Cellular therapy is also known as cytotherapy or cell therapy. Cellular therapy (CT) is the transplantation of cellular material into human body to repair or replace damaged tissue and damaged cells. Advancement in technology, development of innovative products, and growth in the number of research activities have helped in the discovery of several types of cells that are likely to be used in the treatment or therapy of various conditions and diseases. Several cells such as hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), mesenchymal stem cells, skeletal muscle stem cells, dendritic cells, pancreatic islet cells, and lymphocytes can be used in cellular therapy. HSC is extensively used in cellular therapy. Cellular therapy is used to treat various types of cancers, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and urinary problems. The therapy also helps patients rebuild damaged cartilage in joints, improve a weakened immune system, and repair spinal cord injuries. Moreover, it also helps treat neurological disorders. Cellular cancer therapy has various approaches as the cell can be designed to stimulate the patients immune system (T cells or natural killer cells) to kill cancer cells, or to replace most of the patients immune system to enhance their immune response to cancer cells, or to directly find and kill the cancer cells.

The global cellular therapy in oncology market has been classified based on cancer type and geography. In terms of cancer type, the market has been categorized into blood cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, brain cancer, and other cancer. The blood cancer segment accounts for a major share of cellular therapy in oncology market. Increasing prevalence of prostate cancer is expected propel the segment in the near future. According to WHO statistics, 8.2 million people die each year due to cancer which estimates about 13% of all death worldwide. There are more than 100 types of cancers that require unique diagnoses and therapies. This increases the demand for cellular therapy in oncology in near future.

Geographically, the cellular therapy in oncology market has been segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of revenue, North America dominates the cellular therapy in oncology market followed by Europe. The market in Asia Pacific and Latin America is developing. This trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. Availability of large patient pool, expansion of the health care industry, and rise in government investment to improve the health care industry are anticipated to propel the market in these regions. The cellular therapy in oncology market in countries such as Brazil, China, and India are projected to expand at substantial growth rate during the forecast period due to rise in awareness among the population about the usage of cellular therapy to treat various types of cancers and rapid innovations in cellular therapy.

Browse more detail information about this report visit at at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cellular-therapy-oncology-market.html

Increasing prevalence of various cancers, affordability of cellular therapy in cancer drugs, high adoption in developed markets, and development of innovative drugs are other factors driving the cellular therapy in oncology market. High competition among existing players, high risks of failure, severity and complications involved in cellular therapy due to misdiagnosis, and lack of awareness among the rural population in underdeveloped and developing economies are likely to inhibit the market.

Major players operating in the cellular therapy in oncology market include Alkem Laboratories Limited, Amgen, Inc., Bayer AG, Sanofi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Cipla, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline Plc., Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer, Inc., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.

The study is a source of reliable data on: Market segments and sub-segments Market trends and dynamics Supply and demand Market size Current trends/opportunities/challenges Competitive landscape Technological breakthroughs Value chain and stakeholder analysis

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The regional analysis covers: North America (U.S. and Canada) Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others) Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia) Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand) Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)

The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.

A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.

Highlights of the report: A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent market Important changes in market dynamics Market segmentation up to the second or third level Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments Market shares and strategies of key players Emerging niche segments and regional markets An objective assessment of the trajectory of the market Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market

Note:Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.

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Cellular Therapy in Oncology Market: Strategic Analysis to Understand the Competitive Outlook of the Industry, 2017 2025 - Online News Guru

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Cellular Therapy in Oncology Market: Strategic Analysis to Understand the Competitive Outlook of the Industry, 2017 2025 – Online News Guru | October 13th, 2019

Both Vericel Corporation (NASDAQ:VCEL) and BioTime Inc. (:) compete on a level playing field in the Biotechnology industry. We will evaluate their performance with regards to analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings and valuation.

Earnings and Valuation

We can see in table 1 the earnings per share, gross revenue and valuation of Vericel Corporation and BioTime Inc.

Profitability

Table 2 shows us the return on equity, return on assets and net margins of both companies.

Volatility and Risk

Vericel Corporation has a 2.72 beta, while its volatility is 172.00% which is more volatile than S&P 500. BioTime Inc. has a 2.81 beta and it is 181.00% more volatile than S&P 500.

Liquidity

Vericel Corporations Current Ratio is 8.5 while its Quick Ratio is 8.2. On the competitive side is, BioTime Inc. which has a 3.5 Current Ratio and a 3.5 Quick Ratio. Vericel Corporation is better positioned to pay off short and long-term obligations compared to BioTime Inc.

Analyst Recommendations

The Recommendations and Ratings for Vericel Corporation and BioTime Inc. are featured in the next table.

Vericel Corporations upside potential currently stands at 48.79% and an $21.5 average price target.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

The shares of both Vericel Corporation and BioTime Inc. are owned by institutional investors at 89% and 43.7% respectively. About 0.5% of Vericel Corporations share are held by insiders. Insiders Comparatively, held 3.9% of BioTime Inc. shares.

Performance

In this table we provide the Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Half Yearly, Yearly and YTD Performance of both pretenders.

For the past year Vericel Corporations stock price has smaller growth than BioTime Inc.

Vericel Corporation, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, researches, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells patient-specific expanded cellular therapies for use in the treatment of patients with severe diseases and conditions. It markets three autologous cell therapy products, including Carticel and MACI, which are used for the treatment of cartilage defects in the knee; and Epicel, a permanent skin replacement that is used for the treatment of patients with deep-dermal or full-thickness burns comprising greater than or equal to 30 percent of total body surface area in the United States. The company also develops ixmyelocel-T, which is in Phase IIb clinical trial, a patient-specific multicellular therapy for the treatment of advanced heart failure due to ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. The company was formerly known as Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. Vericel Corporation was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

BioTime, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, focuses on developing and commercializing products addressing degenerative diseases based on pluripotent stem cells and HyStem cell/drug delivery platform technologies. Its product candidates include Renevia, a facial aesthetics product that is in pivotal clinical trial for the treatment of HIV related facial lipoatrophy; OpRegen, which is in Phase I/IIa clinical trial for the treatment of the dry form of age-related macular degeneration; HyStem-BDNF, a preclinical development program for the delivery of recombinant human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) directly into the stroke cavity of patients for aiding in tissue repair and functional recovery; and ReGlyde that is in preclinical development as a device for viscosupplementation and a combination product for drug delivery in osteoarthritis. The company also develops AST-OPC1, a therapy derived from pluripotent stem cells that is in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial for spinal cord injuries; AST-VAC1, a patient-specific cancer immunotherapy that is in Phase II clinical trial for acute myeloid leukemia; and AST-VAC2, a non-patient specific cancer immunotherapy, which is in Phase I/IIa clinical trial to treat non-small cell lung cancer. In addition, it offers liquid biopsy tests for diagnosis of cancer; bone grafting products to treat orthopedic disorders; and mobile health software products. Further, it markets GeneCards, a human gene database; LifeMap Discovery, a database of embryonic development, stem cell research, and regenerative medicine; MalaCards, a human disease database; VarElect, an application for prioritizing gene variants; and GeneAnalytics, a novel gene set analysis tool. Additionally, the company develops and markets Hextend, a blood plasma volume expander used for the treatment of hypovolemia. BioTime, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is based in Alameda, California.

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Vericel Corporation (VCEL) and BioTime Inc. (:) Contrasting side by side - MS Wkly

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Vericel Corporation (VCEL) and BioTime Inc. (:) Contrasting side by side – MS Wkly | October 13th, 2019

Work type: Full-timeDepartment: School of Biomedical Sciences (22600)Categories: Academic-related Staff

Applications are invited for appointment as Post-doctoral Fellow in the School of Biomedical Sciences (Ref.: 498889), to commence as soon as possible for three years, with the possibility of renewal.

Applicants should have a Ph.D. degree in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Neurobiology or a related discipline. Preference will be given to those with experience in human neural stem cell culture and vivo spinal injury models. Applicants should also have a good command of both written and spoken English. The appointee will study the therapeutic potential of genetically modified human neural stem cells in rodent spinal cord injury models. Please visit http://www.sbms.hku.hk/staff/martin-chi-hang-cheung or contact Dr. Martin Cheung at mcheung9@hku.hk for further information. Applicants who have responded to the previous advertisement (Ref.: 494003) need not re-apply.

A highly competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical benefits

The University only accepts online application for the above post. Applicants should apply online and upload an up-to-date C.V.Review of applications will start on October 23, 2019 and continue untilJanuary 31, 2020, or until the post is filled, whichever is earlier.

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Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences job with THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG | 182916 - Times Higher Education (THE)

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences job with THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG | 182916 – Times Higher Education (THE) | October 12th, 2019

Kura Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:KURA) and Neuralstem Inc. (NASDAQ:CUR) compete against each other in the Biotechnology sector. We will contrast them and contrast their profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, earnings and valuation.

Earnings and Valuation

Table 1 highlights Kura Oncology Inc. and Neuralstem Inc.s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Profitability

Table 2 demonstrates the return on assets, return on equity and net margins of Kura Oncology Inc. and Neuralstem Inc.

Risk & Volatility

A beta of 2.5 shows that Kura Oncology Inc. is 150.00% more volatile than Standard & Poors 500. In other hand, Neuralstem Inc. has beta of 1.94 which is 94.00% more volatile than Standard & Poors 500.

Liquidity

The current Quick Ratio of Kura Oncology Inc. is 13.8 while its Current Ratio is 13.8. Meanwhile, Neuralstem Inc. has a Current Ratio of 3.8 while its Quick Ratio is 3.8. Kura Oncology Inc. is better positioned to pay off its short-term and long-term debts than Neuralstem Inc.

Analyst Ratings

The following table shown below contains the ratings and recommendations for Kura Oncology Inc. and Neuralstem Inc.

Kura Oncology Inc.s consensus price target is $22, while its potential upside is 58.96%.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

Kura Oncology Inc. and Neuralstem Inc. has shares owned by institutional investors as follows: 70.8% and 4.9%. Insiders owned roughly 0.8% of Kura Oncology Inc.s shares. Insiders Comparatively, owned 1% of Neuralstem Inc. shares.

Performance

In this table we show the Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Half Yearly, Yearly and YTD Performance of both pretenders.

For the past year Kura Oncology Inc. had bullish trend while Neuralstem Inc. had bearish trend.

Summary

Kura Oncology Inc. beats Neuralstem Inc. on 10 of the 11 factors.

Kura Oncology, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, develops medicines for the treatment of cancers. Its pipeline consists of small molecule product candidates that target cancer. The companys lead product candidate is Tipifarnib, an oral farnesyl transferase inhibitor that is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors, peripheral T-cell lymphomas, lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes, and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. It also develops KO-947, a small molecule inhibitor of extracellular signal related kinase used for the treatment for patients with tumors that have mutations in, or other dysregulation of, the mitogen-activated protein kinase; and KO-539, a small molecule inhibitor of the menin-mixed lineage leukemia. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in La Jolla, California.

Neuralstem, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the research and development of nervous system therapies based on its proprietary human neuronal stem cells and small molecule compounds. The companys stem cell based technology enables the isolation and expansion of human neural stem cells from various areas of the developing human brain and spinal cord enabling the generation of physiologically relevant human neurons of various types. It is developing products include NSI-189, a chemical entity, which is in Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of major depressive disorder, as well as is in preclinical programs for the MCAO stroke, type 1 and 2 diabetes related neuropathy, irradiation-induced cognition, long-term potentiation enhancement, and angelman syndrome. The company is also developing NSI-566, which has completed Phase II clinical trial for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease, as well as is in Phase I clinical trials for the treatment of chronic spinal cord injury and motor deficits due to ischemic stroke. Neuralstem, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Germantown, Maryland.

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Comparing of Kura Oncology Inc. (KURA) and Neuralstem Inc. (NASDAQ:CUR) - MS Wkly

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Comparing of Kura Oncology Inc. (KURA) and Neuralstem Inc. (NASDAQ:CUR) – MS Wkly | October 12th, 2019

Its hard to study the human brain. It is the most complex in the animal kingdom with its massive collection of neurons, 80-100 billion to be exact, three times more than chimpanzees. Research relating our brains to the brains of mice and monkeys can only go so far. And because of this complexity, scientists often came up short when studying diseases such as schizophrenia, autism, and Alzheimers in the brains of monkeys and mice.

