Category Archives: California Stem Cells

BUFFALO, N.Y. A new study led by a researcher in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo has important implications for developing future treatments for Parkinsons disease (PD), a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement and often includes tremors.

In this study, we find a method to differentiate human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to A9 dopamine neurons (A9 DA), which are lost in Parkinsons disease, says Jian Feng, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics in the Jacobs School and the senior author on the paper published May 24 in Molecular Psychiatry.

These neurons are pacemakers that continuously fire action potentials regardless of excitatory inputs from other neurons, he adds. Their pacemaking property is very important to their function and underlies their vulnerability in Parkinsons disease.

This exciting breakthrough is a critical step forward in efforts to better understand Parkinsons disease and how to treat it, says Allison Brashear, MD, UBs vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School. Jian Feng and his team are to be commended for their innovation and resolve.

Feng explains there are many different types of dopamine neurons in the human brain, and each type is responsible for different brain functions.

Nigral dopamine neurons, also known as the A9 DA neurons, are responsible for controlling voluntary movements. The loss of these neurons causes the movement symptoms of Parkinsons disease, he says.

Scientists have been trying hard to generate these neurons from human pluripotent stem cells to study Parkinsons disease and develop better therapies, Feng says. We have succeeded in making A9 dopamine neurons from human induced pluripotent stem cells. It means that we can now generate these neurons from any PD patients to study their disease.

Feng notes that A9 DA neurons are probably the largest cells in the human body. Their volume is about four times the volume of a mature human egg.

Over 99 percent of the volume is contributed by their extremely extensive axon branches. The total length of axon branches of a single A9 DA neuron is about 4.5 meters, he says. The cell is like the water supply system in a city, with a relatively small plant and hundreds of miles of water pipes going to each building.

In addition to their unique morphology, the A9 DA neurons are pacemakers they fire action potentials continuously regardless of synaptic input.

They depend on Ca2+ channels to maintain the pacemaking activities. Thus, the cells need to deal with a lot of stress from handling Ca2+ and dopamine, Feng says. These unique features of A9 DA neurons make them vulnerable. Lots of efforts are being directed at understanding these vulnerabilities, with the hope of finding a way to arrest or prevent their loss in Parkinsons disease.

Pacemaking is an important feature and vulnerability of A9 DA neurons. Now that we can generate A9 DA pacemakers from any patient, it is possible to use these neurons to screen for compounds that may protect their loss in PD, Feng notes. It is also possible to test whether these cells are a better candidate for transplantation therapy of PD.

To differentiate human iPSCs to A9 DA neurons, the researchers tried to mimic what happens in embryonic development, in which the cells secrete proteins called morphogens to signal to each other their correct position and destiny in the embryo.

Feng notes the A9 DA neurons are in the ventral part of the midbrain in development.

Thus, we differentiate the human iPSCs in three stages, each with different chemicals to mimic the developmental process, he says. The challenge is to identify the correct concentration, duration, and treatment window of each chemical.

The combination of this painstaking work, which is based on previous work by many others in the field, makes it possible for us to generate A9 DA neurons, Feng adds.

Feng points out there are a number of roadblocks to studying Parkinsons disease, but that significant progress is being made.

There is no objective diagnostic test of Parkinsons disease, and when PD is diagnosed by clinical symptoms, it is already too late. The loss of nigral DA neurons has already been going on for at least a decade, he says.

There was previously no way to make human dopamine neurons from a PD patient so we could study these neurons to find out what goes wrong.

Scientists have been using animal models and human cell lines to study Parkinsons disease, but these systems are inadequate in their ability to reflect the situation in human nigral DA neurons, Feng says.

Just within the past 15 years, PD research has been transformed by the ability to make patient-specific dopamine neurons that are increasingly similar to their counterparts in the brain of a PD patient.

Houbo Jiang, PhD, research scientist in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and Hong Li, PhD, a former postdoctoral associate in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, are co first-authors on the paper.

Other co-authors on the study are: Hanqin Li, PhD, a graduate of the doctoral program in neuroscience and currently a postdoctoral fellow at University of California, Berkeley; Li Li, a trainee in UBs doctoral program in neuroscience; and Zhen Yan, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of physiology and biophysics.

The study was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institutes of Health and by New York State Stem Cell Science (NYSTEM).

Read more from the original source:
UB-led study presents critical step forward in understanding Parkinson's disease and how to treat it - University at Buffalo

ABSTRACT

Embryonic stem cells have immense medical potential. While both their acquisition for and use in research are fraught with controversy, arguments against their usage are rebutted by showing that embryonic stem cells are not equivalent to human lives. It is then argued that not using human embryos is unethical. Finally, an alternative to embryonic stem cells is presented.

Embryonic stem cells have the potential to cure nearly every disease and condition known to humanity. Stem cells are natures Transformers. They are small cells that can regenerate indefinitely, waiting to transform into a specialized cell type such as a brain cell, heart cell or blood cell [1]. Most stem cells form during the earliest stages of human development, immediately when an embryo is formed. These cells, known as embryonic stem cells (ESCs), eventually develop into every single type of cell in the body. As the embryo develops, adult stem cells (ASCs) replace these all-powerful embryonic stem cells. ASCs can only become a number of different cells within their potency. This limited application means an adult mesenchymal stem cell cannot become a neural cell.

