Monthly Archives: March 2014

:: 20, Mar 2014 :: A*STAR SCIENTISTS CREATE STEM CELLS FROM A DROP OF BLOOD

Posted: March 20, 2014 at 4:01 pm

The DIY finger-prick technique opens door for extensive stem cell banking

1. Scientists at A*STARs Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have developed a method to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) from a single drop of finger-pricked blood. The method also enables donors to collect their own blood samples, which they can then send to a laboratory for further processing. The easy access to blood samples using the new technique could potentially boost the recruitment of greater numbers and diversities of donors, and could lead to the establishment of large-scale hiPSC banks.

3. Current sample collection for reprogramming into hiPSCs include invasive measures such as collecting cells from the bone marrow or skin, which may put off many potential donors. Although hiPSCs may also be generated from blood cells, large quantities of blood are usually required. In the paper published online on the Stem Cell Translational Medicine journal, scientists at IMCB showed for the first time that single-drop volumes of blood are sufficient for reprogramming into hiPSCs. The finger-prick technique is the worlds first to use only a drop of finger-pricked blood to yield hiPSCs with high efficiency. A patent has been filed for the innovation.

4. The accessibility of the new technique is further enhanced with a DIY sample collection approach. Donors may collect their own finger-pricked blood, which they can then store and send it to a laboratory for reprogramming. The blood sample remains stable for 48 hours and can be expanded for 12 days in culture, which therefore extends the finger-prick technique to a wide range of geographical regions for recruitment of donors with varied ethnicities, genotypes and diseases.

5. By integrating it with the hiPSC bank initiatives, the finger-prick technique paves the way for establishing diverse and fully characterised hiPSC banking for stem cell research. The potential access to a wide range of hiPSCs could also replace the use of embryonic stem cells, which are less accessible. It could also facilitate the set-up of a small hiPSC bank in Singapore to study targeted local diseases.

6. Dr Loh Yuin Han Jonathan, Principal Investigator at IMCB and lead scientist for the finger-prick hiPSC technique, said, It all began when we wondered if we could reduce the volume of blood used for reprogramming. We then tested ifdonors could collect their own blood sample in a normal room environment and store it. Our finger-prick technique, in fact, utilised less than a drop of finger-pricked blood. The remaining blood could even be used for DNA sequencing and other blood tests.

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:: 20, Mar 2014 :: A*STAR SCIENTISTS CREATE STEM CELLS FROM A DROP OF BLOOD

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Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy – Video

Posted: March 20, 2014 at 3:50 pm

Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy
Short fun video about Stemaid #39;s Embryonic Stem Cells Visit http://www.stemaid.com.

By: stemaid

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Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy - Video

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Stem Cell Therapy | Advanced Orthopedics | Regenerative …

Posted: March 20, 2014 at 3:50 pm

It's been nothing but 100% improvement.It just continues to get better.Ive been avoiding doing stairways and I have to be real careful climbing in and out of equipment. I find myself being a lot more relaxed, not having the problems, not having the pain. I don't have the swelling in my knees that I used to have and it hasnt been waking me up at night. View my video testimonial here My name is Susan and Im 62 year old I just finished having my second PRP treatment and Im very, very happy with the results I can do all kinds of things I wasn't able to do beforeI believe my knee will continue to get better as the cartilage grows. Thank you! View my video testimonial here

Many thanks to the Stem MD team for giving me the use of my hands back, pain free! Professional, courteous and compassionate, describes this team of caring people. To anyone considering this procedure, I say you will be amazed and thankful at the results.

Lenita Brewer Ansonia, Ohio

Thank you for giving my life and health back. The PRP treatment worked wonders and helped alleviate the pain. I highly recommend the anti-inflammatory diet, Dr. Purita suggested. My body noticed the difference and I lost 35 pounds. I can finally be active again!

