Lab-grown human heart cells provide a powerful tool to understand and potentially treat heart disease. However, the methods to produce human heart cells from pluripotent stem cells are not optimal. Fortunately, a new study out of the University of WisconsinMadison Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center is providing key insight that will aid researchers in growing cardiac cells from stem cells.

The research, published recently in eLife, investigates the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in the generation of heart cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). The ECM fills the space between cells, providing structural support and regulating formation of tissues and organs. With a better understanding of ECM and its impact on heart development, researchers will be able to more effectively develop heart muscle cells, called cardiomyocytes, that could be useful for cardiac repair, regeneration and cell therapy.

How the ECM impacts the generation of hPSC-cardiomyocytes has been largely overlooked, says Jianhua Zhang, a senior scientist at the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center. The better we understand how the soluble factors as well as the ECM proteins work in the cell culture and differentiation, the closer we get to our goals.

Researchers like Zhang have been looking to improve the differentiation of hPSCs into cardiomyocytes, or the ability to take hPSCs, which can self-renew indefinitely in culture while maintaining the ability to become almost any cell type in the human body and turn them into heart muscle cells. To investigate the role of the ECM in promoting this cardiac differentiation of hPSCs, Zhang tested a variety of proteins to see how they impacted stem cell growth and differentiation specifically, ECM proteins including laminin-111, laminin-521, fibronectin and collagen.

Our study showed ECM proteins play significant roles in the hPSC adhesion, growth, and cardiac differentiation. And fibronectin plays an essential role and is indispensable in hPSC cardiac differentiation, says Zhang. By understanding the roles of ECM, this study will help to develop more robust methods and protocols for generation of hPSC-CMs. Furthermore, this study not only helps in the field for cardiac differentiation, but also other lineage differentiation as well.

While the new study provides important insight into heart cell development, it is built upon a 2012 study Zhang led which looked at the most efficient way to develop cardiac differentiation of stem cells.

This study is actually a follow-up paper to the Matrix Sandwich Method that we developed for efficient cardiac differentiation of hPSCs, Zhang says. In order to culture the stem cells, we needed to have an ECM layer on the bottom of the plate. Otherwise, the stem cells would not attach to the plate. We would then add another layer of ECM on top of the growing stem cells, and we found that this helped promote the most effective differentiation.

While it was clear that this layering, or sandwich, method more efficiently and reproducibly differentiated hPSC-cardiomyocytes, researchers did not fully understand why. The new study explains why the ECM layers are crucial and identifies fibronectin as a key ECM protein in the development of hPSC-cardiomyocytes.

The most exciting part of this study is now I understand why the Matrix Sandwich Method worked. We were able to identify the fibronectin and its integrin receptors as well as the downstream signaling pathways in this study, Zhang explains. With a better understanding of ECMs roles in stem cell growth and cardiac differentiation, we now hope to investigate the roles of fibronectin and other ECM proteins in promoting the hPSC-cardiomyocytes transplantation for cell therapy.

The next step could help researchers realize the full potential of using hPSC-cardiomyocytes for disease modeling, drug screening, cardiac regeneration and cell therapy. This is very meaningful to Zhang, who began working in cardiovascular research more than 16 years ago.

I became interested in stem cell and heart research when I began working with the stem cells and saw them turning into heart cells beating in a cell culture dish under a microscope, Zhang says. It was amazing. Ive become more and more dedicated to this research, and I can really see the potential of using the stem cell technologies to cure disease and improve our health.

See original here:
New study allows researchers to more efficiently form human heart cells from stem cells - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on New study allows researchers to more efficiently form human heart cells from stem cells – University of Wisconsin-Madison | July 8th, 2022

He called his wife Ann once in the driver's seat to continue the conversation they'd been having over breakfast.

As he made his way towards Mosman in the usual Sydney traffic, a beat-up Toyota Corona was in the queue directly behind him.

At the intersection of Bardwell Rd and Military Rd, the Corona deliberately swerved into Dr Chang's car and so the two cars pulled over on the side of the road.

It was 8am when Phillip Lim and Chiew Seng Liew - the occupants of the Corona - pulled a pistol on Chang.

They wanted money. Lim planned to extort $3 million from a wealthy Asian businessman living in Australia, so he could set up a gambling den or massage parlour. They'd picked Dr Chang after seeing an article about him in a magazine.

Dr Chang pulled out his wallet immediately, but there were numerous witnesses watching on in horror.

Mosman Collectivequotes Chang as yelling out to someone, "call the police, theyve got guns."

He was shot twice - once in the head, once in the stomach. He died at the scene.

Liew was sentenced to a maximum of 26 years in prison for firing the two shots that killed Dr Chang. After 21 years, he was released and deported back to his home country of Malaysia in 2012.

As The Sydney Morning Heraldreported, it was a decision that "devastated" Dr Chang's family.

"I made a mistake," Liew told the Sevennetwork upon his release. "I did the wrong thing and made the family suffer ... You know I want to apologise for the family."

His co-accused Lim was granted parole after serving his minimum 18-year sentence, which expired in 2009.

Hailed as a "medical genius," Dr Chang was celebrated and admired around the world.

While he personallysaved hundreds of lives, he always had his eye on millions - which could be achieved through medical research.

After his death, the Victor Chang Foundation created by Dr Chang in 1984 with the aim of sharing expertise between Australia and Asia through training in the fields of cardiothoracic surgery, heart and lung transplantation and cardiology, continued on with his work.

But his dream was carried forward even further,with the establishment of The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in 1994. It was opened by Princess Dianawho told those gathered, "Dr Chang was no ordinary cardiac surgeon. He was a visionary."

Follow this link:
Dr Victor Chang saved hundreds of lives. 31 years ago today, he was murdered. - Mamamia

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Dr Victor Chang saved hundreds of lives. 31 years ago today, he was murdered. – Mamamia | July 8th, 2022

Get PDF Sample on this Market @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-exosome-therapeutic-market&Raj

The global exosome therapeutics market competitive landscape provides details by a competitor. Details included are company overview, company financials, revenue generated, market potential, investment in research and development, new market initiatives, production sites and facilities, company strengths and weaknesses, product launch, product trials pipelines, product approvals, patents, product width, and breadth, application dominance, technology lifeline curve. The above data points provided are only related to the companys focus related to the exosome therapeutics market.

For instance,

Collaboration, joint ventures, and other strategies by the market player are enhancing the company market in the global exosome therapeutics market, which also provides the benefit for an organization to improve their offering for treatment products.

Get TOC Details of this Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-exosome-therapeutic-market&Raj

Some of the major companies influencing this market include:

Some of the major companies providing the global exosome therapeutics market are Stem Cells Group, Exosome Sciences, AEGLE Therapeutics, Capricor Therapeutics, Avalon Globocare Corp, CODIAK, Kimera Labs, Stem Cell Medicine Ltd, Exopharm, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc., evox THERAPEUTICS, ReNeuron Group plc, and EV Therapeutics, among others.

Market Segmentation:-

The global exosome therapeutics market is segmented on the basis of type, source, therapy, transporting capacity, application, route of administration, and end user. The growth among segments helps you analyze niche pockets of growth and strategies to approach the market and determine your core application areas and the difference in your target markets.

The global exosome therapeutics market is categorized into seven notable segments which are based on type, source, therapy, transporting capacity, application, route of administration, and end user.

Regions Covered in Artificial Intelligence in Genomics 2022 Global Market Report:

Browse Full In Depth Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-exosome-therapeutic-market?Raj

Key questions answered in the report include:who are the key market players in the this Market?Which are the major regions for dissimilar trades that are expected to eyewitness astonishing growth for the this Market?What are the regional growth trends and the leading revenue-generating regions for the this Market?What will be the market size and the growth rate by the end of the forecast period?What are the key this Market trends impacting the growth of the market?What are the major Product Types of this Market?What are the major applications of this Market?

Related Reports:-

https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-vivo-imaging-market

https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-computer-assisted-coding-market

https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-diagnostic-catheter-market

https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-active-implantable-medical-devices-market

https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-swine-respiratory-diseases-treatment-market

https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-microplate-systems-market

https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-patient-access-solutions-market

https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-probiotics-market

About us:

An absolute way to forecast what future holds is to comprehend the trend today!

data bridge market researchset forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data bridge endeavours to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process. Data bridge is an aftermath of sheer wisdom and experience which was formulated and framed in the year 2015 in pune.

Data bridge market research has over 500 analysts working in different industries. We have catered more than 40% of the fortune 500 companies globally and habridge market research has over 500 analysts working in different industries. We have catered more than 40% of the fortune 500 companies globally and have a network of more than 5000+ clientele around the globe. Data bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate.

Contact us:

Data bridge market research

Us: +1 888 387 2818

Uk: +44 208 089 1725

Hong kong: +852 8192 7475

Email: corporatesales@databridgemarketresearch.com

Here is the original post:
Exosome Therapeutics Market Research Report Size, Share, New Trends and Opportunity, Competitive Analysis and Future Forecast Designer Women -...

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Exosome Therapeutics Market Research Report Size, Share, New Trends and Opportunity, Competitive Analysis and Future Forecast Designer Women -… | July 8th, 2022

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Transparency Market Research Inc.: Cell line development is an important technology in life sciences. Stable cell lines are used for various applications including monoclonal antibody and recombinant protein productions, gene functional studies, and drug screening

Read Report Overview - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cell-line-development-market.html

Manual screening method is a traditional method used for cell line development. This method is tend to be disadvantageous as it is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Automation in tools used for cell line development is likely to replace manual methods of cell line development.

Cell line development and culturing is being rapidly adopted in areas of biological drug developments for various chronic diseases, regenerative medicines such as stem cells & cell-based therapies, recombinant protein, and other cellular entities for pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and various other industries.

Request Brochure of Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=75773

Key Drivers and Opportunities of Global Cell Line Development Market

Rise in focus on research & development, owing to increase in prevalence of cancer and other chronic diseases is anticipated to drive the market. Several institutes, such as Cancer Research Institute, National Cancer Institute, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (Cancer Research Centre [ICRC]), and NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), are engaged in research & development for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Hence, the initiative of government and non-government organizations is likely boost the growth of the market.

Mammalian cell lines are widely used as production tools for various biologic drugs. Technological advancement in cell line development in mammalian cell culturing is likely to fuel the growth of the market. For instance, according to an article published in Pharmaceuticals (Basel), the U.S. Food and Drug Administered approved 15 novel recombinant protein therapeutics from 2005 to 2011 on an average.

Advances in bioinformatics and recombinant technologies have led to development of new cell lines for synthesis or production of essential peptides, enzymes, saccharides, and other molecules which are being used in pharmaceuticals and various other industries.

Request for Analysis of Cell Line Development Market Report at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=covid19&rep_id=75773

North America to Capture Major Share of Global Cell Line Development Market

North America is expected to account for major share of the global cell line development market due to well-established health care infrastructure and rise in government initiatives. Furthermore, adoption of innovative technologies is likely to augment the market in the region.

The cell line development market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period, owing to increasing risk of communicable diseases, cancer, and chronic & rare diseases and surge in geriatric population. For instance, according to an article published in BioMed Central Ltd, in 2018, 2.9 million cancer deaths occurred and 4.3 million new cancer cases were recorded in China.

Key Players Operating in Global Cell Line Development Market

The global cell line development market is highly concentrated due to the presence of key players. A large number of manufacturers hold major share in their respective regions. Key players engaged in adopting new strategies are likely to drive the global cell line development market. Key players are developing new, cost-effective biologic products. This is anticipated to augment the market.