Enter minibrains.

Minibrains are small clusters of human brain cells that can be grown in a Petri dish. Floating through the agar, these small gray lumps dont look particularly impressive, but they are allowing scientists to study actual living human brain tissue in ways they couldnt before.

Minibrains may look just like pea-sized gray globules, but once they started producing brainwaves, they received a lot of attention.

Growing these minibrains gives scientists a chance to study a host of psychological issues and diseases, and perhaps make advancements that they would not have made previously. Minibrains will even be sent to space to study how the human brain develops in zero-G.

But then came the surprise. These lab-grown brains started producing brainwaves.

These brainwaves, equivalent to brain wave patterns in a pre-term infant, were seen by a group of researchers at the University of California San Diego. They reported in a recent paper in Cell Stem Cell that these minibrains began showing neural activity after two months, and in four to six months, they reached levels of neural activity never before seen in a lab. At ten months, they were equivalent to pre-term babies, complete with lulls and flutters of activity.

Dan Zhang, a 4th year MD, PhD student, examines minibrains through a microscope. (Photo by Jessica Kourkounis for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Minibrains are created by using stem cells, in this case, human skin cells. When stem cells are placed in a conducive environment, they can develop into any organ.

But minibrains are still a far cry from a full human brain. To develop into a mature brain, these minibrains would need to communicate with other areas of a larger brain and have some sort of connection with the outside world. But this might not be far off. Already, scientists have given minibrains retinal cells so they can sense light.

While some note that these minibrains are nowhere near real human brains, others begin to feel uneasy at seeing this neural activity. What does it mean? In this quickly developing field, how soon will these minibrains develop even further? There is an ethical code when dealing with animals in the lab - should this code apply to minibrains too? Could they one day feel pain, have memories, or even become self-aware?

There is now a need for clear guidelines for research, says Dr. Nita Farahany and collaborators in a 2018 Letter to Nature. They point out that as research develops and these minibrains become more advanced, it is less far-fetched to believe that one day these minibrains might have some sort of sentience or feelings such as pleasure or pain. The benefits of minibrain research are promising, but they caution, to ensure the success and social acceptance of this research long term, an ethical framework must be forged now, while brain surrogates remain in the early stages of development.

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Minibrains Grown In The Laboratory Produce Brainwaves. Now What? - Forbes

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Minibrains Grown In The Laboratory Produce Brainwaves. Now What? – Forbes | October 12th, 2019

This article, written byKatharine Sedivy-Haley, University of British Columbia, originally appeared on The Conversation and is republished here with permission:

When I was applying to graduate school in 2012, it felt like stem cells were about to revolutionize medicine.

Stem cells have the ability to renew themselves, and mature into specialized cells like heart or brain cells. This allows them to multiply and repair damage.

If stem cell genes are edited to fix defects causing diseases like anemia or immune deficiency, healthy cells can theoretically be reintroduced into a patient, thereby eliminating or preventing a disease. If these stem cells are taken or made from the patient themselves, they are a perfect genetic match for that individual, which means their body will not reject the tissue transplant.

Because of this potential, I was excited that my PhD project at the University of British Columbia gave me the opportunity to work with stem cells.

However, stem cell hype has led some to pay thousands of dollars on advertised stem cell treatments that promise to cure ailments from arthritis to Parkinsons disease. These treatments often dont help and may harm patients.

Despite the potential for stem cells to improve medicine, there are many challenges as they move from lab to clinic. In general, stem cell treatment requires we have a good understanding of stem cell types and how they mature. We also need stem cell culturing methods that will reliably produce large quantities of pure cells. And we need to figure out the correct cell dose and deliver it to the right part of the body.

Embryonic, 'induced and pluripotent

Stem cells come in multiple types. Embryonic stem cells come from embryos which makes them controversial to obtain.

A newly discovered stem cell type is the induced pluripotent stem cell. These cells are created by collecting adult cells, such as skin cells, and reprogramming them by inserting control genes which activate or induce a state similar to embryonic stem cells. This embryo-like state of having the versatile potential to turn into any adult cell type, is called being pluripotent.

However, induced pluripotent and embryonic stem cells can form tumours. Induced pluripotent stem cells carry a particularly high risk of harmful mutation and cancer because of their genetic instability and changes introduced during reprogramming.

Genetic damage could be avoided by using younger tissues such as umbilical cord blood, avoiding tissues that might contain pre-existing mutations (like sun-damaged skin cells), and using better methods for reprogramming.

Stem cells used to test drugs

For now, safety concerns mean pluripotent cells have barely made it to the clinic, but they have been used to test drugs.

For drug research, it is valuable yet often difficult to get research samples with specific disease-causing mutations; for example, brain cells from people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Researchers can, however, take a skin cell sample from a patient, create an induced pluripotent stem-cell line with their mutation and then make neurons out of those stem cells. This provides a renewable source of cells affected by the disease.

This approach could also be used for personalized medicine, testing how a particular patient will respond to different drugs for conditions like heart disease.

Vision loss from fat stem cells

Stem cells can also be found in adults. While embryonic stem cells can turn into any cell in the body, aside from rare newly discovered exceptions, adult stem cells mostly turn into a subset of mature adult cells.

For example, hematopoietic stem cells in blood and bone marrow can turn into any blood cell and are widely used in treating certain cancers and blood disorders.

A major challenge with adult stem cells is getting the right kind of stem cell in useful quantities. This is particularly difficult with eye and nerve cells. Most research is done with accessible stem cell types, like stem cells from fat.

Fat stem cells are also used in stem cell clinics without proper oversight or safety testing. Three patients experienced severe vision loss after having these cells injected into their eyes. There is little evidence that fat stem cells can turn into retinal cells.

Clinical complications

Currently, stem cell based treatments are still mostly experimental, and while some results are encouraging, several clinical trials have failed.

In the brain, despite progress in developing treatment for genetic disorders and spinal cord injury, treatments for stroke have been unsuccessful. Results might depend on method of stem cell delivery, timing of treatment and age and health of the patient. Frustratingly, older and sicker tissues may be more resistant to treatment.

For eye conditions, a treatment using adult stem cells to treat corneal injuries has recently been approved. A treatment for macular degeneration using cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells is in progress, though it had to be redesigned due to concerns about cancer-causing mutations.

A path of cautious optimism

While scientists have good reason to be interested in stem cells, miracle cures are not right around the corner. There are many questions about how to implement treatments to provide benefit safely.

In some cases, advertised stem cell treatments may not actually use stem cells. Recent research suggests mesenchymal stem cells, which are commonly isolated from fat, are really a mixture of cells. These cells have regenerative properties, but may or may not include actual stem cells. Calling something a stem cell treatment is great marketing, but without regulation patients dont know what theyre getting.

Members of the public (and grad students) are advised to moderate their excitement in favour of cautious optimism.

Katharine Sedivy-Haley, PhD Candidate in Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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BEYOND LOCAL: Expert recommends 'path of cautious optimism' about the future of stem cell treatment - CollingwoodToday

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on BEYOND LOCAL: Expert recommends ‘path of cautious optimism’ about the future of stem cell treatment – CollingwoodToday | October 12th, 2019

Stem cell therapy, which All Blacks prop Owen Franks used to help fix a damaged shoulder, is raising hopes of a whole range of medical breakthroughs.

But there's a way to go before the medical establishment is convinced.

In late 2017, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner ScottGottliebhad this to say:"We're at the beginning of a paradigm change in medicine with the promise of being able to facilitate regeneration of parts of the human body, where cells and tissues can be engineered to grow healthy, functional organs to replace diseased ones; new genes can be introduced into the body to combat disease; and adult stem cells can generate replacements for cells that are lost to injury or disease."

REGEN CELLULAR

Dr Hassan Mubark takes blood from All Blacks prop Owen Franks.

Yet, as an indication of how far there is still to go, the FDA has also warnedpeople in the USagainst "unscrupulous providers" offering stem cell products that were unapproved and unproven.

READ MORE:*Rugby World Cup 2019: All Black Owen Franks thrown a stem cell lifeline*Owen Franks hits back at critics following omission from Rugby World Cup squad*Stem cell therapy for All Black Israel Dagg as he hits comeback trail with Crusaders*Experimental stem cell treatment shows results for Waikato woman with MSA Cerebella*Stem cell clinics accused of taking advantage of patients*Reported stem cell treatment could give hope to Michael Schumacher

"Researchers hope stem cells will one day be effective in the treatment of many medical conditions and diseases," it said, thenadded: "Stem cells have been called everything from cure-alls to miracle treatments. But don't believe the hype."

Looking at just the area of deteriorating joints, it's easy to see how stem cell therapies, if they deliver on the promise,could make life much better for many people with osteoarthritis who are in pain and have restricted movement.

Last week, Otago University researchers predictedthe number of knee replacement surgeries needed for osteoarthritis would increase from around 5000 a year in 2013 to abut9000 in 2038.

AP

Former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher received devastating head injuries in a ski accident six years ago. Last month it was reported he has undergone stem cell treatment in Paris.

Osteoarthritis is the area where ReGen Cellular,the clinic where Franks had the therapy, has done most of its work in the past two to three years, although ithas recently expanded its services to include a range of diagnosed auto-immune conditions, among them rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.

ReGensaid 55 per cent of its patients were aged over 60, 35 per cent were 40-60 and 10 per cent were sports-based.

Theclinic usesPure Expanded Stem Cell (PESC) therapy, which involves taking 40 grams - about a teaspoon - of fat from around a patient's stomach. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)in that sample are then multiplied in the clinic's Queenstown laboratory for about eight weeks. At the end of that process 100 million to 200 million cells have been produced.

Otago University

Otago University, Christchurch regenerative medicine research team have invented a bio-ink - a gel-like substance mixed with human stem cells - to be used with a bio-printer to make human body parts. Video shows the printer using bio-ink to make a body part.

For the treatment of osteoarthritis, between 50m and 100m stem cells are injected into larger joints, with 25m to 50m into smaller joints. ReGen said the therapy provided immediate pain reduction and increased mobility. MRI scans showed cartilage could and did regenerate.

ReGendescribedMSCs as the cells that "wake up damaged or lazy cells". Slightly more technically, Nature.com said MSCs wereadult stem cells present in multiple tissues, including the umbilical cord, bone marrow and fat.MSCscan self-renew by dividing and can differentiate into multiple tissues including bone, cartilage, muscle and fat cells, and connective tissue.

ReGen director of patient care Marcelle Noble said the clinic believed its treatments, if offered early enough, would save the public health system hundreds of millions of dollars through lessened replacement surgeries, and would save ACC millions of dollars in lengthy rehabilitation programmes.

The treatment for two knees was half the price of one knee replacement surgery within the public health system, she said. ReGen advertises osteoarthritis treatment for a single joint at $12,500 and for two joints at $15,000.

GETTY IMAGES

Former All Black Israel Dagg had stem cell therapy for an injured knee, but in the end had to give the game away because of the injury.

So far mainstream funding hadnot been offered for the therapy, Noble said. But the clinic had a "big breakthrough" earlier this year when two insurers in New Zealand accepted patients'PESC therapy claims. In July, ACC accepted consultation by ReGen's chief medical officer Dr Hassan Mubark.

ReGen only had data for the past five years on the success of its therapy, but the fact patients were returning to have other areas of their body treated was an indication of how people feltthe therapy was improving their quality of life, Noble said.

Globally, "massive" R&D spending was going into stem cell research. More therapies would become available and stem cell treatment would become "commonplace".

At any one time ReGen had 50-75 patients' cells growing in its incubators, Noble said. Of the patients treated, 40 per cent hadailments in therknees, 30 per cent in their hips, 20 per cent in their shoulders. The final 10 per cent were for sports and other issues, including problems with tendons, muscles, cartilage tears, fingers, elbows, ankles and hands.

SUPPLIED

Dr Ron Lopert undergoing part of the PESC treatment.

The first patient to undertake ReGen's PESC therapy was retired GP Dr Ron Lopert, who lives in Tauranga.

