PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

24-Sep-2014

Contact: Krista Conger kristac@stanford.edu 650-725-5371 Stanford University Medical Center @sumedicine

Over 500 million people worldwide carry a genetic mutation that disables a common metabolic protein called ALDH2. The mutation, which predominantly occurs in people of East Asian descent, leads to an increased risk of heart disease and poorer outcomes after a heart attack. It also causes facial flushing when carriers drink alcohol.

Now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have learned for the first time specifically how the mutation affects heart health. They did so by comparing heart muscle cells made from induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, from people with the mutation versus those without the mutation. IPS cells are created in the laboratory from specialized adult cells like skin. They are "pluripotent," meaning they can be coaxed to become any cell in the body.

"This study is one of the first to show that we can use iPS cells to study ethnic-specific differences among populations," said Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and professor of cardiovascular medicine and of radiology.

"These findings may help us discover new therapeutic paths for heart disease for carriers of this mutation," said Wu. "In the future, I believe we will have banks of iPS cells generated from many different ethnic groups. Drug companies or clinicians can then compare how members of different ethnic groups respond to drugs or diseases, or study how one group might differ from another, or tailor specific drugs to fit particular groups."

The findings are described in a paper that will be published Sept. 24 in Science Translational Medicine. Wu and Daria Mochly-Rosen, PhD, professor of chemical and systems biology, are co-senior authors of the paper, and postdoctoral scholar Antje Ebert, PhD, is the lead author.

ALDH2 and cell death

The study showed that the ALDH2 mutation affects heart health by controlling the survival decisions cells make during times of stress. It is the first time ALDH2, which is involved in many common metabolic processes in cells of all types, has been shown to play a role in cell survival. In particular, ALDH2 activity, or the lack of it, influences whether a cell enters a state of programmed cell death called apoptosis in response to stressful growing conditions.

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Stanford scientists use stem cells to learn how common mutation in Asians affects heart health

Stemedix Stem Cell Therapy for ALS - Patient Experience: Dr. Robert K., MD
Stemedix treats Dr. Robert K., MD. for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Dr. Robert speaks about his patient experience with Stemedix after receiving Stemedix adipose stem cell treatment....

By: Stemedix

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Stemedix Stem Cell Therapy for ALS - Patient Experience: Dr. Robert K., MD - Video

Swastik - Stem Cell Therapy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) - 23-06-2014
stem cell india, stem cell therapy india, stem cell in india, stem cell therapy in india, india stem cell, india stem cell therapy.

By: Stem Cell India

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Swastik - Stem Cell Therapy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) - 23-06-2014 - Video

Celyn Evans, 17, from Colchester, has donated stem cells to save the life of a complete stranger. Pictured with the stem cells.

Monday, September 22, 2014 10:49 AM

A selfless teenager from Colchester who donated stem cells to a stranger is backing a campaign to help find more young heroes.

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In June Celyn Evans, 17, became one of the youngest such donors in the UK.

He was contacted by the Anthony Nolan Trust as a possible match after joining the bone marrow register last September when his brothers friend developed leukaemia.

Now he is supporting Anthony Nolans Save A Life At 16 campaign, calling on HMRC to include details about stem cell donation when it writes to people with their National Insurance number ahead of their 16th birthday.

Celyn said: You often hear that young people are self absorbed and not interested in helping others, but I think thats wrong. People just need to be made aware of how they can help.

Its a very simple process, and I am surprised more people dont do it. But I think its just down to people knowing about it, which is where Anthony Nolans idea comes in.

For more information or to join the register visit the Anthony Nolan Trust website.

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Colchester: Selfless teen stem cell donor Celyn Evans backs campaign to find more young heroes

Edgar Irastorza was just 31 when his heart stopped beating in October 2008.

A Miami property manager, Irastorza had recently gained weight as his wife's third pregnancy progressed. "I kind of got pregnant, too," he said.

