October 3, 2012

Alan McStravick for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Ask a handful of people about their thoughts and feelings on the use of stem cells for research and therapeutic means and you will find that they each have strong and varying positions on the topic. Outside the scientific community, however, little is known about this highly complex field of research.

The politicization of stem cell research accompanied the 1998 discovery that embryonic stem cells, the building blocks of organ, tissue, bone and brain cells, could be extracted for study and medical use. In 2001, with an order to limit the lines of stem cell research to those already in possession of the scientific community, President George W. Bush largely hampered the development of this field in the United States by limiting government funding for stem cell research. Adult stem cells, or somatic stem cells, were unaffected by this order, but the prevailing wisdom of the genetic community was that adult stem cells were not as dynamic and couldnt be used in the same way as their embryonic cousins.

With a report published Monday in the American Journal of Pathology, that truth no longer seems to be the case. A team led by Manel Esteller, director of the Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program in the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), was able to identify epigenetic changes that occur in the somatic stem cells to generate different body tissues.

The use of somatic or adult stem cells had been a regular occurrence since their discovery in the 1950s. It was then that researchers found that bone marrow contains two different kinds of stem cells. The first, called hematopoietic stem cells, form all the types of blood cells in the body. The second, known as bone marrow stromal stem cells, were discovered only a few years later and are effective in the generation of bone, cartilage, fat and fibrous connective tissues.

One thing that has been understood is that the genome of each cell in the human body is identical. This is true regardless of their appearance and function. It is for this reason that certain anomalies, such as cancer, are seemingly incomprehensible as they are unable to be explained by the genome of the host. To better understand such complex genetic deviations, something more is required.

Researchers in this current study offer an explanation via analogy. Epigenetics is defined as the inheritance of DNA activity that does not depend on the strict sequence of it. According to the team, if genetics is the alphabet, spelling would be the epigenetics, referring to chemical changes in our genetic material as well as the proteins that regulate and control their activity.

We now know that somatic stem cells have enormous potential to regenerate damaged organs. By investigating how to use them more effectively in different types of therapies, the research team postulates that it will become easier to steer clear of any sticky ethical complications that might arise from working with embryonic stem cells.

In this study, the team was able to isolate somatic stem cells from body fat, allowing them to transform them into muscle and bone cells. Through their study, they observed the resemblance of the cells created in the laboratory to those of the host individual. They were also able to determine that the cells were biologically secure enough that they might be implanted into waiting patients. Overall, the study was able to show that the epigenome of the cells obtained and maintained in culture closely resembled skeletal and muscle cells that are spontaneously present in nature, though not completely identical.

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Study Shows Epigenetics Of Adult Stem Cells Influences Organ Creation

Company seeks to enter $18 billion market for bone marrow stimulating growth factors

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) October 03, 2012

As part of the development process, on May 18, 2012, Regen submitted a provisional patent application covering the use of placentally-derived endothelial cells for treatment of bone marrow failure. Regen has also been granted an exclusive option to enter into an agreement to be granted an exclusive, worldwide, royalty bearing license to US patent No. 6,821,513, covering a proprietary method for enhancing hematopoiesis (formation of blood cells).

Current approaches to treating bone marrow disorders involve administration of pharmaceuticals which target stem cells to produce more blood. This approach is not effective on everyone with bone marrow failure and some forms of this disease are completely resistant said J. Christopher Mizer, President of Regen BioPharma. Our strategy is to heal the bone marrow by administering cells that provide the optimum mix of growth factors to stimulate the bone marrow into producing blood cells naturally.

Data from a peer reviewed publication (Lei et al. Stem Cell Res. 2010 January; 4(1): 1724) by the inventor of the patent demonstrated that the administration of endothelial cells restores blood production and extends survival after bone marrow damage.

The HemaXellerate product aims to address the unmet medical need of patients who are non-responsive to existing growth factor therapies such as Neupogen and Leukine. These patients include those suffering from: aplastic anemia, a condition where the bone marrow produces an insufficient number of new cells to replace lost blood cells; chemotherapy/radiotherapy induced bone marrow failures; and low blood cell production after bone marrow or cord blood transplants, stated Thomas Ichim, Chief Scientific Officer of Regen BioPharma.

According to David Koos, Chairman & CEO of Bio-Matrix, HemaXellerate may provide an ideal therapeutic for bone marrow failure based upon: (1) regulating secretion of cytokines as biologically needed; (2) producing long-term, localized growth factors that alleviate the need for drugs; and (3) actively repairing the blood producing stem cell environment.

A spokesperson for the Company said Regen intends to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application in the fourth quarter of 2012 and conduct Phase I/II clinical trials during 2013 and 2014.

About Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. and Regen BioPharma, Inc.:

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc. (OTCQB: BMSN) (PINKSHEETS: BMSN) is a biotechnology company developing regenerative medicine therapies and tools. The Company is focused on human therapies that address unmet medical needs. Specifically, Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. is looking to increase the quality of life through therapies involving stem cell treatments. These treatments are focused in areas relating to cardiovascular, hematology, oncology and other indications.

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Bio-Matrix Scientific Group's Regen BioPharma Subsidiary Announces HemaXellerate™ As First Product in Development

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (SIAL) announced today that Sigma Life Science, its innovative biological products and services research business, has launched Stemline Pluripotent Culture Medium, a novel human pluripotent stem cell culture medium that provides a consistent environment for the long-term maintenance and growth of healthy pluripotent stem cells. The new medium performs equivalently to the industry's leading medium and provides academic and pharmaceutical stem cell research labs with a substantially lower cost alternative to higher priced media. Additional information and sample requests of the Stemline Pluripotent Culture Medium are available at http://www.sigma.com/stemlinepsc.

