Category Archives: New York Stem Cells

Altering human heredity? In a first, researchers safely repaired a disease-causing gene in human embryos, targeting a heart defect best known for killing young athletes a big step toward one day preventing a list of inherited diseases.

In a surprising discovery, a research team led by Oregon Health and & Science University reported Wednesday that embryos can help fix themselves if scientists jump-start the process early enough.

It's laboratory research only, nowhere near ready to be tried in a pregnancy. But it suggests that scientists might alter DNA in a way that protects not just one baby from a disease that runs in the family, but his or her offspring as well. And that raises ethical questions.

"I for one believe, and this paper supports the view, that ultimately gene editing of human embryos can be made safe. Then the question truly becomes, if we can do it, should we do it?" said Dr. George Daley, a stem cell scientist and dean of Harvard Medical School. He wasn't involved in the new research and praised it as "quite remarkable."

"This is definitely a leap forward," agreed developmental geneticist Robin Lovell-Badge of Britain's Francis Crick Institute.

Today, couples seeking to avoid passing on a bad gene sometimes have embryos created in fertility clinics so they can discard those that inherit the disease and attempt pregnancy only with healthy ones, if there are any.

Gene editing in theory could rescue diseased embryos. But so-called "germline" changes altering sperm, eggs or embryos are controversial because they would be permanent, passed down to future generations. Critics worry about attempts at "designer babies" instead of just preventing disease, and a few previous attempts at learning to edit embryos, in China, didn't work well and, more importantly, raised safety concerns.

In a series of laboratory experiments reported in the journal Nature, the Oregon researchers tried a different approach.

They targeted a gene mutation that causes a heart-weakening disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, that affects about 1 in 500 people. Inheriting just one copy of the bad gene can cause it.

The team programmed a gene-editing tool, named CRISPR-Cas9, that acts like a pair of molecular scissors to find that mutation a missing piece of genetic material.

Then came the test. Researchers injected sperm from a patient with the heart condition along with those molecular scissors into healthy donated eggs at the same time. The scissors cut the defective DNA in the sperm.

Normally cells will repair a CRISPR-induced cut in DNA by essentially gluing the ends back together. Or scientists can try delivering the missing DNA in a repair package, like a computer's cut-and-paste program.

Instead, the newly forming embryos made their own perfect fix without that outside help, reported Oregon Health & Science University senior researcher Shoukhrat Mitalipov.

We all inherit two copies of each gene, one from dad and one from mom and those embryos just copied the healthy one from the donated egg.

"The embryos are really looking for the blueprint," Mitalipov, who directs OHSU's Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, said in an interview. "We're finding embryos will repair themselves if you have another healthy copy."

It worked 72 percent of the time, in 42 out of 58 embryos. Normally a sick parent has a 50-50 chance of passing on the mutation.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Previous embryo-editing attempts in China found not every cell was repaired, a safety concern called mosaicism. Beginning the process before fertilization avoided that problem: Until now, "everybody was injecting too late," Mitalipov said.

Nor did intense testing uncover any "off-target" errors, cuts to DNA in the wrong places, reported the team, which also included researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California and South Korea's Institute for Basic Science. None of the embryos was allowed to develop beyond eight cells, a standard for laboratory research.

Genetics and ethics experts not involved in the work say it's a critical first step but just one step toward eventually testing the process in pregnancy, something currently prohibited by U.S. policy.

"This is very elegant lab work," but it's moving so fast that society needs to catch up and debate how far it should go, said Johns Hopkins University bioethicist Jeffrey Kahn.

And lots more research is needed to tell if it's really safe, added Britain's Lovell-Badge.

"What we do not want is for rogue clinicians to start offering treatments" that are unproven like has happened with some other experimental technologies, he stressed.

Among key questions: Would the technique work if mom, not dad, harbored the mutation? Is repair even possible if both parents pass on a bad gene?

Mitalipov is "pushing a frontier," but it's responsible basic research that's critical for understanding embryos and disease inheritance, noted University of Pittsburgh professor Kyle Orwig.

In fact, Mitalipov said the research should offer critics some reassurance: If embryos prefer self-repair, it would be extremely hard to add traits for "designer babies" rather than just eliminate disease.

"All we did is un-modify the already mutated gene."

Published at 1:33 PM EDT on Aug 2, 2017

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Scientists Repair Gene in Human Embryos for First Time - NBC New York

In BriefA team of researchers from New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine just discovered a breakthrough in anti-aging research. Their findings suggest that the brain's hypothalamus is crucial in keeping aging and age-related diseases in check.

Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have successfully tested a new procedure on mice that could help keep age-related diseases, and even aging itself, at bay. Reporting their findings in the journal Nature, the researchers discovered the crucial role the hypothalamusthe region of the brain responsible for the bodys hormonal and metabolic processes plays in aging.Click to View Full Infographic

Our research shows that the number of hypothalamic neural stem cells naturally declines over the life of the animal, and this decline accelerates aging, led researcher Dongsheng Cai said in a press release. They found, however, that the process isnt irreversible.

In order to figure out if the disappearance of stem cells was caused by (or due to) aging, they injected mice with a toxin that killed 70 percent of their neural stem cells. This disruption greatly accelerated aging compared with control mice, and those animals with disrupted stem cells died earlier than normal, Cai explained.

In a second experiment, the researchers implanted stem cells ready tobecomefresh neurons into the brains of older mice. This extended the life of the mice by 10 to 15 percent, and kept them physically and mentally fit for several months.

Previously, other researchers have hinted at the role the hypothalamus has in aging though it has never before beenpinpointed quite so clearly.Cais team seems to have provided the missing link, which could significantly pushed anti-aging research forward. It is a tour de force, David Sinclair at Harvard Medical School told The Guardian. Its a breakthrough. The brain controls how long we live.

Research in the field of aging has increased over the last several yearsas scientists warmup to the idea that aging itself is a disease that can, and should,be cured. Perhaps not surprisingly, a lot of these potential treatments have a basis in some function of the brain. One study examines the mitochondria, while others look at drugs that are already being used to treat the effects of aging. Onestudyis even going so far as to explore the anti-aging potential of transfusions using young blood.

For Cais research, the next step is to test the procedure on humans, and the team wants to begin clinical trials soon. However, that may be a ways off yet.Of course humans are more complex, Cai said, also speaking toThe Guardian. However, if the mechanism is fundamental, you might expect to see effects when an intervention is based on it.

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Scientists Successfully Slow Aging in Mice Using Stem Cells - Futurism

Photo Scientists have discovered that even a decapitated planarian flatworm can detect light before it grows back its head and eyes. Credit Kent Wood/Science Source

The planarian flatworm is a smooshed noodle of an organism that can be found all over the planet. It has a triangular head occupied by a rather primitive version of a brain and two black dots for eyes. You can chop off this head, and it will grow back in about a week eyes, brain and all. And you can hack away at the critter until all thats left is a tiny speck of worm dust and the thing will still grow back.

But now this peculiar creature, famous for its regenerative abilities (like when some grew two heads in space), may have another unforeseen idiosyncrasy: It not only reacts to light after decapitation, but it gradually recoups an ability to see finer aspects of light as its eyes and brain grow back. And despite lacking the machinery to see colors, the worm somehow creates a workaround, essentially converting this rainbow colored world to a grayscale, said Akash Gulyani a multidisciplinary scientist at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Bangalore, India, who led the study.

His teams findings, published last week in Science Advances, could offer new opportunities for studying how animals recover after injuries and reveal additional details about function to the story of how animal eyes evolved.

Planarians, like many other organisms across the animal kingdom, have fairly basic eyes, unable to detect color and lacking a lens to focus. The eyes are shaped like cups and lined with cells that detect the presence of light and the direction from which it comes. They send signals to two blobs of cells that constitute a pretty basic brain (some argue the first one). Their view of the world is probably limited to moving shadows, not the clear picture production of a humans cones, rods and lenses.

In the wild, the worms avoid sunlight and the predators and other dangers lurking within it.

And when scientists shined bright lights on the animals in the lab both UV and white, which contains a rainbow of colors or hues they swim away, flapping the sides of their little noodle bodies like wiggly linguine. When given a choice between hues, the worms preferred green over blue and red over green, the scientists found. They werent detecting wavelengths or truly sensing colors, but perceiving one as darker than another, as if representing a deeper, safer depth in the wild, the scientists reasoned.

But decapitated worms still responded to UV light. You wont believe what happened, Dr. Gulyani recalled some students reporting, the samples ran away from the light even though they didnt have heads.

This reflex-like response had been observed by other scientists, but not fully explained. It made sense, because the worms split in half to reproduce, and a blind, brainless tailpiece is vulnerable as its body develops. But as the body parts regenerated, function gradually recovered. With eyes, the worms could detect white light again. And after the brain was fully developed and the connections became strong, the worms regained their fine-tuning abilities. But just how they do this and why they developed the greater complexity is still a mystery.

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Chop Off This Worm's Head and It Can Still Detect Light - New York Times

New York, Aug 3 (IANS) In a discovery that could improve treatments for autoimmune diseases and cancer, researchers have found a way to turn pro-inflammatory cells that boost the immune system into anti-inflammatory cells that suppress it, and vice versa.

