Public release date: 21-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Samantha Martin samantha.martin@liv.ac.uk 044-015-179-42248 University of Liverpool

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have developed new methods to track stem cells and further understanding of what happens to them after they have been in the body for a significant period of time.

Stem cells are used to treat conditions such as leukaemia and have the potential to treat many more diseases and disorders where patient survival is reliant on organ and tissue donation. Currently, however, it is difficult for medics to establish whether stem cells have survived following transplantation in the body and if they reach their target site or migrate elsewhere.

In order to track stem cells in the body scientists use superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to 'label' the cells before they are administered into the patient. These particles can be picked up by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and help medics establish if the stem cells reach their intended target. Conditions within the body's cells, however, can lead to the degradation of SPIONs and reduce the ability of MRI scans to pick up on their signal in the long-term.

Scientists at Liverpool are developing methods to visualise SPIONs in the cells before they enter the body to learn where the particles are going within the stem cell and help predict how they might perform once they are inside the body over a long period of time. They are using a photothermal technique, a unique optical imaging system, to improve SPION labelling so that particles survive for longer and have minimal impact on the function of the transplanted cells.

Dr Lara Bogart, from the University's Institute of Integrative Biology, said: "Stem cells have the potential to replace and repair damaged tissue to preclude the need for a patient to wait for an organ or tissue transplant. Research is ongoing into how it could be used to treat a wide variety of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and type one diabetes.

"In order to fully explore this potential, however, more technological developments are needed to understand how stem cells behave in the body after transplantation. If we can't monitor stem cells effectively, it can have serious implications for patient health. Studies have already shown that if cells migrate to the circulatory system, beyond their target organ or tissue site, then it can cause inflammation in the body.

"Labelling stem cells is hugely valuable to tracking their movements in the body, but we need to know more about how the particles used interact with stem cells. Using new imaging systems we can work out their precise location in the cell and how they behave over time. We hope to use this information to improve understanding of the MRI signal that tracks SPIONs once stem cells have been transplanted."

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Excerpt from:
Research could help track stem cells in the body

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have developed new methods to track stem cells and further understanding of what happens to them after they have been in the body for a significant period of time.

Stem cells are used to treat conditions such as leukaemia and have the potential to treat many more diseases and disorders where patient survival is reliant on organ and tissue donation. Currently, however, it is difficult for medics to establish whether stem cells have survived following transplantation in the body and if they reach their target site or migrate elsewhere.

In order to track stem cells in the body scientists use superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to 'label' the cells before they are administered into the patient. These particles can be picked up by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and help medics establish if the stem cells reach their intended target. Conditions within the body's cells, however, can lead to the degradation of SPIONs and reduce the ability of MRI scans to pick up on their signal in the long-term.

Scientists at Liverpool are developing methods to visualise SPIONs in the cells before they enter the body to learn where the particles are going within the stem cell and help predict how they might perform once they are inside the body over a long period of time. They are using a photothermal technique, a unique optical imaging system, to improve SPION labelling so that particles survive for longer and have minimal impact on the function of the transplanted cells.

Dr Lara Bogart, from the University's Institute of Integrative Biology, said: "Stem cells have the potential to replace and repair damaged tissue to preclude the need for a patient to wait for an organ or tissue transplant. Research is ongoing into how it could be used to treat a wide variety of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and type one diabetes.

"In order to fully explore this potential, however, more technological developments are needed to understand how stem cells behave in the body after transplantation. If we can't monitor stem cells effectively, it can have serious implications for patient health. Studies have already shown that if cells migrate to the circulatory system, beyond their target organ or tissue site, then it can cause inflammation in the body.

"Labelling stem cells is hugely valuable to tracking their movements in the body, but we need to know more about how the particles used interact with stem cells. Using new imaging systems we can work out their precise location in the cell and how they behave over time. We hope to use this information to improve understanding of the MRI signal that tracks SPIONs once stem cells have been transplanted."

More information: The research is published in the journal, ACS Nano.

