have already successfully regenerated knee cartilage in arthritic patients, and engineered new blood vessels and whole organs such as a bladder, using a patients own MSCs. Since regenerative medicine with MSCs is the focus of over 100 clinical trials for things like recovery after a heart attack and spinal disc regeneration, banking the cells has been referred to as a type of biological insurance in case of future need.

We think http://www.liposuction.com is the quintessential online resource for patients interested in liposuction and every single one of those patients should make an informed decision about their adipose stem cells. We will now have the opportunity to educate a million consumers each year on the benefit of preserving their unique stem cells following their liposuction procedure," said Scott Edelman, CEO and co-founder of AdiCyte.

AdiCytes laboratory, located at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, is under the direction of Dr. David Harris, a world-renowned expert on stem cell cryopreservation and their use in regenerative medicine. Harris started the first stem cell bank in 1992, preserving stem cells from umbilical cord blood. Today, approximately 1,000,000 individuals have their stem cells banked.

This is an important and valuable advancement that our visitors need to know about when they come to us for information on liposuction, said Rob Belo, Global Relations Manager at http://www.liposuction.com.

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StemCellLipo is exclusively offered by AdiCyte, Inc. AdiCyte is the leader in cryobanking of adipose tissue for use in cosmetic, surgical, reconstructive and regenerative medical treatments. MSCs derived from adipose tissue are pluripotent stem cells that can differentiate into other specialized types of cells like bone cells, nerve cells and liver cells. The companys laboratory and processing facility is FDA registered and located in Tucson, Arizona. More information is available at http://www.adicyte.com.

Original post:
Industry Leaders Team Up to Educate Patients on StemCellLipoâ„¢ Cryopreservation of Stem Cells after Liposuction

May 28, 2013

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

By reengineering skin cells from individuals with Down syndrome, scientists at the University of Wisconsin, Madison were able to learn how stem cells develop into dysfunctional brain cells when they contain an extra copy of chromosome 21, the genetic cause of the disorder.

Even though Down syndrome is very common, its surprising how little we know about what goes wrong in the brain, said Anita Bhattacharyya, a stem cell researcher and co-author of a paper based on the research that appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

These new cells provide a way to look at early brain development, she added.

The Wisconsin researchers began by transforming two Down syndrome patients skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, which can then be converted into brain cells.

Bhattacharyya said she noticed something unique about the neurons as they were developing.

They communicate less, are quieter, she said. This is new, but it fits with what little we know about the Down syndrome brain.

The team found that developing neurons in the study had only about 60 percent of the usual number of synapses compared to healthy brain cells. Synapses are the junctures where nerve cells connect with each other and which allow for communication via the transmission of electrical signals.

This is enough to make a difference, Bhattacharyya said. Even if they recovered these synapses later on, you have missed this critical window of time during early development.

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Stem Cells Help Explore Brain Development In Down Syndrome Patients