Jennica Califf Coconut Creek, Florida

I thought there was no hope for my chronic back pain. I am so thankful I found out about Dr. Purita and stem cells. I have had back pain for over 5 years, debilitating me to do everyday things. Today my pain has gone down 50%. I tell all my friends and family and wish everyone knew about this wonderful treatment. Thank you so much Dr. Purita

It has been 3 months since my mothers procedure to her knees. Now, my mom climbs into the van without any help, before we had to pull her up and assist her. She does not take painkillers anymore, even her recurring bladder infection and Diabetes is well controlled. All my friends and colleagues are super amazed every time I show them a video of my mom dancing. Thank you so much what you have done for my mom it is truly wonderful and I am forever indebted to you.

Malou Aragon-De Veyra Philippines

I came to Dr. Purita on the advice of a friend when I expressed trepidations about cortisone shots or the possibility no matter how remote of a joint replacement. I was a wrestler in high school and college, and this had done no good for my kneed as I aged. I had no expectations, only hope that somehow my knees could be made less fragile by the stem cell therapy my friend described. I had gotten to the point where any down stairs journey or stepping down off a van or public bus was excruciating, to the point that I usually made an exclamation that wasn't fit for public utterance every time I stepped off a bus or a van. My expectations were neutral at best. I had no idea as to how this stem cell therapy would impact my general health whatsoever. I can say without hesitation that the results have been beyond what I could have hoped. My knees are now cooperative to the point that sometimes I take the stairs down just because I can. I have resumed walking the stairs up and down at work, and I can say that I really don't think about anything I want to do where my kneed are involved. I am not quite where I was when I was 20, but 35 is a real thought, my flexibility and agility are restored to a level I could not have imagined. As an additional part of the procedure Dr. Purita also injected stem cell into my left hand, which has been diagnosed with some arthritis. The results are less instantaneously spectacular, but the had continues to improve. I no longer sit in my office while my hand burns with joint pain, my movement and most of my strength are improving daily, and I have a feeling that within a month or so I will have the same level of improvement I have experiences with my knees. Many thanks to the friend who recommended the trip to Dr. Purita's office, and to Dr. Purita and his staff who have put thoughts of joint replacement and the mad merry-go-round of cortisone shots far in the past for me.

Mark Burns Hypoluxo, Florida

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Stem cell combination therapy improves traumatic brain injury outcomes

Posted: March 20, 2014 at 3:50 pm

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI), sustained by close to 2 million Americans annually, including military personnel, are debilitating and devastating for patients and their families. Regardless of severity, those with TBI can suffer a range of motor, behavioral, intellectual and cognitive disabilities over the short or long term. Sadly, clinical treatments for TBI are few and largely ineffective.

In an effort to find an effective therapy, neuroscientists at the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, Department of Neurosurgery in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, have conducted several preclinical studies aimed at finding combination therapies to improve TBI outcomes.

In their study of several different therapies -- alone and in combination -- applied to laboratory rats modeled with TBI, USF researchers found that a combination of human umbilical cord blood cells (hUBCs) and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), a growth factor, was more therapeutic than either administered alone, or each with saline, or saline alone.

The study appeared in a recent issue of PLoS ONE.

"Chronic TBI is typically associated with major secondary molecular injuries, including chronic neuroinflammation, which not only contribute to the death of neuronal cells in the central nervous system, but also impede any natural repair mechanism," said study lead author Cesar V. Borlongan, PhD, professor of neurosurgery and director of USF's Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair. "In our study, we used hUBCs and G-CSF alone and in combination. In previous studies, hUBCs have been shown to suppress inflammation, and G-CSF is currently being investigated as a potential therapeutic agent for patients with stroke or Alzheimer's disease."

Their stand-alone effects have a therapeutic potential for TBI, based on results from previous studies. For example, G-CSF has shown an ability to mobilize stem cells from bone marrow and then infiltrate injured tissues, promoting self-repair of neural cells, while hUBCs have been shown to suppress inflammation and promote cell growth.

The involvement of the immune system in the central nervous system to either stimulate repair or enhance molecular damage has been recognized as key to the progression of many neurological disorders, including TBI, as well as in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and some autoimmune diseases, the researchers report. Increased expression of MHCII positive cells -- cell members that secrete a family of molecules mediating interactions between the immune system's white blood cells -- has been directly linked to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in TBI.