Journal reference: ACS Nano

Provided by University of Liverpool

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Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles could help track stem cells in the body

NEWARK, Calif., June 21, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM) today announced initiation of a Phase I/II clinical trial of the Company's proprietary HuCNS-SC(R) product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) referred to as Geographic Atrophy. There are no approved treatments for dry AMD.

The trial is being conducted at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest's (RFSW) Anderson Vision Research Center in Dallas, Texas, one of the leading independent vision research centers in the United States. David G. Birch, Ph.D., Chief Scientific and Executive Officer of the RFSW and Director of the Rose-Silverthorne Retinal Degenerations Laboratory, is the principal investigator of the study.

"Dry AMD is the most common form of macular degeneration, and has a very debilitating effect on quality of life," said Dr. Birch. "Transplanting neural stem cells to protect photoreceptors in patients diagnosed with AMD is an innovative, but logical, approach, well supported by the Company's recently published preclinical data. We are very excited to be conducting this trial at RFSW."

A summary of the Company's preclinical data was featured in the February 2012 issue of the international peer-reviewed European Journal of Neuroscience (available online at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2011.07970.x/abstract). The data demonstrated that HuCNS-SC cells protect host photoreceptors and preserve vision in the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat, a well-established animal model of retinal disease which has been used extensively to evaluate potential cell therapies. Transplantation of HuCNS-SC cells significantly protects photoreceptors from degeneration. Moreover, the number of cone photoreceptors, which are responsible for central vision, remained constant over an extended period, consistent with the sustained visual acuity and light sensitivity observed in the study. In humans, degeneration of the cone photoreceptors accounts for the unique pattern of vision loss in dry AMD.

"Unlike others in the field, our clinical strategy is to preserve visual function before it is lost," said Stephen Huhn, MD, FACS, FAAP, Vice President and Head of the CNS Program at StemCells, Inc. "Our published preclinical data provides a strong rationale for this approach in dry AMD and we hope to replicate these results in this clinical trial. We are very pleased to be working with Dr. Birch and the Retina Foundation of the Southwest, who have the expertise and referral base to undertake this important study. We anticipate that we will be able to accrue the requisite number of patients for this trial in relatively short order."

About Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration refers to a loss of photoreceptors (rods and cones) from the macula, the central part of the retina. AMD is a degenerative retinal disease that typically strikes adults in their 50s or early 60s, and progresses painlessly, gradually destroying central vision. According to the RFSW website, there are approximately 1.75 million Americans age 40 years and older with some form of age-related macular degeneration, and the disease continues to be the number one cause of irreversible vision loss among senior citizens in the US with more than seven million at risk of developing AMD.

About the Trial

The Phase I/II trial will evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of HuCNS-SC cells as a treatment for dry AMD. The trial will be an open-label, dose-escalation study, and is expected to enroll a total of 16 patients. The HuCNS-SC cells will be administered by a single injection into the space beneath the retina in the most affected eye. Patients' vision will be evaluated using both conventional and advanced state-of-the-art methods of ophthalmological assessment. Evaluations will be performed at predetermined intervals over a one-year period to assess safety and signs of visual benefit. Patients will then be followed for an additional four years in a separate observational study. Patients interested in participating in the clinical trial should contact the site at (214) 363 3911.

About HuCNS-SC Cells

Read the original post:
StemCells, Inc. Initiates Phase I/II Clinical Trial in Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

ScienceDaily (June 21, 2012) Researchers at the University have developed new methods to track stem cells and further understanding of what happens to them after they have been in the body for a significant period of time.

Stem cells are used to treat conditions such as leukemia and have the potential to treat many more diseases and disorders where patient survival is reliant on organ and tissue donation. Currently, however, it is difficult for medics to establish whether stem cells have survived following transplantation in the body and if they reach their target site or migrate elsewhere.

In order to track stem cells in the body scientists use superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to 'label' the cells before they are administered into the patient. These particles can be picked up by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and help medics establish if the stem cells reach their intended target. Conditions within the body's cells, however, can lead to the degradation of SPIONs and reduce the ability of MRI scans to pick up on their signal in the long-term.