When the immune system is imbalanced, either due to overly-active cells or cells that suppress its function, it causes a wide range of diseases, from psoriasis to cancer.

By manipulating the function of certain immune cells, called T cells, researchers could help restore the systems balance and create new treatments to target these diseases.

The new method to reprogramme specific T cells, revealed by scientists at Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, is a step in that direction.

Our findings could have a significant impact on the treatment of autoimmune diseases, as well as on stem cell and immuno-oncology therapies, said Gladstone Senior Investigator Sheng Ding, who is also a professor at the University of California, San Francisco.

The researchers studied two types of cells called effector T cells, which activate the immune system to defend our body against different pathogens, and regulatory T cells, which help control the immune system and prevent it from attacking healthy parts of its environment.

By drawing on their expertise in drug discovery, Dings team identified a small-molecule drug that can successfully reprogramme effector T cells into regulatory T cells.

The study, published in the journal Nature, describes in detail a metabolic mechanism that helps convert one cell type into another.

This new approach to reprogram T cells could have several medical applications.

For instance, in autoimmune disease, effector T cells are overly activated and cause damage to body.

Converting these cells into regulatory T cells could help reduce the hyperactivity and return balance to the immune system, thus treating the root of the disease.

Our work could also contribute to ongoing efforts in immuno-oncology and the treatment of cancer, explained Tao Xu, postdoctoral scholar in Dings laboratory and first author of the study.

This type of therapy doesnt target the cancer directly, but rather works on activating the immune system so it can recognise cancer cells and attack them, Xu added.

Many cancers take control of regulatory T cells to suppress the immune system, creating an environment where tumours can grow without being detected.

In such cases, the teams findings could be used to transform regulatory T cells into effector T cells to strengthen the immune system so it can better recognise and destroy cancer cells.

This is published unedited from the IANS feed.

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Researchers find how to reprogramme cells in immune system - India.com

Sometimes it baffles scientists how steadily our bodies age throughout the passage of time. It occurs way faster we might expect sometimes. There might be various reasons for the slowing down or becoming fast of the raging process.

So, we often do our best to try to slow down or cheat the aging process using a relatively wider range of therapies, from refining our dietary habits to enduring plastic surgery.

Stem cells are found in a place in our brains called hypothalamus and they might play a vital role in how fast and slow we age.

Dr. Dongsheng Cai, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York City, NY, with his team of specialists, has discovered that adding fresh stem cells to the hypothalamus might be effective if you want to delay aging.The results of this study are published in the current issue of Nature.

Previous research conducted at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine had already indicated that the hypothalamus plays a critical role in controlling the aging process.Dr. Cai and his team are now able to find the specific cells that are conscientious for the aging process: neural stem cells also involved in neurogenesis that is, the formation of brand new brain neurons.

The researchers distinguished that the quantity of brain stem cells in the hypothalamus progressively declines with time, and this influences the rapidity at which the aging process proceeds. However, they add that their study has shown that the speed of process can be reduced.

Our research shows that the number of hypothalamic neural stem cells naturally declines over the life of the animal, and this decline accelerates aging. But we also found that [] [b]y replenishing these stem cells or the molecules they produce, its possible to slow and even reverse various aspects of aging throughout the body.

In their study, the researchers experimented on mice to test the function of neural stem cells. They observed that the quantity of stem cells in mices hypothalamus began to decay at around 10 months old, which, rendering to the scientists, is long before aging becomes evident.

By old age about 2 years of age in mice most of those [stem] cells were gone, notes Dr. Cai.

The subsequent step in the analysis was to experiment for the cause of aging, rather than just correlation, between declining numbers of neural stem cells and the inception of the aging process.To do this, the scientists selectively disordered the related stem cells in middle-aged mice. They detected that, in these mice, onset of aging was much faster than in the controlled specimens, whose neural stem cells were not manipulated.

This disruption greatly accelerated aging compared with control mice, and those animals with disrupted stem cells died earlier than normal, says Dr. Cai.

Finally, the researchers wanted to figure out whether introducing a fresh supply of stem cells to the hypothalamus could slow down the aging progression.They introduced brand new stem cells both into the hypothalami of the mice whose stem cells had been disordered, and into those of regular, well middle-aged mice.Dr. Cai and his coworkers established that this action was quite fruitful: in all the mice, the aging procedure was either reduced down, or different aspects of aging were countered altogether.What happens, the researchers concluded, is that the stem cells discharge microRNAs (miRNAs), which are a type of particle(molecule) convoluted in the directive of gene expression.