"Our results showed that the combined therapy of hUBCs and G-CSF significantly reduced the TBI-induced loss of neuronal cells in the hippocampus," said Borlongan. "Therapy with hUBCs and G-CSF alone or in combination produced beneficial results in animals with experimental TBI. G-CSF alone produced only short-lived benefits, while hUBCs alone afforded more robust and stable improvements. However, their combination offered the best motor improvement in the laboratory animals."

"This outcome may indicate that the stem cells had more widespread biological action than the drug therapy," said Paul R. Sanberg, distinguished professor at USF and principal investigator of the Department of Defense funded project. "Regardless, their combination had an apparent synergistic effect and resulted in the most effective amelioration of TBI-induced behavioral deficits."

The researchers concluded that additional studies of this combination therapy are warranted in order to better understand their modes of action. While this research focused on motor improvements, they suggested that future combination therapy research should also include analysis of cognitive improvement in the laboratory animals modeled with TBI.

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Stem cell combination therapy improves traumatic brain injury outcomes

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Stem cells created from a drop of blood: DIY finger-prick technique opens door for extensive stem cell banking

Posted: March 20, 2014 at 3:50 pm

Scientists at A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have developed a method to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) from a single drop of finger-pricked blood. The method also enables donors to collect their own blood samples, which they can then send to a laboratory for further processing. The easy access to blood samples using the new technique could potentially boost the recruitment of greater numbers and diversities of donors, and could lead to the establishment of large-scale hiPSC banks.

By genetic reprogramming, matured human cells, usually blood cells, can be transformed into hiPSCs. As hiPSCs exhibit properties remarkably similar to human embryonic stem cells, they are invaluable resources for basic research, drug discovery and cell therapy. In countries like Japan, USA and UK, a number of hiPSC bank initiatives have sprung up to make hiPSCs available for stem cell research and medical studies.

Current sample collection for reprogramming into hiPSCs include invasive measures such as collecting cells from the bone marrow or skin, which may put off many potential donors. Although hiPSCs may also be generated from blood cells, large quantities of blood are usually required. In the paper published online on the Stem Cell Translational Medicine journal, scientists at IMCB showed for the first time that single-drop volumes of blood are sufficient for reprogramming into hiPSCs. The finger-prick technique is the world's first to use only a drop of finger-pricked blood to yield hiPSCs with high efficiency. A patent has been filed for the innovation.

The accessibility of the new technique is further enhanced with a DIY sample collection approach. Donors may collect their own finger-pricked blood, which they can then store and send it to a laboratory for reprogramming. The blood sample remains stable for 48 hours and can be expanded for 12 days in culture, which therefore extends the finger-prick technique to a wide range of geographical regions for recruitment of donors with varied ethnicities, genotypes and diseases.

By integrating it with the hiPSC bank initiatives, the finger-prick technique paves the way for establishing diverse and fully characterised hiPSC banking for stem cell research. The potential access to a wide range of hiPSCs could also replace the use of embryonic stem cells, which are less accessible. It could also facilitate the set-up of a small hiPSC bank in Singapore to study targeted local diseases.

Dr Loh Yuin Han Jonathan, Principal Investigator at IMCB and lead scientist for the finger-prick hiPSC technique, said, "It all began when we wondered if we could reduce the volume of blood used for reprogramming. We then tested if donors could collect their own blood sample in a normal room environment and store it. Our finger-prick technique, in fact, utilised less than a drop of finger-pricked blood. The remaining blood could even be used for DNA sequencing and other blood tests."

Dr Stuart Alexander Cook, Senior Consultant at the National Heart Centre Singapore and co-author of the paper, said "We were able to differentiate the hiPSCs reprogrammed from Jonathan's finger-prick technique, into functional heart cells. This is a well-designed, applicable technique that can unlock unrealized potential of biobanks around the world for hiPSC studies at a scale that was previously not possible."

Prof Hong Wanjin, Executive Director at IMCB, said "Research on hiPSCs is now highly sought-after, given its potential to be used as a model for studying human diseases and for regenerative medicine. Translational research and technology innovations are constantly encouraged at IMCB and this new technique is very timely. We hope to eventually help the scientific community gain greater accessibility to hiPSCs for stem cell research through this innovation."

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The above story is based on materials provided by A*STAR. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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