Make an Enquiry Before Buying - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=EB&rep_id=75773

Major players operating in the global cell line development market are:

More Trending Reports by Transparency Market Research

Surgical Retractors Market: Surgical Retractors Market (Product Type: Hand-held Retractors, Self-retaining Retractors, Table-mounted Retractors, and Others; Application: Abdominal Surgeries, Cardiothoracic Surgeries, Orthopedic Surgeries, Obstetric & Gynecological Surgeries, and Others; and End User: Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2020 - 2030

Dental Consumables Market: Dental Consumables Market (Product - Dental Implants, Crowns and Bridges, Dental Biomaterials, Orthodontics, Endodontics, Periodontics, Retail Dental Care Essentials, and Dental Consumables) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2019 - 2027

Vascular Stents Market: Vascular Stents Market (Type: Coronary Artery Stents, Peripheral Vascular Stents, and Neurovascular Stents; Delivery Method: Balloon Expandable Stents and Self-expanding Stents; Material: Cobalt-Chromium Stent, Platinum-Chromium Stent, Nitinol Stent, Stainless Steel Stent, and Bioresorbable Polymer Stent; End User: Hospitals, Cardiac Centers, and Ambulatory Surgical Centers) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2019 - 2027

Monopolar Electrosurgery Market: Monopolar Electrosurgery Market (Product Type - Hand Instruments, Electrosurgical Generator, Return Electrode (Single Use and Re-usable), Accessories (Footswitches and Connectors); Application - General Surgery, Gynecology Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, and Urology Surgery; End User: Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Specialty Clinics) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2019 - 2027

Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty Market: Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty Market (Product - Vertebroplasty (Needles, Cement Mixing and Delivery Devices), Kyphoplasty (Needles, Balloons, Cement Mixing and Delivery Devices); End use - Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2019 - 2027

Air Bubble Detectors Market: Air Bubble Detectors Market (Product Type: Fixed Detectors and Flexible Detectors; Technology: Ultrasonic Sensors and Capacitive Sensors; Application: Dialysis & Transfusion, Cardiopulmonary Bypass, Infusion & Parenteral Infusion Pumps, Diagnostic Devices, Blood Processing Equipment, and Others; and End User: Hospitals & Healthcare Providers, Diagnostic Laboratories, and Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology Industries) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2020 - 2030

Refurbished Medical Equipment Market: Refurbished Medical Equipment Market (Product: Medical Imaging Equipment, Operating Room Equipment, Patient Monitoring Devices, and Others; Application: Cardiology, Respiratory and Gastroenterology, Neonatal Care, Orthopedic, and Others; and End User: Hospitals, Diagnostic Centers, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2019 - 2027

Medical Laser Systems Market: Medical Laser Systems Market (Product Type: Gas Lasers, Solid-state Lasers, Fiber Lasers, Diode Lasers, Femtosecond Lasers, and Others; Application: Ophthalmology, Cosmetic/Dermatology, Dentistry, Cancer Therapy, Cardiovascular, and Others; and End User: Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Specialized Clinics) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2020 2030

About Us

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyze information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

For More Research Insights on Leading Industries, Visit Our YouTube Channel and hit subscribe for Future Update - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8e-z-g23-TdDMuODiL8BKQ

Contact

Rohit BhiseyTransparency Market Research Inc.CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN,1000 N. West Street,Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USATel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.comBlog: https://tmrblog.comEmail: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com

Visit link:
Cell Line Development Market: Increase in Prevalence of Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases to Drive the Market - BioSpace

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Cell Line Development Market: Increase in Prevalence of Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases to Drive the Market – BioSpace | July 8th, 2022

Homology Medicines, Inc.

AAVHSC16 Biodistribution Properties in Preclinical Models Demonstrated Potential for Systemic Delivery of Genetic Medicines to Brain, Heart and Muscle

BEDFORD, Mass., July 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Homology Medicines, Inc. (Nasdaq: FIXX), a genetic medicines company, announced today the peer-reviewed publication of data showing that AAVHSC16, one of the capsids in its family of 15 naturally occurring AAVHSCs, demonstrated low levels of tropism to the liver while maintaining robust distribution to the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral organs following a single I.V. administration in preclinical models. The Company believes that its unique properties, with high levels of tropism to the brain, heart and muscle, and no elevations in liver enzymes, could make AAVHSC16 an attractive capsid for new disease indications with Homologys genetic medicines platform.

Our ongoing efforts to fully characterize our family of 15 naturally occurring AAVHSCs as it relates to biodistribution, tissue tropism and the role different features of the capsids play, continues to reveal their unique profiles that allow us to best select capsids for different diseases, said Albert Seymour, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Homology Medicines. In the case of AAVHSC16 with its ability to reach key tissues without targeting the liver in preclinical models, we can potentially expand into additional disease areas where we want to deliver to the CNS, cardiac tissue, or muscle while avoiding exposure in the liver. By continuing to publish our discoveries about the unique structure and function of our AAVHSCs, we believe we can contribute to the fields greater understanding and development of AAV-based therapies that will ultimately benefit more patients.

Homologys AAVHSC capsids differ from each other by one to four amino acids, resulting in differences in biodistribution and transduction efficiencies. As described in the manuscript, AAVHSC16 has two unique amino acids, 501I and 706C, in addition to 505R that is shared across six AAVHSC serotypes. A series of experiments demonstrated that these amino acids contribute to AAVHSC16s unique properties, which include significantly reduced liver tropism compared to other AAVs, no liver enzyme elevations, and high tissue tropism to the CNS and other peripheral organs. Specifically, these data demonstrated:

Story continues

Naturally Occurring Variations in AAVHSC16 Alter Cellular Binding Affinity In Vitro

AAVHSC16 does not share the galactose (a type of glycan) binding feature of other AAVHSCs and Clade F AAVs in vitro. AAVHSC16 did not show improved binding or a difference in number of vector genomes (vgs) or eGFP expression in cells with terminally exposed galactose, while other AAVHSCs tested did.

The combination of the unique naturally occurring amino acids at positions 501I and 505R in AAVHSC16 were shown to contribute to reduced galactose-binding.

AAVHSC16 Has Significantly Reduced Liver Transduction in In Vivo and In Vitro Models, with High Tropism to other Tissues Following a Single I.V. Administration

In murine models, a single I.V. administration of AAVHSC16 showed significantly lower levels of liver tropism compared to AAVHSC15 and AAV9. The liver was the only organ with significant differences as AAVHSC16 demonstrated high levels of tropism to all other organs evaluated, including the brain, heart and muscle; these levels were comparable to those observed with AAVHSC15 and AAV9.

Further, in non-human primates (NHPs), a single I.V. administration of AAVHSC16 resulted in substantially lower liver expression than AAVHSC15, while maintaining high and equivalent levels of transduction in the brain, heart and muscle.

In vitro data also showed that AAVHSC16 led to lower expression in primary human liver cells compared to other tested wild type AAVHSCs and AAV9, and it revealed that AAVHSC16s 706 residue was the main contributor to this outcome.

AAVHSC16 Did Not Lead to Elevations in Liver Function Tests

In NHPs, a single I.V. administration of AAVHSC16 at 7E+13 and 1E+14 vg/kg doses did not result in elevated ALT (alanine transaminase) or AST (aspartate transferase) levels at any timepoint post-dose compared to baseline levels or vehicle-treated controls.

Comparing AAVHSC16 liver transduction and ALT and AST levels to AAV9 and other AAVHSCs further suggested that the lack of ALT and AST elevations with AAVHSC16 is associated with its lower liver tropism.

The publication, Natural Variations in AAVHSC16 Significantly Reduce Liver Tropism and Maintain Broad Distribution to Periphery and CNS, was peer-reviewed and published in the journal Molecular Therapy - Methods & Clinical Development. For more information, please click here or http://www.homologymedicines.com/publications.

About Homology Medicines, Inc.Homology Medicines, Inc. is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients suffering from rare diseases by addressing the underlying cause of the disease. The Companys clinical programs include HMI-102, an investigational gene therapy for adults with phenylketonuria (PKU); HMI-103, a gene editing candidate for PKU; and HMI-203, an investigational gene therapy for Hunter syndrome. Additional programs focus on metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and other diseases. Homologys proprietary platform is designed to utilize its family of 15 human hematopoietic stem cell-derived adeno-associated virus (AAVHSCs) vectors to precisely and efficiently deliver genetic medicines in vivo through a gene therapy or nuclease-free gene editing modality, as well as to deliver one-time gene therapy to produce antibodies throughout the body through the GTx-mAb platform. Homology has a management team with a successful track record of discovering, developing and commercializing therapeutics with a focus on rare diseases. Homology believes its initial clinical data and compelling preclinical data, scientific and product development expertise and broad intellectual property position the Company as a leader in genetic medicines. For more information, visit http://www.homologymedicines.com.

Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the potential to expand the application of AAVHSC16 to other disease areas; our expectations surrounding the potential, safety, and efficacy of our product candidates; the potential of our gene therapy and gene editing platforms; and our position as a leader in the development of genetic medicines. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations, including our preclinical studies and clinical trials, and on general economic conditions; we have and expect to continue to incur significant losses; our need for additional funding, which may not be available; failure to identify additional product candidates and develop or commercialize marketable products; the early stage of our development efforts; potential unforeseen events during clinical trials could cause delays or other adverse consequences; risks relating to the regulatory approval process; interim, topline and preliminary data may change as more patient data become available, and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data; our product candidates may cause serious adverse side effects; inability to maintain our collaborations, or the failure of these collaborations; our reliance on third parties, including for the manufacture of materials for our research programs, preclinical and clinical studies; failure to obtain U.S. or international marketing approval; ongoing regulatory obligations; effects of significant competition; unfavorable pricing regulations, third-party reimbursement practices or healthcare reform initiatives; product liability lawsuits; securities class action litigation; failure to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel; the possibility of system failures or security breaches; risks relating to intellectual property; risks associated with international operations, such as political and economic instability, including in light of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine; and significant costs incurred as a result of operating as a public company. These and other important factors discussed under the caption Risk Factors in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent managements estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.

Company Contacts:Theresa McNeelyChief Communications Officer and Patient Advocatetmcneely@homologymedicines.com781-301-7277

Media Contact:Cara Mayfield Vice President, Patient Advocacy and Corporate Communications cmayfield@homologymedicines.com 781-691-3510

Here is the original post:
Homology Medicines Announces Peer-Reviewed Publication on Novel Discovery of AAVHSC with Robust Distribution to the Central Nervous System and...

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Homology Medicines Announces Peer-Reviewed Publication on Novel Discovery of AAVHSC with Robust Distribution to the Central Nervous System and… | July 8th, 2022

Clusters of the earliest hematopoietic cells being born in the walls of the umbilical artery of a mouse embryo. The cells colored in red represent embryonic multipotent progenitor cells (eMPPs). Credit: Sachin H. Patel/Boston Childrens Hospital

Barcoding studies discovered two independent sources for blood cells in mice. If confirmed in humans, our understanding of blood cancers, bone marrow transplants, and the aging immune system will change.

The origins of our blood may not be quite what we thought. Using cellular barcoding in mice, groundbreaking research finds that blood cells originate not from one type of mother cell, but two, with potential implications for blood cancers, bone marrow transplant, and immunology. Fernando Camargo, PhD, of the Stem Cell Program at Boston Childrens Hospital led the study, published in the journal Nature on June 15, 2022.

Historically, people have believed that most of our blood comes from a very small number of cells that eventually become blood stem cells, also known as hematopoietic stem cells, says Camargo, who is also a member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and a professor at Harvard University. We were surprised to find another group of progenitor cells that do not come from stem cells. They make most of the blood in fetal life until young adulthood, and then gradually start decreasing.

The researchers are now following up to see if the findings also apply to humans. If so, these cells, known as embryonic multipotent progenitor cells (eMPPs), could potentially inform new treatments for boosting aging peoples immune systems. They could also shed new light on blood cancers, especially those in children, and help make bone marrow transplants more effective.

Camargos team applied a barcoding technique they developed several years ago. Using either an enzyme known as transposase or CRISPR gene editing, they inserted unique genetic sequences into embryonic mouse cells in such a way that all the cells descended from them also carried those sequences. This enabled the team to track the emergence of all the different types of blood cells and where they came from, all the way to adulthood.

Previously, people didnt have these tools, says Camargo. Also, the idea that stem cells give rise to all the blood cells was so embedded in the field that no one attempted to question it. By tracking what happened in mice over time, we were able to see new biology.

Through barcoding, the researchers found that eMPPs, as compared with blood stem cells, are a more abundant source of most lymphoid cells important to the immune responses, such as B cells and T cells. Camargo believes the decrease in eMPPs that they observed with age may explain why peoples immunity weakens as they get older.

Were now trying to understand why these cells peter out in middle age, which could potentially allow us to manipulate them with the goal of rejuvenating the immune system, says Camargo.

In theory, there could be two approaches: extending the life of eMPP cells, perhaps through growth factors or immune signaling molecules, or treating blood stem cells with gene therapy or other approaches to make them more like eMPPs.

Camargo is also excited about the potential implications for better understanding and treating blood cancers. For example, myeloid leukemias, striking mostly older people, affect myeloid blood cells such as granulocytes and monocytes. Camargo thinks these leukemias may originate from blood stem cells, and that leukemias in children, which are mostly lymphoid leukemias, may originate from eMPPs.

We are following up to try to understand the consequences of mutations that lead to leukemia by looking at their effects in both blood stem cells and eMPPs in mice, he says. We want to see if the leukemias that arise from these different cells of origin are different lymphoid-like or myeloid-like.

Finally, the recognition that there are two types of mother cells in the blood could revolutionize bone marrow transplant.

When we tried to do bone marrow transplants in mice, we found that the eMPPs didnt engraft well; they only lasted a few weeks, says Camargo. If we could add a few genes to get eMPPs to engraft long term, they could potentially be a better source for a bone marrow transplant. They are more common in younger marrow donors than blood stem cells, and they are primed to produce lymphoid cells, which could lead to better reconstitution of the immune system and fewer infection complications after the graft.

