Posted: December 21, 2013 at 12:44 am
Baby Teeth Stem Cells Medical Course
For Educational Use Only - Fair Use - Doctors have been harvesting stem cells from umbilical cords for years however recent research shows that baby teeth th...
By: Abiezer Abigail
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Baby Teeth Stem Cells Medical Course - Video
Posted: December 21, 2013 at 12:44 am
Stem Cells for MS update
December 18, 2013 My 2nd infusion of this treatment....feeling fine.
By: Judi Lecoq
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Stem Cells for MS update - Video
Posted: December 20, 2013 at 11:57 am
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Highlights Investigators have discovered a cocktail of chemicals which, when added to stem cells in a precise order, turns on genes found in kidney cells in the same order that they turn on during embryonic kidney development. The kidney cells continued to behave like kidney cells when transplanted into adult or embryonic mouse kidneys.
Newswise Washington, DC (December 19, 2013) Researchers have successfully coaxed stem cells to become kidney tubular cells, a significant advance toward one day using regenerative medicine, rather than dialysis and transplantation, to treat kidney failure. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Chronic kidney disease is a major global public health problem, and when patients progress to kidney failure, their treatment options are limited to dialysis and kidney transplantation. Regenerative medicinewhich involves rebuilding or repairing tissues and organsmay offer a promising alternative.
Albert Lam, MD, Benjamin Freedman, PhD, Ryuji Morizane, MD, PhD (Brigham and Womens Hospital), and their colleagues have been working for the past five years to develop strategies to coax human pluripotent stem cellsparticularly human embryonic stem (ES) cells and human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cellinto kidney cells for the purposes of kidney regeneration.
Our goal was to develop a simple, efficient, and reproducible method of differentiating human pluripotent stem cells into cells of the intermediate mesoderm, the earliest tissue in the developing embryo that is fated to give rise to the kidneys, said Dr. Lam. He noted that these cells would be the starting blocks for deriving more specific kidney cells.
The researchers discovered a cocktail of chemicals which, when added to stem cells in a precise order, causes them to turn off genes found in ES cells and turn on genes found in kidney cells, in the same order that they turn on during embryonic kidney development. The investigators were able to differentiate both human ES cells and human iPS cells into cells expressing PAX2 and LHX1, two key markers of the intermediate mesoderm. The iPS cells were derived by transforming fibroblasts obtained from adult skin biopsies to pluripotent cells, making the techniques applicable to personalized approaches where the starting cells can be derived from skin cells of a patient. The differentiated cells expressed multiple genes expressed in intermediate mesoderm and could spontaneously give rise to tubular structures that expressed markers of mature kidney tubules. The researchers could then differentiate them further into cells expressing SIX2, SALL1, and WT1, important markers of the metanephric cap mesenchyme, a critical stage of kidney differentiation. In kidney development, the metanephric cap mesenchyme contains a population of progenitor cells that give rise to nearly all of the epithelial cells of the kidney.
The cells also continued to behave like kidney cells when transplanted into adult or embryonic mouse kidneys, giving hope that investigators might one day be able to create kidney tissues that could function in a patient and would be 100% immunocompatible.
We believe that the successful derivation of kidney progenitor cells or functional kidney cells from human pluripotent stem cells will have an enormous impact on a variety of clinical and translational applications, including kidney tissue bioengineering, renal assist devices to treat acute and chronic kidney injury, drug toxicity screening, screening for novel therapeutics, and human kidney disease modeling, said Dr. Lam.
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Researchers Generate Kidney Tubular Cells From Stem Cells
Posted: December 20, 2013 at 11:56 am
Fibrocell Science, Inc. (NYSE MKT:FCSC), an autologous cell therapy company primarily focused on developing first-in-class treatments for skin diseases and conditions with high unmet medical needs, today announced Chairman and CEO David Pernock has joined the board of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), a global advocacy organization whose diverse membership represents leading regenerative medicine companies and investors, university-based and non-profit research institutions, patient advocacy groups, pharmaceutical companies engaged in regenerative medicine research, and other organizations supporting regenerative medicine.