"The exorbitant cost of media for pluripotent stem cells is a universal complaint from the stem cell research community. Our Stemline Pluripotent Culture Medium performs equivalently to the leading medium for maintaining pluripotency and optimal growth rates, and is produced more efficiently than traditional media, resulting in lower costs. For example, a typical academic lab that consumes three 500 mL bottles of media per week could save at least $12,000 annually using our new Stemline medium. A high-throughput pharmaceutical development team that consumes 20 liters of media weekly could save more than $160,000 annually," said John Listello, Market Segment Manager for Regenerative Medicine at Sigma Life Science.

Culturing pluripotent stem cells can be challenging as many media's undefined, heterogenous mixtures can cause inconsistent growth rates and undesired spontaneous differentiation. The Stemline Pluripotent Stem Cell Culture Medium is serum-free, composed of fully-defined components and has 80% less basic fibroblast growth factor than the leading pluripotent stem cell culture medium. This provides a consistent environment for long-term maintenance of optimal growth rates, viability and pluripotency. Rigorous characterization of the Stemline Pluripotent Stem Cell Culture Medium has demonstrated that cultured pluripotent stem cells display all established pluripotency markers and maintain proper karyotype and the ability to differentiate into each of the three germ layers. The feeder-independent medium also enables culturing with synthetic matricies, thereby eliminating a source of variability that would prohibit later clinical applications.

"Academic and pharmaceutical groups performing toxicology screens, disease-specific stem cell research or studies of the basic mechanisms behind pluripotency and differentiation depend upon a steady supply of consistent, high-performance cell culture medium. This novel Stemline medium extends Sigma's existing position as one of the largest global providers of cell culture media," said Listello.

Existing Stemline stem cell culture media include specialized formulations for expansion of six human adult stem cell and progenitor cell types: hematopoietic, neural, dendritic, mesenchymal, T-cells, and keratinocytes. These six Stemline media are produced under good manufacturing practices (GMP) and have Device Master File certificates from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Sigma Life Science's comprehensive stem cell product portfolio includes custom iPS cell CompoZr ZFN-mediated genetic engineering, Stemgent Reprogramming Lentiviruses, the MISSION shRNA Library with the latest content release from The RNAi Consortium, 3D matrices, growth factors, small molecules, other cell culture media and the industry's most validated antibodies. Sigma Life Science acquired a worldwide license to Kyoto University's iPS cell patent portfolio in February, 2012.

For more information and to request pricing, visit http://www.sigma.com/stemlinepsc.

Cautionary Statement: The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "could," "could expect," "can be," "predictive" or similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding potential future revenues from products derived there from. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of management regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that pluripotent stem cells, pluripotent stem cell media, or related custom services will assist the Company to achieve any particular levels of revenue in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding products associated with pluripotent stem cells, pluripotent stem cell media, or related custom services could be affected by, among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the Company's ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection; competition in general; government, industry and general public pricing pressures; the impact that the foregoing factors could have on the values attributed to the Company's assets and liabilities as recorded in its consolidated balance sheet, and other risks and factors referred to in Sigma-Aldrich's current Form 10-K on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Sigma-Aldrich is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Sigma Life Science: Sigma Life Science is a Sigma-Aldrich business that represents the Company's leadership in innovative biological products and services for the global life science market and offers an array of biologically-rich products and reagents that researchers use in scientific investigation. Product areas include biomolecules, genomics and functional genomics, cells and cell-based assays, transgenics, protein assays, stem cell research, epigenetics and custom services/oligonucleotides. Sigma Life Science also provides an extensive range critical bioessentials like biochemicals, antibiotics, buffers, carbohydrates, enzymes, forensic tools, hematology and histology, nucleotides, amino acids and their derivatives, and cell culture media.

About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company whose biochemical, organic chemical products, kits and services are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostics and high technology manufacturing. Sigma-Aldrich customers include more than 1.3 million scientists and technologists in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals and industry. The Company operates in 38 countries and has nearly 9,100 employees whose objective is to provide excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to accelerating customer success through innovation and leadership in Life Science and High Technology. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its website at http://www.sigma-aldrich.com.

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Sigma® Life Science Launches Novel, Affordable Pluripotent Stem Cell Culture Medium

ScienceDaily (Oct. 2, 2012) Researchers at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have found that a blood vessel-building gene boosts the ability of human bone marrow stem cells to sustain pancreatic recovery in a laboratory mouse model of insulin-dependent diabetes.

The findings, published in a PLoS ONE article of the Public Library of Science, offer new insights on mechanisms involved in regeneration of insulin-producing cells and provide new evidence that a diabetic's own bone marrow one day may be a source of treatment.

Scientists began studying bone marrow-derived stem cells for pancreatic regeneration a decade ago. Recent studies involving several pancreas-related genes and delivery methods -- transplantation into the organ or injection into the blood -- have shown that bone marrow stem cell therapy could reverse or improve diabetes in some laboratory mice. But little has been known about how stem cells affect beta cells -- pancreas cells that produce insulin -- or how scientists could promote sustained beta cell renewal and insulin production.

When the Cedars-Sinai researchers modified bone marrow stem cells to express a certain gene (vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF), pancreatic recovery was sustained as mouse pancreases were able to generate new beta cells. The VEGF-modified stem cells promoted growth of needed blood vessels and supported activation of genes involved in insulin production. Bone marrow stem cells modified with a different gene, PDX1, which is important in the development and maintenance of beta cells, resulted in temporary but not sustained beta cell recovery.

"Our study is the first to show that VEGF contributes to revascularization and recovery after pancreatic injury. It demonstrates the possible clinical benefits of using bone marrow-derived stem cells, modified to express that gene, for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes," said John S. Yu, MD, professor and vice chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai, senior author of the journal article.

