Category Archives: Washington Stem Cells

WebMD Physician Directory Washington, District of Columbia

Washington, D.C. formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790. The City of Washington was originally a separate municipality within the Territory of Columbia until an act of Congress in 1871 effectively merged the City and the Territory into a single entity called the District of Columbia. It is for this reason that the city, while legally named the District of Columbia, is known as Washington, D.C. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.)

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Washington DC Resources - Stem Cells: Get Facts on Uses ...

Can human embryonic stem cells be used to generate new retinal neurons for retinal repair?

Lamba DA, Karl MO, Ware CB, Reh TA. Efficient generation of retinal progenitor cells from human embryonic stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Aug 22; 103(34): 12769-74

We have recently developed an efficient method for directing hES cells to the retinal progenitor identity based on the known regulatory factors that control eye development (Figure 1A). The current molecular genetic model of vertebrate embryogenesis suggests that there are several sequential induction steps. Forebrain development requires that both BMP and Wnt signaling are antagonized. Although the specific molecular signals required for eye field specification are not completely defined in any model system, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA injections into Xenopus embryos specifically promote eye induction. Therefore, to direct the ES cells (Figure 1B) to an anterior neural fate, we treated embryoid bodies (Figure 1C) with a combination of noggin (a potent endogenous inhibitor of the BMP pathway) and Dickkopf-1 (dkk1; a secreted antagonist of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway) and IGF-1. The embryoid bodies are cultured for 3 days in the three factors (Figure 1A) and then transferred to 6 well plates coated with either Matrigel or laminin where they are allowed to attach (Figure 1D). The cells are then maintained in the same medium, with bFGF added, for an additional three weeks; we refer to this protocol as retinal determination (RD) conditions. Analysis of the cells with RT-PCR and immunofluorescence demonstrates that they express the full complement of eye field transcription factors, including Rx, Pax6, Lhx2, and Six3. 82% (SD+/-23%) of the cells were labeled with Pax6 antibodies at the end of 3 weeks in RD conditions (Figure 1E). Of these, 86% cells co-expressed Chx10 (SD+/-14%). Most of the Pax6 labeled cells were also labeled with antibodies to Sox2. To determine whether the hES cell derived progenitors have the capacity for multi-lineage differentiation characteristic of retinal progenitors, we used immunofluorescence for specific types of retinal neurons, including HuC/D, Neurofilament-M (Figure 2A), and Tuj-1(Figure 2B) for ganglion and amacrine cells, Crx (Figure 2D), Nrl (Figure 2C), recoverin, S-opsin, and rhodopsin for photoreceptors, and Prox1 for amacrine and horizontal cells. Many cells in the hES cultures label with markers of ganglion and amacrine cells: Tuj-1 and Neurofilament-M (while other cells are labeled with photoreceptor-specific antibodies, including Crx, and Nrl. Quantitative analysis shows on average that 12% of all cells expressed Crx (SD+/-2.4) and 12% of all cells expressed Hu C/D (SD+/-6.7) and 5.75% (SD+/-4.2) of the cells expressed Nrl (1646 cells counted). S-opsin and rhodopsin were expressed in a very small percentage of cells (<0.01%). Cells with neuronal morphology displayed synaptophysin labeled puncta, consistent with synaptic development in vitro (Figure 2E).

To analyze the functional maturation of the retinal neurons produced in these cultures, we re-dissociated the cells and plated them at lower density. This allowed us to analyze small clusters of cells with calcium imaging techniques. We found that some of the cells, particularly those with distinct neuron-like morphology, respond to glutamate, and NMDA with substantial calcium fluxes (arrow, Figure 3). Since most inner retinal neurons have glutamate receptors, and retinal ganglion cells express NMDA receptors, these data lend further support to the immunofluorescent identification of ganglion cells and amacrine cells.

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Stem Cells - University of Washington

"NIH: Few Stem Cell Colonies Likely Available for Research" by Justin Gillis and Rick Weiss The Washington Post

March 3, 2004; At least 16 of the 78 human stem cell colonies approved by President Bush for Federal research money have died or failed to reproduce in their laboratory dishes -- making them useless to scientists -- and most of the others are unlikely ever to become available for disease research, according to interviews and a new analysis by the National Institutes of Health. The unpublished NIH analysis, circulating yesterday on Capitol Hill, said only about one-quarter of the Bush-approved cell colonies are ever likely to be available, far fewer than supporters of the President's policy had predicted. Moreover, several of the Bush-approved colonies available to researchers are beginning to show genetic abnormalities, potentially undermining their medical usefulness, researchers said. Advocates of stem-cell research, who believe it offers possibilities for curing a range of diseases from diabetes to Parkinson's, said these developments confirmed fears they expressed in 2001, when Bush announced that he would allow Federal funding only for stem-cell colonies that had been extracted from human embryos as of August 9, 2001.