Reference: Lifelong multilineage contribution by embryonic-born blood progenitors by Sachin H. Patel, Constantina Christodoulou, Caleb Weinreb, Qi Yu, Edroaldo Lummertz da Rocha, Brian J. Pepe-Mooney, Sarah Bowling, Li Li, Fernando G. Osorio, George Q. Daley and Fernando D. Camargo, 15 June 2022, Nature.DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04804-z

Sachin H. Patel, MD, PhD, of the Stem Cell Program (now at University of California San Francisco) and Constantina Christodoulou, PhD (now at Bristol Myers Squibb) were co-first authors on the paper. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (HL128850-01A1, P01HL13147), the Evans MDS Foundation, the Alex Lemonade Foundation, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The authors declare no competing interests.

See the article here:
The Origins of Our Blood May Not Be What We Thought - SciTechDaily

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on The Origins of Our Blood May Not Be What We Thought – SciTechDaily | June 30th, 2022

Srinagar, June 29: In a recent case, doctors at HCMCT Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka successfully treated a 9-year-old patient from Iraq who was suffering from a rare disease called Diamond Blackfan anemia presenting as aplastic anaemia.

She presented with low hemoglobin, low platelets, and low TLC. The team led by Dr. Divya Bansal successfully performed a bone marrow transplant where the donor was the patients 3-year-old sister.

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a rare blood disorder that occurs when the bone marrow fails to make red blood cells, which are essential for carrying oxygen from the lungs to all the other parts of the body. In this case, the patient had a extremely rare presentation of Diamond Blackfan anemia, where her bone marrow was suppressed and she had low hemoglobin, platelets, and TLC.

This was a challenging case as she was platelet transfusion refractory; no matter how many platelets she was given, her platelet count did not rise, and she was bleeding profusely from the nose and mouth, which was life threatening. Transplant in this condition was particularly challenging, as conditioning therapy, which is given before donor stem cell infusion, further depletes the platelets.

Speaking about this case, Dr. Divya Bansal, Consultant of Clinical Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, HCMCT Manipal Hospital, Dwarka said, "This was a different case, the little girl was brought to us with a history of weakness and bleeding from the nose and mouth. We evaluated her further and found that she had congenital bone marrow failure syndrome, diamond blackfan anemia. There was a high PNH clone (paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria), which is another uncommon condition in the general population and even more so in children. She had a congenital cause as well as an acquired cause for aplastic anemia. Luckily, one of her sisters, who was just 3 years old, turned out to be a 100% HLA match for a bone marrow transplant. However, the difference between donor weight and recipient weight was very wide. The recipient was around 40 kg, and the donor was around 12 kg. Generally, a 10% weight difference is accepted. The protocol is that when you have a major weight difference, then the stem cell collection is done in two settings. But due to the time factor, we had to do it in one sitting only."

The patient contracted a dreadful infection at an early stage of the transplant. However, with the assistance of experienced experts and cutting-edge technology at Manipal Hospitals, the patient was successfully treated, and she was engrafted on day 14 of the transplant, and the chimerism was performed on the 30th day. She is now 100 percent donor chimerism, which means that all the cells in her body are from the donor. This was a success story for us because it was a rare disease with exceedingly rare complications and presentation but was done successfully.

More:
9-year-old Iraqi girl diagnosed with rare blood disorder successfully treated at HCMCT Manipal Hospitals - Rising Kashmir

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on 9-year-old Iraqi girl diagnosed with rare blood disorder successfully treated at HCMCT Manipal Hospitals – Rising Kashmir | June 30th, 2022

Stem Cell Therapy Market Is Expected To Reach USD455.61 Billion By 2027 At A CAGR Of 16 percent.

Maximize Market Research has published a report on theStem Cell Therapy Marketthat provides a detailed analysis for the forecast period of 2022 to 2027.

Stem Cell Therapy Market Scope:

The report provides comprehensive market insights for industry stakeholders, including an explanation of complicated market data in simple language, the industrys history and present situation, as well as expected market size and trends. The research investigates all industry categories, with an emphasis on key companies such as market leaders, followers, and new entrants. The paper includes a full PESTLE analysis for each country. A thorough picture of the competitive landscape of major competitors in the Stem Cell Therapy market by goods and services, revenue, financial situation, portfolio, growth plans, and geographical presence makes the study an investors guide.

To Get A Copy Of The Sample of the Stem Cell Therapy Market, Click Here:https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sample/522

Stem Cell Therapy Market Overview:

Stem cells, which are the most important in the body, exist in both humans and animals. Stem cells, which may multiply and grow into almost any cell type in the body, are employed in surgery and medicine. There are two types of stem cells: adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are stem cells derived from human embryos (ESCs). They are pluripotent, which means they can develop into practically any type of cell in the body. Regenerative medicine or cornerstone treatment are other terms for stem cell therapy. Regenerative medicines can restore cells and replace those that have been damaged or killed.

Mesenchymal stem cells may penetrate and integrate into different organs, heal cardiovascular, lung, and spinal cord injuries, and ameliorate the condition of autoimmune illnesses, liver disorders, and bone and cartilage diseases. Stem cells are an effective therapy option for infections induced by inflammation, immune system failure, or tissue degradation.

Stem Cell Therapy MarketDynamics:

The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine, notably in dermatology, is likely to drive significant growth in the global Stem Cell Therapy Market during the forecasted period. Additionally, increased oncology use, as a result of a large number of pipeline medications under development for the treatment of tumors or malignancies, would move the market ahead. The stem cell business is expected to flourish in the future as the number of regenerative medicine clinics increases. Moreover, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases has assisted the growth of the stem cell treatment sector.

Long work hours, a lack of physical activity, and unhealthy eating and drinking habits all lead to the development of chronic diseases and need stem cell therapy. Moreover, the growing death rate from chronic diseases throughout the world is expected to propel the worldwide Stem Cell Therapy Market ahead. Additionally, the growing popularity of personalized pharmaceuticals is driving the worldwide Stem Cell Therapy Market. Researchers have identified new procurement strategies that can be used to generate personalized pharmaceuticals.

Because stem cells are generated by killing human embryos, they raise several ethical concerns. Human embryos are recognized as potential life, and eliminating them, even if they can save a human life, is considered immoral. Concerns about using embryonic stem cells to develop stem cell therapies are restricting the global market growth.

To get more Report Details, Click here:https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/market-report/stem-cell-therapy-market/522/

Stem Cell Therapy MarketRegional Insights:

The market for stem cell treatment was dominated by North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. This geographical segments significant share of the stem cell therapy market can be attributed to increased public-private financing and research grants for producing safe and effective stem cell treatment products, as well as the growing number of clinical trials, as well as North Americas major share of the stem cell therapy market with increased sales of stem cell therapy.

Stem Cell Therapy MarketSegmentation:

By Treatment:

By Therapeutic Application:

By Cell Source:

By End users:

Stem Cell Therapy Market Key Competitors:

About Maximize Market Research:

Maximize Market Research is a multifaceted market research and consulting company with professionals from several industries. Some of the industries we cover include medical devices, pharmaceutical manufacturers, science and engineering, electronic components, industrial equipment, technology and communication, cars and automobiles, chemical products and substances, general merchandise, beverages, personal care, and automated systems. To mention a few, we provide market-verified industry estimations, technical trend analysis, crucial market research, strategic advice, competition analysis, production and demand analysis, and client impact studies.

Contact Maximize Market Research:

3rd Floor, Navale IT Park, Phase 2

Pune Banglore Highway, Narhe,

Pune, Maharashtra 411041, India

[emailprotected]

+91 96071 95908, +91 9607365656

More here:
Stem Cell Therapy Market Is Expected To Reach USD 455.61 Billion By 2027 At A CAGR Of 16 percent By Forecast 2027 Says Maximize Market Research (MMR)...

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Stem Cell Therapy Market Is Expected To Reach USD 455.61 Billion By 2027 At A CAGR Of 16 percent By Forecast 2027 Says Maximize Market Research (MMR)… | June 30th, 2022

Salvatore Viscomi always wanted to be involved in a science fiction project and he found one.

Viscomi is the chief medical officer of GoodCell, a Massachusetts-based startup where people can bank their own white blood cells with a simple blood draw. Labs can then tweak those cells to become what are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Already sounds like the premise of a novella, right? Well those iPSCs are where things get really fantastical: those cells can become any type of cell in the human body.

There lies in the therapy, Viscomi, who initially was involved in GoodCell as an investor and advisor before becoming CMO, tells Freethink.

Specific white blood cells can be turned into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) cells which can become any type of cell in the body.

The new stem cells could be made into pancreatic cells to treat diabetes, blood cells to replace those ravaged by leukemia, or neurons to treat brain disorders, according to UCLAs Broad Stem Cell Research Center.

While the white blood cells that can become iPSCs called peripheral blood mononuclear cells, or PBMCs can come from donors or the patients own bone marrow, both have drawbacks.

Donor cells, like any transplant, may require immunosuppression to prevent rejection, which can leave recipients vulnerable to infections. (A particularly acute issue now, with the invisible war with pathogens going hot all around us.)

And extracting cells from the bone marrow involves anesthesia and long needles nothing near as simple as a blood draw.

Now, we dont have to make that difficult decision, Viscomi says.

Finding your potential: Human iPSCs were first created in Japan in 2007. Kyoto University researcher Shinya Yamanaka received a Nobel Prize for his work with University of Cambridges John B. Gurdon, which discovered how to turn adult cells back into stem cells.

According to a recent article by Yamanaka, as of September 2020, clinical trials of iPSC therapies are currently in the works for Parkinsons, heart failure, spinal cord injury, macular degeneration a very common vision disorder in those over 50 and cancer immunotherapy, among sundry others.

There are, however, challenges to be overcome before iPSCs can find their way to patients.

As of September 2020, clinical trials of iPSC therapies are currently in the works for Parkinsons, heart failure, and spinal cord injury, among sundry others.

There is the potential that the stem cells will proliferate beyond what we want them to, leading to tumors. The body may reject even its own stem cells, with conflicting experiments in mice finding possible evidence of rejection, possibly due to abnormal expression of genes in the new cells.

Theres another challenge as well: the ability to crank out enough iPSCs needed for therapies to be practical.

Despite all of that, however, pluripotent stem cells like iPSCs provide unprecedented opportunities for cell therapies against intractable diseases and injuries, Yamanaka wrote.

Banking on yourself: Banking your cells ahead of time can help ensure the cells are as young and healthy as possible, as they do deteriorate with age, Viscomi says.

To bank your own cells, GoodCell requires a 40cc blood draw, the minimum amount required for producing enough iPSCs. Customers receive a draw kit from GoodCell, which they can take to a lab their current partner is Quest or have a phlebotomist do it at home.

That sample is sent to GoodCells laboratory, where the white blood cells that can become iPSCs are isolated, extracted, and slowly frozen (to avoid damaging them).

Theyre stored at really super cold temperatures, Viscomi says. Its a slow freezing process, really kind of a proprietary way of storing them in the best way we know today in terms of keeping them viable.

GoodCell stores the white blood cells for potential use in future stem cell therapies.

If members request it, the company can also run genetic tests for heritable conditions on the material in the sample, which they will test for actionable conditions only, Viscomi says. Tests for non-heritable genetic changes are currently being developed.

Were taking a really comprehensive look at personalized medicine, Viscomi says.

Because of the potentially sensitive nature of the samples, all uses of the patients data must be opted in to, Viscomi says, while the stem cells banks themselves are hardened, bunkers outfitted with cameras, backup power supplies, and designed to resist natural disasters. The privacy systems were tested across a two year beta period.

GoodCell officially began offering personal stem cell banking services on June 6.

Wed love to hear from you! If you have a comment about this article or if you have a tip for a future Freethink story, please email us at tips@freethink.com.

Read the original:
This startup wants you to have a personal stem cell stash - Freethink

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on This startup wants you to have a personal stem cell stash – Freethink | June 30th, 2022

The parents of a 12-year-old boy who's on life support are appealing the decision of the UK Royal Courts of Justice to remove his oxygen and other life-sustaining treatment. They're taking their case to a Court of Appeal hearing in London on Wednesday.

As CBN News reported earlier this month, Family Division of the High Court Judge Emma Arbuthnot ruled "on the balance of probabilities" Archie Battersbee had already died after doctors told the court "it was highly likely" he was "brain stem dead."

Archie's mother and father, Holly Dance and Paul Battersbee are trying to give their son every chance at life after he was found unconscious on April 7 with a cord around his neck. He reportedly had participated in what is believed to be an online blackout challenge, according to watchdog Christian Concern.

The boy has remained on life support at the Royal London Hospital and has not regained consciousness.

Judge Arbuthnot ordered, "Medical professionals at the Royal London Hospital (1) to cease to ventilate mechanically Archie Battersbee; (2) to extubate Archie Battersbee; (3) to cease the administration of medication to Archie Battersbee, and (4) not to attempt any cardio or pulmonary resuscitation on Archie Battersbee when cardiac output ceases or respiratory effort ceases."