By harnessing the unique ability of embryonic stem cells to transform into functional cells, scientists can develop treatments for a number of diseases and injuries, according to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, a private organization which awards grants for stem cell research [1]. For example, scientists at the Cleveland Clinic converted ESCs into heart muscle cells and injected them into patients who suffered from heart attacks. The cells continued to grow and helped the patients hearts recover [2].

With this enormous potential to cure devastating diseases, including heart failure, spinal cord injuries and Alzheimers disease, governments and research organizations have the moral imperative to support and encourage embryonic stem cell research. President Barack Obama signed an executive order in 2009 loosening federal funding restrictions on stem cell research, saying, We will aim for America to lead the world in the discoveries it one day may yield. [3]. The National Institute of Health and seven state governments, including California, Maryland and New York, followed Obamas lead by creating programs that offered over $5 billion in funding and other incentives to scientists and research institutions for stem cell research [4].

Scientists believe that harnessing the capability of embryonic stem cells will unlock the cure for countless diseases. I am very excited about embryonic stem cells, said Dr. Dieter Egli, professor of developmental cell biology at Columbia University. They will lead to unprecedented discoveries that will transform life. I have no doubt about it. [5]. The results thus far are inspiring. In 2016, Kris Boesen, a 21-year-old college student from Bakersfield, California, suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. In a clinical trial conducted by Dr. Charles Liu at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Boesen was injected with 10 million embryonic stem cells that transformed into nerve cells [6]. Three months after the treatment, Boesen regained the use of his arms and hands. He could brush his teeth, operate a motorized wheelchair, and live more independently. All Ive wanted from the beginning was a fighting chance, he said. The power of stem cells made his wish possible [6].

Embryonic stem cell treatments may also cure type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, which affects 42 million worldwide, is an autoimmune disorder that results in the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells found in the pancreas [7]. ViaCyte, a company in San Diego, California, is developing an implant that contains replacement beta cells originating from embryonic stem cells [7]. The implant will preserve or replace the original beta cells to protect them from the patients immune system [7]. The company believes that if successful, this strategy will effectively cure type 1 diabetes. Patients with the disease will no longer have to closely monitor their blood sugar levels and inject insulin [7]. ViaCyte projects that an experimental version of this implant will become available by 2020 [7].

Ultimately, scientists believe they will grow complex organs using stem cells within the next decade [8]. Over 115,000 people in the United States need a life-saving organ donation, and an average of 20 people die every day due to the lack of available organs for transplant, according to the American Transplant Foundation [9]. Three-dimensional printing of entire organs derived from stem cells holds the most promise for solving the organ shortage crisis [8]. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have successfully printed part of a functional liver [8]. While the printed liver is not ready for transplant, it still performs the functions of a normal liver. This has helped scientists reduce the need for often cruel and unethical animal testing. The scientists expose drugs to the printed liver and observe how it reacts. The livers response closely mimics that of a human beings and no living animals are harmed in the process [8].

Research using embryonic stems cells provides an unprecedented understanding of human development and the potential to cure devastating diseases. However, stem cell research has generated controversy among religious organizations such as the Catholic Church as well as the pro-life movement [3]. That is because scientists harvest stem cells from embryos donated by fertility clinics. Opponents of embryonicstem cell research equate the destruction of an embryo to the murder of an innocent human being [10]. Pope Benedict XVI said that harvesting stem cells is not only devoid of the light of God but is also devoid of humanity [3]. However, this view does not reflect a reasonable understanding and interpretation of basic biology. Researchers typically harvest embryonic stem cells from an embryo five days after fertilization [1]. At this stage, the entire embryo consists of less than 250 cells, smaller than the tip of a pin. Of these cells, only 30 are embryonic stem cells, which cannot perform any human function [11]. For comparison, an adult has more than 72 trillion cells, each with a specialized function [3]. Therefore, this microscopic blob of cells in no way represents human life.

With no functional cells, there exist no characteristics of a human being. Fundamentalist Christians believe that the presence or absence of a heartbeat signifies the beginning and end of a human life [10]. However, at this stage there is no heart, not even a single heart cell [10]. Some contend that brain activity, or the ability to feel, defines a human being. Michael Gazzaniga, president of the Cognitive Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara, explains in his book,The Ethical Brain,that the fertilized egg is a clump of cells with no brain. [12]. There is no brain nor nerve cells that could allow this cellular object to interact with its environment [12]. The only uniquely human feature of embryonic cells at this stage is that they contain human DNA. This means that a 5-day-old human embryo is effectively no different than the Petri dishes of human cells that have grown in laboratories for decades with no controversy or opposition. Therefore, if the cluster of cells in the earliest stage of a human embryo is considered a human life, a growing plate of skin cells must also be considered human life. Few would claim that a Petri dish of human cells is morally equivalent to a living human or any other animal. Why, then, would a microscopic collection of embryonic cells have the same moral status as an adult human?

The status of the human embryo comes from itspotentialto turn into a fully grown human being. However, the potential of this entity to become an individual does not logically mean that it has the same status as an individual who can think and feel. If this were true, virtually every cell grown in a laboratory would be subject to the same controversy. This is because scientists have developed technology to convert an ordinary cell such as a skin cell into an embryo [10]. Although this requires a laboratory with special conditions, the normal development of a human being also requires special conditions in the womb of the mother. Therefore, almost any cell could be considered a potential individual, so it is illogical to conclude that a cluster of embryonic cells deserves a higher moral status.