Two Democrats, Reps. Henry A. Waxman (CA) and Louise M. Slaughter (NY), yesterday accused the Administration of misleading the public by continuing to contend that the policy allows for robust scientific research. In a stinging letter to the White House, they declared that the new NIH analysis "casts into doubt the adequacy of your policy on stem-cell research."

A bipartisan group of House members -- including some Republicans who until now accepted the Bush policy -- are gathering signatures on a letter of their own calling for a policy change. Sensing that the tide may be shifting in their favor, scientific organizations have stepped up their campaign to ease restrictions on the controversial research, which uses embryos slated for destruction by fertility clinics. "I think the administration has been trying to implement the existing policy in good faith," said Lawrence Soler of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which supports expanding Federally-funded research. "I think it's just come to a point now of having to face that we're not as far as we had hoped we'd be -- or even, we believe, where the Administration had hoped we'd be."

The Administration said it was planning no change of policy. "The president remains committed to exploring the promise of stem cell research but continues to firmly believe that we should not cross a fundamental moral line by funding or encouraging the destruction of human embryos," said White House spokesman Trent Duffy.

The debate centers on a policy that has been among the most contentious of Bush's tenure. Democrats have generally been united in supporting broad research on embryonic stem cells, while the Republican majority in Congress has been sharply divided.

Scientists are excited about the cells because, unlike most adult cells, they can morph into nearly any tissue in the human body. Researchers hope to grow large numbers of cells in the laboratory and then coax them into becoming brain cells that might cure Parkinson's Disease, pancreatic cells to cure diabetes, and so on. But creating a laboratory colony of stem cells requires destroying a five-day-old human embryo. Social conservatives have opposed the work, saying embryo destruction "is tantamount to murder." Torn between this group and disease-research advocates, including former first lady Nancy Reagan, Bush announced a compromise on August 9, 2001, that precluded Federally-funded research on cells from embryos destroyed after that date. That effectively froze the supply at its then-current level.

The president initially said more than 60 colonies would qualify -- a number that surprised many biologists, who had not been aware of colonies created at private companies and foreign laboratories. The large number helped to quell criticism that Bush was limiting a promising field of medicine. As others announced that they, too, had cells from before that date, the number of eligible colonies grew to 78.

But in recent weeks, the NIH has been posting information on the Internet showing that 16 of the colonies "filled to expand into undifferentiated cell cultures." That is biology-speak for saying the cells are useless for further research, though it is not clear how many colonies are dead and how many have simply stopped reproducing.

At one company, CyThera Inc. of San Diego, nine colonies have collapsed, eliminating more than ten percent of the administration's list. So have six colonies at a laboratory in Sweden and one at a company in Athens, GA. It is not unusual for cell colonies to "crash" in biology, particularly in early research, when scientists do not really know how best to grow the cells. Usually, they would simply replace a dead cell colony -- but under Bush's policy, they cannot.

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Washington Post on Stem Cells - Gerontology Research Group ...

Product Type Please Select Specialized cell culture media Cell isolation products Antibodies Primary cells Mammalian cloning products Small molecules Contract Services Cytokines Other cell culture media, reagents & supplies Instruments Software Stem cell detection kits Training & education Proficiency testing T-shirts

Cell Type Please Select B cells Brain tumor stem cells Bronchial epithelial cells CHO cells Dendritic cells Embryonic stem cells & iPS cells (Human) Embryonic stem cells & iPS cells (Mouse) Granulocytes & subsets Hematopoietic stem & progenitor cells Hybridomas Lymphocytes Mammary epithelial cells Mesenchymal stem cells Monocytes Myeloid cells Neural stem & progenitor cells Neurons Natural killer (NK) cells Other cells Prostate epithelial cells Regulatory T cells T cells

Area of Interest Please Select Cancer Cell line development Chimerism analysis Cord blood banking Embryonic stem cell & induced pluripotent stem cell research Endothelial & angiogenic cell research Hematologic malignancies Hematopoietic stem cell research HIV HLA Hybridoma generation Immunology Immunology (Mouse) Mammary cell research Mesenchymal stem cell research Neuroscience Pharmacology, toxicology & drug discovery Prostate cell research Respiratory research Semi-solid cloning Stem cell biology Transplantation

Popular Product Lines Please Select AggreWell ALDECOUNT ALDEFLUOR CFU-Hill Medium ClonaCell CollagenCult EasySep EpiCult EPO-ELISA ES-Cult IntestiCult MammoCult MegaCult MesenCult MethoCult mFreSR mTeSR1 & TeSR2 MyeloCult NeuroCult PneumaCult-ALI Primary cells ProstaCult RoboSep RosetteSep SepMate StemAdhere STEMdiff StemSep StemSpan STEMvision TeSR-E8

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Stemcell Technologies - Cell Isolation Products, Cell ...