Diabetes was reversed in five of nine mice treated with the injection of VEGF-modified cells, and near-normal blood sugar levels were maintained through the remainder of the six-week study period. The other four mice survived and gained weight, suggesting treatment was beneficial even when it did not prompt complete reversal. Lab studies later confirmed that genetically-modified cells survived and grew in the pancreas and supported the repopulation of blood vessels and beta cells.

Anna Milanesi, MD, PhD, working in Yu's lab as an endocrinology fellow, is the article's first author. The researchers cautioned that although this and other related studies help scientists gain a better understanding of the processes and pathways involved in pancreatic regeneration, more research is needed before human clinical trials can begin.

Insulin-dependent diabetes occurs when beta cells of the pancreas fail to produce insulin, a hormone that regulates sugar in the blood. Patients must take insulin injections or consider transplantation of a whole pancreas or parts of the pancreas that make insulin, but transplantation carries the risk of cell rejection.

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New study sheds light on bone marrow stem cell therapy for pancreatic recovery

SILVER SPRING, Md. and SINGAPORE, Oct. 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nuvilex, Inc. (NVLX), an international biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions, announced today its wholly-owned subsidiary, Austrianova Singapore Pte Ltd (ASPL) will attend this year's AusBiotech event.

The annual AusBiotech event this year will be held from October 30 - November 2 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia. It has earned a reputation as the industry's premier biotechnology conference for the Asia Pacific region and has successfully expanded its relevance to the Australian and International Biotechnology industries by attracting more than 1100 participants from over 20 countries.

Dr Brian Salmons, CEO of ASPL said, "AusBiotech has grown in stature over the past several years. In prior years, we entered agreements with companies and found it to be one of the most valuable events for networking with new contacts. We anticipate meeting with companies with proprietary therapeutic cells, such as stem cells, that can leverage their technology with our Cell-in-a-Box(R) delivery system. We believe the new contacts we make will expand our customer base and increase the use of cell and gene therapy for making therapeutic products and treating diseases. We will also be promoting our Bac-in-a-Box(R) technology for the first time at this meeting and anticipate generating interest around its potential."

The Chief Executive of Nuvilex, Dr. Robert Ryan, stated "Attendance at this important biotech event in Australia and within easy reach of Southeast Asia will enable us to have increased exposure for our Cell-in-a-Box(R) and Bac-in-a-Box(R) live cell encapsulation technology and to showcase its immense versatility, thus providing our companies greater visibility at a time that such capabilities are becoming more important in the marketplace. It is our goal to bring more projects to fruition from this meeting as more companies today are looking to bring cellular-based therapy and product creation from the drawing board to reality and into regular use."

About Nuvilex

Nuvilex, Inc. (NVLX) is an international biotechnology provider of live therapeutically valuable, encapsulated cells and services for research and medicine. A great deal of work is ongoing to move Nuvilex and its Austrianova Singapore subsidiary forward. This was clearly apparent during Dr. Ryan's trip to Singapore and the advent of new developments in the company as a whole. Our company's own offerings will include cancer, diabetes, other treatments and capabilities using the company's cell and gene therapy expertise and live-cell encapsulation technology.

The Nuvilex, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=13494

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements described within the 1995 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act involving risks and uncertainties including product demand, market competition, and meeting current or future plans which may cause actual results, events, and performances, expressed or implied, to vary and/or differ from those contemplated or predicted. Investors should study and understand all risks before making an investment decision. Readers are recommended not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Nuvilex is not obliged to publicly release revisions to any forward-looking statement, reflect events or circumstances afterward, or disclose unanticipated occurrences, except as required under applicable laws.

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Nuvilex Subsidiary Austrianova Singapore to Participate in AusBiotech 2012

Newswise An experimental treatment for blindness, developed from a patients skin cells, improved the vision of blind mice in a study conducted by Columbia ophthalmologists and stem cell researchers.

The findings suggest that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells which are derived from adult human skin cells but have embryonic properties could soon be used to restore vision in people with macular degeneration and other diseases that affect the eyes retina.

With eye diseases, I think were getting close to a scenario where a patients own skin cells are used to replace retina cells destroyed by disease or degeneration, says the studys principal investigator, Stephen Tsang, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology and pathology & cell biology. Its often said that iPS transplantation will be important in the practice of medicine in some distant future, but our paper suggests the future is almost here.

The advent of human iPS cells in 2007 was greeted with excitement from scientists who hailed the development as a way to avoid the ethical complications of embryonic stem cells and create patient-specific stem cells. Like embryonic stem cells, iPS cells can develop into any type of cell. Thousands of different iPS cell lines from patients and healthy donors have been created in the last few years, but they are almost always used in research or drug screening.

No iPS cells have been transplanted into people, but many ophthalmologists say the eye is the ideal testing ground for iPS therapies.

The eye is a transparent and accessible part of the central nervous system, and thats a big advantage. We can put cells into the eye and monitor them every day with routine non-invasive clinical exams, Tsang says. And in the event of serious complications, removing the eye is not a life-threatening event.

In Tsangs new preclinical iPS study, human iPS cells derived from the skin cells of a 53-year-old donor were first transformed with a cocktail of growth factors into cells in the retina that lie underneath the eyes light-sensing cells.

The primary job of the retina cells is to nourish the light-sensing cells and protect the fragile cells from excess light, heat, and cellular debris. If the retina cells die which happens in macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa the photoreceptor cells degenerate and the patient loses vision. Macular degeneration is a leading cause of vision loss in the elderly, and it is estimated that 30 percent of people will have some form of macular degeneration by age 75. Macular degeneration currently affects 7 million Americans and its incidence is expected to double by 2020.

