Posted: April 3, 2015 at 9:47 pm
Online tutorial on Embryonic stem cells - Biology
Expertsmind:- Embryonic stem cells ES cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage preimplantation embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst...
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Online tutorial on Embryonic stem cells - Biology - Video
Posted: April 3, 2015 at 9:47 pm
Brazilian researchers at D'OR Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) have taken what they describe as an important step toward using the implantation of stem cell-generated neurons as a treatment for Parkinson's disease. Using an FDA approved substance for treating stomach cancer, Rehen and colleagues were able to grow dopamine-producing neurons derived from embryonic stem cells that remained healthy and functional for as long as 15 months after implantation into mice, restoring motor function without forming tumors.
Parkinson's, which affect as many 10 million people in the world, is caused by a depletion of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Current treatments include medications and electrical implants in the brain which causes severe adverse effects over time and fail to prevent disease progression. Several studies have indicated that the transplantation of embryonic stem cells improves motor functions in animal models. However, until now, the procedure has shown to be unsafe, because of the risk of tumors upon transplantation.
To address this issue, the researchers tested for the first time to pre-treat undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cells with mitomycin C, a drug already prescribed to treat cancer. The substance blocks the DNA replication and prevents the cells to multiply out of control.
The researchers used mice modeled for Parkinson's. The animals were separated in three groups. The first one, the control group, did not receive the stem cell implant. The second one, received the implant of stem cells which were not treated with mitomycin C and the third one received the mitomycin C treated cells.
After the injection of 50,000 untreated stem cells, the animals of the second group showed improvement in motor functions but all of them died between 3 and 7 weeks later. These animals also developed intracerebral tumors. In contrast, animals receiving the treated stem cells showed improvement of Parkinson's symptoms and survived until the end of the observation period of 12 weeks post-transplant with no tumors detected. Four of these mice were monitored for as long as 15 months with no signs of pathology.
Furthermore, the scientists have also shown that treating the stem cells with mitomycin C induced a four-fold increase in the release of dopamine after in vitro differentiation.
"This simple strategy of shortly exposing pluripotent stem cells to an anti-cancer drug turned the transplant safer, by eliminating the risk of tumor formation," says the leader of the study Stevens Rehen, Professor at UFRJ and researcher at IDOR.
The discovery, reported on April in the journal Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, could pave the way for researchers and physicians to propose a clinical trial using pluripotent stem cells treated with mitomycin C prior to transplant to treat Parkinson's patients and also other neurodegenerative conditions.
"Our technique with mitomycin C may speed the proposal of clinical trials with pluripotent cells to several human diseases," says Rehen. "It is the first step to make this kind of treatment with stem cells possible."
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Possible progress against Parkinson's and good news for stem cell therapies
Posted: April 3, 2015 at 8:06 pm
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
IMAGE:This is Jeffrey Molldrem, M.D. view more
Credit: MD Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Astellas Pharma Inc. have signed an option agreement to research and develop a new treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
The collaboration grants Astellas an option to firstly negotiate an exclusive, worldwide license at the end of Phase Ib, with both Phase Ia and Phase Ib studies to be conducted by MD Anderson. The agreement also includes up to $26 million as an option premium and for research and development funding.
The collaboration will focus on h8F4 technology, a humanized monoclonal antibody invented by Jeffrey Molldrem, M.D., professor of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at MD Anderson. The antibody h8F4 targets an HLA-restricted peptide called PR1/HLA-A2, which is expressed in cancer cells and cancer stem cells. Molldrem will lead these research efforts with Carlo Toniatti, M.D., Ph.D., executive director of MD Anderson's Oncology Research for Biologics and Immunotherapy Translation (ORBIT) platform.
"Current treatments for aggressive leukemias are often toxic," said Molldrem. "We desired to develop a safer, yet more potent, therapy for these aggressive cancer types that currently have poor survival outcomes. Unfortunately, advancing novel discoveries from the laboratory to drug development has been historically challenging. We hope that this important collaboration will allow us to deliver much-needed antibody-based treatment to the patient's bedside more quickly."
"h8F4 has a radically novel anti-tumor activity and this collaboration provides MD Anderson and Astellas with a great opportunity to potentially deliver a first-in-class antibody drug to patients with AML," commented Yoshihiko Hatanaka, president and CEO of Astellas. "Astellas continues to focus on developing novel therapies in areas of unmet medical need through in-house development and external collaborations."
