Israeli researchers use stem cells to repair damaged tissue for first time – Video
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Israeli researchers have managed for the first time to repair damaged tissue using components produced by embryonic stem cells.
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Israeli researchers use stem cells to repair damaged tissue for first time - Video
Researchers Perfect the View of Heart Disease
By Dr. Matthew Watson
(HealthDay News) -- Radiologists have developed a way to gain better insight into signs of heart disease by using cardiac CT scans that detect narrowed arteries and low blood flow.
CT scans use X-rays to create cross-sectional images of the body's internal anatomy. The scans can detect blockages in coronary arteries, but it's hard to tell if they're actually preventing blood from flowing to the heart.
In a new study, published Sept. 15 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital explained how to gain more detailed pictures of what is going on inside the body, potentially giving doctors more information about the best treatment.
The research, based on tests in 34 cardiac patients, "is among the first demonstrations of the use of cardiac CT to detect both coronary artery stenosis and resulting myocardial ischemia simultaneously in a single examination," Dr. Ricardo C. Cury, a cardiac imaging specialist at the hospital's Heart Center and the study's principal investigator, explained in a hospital news release. Read more...
Cardiofy Heart Care Supplement
Philippines banks on biotechnology to deal with enviromentally friendly issues, food security considerations
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Manila: This Philippine federal government is definitely depending on biotechnology-based options throughout handling critical environmental and meals basic safety difficulties struggling with america.
Environment Admin Ramon Paje, during a the latest event with suv Quezon City paying attention to the 7th Nationwide Biotechnology 7 days, said medical is key in order to approaching crucial the environmental problems facing this Philippines, for example connection between climatic change including droughts, food safety and mitigation of effects via rental destruction.
Biotechnology is generally defined as the field of biology that utilizes residing creatures in addition to bioprocesses within engineering, drugs and other applications.
Paje stated that given the difficulties challenged simply by places such as Australia which can be as a result of climatic change and man-made maladies such as contamination, there is an enormous likely regarding biotechnology throughout protecting as well as enhancing the company’s environment.
The utilization of biotechnology, specifically in food items creation as well as remedies, is debatable trouble in the Australia as well as in different establishing in addition to civilized world.
Paje known that while the advantages of the actual safe utilization of medical throughout other sectors, specifically in agriculture as well as drugs, are actually increasingly recognized by the us government, vehicles identified the various troubles experiencing biotechnology, specially the alleged affect of genetically-modified microorganisms or even GMOs on the some people’s health, pets as well as the atmosphere.
Biotechnology: Boon to Human being
By Dr. Matthew Watson



Growth and development of Biotechnology
By Dr. Matthew Watson

Up to now, even so, not many topographical centers get won throughout developing stable biotechnology angles. The key centers include San Francisco’s S . fransisco, the particular Boston-Cambridge axis throughout Massachusetts, Los angeles, San antonio, Maryland-Washington N.C., New Jersey-Philadelphia, and Idaho. Other areas inside Oughout.Ersus. along with Canada have attempts under way to create basics regarding biotechnology, but they obtain the approach an overwhelming one. The down sides stalk through the difficult net of things in which figure out successful areas for medical organizations, on their own as well as in groups.


Throughout the beyond one hundred year, humankind renders a tremendous hard work to be aware of the organic particulars regarding characteristics. The idea started out together with the conventional fermentation connected with food to the business exploitation of most sorts of natural cellular material. One of the most incredible innovations occurred since the the middle of Nineteen forties using the discovery of the lifestyle conserving medicines, accompanied by saving money wave within agriculture in the 50s to this particular swift advance understand the particular hereditary reasons for existing tissues. There isn’t any uncertainty produce, our existing biotechnological information is able to get rid of medical in addition to lower income problems, with the decline or perhaps reduction regarding malnourishment inside arid specific zones well in route employing present day genetically revised farming.