For five to 10 years, he had beengetting aches and pains in his hips after playing sport, and the problem was becoming more noticeable, he said. In 2013 he had an x-ray that showed he had moderate to severe osteoarthritis in both hips,more severein his right hip.

He stopped playing all sports and started researching different forms of treatment. Ideally, he wanted to be able to get some of his own cartilage back and reverse the osteoarthritis. It seemedPESCshould do that.

In 2015, aged 61, he had the therapy, with stem cells being injected into each hip joint.Within weeks henoticed an improvement in the range of motion and a decrease in pain, Lopert said.Some of that was just the anti-inflammatory component of stem cell injection, but he thought he also received a longer term benefit from cartilage regeneration.

SUPPLIED

Dr Lopert on his recent travels. He says he has much less hip pain.

He put the success of the procedure at75 per centin terms of symptoms and function, and100 per cent when it came to avoiding invasive surgery."I opted for a much more natural treatment where my own tissue is regenerating, instead of a metal prosthesis," Lopert said.

He was not sure all the improvement came from the stem cell treatment. As well as avoiding overuse of the joints, which meant he hadn't returned to playing sport, he had also switched to an anti-inflammatory diet.

His left hip continued to have hardly any symptomsbut he had started noticing the "odd twinge now and then" in his right hip.

"The vast majority of days it's fine provided I'm just walking and doing ordinary things. On the odd occasion I might carry something heavy, then I would notice it the next day and it (right hip) would stay painfulintermittentlyfor the next couple of days," Lopert said.

Sean Gallup

In this picture from February, German Chancellor Angela Merkel looks through a microscope at brain organoids grown from stem cells.

Some of his stem cells had been retained after the treatment, and he was booked in for a follow-up injection for his right hip at the end of October.

He expected the therapy would become a "go to" treatment, and would become an early intervention for osteoarthritis. But more independent research was needed to confirm the success of the treatment. "The evidence is slowly building up but there needs to be more before the Government will accept it," Lopert said.

In his case, he thought there had been cartilage regeneration in his hips, but that was based on his symptoms. "It would have been nice had I had MRI scans before and after the injection for objective evidence," he said.

From the perspective of the medical establishment, the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association said it supported a position statement on stem cell therapy produced by the Royal Australian College of Surgeons.

That paper, approved in mid-2018,noted stem cell therapy was a "rapidly advancing" area, but many proposed stem cell therapies were experimental and not yet proven. It did not support surgeons administering stem cell therapy outside of an ethically approved registered clinical trial.

"Whilst there may be scope for innovative treatment in the future, currently, the clinical effectiveness and safety of stem cell therapies remain scientifically unproven," RACS said.

In this country, an ACC spokesperson said ACC did not have an official position on stem cell therapy for the treatment of injuries. An internationally standardised evidence-based healthcare approach was used to help ACC decide how it covered injuries and funded treatments.

Dr HassanMubark, ReGen's chief medical officer, was a healthcare provider contracted to ACC in the specialty of rheumatology, and ACC had funded consultation fees with Mubark, the spokesperson said. Those consultations were for diagnostic and treatment planning purposes and did not need prior approval from ACC.

ACC had to consider legislative criteria when deciding whether to fund any particular treatment. There would be many reasons why ACC might decide to fund a client to see a rheumatologist for an opinion on the diagnosis and possible management of their condition. That would not commit ACC to funding any proposed treatment but would provide the client and ACC with information to help decision-making.

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Stem cell therapy helped Owen Franks but there's still plenty to prove - Stuff.co.nz

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Stem cell therapy helped Owen Franks but there’s still plenty to prove – Stuff.co.nz | October 12th, 2019

By JLNJ Staff | October 10, 2019

(Courtesy of Ezer Mizion) Flying 35,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean is not an easy job! But Ofer had already spent 17 years as a fighter pilot in the IDF defending the State of Israel. In 2003 he left the reserves and joined El-Al full time. Most people dont realize that being a pilot is a very dangerous profession. When you know it is dangerous you are safe but when you think it is easy, when youre a cowboy, you are unsafe! A pilots job is to always be alert in case something happens. Ofer always remained alert with hundreds of travelers under his wing, quite literally!

But after 16 years of flying for El-Al, Ofer started to feel fatigued. It became difficult for me to walk up with steps to the plane from the tarmac. I thought I was starting to get old or out of shape. But the truth was far more devastating: after routine blood tests, Ofer was diagnosed with leukemia!

I was immediately rushed to the hospital. When I arrived they couldnt even find bone marrow inside my body for a biopsy. I had very little bone marrow left in my body.

Ofer started to think about his future. He thought, Will I ever be able to fly again? Will I be able to see my children again? Will I get to meet my grandchildren?

It was a very difficult time in my life. I was very lucky to have the best doctors in Israel. Shortly after Jan 1, 2017, Ofer was told that Ezer Mizion had a perfect bone marrow match for him! He was thrilled, but still very hesitant. I knew I was not yet out of the woods. I was on a new medication and I was starting to feel better. I did not know if I wanted to risk a transplant with possible complications. Ofer decided to take a vacation to Moscow. He had always traveled the world and Moscow was one place he had never visited but had always wanted to see. The doctors told me if I get even a small virus I can forget about the whole transplant. I put my faith in God and said, if it is meant to be, then I will return and have the transplant.

On Feb. 28, Ofer landed back in Tel Aviv, and March 1 started his preparations for a transplant.

Pushing through all the negative thoughts, Ofer decided to fight. He was absolutely determined to overcome this illness and would go to any lengths to get better.

A short six weeks later Ofer was released from the hospital and returned to his family.

David Bugoslavski was in the middle of his military service on Mt. Hermon when he received a call from Ezer Mizion that he is a perfect match for a cancer patient. Ironically, David wasnt supposed to have his phone on him while he was in the middle of active duty. Yet, as he explains, fate thought otherwise. He knew that Ezer Mizion needed him, and while he did not know Ofer personally, he jumped at the opportunity to save the pilots life.

Thanks to Davids transplant, Ofer is alive today. While the recovery process is slow and there has been some turbulence along the way, Ofer has his life back. One of Ofers dreams had always been to fly a Boeing Dreamliner. Unfortunately, due to his medical history, this dream will never come to fruition in his capacity as a pilot but he still loves to travel the world, even if hes sitting in the back of the plane.

David was able to jump on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save a life. Ofer was able to be the recipient of a special and unique kindness, having his life literally saved by someone else. As Ofer explained so beautifully, David: without you, I wouldnt be here... For me, you are part of the family.

Ezer Mizions bone marrow registry has close to 1 million registrants, with over 550,000 of them IDF soldiers. At Ezer Mizion, no matter who you are or where you come from, your life matters. Ofer and David are just one example of the lifesaving mission of Ezer Mizion taking flight. At Ezer Mizion, unconditional love is not just a term thrown around, but a philosophy that is in the very DNA of the organization. As Dr. Bracha Zisser, director and founder of Ezer Mizions National Bone Marrow Registry says, We have created a true connection of blood between two people who did not know each other at all up to that point. A connection that would not have happened without the unconditional immediate enlistment of David or, as Ofer called him, my angel.

Join Ezer Mizion on November 9 at Congregation Keter Torah in Teaneck at 7:30 p.m. for an Evening of Heroes: a beautiful musical Havdalah by Shulem Lemmer, meet real IDF heroes who have saved lives by donating their stem cells, and a fireside chat with Bret Stephens and Nachum Segal. Learn more about Ezer Mizion and RSVP for the Evening of Hereos by going to http://www.eveningofheroes.com, or contact Ryan Hyman, national director of development, at [emailprotected] or 718-853-8400 ext.109.

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The Connection Deeper Than Blood - Jewish Link of New Jersey

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on The Connection Deeper Than Blood – Jewish Link of New Jersey | October 12th, 2019

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) Osteoarthritis affects millions of people in the US. Symptoms range from minor pain to crippling pain that compromises quality of life. A groundbreaking study is underway at four prestigious research facilities in the United States. One of those is right here on the Gulf Coast. Tonight, Drexel Gilbert is on the road in Gulf Breeze.

Lori Jamison is a Pensacola native who, as a teenager, played basketball at Pine Forest High School. Today, she suffers from osteoarthritis in her knee. She believes its a result of basketball injuries.

I get stiffness, it interferes with my mobility. Sometimes its like a sharp needle going down your leg. When I go to the movie theater, I have to sit on the back row so I can stretch it out, Jamison said. She is participating in a clinical trial at Andrews Research and Education Foundation in Gulf Breeze.

The research is studying stem cell treatment for osteoarthritis in the knee. AREF is one of only four facilities in the country participating in the study. The others are Emory Orthopedics & Spine Center, Duke University and Sanford Health. Researchers hope it leads to FDA approval for the treatment. If that happens, it could be life-changing for patients.

Hopefully reduce their pain if not actually get rid of their pain. That is our goal. We want to delay, if not prevent, total knee replacement, said Dr. Josh Hackel, who is the primary investigator for the Andrews phase of the study. Were comparing three different stem cell sources. Bone marrow from their pelvis, adipose- thats tissue from their belly fat- and the third is umbilical cord tissue donated from pregnant mothers.

The bone marrow and belly fat stem cells are harvested from the study participants, under local anesthesia. The stem cells are later implanted into the knee joint using ultrasound guidance to implant the cells into the knee joint.

Jamison has already undergone stem cell harvesting.

It was very easy, very convenient, no downtime after the procedure was done, Jamison said

This $13 million clinical trial is being funded entirely by a grant from Bernie Marcus, founder of the Marcus Foundation and co-founder of Home Depot. Osteoarthritis is an issue that is close to the philanthropists heart because his mother was left disabled by the illness at a young age.

There will be around 120 participants at each of the four sites. There are plenty of openings. If youd like to be considered for the study, call AREF at 850-916-8591.

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Drexel on the Road: Stem cell study for osteoarthritis - WKRG News 5

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Drexel on the Road: Stem cell study for osteoarthritis – WKRG News 5 | October 12th, 2019

The 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded for research in cellular responses to oxygen By Benjamin Mateus 10 October 2019

In the course of a lifetime, the human heart will beat more than three billion times. We will have taken more than 670 million breaths before we reach the end of our lives. Yet, these critical events remain unconscious and imperceptible in everyday life, unless we exert ourselves, such as running up several flights of stairs. We quickly tire, stop to take deep breaths and become flushed.

With the deepening comprehension by medical science of how our bodies work, we have come to better understand the fundamental importance of oxygen to life. Every living organism relies on it in one form or another. However, how cells and tissues can monitor and respond to oxygen levels remained difficult to elucidate. It has only been late in the 20th century with advances in cellular biology and scientific instrumentation that these processes have finally been explained.

On Monday, the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to three individuals: William G. Kaelin, Jr., Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, and Gregg L. Semenza. Specifically, their discoveries helped elucidate the mechanisms for lifes most basic physiologic processes.

They were able to discover how oxygen levels directly affect cellular metabolism, which ultimately controls physiological functions. More importantly, their findings have significant implications for the treatments of conditions as varied as chronic low blood counts, kidney disease, patients with heart attacks or stroke and cancers. One of the hallmarks of cancer is its ability to generate new blood vessels to help sustain its growth. It also uses these oxygen cellular mechanisms to survive in low oxygen environments.

Dr. William G. Kaelin Jr. is a professor of medicine at Harvard University and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The main focus of his work is on studying how mutations in what are called tumor suppressor genes lead to cancer development. Tumor suppressor genes are special segments of the DNA whose function is to check the integrity of the DNA before allowing a copy of itself to be made and undergo cell division, which prevents cells from propagating errors. Cellular mechanisms are then recruited to fix these errors or drive the cell to destroy itself if the damage is too severe or irreparable.

His interest in a rare genetic disorder called Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) led him to discover that cancer cells that lacked the VHL gene expressed abnormally high levels of hypoxia-regulated genes. The protein called the Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF) complex was first discovered in 1995 by Gregg L. Semenza, a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize. This complex is nearly ubiquitous to all oxygen-breathing species.