In their study, the researchers injected the iPS-derived retina cells into the right eyes of 34 mice that had a genetic mutation that caused their retina cells to degenerate.

In many animals, the human cells assimilated into mouse retina without disruption and functioned as normal retina cells well into the animals old age. Control mice that got injections of saline or inactive cells showed no improvement in retina tests.

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Stem Cells Improve Visual Function in Blind Mice

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Medistem Inc (Pink Sheets:MEDS) announced today the initiation of a collaboration with Superview Biotechnology Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Yinhuan Holding Co from Yixing, China. The joint work will be aimed at using proprietary stem cell lines developed by Medistem for screening of monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic activity in the area of regenerative medicine. As part of the collaboration, the two companies will evaluate various candidates jointly, as well as apply for grants and share research data.

To date, the majority of stem cell companies are focusing on the stem cell itself being a product. By collaborating with Superview Biotechnology, we aim to assess the feasibility of developing antibodies that can modulate the activity of stem cells that already exist in the body, said Thomas Ichim, CEO of Medistem. This approach not only provides methods of activating stem cells but also allows for the development of stem cell adjuvant therapies that could be used to resurrect stem cell candidates that failed in clinical trials.

Superview Biotechnology has developed proprietary methods of rapidly generating monoclonal antibodies to esoteric protein targets. Medistem has a history of success in the area of stem cells, being the only company to take a stem cell product from discovery to FDA clearance in the short span of 4 years.

One of the significant driving forces behind our company is to develop innovative targets for our monoclonal antibodies. Although monoclonal antibodies have generated sales of billions of dollars in areas ranging from rheumatoid arthritis, to cancer, to preventing blindness, we feel that the potential of this therapeutic tool is only beginning to be recognized, said Jiong Wu, CEO of Superview Biotechnology. Our opinion is that the barriers to entry for monoclonal antibody-based therapies modulating endogenous stem cells is lower than stem cell based therapies. We are eager to work with the Medistem team at exploring this hypothesis.

A joint grant is expected to be filed with the National Natural Science Foundation of China to support part of the proposed collaboration by end of October, 2012.

Cautionary Statement

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of our securities. This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking information. Factors which may cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements are discussed in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Medistem and Superview Biotechnology Co. Ltd. Initiate Collaboration on Therapeutics Development Using Antibody and ...

For more than 40 years, Lesley Kelly of Glasgow, Scotland, lived with third-degree burns that stretched over 60 percent of her body.

Kelly was 2 years old when she fell into a bathtub filled with hot water that scorched most of the right side of her body. She lost full range of motion around many of her joints.

"When you have bad scarring, the buildup is very thick and has no elasticity," said Kelly, 45, whose right elbow was most affected by the buildup of scar tissue. "The problem with thermal burn scarring [is that] it's hard to get the range of motion."

Kelly underwent numerous reparative surgeries through the years, but the scar tissue continued to grow back. The procedures did not lessen the look of her scars.

In 2011, Kelly underwent a new, experimental procedure that used stem cells from her own fat tissue to repair the buildup around her right elbow.

Surgeons cleaned the scar buildup around the elbow and used liposuction to pull fat from off Kelly's waist. They separated the fat cells from the stem and regenerative cells, which were then injected into the wound on Kelly's arm. The procedure took less than two hours.

Within months, Kelly was able to regain 40 degrees of motion that she had lost more than 40 years ago.

"If this technology was available earlier in my life, my scars would not have been as bad," said Kelly.

There are an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 burn cases each year in the U.S., according to the American Burn Association.

The stem cell therapy, approved in the U.K. to treat soft tissue wounds, is now gaining traction in the U.S.

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Experimental Stem Cell Therapy May Help Burn Victims

By Ryan Flinn - 2012-09-28T20:12:41Z

Cytori Therapeutics Inc. (CYTX), a biotechnology company with $10 million in annual revenue, rose the most in about a year after the company won a $4.7 million U.S. government contract to develop a stem cell therapy to treat burns caused by thermal or radioactive bombs.

Cytori jumped 14 percent to $4.41 at the close in New York, the biggest single-day increase since October 2011. The shares of the San Diego-based company have doubled this year.

Were seeing a lot of momentum, Chief Executive Officer Christopher Calhoun said today in an interview with Bloomberg Television. This contract is one more major thing that we are delivering on, and there is more to come.

The two-year contract with the Department of Health and Human Services Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority may be worth $106 million over five years if certain milestones are met, Cytori said today in a statement. The company had a net loss last year of $32 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Cytoris experimental therapy takes adipose tissue, or body fat, from a patient and through its device separates the adult stem and regenerative cells before transferring them to a burn wound. Money from the contract will be used to develop the device and take it through the U.S. regulatory approval process with the Food and Drug Administration, Calhoun said.

These cells help to facilitate the healing of the injury, he said in a telephone interview earlier this week. They release growth factors that stimulate new blood flow.

Testing the technology in a clinical trial and getting approval may take five years, Calhoun said. The company is currently testing its therapy for other soft tissue damage, as well as cardiovascular disease.

Once approved, the device will be deployed in hospitals across the country, and can be used for routine burns as well as a treatment for patients in wake of a mass casualty event that could injure 10,000 people, Cytori said in the statement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ryan Flinn in San Francisco at rflinn@bloomberg.net

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Cytori’s Stem Cell Therapy for Burns Wins U.S. Contract

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Stem Cell Research Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry Article Date: 28 Sep 2012 - 1:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Purging Stem Cells To Make Therapy Safer

The study appears in a 27 September issue of the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

iPS cells have properties similar to embryonic stem cells, which are "master cells" with an unlimited capacity to differentiate into any type of tissue in the body, such as brain, lung, skin, heart, and liver. Thus their potential in regenerative medicine, where damaged or diseased tissue can be repaired or replaced by growing new tissue, is huge, as senior author Timothy Nelson explains in a press release:

"Pluripotent stem cells show great promise in the field of regenerative medicine; however, the risk of uncontrolled cell growth will continue to prevent their use as a therapeutic treatment."