Biotechnological innovation on Farming Skill
By Dr. Matthew Watson
The creation of genetically modified ingredients along with other gardening biotechnology solutions has produced substantial public argument. The potential of creating food boosted regarding health improvements as well as growing harvest yields seemed to be tantalizing, but there seemed to be likewise popular concern about the technology’s health and the environmental dangers. The Pew Effort with Meals along with Biotechnology showcased insurance policy issues due to these kinds of discussion posts along with functioned as a trustworthy, straightforward brokerage, combining people who have differing sides to check the particular prospects in addition to problems involving garden medical.
By way of it’s reviews, reality blankets, forms along with conventions, this undertaking dished up being a highly regarded information supply upon farming biotechnology in addition to relevant coverage problems pertaining to legislators, educators, the public along with the mass media in the usa along with around the world. Although project determined it’s operate in 3 years ago, the source of information supplies remain available in this article.
In a very challenge to distinguish, road and also transfer desired alleles with QTLs for provide in addition to provide parts and also security also to make QTL bear isogenic outlines associated with grain, along with agronomic examination associated with BC2F4 Nearest Isogenic Introgressions Lines (NIILs) as many as 2 hundred BC2F5 progenies were being evaluated for your subsequent sequential 12 months for the duration of summer season ’06 inside multi-location tests.
Along with increasing environmental considerations, the one reliance on substance advices primarily based farming is being changed by bundled technique regarding conjunctive by using both organic and natural and inorganic solutions. In this context, biofertilizers are already received well being an affordable, cost-effective, renewable and also risk-free normal supply of vegetable nutritional requirements for you to sustain crop production. Moreover, along with new concentrate on organic/bio-dynamic gardening, your need for biofertilizers probably will increase with a considerably quicker rate compared to ahead of. Only at that point, we should recognize that microbe inoculants are generally ‘ecological inputs’, whoever side effects usually are ‘subtle but not dramatic’ like chemical substance inputs.
That’s why, inoculation along with good quality inoculants is a must and will always be handled as a possible insurance policies versus malfunction associated with nodulation. Your shelf life at a store and transportation has to be improved along with owing thing to consider to several ‘abiotic’ challenges. The particular quality-oriented creation and also marketing system will certainly make biofertilizers the workable organization intended for greatest customer care. Retaining most of these in view, programmes on progression of fruit juice biofertilizers and also biofertilizers-based Incorporated Source of nourishment supervision offers with regard to village plants and also medicinal flowers have already been developed. Furthermore biofertilizers pressures developed via transgenosis will likely be examined inside covered circumstances.
Really does conventional plant mating have consequences about health and the environment
In standard grow breeding, very little focus has been paid for to your achievable has an effect on of the latest place versions with meals safety or perhaps the natural environment. Conventional grow multiplying and synthetic selection can produce genecombinations that might hardly ever survive in nature. In a few scenarios, this kind of gene blends get induced uncomfortable side effects about people wellness. For instance, a developed variety of spud is discovered to consist of excessive amounts of natural toxins.
The possible influences connected with conventionally carefully bred herbs within the atmosphere or in farmers’ standard versions possess commonly not really been recently confronted with regulatory settings. Many of the worries regarding gene shift between tamed and outrageous vegetation who have arisen because of the arrival associated with genetically customized vegetation likewise pertain to traditional plants.Almost all of the earth’s food crops usually are not indigenous to his or her significant production specific zones; somewhat, they will arose in a number of distinct “centers involving origin” and have been utilized in completely new manufacturing locations by way of migration along with trade. Very tamed plants are developed worldwide as well as migration outside the house developed areas merely has hardly ever brought about a significant issue. Even though produced within their middle connected with origin, like with taters within South America or even maize within South america, hybrid cars among discriminating as well as outdoors variety have not been permanently recognized. There are several reviews regarding gene flow amongst cultivated plant life along with their outdoors relations playing with common this has not really also been
Curing the entire world through biotechnology
By Dr. Matthew Watson

Particularly, medical provides the probable involving handling unmet healthcare desires for individuals along with cancers and HIV/AIDS while at the same time period assists in the therapy or even protection against strokes, heart stroke, liver disease and leukemia, amid all kinds of other critical diseases.
Spotting the position of recent medical, this Department of Surroundings and also Natural Means (DENR) organised this special event with the “7th National Biotechnology Week” from November. 21 years old for you to Twenty six. This occasion coincided together with the Food items and also Substance Administration-led “National Consciousness Week Against Phony Medicines” using the assistance on the pharmaceutic market, along with medical in addition to para-medical specialized businesses.