During a workout one day, he felt short of breath and insisted that friends rush him to the hospital. Minutes later, his pulse flatlined. He survived the heart attack, but the scar tissue that resulted cut his heart's pumping ability by a third. He couldn't pick up his children. He fell asleep every night wondering if he would wake up in the morning.

Desperation motivated Irastorza to volunteer for a highly unusual medical research trial: getting stem cells injected directly into his heart. "I just trusted my doctors and the science behind it, and said, 'This is my only chance,' " he said recently.

Over the last five years, by studying stem cells in lab dishes, test animals and intrepid patients like Irastorza, researchers have brought the vague, grandiose promises of stem cell therapies closer to reality.

Stem cells broke into the public consciousness in the early 1990s, alluring for their potential to help the body beat back diseases of degeneration like Alzheimer's, and to grow new parts to treat conditions like spinal cord injuries.

Progress has been slow. But researchers are learning how to best use stem cells, what types to use and how to deliver them to the body findings that are not singularly transformational, but progressive and pragmatic.

As many as 4,500 clinical trials involving stem cells are under way in the United States to treat patients with heart disease, blindness, Parkinson's, HIV, blood cancers and spinal cord injuries, among other conditions.

Initial studies suggest that stem cell therapy can be delivered safely, said Dr. Ellen Feigal, senior vice president of research and development at the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, the state stem cell agency, which has awarded more than $2 billion toward stem cell research since 2006.

But enthusiasm for stem cells sometimes outstrips the science. When Gov. Rick Perry of Texas had adult stem cells injected into his spine in 2011 for a back injury, his surgeon had never tried the procedure and had no data to support the experiment. A June review in the New England Journal of Medicine found that "platelet-rich plasma" stem cell therapies praised by a number of athletes worked no better than placebos.

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Stem cell revolution gets closer

Albany, NY (PRWEB) September 15, 2014

Stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. Stem cell therapy can be applied to treatment of cardiovascular diseases, leukemia (a kind of hematological system disease), nervous system diseases, damage or lesion of liver, kidney and other parenchymal organs, etc..

View Full Report at http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/223134

Currently, cord blood bank is the fastest-growing and relatively mature market amid stem cell upstream sectors and even the whole industry chain. In 2005, there were 23 cord blood banks worldwide and in 2013 the figure exceeded 480. Global cord blood stem cell (CBSC) storage companies can be roughly divided into two categories: the ones running in a globalized business model, such as Cryo-Cell International and Esperite (formerly known as Cryo-Save Group), and the others giving priority to regional operation e.g. Zhongyuan Union Stem Cell Bioengineering (VCANBIO), Golden Meditech and LifeCell International. However, the companies mainly engaged in cord blood bank business are currently small in scale, only a few with more than 500,000 clients.

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The stem cell technology and product research-oriented midstream sector is in its infancy, mostly concentrated in few countries like Europe, America and South Korea. At present, most companies in the industry chain are basically in the red for years running due to huge R&D costs. Nevertheless, attracted by the tremendous market potential in the area of stem cell therapy and enjoying the great encouragement from government policies (e.g. capital subsidy) and the capital support of significant cooperative partners, very few companies have dropped out.

Browse All Published Reports by Same Publisher at http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/publisher/67

Up to now, altogether 9 sorts of stem cell products have been approved worldwide, 3 of which are in the category of stem cell drugs developed by S. Korean companies, such as MEDIPOSTs adult stem cell drug CARTISTEM for osteoarthritis treatment and the stem cell product Prochymal (MEDIPOST obtained the product via acquiring the Therapeutics business of Osiris Therapeutics) direct at treating children suffering acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

In the meantime, traditional pharmaceutical giants like Novartis are setting about quickly accessing the field through mergers and acquisitions. On Aug. 19, 2014, Novartis reached an acquisition agreement with Gamida Cell (a corporate dedicated to stem cell technology R&D and its application in stem cell transplantation for leukemia patients), which specified that Novartis spend USD35 million in acquiring 15% equity in the latter and win the option to take over the remaining equity in two years with USD165 million; in Sep. 2013, Novartis also entered a cooperation with Regenerex to jointly develop the hematopoietic stem cell platform FCRx of the latter.