Nelson is Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology and works in the General Internal Medicine department and the Transplant Center at the Mayo.

The idea of using iPS cells is for doctors to be able to take some adult tissue, for example skin cells, from the patient who needs the treatment, and then turn the cells from that tissue into iPS cells.

Then, those iPS cells are coaxed to turn into the target type of cell, for instance lung cells. As a result of the coaxing the iPS cells turn into (differentiate) the target tissue type.

But current ways of doing this leaves some iPS cells undifferentiated, so they get transplanted into the patient along with the differentiated cells, leaving the risk that they will differentiate on their own in an uncontrolled way and form tumors.

For their study, Nelson and colleagues used lab mice to show that pretreating iPS cells with a chemotherapy drug, selectively damages the DNA of the stem cells, killing them off so they cannot grow uncontrollably and form tumors. The chemotherapy kills the iPS cells by triggering cell suicide or apoptosis, which is a natural response to DNA damage.

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Purging Stem Cells To Make Therapy Safer

According to Aristotle, only the Pentacosiomedimnoi were eligible for election to high office as archons and therefore only they gained admission into the Areopagus. A modern view affords the same privilege to the hippeis. The top three classes were eligible for a variety of lesser posts and only the Thetes were excluded from all public office.

Depending on how we interpret the historical facts known to us, Solon's constitutional reforms were either a radical anticipation of democratic government, or they merely provided a plutocratic flavour to a stubbornly aristocratic regime, or else the truth lies somewhere between these two extremes.

Solon's reforms can thus be seen to have taken place at a crucial period of economic transition, when a subsistence rural economy increasingly required the support of a nascent commercial sector. The specific economic reforms credited to Solon are these: Fathers were encouraged to find trades for their sons; if they did not, there would be no legal requirement for sons to maintain their fathers in old age. Foreign tradesmen were encouraged to settle in Athens; those who did would be granted citizenship, provided they brought their families with them. Cultivation of olives was encouraged; the export of all other produce was prohibited. Competitiveness of Athenian commerce was promoted through revision of weights and measures, possibly based on successful standards already in use elsewhere, such as Aegina or Euboia or, according to the ancient account but unsupported by modern scholarship, Argos

It is generally assumed, on the authority of ancient commentators that Solon also reformed the Athenian coinage. However, recent numismatic studies now lead to the conclusion that Athens probably had no coinage until around 560 BC, well after Solon's reforms.

Solon's economic reforms succeeded in stimulating foreign trade. Athenian black-figure pottery was exported in increasing quantities and good quality throughout the Aegean between 600 BC and 560 BC, a success story that coincided with a decline in trade in Corinthian pottery. The ban on the export of grain might be understood as a relief measure for the benefit of the poor. However, the encouragement of olive production for export could actually have led to increased hardship for many Athenians since it would have led to a reduction in the amount of land dedicated to grain. Moreover an olive produces no fruit for the first six years. The real motives behind Solon's economic reforms are therefore as questionable as his real motives for constitutional reform. Were the poor being forced to serve the needs of a changing economy, or was the economy being reformed to serve the needs of the poor?

Solon's reform of these injustices was later known and celebrated among Athenians as the Seisachtheia (shaking off of burdens). As with all his reforms, there is considerable scholarly debate about its real significance. Many scholars are content to accept the account given by the ancient sources, interpreting it as a cancellation of debts, while others interpret it as the abolition of a type of feudal relationship, and some prefer to explore new possibilities for interpretation. prohibition on a debtor's person being used as security for a loan. release of all Athenians who had been enslaved.

The removal of the horoi clearly provided immediate economic relief for the most oppressed group in Attica, and it also brought an immediate end to the enslavement of Athenians by their countrymen. Some Athenians had already been sold into slavery abroad and some had fled abroad to escape enslavement Solon proudly records in verse the return of this diaspora. It has been cynically observed, however, that few of these unfortunates were likely to have been recovered. It has been observed also that the seisachtheia not only removed slavery and accumulated debt, it also removed the ordinary farmer's only means of obtaining further credit.

The seisachtheia however was merely one set of reforms within a broader agenda of moral reformation. Other reforms included: the abolition of extravagant dowries. legislation against abuses within the system of inheritance, specifically with relation to the epikleros (i.e. a female who had no brothers to inherit her father's property and who was traditionally required to marry her nearest paternal relative in order to produce an heir to her father's estate). entitlement of any citizen to take legal action on behalf of another. the disenfranchisement of any citizen who might refuse to take up arms in times of civil strife, a measure that was intended to counteract dangerous levels of political apathy.

The personal modesty and frugality of the rich and powerful men of Athens in the city's subsequent golden age have been attested to by Demosthenes. Perhaps Solon, by both personal example and legislated reform, established a precedent for this decorum. A heroic sense of civic duty later united Athenians against the might of the Persians. Perhaps this public spirit was instilled in them by Solon and his reforms. Also see Solon and Athenian sexuality

The literary merit of Solon's verse is generally considered unexceptional. Solon the poet can be said to appear 'self-righteous' and 'pompous' at times and he once composed an elegy with moral advice for a more gifted elegiac poet, Mimnermus. Most of the extant verses show him writing in the role of a political activist determined to assert personal authority and leadership and they have been described by the German classicist Wilamowitz as a "versified harangue" (Eine Volksrede in Versen). According to Plutarch however, Solon originally wrote poetry for amusement, discussing pleasure in a popular rather than philosophical way. Solon's elegiac style is said to have been influenced by the example of Tyrtaeus. He also wrote iambic and trochaic verses which, according to one modern scholar, are more lively and direct than his elegies and possibly paved the way for the iambics of Athenian drama.