"The steps I have set out above are lawful," the judge contended. But she also gave Archie's mother and father, Holly Dance and Paul Battersbee permission to appeal her ruling.

Arbuthnot said there was a "compelling reason" why appeal judges should consider the case, according to ITV News.

According to Christian Concern, this is believed to be the first time that someone in the UK has been declared 'likely' to be dead based on an MRI test.

At a High Court hearing about Archie's case on June 20, Christian Legal Centre attorney Edward Devereux QC argued that evidence should instead show 'beyond reasonable doubt', as in criminal proceedings, that Archie is dead, rather than using a balance of probabilities test.

Archie's parents have been fighting a legal battle to give their son more time and to allow him to have more medical tests to assess whether his condition improves before making the decision about withdrawing his life support.

In a statement, Archie's mother, Hollie, and sister-in-law, Ella Carter, asked: "If Archie can be pronounced dead via an MRI, which is outside the bounds of the law, then what's going to be next?"

They also thanked everyone for the support the family has received from around the world.

"Archie's words, if he was sitting next to me right now, would be 'it melts my heart' and I'll use those words now, because everyone's support does melt my heart. So, thank you and please continue to support us in this fight," the statement said.

Proof of Life?

Archie's parents say a video of him gripping his mother's fingers is proof that he's still alive and his brain is functioning.

But his doctors believe there's no hope for the boy to recover since they believe his brain stem is dead. Scans reportedly show blood is not flowing to the area, according to Sky News. The stem lies at the base of the brain above the spinal cord. It is responsible for regulating most of the body's automatic functions essential for life. Doctors previously said Archie's stem is 50% damaged and that 10% to 20% of the stem is in necrosis where cells have died and/or are decaying.

***Please sign up forCBN Newslettersand download theCBN News appto ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

Lawyers for the Barts Health NHS Trust said that doctors have repeatedly recreated the moment of the boy holding a clinician's hand, but the hospital workers said it was just "friction" not a grip, which the doctors say is consistent with muscle stiffness.

Eminent Pediatric Neurologist Testified About Cases of Persons Diagnosed as 'Brain Dead' Who Later Recovered

Dr. D. Alan Shewmon, M.D., professor emeritus of Neurology and Pediatrics at the University of California, gave expert testimony about numerous documented cases where persons diagnosed as 'brain dead' subsequently recovered.

When asked whether there was sufficient evidence for a reliable diagnosis of death in Archie's case, Shewmon replied, "Absolutely not."

An online petition to the hospital's chief executive officer has been created to ask that legal action be withdrawn in Archie's case. So far, more than 89,000 people have signed it.

A GoFundMe page has also been set up on the boy's behalf. So far, the account has raised 29,042 GBP (or approximately $35,479 in U.S. dollars).

Archie's mom told Christian Concern earlier this month that the judge's ruling that he's "likely" to be dead is not good enough.

"Basing this judgment on an MRI test and that he is 'likely' to be dead, is not good enough. This is believed to be the first time that someone has been declared 'likely' to be dead based on an MRI test," she explained.

"The medical expert opinion presented in Court was clear in that the whole concept of 'brain death' is now discredited, and in any event, Archie cannot be reliably diagnosed as brain-dead," Dance continued.

She reiterated that she does not believe her son has been given enough time to heal.

"I do not believe Archie has been given enough time. From the beginning, I have always thought 'why the rush?' His heart is still beating, he has gripped my hand, and as his mother, I know he is still in there," she noted.

"Until it's God's way, I won't accept he should go. I know of miracles when people have come back from being brain dead," Dance said.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said in a statement that Archie's case has raised "significant moral, legal and medical questions as to when a person is dead."

"Archie's parents believe that the time and manner of his death should be determined by God and claim a right to pray for a miracle until and unless that happens. That belief must be respected. The ideology of 'dignity in death', meaning a planned time of death as fixed and carried out by the doctors, should not be brutally imposed on families who do not believe in it," Williams said.

"We will continue to stand with the family as they appeal the ruling and continue to pray for a miracle," she concluded.

View post:
Parents of 12-Year-Old Boy Praying for a Miracle, Appealing UK Judge's Decision to Remove Life Support - CBN.com

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Parents of 12-Year-Old Boy Praying for a Miracle, Appealing UK Judge’s Decision to Remove Life Support – CBN.com | June 30th, 2022

The end of Roe v. Wade will not only jeopardize access to abortion in many states, it could have wide-ranging and unpredictable consequences for medical care, including fertility treatment, contraception, and cancer care.

This post-Roe world will be, in many ways, a new era for medical care in the United States, one that could transform medical services for conditions that range far beyond pregnancy, either by making them illegal or by putting their legality in question.

The consequences are unpredictable. Michelle Banker, director of reproductive rights and health litigation at the National Womens Law Center, told me in an interview before Fridays decision that the effect on other types of health care will depend upon the answers to open and untested questions in US courts. Some of it will rest on how judges will interpret new state abortion bans. States could also be emboldened by the Supreme Courts ruling to pass new legislation that restricts other medical services.

History would suggest places that outlaw abortion tend to have less access to other reproductive care as well. In Ireland, which only recently legalized abortion, there is still less access to in vitro fertilization and certain contraceptives than in the rest of Europe, even after abortion became legal. In the US, a health system that is already fractured will become even more so, limiting access to medical care particularly for marginalized patients. Whether you can get certain health care services may be predicated on where you live (or whether you can afford to travel).

The breadth of the potential health care consequences is so broad, Banker said. The first place to start is this is going to result in the death of pregnant people.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rates among wealthy nations; Black Americans have a significantly higher mortality rate than anywhere else in the developed world. The risk of death from carrying a pregnancy to term is much higher than the risk of death from undergoing an abortion. One estimate puts the number of forced birth in the first year after Roe is overturned at 75,000; the maternal mortality rate in the US is about 1 in 10,000.

The impact the end of Roe could have on pregnancy care could reach much further. As the Atlantics Sarah Zhang wrote, pregnant women undergo genetic and other tests throughout their pregnancy, meant to assess the health of the fetus and identify any anomalies that could be fatal or life-altering. In some cases, parents who learn about these anomalies choose abortion. But that may no longer be so simple if abortion is now outlawed or severely limited. Decisions about whether to get genetic testing and when could be affected.

By the same token, most abortion bans would carve out exceptions if the health of the mother were in jeopardy. But whether a complication represents a life-threatening risk to the mothers health is in part a judgment call on the part of her doctor and the possibility of legal consequences could make the cost of mistakes much higher.

At the very least, there may well be a chilling effect due to providers and patients uncertainty as to whether treatment could expose them to civil or criminal liability, Banker said.

Fetal personhood laws that convey constitutional protections to unborn fetuses would further limit a pregnant persons choices in medical care. Several states have attempted to pass such a law, but they have thus far been held up by the courts. This new post-Roe jurisprudence could embolden those states and others to put such measures into place. Law enforcement or private citizens, depending on the state law, could bring complaints. The recently signed Texas law, for example, deputizes private citizens by creating a financial incentive for them to take civil action against people who seek or provide abortions.

Or, in a less extreme example, what happens if a pregnant person is also receiving cancer treatment or taking mental health medication that could affect the health of their fetus? If they stop receiving that medical care, their health could be in danger. But if they continue to receive it, the fetus could be affected. What are they and their doctor supposed to do?

The laws that criminalize abortion are going to impact medical decision-making, and thats terrifying, Banker said.

Supporters of abortion rights fear that, unchained by the Supreme Court, states could push deeper and deeper into the lives of pregnant women and the decisions they make about how to conduct themselves.

People have been arrested for substance use during pregnancy, based on reasoning that they are harming the growth of the pregnancy. Tennessee passed the first law permitting the prosecution of pregnant women who use drugs. That alone is objectionable to people who oppose a criminalized approach to substance use. But they also worry that such laws are just the tip of the iceberg in a post-Roe reality. Could a pregnant woman be charged with a crime if she drinks a glass of wine? Or if she goes on a hiking trip that a complainant thinks would imperil the health of her fetus?

These questions will be answered by the specifics of state laws and the discretion of prosecutors in different places. But they are questions that were unfathomable just a few months ago.

How far down this path could states go? said Elizabeth Nash, who tracks state policy at the Guttmacher Institute, in an interview before Fridays Supreme Court ruling. That might sound a bit far-fetched to people but we have seen states take drastic actions in relation for some pregnant people.

Beyond medical care during pregnancy, the end of Roe could usher in a wave of new restrictions on access to contraception and fertility treatment.

The right to contraception is currently upheld by two previous Supreme Court decisions: Griswold v. Connecticut enshrined the right for married people and Eisenstadt v. Baird did the same for unmarried people.

But the current Court is clearly not bound by those precedents if they are willing to overturn Roe v. Wade. And some prominent Republicans, such as Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), have referred to those prior court decisions as constitutionally unsound in the days since the Alito draft leaked.

That puts case law in jeopardy because it relies on this idea that rights not specifically named in the Constitution are only entitled to special protection if they are deeply rooted in the nations traditions, Banker said.

Other experts I spoke to agreed. The stage is very much set for state legislators to ban contraception if they want to, Sean Tipton, who works on policy issues at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, told me before the Supreme Court ruled.

Would state legislators want to ban condoms or even birth control pills? Maybe not. But new laws or even state abortion bans could target other kinds of birth control.

Many of these states want to define the beginning of life as early as possible in the biological process. Oklahoma, for one, passed a law that recognized an unborn childs life as beginning at fertilization. Other states describe the moment of conception. But, as Tipton pointed out, the early stages of pregnancy are, medically speaking, a process. There is not a single moment of conception.

But if states define life in such a way, then contraceptives that could prevent a fertilized egg from becoming implanted could be under threat.

IUDs and the morning-after pill would be threatened under such a legal regime. In the vast majority of cases, IUDs work by preventing fertilization: the sperm and the egg never meet in the first place. But they also might prevent implantation under certain circumstances. There is also some controversy about whether Plan B, the morning-after pill, prevents fertilization in the first place or whether it blocks the implantation of a fertilized egg. The latter could arguably be illegal in states that recognize life at fertilization. Lawmakers in Idaho, for example, announced hearings on whether to ban emergency contraceptives and possibly IUDs before the Supreme Court had even issued its final ruling.

Then there are fertility treatments particularly in vitro fertilization that depend on fostering a larger number of eggs but typically only use a small number of them. If an embryo is conferred the same rights as a toddler, are those procedures suddenly illegal?

As Tipton put it to me, what if a doctor puts 199 embryos in a freezer for IVF treatment, and 198 of them come out of the freezer okay? Does that mean a homicide has been committed? he said.

Experts imagine other possible restrictions on procedures like IVF, particularly in states that define life as beginning at conception or fertilization. That alone could put IVF in legal jeopardy. States could also institute new restrictions on those procedures, now that the right to privacy has been redefined. Maybe the number of embryos could be limited. Maybe state legislators restrict which people are allowed to avail themselves of those services to only straight married couples, for example.

And while there is a tension between ostensibly pro-life politicians restricting access to fertility care, there is an expectation that anti-abortion advocates would be willing to let these medical services be collateral damage in order to achieve the goal of outlawing abortion.

Most right-to-life proponents are not interested in doing anything to hurt fertility patients, Tipton said. But theyre very willing to throw those patients under the bus to end abortion.

The new jurisprudence could also affect access to health care that has nothing to do with pregnancy or reproduction, experts say.

Medical care for people undergoing a gender transition would be one possible casualty. The decision in particular puts gender-affirming care in its crosshairs, Banker said.

In the opinion, Alito cited a 1974 decision, Geduldig v. Aiello, that takes what Banker calls a very narrow and cramped view of what constitutes sex discrimination. For Alitos purposes, that narrow view of sex discrimination supports the argument that banning abortion would not constitute discrimination against pregnant people on the basis of sex.

But Banker says the same logic could be applied to gender-affirming health care such as surgery or hormonal treatments. If the Supreme Courts definition of sex discrimination is now much narrower than it used to be, then opponents of those services could argue that denying a person gender-affirming medical care is not actually discriminatory.

Those arguments are easily refuted under modern precedent, Banker told me. But the drafts language and citation to Geduldig raises concerns that we may see those arguments gain more traction.

Old battles over medical research or treatment could also resurface, Tipton said. Modern science has developed treatments for spinal cord injuries, myelofibrosis, and even certain cancers by relying on stem cells. More treatments are in clinical trials right now. But their prospects could be compromised if access to those materials is limited. Some stem cells are collected from adult body tissue, but others come from embryos.

Much of this will depend on how aggressive anti-abortion advocates decide to be, and on the success of abortion rights advocates in mounting a political and legal response to a ruling overturning Roe.

But it will undoubtedly be a new era for health care in the United States, with potentially devastating consequences for patients with a wide array of medical needs.

