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Wesley Cannon Scholar students visited the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on July 12 to learn the value of the agency and connection to the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field.

Congress established NIST in an effort to remove a challenge to U.S. industrial competitiveness a second-rate measurement infrastructure that lagged behind the capabilities of the United Kingdom, Germany and other economic rivals.

The trip to NIST was an extraordinary opportunity for Wesley students to see firsthand the heart of U.S. industrial competitiveness and the underlying research that drives it, said Wesley Professor of Mathematics Agashi Nwogbaga. It afforded us the unique chance to see how the things they learn as STEM students at Wesley are applied in real life-changing research at NIST. We are so grateful to Delaware State Senator Chris Coons office for arranging the opportunity.

Twelve students and two faculty attended the tour that was tailored to match the academic programs and interests of the Wesley STEM students. Topics included counting cells, standard reference materials for human health, the role of math and related topics.

I was very interested in the various applications and job fields, said Cannon Scholar Mike Skivers. The visit allowed me to become exposed to them in an interactive way.

The NIST emphasis on collaborative research coupled with their approaches to data analytics, innovation and technology commercializations, helped provide guidance for future career options to our Scholars, said Assistant Director of STEM Initiatives Kevin E. Shuman.

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Cannon Scholars visit National Institute of Standards and Technology - Dover Post

iPSC-derived vascular stem cells (white arrow) incorporating into a damaged retinal blood vessel and repairing it

Imran Bhutto, Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute

Investigators at Johns Hopkins report they have developed human induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) capable of repairing damaged retinal vascular tissue in mice. The stem cells, derived from human umbilical cord-blood and coaxed into an embryonic-like state, were grown without the conventional use of viruses, which can mutate genes and initiate cancers, according to the scientists. Their safer method of growing the cells has drawn increased support among scientists, they say, and paves the way for a stem cell bank of cord-blood derived iPSCs to advance regenerative medicine research.

"We began with stem cells taken from cord-blood, which have fewer acquired mutations and little, if any, epigenetic memory, which cells accumulate as time goes on," says Zambidis, associate professor of oncology and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering and the Kimmel Cancer Center. The scientists converted these cells to a status last experienced when they were part of six-day-old embryos.

Instead of using viruses to deliver a gene package to the cells to turn on processes that convert the cells back to stem cell states, Zambidis and his team used plasmids, rings of DNA that replicate briefly inside cells and then degrade.

Next, the scientists identified high-quality, multipotent, vascular stem cells generated from these iPSC that can make a type of blood vessel-rich tissue necessary for repairing retinal and other human material. They identified these cells by looking for cell surface proteins called CD31 and CD146. Zambidis says that they were able to create twice as many well-functioning vascular stem cells as compared with iPSCs made with other methods, and, "more importantly these cells engrafted and integrated into functioning blood vessels in damaged mouse retina."

Working with Gerard Lutty, Ph.D., and his team at Johns Hopkins' Wilmer Eye Institute, Zambidis' team injected the newly derived iPSCs into mice with damaged retinas, the light-sensitive part of the eyeball. Injections were given in the eye, the sinus cavity near the eye or into a tail vein. When the scientists took images of the mice retinas, they found that the iPSCs, regardless of injection location, engrafted and repaired blood vessel structures in the retina. "The blood vessels enlarged like a balloon in each of the locations where the iPSCs engrafted," says Zambidis. The scientists said their cord blood-derived iPSCs compared very well with the ability of human embryonic-derived iPSCs to repair retinal damage.

Zambidis says there are plans to conduct additional experiments of their cells in diabetic rats, whose conditions more closely resemble human vascular damage to the retina than the mouse model used for the current study, he says.

With mounting requests from other laboratories, Zambidis says he frequently shares his cord blood-derived iPSC with other scientists. "The popular belief that iPSCs therapies need to be specific to individual patients may not be the case," says Zambidis. He points to recent success of partially matched bone marrow transplants in humans, shown to be equally as effective as fully matched transplants.

"Support is growing for building a large bank of iPSCs that scientists around the world can access," says Zambidis, although large resources and intense quality- control would be needed for such a feat. However, Japanese scientists led by stem-cell pioneer Shinya Yamanaka are doing exactly that, he says, creating a bank of stem cells derived from cord-blood samples from Japanese blood banks.