Hundreds of thousands of embryos are destroyed each year in a process known as in vitro fertilization (IVF), a popular procedure that helps couples have children [13]. Society has an ethical obligation to use these discarded embryos to make medical advancements rather than simply throw them in the trash for misguided ideological and religious reasons as opponents of embryonic stem cell research desire.

With IVF, a fertility clinician harvests sperm and egg cells from the parents and creates an embryo in a laboratory before implanting it in the womans womb. However, creating and implanting a single embryo is expensive and often leads to unsuccessful implantation. Instead, the clinician typically creates an average of seven embryos and selects the healthiest few to implant [13].

This leaves several unused embryos for every one implanted. The couple can pay a fee to preserve the unused embryos by freezing them or can donate them to another family. Otherwise, they are slated for destruction [14]. A 2011 study in the Journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine found that 19 percent of the unused embryos are discarded and only 3 percent are donated for scientific research [14]. Many of these embryos could never grow into a living person given the chance because they are not healthy enough to survive past early stages of development [14]. If a human embryo is already destined for destruction or has no chance of survival, scientists have the ethical imperative to use these embryos to research and develop medical treatments that could save lives. The modern version of the Hippocratic oath states, I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required [to heal] [10]. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah supports the pro-life movement, which recognizes early embryos as human individuals. However, even he favors using the leftover embryos for the greater good. The morality of the situation dictates that these embryos, which are routinely discarded, be used to improve and save lives. The tragedy would be in not using these embryos to save lives when the alternative is that they would be discarded. [3]

Although scientists have used embryonic stem cells (ESCs) for promising treatments, they are not ideal, and scientists hope to eliminate the need for them. Primarily, ESCs come from an embryo with different DNA than the patient who will receive the treatment, meaning they are not autologous. ESCs are not necessarily compatible with everyone and could cause the immune system to reject the treatment [11]. The most promising alternative to ESCs are known as induced pluripotent stem cells. In 2008, scientists discovered a way to reprogram human skin cells to embryonic stem cells [15]. Scientists easily obtained these cells from a patients skin, converted them into the desired cell type, then transplanted them into the diseased organ without risk of immune rejection [15]. This eliminates any ethical concerns because no embryos are harvested or destroyed in the process. However, induced stem cells have their own risks. Recent studies have shown that they can begin growing out of control and turn into cancer [3]. Several of the first clinical trials with induced stem cells, including one aimed at curing blindness by regenerating a patients retinal cells, were halted because potentially cancerous mutations were detected [3].

Scientists believe that induced stem cells created in a laboratory will one day completely replace embryonic stem cells harvested from human embryos. However, the only way to create perfect replicas of ESCs is to thoroughly understand their structure and function. Scientists still do not completely understand how ESCs work. Why does a stem cell sometimes become a nerve cell, sometimes become a heart cell and other times regenerate to produce another stem cell? How can we tell a stem cell what type of cell to become? To develop a viable alternative to ESCs, scientists must first answer these questions with experiments on ESCs from human embryos. Therefore, extensive embryonic stem cell research today will eliminate the need for embryonic stem cells in the future.

The Biomedical Engineering Society Code of Ethics calls upon engineers to use their knowledge, skills, and abilities to enhance the safety, health and welfare of the public. [16] Stem cell research epitomizes this. Stem cells hold the cure for numerous diseases ranging from spinal cord injuries to organ failure and have the potential to transform modern medicine. Therefore, the donation of human embryos to scientific research falls within most conventional ethical frameworks and should be allowed with minimal restriction.

Because of widespread ignorance about the science behind stem cells, ill-informed opposition has prevented scientists from receiving the funding and support they need to save millions of lives. For example, George W. Bushs religious opposition to stem cell research resulted in a 2001 law severely limiting government funding for such research [3]. Although most opponents of stem cell research compare the destruction of a human embryo to the death of a living human, the biology of these early embryos is no more human than a plate of skin cells in a laboratory. Additionally, all embryos sacrificed for scientific research would otherwise be discarded and provide no benefit to society. If society better understood the process and potential of embryonic stem cell research, more people would surely support it.

Within the next decade, stem cells will likely provide simple cures for diseases that are currently untreatable, such as Alzheimers disease and organ failure [1]. As long as scientists receive support for embryonic stem cell research, stem cell therapies will become commonplace in clinics and hospitals around the world. Ultimately, the fate of this new medical technology lies in the hands of the public, who must support propositions that will continue to allow and expand the impact of embryonic stem cell research.

By Jonathan Sussman, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California

At the time of writing this paper, Jonathan Sussman was a senior at the University of Southern California studying biomedical engineering with an emphasis in biochemistry. He was an undergraduate research assistant in the Graham Lab investigating proteomics of cancer cells and was planning to attend an MD/PhD program.

[1] Stem Cell Information,Stem Cell Basics, 2016. [Online]. Available at:https://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/3.htm%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[2] Cleveland Clinic, Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Disease | Cleveland Clinic, 2017. [Online]. Available at:https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17508-stem-cell-therapy-for-heart-disease%5BAccessed 14 Oct. 2018].

[3] B. Lo and L. Parham, Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research,Endocrine Reviews, 30(3), pp.204-213, 2009.

[4] G. Gugliotta,Why Many States Now Have Stem Cell Research Programs, 2015. [Online]. Available at:http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/last-decades-culture-wars-drove-some-states-to-fund-stem-cell-research.html%5BAccessed 14 Oct. 2018].