Originally posted here:
The end of Roe v. Wade affects more than just abortion - Vox.com

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on The end of Roe v. Wade affects more than just abortion – Vox.com | June 30th, 2022

Global Surgical Mesh Market Is Estimated To Be Valued At US$ 1.29 Bn In 2022, And Is Forecast To Surpass US$ 2.2 Bn Valuation By The End Of 2032

Sales of surgical meshes are expected to account for more than 21 Mn units by 2032-end, owing to their increasing application in untapped markets, says a Fact.MR analyst.

Fact.MR A Market Research and Competitive Intelligence Provider: The global surgical mesh market is estimated to exceed a valuation of US$ 1.29 Bn in 2022, and expand at a significant CAGR of 5.5% by value over the assessment period (2022-2032).

The availability of surgical meshes in absorbable and non-absorbable forms has expanded their application for temporary as well as permanent reinforcement. In recent years, demand for surgical meshes has escalated in aiding breast reconstruction as they reduce the exposure risk of the implant. Increasing health literacy in North America and Europe will create ample opportunities for surgical mesh manufacturers over the coming years.

Sedentary lifestyle and increasing obesity among the population have resulted in several chronic health issues. The consequent weakening of the muscles extends space for organ prolapse and hernia. Putting these organs back in place by stitching the muscles together can result in muscle tearing and the recurrence of prolapse. However, reinforcing the weakened muscles with the help of a surgical mesh has shown to decrease recurrence and increase the longevity of the repair.

For more insights into the Market, Get A Sample of this Report!

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=6632

Key Takeaways from Market Study

Winning Strategy

To attract new customers, market players are focusing on portfolio enhancement. Robust investments in R&D are driving product innovation for key market players. Meshes inhibiting the growth of bacterial films and preventing tissue adhesions are luring new consumers. Collaboration of manufacturers with scientific personnel and operating surgeons have enabled bespoke designing of meshes to best fit patients needs.

Manufacturers are also aiming for portfolio expansion through acquisition and partnerships. Partnering with companies that offer a well-aligned portfolio has significantly increased consumer penetration for key manufacturers. However, augmenting relations with local players and operating surgeons will be a key determinant of the products commercial success.

For Comprehensive Insights Ask An Analyst Here

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=6632

Scientific collaborations and robust R&D investments have also guided product innovation and became a common strategic approach adopted by leading surgical mesh manufacturing companies to upscale their market presence.

For instance:

Surgical Mesh Industry Research by Category

Surgical Mesh Market by Product Type:

Surgical Mesh Market by Nature:

Surgical Mesh Market by Surgical Access:

Surgical Mesh Market by Use Case:

Surgical Mesh Market by Raw Material:

Surgical Mesh Market by Region:

Get Customization on this Report for Specific Research Solutions

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=6632

More Valuable Insights on Offer

Fact.MR, in its new offering, presents an unbiased analysis of the global surgical mesh market, presenting historical market data (2017-2021) and forecast statistics for the period of 2022-2032.

The study reveals essential insights on the basis of product type (synthetic, biosynthetic, biologic, hybrid/composite), nature of mesh (absorbable, non-absorbable, partially absorbable), surgical access (open surgery, laparoscopic surgery), use case (hernia repair, pelvic floor disorder treatment, breast reconstruction, others), and raw material (polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, polyglycolic acid, decellularized dermis/ECM, others), across seven major regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia & ASEAN, Oceania, MEA).

Fact. MRs Domain Knowledge in Healthcare Division

Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations of the highly seasoned healthcare team at Fact.MR helps clients from across the globe with their unique business intelligence needs

With a repertoire of over thousand reports and 1 million-plus data points, the team has analysed the healthcare domain across 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides unmatched end-to-end research and consulting services.

Check out more studies related to Healthcare Industry, conducted by Fact.MR:

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Market - Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Market Analysis, By Cell Type (Vascular Cells, Cardiac Cells, Neuronal Cells, Liver Cells, Immune Cells), By Research Method (Cellular Reprogramming, Cell Culture, Cell Differentiation, Cell Analysis, Cellular Engineering), By Application (Drug Development & Toxicology Testing, Academic Research, Regenerative Medicine) - Global Market Insights 2022 to 2026

Newborn Screening Market -Newborn Screening Market by Product (Newborn Screening Instruments, Consumables), by Test Type (Dry Blood Spot Tests, Hearing Tests, Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) Screening Tests), by Technology (Immunoassays & Enzymatic Screening Tests, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Molecular Assays, Hearing Screening Technologies, Pulse Oximetry, Others), by End User (Clinical Laboratories, Hospitals) and by Region- 2022 to 2032

Doxorubicin Market - Doxorubicin Market Analysis, By Formulation (Lyophilized Doxorubicin Powder, Doxorubicin Solution), By Cancer Type (Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Lung Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Stomach Cancer, Leukemia), By Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, e-Commerce) - Global Market Insights 2022 to 2026

Microplate Systems Market - Microplate Systems Market By Product (Readers, Pipetting Systems & Dispensers, Washers), By End User (Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, Hospitals & Diagnostic Laboratories, Research Institutes, Academic Institutes) & Region - Global Market Insights 2022 to 2026

Drug Discovery Services Market - Drug Discovery Services Market Analysis by Process (Target Selection, Target Validation, Hit-To-Lead Identification, Lead Optimization and Candidate Validation), by Type (Medicinal Chemistry, Biology Services, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics) Region Forecast- 2022-2032

Lab Automation Market - Lab Automation Market by Product (Equipment, Microplate Readers, Software & Informatics, Automated ELISA Systems, Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Systems), by Application (Drug Discovery, Clinical Diagnostics, Genomics Solutions, Proteomics Solutions), & Region - Forecast to 2021-2031

Animal Model Market - Animal Model Market Analysis by Species (Rats, Mice, Guinea Pig, Rabbits, Monkeys, Dogs, Pigs, Cats, and Other Species), by Application (Basic & Applied Research and Drug Discovery/Development) and Region Forecast- 2022-2032

Blood Flow Measurement Devices Market - Blood Flow Measurement Devices Market Analysis by Product (Ultrasound - Doppler Ultrasound, Transit time Flow Meters (TTFM), Laser Doppler), Application (Non-invasive - Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Dermatology, Invasive - CABG, Microvascular Surgery), by Region - Global Forecast 2022-2032

Contrast Media Injectors Market - Contrast Media Injectors Market by Product (Consumables, Injector Systems, Accessories), Application (Radiology, Interventional Radiology, Interventional Cardiology), End-User (Hospitals, Diagnostic Imaging Centers), & Regional Analysis till 2032

Preclinical Imaging Market - Preclinical Imaging Market Analysis By Product (Modality, and Reagents), and Region Forecast- 2022-2032

About Us:

Market research and consulting agency with a difference! Thats why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Our sales offices in United States and Dublin, Ireland. Headquarter based in Dubai, UAE. Reach out to us with your goals, and well be an able research partner.

Contact:

Mahendra SinghUS Sales Office:11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852Email: sales@factmr.comTel: +1 (628) 251-158

Read this article:
Technical Advancements & Innovative Products Likely to Expand Application of Surgical Meshes in Untapped Domains, States Fact.MR - BioSpace

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Technical Advancements & Innovative Products Likely to Expand Application of Surgical Meshes in Untapped Domains, States Fact.MR – BioSpace | June 30th, 2022

A paper recently published in the journal Biomaterials reviewed the new advances in three-dimensional bioprinting (3DBP) for regenerative therapy in different organ systems.

Study:Advances in 3D bioprinting of tissues/organs for regenerative medicine and in-vitro models. Image Credit:luchschenF/Shutterstock.com

Organ/tissue shortage has emerged as a significant challenge in the medical field due to patient immune rejections and donor scarcity. Moreover, mimicking or predicting the human disease condition in the animal models is difficult during preclinical trials owing to the differences in the disease phenotype between animals and humans.

3DBP has gained significant attention as a highly-efficient multidisciplinary technology to fabricate 3D biological tissue with complex composition and architecture. This technology allows precise assembly and deposition of biomaterials with donor/patients cells, leading to the successful fabrication of organ/tissue-like structures, preclinical implants, and in vitro models.

In this study, researchers reviewed the 3DBP strategies currently used for regenerative therapy in eight organ systems, including urinary, respiratory, gastrointestinal, exocrine and endocrine, integumentary, skeletal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Researchers also focused on the application of 3DBP to fabricate in vitro models. The concept of in situ 3DBP was discussed.

In this extensively used low-cost bioprinting method, rotating screw gear or pressurized air is used without or with temperature to extrude a continuous stream of thermoplastic or semisolid material. Different materials can be printed at a high fabrication speed using this technology. However, low cell viability and the need for post-processing are the major drawbacks of extrusion bioprinting.

In this method, liquid drops are ejected on a substrate by acoustic or thermal forces. High fabrication speed, small droplet volume, and interconnected micro-porosity gradient in the fabricated 3D structures are the main advantages of this technique. However, limited printed materials and clogging are the biggest drawbacks of inkjet bioprinting.

A laser is used to induce the forward transfer of biomaterials on a solid surface in the laser-assisted bioprinting method. High cell viability and nozzle-free noncontact process are the biggest advantages of laser-assisted bioprinting, while metallic particle contamination and the time-consuming nature of the printing process are the major disadvantages.

Several studies were performed involving the development of neuronal tissues using the 3DBP method. The pressure extrusion/syringe extrusion (PE/SE) bioprinting technique was used for central nervous tissue (CNS) tissue replacement. The layered porous structure was fabricated using glial cells derived using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and a novel bioink based on agarose, alginate, and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) formed synaptic networks and displayed a bicuculline-induced enhanced calcium response.

Similarly, stereolithography (SLA) was used to fabricate a 3D scaffold for CNS and the viability of the scaffold was evaluated for regenerative medicine application. Layered linear microchannels were printed using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate-gelatin methacrylate (PEGDA-GelMA) and rat E14 neural progenitor cells (NPCs). The 3D scaffold restored the synaptic contacts and significantly improved the functional outcomes. Cyclohexane was used to bond polystyrene fibers to matrix bundle terminals during crosslinking.

Multiphoton excited 3-dimensional printing (MPE-3DP) was employed for the regeneration of myocardial tissue. A layer-by-layer structure was fabricated using GelMA/ sodium 4-[2-(4-morpholino)benzoyl-2-dimethylamino]-butylbenzenesulfonate (MBS) and human hciPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs), endothelial cells (ECs), and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The crosslinking was performed by photoactivation. The structure promoted electromechanical coupling and improved cell proliferation, vascularity, and cardiac function.

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) and PE/SE bioprinting method were used for complex tissue and organ regeneration. A micro-fluid network heart shape structure was fabricated using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), agarose, sodium alginate, and platelet-rich plasma and rat H9c2 cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). 2% calcium dichloride was used during the crosslinking mechanism. The fabricated structure possessed a valentine heart with hollow mechanical properties and a self-defined height.

SE printing was utilized to fabricate a capillary-like network using collagen type1/ xanthan gum and human fibroblasts and ECs for applications in blood vessels. The fabricated network possessed endothelial networks and sprouting between the fibroblast layers.

Bone, cartilage, and skeletal muscle tissue can be repaired and regenerated using the 3DBP technique. For instance, FDM printing was used to print multifunctional therapeutic scaffolds for the treatment of bone. Filopodial projections were fabricated using polylactic acid (PLA) platform loaded with hyaluronic acid (HA)/ iron oxide nanoparticles (IONS)/ minocycline and human MG-63 and human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs), which improved the osteogenic stimulation of the IONS and HA.

PE/SE method was used to fabricate disks and cuboid-shaped scaffolds using - tricalcium phosphate (TCP) microgel and human fetal osteoblast (hFOB) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) for bone repair, multicellular delivery, and disease model. The fabricated structures promoted osteogenesis.

PE/SE bioprinting was also utilized to fabricate complex porous layered cartilage-like structures using alginate/gelatin/HA, rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), and cow cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) for hyaline cartilage regeneration. The CPCs upregulated gene expression of proteoglycan 4 (PRG4), SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9), and collagen II.

PE/SE printing was also used to fabricate multinucleated, highly-aligned myotube structures using polyurethane (PU), poly(-caprolactone) (PCL), and mouse C2C12 myoblasts and NIH/3T3 fibroblasts for in-situ expansion and differentiation of skeletal muscle tendon. The fabricated constructs demonstrated more than 80% cell viability with initial tissue differentiation and development.

SLA bioprinting technique was used to fabricate bi-layered epidermis-like structure using collagen type I, mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells, and human keratinocyte cells for tissue model and engineering. The fabricated constructs effectively imitated the tissue functions.

Similarly, PE was employed to fabricate microporous structures using human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (AFSCs) and heparin-HA-PEGDA for wound healing. The construct improved the wound closure and reepithelialization, increased extracellular matrix synthesis and vascularization, and prolonged the cell paracrine activity.