Experiments published in Zambidis' Circulation article were funded by grants from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (HL099775, HL100397), National Eye Institute (EY09357), National Cancer Institute (CA60441); and Research to Prevent Blindness.

Under a licensing agreement between Life Technologies and the Johns Hopkins University, Zambidis is entitled to a share of royalties received by the University for licensing of stem cells. The terms of this arrangement are managed by Johns Hopkins University in accordance with its conflict-of-interest policies.

Scientists contributing to the research include Tea Soon Park, Imran Bhutto, Ludovic Zimmerlin, Jeffrey Huo, Pratik Nagaria, Connie Talbot, Jack Auilar, Rhonda Grebe, Carol Merges, and Gerard Lutty from Johns Hopkins; Diana Miller, Ricardo Feldman and Reyruz Rassool from the University of Maryland School of Medicine; Abdul Jalil Rufaihah, Renee Reijo-Pera, and John Cooke from Stanford University.

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Lab-Grown, Virus-Free Stem Cells Repair Retinal Tissue in ...

Researchers in Roanoke are developing ways to halt the insidious onslaught of the type of brain tumor affecting Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Brain cancers come in a lot of types and flavors. They go from benign and quite fixable to the very malignant and unfixable. The type that Sen. McCain has is unfortunately the very unfixable type, said Michael Friedlander, executive director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and Techs vice president for health sciences and technology.

McCain was diagnosed last month with glioblastoma, the type of brain cancer that scientists at VTCRI are specializing in. Their research is part of the institutes Center for Glial Biology in Health, Disease and Cancer. Glia were once considered the understudy to the brains star cells, neurons or nerve cells, and their role relegated to holding together the neurons. But more is being discovered about the role they play in brain health and diseases, including being the source of most malignant brain tumors.

When glial cells turn cancerous, they take on a unique property: the ability to shrink and slither elsewhere in the brain.

There are a big group of nerve fibers that connect the two halves of our brains called the corpus callosum, Friedlander explained. Its a bunch of white matter and fibers. And they will hop on that and cross over from one side of the brain to another. So the surgeon is over here, and he sees a tumor on an MRI, and he takes it out and does great surgery, getting every bit you can see.

Meanwhile, a couple hundred of those cells are on their way happily migrating to the other side of the brain. They work their way through these little spaces, take up residence and start dividing again. And now you have 10 brain tumors, and its inoperable at that point.

About 80,000 Americans each year are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor, meaning it originates in the brain and isnt from a cancer migrating from elsewhere in the body. There are 120 types of primary brain tumors, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. The vast majority are noncancerous, but since the brain is protected by a rigid, bony structure, even a benign tumor can cause damage by pressing on the brain.

About 26,000 of the cases will involve a malignant tumor, with glioblastoma accounting for the majority of them.

Compared to lung cancer with 500,000 [people with the disease], its small, but the outcome is uniformly bad, Friedlander said. With the earliest, best diagnosis, by the time you have any symptoms, its big enough to be pushing on the brain and is already millions and millions of cells. So the cells have already moved out.

Most people live slightly more than a year following diagnosis.

Friedlander said theres no silver bullet under development. Rather, researchers are working on multiple strategies.

Harald Sontheimer, the director of the institutes glial center, is working on a therapy that could freeze the migrating cells and another that would keep them from killing neurons, Friedlander said.

Researchers Rob Gourdie, Zhi Sheng and Samy Lamouille teamed up to see if they could make the glioblastoma cells receptive to temozolmide, the standard drug treatment, once it is no longer effective.

Sheng is a cancer researcher who discovered that one of the compounds Gourdie developed for heart disease and for healing bed sores appears to re-sensitize the cancer cells to the drug.

Gourdie said encouraging results in the lab have led them to begin trials on dogs at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Dogs also form glioblastoma. The trial will help to determine if the combination is safe and effective enough to seek FDA approval for human trials.

We started last year and have recruited a half dozen dogs so far. Its a slow process, Gourdie said.

Meanwhile, Lamouille was looking at whether other compounds would work to boost temozolmide, and he pulled from the freezer one Gourdie developed years ago but had set aside.

It had zero effect on the cancer, but something else happened: It killed off the stem cells, the ones that travel and form new tumors.