The function of the HIF complex in a condition of low oxygen concentration is to keep cells from dividing and growing, placing them in a state of rest. However, it also signals the formation of blood vessels, which is important in wound healing as well as promoting the growth of blood vessels in developing embryos. In cancer cells, the HIF complex helps stimulate a process called angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, which allows the cancer cells to access nutrition and process their metabolic waste, aiding in their growth. When the VHL gene is reintroduced back into the cancer cells, the activity of the hypoxia-regulated genes returns to normal.

Dr. Gregg L. Semenza is the founding director of the vascular program at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Duke University Hospital and followed this with a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins. His research in biologic adaptations to low oxygen levels led him to study how the production of erythropoietin (EPO) was controlled by oxygen. EPO is a hormone secreted by our kidneys in response to anemia. The secretion of EPO signals our bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.

His cellular and mouse model studies identified a specific DNA segment located next to the EPO gene that seemed to mediate the production of EPO under conditions of low oxygen concentration. He called this DNA segment HIF.

Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, a physician and scientist, trained as a nephrologist, was head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford until 2016, when he became Clinical Research Director at the Francis Crick Institute. Through his research on the cellular mechanisms of EPO and its interaction between the kidneys and red cell production, he found that these mechanisms for cellular detection of hypoxia, a state of low oxygen concentration, were also present in several other organs such as the spleen and brain. Virtually all tissues could sense oxygen in their micro-environment, and they could be modified to give them oxygen-sensing capabilities.

Dr. Kaelins findings had shown that the protein made by the VHL gene was somehow involved in controlling the response to low oxygen concentrations. Dr. Ratcliffe and his group made the connection through their discovery that the protein made by the VHL gene physically interacts with HIF complex, marking it for degradation at normal oxygen levels.

In 2001, both groups published similar findings that demonstrated cells under normal oxygen levels will attach a small molecular tag to the HIF complex that allows the VHL protein to recognize and bind HIF, marking it for degradation by enzymes. If the oxygen concentration is low, the HIF complex is protected from destruction. It begins to accumulate in the nucleus where it binds to a specific section of the DNA called hypoxia-regulating genes, which sets into motion the necessary mechanisms to respond to the low oxygen concentration.

The ability to sense oxygen plays a vital role in health and various disease states. Patients who suffer from chronic kidney failure also suffer from severe anemia because their ability to produce EPO is limited. This hormone is necessary for the stem cells in our bone marrow to produce red blood cells. Understanding how cancer cells utilize oxygen-sensing mechanisms has led to a variety of treatments that targets these pathways. The ability to elucidate these mechanisms offers insight into directions scientists and researchers can take to design or create novel treatments.

The WSWS recently published its 75,000th article. Become a monthly donor today and keep up this vital work. It only takes a minute. Thank you.

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The 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded for research in cellular responses to oxygen - World Socialist Web Site

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on The 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded for research in cellular responses to oxygen – World Socialist Web Site | October 12th, 2019

PENNY Lancaster was reduced to tears as she handed five-year-old Ronnie Musselwhite the Young Hero gong at The Suns Who Cares Wins health awards last night.

Spurs fan Ronnie bravely offered to give his older sister Ebonie a bone marrow transplant last year.

Eight-year-old Ebonie had leukaemia and it was her only hope.

Mum Christine Jenkins, 40, said: Ronnies stem cells worked perfectly. They did what they were supposed to do but the leukaemia came back somewhere new.

Ebonie, of Crawley, West Sussex, nominated her younger brother before her death in June.

Rod Stewarts partner Penny chatted with Ronnie about his love of football and Spurs.

She said: To say I am humbled to be here is an understatement. Sometimes you think life has turned a corner on you, but then someone else turns up to give you some inspiration.

"The courage this little man has shown is absolutely incredible. Hes only five years old, hes lost a sister.

"He was incredibly shy to stand up in front of everyone to collect his award, but he again was so brave.

Christine said: We want Ronnie to know that what he did still worked, was still brave, even though he lost his sister.

1

PM Boris Johnson was also at the awards held at The Suns London HQ near The Shard and paid tribute to our NHS heroes.

He presented an award to a pair of quick-thinking hospital porters who saved the life of a seven-week-old baby boy.

Nick Evans, 48, and Ruth Lowe, 47, sprang into action after Logan Clifford stopped breathing.

His parents, Sarah and Mike were visiting a relative at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, Shrops, when they noticed Logans lips had turned blue.

Sarahs screams alerted Ruth, who shouted for Nick. He grabbed Logan and performed CPR as he ran half a mile down the corridor to A&E.

Nick continued CPR until the resuscitation team took over and the porters stayed by Logans parents side until they knew he was going to be OK. Sarah, 30, has called the two porters my heroes.

As he handed the pair the Ultimate Lifesaver trophy, the PM said: The NHS is revered around the world, and in no small part due to the heroes working in it every day.

He added: My experience of the NHS is like everybody else in the NHS - one of admiration and love.

"It is the most extraordinary institution in the world. If our country was an omelette then the NHS is the egg white that holds the great British cake together.

Virgin Radio DJ Chris Evans presented the Best Nurse gong to Liz Monaghan, 53. She set up the widely praised Purple Rose initiative, which aims to improve the care for patients and their loved ones in the last days of their life.

Liz, who works at the Florence Nightingale Hospice, based at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, Bucks, said: Im a little embarrassed to have won. Im a small part of a big team.

DJ Chris said: Youve got to prepare yourself for nights like this because otherwise they hit you like an express train.

Who Cares Wins Awards: The winners

BEST HEALTH CHARITY

Winner: Matt Hampson Foundation

Former English rugby union player Matt Hampson set up a charity to help others after being left paralysed in a scrum in 2005.

Other nominees: Superhero Foundation and Team Domenica

BEST NEONATAL SPECIALIST

Winner: Professor Kypros Nicolaides

Professor Nicolaides performed pioneering keyhole surgeon on Sherrie Sharps unborn son Jaxon. By extraordinary coincidence, as a young surgeon, he also operated on Sherries mother when she was in the womb.

Other nominees: Dr Vesna Pavasovic and Professor Massimo Caputo

UNSUNG HERO

Winner: Therapeutic Care Volunteers at South Tees NHS Foundation Trust

30 therapeutic care volunteers, who all have a learning or physical disability, give up their time to support patients with spinal injuries at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. They include Ify Nwokoro.

Other nominees: Ben Slack and Rob Allen

GROUNDBREAKING PIONEER

Winner: Guys and St Thomas London Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) Service

Leia Armitage, eight, was born with a rare form of deafness and was never expected to speak. But she now can thanks to pioneering brain surgery and speech therapy carried out by Guys and St Thomas London Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) Service.

Other nominees: Dr Helen Spencer and Girish Vajramani

BEST DOCTOR

Winner: Dr Matthew Boulter

Dr Boulter served in Afghanistan, teaches wild trauma to army medics and his surgery became the first in Cornwall to be given veteran friendly accreditation.

Other nominees: Margaret France and Dr Bijay Sinha

BEST MIDWIFE

Winner: Jane Parke

Jane helped deliver the youngest surviving twin boys in Britain when they were born at 22 weeks last year. She flew 190 miles with their mum Jennie Powell to a specialist neonatal unit.

Other nominees: Charlotte Day and Nagmeh Teymourian

ULTIMATE LIFESAVER

Winner: Ruth Lowe and Nick Evans

Porters Ruth and Nick saved the life of Sarah and Mike Cliffords seven-week-old baby Logan. He stopped breathing as they walked through the main entrance of The Princess Royal Hospital in Telford to visit a sick relative.

Other nominees: Dr Mark Forrest and Mike Merrett

BEST NURSE

Winner: Liz Monaghan

Liz is the Matron of the Florence Nightingale Hospice in Aylesbury, Bucks, and came up with the idea for the widely praised Purple Rose initiative to improve the care for patients in the last days of their lives.

Other nominees: Margaret Ballard and Carlton DeCosta

MENTAL HEALTH HERO

Winner: Ben West

Ben lost his brother Sam, 15, to suicide last year and since his death, has campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness for mental health.

Other nominees: Beth Gregan and Catherine Benfield

YOUNG HERO

Winner: Ronnie Musselwhite

Ronnie offered to help his sister Ebonie by giving her a bone marrow transplant when she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia. Ebonie nominated her brother for his bravery before she died in June.

Other nominees: Bella Field and Kaitlyn Wright

I only walked ten metres into the room tonight and I already nearly burst into tears three times.

TV star Christine Lampard gave the Best Neonatal Specialist award to Prof Kypros Nicolaides, 66.

He was nominated by Sherrie Sharp, 29, of Horsham, West Sussex, for saving the life of her unborn baby son and her own.

After scans revealed Jaxson had spina bifida, Sherrie was offered a termination. But she contacted Prof Nicolaides, a surgeon at Kings College Hospital, London.

He had saved her life 30 years earlier when she developed a rare blood disorder in her mums womb.

He agreed to perform ground-breaking surgery on Jaxson while he was in Sherries womb.

Prof Nicolaides said: I was delighted to be able to help. Sherrie said: He has saved so many generations of my family. Hes our guardian angel.

The Who Cares Wins Awards were set up in 2017 by The Sun to honour the nations heroic doctors, nurses, midwives, other NHS staff and volunteers.

The Duchess of York presented an award to the parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, who died of an allergic reaction to a sandwich from Pret.

The duchess said: Can I just say to The Sun, I think youre incredible. Every minute Im sitting there and thinking Im so lucky. The NHS, The Sun and all of you, this is what makes Britain so great.

Lorraine Kelly, who presented the awards, said: Earlier on this year my dad was very sick and we honestly thought we were going to lose him.

"It was really difficult and it was only because of the efforts of the NHS hes still here. Its fantastic.

Who Cares Wins Awards: The winners

BEST HEALTH CHARITY

Nominees: Superhero Foundation

Team Domenica

Winner: Matt Hampson Foundation

Former English rugby union player Matt Hampson set up a charity to help others after being left paralysed in a scrum in 2005.

BEST NEONATAL SPECIALIST

Nominees: Dr Vesna Pavasovic

Professor Massimo Caputo

Winner: Professor Kypros Nicolaides

Professor Nicolaides performed pioneering keyhole surgeon on Sherrie Sharps unborn son Jaxon. By extraordinary coincidence, as a young surgeon, he also operated on Sherries mother when she was in the womb.

UNSUNG HERO

Nominees: Ben Slack

Rob Allen

Winner: Therapeutic Care Volunteers at South Tees NHS Foundation Trust

30 therapeutic care volunteers, who all have a learning or physical disability, give up their time to support patients with spinal injuries at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. They include Ify Nwokoro.

GROUNDBREAKING PIONEER

Nominees: Dr Helen Spencer

Girish Vajramani

Winner: Guys and St Thomas London Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) Service

Leia Armitage, eight, was born with a rare form of deafness and was never expected to speak. But she now can thanks to pioneering brain surgery and speech therapy carried out by Guys and St Thomas London Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) Service.

BEST DOCTOR

Nominees: Margaret France

Dr Bijay Sinha

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Penny Lancaster is reduced to tears as she gives bone marrow donor Ronnie Musselwhite, 5, The Suns Young H - The Sun

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Penny Lancaster is reduced to tears as she gives bone marrow donor Ronnie Musselwhite, 5, The Suns Young H – The Sun | October 12th, 2019

(Image: Four Seasons) By Chloe Pek October 11, 2019

Need a different type of getaway? From DNA and blood testing to harvesting your own stem cells, these facilities might make you want to forgo your usual spa retreats

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With so many resorts offering customised retreats tailored to every individual, today's well-travelled spa-goers are no longer satisfied with one-size-fits-all programmes. But beyond personalising activities and treatments to your fitness goals, these destinations are taking bespoke programmes to the next levelones that look into your genetic makeup and medical health to "biohack" your way to beauty and wellness.

(Related: The Tatler 10: Asia's Top Wellness Retreats)

Surrounded by the tropical rainforest in Nusa Dua, south Bali, Revivo Wellness Resort is an intimate retreat that offers 16 Balinese-style suites within three villas. The resort offers a regular schedule of three-day immersive programmes depending on individual goals, from relaxation to weight loss, as well as bespoke retreat programmes. And if you would like to take the personalisation to the next level, Revivo offers three DNA-centric plans that you can add to your programme.