PE technique was utilized to prepare a multilayered cornea-like structure using human keratocytes and methacrylated collagen (ColMA)-alginate. The cell viability of the keratocytes decreased from 90% to 83% after printing.

PE/SE bioprinting was utilized to bioprint multilayered liver-like structures using GeIMA and human HepG2/C3A for liver tissue engineering. Similarly, hepatocytes were also bioprinted to fabricate multiple organ precursors with branching vasculature. A small intestine model with improved intestinal function and high cell proliferation was fabricated using caco-2 cell-loaded polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) scaffold.

Spheroids of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and chondrocytes and lung endothelial cells were utilized to fabricate scaffold-free tracheal transplant. After implantation in the rat model, the matured spheroids displayed excellent vasculogenesis, chondrogenesis, and mechanical strength. FDM technique was used to fabricate a glomerular structure for kidneys using human iPSCs and hydrogel and a hollow porous network using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)/PCL/tumor-associated endothelial cells (TECs) for the urethra.

In in-situ bioprinting, the tissue is directly printed on the specific defect or wound site in the body for regenerative and reparative therapy. This method provides a well-defined structure and reduces the gap between host-implant interfaces. In-situ bioprinting is better than in vitro bioprinting techniques as the patients body, as a natural bioreactor, provides a natural microenvironment.

Several studies have evaluated this technique for tissue regeneration. For instance, PE/SE method was used for skin tissue regeneration in pigs and mice using fibrin/collagen/HA and human fibroblast cells. Skin-laden sheets of consistent composition, thickness, and width were formed upon rapid crosslinking of biomaterial. PE/SE technique was also used for neural tissue regeneration in mice using agarose/CMC/alginate and human iPSCs.

In vitro models provide significant assistance in understanding the mechanism of therapeutics and disease pathophysiology. Recently, in vitro models of human tissues and organs were engineered using 3DBP technology for safety assessment and drug testing.

In the 3DBP of organs and tissues, biomaterials play a crucial role in maintaining cellular viability, providing support, and long-term acceptance. Specifically, bioinks must possess unique properties, such as cell growth promotion and structural stability, that can be optimized for clinical use. Additionally, bioinks must be compatible with printers for high-precision rapid prototyping.

Bioinks fulfilling all of these requirements are yet to be identified. Moreover, managing the time during the bioprinting of the constructs is another major challenge, as the time required to fabricate them is often more than the survival time of cells. A bioreactor platform that supports organoid growth and provides time for tissue remodeling can be used to overcome this challenge. Ethical challenges and issues are also a hurdle since fabricating internal tissues/organs can lead to liability and biosafety concerns.

In the future, 3DBP can provide novel solutions to engineer organs/tissues and revolutionize modern healthcare and medicine if these challenges can be addressed.

More from AZoM: Building Durable and Sustainable Futures with [emailprotected]

Jain, P., Kathuria, H., Dubey, N. Advances in 3D bioprinting of tissues/organs for regenerative medicine and in-vitro models. Biomaterials 2022. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0142961222002794?via%3Dihub

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.

Read more:
What New Advances are there in 3D Bioprinting Tissues? - AZoM

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on What New Advances are there in 3D Bioprinting Tissues? – AZoM | June 30th, 2022

Second-line lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel; Breyanzi) provides an earlier CAR T-cell treatment option that improves survival outcomes and produces a manageable safety profile in patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), including those who are older and have comorbidities, according to Nilanjan Ghosh, MD, PhD.

On June 24, 2022, the FDA approved liso-cel in the second line for patients with relapsed/refractory LBCL, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, primary mediastinal LBCL, follicular lymphoma grade 3B, and high-grade B-cell lymphoma. This approval was supported by data from the phase 3 TRANSFORM trial (NCT03575351) and the phase 2 TRANSCEND-PILOT-017006 study (NCT03483103).

Liso-cel is a fantastic option, because it has a great efficacy profile and is also a safe product amongst the available CAR T-cell products, with a relatively low incidence of cytokine release syndrome [CRS] and neurological events [NEs], the majority of which are low grade, Ghosh said.

In an interview with OncLive, Ghosh, director of the Lymphoma Program at the Levine Cancer Institute of Atrium Health, discussed the significance of the liso-cel approval in this patient population. He also highlighted how liso-cel will influence current treatment sequencing, which patients might derive the most benefit from this therapy, and the adverse effects (AEs) to be aware of and try to mitigate when prescribing liso-cel.

Ghosh: This approval is highly significant. The majority of patients with primary refractory DLBCL and early relapsed DLBCL do not derive benefit from standard-of-care [SOC] salvage chemotherapy followed by ASCT [autologous stem cell transplant], [which had been the best option until now].

The data from the TRANSFORM study showed liso-cel to be superior to high-dose salvage chemotherapy and ASCT. This approval will allow earlier access to CAR T-cell therapy for this group of patients.

Most patients with LBCL receive frontline therapy in the community setting. In addition to making our community aware of this indication, we need to educate our community about the time it takes to receive CAR T-cell therapy. The process includes many steps, such as gaining financial clearance and setting a date for T-cell collection, or leukapheresis. This date must be acceptable to both the institution [providing the treatment] and the company manufacturing the CAR T cells. [We also need to factor in] the time spent manufacturing the CAR T cells, often known as the vein-to-vein time. This entire process can take 6 weeks or more.

We often focus on just the vein-to-vein time, but there are many other steps even before leukapheresis. These patients are also refractory or have early relapsed disease that must be controlled while they are waiting to receive CAR T-cell therapy. Early referral to a CAR T-cell center is crucial to get the process going while discussing with the referring physician ways and means to control the disease in the interim. Those might include strategies like bridging therapy, which was allowed on the TRANSFORM study.

Insome patients, liso-cel may end up being a third-line therapy, despite its indication as a second-line therapy, because you may have to give another therapy to control the disease while the patients are waiting to receive CAR T cells. That discussion would best be done with the treating center and the referring physician, because some treatments can be toxic to lymphocytes, and you may want to avoid those kinds of treatments prior to collecting the lymphocytes. At the same time, we must make sure we control the disease so the patients can receive the treatment they may benefit from in the future.

Many factors must be taken into account before giving liso-cel. We look at the ECOG performance status [PS], as well as cardiac function and renal function.

Looking at comorbidities, fortunately, the TRANSCEND-PILOT-017006 trial included patients with comorbidities who were not considered good candidates for ASCT. To enroll in the study, the investigators needed to verify that the patients were not good candidates for transplant. [They also needed to meet at least 1 of the criteria], which included being over 70 years of age, having impaired renal function, having impaired cardiac function, or having a decrease in [diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide], which is reflective of pulmonary function. The investigators also looked at hepatic function.

The outcomes of this study were good. The bottom line is that patients who are going to receive liso-cel need not only be candidates you would otherwise consider for ASCT. The eligibility for liso-cel is much broader than standard transplanteligibility in terms of age, comorbidities, and disease status. That is the most important thing. A patient who is older, has some comorbidities, and has relapsed or refractory LBCL can still benefit from liso-cel with high efficacy and low toxicity, which is what liso-cel offers in this patient population.

TRANSFORM was a randomized study of patients with DLBCL not otherwise specified, which includes de novo DLBCL and those who have transformed from indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma; high-grade B cell lymphoma, which includes double-hit and triple-hit lymphoma; follicular lymphoma grade 3B; primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma; and T-cell or histiocyte-rich DLBCL. Eligible patients needed to have either developed refractory disease from frontline therapy or relapsed within 12 months after frontline therapy. The frontline therapy should have included an anthracycline anda CD20 agent, which is the SOC. In addition, these patients should have been otherwise considered to be eligible for ASCT and had an ECOG PS of 0 to 1.

Eligible patients underwent leukapheresis and then were randomized to receive liso-cel or SOC, which was salvage chemotherapy followed by ASCT for those who responded to salvage chemotherapy. Importantly, this study included crossover from the SOC arm to the liso-cel arm. This was allowed for those who failed to respond to SOC by 9 weeks post-randomization, those who progressedat any time, or those who started a new antineoplastic therapy after transplant.

The primary end point was event-free survival [EFS]. Events were defined as death from any cause, progressive disease, failure to achieve complete response [CR] or partial response by 9 weeks post randomization, or the start of an antineoplastic therapy, whichever occurred first. The median EFS with liso-cel was 10.1 months compared with 2.3 months with SOC. At 12 months, the EFS rates were 44.5% with liso-cel and 23.7% with SOC. That was a significant margin of benefit.

In terms of responses, in this recent population, were most interested in CR. A total of 66% of the patients who received liso-cel achieved a CR compared with 39% of those who received SOC.

Progression-free survival [PFS] was also a secondary end point. The median PFS was 14.8 months with liso-cel and 5.7 months with SOC. Efficacy-wise, liso-cel hit all the marks. Overall survival [OS] data is maturing, so well need some longer follow-up, but we are starting to see trends in the right direction.

We have to remember that this study included crossover. Of the 91 patients in the SOC arm, 50 [crossed over to receive] CAR T-cell therapy with liso-cel. Those data will affect the OS data, but even so, were starting to see some separation of the OS curves in the TRANSFORM study.

The TRANSCEND-PILOT-017006 study is a little different because its a single-arm study. It was not intended for patients who would be otherwise considered transplant candidates. These patients did not need to relapse within 1 year [of frontline therapy], and they could have relapsed or refractory disease. A total of 25% of patients had late relapses as well, which was not the case in TRANSFORM. Otherwise, they all had 1 prior line of therapy, [like in TRANSFORM].

This is also a second-line study but in a different population of patients. This was an elderly population. Compared with the TRANSFORM study, the median age in the TRANSCEND-PILOT-017006 study was 74 years, with the oldest patient being 84 years of age. In total, 33% of patients in this study had double-hit and triple-hit disease, which I want to highlight because this is the toughest group of patients to treat. A total of 54% of the patients had primary refractory disease, [and many patients had comorbidities].

Additionally, 44% of the patients had an HCT-CI [Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Specific Comorbidity Index] score of 3 or more. We dont know the relevance [of this score] for CAR T-cell therapy, but outcomes are typically poor in patients who have an HCT-CI score of 3 or higher who undergoallogeneic transplant or ASCT.

[In this trial], the overall response rate was great, at 80%, with 54% achieving CR. Responses were seen in all prespecified subgroups, including patients with high-risk features, with no notable differences in efficacy or safety outcomes based on HCT-CI score. Investigators did separate out patients who had scores of less than 3 vs 3 or higher, and they didnt see any differences.

The median duration of response [DOR] was [11.2 months in patients with an HCT-CI score under 3, and not reached in patients with an HCT-CI score of 3 or higher].In patients who achieved a CR, the median DOR was 21.7 months.

The median PFS was [7.4 months in patients with an HCT-CI score under 3, and NR in patients with an HCT-CI score of 3 or higher]. The median OS was not reached.

Importantly, 32.8% of the patients were monitored as outpatients in this study, and 35% of those needed to be hospitalized for concerns of CRS and neurotoxicity after receiving liso-cel. Most of the patients who received liso-cel as outpatients did not need hospitalization within 3 days of receiving it. These results support liso-cel as a second-line treatment in patients with LBCL in whom transplant is not intended.

In general, the acute AEs that occur with any CAR T-cell therapy, but which are much lower with liso-cel, are CRS and NEs. These occur immediately post-CAR T-cell therapy, within days.

However, the incidence of CRS and NEs was low in both [TRANSFORM and TRANSCEND-PILOT-017006]. Most CRS events were grade 1 or grade 2. In total, 1 patient in each study had grade 3 CRS, and there were no instances of grade 4 CRS [in either study].

The incidence of neurotoxicity was also quite low. [A total of 4% of patients in the TRANSFORM study and 5% of patients in the TRANSCEND-PILOT-017006 study experienced] grade 3 neurotoxicity. Most of the neurotoxicity that was seen was grade 1 or grade 2. Importantly, the utilization of tocilizumab [Actemra] and steroids was also low [in both trials].

However, there are other AEs which we need to monitor. For example, by the time a patient is out of that CRS and neurotoxicity window and thinking of going back to their referring physician, they may still [be at risk for AEs such as] prolonged cytopenias, [which some patients exhibited in these trials]. In the [TRANSFORM] study, prolonged cytopenias were defined as [grade 3 cytopenias that persisted] at day 35 or beyond. [In the TRANSCEND-PILOT-017006 study, prolonged cytopenias were defined as grade 3 or higher cytopenias that persisted at day 29 or beyond.]

We should also monitor for hypogammaglobulinemia. This is important because if a patient has hypogammaglobulinemia or lymphopenia, and neutropenia, they are more prone to infection. Preventing infection, providing supportive care, and giving treatment medications [as early as possible] is important, and monitoring AEs is crucial.

The field of LBCL has exploded with new treatments over the past few years, including what we saw recently in the frontline setting. CAR T-cell therapy, in general, is a huge advancement within this field.