Inside the pharmaceutical drug industry, medical offers generated the discovery of several kinds of treating many considerable ailments. Due to these kinds of enhancements, presently there currently is available several products termed biopharmaceuticals. From time to time also referred to as scientific drugs, biopharmaceuticals “consist of or maybe has been produced by the application of located creatures.”
Various other goods that are also classified while biopharmaceuticals are usually hematopoietic progress elements, interferons, interleukin-based items, vaccinations as well as monoclonal antibodies.
Inactive and recently failed or terminated phase III or II/III cell therapy trials
By Dr. Matthew Watson
In the two previous posts I have outlined what I believe to be the active phase III and II/III cell therapy trials, as well as the cell therapy products to have 'recently' obtained formal regulatory market approval in some jurisdiction.
In the course of doing that work, I came across the following industry-sponsored phase III cell therapy trials which appear to be inactive and those which failed or were terminated.
INACTIVE INDUSTRY PHASE III
- Aastrom BRCs
- Aldagen ALD-101
- Arblast AMT-301
- Avax Mvax
- HepaLife Tech HepaMate
- KeraCure KeraPac
- t2cure BMCs
- TVAX TV-Brain
- TVAX TV-Kidney-1
RECENTLY FAILED /TERMINATED INDUSTRY PHASE III
- ABH (now Shire) Dermgraft
- Cellerix Cx401
I don't imagine this is an exhaustive list but as I have encouraged in previous posts, I welcome feedback as to errors, corrections, or omissions. I'm using the 2009-11 time-frame here. I'll update the post accordingly.
Recently approved cell therapy products
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Following is a list of cell therapy products approved recently (2010-11):
- Dendreon Provenge US
- FCB-Pharmicell Hearticellgram-AMI Korea
- Fibrocell Sciences Laviv US
- Living Cell Technologies DIABECELL Russia
Honorable mention goes to TiGenix' ChondroCelect approved in late 2009 representing the first EMA approval of an ATMP:
- TiGenix ChondroCelect EU
Indian Government’s new dose of strong medicine to bring cheers to Foreign Pharma CEOs who cut their teeth by struggling to convince Indian pharma to change sales practices
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Good news for all Foreign CEOs of Global Pharma’s who left India after learning that, in India drug sales are driven by Freebies, and no one would listen to their advice to mend sales practices and unethical marketing practices.
Indian Government issues a strong dose of medicine . The new norms to hold pharma MDs, CEOs responsible for offering freebies to doc.
Under new guidelines drug firms will be barred from offering freebies to doctors — free travel tickets, hotel stay, gifts and hospitality, and the like. If any drug firm is found violating these guidelines, the responsibility would lie squarely with the MD and CEO of the respective company.
Further, the drug firms concerned may be prohibited from using brand names of competitive products in their promotional activities trying to claim superiority for its products.
The new guidelines would also prohibit drug firms to get doctors to endorse their products both online and offline
Fox News: Stem Cell Cream Shows Benefits Similar to Collagen Injections
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Watch the latest video at <a href="http://video.foxnews.com">video.foxnews.com</a>
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http://intlstemcell.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
RegBlog: Over-Regulation of Parthenotes Stifles Valuable Scientific Research – by Sean J. Kealy
By Dr. Matthew Watson
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http://intlstemcell.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
IOM Looking for New Member for Its CIRM Performance Panel
By Dr. Matthew Watson
If you want to serve on the Institute of Medicine panel examining the $3 billion California stem cell agency, you have a chance during the next few weeks.
The panel has lost a member because of a conflict of interest and is now engaged in the process of replacing him. The IOM will consider both expressions of interest and suggestions for candidates. Currently, the panel has no member from California, which leaves it minus an important perspective.
Christine Stencel, senior media relations officer for the IOM, told the California Stem Cell Report that the IOM expects to fill vacancy by its meeting Jan. 24 in California.
David Scadden of Harvard resigned from the IOM/CIRM panel earlier this month because of his ties to Fate Therapeutics of San Diego, which lists him as a scientific founder.