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Do Stem Cells have the ability to reverse aging process? - Fox Weekly

Resurrecting the dead may be out of the question, but new research points to better ways to care for patients with critical brain injuries.Jun.29.2017 / 4:32 PM ET Conceptual close up image of a synapse. Science Picture Co / Getty Images Conceptual close up image of a synapse. Science Picture Co / Getty Images

Nothing is as certain as death. Yet humans have come up with ways to push it further and further. The heart stops beating? Do CPR. The lungs fail? Use a mechanical ventilator. These techniques have saved the lives of millions. There is a point of no return, however: when the brain dies.

One company, Philadelphia-based Bioquark Inc., thinks it may be possible to push back on even that last step. Bioquark plans to launch a study to use stem cells and a slew of other therapies to bring a glimmer of life back to the dead brains of newly deceased patients.

The idea led to hundreds of chilling headlines and has met serious backlash from scientists and ethicists alike. While Bioquarks proposed study may trigger ethical and practical concerns, experts do say advances in stem cell research and medical technologies mean someday brain injury could be reversible. Maybe (and thats a big maybe) brain death wont be the end of life.

I agree stem cell technology in the neurosciences has tremendous potential, but we have to study it in a way that makes sense, said Dr. Diana Greene-Chandos, assistant professor of neurosurgery and neurology at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. What doesnt make sense, she says, is to apply stem cell research in complex human brainsvery damaged onesbefore animal studies have gotten far enough.

Thats why Bioquarks proposed study, slated to take place in South America sometime this year, has caused such uproar in the science community. The team plans to administer therapies to 20 brain-dead subjects with the hope of stirring up electrical activity in the brain. The idea is to deliver stem cells to the brain and coax them to grow into new brain cells, or neurons, with the help of a nurturing peptide cocktail, electrical nerve stimulation, and laser therapy.

Related: Godlike 'Homo Deus' Could Replace Humans as Tech Evolves

We are employing this [combined] approach, using tools that by themselves have been employed extensively, but never in such an integrated process, said Bioquark CEO Ira Pastor.

One critique is that such a study could give false hope to families who may have a poor understanding of the severity and irreversibility of brain death, and confuse it with coma or vegetative state. There are a lot of gray areas in medicine. And we should all keep an open mind. But we need to make sure we are not misguiding our patients, said Dr. Neha Dangayach, attending physician in the neurosurgical intensive care Unit at New Yorks Mount Sinai Hospital.

Pastors response to the criticism? The public is catching up to the idea of brain death. Hes also clarified that full resurrection is not the companys intended goalat least not yet. We are not claiming the ability to erase death. We are working on a very small window, a gray zone between reversible coma and death, he said.

Ethics aside, critics say there are practical problems with the plan. There is insufficient evidence behind Bioquarks approach, they argue, and the way the study is planned does not sound realistic.

When the brain dies, inflammation and swelling run amok, the connections between neurons disintegrate, arteries collapse, and blood flow shuts down. Once someone is brain-dead, you can keep them on the ventilator but its very hard to keep the organs from shutting down and the heart beating for more than a few days, said neurologist Richard Senelick. Nature is going to run its course.

So, many scientists say Bioquarks study may be a quixotic queston par with cryogenic brain preservation and head transplants. They may sound good in theory but are so impractical that they have little chance of success. Nevertheless, experts agree the quest does raise serious questions that deserve answers. Just what would it take to save a brain? Perhaps resurrecting dead brains is not in the realm of possibilitybut what is?

There is an immense reward in pursuing brain regeneration. If it pans out, it could potentially save the lives of those who are injured in an accident or, more commonly, suffer extreme brain damage following a cardiac arrest or stroke. Every year in the United States, about 350,000 people experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association. Only about 10 percent survive with good neurologic function. Another 130,000 people die of stroke annually.

To appreciate the challenge of saving the brain, first look at what it takes to kill it. It was long thought that death occurs when the heart stops. Now we know that death actually happens in the brainand not in one single moment, but several steps. A patient lying in a coma in an intensive care unit may appear peaceful, but findings from biochemical studies paint a much different scene in his brain: fireworks at the cellular level.

When neurons encounter a traumatic event, like lack of blood flow after cardiac arrest, they go into a frenzy. Some cells die during the initial blackout. Others struggle to survive in the complex cascade of secondary injury mechanisms, triggered by the stress of being deprived of oxygen. Neurotransmitters spill out of neurons in high concentrations. Free radicals pile up, burning holes in brain cell membranes. The pierced cells respond to the attack by producing more inflammation, damaging other cells.

Eventually, the stress response triggers apoptosis, or the process of programmed cell death. In other words, the cells suicide switch gets turned on. The cells die one by one until the brain ceases to function.