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Global And China Stem Cell Industry Size 2014 Market Analysis, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017: MarketResearchReports ...

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioTime, Inc. (NYSE MKT: BTX) announced that its subsidiary Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. (OTCBB: ASTY) has reached an agreement with Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research Technology (CRT), the charitys development and commercialization arm, to conduct a clinical trial of Asterias novel immunotherapy treatment AST-VAC2 in subjects with non-small cell lung cancer.

AST-VAC2 is a non-patient specific (allogeneic) cancer vaccine designed to stimulate patients immune systems to attack telomerase, a protein that is expressed in over 95 percent of cancers but is rarely expressed in normal adult cells.

The vaccine was developed following successful early phase clinical trials of a similar, patient specific (autologous) Asterias vaccine, called AST-VAC1, which was derived from patients blood cells and tested in prostate cancer and acute myeloid leukemia.

Unlike AST-VAC1, and other autologous (patient specific) vaccines that are developed from a patients own cells, AST-VAC2 is derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), meaning it can be produced on a large scale and stored ready for use, rather than having to produce a specific version of the drug for each patient.

The trial of AST-VAC2 will evaluate the safety and toxicity of the vaccine, feasibility, stimulation of patient immune responses to telomerase and AST-VAC2, and clinical outcome after AST-VAC2 administration in patients with resected early-stage lung cancer and in patients with advanced forms of the disease.

Pedro Lichtinger, Asterias chief executive officer, said: The Asterias collaboration with Cancer Research UKs Drug Development Office and CRT represents a major step in advancing our proprietary dendritic cell platform for the potential benefit of patients.

AST-VAC2 is based on a specific mode of action that is complementary and potentially synergistic to other immune therapies. We are delighted to partner with Cancer Research UK to advance this important platform through Phase 1/2 clinical trials. Cancer Research UKs Drug Development Office has the global recognition of having the quality, capability and track record of successfully advancing development programs. We are excited about the possibility of favorably impacting the lives of patients across multiple cancers and are proud to be working with Cancer Research UK.

Under the agreement, Asterias will complete development of the manufacturing process for AST-VAC2. Cancer Research UK will then produce the vaccine and conduct the phase 1/2 clinical trial in the United Kingdom. On completion of the clinical trial, Asterias will have an exclusive first option to acquire a license to the data from the trial on pre-agreed terms including an upfront payment, milestones and royalties on sales of products. If Asterias declines this option, CRT will then have an option to obtain a license to Asterias intellectual property to continue the development and commercialization of AST-VAC2 and related products in exchange for a revenue share to Asterias of development and partnering proceeds.

Dr. Jane Lebkowski, president of research and development at Asterias, said: The use of human embryonic stem cells to derive allogeneic dendritic cells for cancer immunotherapy has the potential to dramatically improve the scalability, consistency, and feasibility of cellular cancer vaccines. We believe this collaboration will enable the acceleration of clinical studies of AST-VAC2 and the collection of important proof-of-concept data for the entire human embryonic stem cell-derived dendritic cell immunotherapy platform.

About Lung Cancer

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BioTime Subsidiary, Asterias Biotherapeutics, and Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research Technology Partner for ...

Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis
Ross Hauser, MD explains Stem Cell Prolotherapy using whole bone marrow. If you have osteoarthritis and are interested in how stem cell therapy may help you, we would love to see you in one...

By: Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services

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Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis - Video

Knee arthritis one year after bone marrow stem cells by Harry Adelson, N.D.
Christine discusses her results of her stem cell injection by Dr Harry Adelson for her arthritic knees http://www.docereclinics.com.

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

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Knee arthritis one year after bone marrow stem cells by Harry Adelson, N.D. - Video

San Antonio, TX (PRWEB) September 11, 2014

The Stem Cell Institute, located in Panama City, Panama, will present an informational seminar about umbilical cord stem cell therapy on Saturday, September 20, 2014 in San Antonio, Texas at the La Cantera Hill Country Resort from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Stem Cell Institute Speakers include:

Neil Riordan PhD Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Clinical Trials for MS and Autism: Rationale and Clinical Protocols

Dr. Riordan is the founder of the Stem Cell Institute and Medistem Panama Inc.