[5] D. Cyranoski,How human embryonic stem cells sparked a revolution,Nature Journal, 2018. [Online]. Available at:https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-03268-4%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[6] K. McCormack,Young man with spinal cord injury regains use of hands and arms after stem cell therapy, The Stem Cellar, 2016. [Online]. Available at:https://blog.cirm.ca.gov/2016/09/07/young-man-with-spinal-cord-injury-regains-use-of-hands-and-arms-after-stem-cell-therapy/%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[7] A. Coghlan,First implants derived from stem cells to cure type 1 diabetes,New Scientist, 2017. [Online]. Available at:https://www.newscientist.com/article/2142976-first-implants-derived-from-stem-cells-to-cure-type-1-diabetes/%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[8] C. Scott,University of California San Diegos 3D Printed Liver Tissue May Be the Closest Weve Gotten to a Real Printed Liver,3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing, 2018. [Online]. Available at:https://3dprint.com/118932/uc-san-diego-3d-printed-liver/%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[9] American Transplant Foundation,Facts and Myths about Transplant. [Online]. Available at:https://www.americantransplantfoundation.org/about-transplant/facts-and-myths/%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[10] A. Siegel, Ethics of Stem Cell Research,Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2013. [Online]. Available at:https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stem-cells/%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[11] I. Hyun,Stem Cells The Hastings Center,The Hastings Center, 2018. [Online]. Available at:https://www.thehastingscenter.org/briefingbook/stem-cells/%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[12] M. Gazzaniga,The Ethical Brain,New York: Harper Perennial, 2006.

[13] M. Bilger,Shocking Report Shows 2.5 Million Human Beings Created for IVF Have Been Killed | LifeNews.com,LifeNews, 2016. [Online]. Available at:https://www.lifenews.com/2016/12/06/shocking-report-shows-2-5-million-human-beings-created-for-ivf-have-been-killed/%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[14] Harvard Gazette, Stem cell lines created from discarded IVF embryos, 2008. [Online]. Available at:https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/01/stem-cell-lines-created-from-discarded-ivf-embryos/%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[15] K. Murray,Could we make babies from only skin cells?, CNN, 2017. [Online]. Available at:https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/09/health/embryo-skin-cell-ivg/index.html%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

[16] Biomedical Engineering Society,Biomedical Engineering Society Code of Ethics, 2004. [Online]. Available at:https://www.bmes.org/files/CodeEthics04.pdf%5BAccessed 11 Oct. 2018].

Link:
Stem Cells: A Case for the Use of Human Embryos in Scientific Research

The article titled "Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer in Breast Augmentation Surgery: Clinical Outcomes and Considerations for Future Research" was recently published on the Cureus medical site.

LOS ANGELES, June 3, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Dr. John Anastasatos is a well-respected, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, CA, who recently co-authored the peer-reviewed article titled, "Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer in Breast Augmentation Surgery: Clinical Outcomes and Considerations for Future Research," which was published on March 2, 2022. Autologous fat transfer is a widely used surgical technique for breast augmentation surgery, but it has been associated with various complications, including post-surgical fat resorption. In the article, Dr. Anastasatos contributes his knowledge on state-of-the-art methods used to harvest, process, optimize and utilize fat for breast augmentation and reconstruction purposes and techniques to optimize fat grafting longevity and increase survival of the fat where it is placed. Dr. Anastasatos' study explores a novel technique, referred to as cell-assisted lipotransfer, or CAL, and how it has shown promising results in terms of reducing fat resorption. The informative article explores the ways in which cell-assisted lipotransfer is different from the autologous fat transfer, as well as how and why adipose-derived stem cells may contribute towards limiting fat resorption.

Link to Article: Cureus | Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer in Breast Augmentation Surgery: Clinical Outcomes and Considerations for Future Research

"Our study determined that CAL may still be a new technique, but its promising results, through the prism of multiple isolation systems, highlight the great potential for use in clinical practice," says Dr. John Anastasatos.

More about Dr. John Anastasatos:

At Los Angeles Plastic Surgery, Dr. John Anastasatos is highly regarded for his extraordinary skill in cosmetic, reconstructive, and revision procedures, including gold-standard facelifts, breast augmentations, body lift procedures, liposuction and non-surgical treatments. Raised in the United States but with family roots in Athens, Greece, Dr. Anastasatos attended Brown University and was accepted to their medical school. He then completed general surgical training at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, an affiliate of Columbia University. After finishing his cosmetic and reconstructive residency at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, he completed a fellowship in hand surgery, upper extremity, and microsurgery. During this time, Dr. Anastasatos served as an attending surgeon at UAB Hospitals, The Children's Hospital, and VA Hospital. He established his own practice in Southern California in 2007 and opened a second location in Athens, Greece. To schedule a consultation with Dr. John Anastasatos or for more information about his practice locations in Beverly Hills, CA, or Athens, Greece, please call (310) 888-4048, or visit his website http://www.LosAngelesPlasticSurgery.com.

Media Contact

Dr. John Anastasatos, Los Angeles Plastic Surgery, (310) 888-4048, drjohnanastasatos@gmail.com

SOURCE Los Angeles Plastic Surgery

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Top Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon, Dr. John Anastasatos, Explores Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer (CAL) with Breast Augmentation in New Publication -...