In collaboration with DNA test provider GenePlanet, the Nutrifit and Nutrifit Premium plans offer individually tailored nutritional advice and lifestyle plans, based on your unique DNA makeup. Youll also return with a comprehensive report with analysis from up to 58 different DNA tests to facilitate your wellness goals. Beauty junkies can opt for the Nutriskin plan, which advises on skincare rituals, cosmetics, and diets to achieve optimum skin health.

revivoresorts.com

Surrounded by tropical gardens and white-sand beaches on Mexicos beautiful Riviera Nayarit, the newly renovated Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita offers guest rooms and suites, as well as private beach-front retreats for travellers. Besides a breathtaking oceanside golf-course, the resort also boasts the award-winning Apuane Spa, offering everything from signature massages to holistic therapies.

It is also the only spa in Four Seasons collection that offers DNA testing. Based on results from a simple cheek swab, wellness curators at the resort will create a custom programme that is tailored to your fitness goals and optimal for your genetic makeup, with recommendations to improve your health and diet.

fourseasons.com

(Related: 5 Women's Only Retreats For The Solo Female Traveller)

A preventive health and anti-ageing clinic in Switzerland, Nescens Clinique de Genolier is a luxury destination for medical tourists, overlooking Lake Geneva and the Alps. Programmes include La Cure Nescens, targetted at weight loss; Better-Aging Program which targets lifestyle issues like weight loss, fitness, detox and stress through spa treatments; and the new Nescens Stem Cell Advanced Program, which harnesses your own stem cells to combat signs of ageing.

The programme comprises a very in-depth check-up that includes physical examination, laboratory tests, diagnostic imaging, and cardiology to detect any underlying conditions. Then, following medical consultations with the specialists, a plastic surgeon will extract lipid content via liposuction. Your own stem cells are then separated and re-injected into problem areas together with lipofilling and hydrating mask treatments, to stimulate collagen production and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

nescens.com

Tucked in a secluded cove by the Caribbean sea, BodyHoliday Saint Lucia is an all-inclusive fitness and spa resort that offers an extensive collection of wellness amenities, including an Ayurvedic temple, wellness centre, freshwater pools, fitness studios, as well as a BodyScience Clinic.

The clinics BodyScience Plus programme offers an in-depth analysis that begins prior to your arrival, requiring guests to complete an online health survey, DNA tests, and other diagnostics recommended by the clinics doctors, such as blood and urine tests. When you arrive, you will receive a personalised plan that will include Ayurvedic meals, a schedule of activities such as yoga, personal training or meditating, and also spa treatments. The programmes are specific to various wellness goals such as digestive health, weight loss, detox, destress and more.

thebodyholiday.com

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Biohack Your Way To Beauty And Health Using Your DNA And Stem Cells At These Wellness Retreats Around The World - Singapore Tatler

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Biohack Your Way To Beauty And Health Using Your DNA And Stem Cells At These Wellness Retreats Around The World – Singapore Tatler | October 12th, 2019

The hottest luxury and A List news

Ahead of her 60th birthday on TuesdaySarah Fergusonhas opened up about her cosmetic treatments at the hands of her friendDr.GabrielaMercik- an aesthetician who has given her everything from laser facelifts to organic fillers.

In a candid interview with the Daily Mail, Ferguson and Mercik talked about thecosmetic procedures the Duchess of York has had done over the years,with Ferguson revealing she was Mercik'sguinea pig with new treatments.

The pair spoke to The Daily Mail about their close relationship, as well as Fergusons history with both invasive and non-invasive procedures including botox, mesotherapy and even stem cell therapy - specifically for Fergusons feet.

Sarah Ferguson in October 2019 (Getty Images for BFI)

Ferguson said she was comfortable talking about her treatments, sayingIm really happy to be open about what Ive had done.

Sarah Ferguson in 2010 (Getty Images)

Ferguson revealed in the interview that she used to get Botox, however as technology has advanced shes opted to move away from it. She explained, I had Botox a long time ago when there was nothing else available.

With her aesthetician calling it passe now, Ferguson added, I really dont like the frozen look. Im so animated and I like to be myself. I dont like the thought of needles and am very glad if I look well and happy.

Botox is a cosmetic procedure which is designed to help diminish wrinkles and fine lines, by injecting a chemical solution with a micro needle into specific target areas.

Sarah Ferguson in 2019 (PA)

It was revealed in the Daily Mail that Ferguson started getting mesotherapy in 2013, though she has since moved away from it in favour of other treatments.

Ferguson said that she had chosen mesotherapy to tackle sun damage, saying, I need to repair the damage that was done on the beach when I was a child. Its why I had the mesotherapy, the vitamin cocktail to hydrate and boost the skin.

According to HealthLine, mesotherapy involvesinjecting a mixture of vitamins, enzymes, hormones, and plant extracts. Designed to tighten skin and rejuvenate it, it also removes excess fat and is used by people to do everything from reduce cellulite, diminish wrinkles and tighten loose skin.

HealthLine continues, The technique uses very fine needles to deliver a series of injections into the middle layer (mesoderm) of skin. The idea behind mesotherapy is that it corrects underlying issues like poor circulation and inflammation that cause skin damage.

(Getty Images for GFI)

Following this, Ferguson chose to move onto organic fillers.

Face fillers are designed to both fade wrinkles as well as plump up parts of your face that you want to add volume to. In the case of Fergusons, hers were organic and were described as being non-invasive injectables.

Sarah Ferguson in 2017 (Getty Images)

One of Fergusons more unusual facial procedures involved something called a thread lift. She explained, Before I had it done I thought,Oh this is going to be painful, but it wasnt bad. My skin responded well. I think if you look at photos of me after I had it done, I look much better.

However, Mercik added that Ferguson had since swapped the threads for laser because its non-invasive.

Both Ferguson and Mercik explained what a thread lift involves. Patients have medical threads inserted into the skin to create a supportive mesh that pulls the face upwards - with the threads dissolving after 6-8 months and results lasting two years.

Ferguson explained, Its like garden trellising for sweet peas. You insert the threads under the skin with a fine needle and they hold everything up. They also encourage collagen production. It takes a couple of months, then the sweet peas bloom!

Mercik went into more technical details, explaining, We inserted nano peptides (synthetic growth factors) under the skin which, with the synthetic threads, stimulate collagen production.

Sarah Ferguson at Princess Eugenie's wedding (Getty Images)

Sarah Ferguson revealed that she personally swears by Merciks 6-Dimension Ultimate Laser Treatment facelift. Revealing to the Daily Mail that she much prefers it to Botox, Ferguson explained that she had actually had it done by Mercik prior to her daughter Princess Eugenies wedding.

She explained, Above all, it was being joyful for Eugenie that made me look good. But Id had some laser treatment on my face which helped, too.

She also added that she was undergoing it at the moment, ahead of her birthday on Tuesday. She said, Ive started the laser treatment, but its not finished yet. The collagen needs to rebuild. I hope it will all be done by my birthday.

Merciks laser facelift is non-invasive, pain-free, involves no recovery time and accomplished in no more than 90 minutes. It reportedly helps promote the skins natural production of youth-restoring collagen and is said to continue the work as the weeks pass.

Following a sunscreen-averse childhood (which involved Fergusons mother thinking Nivea moisturiser was sunscreen), Ferguson revealed that she was now very careful about preventing sun damage now - especially after her father and best friend died of skin cancer. She explained, It made me realise you have to look after your skin just as much as your other organs. It isnt just about aesthetics. We have to think about our skin health.

Thats why I dont go in the sun now, she continued. The tan I have is out of a bottle. Fake.

One of Fergusons more recent procedures includes a trip off to the Bahamas, which saw her undergo stem cell therapy to improve her feet. She explained, I think my toes were ruined by all the riding I did when I was young. They shaved the bone here and implanted stem cells 20 million of them taken from my midriff into my feet to make new cartilage.

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Sarah Ferguson opens up about years of plastic surgery from Botox to fillers to stem cell therapy - Evening Standard

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Sarah Ferguson opens up about years of plastic surgery from Botox to fillers to stem cell therapy – Evening Standard | October 12th, 2019

Are there enough stem cells in your knees to heal the damage of osteoarthritis? If yes, why arent those stem cells fixing your knees now? Is it a lack of numbers?

Marc Darrow MD, JD. Thank you for reading my article. You can ask me your questions about bone marrow derived stem cells using the contact form below.

In 2011, doctors at the University of Aberdeen published research in the journal Arthritis and rheumatism that provided the first evidence that resident stem cells in the knee joint synovium underwent proliferation (multiplied) and chondrogenic differentiation (made themselves into cartilage cells) following injury.(1)

If the stem cells in your knee synovial lining are abundant and have the ability to rebuild cartilage after injury, why isnt your knee fixing itself?

One of those 40 studies was performed by researchers at theUniversity of Calgary in 2012. Among their questions, if the stem cells in the knee synovial lining are abundant and have the ability to rebuild cartilage after injury, why isnt the knee fixing itself? Here is what they published:

Since osteoarthritis leads to a progressive loss of cartilage and synovial progenitors (rebuilding) cells have the potential to contribute to articular cartilage repair, the inability of osteoarthritis synovial fluid Mesenchymal progenitor cells (stem cell growth factors) to spontaneously differentiate into chondrocytes suggests that cell-to-cell aggregation and/or communication may be impaired in osteoarthritis and somehow dampen the normal mechanism of chondrocyte replenishment from the synovium or synovial fluid. Should the cells of the synovium or synovial fluid be a reservoir of stem cells for normal articular cartilage maintenance and repair, these endogenous sources of chondro-biased cells would be a fundamental and new strategy for treating osteoarthritis and cartilage injury if this loss of aggregation & differentiation phenotype can be overcome.(2)

This research was supported in anew study from December 2017 In Nature reviews. The paper suggested that recognizing that joint-resident stem cells are comparatively abundant in the joint and occupy multiple niches (from the center of the joint to the out edges) will enable the optimization of single-stage therapeutic interventions for osteoarthritis.(3) The idea is to get these native stem cells to repair.

Now we know that there are many stem cells in the knee, when there is an injury there are more stem cells. If we can figure out how to get these stem cells turned on to the healing mode, the knee could heal itself of early stage osteoarthritis. So the problem is not the number of stem cells, BUT, communication.

This failure to communicate was also seen in other research. In 2016, another heavily cited paper, this time fromTehran University for Medical Sciences, noted that despite their larger numbers,the native stem cells act chaotically and are unable to regroup themselves into a healing mechanism and repair the bone, cartilage and other tissue. Introducing bone marrow stem cells into this environmentgets the native stem cells in line and redirects them to perform healing functions. The joint environmentis changed from chaotic to healing because of communication.(4) It should be pointed out that at the time of this article update (August 2018) 62 medical studies cited the research in this papers findings).

A recentpaper from a research team inAustralia confirms how this change of joint environment works. It starts with cell signalling a new communication network is built.

University of Iowa research published in theJournal of orthopaedic research

Serious meniscus injuries seldom heal and increase the risk for knee osteoarthritis; thus, there is a need to develop new reparative therapies. In that regard, stimulating tissue regeneration by autologous (from you, not donated) stem/progenitor cells has emerged as a promising new strategy.

(The research team) showed previously that migratory chondrogenic progenitor cells (mobile cartilage growth factors) were recruited to injured cartilage, where they showed a capability in situ (on the spot) tissue repair. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the meniscus contains a similar population of regenerative cells.

Explant studies revealed that migrating cells were mainly confined to the red zone (where the blood is and its growth factors) in normal menisci: However, these cells were capable of repopulating defects made in the white zone (the desert area where no blood flows. Migrating cell numbers increased dramatically in damaged meniscus. Relative to non-migrating meniscus cells, migrating cells were more clonogenic, overexpressed progenitor cell markers, and included a larger side population. (They were ready to heal) Gene expression profiling showed that the migrating population was more similar tochondrogenic progenitor cells (mobile cartilage growth factors) than other meniscus cells. Finally, migrating cells equaledchondrogenic progenitor cells in chondrogenic potential, indicating a capacity for repair of the cartilaginous white zone of the meniscus. These findings demonstrate that, much as in articular cartilage, injuries to the meniscus mobilize an intrinsic progenitor cell population with strong reparative potential.(6)

The intrinsic progenitor cell population with strong reparative potential are in your knee waiting to be mobilized.