Persons interested in serving or nominating candidates can email Adrienne Stith at Astith@nas.edu.
Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
Stem Cell Awards of the Year: From Geron to iPS ‘Warts’
By Dr. Matthew Watson
The end of the year is a traditional time for the media to come up with lists of both the dubious and meritorious events and personages of the year. This year's nominations from a California stem cell researcher include Geron, Roman Reed and the new chairman of the California stem cell agency.
Paul Knoepfler, a stem cell scientist at UC Davis and one of the few stem cell scientists who blogs regularly, today revealed his awards for 2011. They ranged from the political cartoon of the year to the stem cell scientific issue of the year.
Geron was named in the "misstep of the year." Knoepfler wrote,
"You guys really screwed up by dropping your stem cell program in this manner. I believe this bordered on the unethical. I commend the actual stem cell scientists at Geron, but the person(s) who as leaders pulled the trigger on killing the stem cell program did wrong."
Roman Reed was named "stem cell activist of the year." Reed is the man who came up with the CIRM motto several years ago, "Turning stem cells into cures." He has long been active on stem cell issues, along with his equally hard-working father, Don Reed.
Jonathan Thomas, the relatively new chairman of the stem cell agency, was named "stem cell leader of the year." Thomas was elected chairman of the agency in June, replacing Bob Klein, who stepped down. Knoepfler wrote that Thomas "has impressed the stem cell community and made some very positive changes at CIRM to make an awesome organization even better."
Knoepfler has much more, including the stem cell biotech of the year –
Advanced Cell Technology of Santa Monica, Ca. – which Knoepfler said has two hESC trials on track and an "impressive scientific leadership." Not to be overlooked is the stem cell scientific issue of the year – "warts" or genetic changes -- at least possible ones involving iPS cells. Knoepfler points out that the subject has drawn a vast number of citations in journal articles.
We should not forget the stem cell blog of the year, which came in as a tie between Stem Cell Network of Canada and Stem Cell Assays by William Gunn of San Diego and Alexey Berseney of Philadelphia. Knoepfler also mentioned the CIRM Research Blog, overseen by Amy Adams, and the California Stem Cell Report. Knoepfler said the California Stem Cell Report "is read by a who’s who of the stem cell world, and is a source of important information about CIRM," although Knoepfler said he wished the blog was more balanced "in terms of positive and critical stories." However, Knoepfler did note that several more positive items have appeared recently, but this analyst warns of the perils of excessive exuberance.
Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
New Multibillion Dollar Stem Cell Bond Measure Wins Endorsement with a Caveat
By Dr. Matthew Watson
A blogger on the web site of Los Angeles television station KNBC today supported a new multibillion bond measure for the California stem cell agency but with an interesting qualification.
Joe Mathews, author and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, said the new bonds should be backed by a tax on the people and companies involved in the business of health care. He wrote,
"New stem cell moneys can't come out of funds that would otherwise go to other programs."
Mathews said voters "probably" shouldn't approve another multibillion dollar bond measure for CIRM that is paid back through the state's general fund. He wrote, however,
"(T)hat doesn't necessarily mean there shouldn't be another stem cell bond. California's major universities have invested in stem cell research, with help from the agency.
"Major researchers have relocated to the state. And the unknown nature of stem cell research's promise, while frustrating efforts to justify the research dollar for dollar, argues for doing more to learn more.
"What the state budget picture does require is that any stem cell bond should have a clear funding mechanism -- a specific tax or new revenue source (some sort of levy on companies and people involved in the business of health care) -- that would be more than enough to pay back any bond."
Mathews is co-author of "California Crackup: How Reform Broke the Golden State and How We Can Fix It," which declares that the initiative process is one of major fault points in California government. The initiative was used to create the $3 billion stem cell agency in 2004, making it immune from normal state government accountability and locking in funding that cannot be touched by the legislature or government despite any other financial needs of the state.
Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
2011 Summit: Government
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Robert Klein, former chair of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), presented this year's advocacy keynote, addressing the looming black cloud over funding for stem cell research in the US. Klein explained that in a financial downturn, creating long term, big picture investments for donors is absolutely necessary to bring to new treatment modalities to market
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2011 Summit: Government
2011 Summit: Keynote Address, CIRM’s Translational Roadmap to Stem Cell Cures, Alan Trounson, PhD – Video
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Alan Trounson, PhD and President of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, offered a positive and forward looking keynote address. Trounson provided an update on CIRM's translational roadmap to regenerative medicine and outlined their accomplishments with over $300 million in funding for human embryonic stem cell research, adult stem cells, cancer stem cells, reprogrammed stem cells and endogenous stem cells for multiple treatments.
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2011 Summit: Keynote Address, CIRM's Translational Roadmap to Stem Cell Cures, Alan Trounson, PhD - Video
Stem Cell Transplant Situation – Video
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Etimos's webcam video November 4, 2011 08:39 AM After the apparent mixed results of my RCHOP chemotherapy, I have since been moved to a different regime involving an autologous stem cell transplant. I have already collected my stem cells, ready to be transplanted, but unfortunately my tumor grew faster than expected during the downtime, so my transplant has been delayed pending a secondary chemo treatment, and possibly radiotherapy
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Stem Cell Transplant Situation - Video
Active phase III or II/III cell therapy trials
By Dr. Matthew Watson
INDUSTRY PHASE III or II/III (active or expected to be active in 1H 2012)
- 52% (12) are autologous
- 33% (7) are allogeneic
- Two are gene-modified allogeneic
- One involves autologous and allogeneic cells
- 24% (5) are for cardiac-related indications
- 33% (7) are for oncology or related indications
- Two are for cartilage repair
- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (France)
- Association of Dutch Burn Centres (Netherlands)
- Barts and The London NHS Trust (UK)
- Erasmus Medical Center (Netherlands)
- European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (Europe)
- Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands)
- Meshalkin Research Institute of Pathology of Circulation (Russia)
- Meshalkin Research Institute of Pathology of Circulation (Russia)
- Ministry of Health (Malaysia)
- Royan Institute (Iran)
- Rush University Medical Center, University of Sao Paulo, Uppsala University (US, Brazil, Sweden)
- Third Military Medical University (Chia)
- University of Minnesota, Masonic Cancer Center (US)
- University of Minnesota, Masonic Cancer Center (US)
- University Hospital of North Norway (Norway)
- University of Utah (US)
CIRM’s Thomas Blogs on Geron and the Stem Cell Business
By Dr. Matthew Watson
The chairman of the $3 billion California stem cell agency has made his second entry into the blogosphere, this time adding a bit more on Geron's abandonment of what would have been its historic hESC clinical trial.
Jonathan Thomas, a Los Angeles bond financier, wrote yesterday on the CIRM research blog, which has recently been the site of more spritely and relevant items.
Geron's action has particular relevance for CIRM, which awarded the company a $25 million loan last May to help with the clinical trial.
Thomas said CIRM's "immediate concern" when officials heard the surprise news was for the patients and the families involved in the trials. Thomas continued,
"However, Geron is a business. The company decided that their cancer therapies were farther along than the stem cell trial and when they held the stem cell program against the prism of economic reality they made a business decision to end the trial."
Thomas also minimized the importance of Geron to CIRM. He said,
"CIRM’s award to Geron was just one of the 44 projects in 26 disease areas that are in various stages of working toward clinical trials."
It was a somewhat different story last May when former stem cell agency chairman Robert Klein said in a widely distributed CIRM news release,
"Supporting the Geron trial is a landmark step for CIRM."
Regardless of the spin on Geron from either CIRM or others who are more skeptical, Thomas' entry into the world of electronic media is to be applauded as is what appears to be a new direction in the research blog.
The CIRM blog is now newsier, more lively with more variety and more voices. All of which should redound, albeit modestly, to CIRM efforts to improve its communications with the public and opinion makers. The difficult thing about blogs, however, is the time and effort required to sustain them, and the task could be something of a communications test for CIRM. Blogs constantly need to be fed. Indeed, blogs are voracious, sort of like the carnivorous plant called Seymour in "The Little Shop of Horrors." As many of you may recall, Seymour had a simple but insistent refrain, "Feed me, feed me, feed me."
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