Jorge Paz-Rodriguez MD Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Therapy for Arthritis, Inflammation and Sports Injuries

Dr. Paz is the Medical Director at the Stem Cell Institute. He practiced internal medicine in the United States for over a decade before joining the Stem Cell Institute in Panama.

Special Guest Speaker:

Janet Vaughan, DDS, MS, Professional Dancer- Successful Stem Cell Therapy in Panama: A Patients Perspective

Dr. Vaughan is Board Certified in Orthodontics (Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics) and she is a Fellow in the International College of Dentistry.

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Stem Cell Institute Public Seminar on Adult Stem Cell Therapy Clinical Trials in San Antonio, Texas September 20th, 2014

Aging News & Information

Aging Muscles May Be Restored by Discovery of a Key to Making Muscle

Results hailed as important step toward developing new muscle to treat muscle diseases; good news for seniors with muscles wasting away from aging

Sept. 8, 2014 Promising results have been achieved in repairing damaged tissue in muscles which could lead to a new therapeutic approach to treating the millions of people suffering from muscle diseases, including those with muscular dystrophies and muscle wasting associated with cancer and aging seniors, according to the study, published September 7 in Nature Medicine.

Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) in La Jolla, California, have developed this novel technique to promote tissue repair in damaged muscles. The technique also creates a sustainable pool of muscle stem cells needed to support multiple rounds of muscle repair.

There are two important processes that need to happen to maintain skeletal-muscle health. First, when muscle is damaged by injury or degenerative disease such as muscular dystrophy, muscle stem cellsor satellite cellsneed to differentiate into mature muscle cells to repair injured muscles.

Second, the pool of satellite cells needs to be replenished so there is a supply to repair muscle in case of future injuries. In the case of muscular dystrophy, the chronic cycles of muscle regeneration and degeneration that involve satellite-cell activation exhaust the muscle stem-cell pool to the point of no return.

Related Archive Stories

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Aging Muscles May Be Restored by Discovery of a Key to Making Muscle

By Daniella Walsh on September 04th, 2014

By Daniella Walsh | LB Indy

Leslies stem cell

Janet Dreyer earned a doctorate in molecular biology, but in her 50s enrolled at the Pasadena College of Art and Design and became hooked on art. After a hiatus from both science and art for travel, shes back to art, creating a work that combines her training in both fields, The Stem Cell Scientist.

Dreyers computer generated work came to life at the request of Laguna Beach glass and multi-media artist Leslie Davis, who organized The Art of Stem Cells. The show features conceptual works by 29 artists. Their themes address debilitating diseases and injuries and the work of scientists trying to find cures. The month-long exhibition opens Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Ana.

Dreyer delved into history when she built a mosaic for the show. The work includes references to the regenerating powers of the Egyptian scarab god Khepri, showing him rolling a cell instead of the sun, among other images. I chose the mosaic format because the tiles create a sense of motion reminding me of developing cells, Dreyer said.

The exhibitions opening and closing receptions will not only showcase what results when artists interact with 23 scientists, but also introduce art patrons to researchers and examples of their state-of-the art stem cell pursuits. Half of all proceeds will benefit research at the center, led for the past eight years by Dr. Peter Donovan, to whom the show is dedicated.

With a keen interest in science and particularly stem cell therapy, Davis has forged a connection to UC Irvines Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. But since 2005, Davis twin interests have yielded three other medical related art exhibitions, including one for Mission Hospital.

It was her brainpower that led to pairing center researchers with artists selected on the strength and nature of their work.