Thats brain death: the complete and irreversible loss of function of the brain. Doctors determine brain death by checking whether the patient's pupils react to light, whether he responds to pain, and if his body tries to breathe or has retained any other vital function of the brainstem, the part most resilient to injury.

We have strict tests, because its a very serious questionthe question of distinguishing life from death, Dangayach said.

For brain damage at a much smaller scale, however, the situation could be manageable. Cutting-edge therapies are focused on this possibility.

Related: Three Myths About the Brain (That Deserve To Die)

Stem cells have brought an exciting potential opportunity to the grim area of treating brain injury. Currently, theres no FDA-approved stem cell-based therapy for brain problems, and experts suggest staying away from any clinic that offers such therapies. But that doesnt stop researchers from being excited about the possibilities. Unlike in other parts of the body, cells lost in the brain are gone forever. Could stem cells replace them?

That's a reasonable thing to ask, neurologist Dr. Ariane Lewis of New York University said. Lewis is a strong critic of Bioquarks approach, saying that the study borders on quackery, but she thinks stem cell research is promising for stroke recovery. We have little evidence right now, and this is not a commonly employed therapy, but its a research question.

Two regions in the adult brain contain stem cells that can give rise to new neurons, suggesting the brain has a built-in capacity to repair itself. Some of these cells can migrate long distances and reach the injury site.

In some injuries, the brain produces biological factors that stimulate stem cells. Researchers are working to identify those factorswith the aim of someday translating the findings into new drugs to boost a patient's own stem cells.

If we can identify factors that stimulate these cells we could directly repair [the brain], said Dr. Steven Kernie, chief of pediatric critical care medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital, who is working on this research.

Other teams have been working on turning different types of brain cells into neurons. A team at Penn State University developed a cocktail of molecules that can convert glial cells, a type of brain cell, into functioning neurons in mice. The cocktail of molecules could be packaged into drug pills, the researchers said, perhaps one day taken by patients to regenerate neurons.

Another option: transplant new neurons into the brain. In a 2016 study, scientists successfully transplanted young neurons into damaged brains of mice. A real-life injury in the human brain is a much messier situation than a clear-cut lesion made in the lab. But eventually, such advances may translate into techniques to repair stroke damage.

Related: These Brain Boosting Devices Could Give Us Intelligence Superpowers

For diseases like Parkinsons, in which a particular population of neurons is lostas opposed to widespread indiscriminate damagethere have been several clinical trials with many more slated. Scientists in Australia are using brain cells of pigs as a substitute for lost neurons. Later this year, a Chinese clinical trial will implant young neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells into brains of Parkinsons patients. And five more groups are planning similar trials over the next two years, Nature reported.

Approaches taken in Parkinsons trials may be the most biologically plausible, Kernie said. If these trials are successful, they may pave the way for more widespread application of stem cells for treating brain diseases. Its not proven yet that it will work, but its something that's on the horizon.

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These Scientists Have a Plan To Cheat Death. Will It Work? - NBCNews.com

Sure, the main purpose of sex isprocreation, but according to one researcher, in as little as 30 years, we may have more efficient and cheaper ways of making babiesthangood ole fashioned intercourse. According to Hank Greely, the director of StanfordLaw Schools Center for Law and Biosciences, human reproductionmay become automated faster than you realize.

Greely believes that within three decades, people will no longer have sex as a way to reproduce, and instead relyongenetically edited embryos grown from skin-derived stem cells, not the combination of an egg or sperm, The Independent reported. According to Greely, this processensures that the embryo is free from any devastating genetic diseases, and wouldalso be cheaper in the long run because of the money it would save in healthcare over the years. Whats more, Greely predicts that couples would be able to choose other genetic traits in their children, such as physical features and intelligence.

Read: What Is A Three Parent IVF Technique? Worlds First Baby Born Using DNA From Three Parents, But How?

I dont think were going to be able to say this embryo will get a 1550 on its two-part SAT, Greely said this week at Aspen Ideas Festival, Quartz reported, But, this embryo has a 60% chance of being in the top half, this embryo has a 13% chance of being in the top 10%I think thats really possible.

The idea may soundfar-out, but according to Quartz, it already happens on a much smaller and limited scale as a way to prevent certain diseases. Although extremely expensive at the moment, advances in stem cell technology willhelp to drive down the cost. In addition, the amount that the government would save on not having to take care of sick babies would also make this more cost-efficient.