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Solon urges Congress to conduct cursory check on the status of stem cell therapy in the country (15966897)

Queenstown Regenerative Medicine - http://www.queenstownRM.co.nz

Professor Richard Boyd and Dr Dan Bates Latest developments of Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine

Queenstown Regenerative Medicine, in association with Monash University Immunology and Stem Cell Centre (MISCL), has the pleasure of requesting your attendance at an evening lecture by Prof Richard Boyd, Head of MISCL and Dr Dan Bates, Sports Medicine Physician from Melbourne AFL Club.

Professor Richard Boyd is a world leader in the research and development of potential uses of stem cells to treat disease in both human and animal. He is the Director of Australia's largest and most prestigious Stem Cell Laboratory and a recipient of numerous International Awards for unique research into how stem cells and the immune system develop and how they have their effects in the body.

Professor Boyd's talk will give an overall background to stem cells and the work going on around the world to put these cellular therapies and regenerative medicine into the clinic.

Doctor Dan Bates is a Sports Medicine Physician working with Professor Boyd in the development and use of cellular medicine applications in the field of Sports Medicine and musculoskeletal injuries. Dan is the current team doctor of the Melbourne AFL club and will speak on his experiences using Platelet Rich Plasma to treat musculoskeletal injuries and the opening of stem cell treatment centres in conjunction with MISCL in Australia.

This is a unique opportunity to get first- hand knowledge from some of the best people in the field. These talks will be aimed at the practical applications of how you can use these therapies currently, as well as giving an idea of what the near future holds.

Date: Friday 21 September 2012 Time: from 6 pm 7.30 pm Location: Heritage Hotel, 91 Fernhill Road, Queenstown (Icon Conference Room) Cost: Free of charge

Scoop Media

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Developments of Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine

Laking pasasalamat ni Albert Martinez at ng kanyang pamilya na cleared na sa breast cancer ang asawa niyang si Liezl Martinez.

Kuwento ni Albert sa PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), sa tulong daw ng stem cell therapy ay naging cancer-free ang asawa.

Ok naman, so far with Gods blessing,. Its all cleared. So, were very, very happy.

Dealing with cancer is a struggle from day one, and Im really thankful that theres such a thing as stem cell na naging solusyon sa recovery ni Liezl."

EXTENSIVE RESEARCH. Ayon kay Albert ay pinag-aralan niya ang lahat ng puwedeng maging solusyon sa sakit ng asawa.

Pero sa huli, ang stem cell pa rin ang naging solusyon.

Marami akong pinagdaanan kasi ni-research ko lahat yan.

Kailangang alamin mo kung ano ba ang mga dapat gawin. Lahat pinag-aralan natin

And nag-end up talaga, na ang pinakamaganda is stem cell.

I took the risk, researched on the possibilities of doing it, availability niya.

See the original post:
Albert Martinez claims stem cell therapy cleared wife Liezl Martinez of breast cancer

YAHOO:

Talent manager Annabelle Rama will fly to Germany in September to undergo therapy - stem cell therapy, that is. This has been a promise made by her son Richard Gutierrez who's footing the bill. "Early this year pa lang ay napagplanuhan na 'yung pagpapa-stem cell ng nanay ko at prinomise ko sa kanya na pag-iipunan ko, prinomise ko sa kanya na ako ang magti-treat sa kanya," Richard said on the first episode of "H.O.T. TV," Aug. 5.

He noted, "'Yung mom ko hindi mahilig 'yan na pumunta sa mga doctor, hindi mahilig magpa-check-up."

Looking forward

This early, Annabelle is already excited about her trip and the upcoming treatment.

"Kaya ako excited pumunta kasi unang-una mataas ang aking sugar, mataas ang aking cholesterol, tapos me problema pa ako sa high blood, blood pressure ko. Siguro nga kailangan kong pumunta ng Germany," she said, noting that the condition of her friends, talent manager Lolit Solis and actress Lorna Tolentino, have improved tremendously after going through stem cell therapy.

"Nakita ko ang mukha ni Lolis pumuputi ang mukha niya, eh at saka mukha siyang fresh na fresh. Lalo na si LT, nakita ko rin siya. Mukhang gumanda naman siya. Basta lahat ng kaibigan kong galing doon, nakakausap ko, sabi nila ay talagang gumaling daw sila. 'Yung kanilang napi-feel na mabigat sa katawan dahil sa sakit nila ay nawawala lahat," she said.

Exorbitant fees?

Annabelle had already inquired about the fees of stem cell procedure in the country and she feels it's exorbitant.

"Kasi sa Piipinas may pinagtatanungan na ako, umabot ng mga four million pesos 'yung naitanong ko kaya parang na-discourage akong magpagamot kasi nga ganoon kamahal."

Read the rest here:
Annabelle Rama to undergo stem cell treatment to improve health

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/9fkkzb/cell_therapy_tec) has announced the addition of Jain PharmaBiotech's new report "Cell Therapy - Technologies, Markets and Companies" to their offering.

This report describes and evaluates cell therapy technologies and methods, which have already started to play an important role in the practice of medicine. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is replacing the old fashioned bone marrow transplants. Role of cells in drug discovery is also described. Cell therapy is bound to become a part of medical practice.

Stem cells are discussed in detail in one chapter. Some light is thrown on the current controversy of embryonic sources of stem cells and comparison with adult sources. Other sources of stem cells such as the placenta, cord blood and fat removed by liposuction are also discussed. Stem cells can also be genetically modified prior to transplantation.