Washington Stem Cell Therapy Worldstemcells.com is one of the leading stem cell therapy and treatment providers for residents of Washington and across the nation. Our cutting edge technology and compassionate staff truly set us apart from the competition. We are a US based company that understands your needs and concerns when looking for a stem cell treatment center. Our treatment center is located in Cancun, Mexico.

Conditions we treat include but not limited to:

Getting Started With Your Stem Cell Therapy and Treatments Here at World Stem Cells LLC we try to make the process of receiving stem cell transplants as easy as possible. We will help you figure out what your needs are and help you reach your goals as fast as possible. Follow the steps below on what to do.

Option 1 1.) Go to any page on our website and fill out the contact form. 2.) Fill in the required information and select the condition you would like to treat with stem cell therapy. 3.) Be sure to include any special information in the comments section. 4.) Click the submit button and we will contact you in a timely manner. 5.) Thats it, youre done!!!

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Call 800-234-1693 and speak with a representative regarding your stem cell therapy needs and requirements.

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Washington Stem Cell Therapy | Stem Cell Treatments

WASHINGTON: Botox may be effective in treating stomach cancers, Xinhua news agency reports quoting a new study.

The study shows the drug slows cancer growth by eliminating the signals sent by nerves that are linked to cancer stem cells.

Researchers have tested the procedure on mice and will soon start testing on humans.

This study shows that nerves control cancer stem cells, said lead study author Professor Duan Chen of Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Professor Timothy Wang of Columbia University.

We found that by removing the effect of the nerve, the stem cells in the cancer tumour are suppressed, leading to cancer treatment and prevention, Chen said.

The study found that nerves promote tumour growth through the release of a neurotransmitter.

The researchers tried four methods to cut the connection between the nerves and tumour: by cutting the gastric vagus nerve (vagotomy), local injection of Botox to block the release of neurotransmitter from the vagus nerve, giving a drug to block the neurotransmitters receptor, and by knocking out of the receptor gene. All procedures suppressed the tumour growth.

But we found that the anti-cancer effects were remarkable, especially with local vagotomy or by injecting Botox. It actually surprised us. The finding that Botox was highly effective was particularly exciting, Chen said.

Botox is made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and is well known to the public as a beauty treatment, but it is also used for different medical indications.

We believe this treatment is a good treatment because it can be used locally and it targets the cancer stem cells. The Botox can be injected through gastroscopy and it only requires the patient to stay in the hospital for a few hours, said Chen.

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Botox may treat stomach cancers

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Botox, the popular wrinkle eraser, could also be effective in treating stomach cancers, a new study said Wednesday.

The study, published in the U.S. journal Science Translational Medicine, showed that the drug slows cancer growth by eliminating the signals sent by nerves that are linked to cancer stem cells.

Researchers have thus far tested the procedure on mice, and will soon start testing on humans.

"This study shows that nerves control cancer stem cells," said the study led by Duan Chen, professor of Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and Timothy Wang, professor of the Columbia University.

"We found that by removing the effect of the nerve, the stem cells in the cancer tumor are suppressed, leading to cancer treatment and prevention," Chen said.

The study found that nerves promote tumor growth through the release of a neurotransmitter.

The researchers tried four methods to cut the connection between the nerves and the tumor: surgically by cutting the gastric vagus nerve (vagotomy), by local injection of Botox to block the release of neurotransmitter from the vagus nerve, by giving a drug to block the receptor of the neurotransmitter, and by knocking out of the receptor gene. All procedures suppressed the tumor growth.

"But we found that the anti-cancer effects were remarkable, especially with local vagotomy or by injecting Botox. It actually surprised us. The finding that Botox was highly effective was particularly exciting," Chen said.

Botox is made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and is well known to the public as a beauty treatment, but it is also used for different medical indications.

"We believe this treatment is a good treatment because it can be used locally and it targets the cancer stem cells. The Botox can be injected through gastroscopy and it only requires the patient to stay in the hospital for a few hours," said Chen.

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Anti-Wrinkle Drug May Treat Stomach Cancers: Study