Making babies from skin cellsrather than a traditional egg fertilized with spermmaysound like its straight out of Hollywood, butthetechnology is quickly advancing. The skin cells, one from the mother and the other from the father, are coaxed into becoming an egg or sperm cell, The New York Times reported. This also means that one day same-sex couples may be able to have biologically related children. So far, vitro gametogenesis (IVG), or making sex cells from stem cells, has only worked on mice.

Theres also the worry that being able to genetically manipulate your offspring may lead to a eugenicssituation where less favorable traits get written out of the human genome forever. However, Greely also believes this is not the case.

This is not designer babies or super babies, said Greely, Quartz reported. This is selecting embryos. You take two people, all you can get out of a baby is what those two people have.

Just because well no longer need sex for procreation doesnt mean the activity is going out of fashion anytime soon. It's agreat way to createfuture generations, and sexis also good for your physical and mental health, as well as keeping couples together.

See Also:

Designer Babies: The Truth Behind Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis

Scientists Edit Human Embryo Genes For First Time Ever: A Step Toward Disease-Free Future?

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Sex For Reproduction May Be Obsolete Within 30 Years Thanks To New Technology, Professor Predicts - Medical Daily

Scientists have found a new way of creating stem cells, which are cells that have the ability to turn into any type of tissue, using mouse cells. If the method works for human cells, it could ultimately be used to create tissue for people who need organ transplants, and to study diseases such as cancer.

The new method involves exposing cells taken from a mouse spleen to an acidic environment. After doing this, the scientists found they had created cells that were "pluripotent" capable of turning into most types of cells in the body, including those found in the lungs, muscle, bone, blood, skin or nervous system. The researchers called the stem cells they made "STAP cells" (an abbreviation for stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency).

If the findings are replicated, "this result has the potential to be very significant," said Linzhao Cheng, a professor of medicine and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the research. [Video: STAP cells develop into an embryo]

Researchers in Japan first demonstrated the ability to makestem cellsfrom adult cells in 2006. This method uses viruses to insert new genes into adult cells, and produces cells calledinduced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs).

But the new method of using acid doesn't require manipulating the cells' DNA, and may even be faster, researchers said.

The study not only shows that STAP cells offer an alternative way to generate stem cells for regenerative medicine, but also that they could help scientists learn about how tumors develop in cancer, Cheng told LiveScience.

Reprogramming cells

Normally, once cells in the body have become specialized for example, by becoming spleen cells they can no longer change course and develop into other types of cells. One goal of stem cell research is to find ways to reset adult cells, so that they can change course and grow into whatever tissue a person might need. That could mean a replacement of heart tissue damaged by a heart attack, or a new lung kidney to replace one ravaged by cancer.

Common wisdom holds that in order to make cells revert to their unspecialized state, researchers must either transfer the cell nucleus, or add a complex cocktail of substances that control how DNA gets made into proteins.

"I asked, can it be done without manipulating the nucleus?" Haruko Obokata of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Japan, leader of the research described online today (Jan. 29) in two papersin the journal Nature, told reporters.

Studies of plants have shown that a stressful environment can reprogram cells into an immature state. And, from this state, the cells can develop into an entirely new plant. But no one had reprogrammed animal cells in that way. [Inside Life Science: Once Upon a Stem Cell]

Obokata and her colleagues developed a new method to reprogram adult mouse cells. They took spleen cells from 1-week-old mice and bathed the cells in acidic fluid, at human body temperature, for 25 minutes.

They found that after the acid treatment, the cells indeed reverted to a pluripotent state like that seen in embryonic stem cells.The researchers used the same method to convert cells from brain, skin, muscle, fat, bone marrow, lung and liver tissues into stem cells, successfully.

The scientists tested the cells' potential by injecting them into mouse embryos that were already growing, but still at a very early stage of development. The researchers found these embryos developed into healthy mice that were "chimaeras," meaning they contained genetic material from both the STAP cells and the original cells of the embryo.

In a second study, the researchers found the STAP cells could develop into not only into the cells of the mouse embryo, but also into the cells of its placenta a strong demonstration of the cells' potential to develop into different cell types.

In addition, the scientists showed that STAP cells could be converted into self-renewing stem cells similar to embryonic stem cells.

Way of the future?

Compared with the time it takes to perform the current method, of creating iPSCs, the new method is much quicker, Obokata said.

In addition to the acidic treatment, the researchers tested whether other stresses such as squeezing the cells, heating them or depriving them of nutrients could also coax mature cells into becoming pluripotent. Initial findings suggest that some of these other stresses could have the same effect as the acidic treatment, the researchers said.

Paul Frenette, a stem cell biologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York who had no role in the study, called the new method "very exciting."

Many scientists have been spending a lot of effort on finding ways to reprogram cells, so achieving this by simply changing the acidity of the environment is remarkable, Frenette told LiveScience.