Cell therapy technologies overlap with those of gene therapy, cancer vaccines, drug delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Pharmaceutical applications of stem cells including those in drug discovery are also described. Various types of cells used, methods of preparation and culture, encapsulation and genetic engineering of cells are discussed. Sources of cells, both human and animal (xenotransplantation) are discussed. Methods of delivery of cell therapy range from injections to surgical implantation using special devices.

Cell therapy has applications in a large number of disorders. The most important are diseases of the nervous system and cancer which are the topics for separate chapters. Other applications include cardiac disorders (myocardial infarction and heart failure), diabetes mellitus, diseases of bones and joints, genetic disorders, and wounds of the skin and soft tissues.

Regulatory and ethical issues involving cell therapy are important and are discussed. Current political debate on the use of stem cells from embryonic sources (hESCs) is also presented. Safety is an essential consideration of any new therapy and regulations for cell therapy are those for biological preparations.

The cell-based markets was analyzed for 2011, and projected to 2021. The markets are analyzed according to therapeutic categories, technologies and geographical areas. The largest expansion will be in diseases of the central nervous system, cancer and cardiovascular disorders. Skin and soft tissue repair as well as diabetes mellitus will be other major markets.

The number of companies involved in cell therapy has increased remarkably during the past few years. More than 500 companies have been identified to be involved in cell therapy and 284 of these are profiled in part II of the report along with tabulation of 274 alliances. Of these companies, 154 are involved in stem cells. Profiles of 70 academic institutions in the US involved in cell therapy are also included in part II along with their commercial collaborations. The text is supplemented with 55 Tables and 11 Figures. The bibliography contains 1,050 selected references, which are cited in the text.

Key Topics Covered:

The rest is here:
Research and Markets: Cell Therapy - Technologies, Markets and Companies - Updated 2012 Report

AP

Raiders linebacker Aaron Curry isnt sure when hell be able to get back on the field, but hes pretty sure that stem cell therapy will be the thing that winds up getting him back there.

Paul Gutierrez of CSNBayArea.com reports that Curry has received the therapy on both of his knees. Bone marrow from his hips was used in the treatment and Curry told Gutierrez that it is the only thing hes tried that has helped him feel better. Curry is still working out on the side during Raiders practices and said hell only return to practice when hes fully able to help the Raiders.

My goal is to get healthy and just go out there and be violent, be fast, be a pain in the offenses butt and whatever I have to do on the defense, do it, Curry said. And do it full speed. I cant do that until my body says its ready.

The treatment has been popular with Oakland athletes. Linebacker Rolando McClain said that the treatment helped his legs feel better earlier this offseason and As pitcher Bartolo Colon has credited stem cell treatment on his shoulder with saving his baseball career.

With McClain facing a possible suspension under the Personal Conduct Policy and Oakland short on linebacking depth, the Raiders need Curry to be healthy for the start of the season.

Originally posted here:
Aaron Curry using stem cell therapy to help knees

Sugarland, TEXAS (PRWEB) July 10, 2012

Sugarland cosmetic dentist Dr. Lance Jue from A Beautiful Smile at Lake Pointe has become the first provider of dental stem cell therapy in Fort Bend County.

Dental stem cell therapy saves stem cells from baby teeth, teeth removed for orthodontic reasons and wisdom teeth to help with future infections, injuries or diseases.

Dr. Jue works with Store-A-Tooth, which provides a Tooth Transport Kit, collects and validates the stems cells that are collected from the tooth. The cells are kept frozen until the day they are needed, at which time they are sent to the patients healthcare provider.

Dental stem cells have been used to treat periodontal disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury, stroke and liver disease. Stem cells are different from other cells because they can transform into many different cell types and divide more than other types of cells.

Dental stem cells are particularly effective because they replicate faster than stem cells take from other body tissues.

The initial cost of the Store-A-Tooth service is one-third to one-half the initial cost of storing umbilical cord blood, another source of stem cells.

A Beautiful Smile at Lake Pointe is the dental practice of Dr. Lance Jue. It has served the Houston area's restorative, cosmetic and general dentistry needs for 19 years. Dr. Jue makes an effort to listen to every patient to give him or her the appropriate treatment.

Excerpt from:
Dr. Jue Brings Store-A-Tooth Dental Stem Cell Therapy Service to Sugarland

Some worry that a ruling giving donors the ability to sell their bone-marrow tissue will encourage legal sale of other body parts.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(Time.com) -- How much would it take for you to consider selling your bone marrow? A U.S. appeals court puts the price at about $3,000 in a ruling that now makes it legal to pay donors for their bone-marrow tissue.

The court's decision may well help thousands of sick patients who need bone-marrow transplants to survive, but it also begs the question, What other body parts might next be up for sale?

The ruling came about at the end of 2011, in a decision to an October 2009 lawsuit brought by a group of cancer patients, parents and bone-marrow-donation advocates against the government over the federal law banning the buying and selling of bodily organs. The plaintiffs were led by Doreen Flynn, who has three daughters who suffer from Fanconi anemia, a blood disorder that requires bone-marrow transplants to treat.

Flynn and the other plaintiffs said that too many such patients die waiting for transplants and argued that we should be allowed to pay people to donate their marrow as a way of ensuring a more reliable supply. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed.

Time.com: Facebook now lets organ donors tell their friends

At the core of the plaintiffs' argument was the National Organ Transplantation Act (NOTA), which since 1984 has forbid the buying and selling of human organs, including bone marrow. But new developments in bone-marrow extraction have made marrow donation not much different from donating blood.