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Stem Cells Star in Marriage of Art and Science

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

5-Sep-2014

Contact: Lisa Newbern lisa.newbern@emory.edu 404-727-7709 Emory Health Sciences

Creating induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells allows researchers to establish "disease in a dish" models of conditions ranging from Alzheimer's disease to diabetes. Scientists at Yerkes National Primate Research Center have now applied the technology to a model of Huntington's disease (HD) in transgenic nonhuman primates, allowing them to conveniently assess the efficacy of potential therapies on neuronal cells in the laboratory.

The results were published in Stem Cell Reports.

"A highlight of our model is that our progenitor cells and neurons developed cellular features of HD such as intranuclear inclusions of mutant Huntingtin protein, which most of the currently available cell models do not present," says senior author Anthony Chan, PhD, DVM, associate professor of human genetics at Emory University School of Medicine and Yerkes National Primate Research Center. "We could use these features as a readout for therapy using drugs or a genetic manipulation."

Chan and his colleagues were the first in the world to establish a transgenic nonhuman primate model of HD. HD is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that leads to the appearance of uncontrolled movements and cognitive impairments, usually in adulthood. It is caused by a mutation that introduces an expanded region where one amino acid (glutamine) is repeated dozens of times in the huntingtin protein.

The non-human primate model has extra copies of the huntingtin gene that contains the expanded glutamine repeats. In the non-human primate model, motor and cognitive deficits appear more quickly than in most cases of Huntington's disease in humans, becoming noticeable within the first two years of the monkeys' development.

First author Richard Carter, PhD, a graduate of Emory's Genetics and Molecular Biology doctoral program, and his colleagues created iPS cells from the transgenic monkeys by reprogramming cells derived from the skin or dental pulp. This technique uses retroviruses to introduce reprogramming factors into somatic cells and induces a fraction of them to become pluripotent stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells are able to differentiate into any type of cell in the body, under the right conditions.

Carter and colleagues induced the iPS cells to become neural progenitor cells and then differentiated neurons. The iPS-derived neural cells developed intracellular and intranuclear aggregates of the mutant huntingtin protein, a classic sign of Huntington's pathology, as well as an increased sensitivity to oxidative stress.

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Disease in a dish approach could aid Huntington's disease discovery

PASCAGOULA, MS (WLOX) -

Nearly 120 doctors, nurses, technicians and other Singing River Health System employees lined up to register as a bone marrow donor in honor of their co-worker, Dr. Jeremy Simpler, who is battling cancer.

"I don't want to get emotional, but very, very devastating when we found this out because he is wonderful. He's a people person. He treated us like family," Singing River Health System Surgical Tech Patricia Taylor said.

A stranger, who gave 40 seconds to get his or her cheeks swabbed, could end up saving Simpler's life. Now, his co-workers want to repay that favor.

"Every day, we have someone looking for a match," Mattie Coburn, with the Mississippi Marrow Donor Program said.

Coburn said 70 percent of patients who need a transplant rely on the registry, because they do not have a match in their family.

There are two different ways donors are asked to donate.

"Bone marrow transplant, it is outpatient. You are put to sleep under anesthesia. We are going to go to the hip and pelvic bone with a sterile needle and syringe," Coburn said. "You are not going to feel it. We keep you overnight for observation, and release you with a Band-Aid over where the needles were. PBSC, peripheral blood stem cell, is similar to giving platelets. We draw blood, separate the cells, you get your blood back."

Three years ago, Singing River Health System Dr. Clinton Hull donated bone marrow.

"It was a really good feeling," Hull said. "The last communication I had through the bone marrow service was the patient had returned to their daily activities and living, so that makes me feel really good."

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Co-workers honor doctor by registering as bone marrow donors

The treatment involves injecting up to 20 million stem cells into patients' brains. It was tested on patients at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital in 2012.

The Surrey-based company said it would work at 10 sites across the UK, including the Southern General, on a Phase II efficacy study of the ReN001 treatment involving 41 patients.

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The treatment is designed to deliver a meaningful improvement in upper limb function in disabled stroke patients.

In May, the company said data from a long-term follow- up involving 11 patients included in a Phase I safety study of ReN001 at the Glasgow hospital observed sustained reductions in neurological impairment and spasticity in most patients. No cell-related or immunological adverse events were reported .