So what are we to make of this research?There are a lot of stem cells in a knee waiting to repair. The problem is they are confused and not getting the correct instructions. Bone marrow stem cell therapy can fix the communication problem and begin the repair process anew.

A leading provider of bone marrow derived stem cell therapy, Platelet Rich Plasma and Prolotherapy11645 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD SUITE 120, LOS ANGELES, CA 90025

PHONE: (800) 300-9300

1 Kurth TB, Dellaccio F, Crouch V, Augello A, Sharpe PT, De Bari C. Functional mesenchymal stem cell niches in adult mouse knee joint synovium in vivo. Arthritis Rheum. 2011 May;63(5):1289-300. doi: 10.1002/art.30234.

2 Krawetz RJ, Wu YE, Martin L, Rattner JB, Matyas JR, Hart DA. Synovial Fluid Progenitors Expressing CD90+ from Normal but Not Osteoarthritic Joints Undergo Chondrogenic Differentiation without Micro-Mass Culture. Kerkis I, ed.PLoS ONE. 2012;7(8):e43616. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043616.

3 McGonagle D, Baboolal TG, Jones E. Native joint-resident mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage repair in osteoarthritis. Nature Reviews Rheumatology. 2017 Dec;13(12):719.

4Davatchi F, et al. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis: 5 years follow-up of three patients. Int J Rheum Dis. 2016 Mar;19(3):219-25.

5. Freitag J, Bates D, Boyd R, Shah K, Barnard A, Huguenin L, Tenen A.Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in the treatment of osteoarthritis: reparative pathways, safety and efficacy a review.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2016 May 26;17(1):230. doi: 10.1186/s12891-016-1085-9. Review.

6 Seol D, Zhou C, et al. Characteristics of meniscus progenitor cells migrated from injured meniscus. J Orthop Res. 2016 Nov 3. doi: 10.1002/jor.23472.

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Are there enough stem cells in your knees to heal the ...

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Are there enough stem cells in your knees to heal the … | September 24th, 2018

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells or ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre-implantation embryo.[1][2] Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 45 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50150 cells. Isolating the embryoblast, or inner cell mass (ICM) results in destruction of the blastocyst, a process which raises ethical issues, including whether or not embryos at the pre-implantation stage should have the same moral considerations as embryos in the post-implantation stage of development.[3][4] Researchers are currently focusing heavily on the therapeutic potential of embryonic stem cells, with clinical use being the goal for many labs. These cells are being studied to be used as clinical therapies, models of genetic disorders, and cellular/DNA repair. However, adverse effects in the research and clinical processes have also been reported.

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), derived from the blastocyst stage of early mammalian embryos, are distinguished by their ability to differentiate into any cell type and by their ability to propagate. It is these traits that makes them valuable in the scientific/medical fields. ESC are also described as having a normal karyotype, maintaining high telomerase activity, and exhibiting remarkable long-term proliferative potential.[5]

Embryonic stem cells of the inner cell mass are pluripotent, meaning they are able to differentiate to generate primitive ectoderm, which ultimately differentiates during gastrulation into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm. These include each of the more than 220 cell types in the adult human body. Pluripotency distinguishes embryonic stem cells from adult stem cells, which are multipotent and can only produce a limited number of cell types.

Under defined conditions, embryonic stem cells are capable of propagating indefinitely in an undifferentiated state. Conditions must either prevent the cells from clumping, or maintain an environment that supports an unspecialized state.[2] While being able to remain undifferentiated, ESCs also have the capacity, when provided with the appropriate signals, to differentiate (presumably via the initial formation of precursor cells) into nearly all mature cell phenotypes.[6]

Due to their plasticity and potentially unlimited capacity for self-renewal, embryonic stem cell therapies have been proposed for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease. Pluripotent stem cells have shown potential in treating a number of varying conditions, including but not limited to: spinal cord injuries, age related macular degeneration, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders (such as Parkinson's disease), AIDS, etc.[7] In addition to their potential in regenerative medicine, embryonic stem cells provide an alternative source of tissue/organs which serves as a possible solution to the donor shortage dilemma. Not only that, but tissue/organs derived from ESCs can be made immunocompatible with the recipient. Aside from these uses, embryonic stem cells can also serve as tools for the investigation of early human development, study of genetic disease and as in vitro systems for toxicology testing.[5]

According to a 2002 article in PNAS, "Human embryonic stem cells have the potential to differentiate into various cell types, and, thus, may be useful as a source of cells for transplantation or tissue engineering."[8]

However, embryonic stem cells are not limited to cell/tissue engineering.

Current research focuses on differentiating ESCs into a variety of cell types for eventual use as cell replacement therapies (CRTs). Some of the cell types that have or are currently being developed include cardiomyocytes (CM), neurons, hepatocytes, bone marrow cells, islet cells and endothelial cells.[9] However, the derivation of such cell types from ESCs is not without obstacles, therefore current research is focused on overcoming these barriers. For example, studies are underway to differentiate ESCs in to tissue specific CMs and to eradicate their immature properties that distinguish them from adult CMs.[10]

Besides becoming an important alternative to organ transplants, ESCs are also being used in field of toxicology and as cellular screens to uncover new chemical entities (NCEs) that can be developed as small molecule drugs. Studies have shown that cardiomyocytes derived from ESCs are validated in vitro models to test drug responses and predict toxicity profiles.[9] ES derived cardiomyocytes have been shown to respond to pharmacological stimuli and hence can be used to assess cardiotoxicity like Torsades de Pointes.[17]

ESC-derived hepatocytes are also useful models that could be used in the preclinical stages of drug discovery. However, the development of hepatocytes from ESCs has proven to be challenging and this hinders the ability to test drug metabolism. Therefore, current research is focusing on establishing fully functional ESC-derived hepatocytes with stable phase I and II enzyme activity.[18]

Several new studies have started to address the concept of modeling genetic disorders with embryonic stem cells. Either by genetically manipulating the cells, or more recently, by deriving diseased cell lines identified by prenatal genetic diagnosis (PGD), modeling genetic disorders is something that has been accomplished with stem cells. This approach may very well prove invaluable at studying disorders such as Fragile-X syndrome, Cystic fibrosis, and other genetic maladies that have no reliable model system.

Yury Verlinsky, a Russian-American medical researcher who specialized in embryo and cellular genetics (genetic cytology), developed prenatal diagnosis testing methods to determine genetic and chromosomal disorders a month and a half earlier than standard amniocentesis. The techniques are now used by many pregnant women and prospective parents, especially couples who have a history of genetic abnormalities or where the woman is over the age of 35 (when the risk of genetically related disorders is higher). In addition, by allowing parents to select an embryo without genetic disorders, they have the potential of saving the lives of siblings that already had similar disorders and diseases using cells from the disease free offspring.[19]

Differentiated somatic cells and ES cells use different strategies for dealing with DNA damage. For instance, human foreskin fibroblasts, one type of somatic cell, use non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), an error prone DNA repair process, as the primary pathway for repairing double-strand breaks (DSBs) during all cell cycle stages.[20] Because of its error-prone nature, NHEJ tends to produce mutations in a cells clonal descendants.

ES cells use a different strategy to deal with DSBs.[21] Because ES cells give rise to all of the cell types of an organism including the cells of the germ line, mutations arising in ES cells due to faulty DNA repair are a more serious problem than in differentiated somatic cells. Consequently, robust mechanisms are needed in ES cells to repair DNA damages accurately, and if repair fails, to remove those cells with un-repaired DNA damages. Thus, mouse ES cells predominantly use high fidelity homologous recombinational repair (HRR) to repair DSBs.[21] This type of repair depends on the interaction of the two sister chromosomes formed during S phase and present together during the G2 phase of the cell cycle. HRR can accurately repair DSBs in one sister chromosome by using intact information from the other sister chromosome. Cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle (i.e. after metaphase/cell division but prior the next round of replication) have only one copy of each chromosome (i.e. sister chromosomes arent present). Mouse ES cells lack a G1 checkpoint and do not undergo cell cycle arrest upon acquiring DNA damage.[22] Rather they undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis) in response to DNA damage.[23] Apoptosis can be used as a fail-safe strategy to remove cells with un-repaired DNA damages in order to avoid mutation and progression to cancer.[24] Consistent with this strategy, mouse ES stem cells have a mutation frequency about 100-fold lower than that of isogenic mouse somatic cells.[25]

On January 23, 2009, Phase I clinical trials for transplantation of oligodendrocytes (a cell type of the brain and spinal cord) derived from human ES cells into spinal cord-injured individuals received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), marking it the world's first human ES cell human trial.[26] The study leading to this scientific advancement was conducted by Hans Keirstead and colleagues at the University of California, Irvine and supported by Geron Corporation of Menlo Park, CA, founded by Michael D. West, PhD. A previous experiment had shown an improvement in locomotor recovery in spinal cord-injured rats after a 7-day delayed transplantation of human ES cells that had been pushed into an oligodendrocytic lineage.[27] The phase I clinical study was designed to enroll about eight to ten paraplegics who have had their injuries no longer than two weeks before the trial begins, since the cells must be injected before scar tissue is able to form. The researchers emphasized that the injections were not expected to fully cure the patients and restore all mobility. Based on the results of the rodent trials, researchers speculated that restoration of myelin sheathes and an increase in mobility might occur. This first trial was primarily designed to test the safety of these procedures and if everything went well, it was hoped that it would lead to future studies that involve people with more severe disabilities.[28] The trial was put on hold in August 2009 due to FDA concerns regarding a small number of microscopic cysts found in several treated rat models but the hold was lifted on July 30, 2010.[29]

In October 2010 researchers enrolled and administered ESTs to the first patient at Shepherd Center in Atlanta.[30] The makers of the stem cell therapy, Geron Corporation, estimated that it would take several months for the stem cells to replicate and for the GRNOPC1 therapy to be evaluated for success or failure.

In November 2011 Geron announced it was halting the trial and dropping out of stem cell research for financial reasons, but would continue to monitor existing patients, and was attempting to find a partner that could continue their research.[31] In 2013 BioTime (AMEX:BTX), led by CEO Dr. Michael D. West, acquired all of Geron's stem cell assets, with the stated intention of restarting Geron's embryonic stem cell-based clinical trial for spinal cord injury research.[32]

BioTime company Asterias Biotherapeutics (NYSE MKT: AST) was granted a $14.3 million Strategic Partnership Award by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to re-initiate the worlds first embryonic stem cell-based human clinical trial, for spinal cord injury. Supported by California public funds, CIRM is the largest funder of stem cell-related research and development in the world.[33]

The award provides funding for Asterias to reinitiate clinical development of AST-OPC1 in subjects with spinal cord injury and to expand clinical testing of escalating doses in the target population intended for future pivotal trials.[33]

AST-OPC1 is a population of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) that contains oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). OPCs and their mature derivatives called oligodendrocytes provide critical functional support for nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. Asterias recently presented the results from phase 1 clinical trial testing of a low dose of AST-OPC1 in patients with neurologically-complete thoracic spinal cord injury. The results showed that AST-OPC1 was successfully delivered to the injured spinal cord site. Patients followed 23 years after AST-OPC1 administration showed no evidence of serious adverse events associated with the cells in detailed follow-up assessments including frequent neurological exams and MRIs. Immune monitoring of subjects through one year post-transplantation showed no evidence of antibody-based or cellular immune responses to AST-OPC1. In four of the five subjects, serial MRI scans performed throughout the 23 year follow-up period indicate that reduced spinal cord cavitation may have occurred and that AST-OPC1 may have had some positive effects in reducing spinal cord tissue deterioration. There was no unexpected neurological degeneration or improvement in the five subjects in the trial as evaluated by the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) exam.[33]

The Strategic Partnership III grant from CIRM will provide funding to Asterias to support the next clinical trial of AST-OPC1 in subjects with spinal cord injury, and for Asterias product development efforts to refine and scale manufacturing methods to support later-stage trials and eventually commercialization. CIRM funding will be conditional on FDA approval for the trial, completion of a definitive agreement between Asterias and CIRM, and Asterias continued progress toward the achievement of certain pre-defined project milestones.[33]

The major concern with the possible transplantation of ESC into patients as therapies is their ability to form tumors including teratoma.[34] Safety issues prompted the FDA to place a hold on the first ESC clinical trial, however no tumors were observed.