We are honored to be part of this prestigious organization and join with other leaders from science and industry to advance innovative, regenerative medicine technologies, said Mr. Pernock. Fibrocells pursuit of breakthrough, autologous fibroblast cell-based therapies for patients suffering from difficult-to-treat skin diseases exemplifies our focus and commitment to the potential of regenerative medicine. This work is part of our Exclusive Channel Collaboration with Intrexon Corporation (NYSE:XON), a leader in synthetic biology, to develop treatments using genetically-modified fibroblasts for orphan skin diseases, including recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, morphea and cutaneous eosinophilias, and to explore the localized treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis, the most common autoimmune skin disease.
Recently, Mr. Pernock was a presenter at the 3rd Annual Regenerative Medicine Partnering Forum, part of this years Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa held in La Jolla, California. Organized by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, the 2013 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa was a three-day conference aimed at bringing together senior members of the regenerative medicine industry with the scientific research community to advance stem cell science into cures.
We are delighted to have Fibrocell as a member of the Alliance and to have David join our Board. They are one of the leading cell therapy companies developing new therapies for skin diseases and bring a deep knowledge of fibroblast technology to our organization. We look forward to working with David and his team, commented Morrie Ruffin, Managing Director of ARM.
About Alliance for Regenerative Medicine
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) is a Washington, DC-based multi-stakeholder advocacy organization that promotes legislative, regulatory and reimbursement initiatives necessary to facilitate access to life-giving advances in regenerative medicine. ARM also works to increase public understanding of the field and its potential to transform human healthcare, providing business development and investor outreach services to support the growth of its member companies and research organizations. Prior to the formation of ARM in 2009, there was no advocacy organization operating in Washington, DC to specifically represent the interests of the companies, research institutions, investors and patient groups that comprise the entire regenerative medicine community. Today ARM has more than 145 members and is the leading global advocacy organization in this field. To learn more about ARM or to become a member, visit http://www.alliancerm.org.
About Fibrocell Science, Inc.
Fibrocell Science, Inc. (NYSE MKT:FCSC) is an autologous cell therapy company primarily focused on developing first-in-class treatments for skin diseases and conditions with high unmet medical needs. Based on its proprietary autologous fibroblast technology, Fibrocell is pursuing breakthrough medical applications of azficel-T for restrictive burn scarring and vocal cord scarring. The companys collaboration with Intrexon Corporation (NYSE:XON), a leader in synthetic biology, includes using genetically-modified fibroblasts for treating orphan skin diseases for which there are no currently approved products and exploring the localized treatment of the most common autoimmune skin disease, moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Fibrocells collaboration with UCLAfocusing on skin-derived stem cells and more efficient ways to convert skin cells to other cell typesholds potential for future discovery and development of autologous cellular therapeutics. For additional information, visit http://www.fibrocellscience.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this press release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. While management has based any forward-looking statements contained herein on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the Companys control, that could cause actual results to materially differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, those set forth under Item 1A Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, as updated in Item 1A. Risk Factors in the Companys Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed since the annual report. The Company operates in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment, thus new or unforeseen risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider the other various disclosures in the Companys public filings with the SEC.
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Fibrocell Science Chairman & CEO David Pernock Joins Board of Alliance for Regenerative Medicine
Posted: December 20, 2013 at 11:51 am
Abba Zubair, medical and scientific director of the Cell Therapy Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, wants to test the feasibility of growing stem cells in outer space, cells that could be used to generate new tissue and even new organs in human beings.
There are reasons to believe that stem cells, which are hard to grow in the great quantity they are needed on Earth, will grow much more rapidly in the microgravity environment in space, Zubair thinks. Now the Center for the Advancement in Science in Space has given Zubair a $300,000 grant to test that by placing stem cells in a specialized cell bioreactor in the International Space Station.
It now takes a month to generate enough cells for a few patients, Zubair said. A clinical laboratory in space could provide the answer we all have been seeking for regenerative medicine. ... If you have a ready supply of these cells, you can treat almost any condition and can theoretically regenerate entire organs using a scaffold. Additionally, they dont need to come from individual patients. Anyone can use them without rejection.
The stem cells he plans to grow in space will be stem cells that can induce regeneration of neurons and blood vessels in patients who have suffered hemorrhagic strokes caused by blood clots.