Having said that, its important to be aware of and monitor the AEs. A question that comes up is: How accessible are CAR T-cell therapies going to be? We need to work as a community to make them more accessible to patients, cut down the time from when we first consider CAR T-cell therapy to when we deliver it, and make that process more efficient, so more patients can benefit from it.

We also need to be aware of the many other treatments that have come out in the space, such as bispecific antibodies that are in development and antibody-drug conjugates. Over the next few years, we need to figure out how to sequence thesetherapies so that we can maximize the benefits and help our patients who still have unmet needs. We do have to recognize that even though CAR T-cell therapy has excellent outcomes, there are many patients who are still refractory to CAR T-cell therapy and relapse after CAR T-cell therapy. [We need to find] the best way to sequence the other treatments that are out there to help these patients. Thats an area of active investigation.

I hope we are in a much better place in the years to come. However, weve made huge strides in the past several years, and its been great to be a part of that research.

See original here:
Liso-cel Approval Provides Earlier, Expanded Access to CAR T-cell Therapy in Second-line LBCL - OncLive

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Liso-cel Approval Provides Earlier, Expanded Access to CAR T-cell Therapy in Second-line LBCL – OncLive | June 30th, 2022

Cells in the body have specific purposes, but stem cells are cells that do not yet have a specific role and can become almost any cell that is required.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can turn into specific cells, as the body needs them.

Scientists and doctors are interested in stem cells as they help to explain how some functions of the body work, and how they sometimes go wrong.

Stem cells also show promise for treating some diseases that currently have no cure.

Stem cells originate from two main sources: adult body tissues and embryos. Scientists are also working on ways to develop stem cells from other cells, using genetic reprogramming techniques.

A persons body contains stem cells throughout their life. The body can use these stem cells whenever it needs them.

Also called tissue-specific or somatic stem cells, adult stem cells exist throughout the body from the time an embryo develops.

The cells are in a non-specific state, but they are more specialized than embryonic stem cells. They remain in this state until the body needs them for a specific purpose, say, as skin or muscle cells.

Day-to-day living means the body is constantly renewing its tissues. In some parts of the body, such as the gut and bone marrow, stem cells regularly divide to produce new body tissues for maintenance and repair.

Stem cells are present inside different types of tissue. Scientists have found stem cells in tissues, including:

However, stem cells can be difficult to find. They can stay non-dividing and non-specific for years until the body summons them to repair or grow new tissue.

Adult stem cells can divide or self-renew indefinitely. This means they can generate various cell types from the originating organ or even regenerate the original organ, entirely.

This division and regeneration are how a skin wound heals, or how an organ such as the liver, for example, can repair itself after damage.

In the past, scientists believed adult stem cells could only differentiate based on their tissue of origin. However, some evidence now suggests that they can differentiate to become other cell types, as well.

From the very earliest stage of pregnancy, after the sperm fertilizes the egg, an embryo forms.

Around 35 days after a sperm fertilizes an egg, the embryo takes the form of a blastocyst or ball of cells.

The blastocyst contains stem cells and will later implant in the womb. Embryonic stem cells come from a blastocyst that is 45 days old.

When scientists take stem cells from embryos, these are usually extra embryos that result from in vitro fertilization (IVF).

In IVF clinics, the doctors fertilize several eggs in a test tube, to ensure that at least one survives. They will then implant a limited number of eggs to start a pregnancy.

When a sperm fertilizes an egg, these cells combine to form a single cell called a zygote.

This single-celled zygote then starts to divide, forming 2, 4, 8, 16 cells, and so on. Now it is an embryo.

Soon, and before the embryo implants in the uterus, this mass of around 150200 cells is the blastocyst. The blastocyst consists of two parts:

The inner cell mass is where embryonic stem cells are found. Scientists call these totipotent cells. The term totipotent refer to the fact that they have total potential to develop into any cell in the body.

With the right stimulation, the cells can become blood cells, skin cells, and all the other cell types that a body needs.

In early pregnancy, the blastocyst stage continues for about 5 days before the embryo implants in the uterus, or womb. At this stage, stem cells begin to differentiate.

Embryonic stem cells can differentiate into more cell types than adult stem cells.

MSCs come from the connective tissue or stroma that surrounds the bodys organs and other tissues.

Scientists have used MSCs to create new body tissues, such as bone, cartilage, and fat cells. They may one day play a role in solving a wide range of health problems.

Scientists create these in a lab, using skin cells and other tissue-specific cells. These cells behave in a similar way to embryonic stem cells, so they could be useful for developing a range of therapies.

However, more research and development is necessary.

To grow stem cells, scientists first extract samples from adult tissue or an embryo. They then place these cells in a controlled culture where they will divide and reproduce but not specialize further.

Stem cells that are dividing and reproducing in a controlled culture are called a stem-cell line.

Researchers manage and share stem-cell lines for different purposes. They can stimulate the stem cells to specialize in a particular way. This process is known as directed differentiation.

Until now, it has been easier to grow large numbers of embryonic stem cells than adult stem cells. However, scientists are making progress with both cell types.

Researchers categorize stem cells, according to their potential to differentiate into other types of cells.

Embryonic stem cells are the most potent, as their job is to become every type of cell in the body.

The full classification includes:

Totipotent: These stem cells can differentiate into all possible cell types. The first few cells that appear as the zygote starts to divide are totipotent.

Pluripotent: These cells can turn into almost any cell. Cells from the early embryo are pluripotent.

Multipotent: These cells can differentiate into a closely related family of cells. Adult hematopoietic stem cells, for example, can become red and white blood cells or platelets.

Oligopotent: These can differentiate into a few different cell types. Adult lymphoid or myeloid stem cells can do this.

Unipotent: These can only produce cells of one kind, which is their own type. However, they are still stem cells because they can renew themselves. Examples include adult muscle stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells are considered pluripotent instead of totipotent because they cannot become part of the extra-embryonic membranes or the placenta.

Stem cells themselves do not serve any single purpose but are important for several reasons.

First, with the right stimulation, many stem cells can take on the role of any type of cell, and they can regenerate damaged tissue, under the right conditions.

This potential could save lives or repair wounds and tissue damage in people after an illness or injury. Scientists see many possible uses for stem cells.

Tissue regeneration is probably the most important use of stem cells.

Until now, a person who needed a new kidney, for example, had to wait for a donor and then undergo a transplant.

There is a shortage of donor organs but, by instructing stem cells to differentiate in a certain way, scientists could use them to grow a specific tissue type or organ.

As an example, doctors have already used stem cells from just beneath the skins surface to make new skin tissue. They can then repair a severe burn or another injury by grafting this tissue onto the damaged skin, and new skin will grow back.

In 2013, a team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital reported in PNAS Early Edition that they had created blood vessels in laboratory mice, using human stem cells.

Within 2 weeks of implanting the stem cells, networks of blood-perfused vessels had formed. The quality of these new blood vessels was as good as the nearby natural ones.

The authors hoped that this type of technique could eventually help to treat people with cardiovascular and vascular diseases.

Doctors may one day be able to use replacement cells and tissues to treat brain diseases, such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers.

In Parkinsons, for example, damage to brain cells leads to uncontrolled muscle movements. Scientists could use stem cells to replenish the damaged brain tissue. This could bring back the specialized brain cells that stop the uncontrolled muscle movements.

Researchers have already tried differentiating embryonic stem cells into these types of cells, so treatments are promising.

Scientists hope one day to be able to develop healthy heart cells in a laboratory that they can transplant into people with heart disease.

These new cells could repair heart damage by repopulating the heart with healthy tissue.

Similarly, people with type I diabetes could receive pancreatic cells to replace the insulin-producing cells that their own immune systems have lost or destroyed.

The only current therapy is a pancreatic transplant, and very few pancreases are available for transplant.

Doctors now routinely use adult hematopoietic stem cells to treat diseases, such as leukemia, sickle cell anemia, and other immunodeficiency problems.

Hematopoietic stem cells occur in blood and bone marrow and can produce all blood cell types, including red blood cells that carry oxygen and white blood cells that fight disease.

People can donate stem cells to help a loved one, or possibly for their own use in the future.

Donations can come from the following sources:

Bone marrow: These cells are taken under a general anesthetic, usually from the hip or pelvic bone. Technicians then isolate the stem cells from the bone marrow for storage or donation.

Peripheral stem cells: A person receives several injections that cause their bone marrow to release stem cells into the blood. Next, blood is removed from the body, a machine separates out the stem cells, and doctors return the blood to the body.

Umbilical cord blood: Stem cells can be harvested from the umbilical cord after delivery, with no harm to the baby. Some people donate the cord blood, and others store it.

This harvesting of stem cells can be expensive, but the advantages for future needs include:

Stem cells are useful not only as potential therapies but also for research purposes.

For example, scientists have found that switching a particular gene on or off can cause it to differentiate. Knowing this is helping them to investigate which genes and mutations cause which effects.

Armed with this knowledge, they may be able to discover what causes a wide range of illnesses and conditions, some of which do not yet have a cure.

Abnormal cell division and differentiation are responsible for conditions that include cancer and congenital disabilities that stem from birth. Knowing what causes the cells to divide in the wrong way could lead to a cure.

Stem cells can also help in the development of new drugs. Instead of testing drugs on human volunteers, scientists can assess how a drug affects normal, healthy tissue by testing it on tissue grown from stem cells.

Watch the video to find out more about stem cells.

There has been some controversy about stem cell research. This mainly relates to work on embryonic stem cells.

The argument against using embryonic stem cells is that it destroys a human blastocyst, and the fertilized egg cannot develop into a person.

Nowadays, researchers are looking for ways to create or use stem cells that do not involve embryos.

Stem cell research often involves inserting human cells into animals, such as mice or rats. Some people argue that this could create an organism that is part human.

In some countries, it is illegal to produce embryonic stem cell lines. In the United States, scientists can create or work with embryonic stem cell lines, but it is illegal to use federal funds to research stem cell lines that were created after August 2001.

Some people are already offering stem-cells therapies for a range of purposes, such as anti-aging treatments.

However, most of these uses do not have approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Some of them may be illegal, and some can be dangerous.

Anyone who is considering stem-cell treatment should check with the provider or with the FDA that the product has approval, and that it was made in a way that meets with FDA standards for safety and effectiveness.

More here:
Stem cells: Sources, types, and uses - Medical News Today

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Stem cells: Sources, types, and uses – Medical News Today | June 30th, 2022

Alopecia is an autoimmune disorder where immune cells attack and destroy hair follicles, causing hair loss. Uncovering a molecular target of a common treatment for alopecia in a new study, scientists at the Salk Institute claim regulatory T cells (Tregs) and glucocorticoids do not just suppress the immune system, they also make hair grow.

Originally discovered as a specialized subset of T lymphocytes that suppress excessive immune response and maintain balance in immune functions, recent studies have shown Tregs also play a role in tissue repair and regeneration.

First author of the study, Zhi Liu PhD, a research associate at Salk Institute said, We were fascinated by Tregs non-traditional function in tissue repair and the way they communicate with tissue stem cells to facilitate tissue regeneration.

Balance in tissue niches depends on communications between stem cells and supporting cells. That Tregs communicate with stem cells and play a critical role in balancing self-renewal and differentiation in stem cell niches has been reported in earlier studies. Yet, how Tregs sense signals in tissue microenvironments and communicate with stem cells has been unclear until now.

Liu said, Our study identified the glucocorticoid hormone as the upstream signal that alerts Tregs, and the growth factor TGF-beta3 as the downstream signal that promotes stem cell activation and hair regeneration. These signals could be potentially conserved in other tissue injury and repair processes.

The study, led by Ye Zheng, PhD, an associate professor at Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, was published on June 23, 2022, in an article in the journal Nature Immunology titled Glucocorticoid signaling and regulatory T cells cooperate to maintain the hair-follicle stem-cell niche. The findings explain how Tregs interact with stem cells in the skin using the steroid hormone glucocorticoid as a messenger to generate new hair follicles and promote hair growth. This regenerative role of Treg cells is independent of its immunosuppressive functions.

Zhengs team was initially interested in uncovering the role of Tregs and glucocorticoids in autoimmune dysfunctions such as multiple sclerosis, Crohns disease, and asthma. However, they detected no functional significance of glucocorticoids or Tregs in these diseases. They then focused on the skin because here Tregs express high levels of glucocorticoid receptors.

The researchers shaved hair off the back of adult mice that lacked the gene encoding the glucocorticoid receptor in their Tregs or had a normal set of genes. After two weeks, the normal mice grew back their hair, but the mice without glucocorticoid receptors barely could, said Liu. It was very striking, and it showed us the right direction for moving forward.

The findings indicated a glucocorticoid-mediated communication between Tregs and stem cells in hair follicles that need to be activated for hair regeneration. Moreover, the authors showed lack of the glucocorticoid receptor in Tregs blocked hair regeneration without affecting immune balance.