While monoclonal antibodies are very common in oncology, generating antibodies against HLA-restricted peptides has proven difficult. To develop viable antibody drugs, MD Anderson created ORBIT for its Moon Shots Program to centralize this type of research. The program is an ambitious initiative to accelerate the conversion of scientific discoveries into clinical advances and significantly reduce cancer deaths.
"This is an outstanding addition to MD Anderson's Moon Shots Program to deliver accelerated solutions for cancer treatment," said Ronald DePinho, M.D., president of MD Anderson. "These are exciting times for cancer drug development and I'm proud that eminent scientists like Drs. Molldrem and Toniatti are leading the way. While it's true that myeloid cancer has not responded well to standard therapies, this novel solution looks promising."
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MD Anderson, Astellas Pharma sign option agreement for monoclonal antibody drug targeting acute myeloid leukemia
Posted: April 3, 2015 at 8:04 pm
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Newswise ANN ARBOR, Mich. A $3 million gift from noted business and philanthropic leaders Leslie and Abigail Wexner will support the next generation of medical research trailblazers at the University of Michigan through grants from the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.
The Wexner gift will establish two permanent Emerging Scholars berths for young clinician-scientists on the U-M Medical School faculty. The Emerging Scholars Program, one of the Taubman Institutes most unique and innovative initiatives, provides $50,000-per-year grants to launch young physicians into the dual role of doctor and laboratory researcher.
Some of the most groundbreaking medical breakthroughs in recent years such as the discovery of the cancer stem cells that cause metastasis have come from the efforts of clinician-scientists to quickly translate basic science into viable therapies for the patients they treat. Removing financial barriers for those attempting to establish their laboratories and gain the credentials needed for traditional government funding will help keep the vital pipeline of medical research flowing.
The Emerging Scholars Program is among the most visionary elements of the Taubman Institute, said institute founder and chair A. Alfred Taubman. I feel sure that it is paving the way for some of the most promising health science discoveries yet to come, and I am honored that my longtime friends Abigail and Les Wexner have joined me in this crucial endeavor.
Their generosity to science is well known and we extend our deepest gratitude for their partnership and their unwavering faith in our mission. The Wexners, who have philanthropic interests in Ohio and nationally, share Mr. Taubmans passionate interest in promoting innovation in the medical and scientific arena.
We are thrilled to be able to support Alfred and the Institute in the critical, groundbreaking and inspiring work that they are accomplishing, said Abigail Wexner. Mrs. Wexner also is a charter member of the institutes Leadership Advisory Board, which was established in 2008.
The Wexner gift will advance the cause of medical science at the Taubman Institute, including the establishment of at least two Emerging Scholars grants in perpetuity. The new scholars will be appointed in honor of the Wexners, in recognition of this gift. Currently, there are 16 Emerging Scholars investigating new approaches to the treatment of a wide variety of diseases.
The Wexner gift is the inaugural contribution to the Taubman Institutes Founders Circle, whose members will be recognized for outstanding investment in finding the cures of tomorrow.
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Taubman Institute Receives $3 Million Wexner Gift to Support Emerging Physician-Researchers
Posted: April 3, 2015 at 8:00 pm
CHICAGO, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --After surgery failed to relieve extreme pain caused by peripheral artery disease in her right leg, Denise Hopkins-Glover was facing a bleak outlook she might never walk again.
"They said they had done everything they could and the only option was amputation of the right leg from the knee down," she said.
Undeterred, Hopkins-Glover chose to participate in an investigational trial at Northwestern Medicine called the MOBILE Study, which makes use of a device called the MarrowStim PAD Kit. In the trial, a randomized group of patients receive injections of their own stem cells retrieved through a bone marrow extraction to try to restore blood flow to the leg.
"MarrowStim offers a new approach for patients with a grim prognosis," said principal investigator Melina Kibbe, MD, a vascular surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Edward G. Elcock Professor of Surgical Research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "We're pleased to be part of this national trial to see if there might be a significant chance of improving treatment for patients with few choices left for treatment."
Hopkins-Glover, a 55-year-old grandmother of two, suffers from peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition affecting 20 percent of Americans where cholesterol and fatty plaque pool in blood vessels, restricting blood flow to the limbs. In its most severe form, PAD causes critical limb ischemia (CLI), which can cause pain in resting legs, sores or ulcers that don't heal, thickening of the toenails and gangrene, which can eventually lead to amputation.