Traditionally, bone-marrow donation required anesthesia and long needles to extract the marrow from the hip bones of donors. Now, a technique called peripheral apheresis allows doctors to extract blood stem cells directly from the blood, instead of the bone -- patients first take a drug that pulls stem cells from the bone and into the blood -- meaning that the marrow cells should be considered a fluid like blood, rather than an organ, the plaintiffs argued. NOTA doesn't prohibit payments for blood or other fluids, such as plasma or semen.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder decided not to ask the Supreme Court to review the appellate court's decision, which would have been the next step in overturning it. That means the ruling stands -- and that people can now be paid up to $3,000 for their marrow, as long as it is collected by apheresis. In a concession to the spirit of NOTA, however, the compensation can't be in cash; it needs to be in the form of a voucher that can be applied to things such as scholarships, education, housing or a donation to a charity.

Read more here:
Should you be allowed to sell organs?

Ed Reschke / Getty Images

A color-enhanced photograph of spongy (Cancellous) bone red bone marrow fills the space.

How much would it take for you to consider selling your bone marrow? A U.S. appeals court puts the price at about $3,000 in a ruling that now makes it legal to pay donors for their bone-marrow tissue.

The courts decision may well help thousands of sick patients who need bone-marrow transplants to survive, but it also begs the question, what other body parts might next be up for sale?

The ruling came about at the end of 2011, in a decision to an October 2009 lawsuit brought by a group of cancer patients, parents and bone-marrow donation advocates against the government over the federal law banning the buying and selling of bodily organs. The plaintiffs were led by Doreen Flynn, who has three daughters who suffer from Fanconi anemia, a blood disorder that requires bone-marrow transplants to treat. Flynn and the other plaintiffs said that too many such patients die waiting for transplants and argued that we should be allowed to pay people to donate their marrow as a way of ensuring a more reliable supply. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed.

(MORE: Facebook Now Lets Organ Donors Tell Their Friends)

At the core of the plaintiffs argument was the National Organ Transplantation Act (NOTA), which since 1984 has forbid the buying and selling of human organs, including bone marrow. But new developments in bone-marrow extraction have made marrow donation not much different from donating blood: traditionally, bone marrow donation required anesthesia and long needles to extract the marrow from the hipbones of donors. Now, a technique called peripheral apheresis allows doctors to extract blood stem cells directly from the blood, instead of the bone patients first take a drug that pulls stem cells from the bone and into the blood meaning that the marrow cells should be considered a fluid like blood, rather than an organ, the plaintiffs argued. NOTA doesnt prohibit payments for blood or other fluids, such as plasma or semen.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder decided not to ask the Supreme Court to review the appellate courts decision, which would have been the next step in overturning it. That means the ruling stands and that people can now be paid up to $3,000 for their marrow, as long as it is collected by apheresis. In a concession to the spirit of NOTA, however, the compensation cant be in cash; it needs to be in the form of a voucher that can be applied to things such as scholarships, education, housing or a donation to a charity.

While the decision applies only to the nine states covered by the Ninth Circuit court, and only to bone marrow obtained through apheresis, it does raise bigger questions about how we will look at organ donation in the future. With about 114,000 people waiting for organs in the U.S. alone on any given day, and only 3,300 donors, the urgent medical need runs up against moral standards of the value human life. Once we start paying for the parts we need, though, how far do we go? We dont allow people to buy and sell human beings, thats slavery, says Dr. Robert Klitzman, director of the bioethics program at Columbia University. Should we allow people to buy and sell human body parts?

(MORE: Where Do (Some) Babies Come From? In Washington, a New Law Bans Anonymous Sperm and Egg Donors)

Read more from the original source:
A Court Allows Payment for Bone Marrow. Should People Be Able to Sell Their Parts?

Public release date: 29-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elisabeth (Lisa) Lyons elyons@cell.com 617-386-2121 Cell Press

Latest annual citation reports confirm Cell Press delivers highly valued, highly cited research and reviews to the scientific community it serves

We are delighted to report that the new impact factors align with community perception and confirm that Cell Press continues to publish the highest impact research and reviews in the biomedical sciences, according to the latest Journal Citation Reports published by Thomas Reuters.

Cell Press's flagship journal Cell received an impressive impact factor of 32.403. Showing strong and steady growth, Cell's impact factor has increased by 9% since 2005, maintaining its status as the premier research journal in its field. Cell is currently ranked the number one research journal in the 'Cell Biology' and 'Biochemistry & Molecular Biology' categories.

Over 70% of journals within the Trends review journal series increased in impact factor this year, with significant growth across several life science disciplines. Top performers include Trends in Cognitive Science, which increased by 30% to 12.586, Trends in Immunology, which grew 9% to 10.403, and Trends in Ecology and Evolution, which rose 9% to 15.748. Published by Cell Press since 2007, Trends journals offer the unparalleled level of in-house editorial expertise that exists within all of the Cell Press journals, with the support of committed and enthusiastic editorial boards and an extensive range of fair and knowledgeable reviewers.

The substantial increase for Trends in Cognitive Sciences is also reflected in the other Cell Press neuroscience journals. Neuron, which has been publishing leading neuroscience research and reviews since 1988, increased by 5% to 14.736, and Trends in Neurosciences is up from 13.320 to 14.235.

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Cell Press's more recent journal launches, aimed at expanding our scope into translational biomedical areas, continue to maintain their influence within the scientific community. Launched in 2007, Cell Stem Cell has an impact factor of 25.421 and has been named a "Rising Star" in the field of Clinical Medicine by Thomson Reuters. This means that, in 2011, Cell Stem Cell had the highest percentage growth in citations in its field. Celebrating a decade of high impact publication in 2012, Cancer Cell has a well established impact factor of 26.566.

The 2011 Journal Citation Reports ranks the Cell Press journals' impact factors as follows:

Continued here:
Cell Press journals continue to deliver high impact