The main strategy to enhance the safety of ESC for potential clinical use is to differentiate the ESC into specific cell types (e.g. neurons, muscle, liver cells) that have reduced or eliminated ability to cause tumors. Following differentiation, the cells are subjected to sorting by flow cytometry for further purification. ESC are predicted to be inherently safer than IPS cells created with genetically-integrating viral vectors because they are not genetically modified with genes such as c-Myc that are linked to cancer. Nonetheless, ESC express very high levels of the iPS inducing genes and these genes including Myc are essential for ESC self-renewal and pluripotency,[35] and potential strategies to improve safety by eliminating c-Myc expression are unlikely to preserve the cells' "stemness". However, N-myc and L-myc have been identified to induce iPS cells instead of c-myc with similar efficiency.[36]More recent protocols to induce pluripotency bypass these problems completely by using non-integrating RNA viral vectors such as sendai virus or mRNA transfection.

Due to the nature of embryonic stem cell research, there is a lot of controversial opinions on the topic. Since harvesting embryonic stem cells necessitates destroying the embryo from which those cells are obtained, the moral status of the embryo comes into question. Scientists argue that the 5-day old mass of cells is too young to achieve personhood or that the embryo, if donated from an IVF clinic (which is where labs typically acquire embryos from), would otherwise go to medical waste anyway. Opponents of ESC research counter that any embryo has the potential to become a human, therefore destroying it is murder and the embryo must be protected under the same ethical view as a developed human being.[37]

In vitro fertilization generates multiple embryos. The surplus of embryos is not clinically used or is unsuitable for implantation into the patient, and therefore may be donated by the donor with consent. Human embryonic stem cells can be derived from these donated embryos or additionally they can also be extracted from cloned embryos using a cell from a patient and a donated egg.[49] The inner cell mass (cells of interest), from the blastocyst stage of the embryo, is separated from the trophectoderm, the cells that would differentiate into extra-embryonic tissue. Immunosurgery, the process in which antibodies are bound to the trophectoderm and removed by another solution, and mechanical dissection are performed to achieve separation. The resulting inner cell mass cells are plated onto cells that will supply support. The inner cell mass cells attach and expand further to form a human embryonic cell line, which are undifferentiated. These cells are fed daily and are enzymatically or mechanically separated every four to seven days. For differentiation to occur, the human embryonic stem cell line is removed from the supporting cells to form embryoid bodies, is co-cultured with a serum containing necessary signals, or is grafted in a three-dimensional scaffold to result.[50]

Embryonic stem cells are derived from the inner cell mass of the early embryo, which are harvested from the donor mother animal. Martin Evans and Matthew Kaufman reported a technique that delays embryo implantation, allowing the inner cell mass to increase. This process includes removing the donor mother's ovaries and dosing her with progesterone, changing the hormone environment, which causes the embryos to remain free in the uterus. After 46 days of this intrauterine culture, the embryos are harvested and grown in in vitro culture until the inner cell mass forms egg cylinder-like structures, which are dissociated into single cells, and plated on fibroblasts treated with mitomycin-c (to prevent fibroblast mitosis). Clonal cell lines are created by growing up a single cell. Evans and Kaufman showed that the cells grown out from these cultures could form teratomas and embryoid bodies, and differentiate in vitro, all of which indicating that the cells are pluripotent.[41]

Gail Martin derived and cultured her ES cells differently. She removed the embryos from the donor mother at approximately 76 hours after copulation and cultured them overnight in a medium containing serum. The following day, she removed the inner cell mass from the late blastocyst using microsurgery. The extracted inner cell mass was cultured on fibroblasts treated with mitomycin-c in a medium containing serum and conditioned by ES cells. After approximately one week, colonies of cells grew out. These cells grew in culture and demonstrated pluripotent characteristics, as demonstrated by the ability to form teratomas, differentiate in vitro, and form embryoid bodies. Martin referred to these cells as ES cells.[42]

It is now known that the feeder cells provide leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and serum provides bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) that are necessary to prevent ES cells from differentiating.[51][52] These factors are extremely important for the efficiency of deriving ES cells. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that different mouse strains have different efficiencies for isolating ES cells.[53] Current uses for mouse ES cells include the generation of transgenic mice, including knockout mice. For human treatment, there is a need for patient specific pluripotent cells. Generation of human ES cells is more difficult and faces ethical issues. So, in addition to human ES cell research, many groups are focused on the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells).[54]

On August 23, 2006, the online edition of Nature scientific journal published a letter by Dr. Robert Lanza (medical director of Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, MA) stating that his team had found a way to extract embryonic stem cells without destroying the actual embryo.[55] This technical achievement would potentially enable scientists to work with new lines of embryonic stem cells derived using public funding in the USA, where federal funding was at the time limited to research using embryonic stem cell lines derived prior to August 2001. In March, 2009, the limitation was lifted.[56]

The iPSC technology was pioneered by Shinya Yamanakas lab in Kyoto, Japan, who showed in 2006 that the introduction of four specific genes encoding transcription factors could convert adult cells into pluripotent stem cells.[57] He was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize along with Sir John Gurdon "for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent." [58]

In 2007 it was shown that pluripotent stem cells highly similar to embryonic stem cells can be generated by the delivery of three genes (Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4) to differentiated cells.[59] The delivery of these genes "reprograms" differentiated cells into pluripotent stem cells, allowing for the generation of pluripotent stem cells without the embryo. Because ethical concerns regarding embryonic stem cells typically are about their derivation from terminated embryos, it is believed that reprogramming to these "induced pluripotent stem cells" (iPS cells) may be less controversial. Both human and mouse cells can be reprogrammed by this methodology, generating both human pluripotent stem cells and mouse pluripotent stem cells without an embryo.[60]

This may enable the generation of patient specific ES cell lines that could potentially be used for cell replacement therapies. In addition, this will allow the generation of ES cell lines from patients with a variety of genetic diseases and will provide invaluable models to study those diseases.

However, as a first indication that the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) cell technology can in rapid succession lead to new cures, it was used by a research team headed by Rudolf Jaenisch of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to cure mice of sickle cell anemia, as reported by Science journal's online edition on December 6, 2007.[61][62]

On January 16, 2008, a California-based company, Stemagen, announced that they had created the first mature cloned human embryos from single skin cells taken from adults. These embryos can be harvested for patient matching embryonic stem cells.[63]

The online edition of Nature Medicine published a study on January 24, 2005, which stated that the human embryonic stem cells available for federally funded research are contaminated with non-human molecules from the culture medium used to grow the cells.[64] It is a common technique to use mouse cells and other animal cells to maintain the pluripotency of actively dividing stem cells. The problem was discovered when non-human sialic acid in the growth medium was found to compromise the potential uses of the embryonic stem cells in humans, according to scientists at the University of California, San Diego.[65]

However, a study published in the online edition of Lancet Medical Journal on March 8, 2005 detailed information about a new stem cell line that was derived from human embryos under completely cell- and serum-free conditions. After more than 6 months of undifferentiated proliferation, these cells demonstrated the potential to form derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers both in vitro and in teratomas. These properties were also successfully maintained (for more than 30 passages) with the established stem cell lines.[66]

Originally posted here:
Embryonic stem cell - Wikipedia

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Embryonic stem cell – Wikipedia | September 23rd, 2018

Stem cell facts

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are cells that have the potential to develop into many different or specialized cell types. Stem cells can be thought of as primitive, "unspecialized" cells that are able to divide and become specialized cells of the body such as liver cells, muscle cells, blood cells, and other cells with specific functions. Stem cells are referred to as "undifferentiated" cells because they have not yet committed to a developmental path that will form a specific tissue or organ. The process of changing into a specific cell type is known as differentiation. In some areas of the body, stem cells divide regularly to renew and repair the existing tissue. The bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract are examples of areas in which stem cells function to renew and repair tissue.

The best and most readily understood example of a stem cell in humans is that of the fertilized egg, or zygote. A zygote is a single cell that is formed by the union of a sperm and ovum. The sperm and the ovum each carry half of the genetic material required to form a new individual. Once that single cell or zygote starts dividing, it is known as an embryo. One cell becomes two, two become four, four become eight, eight become sixteen, and so on, doubling rapidly until it ultimately grows into an entire sophisticated organism composed of many different kinds of specialized cells. That organism, a person, is an immensely complicated structure consisting of many, many, billions of cells with functions as diverse as those of your eyes, your heart, your immune system, the color of your skin, your brain, etc. All of the specialized cells that make up these body systems are descendants of the original zygote, a stem cell with the potential to ultimately develop into all kinds of body cells. The cells of a zygote are totipotent, meaning that they have the capacity to develop into any type of cell in the body.

The process by which stem cells commit to become differentiated, or specialized, cells is complex and involves the regulation of gene expression. Research is ongoing to further understand the molecular events and controls necessary for stem cells to become specialized cell types.

Stem Cells:One of the human body's master cells, with the ability to grow into any one of the body's more than 200 cell types.

All stem cells are unspecialized (undifferentiated) cells that are characteristically of the same family type (lineage). They retain the ability to divide throughout life and give rise to cells that can become highly specialized and take the place of cells that die or are lost.

Stem cells contribute to the body's ability to renew and repair its tissues. Unlike mature cells, which are permanently committed to their fate, stem cells can both renew themselves as well as create new cells of whatever tissue they belong to (and other tissues).

Why are stem cells important?

Stem cells represent an exciting area in medicine because of their potential to regenerate and repair damaged tissue. Some current therapies, such as bone marrow transplantation, already make use of stem cells and their potential for regeneration of damaged tissues. Other therapies that are under investigation involve transplanting stem cells into a damaged body part and directing them to grow and differentiate into healthy tissue.

Embryonic stem cells

During the early stages of embryonic development the cells remain relatively undifferentiated (immature) and appear to possess the ability to become, or differentiate, into almost any tissue within the body. For example, cells taken from one section of an embryo that might have become part of the eye can be transferred into another section of the embryo and could develop into blood, muscle, nerve, or liver cells.

Cells in the early embryonic stage are totipotent (see above) and can differentiate to become any type of body cell. After about seven days, the zygote forms a structure known as a blastocyst, which contains a mass of cells that eventually become the fetus, as well as trophoblastic tissue that eventually becomes the placenta. If cells are taken from the blastocyst at this stage, they are known as pluripotent, meaning that they have the capacity to become many different types of human cells. Cells at this stage are often referred to as blastocyst embryonic stem cells. When any type of embryonic stem cells is grown in culture in the laboratory, they can divide and grow indefinitely. These cells are then known as embryonic stem cell lines.

Fetal stem cells

The embryo is referred to as a fetus after the eighth week of development. The fetus contains stem cells that are pluripotent and eventually develop into the different body tissues in the fetus.

Adult stem cells

Adult stem cells are present in all humans in small numbers. The adult stem cell is one of the class of cells that we have been able to manipulate quite effectively in the bone marrow transplant arena over the past 30 years. These are stem cells that are largely tissue-specific in their location. Rather than typically giving rise to all of the cells of the body, these cells are capable of giving rise only to a few types of cells that develop into a specific tissue or organ. They are therefore known as multipotent stem cells. Adult stem cells are sometimes referred to as somatic stem cells.

The best characterized example of an adult stem cell is the blood stem cell (the hematopoietic stem cell). When we refer to a bone marrow transplant, a stem cell transplant, or a blood transplant, the cell being transplanted is the hematopoietic stem cell, or blood stem cell. This cell is a very rare cell that is found primarily within the bone marrow of the adult.