Other labs will try to replicate the findings in mice, and ultimately in human cells. The new method is"very easy to do, so we will see how quickly it's reproduced," Frenette said.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 2:53 p.m. ET Jan. 29, to specify that cells from brain, muscle and other tissues were also converted to STAP cells.

Follow Tanya Lewis on Twitterand Google+.Follow us @livescience, Facebook& Google+. Original article onLiveScience.

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A New Method for Making Stem Cells - Live Science

Scientists and doctors have made tremendous advances in moving regenerative medicine into the mainstream as a treatment for many diseases and disorders. Regenerative medicine takes advantage of our natural ability to heal ourselves by using the healthy adult stem cells found throughout the body. Laboratory and clinical research has shown that it is possible to use adult stem cells to restore lost, damaged or aging cells to effectively regenerate tissue and provide some patients with an alternative to surgery. Regenerative therapies are showing promise in orthopedic medicine, wound care, nerve restoration, and a variety of cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and autoimmune conditions.

Adult stem cells were discovered over 40 years ago when researchers found that cells derived from bone marrow had the ability to form various tissues. Adult stem cells are early stage cells that, under the right conditions, are capable of developing into other types of cells and hold the potential to regenerate damaged tissue.

AUTOLOGOUS ADULT STEM CELLS (ASCS) are being used to treat many types of chronic pain and degeneration. Currently doctors are treating shoulder, knee, hip, and spine degeneration, in addition to soft tissue (muscle, tendon, ligament) and other bone related injuries.

The first step is to determine if you are a good candidate for an adult stem cell procedure. Your physician will want a history of your injury and a physical examination along with any x-rays, and an MRI. While stem cell therapy maybe appropriate for certain conditions, it is not applicable for every condition. However, it is has proven to be a viable option for several individuals suffering from pain. Good candidates for adult stem cell treatment usually are:

Every patient is different, the success of the stem cell therapy is dependent on the severity of your condition and your bodys response to stem cell therapy.

Overview of the Procedure

An adult stem cell procedure harnesses and amplifies the bodys natural mechanism for healing and anti-inflammation. Once you have been identified as a good candidate for the procedure, a member of our team will review the procedure with you and answer any questions that you may have. A brief overview of the procedure is below:

Once the procedure is complete, our staff will allow you to rest and will create a customized personal rehabilitation program for recovery. We will either ask you to come back for a few post-operative appointments or follow up with you by phone, email, or mail so we can track you healing progress.

Potential Applications

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What are adult stem cells?

A: Adult stem cells are unspecialized or undifferentiated cells, capable of two processes: self-renewal and differentiation. They are vital to maintaining tissues in the body such as internal organs, skin, and blood.

Q: What is Regenerative Medicine?

A: Regenerative Medicine is a new and advancing scientific field focused on the repair and regeneration of damaged tissue utilizing stem cells.

Q: What is the difference between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells?

A: Adult stem cells are found in mature adult tissues including bone marrow and fat, while embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are not found in the adult human body. ESCs are obtained from donated in vitro fertilizations, which raises many ethical concerns. Because ESCs are not autologous, there is a possibility of immune rejection. Adult stem cells do not raise ethical issues nor pose any risks for immune rejection.

Q: Does Dr. Youm use embryonic stem cells in clinical procedures?

A: No, Dr. Youms approach to cell therapy relies only on autologous adult stem cells isolated from the patient during surgery. He does not participate in embryonic stem cell research or use embryonic stem cells in clinical applications.

Q: Are there ethical issues associated with harvesting adult stem cells?

A: No, adult stem cells do not raise ethical questions as they are harvested from the patients body.

Q: Are there cancer-causing risks associated with adult stem cell treatments?

A: No. Where embryonic stem cells have been shown to form teratomas (germ cell tumors), there is no data that suggests adult stem cells have the same potential to promote the development of tumors.

Q: Where do adult stem cells come from?

A: In adults, stem cells are present within various tissues and organ systems, the most common being bone marrow and adipose or fat tissues. Other sources include the liver, epidermis, retina, skeletal muscle, intestine, brain, placenta, umbilical cord and dental pulp.

Q: How does Dr. Youm obtain adult stem cells for use in cell treatment?

A: Dr. Youm currently has a system that uses adult stem cells from bone marrow and these stem cells are obtained through aspiration during your procedure.

Q: How are adult stem cells used in surgical procedures?

A: Adult stem cells are used to treat patients with damaged tissues due to age or deterioration. During a procedure, stem cells are isolated from the patient, concentrated and delivered back to the site of injury to assist in the healing process.