Yesterday, Reneuron said it has also started a Phase I safety study at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee of its ReN009 therapy for people with lower limb ischaemia. It will involve nine patients.

Reneuron says the disease is common in patients with diabetes and can lead to amputation of the limb.

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Reneuron tests stem cell stroke treatment

23 hours ago The biobank comprises three cryotanks, equipped with cooled protective hoods, and a transfer station from which the sample containers are transported via a rail system. There is enough space for approximately 60,000 samples. Credit: Fraunhofer IBMT

For the development of new drugs it is crucial to work with stem cells, as these allow scientists to study the effects of new active pharmaceutical ingredients. But it has always been difficult to derive enough stem cells of the right quality and in the right timeframe. A central biobank is about to remedy the situation.

Human stem cells allow scientists to assess how patients are likely to respond to new drugs and to examine how illnesses come about. For a few years now, it has been possible to take tissue samples from adults and use reverse programming to artificially produce stem cells, which have the potential to create any kind of cell found in the human body. Before this discovery, pharmaceutical researchers had to use adult stem cells or primary cells, which have a more limited potential. Another option is to use stem cells derived from human embryos, but quite apart from the ethical considerations these cells are available only in limited diversity. The new technique makes it possible for instance to reprogram adult skin or blood cells so that they behave in a similar way to embryonic stem cells and can become any type of cell. "These are known as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells for short," says Dr. Julia Neubauer from the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT in St. Ingbert, Germany. Although an increasing number of local biobanks have emerged in recent years, none of them fulfills the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry and research institutions. What is needed is a supply of 'ready-to-use' stem cells, which means large numbers of consistently characterized, systematically catalogued cells of suitable quality.

At the beginning of 2014, the IBMT teamed up with 26 industry and research partners to launch a project aimed at establishing a central biobank the European Bank for induced pluripotent Stem Cells (EBiSC) to generate iPS cells from patients with specific diseases or genetic mutations (http://ebisc.org/). Six months into the project and the first cells are available for use in the development of new drugs. By its three-year mark, it is hoped the project will be in a position to offer over 1000 defined and characterized cell lines comprising a hundred million cells. Such quantities are needed because a single drug screening involves testing several million cells. The main biobank facility is being built in the English city of Cambridge and an identical "mirror site" will be set up at the IBMT's Sulzbach location in Germany.

Gently freezing cells

The IBMT was brought on board for EBiSC by virtue of the comprehensive expertise it gained through participation in the EU's "Hyperlab" and "CRYSTAL" projects. For EBiSC, IBMT scientists are responsible for freezing the cells and for automating cell cultivation and the biobank itself. For an efficient long-term storage of functional stem cells, they have to be cooled down to temperatures of below 130 degrees Celsius in a controlled way. The scientists have to prepare the cells so they can survive the cold shock of nitrogen gas. The IBMT has, for instance, developed technologies that allow cells to be frozen in an extremely gentle way. "Cells don't like being removed from the surface they are grown on, but that's what people used to do in order to freeze them. Our method allows the cells to stay adherent," explains Neubauer.

Just as with foodstuffs, stem cells depend on an unbroken cold chain to preserve their functionality and viability. The scientists store the cells in special containers or cryotanks each measuring one by two meters. To remove a particular sample, the scientists have to open the cryotank. The problem is that this exposes all the other samples to warmer ambient air, causing them to begin to thaw out. "It's just like when you go to your refrigerator at home it's not a good idea to leave the door open too long," says Neubauer. She and her colleagues at the IBMT and industry partner Askion GmbH have together developed a stem cell biobank complete with protective hoods that protect the other samples whenever the cryotank is opened. In addition to maintaining the temperature, the hoods help keep another key shelf-life criterion, humidity, at a constant level.