It was unexpected. We were kind of hoping the drug sensitivity thing would pan out, so you have to readjust your mindset to, Hang on, its killing the cancer stem cells, Gourdie said. Samy really has to take the credit for noticing that and building on it.

Gourdie and Lamouille formed a new company, Acomhal Research, to pursue development as a therapy for glioblastoma and to see whether the compound also kills stem cells for other types of cancer.

Friedlander said that while the lines of research show promise, it will take much more time, a commodity limited for people with glioblastoma.

The most telling thing in looking at how far behind we are in treating it is to look at some of the high-profile people who have had it and died from it, Friedlander said. Theres Sen. Ted Kennedy, Beau Biden and now Sen. McCain has it. These are people of high capacity, visibility and resources, and you can just imagine they or their families could pick up the phone and go to Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins or the best places in the country. The very best care available is woefully inadequate.

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Roanoke researchers pursue treatments for the type of deadly brain cancer affecting McCain - Roanoke Times

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF)

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund was established by the Governor and the Maryland General Assembly under the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006. The purpose of the Fund is to promote State-funded human stem cell research and medical treatments through Grants to public and private entities in the State. More information at http://www.mscrf.org.

The purpose of this Investigator-Initiated Research Grants Program is to attract and support Investigators, who wish to conduct basic, translational and/or clinical research involving human stem cells. The results from this application should broaden and advance the knowledge of human stem cell biology and develop clinical applications for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of human diseases, injuries and conditions.

Principal Investigators and all other MSCRF-funded personnel must be employed or retained by an eligible Maryland-based research organization while conducting State-funded stem cell research. Such affiliations may be permanent or temporary, full-time or part-time. Applicants from Maryland-based public and private, for-profit and not-for-profit research organizations of all types are eligible for this Award (e.g., universities, colleges, research institutes, companies and medical centers).

Applicants for all Maryland Stem Cell Research Grant Programs may request from $110,000 up to $750,000 over a maximum period of three (3) years.

Once a year cycle with new RFA coming out in early October. Letter of Intent due by mid-November. Full application due by mid-January.

- MSCRF Investigator-Initiated - MSCRF Pre-Clinical or Clinical - MSCRF Exploratory - MSCRF Fellowship

Dan Gincel Vice President, University Partnerships & Executive Director, MD Stem Cell Research Fund dgincel@tedco.md 410.715.4172

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The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) | Tedco

Center Overview

The Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine opened in 2009 with the recruitment of Curt I. Civin MD as its founding director. Dr. Civin is recognized as a pioneer in cancer research for developing a way to isolate blood stem cells from mature blood cells. The mission of the Center is to discover new treatments and preventive approaches, based on stem cell technology, for important, currently intractable human maladies. The Center is driven by an imperative to work quickly from bench science to the actual use of discoveries to transform clinical medicine.

Stem cell research is transforming the future of medicine. Indeed, as we all begin life as a stem cell, it is through a highly complex series of events that those few stem cells, which are capable of self-renewal and differentiation, develop into all of the specialized cells found in our adult bodies. By studying these events we gain rare insights into how the human body is made. Stem cell research also holds amazing potential for restructuring the way we practice medicine: One day, stem cells may be used to replace or repair damaged tissues and organs and to dramatically alter how we treat diseases like cancer.

The Center provides a focal point of interaction, information, leadership, and facilitation of stem cell research and regenerative medicine applications at the University of Maryland, with links to Johns Hopkins, Federal labs, and corporate researchers across the State of Maryland. To fulfill its mission with specificity, the Center has established a set of four scientific Working Groups for focused research, educational and clinical interactions. The Center is also a founding member of the Maryland Stem Cell Consortium, which created a stem cell core facility to support and accelerate research in the field.

The Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine opened in 2009 with the recruitment of Curt I. Civin MD as its founding director. Dr. Civin is recognized as a pioneer in cancer research for developing a way to isolate blood stem cells from mature blood cells. The mission of the Center is to discover new treatments and preventive approaches, based on stem cell technology, for important, currently intractable human maladies. The Center is driven by an imperative to work quickly from bench science to the actual use of discoveries to transform clinical medicine.

Give to this Center

Dr.Curt Civin

A major goal of our Center for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine is to translate our fundamental discoveries into innovative and practical clinical applications that will enhance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of many human diseases.--Dr. Civin

Working Groups

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Center for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine ...