Q: Are there different types of adult stem cells?

A: Yes, there are many types of adult stem cells found in the body, which have variable differentiation potentials. The adult stem cells that aid in the repair of damages tissue are multipotent, mesenchymal stem cells. These are located in bone marrow and adipose (fat) tissue.

Q: Are the harvested adult stem cells expanded in a laboratory setting prior to delivery back to the patient?

A: No, Dr. Youm does not use in vitro expansion. The cells are harvested, processed in the operating room and delivered back to the patient at point of care.

Q: How do stem cells know what type of tissue to develop into?

A: The differentiation of stem cells is dependent on many factors, including cell signaling and micro-environmental signals. Based on these cues, stem cells are able to develop into healthy tissue needed to repair damaged tissue. For example, multipotent stem cells delivered to damaged bone will develop into bone cells to aid in tissue repair. The exact mechanism of lineage-specific differentiation is unknown at this point.

Q: Will my body reject the stem cells?

A: No, adult stem cells are autologous and non-immunogenic.

Q: Is stem cell therapy safe?

A: Yes, and ask your doctor what clinical studies have been done to show that stem cells are safe and effective.

Q: Where are stem cells currently being used?

A: Stem cells are currently being used in both laboratory and clinical settings. Laboratories are using human and animal derived stem cells to conduct in vitro studies as well as in vivo studies with small and large animals. Autologous adult stem cells are currently being used in hospitals and clinics during surgery to aid in the repair of damaged tissues.

Q: How long will the stem cells last?

A: It will depend on your injury, the area that is treated and your response to the therapy.

Q: What is the recovery like after a stem cell procedure?

A: If you have a joint injection, you typically can go back to work. It is advised to limit load bearing activities for at least 2 weeks. If you had disc injections, you should take it easy for a few days. Non-steriodal, anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) should be withheld for 72 hours pre-procedure and one week after the procedure.

Q: What is the difference between autologous and allogeneic cells?

A: Autologous cells are taken from the same patient, typically at point-of-care. Allogeneic cells are taken from another patient and are often manipulated before they are given to another patient.

Q: Why use adult stem cell therapy rather than pharmaceuticals or genetic treatments?

A: Adult stem cells are from the body and generate natural proteins and therapeutic biochemicals, decrease inflammation, are anti-bacterial, and recruit other cells to heal the injured site. Pharmaceutical treatments only provide drugs with minimally effective dosages that may cause unwanted side effects. Over dosage can be dangerously toxic or even carcinogenic. Genetic therapy is still unproven and serious concerns exist about it causing cancer due to genetically manipulated cells.

Q: What is the difference between autologous and allogeneic cells?

A: Autologous cells are taken from the same patient, typically at point-of-care. Allogeneic cells are taken from another patient and are often manipulated.

Q: How much will it cost?

A: Most insurance will not cover stem cell procedures. Ask your doctor for payment options

The use of Stem cells in Hip Therapies

The use of Stem cells in Knee Therapies

The use of Stem cells in Shoulder Therapies

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New York State Stem Cell Science Consortia

Center for Stem Cell Biology investigators are leading a multidisciplinary effort to develop a cell based therapy for the treatment of Parkinsons disease.

The Center for Stem Cell Biology (CSCB) was established in 2010 to serve as a hub for existing stem cell efforts at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The center also supports targeted recruitment of stem cell faculty and provides resources for stem cell research such as core facilities and trainings programs.

Memorial Sloan Kettering has been a leader in various aspects of stem cell research for many years. It has been at the forefront of realizing the potential of hematopoietic stem cells in the treatment of hematopoietic malignancies, the use of umbilical cord blood as a source of stem cells suitable for transplantation, and the isolation of human mesenchymal stem cells. In recent years research has expanded to new areas such as neural stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. The CSCB will link these existing stem cell research efforts and build the resources critical for new developments in the future.

To achieve these goals the CSCB will bring together scientists across various programs with a broad range of expertise in the following areas: cancer pathogenesis, cell biology, chemical biology, computational biology, developmental biology, and pharmacology. These partnerships will facilitate research projects that transcend traditional departmental boundaries to explore the full potential of stem cells, ranging from basic developmental studies to the use of human stem cells in drug discovery. Another core mission of the CSCB is the training of investigators in stem cell technologies such as induced pluripotency, directed differentiation, genetic modification, and prospective purification of stem cells. Finally, the CSCB links stem cell efforts at Memorial Sloan Kettering with the Tri-Institutional Stem Cell Initiative, a collaborative program of Memorial Sloan Kettering, The Rockefeller University, and Weill Cornell Medical College, as well as with other national and international stem cell organizations.

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