Flawless freezing is important, but it is just as important to automate the whole process. "That not only guarantees consistency, it's what makes it possible to provide large quantities of cells of the required quality in the first place," says Neubauer. And the scientists' cooling process already boasts a finished technology. In their automated biobank, each cell sample is labelled with barcodes to allow them to be tracked. The samples travel along a conveyor belt to the individual cyrotanks, and a computer monitors the entire freezing and storage process.

Now the scientists are working on automating cell cultivation or the multiplying of the cells. There are essentially two possible approaches. One is to use robots that translate each preparation step into a mechanical one. The other is to use stirred bioreactors that provide free-moving cells with the ideal supply of nutrients and oxygen. Both technologies feature in the IBMT's portfolio. "By the time the project is completed, we'll know which is the better method for what we're trying to do," says Neubauer.

Explore further: Animal-free reprogramming of adult cells improves safety

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Central biobank for drug research

Manila:

A Philippine Catholic bishop Wednesday urged donors to research on Lou Gehrigs Disease to ensure that their money does not go to unethical studies involving stem cells.

The pastoral guidance was issued as more Filipinos take part in the viral fundraising ice bucket challenge for Lou Gehrigs Disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas said donors must make a clear and unequivocal declaration that their donation is made on condition that none of it is applied to research that involves the use of embryonic stem cells in vitro. Catholics who participate in the challenge and who make donations to this research must also demand of fund-raisers and organizers an assurance that none of the donations made will be applied to researches that are ethically reproved, he added.

Villegas said that as long as the research was ethical, the Church would even encourage Catholics to donate, noting, The importance of ALS research cannot be overstated. Research must proceed, for so many suffer. Several top government officials, business leaders and other Filipino personalities have recently taken up the ALS ice bucket challenge, drenching themselves in cold water to raise money for research on the illness.

(This article was published on August 27, 2014)

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Filipino bishop urges donors not to support stem cell research

Last week I discussed the current state of stem cell research and the sociopolitical situation surrounding it. As with any controversial or complex subject being shared with the neophyte it is pointless without a physical, material context to put it in. Many people simply don't know something because it doesn't pertain to them. No-one wants to think about disease, let alone talk about it... why in the world would anyone want to research it? I learned very early on in my injury not to hold others accountable for what they do not fully understand. So much of suffering is purely subjective and experiential, how could they possible grasp what I'M feeling? Or vice versa for that matter? That said, ask yourself, why else would I study any kind of infirmity unless I a. had it, or b. was a doctor? This posting will be to inform those of you who do not understand how spinal cord injury happens and the results it can have. It should help you get a stronger grasp on why stem cells are such an interesting possibility.

Spinal cord injury is one of the least understood conditions on the planet. There are approximately 450,000 spinal cord injury survivors in the United States. Compare that to the millions of cancer patients or those with heart disease. It is simply rare. Every spinal cord injury is different, like a finger print. There are thousands of nerves in the spinal cord, one can be damaged or all of them, or none at all. Consider for a moment what the spinal cord is, in the words of Wikipedia...

It gets even more complicated still. There are levels of spinal cord injury. The vertebrae of the spine which becomes injured determines the type or "level" of injury. The cervical spine down to the upper thoracic is classified as Quadriplegia or Tetraplegia the lower you go. Once the injury drops below the third or fourth thoracic vertebrae it becomes Paraplegia.

Clearly we can now see how treating spinal cord injury generally must be done on a case by case basis. When you factor in age, weight, age of injury, lifestyle and amount of therapy it becomes even more complex. Up until now the real treatment has been in progressive physical therapy. The best centers are those who focus solely on rehabilitating injuries to the central nervous system. We can narrow that category down further to those who are committed to continuous movement towards a cure and taking your treatment into your own hands. These facilities are spread throughout the country on such a minimal level many patients devote their entire lives to the cycle of raising money and traveling just for a few days a month, or even a year, to get the level of care they need. Keep in mind the insurance companies will rarely cover even the cost of therapy, let alone travel.

Things are changing however. There is a grassroots movement in medicine that holds exciting promise. I am going to wrap up this portion of the discussion, but next week I'll continue with more on this movement on the horizon, what living with SCI is like and why there is hope in stem cells. Tune in...