The Chicago resident worked as a phlebotomist before her PAD worsened, and had to stop working because she could no longer walk or stand for extended stretches of time.
"I can walk only a certain distance before the circulation stops getting to certain parts of the body," she said. "It feels like a terrible leg cramp, like a jabbing, stabbing pain."
During the procedure, patients are put under general anesthesia as bone marrow is harvested through a needle from the hip. The bone marrow is loaded into the MarrowStim PAD Kit, an investigational device, where it is processed in a centrifuge. This spinning separates the marrow into different layers, with one of the layers containing the stem cells. Immediately following the separation, the stem cells are injected in 40 different spots on the affected limb, delivering concentrated bone marrow in each one. The entire procedure takes about 90 minutes. Patients follow up with investigators at different intervals in the year following the injections.
Karen Ho, MD, a Northwestern Medicine vascular surgeon who is also an investigator on the trial, said the exact reason the bone marrow injections might help chronic limb ischemia is still a mystery.
"Nobody really knows the exact mechanism," said Dr. Ho, who is also an assistant professor in vascular surgery at Feinberg. "The idea is that it might improve or enhance new blood vessels in the calf."
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Northwestern Medicine Investigates Using Stem Cells to Save Limbs from Amputation
Posted: April 3, 2015 at 7:59 pm
Researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine announced today they've discovered why it's so hard to use stem cells to make liver and pancreatic cells, and their findings could lead to new treatments for diseases like type 1 diabetes.
It turns out that the chromosomes in laboratory stem cells open slowly over time, in the same sequence that occurs during embryonic development. It isn't until certain chromosomal regions have reached the open state that they are able to respond to added growth factors and become liver or pancreatic cells, the researchers said.
"Our ability to generate liver and pancreatic cells from stem cells has fallen behind the advances we've made for other cell types," said Dr. Maike Sander, a professor of pediatrics and cellular and molecular medicine, and director of the Pediatric Diabetes Research Center at UCSD.
"So we haven't yet been able to do things like test new drugs on stem cell-derived liver and pancreatic cells," Sander said. "What we have learned is that if we want to make specific cells from stem cells, we need ways to predict how those cells and their chromosomes will respond to the growth factors."
Researchers have focused on stem cells for treating disease because they can be altered into hundreds of types of cells.
According to UCSD, it sometimes takes up to seven carefully orchestrated steps of adding certain growth factors at specific times to coax stem cells into the desired cell type.
Sander said the study found that the chromosomal regions that need to open before a stem cell can fully differentiate are linked to regions where there are variations in certain disease states. That means if a genetic variation in someone's chromosomal region doesn't open at the right time, they could be more susceptible to a disease affecting that cell type.
His team is now working to further investigate what role, if any, the chromosomal regions and their variations play in diabetes.
Researchers with the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State University and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research assisted with the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Helmsley Charitable Trust and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
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New UC San Diego Findings Could Lead To Diabetes Treatment
Posted: April 3, 2015 at 7:59 pm
A UC San Diego student examines a bacteria culture. Photo courtesy UCSD
Researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine announced Thursdaytheyve discovered why its so hard to use stem cells to make liver and pancreatic cells, and their findings could lead to new treatments for diseases such astype-1 diabetes.
It turns out that the chromosomes in laboratory stem cells open slowly over time, in the same sequence that occurs during embryonic development. It isnt until certain chromosomal regions have reached the open state that they are able to respond to added growth factors and become liver or pancreatic cells, the researchers said.
Our ability to generate liver and pancreatic cells from stem cells has fallen behind the advances weve made for other cell types, said Dr. Maike Sander, a professor of pediatrics and cellular and molecular medicine, and director of the Pediatric Diabetes Research Center at UCSD.
So we havent yet been able to do things like test new drugs on stem cell-derived liver and pancreatic cells, Sander said. What we have learned is that if we want to make specific cells from stem cells, we need ways to predict how those cells and their chromosomes will respond to the growth factors.
Researchers have focused on stem cells for treating disease because they can be altered into hundreds of types of cells.
According to UCSD, it sometimes takes up to seven carefully orchestrated steps of adding certain growth factors at specific times to coax stem cells into the desired cell type.