Scientists at Liverpool are developing methods to visualise SPIONs in the cells before they enter the body to learn where the particles are going within the stem cell and help predict how they might perform once they are inside the body over a long period of time. They are using a photothermal technique, a unique optical imaging system, to improve SPION labelling so that particles survive for longer and have minimal impact on the function of the transplanted cells.

Effective monitoring

Dr Lara Bogart, from the University's Institute of Integrative Biology, said: "Stem cells have the potential to replace and repair damaged tissue to preclude the need for a patient to wait for an organ or tissue transplant. Research is ongoing into how it could be used to treat a wide variety of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and type one diabetes.

"In order to fully explore this potential, however, more technological developments are needed to understand how stem cells behave in the body after transplantation. If we can't monitor stem cells effectively, it can have serious implications for patient health. Studies have already shown that if cells migrate to the circulatory system, beyond their target organ or tissue site, then it can cause inflammation in the body.

"Labelling stem cells is hugely valuable to tracking their movements in the body, but we need to know more about how the particles used interact with stem cells. Using new imaging systems we can work out their precise location in the cell and how they behave over time. We hope to use this information to improve understanding of the MRI signal that tracks SPIONs once stem cells have been transplanted."

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Tracking stem cells in the body

June 21, 2012

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com

Pumping vigorously night and day, the heart is clearly one of the most important organs in the human body. It is also one of the most delicate parts of the body. As such, news regarding heart-related diseases is beneficial to both doctors and patients. University of Michigan (UM) researchers recently reported the discovery of a new method that could produce cardiac muscle patches from stem cells.

The innovative process was created at UMs Center for Arrhythmia Research and effectively uses stem cells that can copy the hearts squeezing action. The cells showed activity that was like that of peoples resting heart rate. The rhythmic electrical impulse transmission of the engineered cells worked at a rate of 60 beats per minute and this rate was 10 times quicker than rates reported in other stem cell studies.

To date, the majority of studies using induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac muscle cells have focused on single cell functional analysis, remarked senior author Dr. Todd J. Herron, an assistant research professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Molecular & Integrative Physiology at the U-M, in a prepared statement.

The researchers believe that the stem biology findings will be beneficial to those who suffer from common but life-threatening heart diseases. They hope that the use of stem cells will assist patients diagnosed with arrhythmia, which is found in approximately 2.5 million people. With arrhythmia, patients suffer an irregularity in the hearts electrical impulses and this can hinder the hearts ability to circulate blood.

For potential stem cell-based cardiac regeneration therapies for heart disease, however, it is critical to develop multi-cellular tissue like constructs that beat as a single unit, commented Herron in the statement.

Regarding the specifics of the project, the goal of the scientists was to use stem cells to develop skin biopsies. These biopsies could be used to produce large quantities of cardiac muscle cells, which could then help transmit uniform electrical impulses and work as a cohesive unit. In collaborating with researchers from the University of Oxford, Imperial College, and the University of Wisconsin, the team was able to design a fluorescent imaging platform. The platform used light emitting diode (LED) illumination to quantify the cells electrical activity.

Action potential and calcium wave impulse propagation trigger each normal heart beat, so it is imperative to record each parameter in bioengineered human cardiac patches, remarked Herron in the statement.

Overall, authors of the study believe that the velocity of the engineered cardiac cells is still slower than the velocity of cells found in the beating adult heart. However, the velocity of the engineered cardiac cells is quicker than those previously reported; it is also similar to the rate found in commonly used rodent cells. For future scientific research purposes, the investigators theorize that human cardiac patches could be utilized instead of rodent systems. The new method could be used in many cardiac research laboratories and allow cardiac stem cell patches to be utilized in disease research, new drug treatment testing, and therapies focused on repairing damaged heart muscles.

Read more:
Stem Cells To Aid In Heart-Related Research