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The Stem Cell: Understanding Spinal Cord Injury: Part 1

Stem Cells and Spinal Cord Injury:

Spinal cord injuries are described at various levels of "incomplete", which can vary from having no effect on the patient to a "complete" injury which means a total loss of function.

Treatment of spinal cord injuries starts with restraining the spine and controlling inflammation to prevent further damage. The actual treatment can vary widely depending on the location and extent of the injury. In many cases, spinal cord injuries require substantial physical therapy and rehabilitation, especially if the patient's injury interferes with activities of daily life.

After a spinal cord injury, many of the nerve fibers at the injury site lose their insulating layer of myelin. As a result, the fibers are no longer able to properly transmit signals between the brain and the spinal cord contributing to paralysis. Unfortunately, the spinal cord lacks the ability to restore these lost myelin-forming cells after trauma.

Tissue engineering in the spinal cord involves the implantation of scaffold material to guide cell placement and foster cell development. These scaffolds can also be used to deliver stem cells at the site of injury and maximize their regenerative potential.

When the spinal cord is damagedeither accidentally (car accidents, falls) or as the result of a disease (multiple sclerosis, infections, tumors, severe forms of spinal bifida, etc.)it can result in the loss of sensation and mobility and even in complete paralysis.

Spinal Cord Injury and Stem Cell Treatment

Adult stem cell transplants for spinal cord injury repair: current state in preclinical research.

Hernndeza J, Torres-Espna A, Navarro X.

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Spinal Cord Injury Stem Cell Treatment - ASCI - Stem Cell ...

18 hours ago

Anyone who has suffered an injury can probably remember the after-effects, including pain, swelling or redness. These are signs that the body is fighting back against the injury. When tissue in the body is damaged, biological programs are activated to aid in tissue regeneration. An inflammatory response acts as a protective mechanism to enable repair and regeneration, helping the body to heal after injuries such as wounds and burns. However, the same mechanism may interfere with healing in situations in which foreign material is introduced, for example when synthetics are grafted to skin for dermal repair. In such cases, the inflammation may lead to tissue fibrosis, which creates an obstacle to proper physiological function.

The research group of Arun Sharma, PhD has been working on innovative approaches to tissue regeneration in order to improve the lives of patients with urinary bladder dysfunction. Among their breakthroughs was a medical model for regenerating bladders using stem cells harvested from a donor's own bone marrow, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2013.

More recently, the team has developed a system that may protect against the inflammatory reaction that can negatively impact tissue growth, development and function. Self-assembling peptide amphiphiles (PAs) are biocompatible and biodegradable nanomaterials that have demonstrated utility in a wide range of settings and applications. Using an established urinary bladder augmentation model, the Sharma Group treated a highly pro-inflammatory biologic scaffold used in a wide array of settings with anti-inflammatory peptide amphiphiles (AIF-PAs). When compared with control PAs, the treated scaffold showed regenerative capacity while modulating the innate inflammatory response, resulting in superior bladder function.

This work is published in the journal Biomaterials. Says Sharma, "Our findings are very relevant not just for bladder regeneration but for other types of tissue regeneration where foreign materials are utilized for structural support. I also envision the potential utility of these nanomolecules for the treatment of a wide range of dysfunctional inflammatory based conditions."

Explore further: Taking tissue regeneration beyond state-of-the-art

More information: Bury MI, Fuller NJ, Meisner JW, Hofer MD, Webber MJ, Chow LW, Prasad S, Thaker H, Yue X, Menon VS, Diaz EC, Stupp SI, Cheng EY, Sharma AK. The promotion of functional urinary bladder regeneration using anti-inflammatory nanofibers. Biomaterials. Available online 18 August 2014. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ ii/S0142961214008667

Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Biomaterials

Provided by Children's Memorial Hospital

A new approach to bladder regeneration is capitalizing on the potential of two distinct cell populations harvested from a patient's healthy bone marrow, a new study reports.

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Tissue regeneration using anti-inflammatory nanomolecules