Overview

Ginger, the "root" or the rhizome, of the plant Zingiber officinale, has been a popular spice and herbal medicine for thousands of years. It has a long history of use in Asian, Indian, and Arabic herbal traditions. In China, for example, ginger has been used to help digestion and treat stomach upset, diarrhea, and nausea for more than 2,000 years. Ginger has also been used to help treat arthritis, colic, diarrhea, and heart conditions.

It has been used to help treat the common cold, flu-like symptoms, headaches, and painful menstrual periods.

Ginger is native to Asia where it has been used as a cooking spice for at least 4,400 years.

Ginger is a knotted, thick, beige underground stem, called a rhizome. The stem sticks up about 12 inches above ground with long, narrow, ribbed, green leaves, and white or yellowish-green flowers.

Researchers think the active components of the ginger root are volatile oils and pungent phenol compounds, such as gingerols and shogaols.

Today, health care professionals may recommend ginger to help prevent or treat nausea and vomiting from motion sickness, pregnancy, and cancer chemotherapy. It is also used to treat mild stomach upset, to reduce pain of osteoarthritis, and may even be used in heart disease.

Several studies, but not all, suggest that ginger may work better than placebo in reducing some symptoms of motion sickness. In one trial of 80 new sailors who were prone to motion sickness, those who took powdered ginger had less vomiting and cold sweats compared to those who took placebo. Ginger did not reduce their nausea, however. A study with healthy volunteers found the same thing.

However, other studies found that ginger does not work as well as medications for motion sickness. In one small study, people were given either fresh root or powdered ginger, scopolamine, a medication commonly prescribed for motion sickness, or a placebo. Those who took scopolamine had fewer symptoms than those who took ginger. Conventional prescription and over-the-counter medicines for nausea may also have side effects that ginger does not, such as dry mouth and drowsiness.

Human studies suggest that 1g daily of ginger may reduce nausea and vomiting in pregnant women when used for short periods (no longer than 4 days). Several studies have found that ginger is better than placebo in relieving morning sickness.

In a small study of 30 pregnant women with severe vomiting, those who took 1 gram of ginger every day for 4 days reported more relief from vomiting than those who took placebo. In a larger study of 70 pregnant women with nausea and vomiting, those who got a similar dose of ginger felt less nauseous and did not vomit as much as those who got placebo. Pregnant women should ask their doctors before taking ginger and not take more than 1g per day.

A few studies suggest that ginger reduces the severity and duration of nausea, but not vomiting, during chemotherapy. However, one of the studies used ginger combined with another anti-nausea drug. So it is hard to say whether ginger had any effect. More studies are needed.

Research is mixed as to whether ginger can help reduce nausea and vomiting following surgery. Two studies found that 1g of ginger root before surgery reduced nausea as well as a leading medication. In one of these studies, women who took ginger also needed fewer medications for nausea after surgery. But other studies have found that ginger did not help reduce nausea. In fact, one study found that ginger may actually increase vomiting following surgery. More research is needed.

Traditional medicine has used ginger for centuries to reduce inflammation. And there is some evidence that ginger may help reduce pain from osteoarthritis (OA). In a study of 261 people with OA of the knee, those who took a ginger extract twice daily had less pain and needed fewer pain-killing medications than those who received placebo. Another study found that ginger was no better than ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or placebo in reducing symptoms of OA. It may take several weeks for ginger to work.

Preliminary studies suggest that ginger may lower cholesterol and help prevent blood from clotting. That can help treat heart disease where blood vessels can become blocked and lead to heart attack or stroke. Other studies suggest that ginger may help improve blood sugar control among people with type 2 diabetes. More research is needed to determine whether ginger is safe or effective for heart disease and diabetes.

Ginger products are made from fresh or dried ginger root, or from steam distillation of the oil in the root. You can find ginger extracts, tinctures, capsules, and oils. You can also buy fresh ginger root and make a tea. Ginger is a common cooking spice and can be found in a variety of foods and drinks, including ginger bread, ginger snaps, ginger sticks, and ginger ale.

Pediatric

DO NOT give ginger to children under 2.

Children over 2 may take ginger to treat nausea, stomach cramping, and headaches. Ask your doctor to find the right dose.