Sander said the study found that the chromosomal regions that need to open before a stem cell can fully differentiate are linked to regions where there are variations in certain disease states. That means if a genetic variation in someones chromosomal region doesnt open at the right time, they could be more susceptible to a disease affecting that cell type.
Herteam is now working to further investigate what role, if any, the chromosomal regions and their variations play in diabetes.
Researchers with the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State University and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research assisted with the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Helmsley Charitable Trust and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
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UCSDs Stem Cell Break Through Could Lead to Treatment for Type-1 Diabetes
Posted: April 3, 2015 at 7:58 pm
This Saturday when the University of Kentucky basketball team faces off with the University of Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament semi-finals, die-hard Kentucky fan Scott Logdon may think twice about rooting against the Wisconsin Badgers.
Nearly two years ago, Logdon was given a life-saving donation of stem cells that helped combat his acute myeloid leukemia. The donor of those cells turned out to be 22-year-old Chris Wirz, a student at the University of Wisconsin.
Logdon, 44, learned the identity of his donor last April, more than a year after the stem cell treatment and just days after the University of Kentucky squeaked past the University of Wisconsin at the NCAA semi-finals with a score of 74 to 73.
Logdon remembers feeling mixed emotions when the Kentucky wildcats won. Later, when he found out about his donor, he joked, That must have been the Badger blood in me.
Courtesy Angela Logdon
PHOTO: Chris Wirz gave life saving stem cells to Scott Logdon, who was suffering from leukemia.
Logdons ordeal started in the fall of 2012, when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia after mistaking early symptoms for strep throat. Logdon said his doctors told him chemotherapy could only keep the cancer at bay. A full stem cell transplant would be needed to cure him of the deadly disease.
Logdons doctors hoped one of his two siblings might be a match, but neither was able to donate. Longons family and community rallied in the small town of Saldasia, Kentucky, and registered over 120 people who would be willing to donate stem cells or bone marrow.
But no one who registered was a good match for Logdon.
[The doctors] went to the national bone marrow registry to try and find the match, the father of four said. I had to go back to the hospital every 30 days [for] maintenance chemo; it was a very long wait.
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Kentucky Fan Gets Life-Saving Stem Cell Donation From Univ. of Wisconsin Student
Posted: April 3, 2015 at 5:47 am
Australia - New Zealand - Asia & Pacific Rim - China - Italy
The Foundation is a privately funded philanthropic (non profit) organization advising un-well people about how to gain access to Adult Stem Cell Therapy (ASCT). The Foundation is also promoting a plan to its members on how to prevent or limit the progression of degenerative diseases and other conditions. Degenerative disease is an escalating world problem that, if not controlled, could bankrupt our health systems.
A major objective of the Foundation is to highlight that people suffering from degenerative conditions now have the option of considering Adult Stem Cell Therapy. This therapy may improve quality of life for sufferers of Arthritis, MS, Parkinsons, Diabetes, Stroke, Alzheimers, Spinal Cord injuries, Cancer or Chronic Pain to name a few. A stem cell transplant, instead of a joint replacement, is fast becoming the preferred first option for orthopedic surgeons.
The Foundation intends to educate parents/carers of children suffering from a debilitating or degenerative condition like Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Autism, Spinal injuries, Cystic fibrosis, ADHD etc. Stem cell treatments have progressed in leaps and bounds for these conditions. There are now state of the art clinics that specialize in treating the afore-mentioned conditions. Children can usually benefit substantially from an early intervention by stem cell therapies and other protocols because they are still growing. As an example: spending time in a mild hyperbaric chamber (HBO) can also be beneficial. Just fill out the Application Form for an experimental transplant and we will be only too happy to advise.
The ASCF has become a global Information Centre for stem cell therapy. The centre will only support clinics that have demonstrated they abide by the highest medical standards and have a proven track record of administering these types of therapies, in Australia and overseas. We can now advise locally which gives peace of mind to our members who are contemplating a procedure of this nature.
Creating awareness of the availability of stem cell therapy and that it has become viable for consideration.
To raise money from benefactors, including private and commercial sponsorships.
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Adult Stem Cell Foundation - ADULT STEM CELL THERAPY IS ...
Posted: April 2, 2015 at 4:42 pm
Antiaging Treatment by Fat Graft and Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Michael T. Longaker, MD, MBA
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Antiaging Treatment by Fat Graft and Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Michael T. Longaker, MD, MBA - Video