After hair loss, skin cells stained blue, from a normal mouse can activate hair follicle stem cells, stained red [left], whereas skin cells in mice without glucocorticoid receptors in their regulatory T cells cannot activate hair follicle stem cells [right] (Salk Institute).The authors found glucocorticoids instruct Tregs to activate hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs), which leads to hair growth. This crosstalk between the T cells and the stem cells depends on a mechanism whereby glucocorticoid receptors cooperate with a regulatory protein in Tregs called Foxp3, to induce a growth factor called transforming growth factor beta3 (TGF-beta3), which then activates the signaling molecules Smad2/3 in HFSCs to stimulate stem cell proliferation and differentiation into new hair follicles, promoting hair growth. The authors uncovered Tregs dont usually produce TGF-beta3, as they do in the skin. Databases analysis revealed this phenomenon occurs in injured muscle and heart tissue, similar to how hair removal simulated a skin tissue injury in this study.

In acute cases of alopecia, immune cells attack the skin tissue, causing hair loss. The usual remedy is to use glucocorticoids to inhibit the immune reaction in the skin, so they dont keep attacking the hair follicles, said Zheng. Applying glucocorticoids has the double benefit of triggering the regulatory T cells in the skin to produce TGF-beta3, stimulating the activation of the hair follicle stem cells.

In future studies, Zheng and his team would like to explore whether compromised glucocorticoid signaling in Tregs of the skin can cause alopecia. Zheng said, It will be interesting to see if skin Treg cells can be targeted for the treatment of alopecia patients.

Beyond the regeneration of hair follicles, Zheng would like to build upon studies that have shown Tregs help repair and regenerate multiple tissue types. They will study other injury models and isolate Tregs from injured tissues to monitor increased levels of TGF-beta3 and other growth factors.Wed like to explore whether glucocorticoids function as a universal signal to trigger Tregs non-traditional function to promote tissue regeneration.

More:
Hair Regeneration Requires Regulatory T Cells Signal Skin Stem Cells - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Hair Regeneration Requires Regulatory T Cells Signal Skin Stem Cells – Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News | June 30th, 2022

Hematopoietic Stem Cells: In living organisms, a specialized system that consist of blood and its progenitors are referred to as the hematopoietic system.

In particular, this system is made up of cells with specialized functions such as the red blood cells (for carrying oxygen to tissues), white blood cells (for immune defense against pathogens, and foreign agents), platelets (for blood clotting), macrophages and lymphocytes (also for immune defense).

However, many of the said blood cells are temporary and need to be replaced with new ones continuously. But fret not because a single cell can solve the problem!

Every day, almost billions of new blood cells are synthesized within the body with each coming from a specific progenitor cell called the hematopoietic stem cell.

How to pronounce Hematopoietic Stem Cells?

What is Hematopoiesis?

The formation of all kinds of blood cells including creation, development, and differentiation of blood cells is commonly known as Hematopoiesis or Haemopoiesis.

All types of blood cells are generated from primitive cells (stem cells) that are pluripotent (they have the potential to develop into all types of blood cells).

Also referred to as hemocytoblasts, hematopoietic cells are the stem cells that give rise to blood cells in hematopoiesis.

Where Does Hematopoiesis Occur?

In a healthy adult, hematopoiesis occurs in the bone marrow and lymphatic tissues, where 1000+ new blood cells (all types) are generated from the hematopoietic stem cells to main the steady-state levels.

Where Are Hematopoietic Stem Cells Found?

They can also be found in the umbilical cord and in the blood from the placenta.

Who Discovered Hematopoietic Stem Cells?

It was long believed that the majority of hematopoiesis occurs during ontogeny (origination and development of organism) and that the mammalian hematopoietic system originated from the yolk sac per se.

Functions of Hematopoietic Cells

As alluded to earlier, blood cells and blood cell components are formed in a process called hematopoiesis.

Coming from the Greek words hemato and poiesis which mean blood and to make respectively, hematopoiesis occurs in the bone marrow and is responsible not only for the synthesis but also the multiplication, and differentiation of blood cells.

Shown below is a diagrammatic illustration of the different blood cell types that hematopoietic cells can give rise to:

Clinical uses of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

The mammalian blood system showcases the equilibrium between the functions of hematopoietic stem cells. Intensive studies have already shown the structures and molecules that control these stem cells, but the exact picture of the underlying molecular mechanisms is still unclear.

Above everything else, it is important to note that such issues are not just of academic interest but can also be relevant in devising future novel methods of diagnosing and treating various diseases associated with cells.

Key References

Read the rest here:
Hematopoietic Stem Cells | Hematopoiesis | Properties & Functions

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Hematopoietic Stem Cells | Hematopoiesis | Properties & Functions | June 30th, 2022

Research into the retina and optic nerve using stem-cell models has unveiled specific genetic markers of glaucomathe worlds leading cause of permanent blindness possibly opening up new treatments for the condition.

Glaucoma is a blanket term describing a group of eye conditions that do damage to the retinal ganglion cellsneurons near the inner eye that make up the optic nerve. The optic nerve is the part of the eye that receives light and transmits it to the brain; thus, the damage that glaucoma does leads to permanent blindness. Thecondition is predicted to affect around 80 million people by 2040, yet treatments are extremely limited.

This study linked 97 genetic clusters to the damage done by the most common form of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma or POAG, revealing important genetic components that control the way the condition attacks. POAG is a genetically complicated condition that is likely hereditary and, at the moment, cannot be stopped or reversed. The only treatment of POAG available involves releasing pressure on the eye, and this will only slow down the condition.

The research project was led jointly by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, the University of Melbourne, and the Centre for Eye Research Glaucoma.

We saw how the genetic causes of glaucoma act in single cells, and how they vary in different people, said joint lead author of the study and Melbourne University academic, Prof. Joseph Powell, in a Garvan Institutemedia release.

Current treatments can only slow the loss of vision, but this understanding is the first step towards drugs that target individual cell types, Powell said.

The research behind the discoverywas published in the journalCell Genomicsand wasthe result of a lengthy collaboration between Australian medical research centres involving the investigation of complicated diseases and their underlying genetic causes, using stem-cell modelling; which the researchers said demonstrated the success of this study and the power of this approach.

Previously, glaucoma research was limited because samples of the optic nerve could not be obtained from participants in a non-invasive fashion. However, stem-cell modelling addressed this issue as it allowed researchers to develop optic nerve samples from skin, a much easier part of the body to extract.

The team administered skin biopsies on183 participants, 91 of whom had advanced primary open-angle glaucoma, to gather skin cells that they could reprogram to revert into stem cells and then guide into becoming retinal cells. Of the 183 samples collected, 110 samples, 54 from participants with POAG, were successfully converted from skin cells into retinal, and over 200,000 of these converted cells were sequenced to generate molecular signatures.

The researchers of this study employedsingle-cell RNA genetic sequencing in order to study individual cells. This form of sequencing creates an incredibly detailed genetic map, which looks for genetic variations that affect the expressionthe process of turning instructions from DNA into functional products like proteins of one or more genes. Through identifying these key genes, further deductions on the influence that genetic variations have on glaucoma can be made.

The signatures of those with and without glaucoma were compared to establish key genetic components that control the way that glaucoma attacks the retina.

The researchers first identified, using the signatures of both those with and without glaucoma,312 genetic variants associated with the ganglion cells that eventually degenerate in a person living with POAG. Further analysis of the genes associated with POAG linked the 97 clusters mentioned above to the damage done by glaucoma.

Another joint-lead author of the paper and Melbourne University professor, Alice Pebay, said that by studying glaucoma in retinal cells, a context-specific profile of the disease was created.

We wanted to see how glaucoma acts in retinal cells specificallyrather than in a blood sample, for instanceso we can identify the key genetic mechanisms to target, Pebay said.

Equally, we need to know which genetic variations are healthy and normal, so we can exclude them from a treatment.

To improve the understanding of complex conditions such as glaucoma, researchers noted it was important to establish a profile of the disease which promotesthe understanding of causes, risks and fundamental mechanisms of diseases. Furthermore, genetic investigations are critical to drug development and pre-clinical trials because they assist in constructing complete human models of diseases.

University of Tasmania professor and a third joint-lead author of the paper,Alex Hewitt said that the findings of this study set up future research into novel glaucoma treatments.

Not only can scientists develop more tailored drugs, but we could potentially use the stem-cell models to test hundreds of drugs in pre-clinical assays, said Hewitt.

This method could also be used to assess drug efficacy in a personalised manner to assess whether a glaucoma treatment would be effective for a specific patient.

Go here to read the rest:
Secrets of Permanent Blindness Revealed by Stem-cell Research - The Epoch Times

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Secrets of Permanent Blindness Revealed by Stem-cell Research – The Epoch Times | June 30th, 2022

This is the season to soak up the warm, wonderful sun and show off our glowing skin in shorts, tanks and bathing suits.

But this time of year can be most treacherous for skin we can get blasted by everything from poison ivy and mosquitoes to sunburns if were not careful. And even just a little bit of extra sun means we should be doubling down on our hydration and moisturizing, and pulling out the big-gun products to help keep our skin safe.

One of my new favorite products is Lancme Rnergie H.C.F. Triple Serum ($135 on Lancome-usa.com) Its a triple-dose serum that targets volume loss, wrinkles and dark spots, and helps prevent damage with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C+, niacinamide and ferulic acid. That means its a gel, a cream and an emulsion a combo that results in both hydration and moisturizing (the first adds water; the second softens dry skin, so theyre not the same things, and we do indeed need both).

And if the aforementioned glowing is on your summer skin to-do list, then reach for Pat McGrath Labs Divine Skin: Rose 001 The Essence ($86 on Patmcgrath.com). It boosts moisture big-time, illuminates, softens and smooths with natural floral ingredients. Apply it to your face in between cleansing and moisturizing every morning to nourish and replenish the skin barrier, There are zero silicone, parabens, sulfates, gluten, mineral oil and phthalates.

Onto sunscreens. For starters, make SPF a year-round thing, if you havent already. Its your safeguard against hyperpigmentation, inflammation, fine lines and, yes, skin cancer. Use it on your face all year, and then on your body too, especially this time of year. Get one with broad-spectrum coverage (to shield you from both UVB rays that cause burning and UVA rays that cause lasting damage) and with an SPF of 30 or higher. And choose one that smells good, if you have the option. On that front, Chanels UV Essentiel ($55 on chanel.com) is as light in texture as it is in its fragrance a delicate floral that smells fresh as can be.

For anyone with acne-prone skin, non-oily formulas are imperative. Look for liquid sunscreens instead of thick creams that clog pores. A great choice is TIZO 2 Non-Tinted Facial Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40 ($43 on amazon.com).

And if youre in the opposite situation and concerned about dry skin instead go in big for moisturizing and hydration, with EleVen by Venus Williams: Natural Unrivaled Sun Serum ($50 on elevenbyvenuswilliams.com). Its a lightweight mineral protection, SPF 35 and is safe for reefs (so wear it on any beach you like before swimming), cruelty-free, and vegan. It also blends in incredibly well, has a velvety finish, and contains prickly pear extract, to hydrate and soothe inflamed skin in case youve gotten a sunburn.

For sunburns, an RX treatment may be in order. At my day spa, GSpa at Foxwoods, we offer a Soothing Facial ($175 for 50 minutes at foxwoods.com) that uses antioxidants, peptides and botanical stem cells. Each of those ingredients protects the skin from free radical damage and restores hydration soothing and refreshing dry and sensitive skin.

See the original post here:
Youve got skin in the game protect it from summer sun damage - Boston Herald

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Youve got skin in the game protect it from summer sun damage – Boston Herald | June 30th, 2022

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Vitiligo, a skin de-pigmentation disorder which affects 0.1 to 8% of population, is a cause of worry especially for women as it mainly affects face, neck and hands. It relapses in 40% of patients, within a year after stopping treatment. But Mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy can be a hope, experts say.

On World Vitiligo Day on Saturday, dermatologist, Aster R V Hospital, Dr Sunil Prabhu said the disorder is affecting at least 2.16% of children/adolescents. Vitiligo is a long-term condition, where pale white patches develop on the skin due to lack of melanin pigment. According to Dr Praveen Bharadwaj, dermatology consultant, Manipal Hospital, Whitefield, vitiligo is a condition in which the patients immune system weakens which affects the normal functioning of melanin producing cells.

Dr Bharadwaj explained, Mesenchymal stem cells, which are multi-potent adult stem cells, are found in bone marrow, fat tissues, umbilical cord and human foreskin. They are promising agents for therapy for the re-pigmentation of skin in vitiligo. This therapy reduces the main trigger of vitiligo that is immune-mediated melanocyte degeneration (stopping the immune destruction of melanocytes which produces melanin), promotes melanocytes and prevents relapse of the condition, he said.

Read the original post:
Experts offer hope to vitiligo patients - The New Indian Express

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Experts offer hope to vitiligo patients – The New Indian Express | June 30th, 2022