Adult

In general, DO NOT take more than 4 g of ginger per day, including food sources. Pregnant women should not take more than 1 g per day.

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. However, herbs can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken under the supervision of a health care provider, qualified in the field of botanical medicine.

It is rare to have side effects from ginger. In high doses it may cause mild heartburn, diarrhea, and irritation of the mouth. You may be able to avoid some of the mild stomach side effects, such as belching, heartburn, or stomach upset, by taking ginger supplements in capsules or taking ginger with meals.

People with gallstones should talk to their doctors before taking ginger. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking ginger before having surgery or being placed under anesthesia.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with heart conditions, and people with diabetes should not take ginger without talking to their doctors.

DO NOT take ginger if you have a bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood-thinning medications, including aspirin.

Ginger may interact with prescription and over-the-counter medicines. If you take any of the following medicines, you should not use ginger without talking to your health care provider first.

Blood-thinning medications: Ginger may increase the risk of bleeding. Talk to your doctor before taking ginger if you take blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), or aspirin.

Diabetes medications: Ginger may lower blood sugar. That can raise the risk of developing hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

High blood pressure medications: Ginger may lower blood pressure, raising the risk of low blood pressure or irregular heartbeat.

Ali BH, Blunden G, Tanira MO, Nemmar A. Some phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): a review of recent research. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008;46(2):409-20.

Altman RD, Marcussen KC. Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2001;44(11):2531-2538.

Apariman S, Ratchanon S, Wiriyasirivej B. Effectiveness of ginger for prevention of nausea and vomiting after gynecological laparoscopy. J Med Assoc Thai. 2006;89(12):2003-9.

Bliddal H, Rosetzsky A, Schlichting P, et al. A randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of ginger extracts and ibuprofen in osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2000;8:9-12.

Bone ME, Wilkinson DJ, Young JR, McNeil J, Charlton S. Ginger root -- a new antiemetic. The effect of ginger root on postoperative nausea and vomiting after major gynaecological surgery. Anaesthesia. 1990;45(8):669-71.

Bordia A, Verma SK, Srivastava KC. Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenumgraecum L.) on blood lipids, blood sugar, and platelet aggregation ion patients with coronary heart disease. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 1997;56(5):379-384.

Chaiyakunapruk N. The efficacy of ginger for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting: a meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2006;194(1):95-9.

Eberhart LH, Mayer R, Betz O, et al. Ginger does not prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic surgery. Anesth Analg. 2003;96(4):995-8, table.

Ernst E, Pittler MH. Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. B J Anaesth. 2000;84(3):367-371.

Fischer-Rasmussen W, Kjaer SK, Dahl C, Asping U. Ginger treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 1991 Jan 4;38(1):19-24.

Fuhrman B, Rosenblat M, Hayek T, Coleman R, Aviram M. Ginger extract consumption reduces plasma cholesterol, inhibits LDL oxidation, and attenuates development of atherosclerosis in atherosclerotic, apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. J Nutr. 2000;130(5):1124-1131.

Gonlachanvit S, Chen YH, Hasler WL, et al. Ginger reduces hyperglycemia-evoked gastric dysrhythmias in healthy humans: possible role of endogenous prostaglandins. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2003;307(3):1098-1103.

Gregory PJ, Sperry M, Wilson AF. Dietary supplements for osteoarthritis. Am Fam Physician. 2008 Jan 15;77(2):177-84. Review.

Grontved A, Brask T, Kambskard J, Hentzer E. Ginger root against seasickness: a controlled trial on the open sea. Acta Otolaryngol. 1988;105:45-49.

Heck AM, DeWitt BA, Lukes AL. Potential interactions between alternative therapies and warfarin. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2000;57(13):1221-1227.

Kalava A, Darji SJ, Kalstein A, Yarmush JM, SchianodiCola J, Weinberg J. Efficacy of ginger on intraoperative and postoperative nausea and vomiting in elective cesarean section patients. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2013;169(2):184-8.

Langner E, Greifenberg S, Gruenwald J. Ginger: history and use. Adv Ther. 1998;15(1):25-44.

Larkin M. Surgery patients at risk for herb-anaesthesia interactions. Lancet. 1999;354(9187):1362.