I have a special personal interest in stroke, Zubair said. Thats what killed my mom years ago. I really would like to conquer and treat stroke.
The first step in growing stem cells in space is happening at the University of Colorado where engineers are building the cell bioreactor Zubair will use on the space station. Within a year, Zubair hopes to transport the bioreactor and stem cells to the space station, perhaps aboard a flight by SpaceX, a company expected to begin commercial flights to the space station soon.
Once the bioreactor and stem cells are aboard the space station, it will take about a month to grow them, Zubair said. The results will then be analyzed by the astronauts on the space station and by researches back in Zubairs Jacksonville laboratories.
We will be trying to determine if our notion that stem cells grow faster in microgravity is true, Zubair said. We also want to know how feasible it is to produce clinical grade cells in space that can be used in humans.
Hes optimistic his study will show that growing stem cells in space is a viable way to create stem cells in quantity.
Were quite excited, he said. I really think the future is full of promise. We just have to take the opportunity to make that a reality.
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Mayo cell therapy researcher plans to grow stem cells in space, where he thinks they will grow faster than on Earth
Posted: December 20, 2013 at 11:47 am
A drawback for the use of stem cells in medical treatment is their limited supply due to slow rate of growth in conventional laboratories. Dr Abba Zubair of the Cell Therapy Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in Florida believes this problem could be overcome and stem cell generation sped up by conducting the process in space. He will now have the opportunity to put his hypothesis to the test, courtesy of a US$30,000 grant that will see Zubair send human stem cells to the International Space Station (ISS) to observe whether they do in fact grow at a greater rate than on terra firma.
According to the Mayo Clinic, experiments conducted on Earth using microgravity (replication of gravitational field about 250 miles (402.3 km) from Earths surface) have shown that these conditions are more conducive to stem cell growth than conventional laboratories.
On Earth, we face many challenges in trying to grow enough stem cells to treat patients, says Zubair. It now takes a month to generate enough cells for a few patients. A clinical grade laboratory in space could provide the answer we have all been seeking for regenerative medicine.
In his laboratory in Florida, Zubair currently grows cells that induce the regeneration of neurons and blood vessels in sufferers of hemorrhagic strokes. He believes that if these cells were generated in space instead, their population would increase rapidly, allowing for treatment of a wide variety of conditions.
If you have a ready supply of these cells, you can treat almost any condition, and theoretically regenerate entire organs using a scaffold, says Zubair.
The next step for Zubair is to work with engineers at the University of Colorado to build a specialized cell bioreactor, which they hope will be taken to the ISS within a year to begin the experiment.
Dr. Zubair outlines his plans in the video below.
Source: Mayo Clinic
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Researcher sending stem cells into space to observe rate of growth
Posted: December 19, 2013 at 7:41 pm
Democracy 3: United Kingdom - "Stem Cells Are Cool" [Part #5]
Elected Prime Minister after his party promised that they wouldn #39;t pass internet censorship, The ConflictNerd must now take the United Kingdom to new heights...
By: ConflictNerd
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Democracy 3: United Kingdom - "Stem Cells Are Cool" [Part #5] - Video
Posted: December 19, 2013 at 7:41 pm
Regenerative Medicine: Mayo Clinic and Collaborators Develop New Tool for Transplanting Stem Cells
Mayo Clinic researchers and colleagues in Belgium have developed a specialized catheter for transplanting stem cells into the beating heart. The novel device...
By: Mayo Clinic
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Regenerative Medicine: Mayo Clinic and Collaborators Develop New Tool for Transplanting Stem Cells - Video
Posted: December 19, 2013 at 7:41 pm
Rudolf Jaenisch - Induced pluripotent stem cells
Serious Science - http://serious-science.org.
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Rudolf Jaenisch - Induced pluripotent stem cells - Video
Posted: December 19, 2013 at 4:45 pm
Democracy 3: United Kingdom - "Stem Cells Are Cool" [Part #5]
Elected Prime Minister after his party promised that they wouldn #39;t pass internet censorship, The ConflictNerd must now take the United Kingdom to new heights...
By: ConflictNerd
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Democracy 3: United Kingdom - "Stem Cells Are Cool" [Part #5] - Video