One of the exciting discoveries of the last years has been the overturning of a long-held scientific belief that an adult stem cell was a completely committed stem cell. It was previously believed that a hematopoietic, or blood-forming stem cell, could only create other blood cells and could never become another type of stem cell. There is now evidence that some of these apparently committed adult stem cells are able to change direction to become a stem cell in a different organ. For example, there are some models of bone marrow transplantation in rats with damaged livers in which the liver partially re-grows with cells that are derived from transplanted bone marrow. Similar studies can be done showing that many different cell types can be derived from each other. It appears that heart cells can be grown from bone marrow stem cells, that bone marrow cells can be grown from stem cells derived from muscle, and that brain stem cells can turn into many types of cells.

Peripheral blood stem cells

Most blood stem cells are present in the bone marrow, but a few are present in the bloodstream. This means that these so-called peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) can be isolated from a drawn blood sample. The blood stem cell is capable of giving rise to a very large number of very different cells that make up the blood and immune system, including red blood cells, platelets, granulocytes, and lymphocytes.

All of these very different cells with very different functions are derived from a common, ancestral, committed blood-forming (hematopoietic), stem cell.

Umbilical cord stem cells

Blood from the umbilical cord contains some stem cells that are genetically identical to the newborn. Like adult stem cells, these are multipotent stem cells that are able to differentiate into certain, but not all, cell types. For this reason, umbilical cord blood is often banked, or stored, for possible future use should the individual require stem cell therapy.

Induced pluripotent stem cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were first created from human cells in 2007. These are adult cells that have been genetically converted to an embryonic stem celllike state. In animal studies, iPSCs have been shown to possess characteristics of pluripotent stem cells. Human iPSCs can differentiate and become multiple different fetal cell types. iPSCs are valuable aids in the study of disease development and drug treatment, and they may have future uses in transplantation medicine. Further research is needed regarding the development and use of these cells.

Why is there controversy surrounding the use of stem cells?

Embryonic stem cells and embryonic stem cell lines have received much public attention concerning the ethics of their use or non-use. Clearly, there is hope that a large number of treatment advances could occur as a result of growing and differentiating these embryonic stem cells in the laboratory. It is equally clear that each embryonic stem cell line has been derived from a human embryo created through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or through cloning technologies, with all the attendant ethical, religious, and philosophical problems, depending upon one's perspective.

What are some stem cell therapies that are currently available?

Routine use of stem cells in therapy has been limited to blood-forming stem cells (hematopoietic stem cells) derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood. Bone marrow transplantation is the most familiar form of stem cell therapy and the only instance of stem cell therapy in common use. It is used to treat cancers of the blood cells (leukemias) and other disorders of the blood and bone marrow.

In bone marrow transplantation, the patient's existing white blood cells and bone marrow are destroyed using chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Then, a sample of bone marrow (containing stem cells) from a healthy, immunologically matched donor is injected into the patient. The transplanted stem cells populate the recipient's bone marrow and begin producing new, healthy blood cells.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells and peripheral blood stem cells can also be used instead of bone marrow samples to repopulate the bone marrow in the process of bone marrow transplantation.

In 2009, the California-based company Geron received clearance from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin the first human clinical trial of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells in the treatment of patients with acute spinal cord injury.

What are experimental treatments using stem cells and possible future directions for stem cell therapy?

Stem cell therapy is an exciting and active field of biomedical research. Scientists and physicians are investigating the use of stem cells in therapies to treat a wide variety of diseases and injuries. For a stem cell therapy to be successful, a number of factors must be considered. The appropriate type of stem cell must be chosen, and the stem cells must be matched to the recipient so that they are not destroyed by the recipient's immune system. It is also critical to develop a system for effective delivery of the stem cells to the desired location in the body. Finally, devising methods to "switch on" and control the differentiation of stem cells and ensure that they develop into the desired tissue type is critical for the success of any stem cell therapy.

Researchers are currently examining the use of stem cells to regenerate damaged or diseased tissue in many conditions, including those listed below.

References

REFERENCE:

"Stem Cell Information." National Institutes of Health.

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iCON Cell Therapy Platform Launched with Shipment of the 1st BERcellFLEX PODs

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Sept. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --Following up on the launch of the iCON Turnkey Facility Platform for a mAb manufacturing facility late last year, IPS-Integrated Project Services, LLC and G-CON Manufacturing have successfully designed and delivered the first BERcellFLEX PODs for the manufacturing of autologous cell therapies. The iCON solution provides a pre-fabricated modular cleanroom infrastructure for the drug manufacturers' requirements for both clinical and commercial manufacture of critical therapies. Following the iCON model, IPS provided the engineering design while G-CON built, tested and delivered the BERcellFLEX CAR-T processing suites in both twelve (12) foot and twenty-four (24) foot wide POD configurations.

"This is an exciting time for our companies as the iCON platform is being adopted by clients who recognize that new innovative approaches are needed to meet the growing demand for cell and gene therapy manufacturing" said Dennis Powers, Vice President of Business Development and Sales Engineering at G-CON Manufacturing Inc. "We believe that the iCON platform approach with its faster and more predictable project schedules for new facility construction are essential for supplying life changing therapies to the patients that need them."

"The gene therapy industry needs standardized solutions to meet its speed to market requirements," said Tom J. Piombino, Vice President & Process Architect at IPS. "In addition to our larger 2K mAb facility platform that we rolled out earlier this year, the BERcellFLEX12 and 24 represent a line of gene/cell therapy products that operating companies can buy today, ready-to-order, in either an open or closed-processing format with little to no engineering time we start fabricating almost immediately after URS alignment. Multiple cellFLEX units can be installed to scale up/out from Phase 1 Clinical production to Commercial Manufacturing and serve the needs of thousands of CAR-T patients per year. Being able to meet this critical need is consistent with our vision; we're thrilled to be able to offer this modular solution to help our clients get therapies to their patients."

About iCON The iCON platform, the collaborative efforts of IPS and G-CON Manufacturing, Inc., is redefining facility project execution for the biopharma industry where there is a growing need for more rapidly deployable and flexible manufacturing capability. iCON has launched turnkey designs for monoclonal antibody facilities and autologous cell therapies, and is developing platforms for cell and gene therapies, vaccines, OSD, and aseptic filling. An iCON solution can be deployed for:

About G-CON G-CON Manufacturing designs, produces and installs prefabricated cleanroom PODs. G-CON's cleanroom POD portfolio encompasses a variety of different dimensions and purposes, from laboratory environments to personalized medicine and production process platforms. The POD cleanroom units are unique from traditional cleanroom structures due to the ease of scalability, mobility and the ability to repurpose the PODs once the production process reaches the end of its lifecycle. For more information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.gconbio.com.

About IPS IPS is a global leader in developing innovative facility and bioprocess solutions for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Through operational expertise and industry-leading knowledge, skill and passion, IPS provides consulting, architecture, engineering, construction management, and compliance services that allow clients to create and manufacture life-impacting products around the world. Headquartered in Blue Bell, PA-USA, IPS is one of the largest multi-national companies servicing the life sciences industry with over 1,100 professionals in the US, Canada, Brazil, UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Singapore, China, and India. Visit our website at http://www.ipsdb.com.

2017 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.

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IPS and G-CON Launch iCON Cell Therapy Facility Platform ...

IPS Cell Therapy Comments Off on IPS and G-CON Launch iCON Cell Therapy Facility Platform … | September 6th, 2018

There was a very sad example of this in the last decade.There's a wonderful drug, and a class of drugs actually,but the particular drug was Vioxx, andfor people who were suffering from severe arthritis pain,the drug was an absolute lifesaver,but unfortunately, for another subset of those people,they suffered pretty severe heart side effects,and for a subset of those people, the side effects wereso severe, the cardiac side effects, that they were fatal.But imagine a different scenario,where we could have had an array, a genetically diverse array,of cardiac cells, and we could have actually testedthat drug, Vioxx, in petri dishes, and figured out,well, okay, people with this genetic type are going to havecardiac side effects, people with these genetic subgroupsor genetic shoes sizes, about 25,000 of them,are not going to have any problems.The people for whom it was a lifesavercould have still taken their medicine.The people for whom it was a disaster, or fatal,would never have been given it, andyou can imagine a very different outcome for the company,who had to withdraw the drug.

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Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Susan Solomon: The promise of research with stem cells … | August 23rd, 2018

Consistency

Quality Control and Testing

Product Selection & Support

HiPSC Custom Services

Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (HiPSC)Top:HiPSC express pluriotency markers OCT4, Nanog, LIN28 and SSEA-4.Bottom:HiPSC differentiate into cell derivatives from the 3 embryonic layers: Neuronal marker beta III tubulin (TUJ1), Smooth Muscle Actin (SMA) and Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3 Beta (HNF3b).

Cutting-edge development and manufacturing provides high quality, thoroughly-characterized HiPSC cells to researchers around the world. HiPSC are generated from somatic cells, eliminating ethical considerations associated with scientific work based on embryonic stem cells. Furthermore, being donor/patient-specific, they open possibilities for a wide variety of studies in biomedical research. Donor somatic cells carry the genetic makeup of the diseased patient, hence HiPSC can be used directly to model disease on a dish.

Thus, one of the main uses of HiPSC has been in genetic disease modeling in organs and tissues, such as the brain (Alzheimers, Autism Spectrum Disorders), heart (Familial Hypertrophic, Dilated, and Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathies), and skeletal muscle (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Spinal Muscle Atrophy). The combination of HiPSC technology and gene editing strategies such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system creates a powerful platform in which disease-causing mutations can be created on demand and sets of isogenic cell lines (with and without mutations) serve as convenient tools for disease modeling studies.

Other applications of HiPSC and iPSC-differentiated cells include drug screening, development, efficacy and toxicity assessment. As an example, through the FDA-backed CiPA (Comprehensive in vitro Pro-Arrhythmia Assessment) initiative, HiPSC-derived cardiac muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) are poised to constitute a new standard model for the evaluation of cardiotoxicity of new drugs, which is the main reason of drug withdrawal from the market. Finally, HiPSC-differentiated cells are being used in early stage technology development for applications in regenerative medicine. Bio-printing and tissue constructs have also been considered as attractive applications for HiPSC.

Human iPSC and Derived Cells are forResearch Use Only (RUO). Not for human clinical or therapeutic use.

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Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on iPSC | Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells | Human | HiPSC … | July 13th, 2018

iPSCells Represent a Superior Approach

iPS cell-derived cardiomyocyte patch demonstrates spontaneous and synchronized contractions after 4 days in culture.

One of the greatest promises of human stem cells is to transform these early-stage cells into treatments for devastating diseases. Stem cells can potentially be used to repair damaged human tissues and to bioengineer transplantable human organs using various technologies, such as 3D printing. Using stem cells derived from another person (allogeneic transplantation) or from the patient (autologous transplantation), research efforts are underway to develop new therapies for historically difficult to treat conditions. In the past, adult stem and progenitor cells were used, but the differentiation of these cell types has proven to be difficult to control. Initial clinical trials using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells indicate that they are far superior for cellular therapy applications because they are better suited to scientific manipulation.

CDIs iPS cell-derived iCell and MyCell products are integral to the development of a range ofcell therapyapplications. A study using iCell Cardiomyocytesas part of a cardiac patch designed to treat heart failure is now underway. This tissue-engineered implantable patch mayemerge as apotential myocardial regeneration treatment.

Another study done with iPS cell-derived cells and kidney structures has marked an important first step towards regenerating, and eventually transplanting, a functioning human organ. In this work, iCell Endothelial Cellswere used to help to recapitulatethe blood supply of a laboratory-generated kidney scaffold. This type of outcome will be crucial for circulation and nutrient distribution in any rebuilt organ.

iCell Endothelial Cells revascularize kidney tissue. (Data courtesy of Dr. Jason Wertheim, Northwestern University)

CDI and its partners are leveraging iPS cell-derived human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to develop and manufacture autologous treatments for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The mature RPE cells will be derivedfrom the patients own blood cells using CDIs MyCell process. Ifapproved by the FDA, this autologous cellular therapy wouldbe one of the first of its kind in the U.S.

Learn more about the technologybehind the development of these iPScell-derived cellular therapies.

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IPS Cell Therapy Comments Off on Groundbreaking Cellular Therapy Applications | Cellular … | July 11th, 2018