Lee SH, Cekanova M, Baek SJ. Multiple mechanisms are involved in 6-gingerol-induced cell growth arrest and apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. Mol Carcinog. 2008;47(3):197-208.

Mahady GB, Pendland SL, Yun GS, et al. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and the gingerols inhibit the growth of Cag A+ strains of Helicobacter pylori. Anticancer Res. 2003;23(5A):3699-3702.

Nurtjahja-Tjendraputra E, Ammit AJ, Roufogalis BD, et al. Effective anti-platelet and COX-1 enzyme inhibitors from pungent constituents of ginger. Thromb Res. 2003;111(4-5):259-265.

Phillips S, Ruggier R, Hutchinson SE. Zingiber officinale (ginger) -- an antiemetic for day case surgery. Anaesthesia. 1993;48(8):715-717.

Pongrojpaw D, Somprasit C, Chanthasenanont A. A randomized comparison of ginger and dimenhydrinate in the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. J Med Assoc Thai. 2007 Sep;90(9):1703-9.

Portnoi G, Chng LA, Karimi-Tabesh L, et al. Prospective comparative study of the safety and effectiveness of ginger for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2003;189(5):1374-1377.

Sripramote M, Lekhyananda N. A randomized comparison of ginger and vitamin B6 in the treatment of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. J Med Assoc Thai. 2003;86(9):846-853.

Thomson M, Al Qattan KK, Al Sawan SM, et al. The use of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) as a potential anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic agent. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2002;67(6):475-478.

Vaes LP, Chyka PA. Interactions of warfarin with garlic, ginger, ginkgo, or ginseng: nature of the evidence. Ann Pharmacother. 2000;34(12):1478-1482.

Viljoen E, Visser J, Koen N, Musekiwa A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting. Nutr J. 2014; 13:20.

Vutyavanich T, Kraisarin T, Ruangsri R. Ginger for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2001;97(4):577-582.

Wang CC, Chen LG, Lee LT, et al. Effects of 6-gingerol, an antioxidant from ginger, on inducing apoptosis in human leukemic HL-60 cells. In Vivo. 2003;17(6):641-645.

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Wigler I, Grotto I, Caspi D, et al. The effects of Zintona EC (a ginger extract) on symptomatic gonarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2003;11(11):783-789.

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African ginger; Black ginger; Jamaican ginger; Zingiber officinale

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Ginger | University of Maryland Medical Center

Using skin cells from adult siblings with schizophrenia and a genetic mutation linked to major mental illnesses, Johns Hopkins researchers have created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) using a new and improved "clean" technique.

Reporting online February 22 in Molecular Psychiatry, the team confirms the establishment of two new lines of iPS cells with mutations in the gene named Disrupted In Schizophrenia 1, or DISC1.They made the cells using a nonviral "epiosomal vector" that jumpstarts the reprogramming machinery of cells without modifying their original genetic content with foreign DNA from a virus.

The stem cells from these two new lines, the scientists say, can be coaxed to become brain cells such as neurons. Because they have the DISC1 mutation, they stand to play an important role in the screening of drugs for treatments of major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression, as well as provide clues about the causes of these diseases.

"Most people think of stem cells only as potential transplant therapy to replace damaged cells or tissue, but for psychiatric diseases, which have proven a challenge to scientific understanding just as a sheer cliff challenges a climber, these cells provide a toehold,"says Russell L. Margolis, M.D., professor of psychiatry and neurology, and director of the Johns Hopkins Schizophrenia Program."Nature put in only a few little grab holds, and now we are generating our own so we can scale the cliff of mental illness faster."

The benefit of maintaining the original genome of cells being reprogrammed outweighs the fact that the episomal vector approach is both time- and labor-intensive, says Guo-li Ming, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

"The efficiency of the new technique is very, very low," Ming reports, citing a rate of 0.0006 percent or less and comparing it to the rate of efficiency of virally infected reprogrammed cells, which hovers at about 0.001 percent. "Human cells grow slowly, and this kind of reprogramming takes time."

However, the episomal vector method solves tricky problems associated with the more efficient viral approach, which involves inserting foreign genes into the cell's genome and potentially interrupting or influencing other genes that can change cell behavior. It also relieves worry about weird cell behavior later due to reactivation of introduced genes that remain in the genome, the researchers say.