According to a new report published by Grand View Research, Recent advancements in biological therapies have resulted in a gradual shift in preference toward personalized medicinal strategies over the conventional treatment approach. This has resulted in rising R&D activities in the regenerative medicine arena for the development of novel regenerative therapies.

Regenerative Medicine Industry Overview

The global regenerative medicine market size was valued at USD 27.29 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 57.08 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 11.27% over the forecast period. The emergence of gene therapy coupled with the developments in stem cell and tissue engineering are expected to fuel the market growth. In addition, increasing regulatory approvals for advanced therapy medicinal products have propelled the market growth. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic created lucrative opportunities for the operating players owing to the urgent need for the development of new therapies against SARS-COV-2. Several initiatives are being implemented in the cell and gene therapy manufacturing industry, including the T-cell therapy space.

For instance, based on the previous research insights, Singapore-based Duke-NUS medical schools emerging infectious diseases research program demonstrated the utility of these immunotherapies in treating patients with COVID-19 infection. The presence of several programs and continuous investments by government and private agencies to support R&D also accelerate the industrys progress. Like National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports the scientific research community through NIH Regenerative Medicine Program, NIH Stem Cell Libraries & Projects, NIH Stem Cell Unit, and others. Similarly, initiatives adopted by market players to raise finance for the R&D of regenerative medicine support the market progression.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Global Regenerative Medicine market

In addition, companies are collaborating to strengthen their R&D capabilities to develop and commercialize innovative therapies to ensure their availability to their customers locally or worldwide. For instance, in July 2021, Pharming Group N.V. and Orchard Therapeutics collaborated for the development and commercialization of OTL-105, an investigational ex vivo autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC) gene therapy for the treatment of Hereditary Angioedema (HAE).

Moreover, technological advancements in stem cell-based therapies have revolutionized the perspective of researchers toward regenerative medicine. Advances in stem cell therapy have accelerated the developments in regenerative medicine. For instance, haematogenic stem cells currently are being used to treat leukemia and blood disorders. Also, nanotechnology is a powerful tool for engineering stem cells and regenerative medicine. With the introduction of new technology, nanofabrication techniques can now allow researchers to develop nanofiber scaffolds.

Regenerative Medicine Market Segmentation

Based on the Product Insights, the market is segmented into Therapeutics, Tools, Banks, and Services.

Based on the Therapeutic Category Insights, the market is segmented into Dermatology, Musculoskeletal, Immunology & Inflammation, Oncology, Cardiovascular, Ophthalmology, and Others.

Based on the Regenerative Medicine Regional Insights, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.

Market Share Insights:

Key Companies Profile:

Key companies invest heavily in the development of regenerative therapies to meet the demand for unmet clinical needs. The market is highly competitive as the companies are focusing on the introduction of therapies for oncology & age-related degenerative disorders.

Some of the prominent companies in the global regenerative medicine market are:

Order a free sample PDF of the Regenerative Medicine Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research is a full-time market research and consulting company registered in San Francisco, California. The company fully offers market reports, both customized and syndicates, based on intense data analysis. It also offers consulting services to business communities and academic institutions and helps them understand the global and business scenario to a significant extent. The company operates across multitude of domains such as Chemicals, Materials, Food and Beverages, Consumer Goods, Healthcare, and Information Technology to offer consulting services.

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

Media ContactCompany Name: Grand View Research, Inc.Contact Person: Sherry James, Corporate Sales Specialist U.S.A.Email: Send EmailPhone: 1888202951Address:Grand View Research, Inc. 201 Spear Street 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105, United StatesCity: San FranciscoState: CaliforniaCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/regenerative-medicine-market

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Regenerative Medicine Market To Grow At A CAGR Of 11.27% By 2027, Due To Advancements In Cell Biology, Genomics Research, And Gene-Editing Technology...

Google announced Monday it will allow ads for stem cell treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration to appear in search results starting in July. The tech giant previously banned any ads for stem cell therapies, FDA-approved or otherwise.

In an update to its policies page first spotted by Gizmodo, the company said that, starting July 11, it will permit search engine ads for stem cell therapies given the thumbs up from the FDA, a very small list of just 23 companies that treat some blood disorders and cancers, according to the FDAs website.

At the same time, Google is clarifying its policy language on stem cell therapy ads, which would allow a global cell or gene therapy company to advertise if the ads are are exclusively educational or informational in nature, regardless of regulatory approval status. Google did not clarify what would constitute educational or informational, nor did the company respond to a request for comment how it will restrict less-than-reputable products from being advertised with its technology going forward. We will update the story if we hear more.

The search engine said it banned all advertising for stem cell treatments back in 2019, proclaiming at the time it was restricting ads that have no established biomedical or scientific basis. In 2021, the company clarified that it was restricting ads for experimental treatments meant for so-called biohacking or other DIY genetic engineering, as well as any cell or gene therapies like stem cell therapy.

Despite the pledge to ban such ads or Mondays announced change, a simple Google search reveals just how easily bad actors can get around the restrictions. Searching for stem cells for neuropathy reveals several misleading ad results for stem cell treatments that are not FDA approved, though at least one maker claims it is FDA registered and another says its treatment is supported by FDA master files.

Paul Knoepfler, a professor at the University of California Davis School of Medicine who researches stem cells and cancer, has written before about Googles problematic search engine ad policies that allow stem cell companies to easily advertise their products in spite of the tech giants rules. In an email, he told Gizmodo he is concerned How effectively the new rule for strictly educational ads would be maintained, particularly given the context of Google Search now so often highly ranking promotional clinic websites arguably presented as educational material.

Stem cells as an industry have grown rapidly in recent years and are expected to continue doing so, with MarketWatch reporting in February the $US2.75 ($4) billion industry is expected to more than double to $US5.72 ($8) billion by 2028.

Stem cell treatments are approved by the FDAs Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee. Though some companies claim in advertising they have FDA approval, being listed on clinicaltrials.gov database or being registered with the FDA isnt full-on approval, according to the agencys guidelines. The fact that companies regularly run around Googles existing policies leaves even more questions on the table. Knoepfler asked whether clinical trial recruitment be allowed, when hes often seen such trials already claiming their treatment already works.

Perhaps good citizens in the regenerative medicine world want the opportunity to run such ads related to clinical trial recruitment, but even exclusively educational ads of that type with good intentions could run into ethical issues, Knoepfler added.

Shoshana Wodinsky contributed reporting.

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Google Reverses Ban on Ads for All Stem Cell Therapies, Will Allow FDA-Approved Ones - Gizmodo Australia

Jasper Therapeutics (NASDAQ:JSPR Get Rating) and CytRx (OTCMKTS:CYTR Get Rating) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, valuation, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations and profitability.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Jasper Therapeutics and CytRxs top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

63.0% of Jasper Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.1% of CytRx shares are owned by institutional investors. 12.8% of CytRx shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Jasper Therapeutics and CytRxs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Volatility & Risk

Jasper Therapeutics has a beta of 0.52, indicating that its share price is 48% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CytRx has a beta of 1.96, indicating that its share price is 96% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Jasper Therapeutics and CytRx, as reported by MarketBeat.

Jasper Therapeutics currently has a consensus price target of $15.00, suggesting a potential upside of 415.46%. Given Jasper Therapeutics higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Jasper Therapeutics is more favorable than CytRx.

About Jasper Therapeutics (Get Rating)

Jasper Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, develops therapeutic agents for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapies. It focuses on the development and commercialization of conditioning agents and stem cell engineering to allow expanded use of stem cell transplantation and ex vivo gene therapy, a technique in which genetic manipulation of cells is performed outside the body prior to transplantation. The company's lead product candidate is JSP191, which is in clinical development as a conditioning antibody that clears hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow in patients prior to undergoing allogeneic stem cell therapy or stem cell gene therapy. It is also developing engineered hematopoietic stem cells product candidates to overcome key limitations of allogeneic and autologous gene-edited stem cell grafts. The company is based in Redwood City, California.

About CytRx (Get Rating)

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical research and development company, focuses on oncology and rare diseases. It engages in the discovery, research, and clinical development of novel anti-cancer drug candidates that employ novel linker technologies to enhance the accumulation and release of cytotoxic anti-cancer agents at the tumor. The company's lead candidates include linker activated drug release (LADR) -7, LADR-8, LADR-9, and LADR-10; and Aldoxorubicin, a conjugate of prescribed cytotoxin agent doxorubicin that binds to circulating albumin in the bloodstream and to concentrate the drug at the site of the tumor. It also provides ACDx, an albumin companion diagnostic product to identify patients with cancer who are most likely to benefit from treatment with these drug candidates. CytRx Corporation was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

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Head-To-Head Survey: Jasper Therapeutics (NASDAQ:JSPR) & CytRx (OTCMKTS:CYTR) - Defense World

According to a new report published by Grand View Research, the market growth can be primarily attributed to the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions, such as cancer, infections, autoimmune diseases, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and nephrological diseases. This has led to an increase in research, facilitating the high adoption of primary cell cultures.

Primary Cell Culture Industry Overview

The global primary cell culture market size was valued at USD 3.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 8.0 billion by 2028, projecting to expand at a CAGR of 11.6% during forecast period.

The market growth can be primarily attributed to the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions, such as cancer, infections, autoimmune diseases, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and nephrological diseases. This has led to an increase in research, facilitating the high adoption of primary cell cultures.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Global Primary Cell Culture Market

According to the American Cancer Society, there are an estimated 16.9 million cancer patients/survivors in 2020. According to the WHO (2020), 71.0 million people worldwide are suffering from chronic hepatitis C infection. Hence, the rising number of chronic disorders being diagnosed is driving the demand for research on advanced therapies, which is expected to boost the market growth in the coming years.

In addition, the rising usage of primary cell cultures for in-vitro testing and drug screening can be further attributed to the growth of the market for primary cell culture. These are derived from tissues, which facilitates researchers to study cellular structure in the in vivo state, showcasing their normal functioning. As a result, they are used as model systems to study cell biochemistry and physiology, aging processes, signaling studies, and metabolic processes, as well as the effect of toxic compounds and drugs.

COVID-19 pandemic is acting as a positive catalyst for the growth of the market for primary cell culture. Researchers are increasingly using primary cell culture for understanding the infection. Standardized and characterized epithelium cell culture models are facilitating the understanding of the physical barrier destroyed by the coronavirus. These models can help mimic the functions and properties of the respiratory tract, leading to a breakthrough for a research outcome turning into a medical application.

Moreover, the primary immune cell culture has been proven to be very beneficial in the study of immune repertoire to produce antibodies and antigens for the COVID-19 virus. As per the findings by the scientists from the German Primate Center in Gottingen, the COVID-19 virus could block the infection in lung cells with TMPRSS2, an inhibitor for serine protease. The results have been validated with the experiment using primary cell culture.

Primary Cell Culture Market Segmentation

Based On the Product Insights, the market is segmented into primary cells, reagents and supplements and media

Based On the Separation Methods Insights, the market is segmented into explant method, enzymatic degradation, mechanical separation and others

Based On the Cell Type Insights, the market is segmented into animal and human.

Based on the Application Insights, the market is segmented into tissue culture & tissue engineering, vaccine production, gene therapy and regenerative medicine, toxicity testing and drug screening, cancer research, model system, virology, prenatal diagnosis, stem cell therapy and others.

Based on the Regional Insights, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa

Browse through Grand View ResearchsBiotechnology IndustryResearch Reports.

Market Share Insights:

Key Companies Profile:

The companies are launching new and advanced products for primary cell culture. The new Gibco CTS OpTmizer Pro SFM helps in enhancing donor T (lymphocyte) cell proliferation. It is a new media solution for targeting the metabolism of healthy donors, for the efficient production of cost-effective cell therapies.

Some of the prominent players in the primary cell culture market include:

Order a free sample PDF of the Primary Cell Culture Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research is a full-time market research and consulting company registered in San Francisco, California. The company fully offers market reports, both customized and syndicates, based on intense data analysis. It also offers consulting services to business communities and academic institutions and helps them understand the global and business scenario to a significant extent. The company operates across multitude of domains such as Chemicals, Materials, Food and Beverages, Consumer Goods, Healthcare, and Information Technology to offer consulting services.

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

Media ContactCompany Name: Grand View Research, Inc.Contact Person: Sherry James, Corporate Sales Specialist U.S.A.Email: Send EmailPhone: 1888202951Address:Grand View Research, Inc. 201 Spear Street 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105, United StatesCity: San FranciscoState: CaliforniaCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/primary-cell-culture-market

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Primary Cell Culture Market Mechanical Separation Segment Is Expected To Witness A Lucrative CAGR Of 11.7% Till 2028, Owing To Advancements In...

- Funding will Advance Development of Ray Therapeutics Optogenetics Technology Platform

- Company will Advance Ray-001 for the Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ray Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing optogenetic gene therapies for patients with retinal degenerative conditions, announced today that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded the company a $4M grant to support development of Ray-001, an optogenetic therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa and other inherited retinal diseases.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), is a heterogeneous group of genetic diseases that cause retinal degeneration leading to near or complete blindness for most patients. The severe loss of photoreceptor cells that occurs in this genetic degenerative disease leads to partial or complete blindness. At present, no effective treatment is available to restore vision once the photoreceptor cells have been lost.

Ray Therapeutics lead therapy RAY-001 for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, delivers light sensing channelrhodopsin to retinal cells, to potentially restore vision using the power of optogenetics. Based on the durability of treatment demonstrated in preclinical studies, RAY-001 is intended to be a one-time treatment via intravitreal injection that is sustainable for a lifetime. Unlike current RP gene therapies in development, which are targeted to specific genetic mutations or individuals with remaining photoreceptors that only address a small patient population, Ray-001 is mutation-independent.

Ray-001 has the potential to address a significant unmet need in patients who suffer from retinitis pigmentosa. The funding and strategic support from CIRM will accelerate development of our lead optogenetics candidate into clinical trials for blind and nearly-blind patients in desperate need of new therapies, without the need for supplementary eyewear or devices for additional light stimulation, said Paul Bresge, Chief Executive Officer, Ray Therapeutics. The unanimous positive vote from CIRMs independent reviewers, and obtaining the highest score in our application cohort, provides strong validation for our scientific rationale, program development and team. We look forward to advancing our candidate into clinical trials in retinitis pigmentosa."

Our goal is to always move the most promising research forward as fast as we can, said Dr. Maria T. Millan, President and Chief Executive Officer, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). A one-time treatment for retinitis pigmentosa such as Ray-001 would have significant impact for patients with this degenerative disorder. This technology also has the potential to serve the needs of underserved communities because RP has high prevalence in underserved, particularly Hispanic, ethnic populations. We look forward to supporting Ray Therapeutics in bringing this life-changing regenerative therapy to patients with genetic blinding disorders.

About Ray Therapeutics

Ray Therapeutics is developing novel optogenetics gene therapies for patients with blinding diseases. The company is developing its lead candidate Ray-001 in retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative retinal disease with significant unmet medical need. The companys mission is to use optogenetics to restore vision, independent of genetic mutation for patients with inherited retinal diseases. Ray Therapeutics is based in San Diego, CA. For additional information, please visit http://www.raytherapeutics.com.

About CIRM

At CIRM, we never forget that we were created by the people of California to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs, and act with a sense of urgency to succeed in that mission.

To meet this challenge, our team of highly trained and experienced professionals actively partners with both academia and industry in a hands-on, entrepreneurial environment to fast track the development of todays most promising stem cell technologies.

With $5.5 billion in funding and more than 150 active stem cell programs in our portfolio, CIRM is the worlds largest institution dedicated to helping people by bringing the future of cellular medicine closer to reality.

For more information go to http://www.cirm.ca.gov.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220426005220/en/

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Ray Therapeutics Receives $4M in Funding From the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) - BioSpace

Dr. Morgaine Gaye sweeps a hand over her blonde faux-hawk and smiles at me through oversize purple-tinted glasses. If she doesnt look the part of a self-proclaimed food futurologist, I dont know who does. The future, she tells me in her rapid-fire British accent, is all about Air Protein, a product that uses high-tech fermentation to turn carbon dioxide into chicken or whatever you want, really. Tens of millions of dollars are being invested into alternative proteins and air just might be one of the keys to feeding the worlds 9.8 billion people by 2050.

Thats nearly 2 billion more people than we (fail to) feed today, and an overwhelming amount of that growth, the UN predicts, will be in sub-Saharan Africa, where desert conditions make farming a challenge. Then theres that pesky issue of climate change. If the planet warms 2.7 degrees by 2040, as experts project, the implications could be devastating. Ongoing droughts, flooding, extreme weather, its all on the table. What may not be on the table: California avocados, predicted to go all but extinct by 2050.

The good news is that the food industry is already planning for those pressures, as Amanda Little investigates in her revelatory book The Fate of Food. I dont know that theres a future in which were all looking at a plate of wafers injected with specialized nutrients, she says. That just sounds like a culinary hell nobody wants to inhabit. Its the seeds, farming practices, technology, water, distribution, and behind-the-scenes innovations that are going to change the contents of our plates. Shes rooting for the avocados (though they might have to be grown indoorsand cost $20 a pop).

To take a look at what the future of food might look like, we talked to experts to come up with menu predictions for the future. For the years 2023 and 2024, scientists offered their insights on how food might change. But for 100 years from nowthe year 2122we spoke with people who were unafraid to make some bold claims: science fiction writers. See it all below.

Within the next decade, grocery stores will stock cell-cultured proteins. Stem cells are collected, put into bioreactors, and fed nutrients like glucose so that they grow into animal-free chicken, beef, pork, and even duck (as opposed to the meat alternatives we have today, which are very good imitations made with plant products). These proteins dont need room to graze and expel methane, dont waste uneaten parts of an animal, and are less likely to contain bacteria like salmonella. This is the beyond-Beyond burger.

Illustration by Haruko Hayakawa

The Menu

Personalized nutrition was the phrase I heard most from food industry experts, like the head of R&D at PepsiCo, which recently launched a sweat patch to tell you when you need more Gatorade (often). What 23andMe did for genetics, well see in the nutrition and gut-health departments. Imagine a wristwatch that pings you when your sodiums high. Cool! Creepy!

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Predicting the Future of Food - Bon Appetit

AUSTIN, Texas, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Direct Biologics, an innovative biotechnology company with a groundbreaking extracellular vesicle (EV) platform drug technology, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded their EV drug product ExoFlo with a Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation for the treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) associated with COVID-19. The RMAT program is designed to expedite the approval of promising regenerative medical products in the US that demonstrate clinical evidence indicating the ability to address an unmet medical need for a serious life-threatening disease or condition. Under the RMAT designation, the FDA provides intensive guidance on drug development and post-market requirements through early and frequent interactions. Additionally, an RMAT confers eligibility for accelerated approval and priority review of biologics licensing applications (BLA).

"After intensively reviewing our preclinical data, manufacturing processes, and clinical data from our Phase II multicenter, double blinded, placebo controlled randomized clinical trial, the FDA has recognized ExoFlo as a lifesaving treatment for patients suffering from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) due to severe or critical COVID-19," said Mark Adams, Chief Executive Officer. "The additional attention, resources, and regulatory benefits provided by an RMAT designation demonstrate that the FDA views ExoFlo as a product that can significantly enhance the standard of care for the thousands still dying from ARDS every week in the US," he said.

"We are very pleased that the FDA has recognized the lifesaving potential of our platform drug technology ExoFlo. The RMAT has provided a pathway to expedite our drug development to achieve a BLA in the shortest possible time," said Joe Schmidt, President. "I am very proud of our team. Everyone has been working around the clock for years in our mission to save human lives taken by a disease that lacks treatment options, both in the US and abroad. We are grateful for the opportunity to accelerate development of ExoFlo under the RMAT designation as it leads us closer to our goal of bringing our life saving drug to patients who desperately need it."

ExoFlo is an acellular human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) derived extracellular vesicle (EV) product. These nanosized EVs deliver thousands of signals in the form of regulatory proteins, microRNA, and messenger RNA to cells in the body, harnessing the anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties of bone marrow MSCs without the cost, complexity and limitations of scalability associated with MSC transplantation. ExoFlo is produced using a proprietary EV platform technology by Direct Biologics, LLC.

Physicians can learn more and may request information on becoming a study site at clinicaltrials.gov. For more information on Direct Biologics and regenerative medicine, visit: https://directbiologics.com.

About Direct BiologicsDirect Biologics, LLC, is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with an R&D facility located at the University of California, and an Operations and Order Fulfillment Center located in San Antonio, Texas. Direct Biologics is a market-leading innovator and cGMP manufacturer of regenerative medical products, including a robust EV platform technology. Direct Biologics' management team holds extensive collective experience in biologics research, development, and commercialization, making the Company a leader in the evolving segment of next generation regenerative biotherapeutics. Direct Biologics has obtained and is pursuing multiple additional clinical indications for ExoFlo through the FDA's investigational new drug (IND) process. For more information visit http://www.directbiologics.com.

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SOURCE Direct Biologics

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FDA Grants Direct Biologics Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) Designation for the use of ExoFlo in COVID-19 Related ARDS USA - English -...