The skin biopsy samples used in the study came from an American family first reported 25 years ago to have multiple family members affected with schizophrenia. A genetic analysis conducted by Margolis and colleagues six years ago discovered that a mutation in the DISC1 gene was common to all members of the family with severe mental illness. Two years ago, Margolis and Christopher A. Ross, M.D., Ph.D., director of the division of neurobiology, collected the skin samples and delivered them to Ming's team, which thus far has successfully reprogrammed two of those samples into the new iPS cell lines.

Skin cell samples from the remaining family members, as well as from unrelated individuals with schizophrenia, are still works in progress in the Ming lab, potentially becoming additional stem cell lines, according to Ming.

First, using the cultured skin cells, the team delivered a package of so-called reprogramming factors into the cytoplasm -- as opposed to the nucleus, where the cell's genetic material resides -- via bits of DNA (episomal vectors) that are serially diluted during cell division after making their special delivery. These cells then were grown in culture while the scientists monitored them for changes.

It took a wildly variable window of time -- anywhere between three weeks and three months -- for the elongated and single-layered skin cells to begin to change shape and cluster together, a telling sign that they were on the path to becoming stem cells, Ming explains.

"Seeing the colonies was heartening evidence of reprogramming, but not proof of ground state of pluripotent stem cells," Ming says. "We had to go through a series of characterization process, which generally takes about six months or more, depending on your rigor, to prove that. "

The team then conducted a series of tests to verify not only that the genes they used to introduce the reprogramming factors were undetectable from the transformed cells, but also to prove their pluripotency. First, they confirmed that these cells could generate differentiated cells from all three germ layers -- the endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm -- which eventually give rise to all of an animal's tissues and organs. By changing the recipe of the culture media in which the cells were growing, the team coaxed the cells to become not only neurons, but also fat cells and bone and muscle tissue, for instance.

To confirm these were bona fide iPS cells with the ability to differentiate into all different cells types, the researchers performed a stringent test that involved injecting the presumed stem cells into mice whose immune systems were suppressed and noted that cells from three germ layers were present in the tumors that formed.

"The hard work of generating and characterizing these iPS cells is a prelude for future studies," Ming says. "Now, we can look at neural cells differentiated from these iPS cells in order to investigate the mechanisms and functions of the DISC1 gene in the nervous system, and understand the role it may play in diseases such as schizophrenia. These future studies may lead to the identification of new molecules that might serve as drug targets."

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, and the International Mental Health Research Organization.

Johns Hopkins authors on the paper, in addition to Ming and Margolis, are Cheng-Hsuan Chiang, Yijing Su, Zhexing Wen, Nadine Yoritomo, Christopher A. Ross and Hongjun Song, all of Johns Hopkins.

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Johns Hopkins Team Creates Stem Cells From Schizophrenia ...

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Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Neuronal Cells ...

In order to take advantage of the potential of stem cells for the purposes of regenerative medicine, robust standardized methods are required to generate sufficient quantities of stem cells that meet defined criteria for specific stem/progenitor cell populations.

Currently, the availability of these cells for research, drug screening and therapeutic use is limited due to technical challenges associated with their generation and expansion. On May 3, 2011, The University of Maryland School of Medicines Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Paragon Bioservices, Inc., a contract research and GMP manufacturing company, received a Biotechnology Shared Resource Award from the state of Maryland to establish The Maryland Stem Cell Consortium to facilitate the research, commercial development and clinical application of stem cell based technologies and therapies. A key component of the consortium is the establishment of a stem cell core facility that has expertise to expand and differentiate induced pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and other types of stem cells for laboratory and clinical research under GLP/GMP conditions, as needed. This core facility is open to all, without intellectual property reach-through. Cell banking and genetic modification of stem cells is also available. The core services are available on a fee-for-service model that is open to the wider stem cell community, public and private, especially in the state of Maryland. Life Technologies, Inc., a global biotechnology company that is a provider of scientific products and reagents, is also participating in the consortium and providing training opportunities for research scientists.

As a founding member of the consortium, the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine is committed to developing strong interactions between academia and the private sector and seeks to facilitate the partnering of faculty expertise with that of the external private and public sectors. The Center faculty are interested in the analysis of molecular pathways regulating basic stem cell biology, characterization of stem and progenitor cell properties to improve expansion of stem cells for transplantation, optimization of directed differentiation of pluripotent cells into distinct cell lineages, functional characterization of differentiated cells and testing the translational potential of stem cell and their progeny. Taking advantage of patient material from the University of Maryland Hospital System (a network of 12 hospitals centered at the adjacent ~1000-bed University of Maryland Medical Center plus the Baltimore Veterans Administration Hospital), Center faculty are establishing induced pluripotent stem models for human disease, such as Gauchers Disease. The Centers researchers are also using mesenchymal stem cells for repair of a range of tissue types; and several of our cardiologists and cardiac surgeons are involved in clinical trials to test stem cell-mediated cardiac repair. Via the Maryland Stem Cell Consortium, we hope to encourage productive scientific and intellectual interactions between researchers in academia, government and private sectors to accelerate stem cell related discoveries and their translation into much-needed treatments.

If you would like more information about the Maryland Stem Cell Consortium or are interested in participating, please contact the Center.

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Maryland Stem Cell Center Consortium and Core Facility ...

Human Stem Cells Institute Public Tradedas MCX:ISKJ Industry Biotech Research and Pharmaceutical Founded 2003(2003) Headquarters Moscow, Russia

Key people

Human Stem Cells Institute OJSC (HSCI) ( or ) is a Russian public biotech company founded in 2003. HSCI engages in R&D as well as commercialization and marketing of innovative proprietary products and services in the areas of cell-based, gene and post-genome technologies. HSCI aims to foster a new culture of medical care developing new health care opportunities in such areas as personalized and preventive medicine.

Today, HSCIs projects encompass the five main focus areas of modern biomedical technologies: regenerative medicine, bio-insurance, medical genetics, gene therapy, biopharmaceuticals (within the international project SynBio).

HSCI owns the largest family cord blood stem cell bank in Russia Gemabank, as well as the reproductive cell and tissue bank Reprobank (personal storage, donation).

The Company launched Neovasculgen, the first-in-class gene-therapy drug for treating Peripheral Arterial Disease, including Critical Limb Ischemia, and also introduced the innovative cell technology SPRS-therapy, which entails the use of autologous dermal fibroblasts to repair skin damage due to aging and other structural changes.

HSCI is implementing a socially significant project to create its own Russia-wide network of Genetico medical genetics centers to provide genetic diagnostics and consulting services for monogenic inherited diseases as well as multifactorial disorders (Ethnogene, PGD and other services).

The Company actively promotes its products on the Russian market and intends to open new markets throughout the world.

HSCI is listed on the Innovation & Investment Market (iIM) of the Moscow Exchange (ticker ISKJ). The Company conducted its IPO in December 2009, becoming the first Russian biotech company to go public.

In 2003, the Human Stem Cells Institute and Gemabank were established.[1] Over the next few years, the Company increased its client base while expanding its technological abilities. In 2008, HSCI gained a blocking stake in the German biotech company, SymbioTec GmbH, which owns international patents for a new generation of drugs to treat cancer and infectious diseases. In 2009, HSCI successfully raised RUB 142.5 million in an IPO on MICEX and became the first publicly traded biotech company in Russia.[2] The Company continued to expand in 2010, when it gained a 50% stake in Hemafund, Ukraines largest family cord blood bank. In 2011, HSCI initiated the SynBio Project, as a long-term partnership with RUSNANO (a state-owned fund for supporting nanotechnologies) and some major R&D companies from Russia and Europe including Pharmsynthez, Xenetic Biosciences and SymbioTec (which was acquired by Xenetic Biosciences pursuant to the SynBio project agreement ).[3] The project is founded on strong principles of international scientific cooperation, as participating research centers are found in England, Germany, and Russia.[4]

HSCI is engaged in scientific studies and research in the main fields of biomedical technology with the aim of creating innovative products (drugs, medical devices, technologies, services, etc.) which are capable of solving urgent and complex challenges faced by clinical medicine today and which could be incorporated into contemporary healthcare practices. Within of each of the main fields of biomedical technology cell (regenerative medicine), gene (genetic medicine) and post-genome (biopharmaceuticals) technologies the Company is currently undertaking several scientific research projects. [5]

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Human Stem Cells Institute - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia