By Daniella Walsh on September 04th, 2014

By Daniella Walsh | LB Indy

Leslies stem cell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Stem Cells Star in Marriage of Art and Science

Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) September 03, 2014

Stem Cell technology is the future; looking younger and better without plastic surgery is here now. Stem Cell Beautys debut product line StemLife is spearheading the current beauty renaissance. Among websites that provide stem cell beauty products, Stem Cell Beauty is in a league of its own.

Science is always advancing, why shouldn't your beauty products? questions Albert Faleski, Director of Operations at StemCellBeauty.com.

Most products on the shelves are outdated, whereas we take a different approach to find a formula that works with your body, reinvigorating your own stem cells to provide actual results.

The science behind StemLife is nothing short of groundbreaking. Its trademarked FixT Technology was achieved through reverse engineering to understand how the body maintains and heals itself with our own endogenous combinations of adult stem cells. With this knowledge they developed a means to mimic the natural stem cell processes in our body. Unlike other beauty brands, StemLife uses specific combinations of stem cell types, each cultured under specific state-dependent conditions, using cell types and states that are ideal for the particular tissue. It then creates a set of molecules from multiple stem cell types that is complete and fully formed, rendering maximum benefit and efficiency. This approach of stem cell skin care is extremely unique.

Other leading stem cell-based beauty companies use simpler technology where one stem cell type is chosen to make their molecules. This one-size fits all approach is not efficient and lacks the complexity of StemLifes FixT technology. Some companies mash the cells without allowing their molecules to fully process, which again leads to underachieving results. Many of the largest companies have made no attempt to use new science to formulate better products, providing their customers with over-priced serums proven to be archaic.

StemLifes cutting edge formula is shaping the future of hair regrowth as well, providing an ultramodern solution to those looking to slow the hands of time. Their most popular product, The Advanced Hair Treatment for Women, is essentially the hidden gem the world has been waiting for.

Its popularity stems back to the fact that it actually works. Faleski explained.

Were not big on gimmicks. We prefer showing our customer actual people who have had actual results with our products. After seeing life-changing hair growth with their own eyes, we are confident new customers will try it and have amazing results of their own. The Advanced Hair Treatment for Women is an incredible product that sells itself.

StemLifes most interesting product to date is the Natural Lash & Brow Lash Extend. This product boasts ingredients that are formulated to generate eyelash growth. In a market where eyelash extensions have been the go-to fix for longer lashes, being able to naturally grow them is a revolutionary concept.

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Stem Cell Beauty: The Online Shop Revolutionizing the Beauty Industry

Ed Tessaro, 68, just joined the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the social media fundraising phenomenon that has brought in over $100 million in donations to fight ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Ed Tessaro has been fighting the disease for more than five years.

But Tessaro's challenge is different than most. Tessaro has been fighting the disease for more than five years.

"My arms and legs are weaker, when I walk I'm pretty much at risk," Tessaro told CBS News. "That's really the only bad news. I'm breathing at 100 percent of normal, which is great news."

In ALS, motor neurons, the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles, detach from the muscle and die. Patients lose control of movement and eventually their ability to breathe on their own. The cause of ALS is unknown.

Tessaro is one of 30 patients in a clinical trial who had stem cells injected into their spinal column in an attempt to slow the progression of the disease.

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What's the Ice Bucket Challenge all about? A "60 Minutes" story about the fortitude of many ALS patients shows why they need more research fundin...

Normally, neurons are surrounded by cells that protect and nourish them. New research suggests that in ALS patients, these supporting cells become killers, poisoning the motor neurons. Animal studies have found stem cells can help heal the toxic supporting cells.

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Research making ALS less of a mystery

(PRWEB UK) 2 September 2014

Schools in the UK are preparing to become actively involved in helping to educate parents and children on the health benefits of stem cell banking.

BioEden the specialist tooth stem cell bank are producing educational materials for schools which includes a delightfully illustrated book Nothing but the Tooth which is available from today.

The book although a fun fictional piece starring a 21st Century Super Tooth Fairy and a small boy called Nigel, is based on fact and educates both children and adults alike on stem cell banking from teeth. The book follows Nigel as he visits the BioEden stem cell laboratory and brings home to the reader why stem cell banking today is a simple yet invaluable way of storing good health for the future.

It is now known that naturally shed milk teeth in young children contain a vital source of mesenchymal stem cells. These cells have the ability to morph into other types of cells and can create cartilage, tissue, skin and bone.

As the teeth fall out naturally, the process of harvesting cells is non-invasive and many parents choose this method for this very reason. Stem cell banking from teeth is also the least expensive form of banking and parents can now pay a low monthly fee, instead of a single sum.

As there is no telling exactly when a tooth will fall, despite the tell-tale wobble, a spare tooth collection capsule is provided for the school so that if the tooth falls out in the classroom or playground, the tooth can be safely collected and stored without delay.

The BioEden process is so simple that the teacher is merely required to place the tooth into the capsule with some fresh cows milk, place in a refrigerator, and then notify the parent or guardian.

BioEden have been invited into schools from late September and will be supported by TV Celebrity Cook Sally Bee, whose own children have their stem cells stored with the bank. Sally has a rare heart condition, and it was her personal experience that led her to bank her childrens stem cells.

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A new term for teachers sparks interest in tooth stem cell banking -- Source:BioEden

The zebrafish, a small fresh water fish, owes its name to a striking pattern of blue stripes alternating with golden stripes. Three major pigment cell types, black cells, reflective silvery cells, and yellow cells emerge during growth in the skin of the tiny juvenile fish and arrange as a multilayered mosaic to compose the characteristic colour pattern. While it was known that all three cell types have to interact to form proper stripes, the embryonic origin of the pigment cells that develop the stripes of the adult fish has remained a mystery up to now. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tbingen have now discovered how these cells arise and behave to form the 'zebra' pattern. Their work may help to understand the development and evolution of the great diversity of striking patterns in the animal world.

Beauty in the living world amazes poets, philosophers and scientists alike. Nobel prize laureate Christiane Nsslein-Volhard, Director of the Department for Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, has long been fascinated by the biology behind the colour patterns displayed by animals. Her group uses zebrafish as a model organism to study the genetic basis of animal development.

New research by Nsslein-Volhard's laboratory published in Science shows that the yellow cells undergo dramatic changes in cell shape to tint the stripe pattern of zebrafish. "We were surprised to observe such cell behaviours, as these were totally unexpected from what we knew about colour pattern formation," says Prateek Mahalwar, first author of the study. The study builds on a previous work from the laboratory, which was published in June this year in Nature Cell Biology (NCB), tracing the cell behaviour of silvery and black cells. Both studies describe diligent experiments to uncover the cellular events during stripe pattern formation. Individual juvenile fish carrying fluorescently labelled pigment cell precursors were imaged every day for up to three weeks to chart out the cellular behaviours. This enabled the scientists to trace the multiplication, migration and spreading of individual cells and their progeny over the entire patterning process of stripe formation in the living and growing animal. "We had to develop a very gentle procedure to be able to observe individual fish repeatedly over long periods of time. So we used a state of the art microscope which allowed us to reduce the adverse effects of fluorescence illumination to a minimum," says Ajeet Singh, first author of the earlier NCB study.

Surprisingly, the analysis revealed that the three cell types reach the skin by completely different routes: A pluripotent cell population situated at the dorsal side of the embryo gives rise to larval yellow cells, which cover the skin of the embryo. These cells begin to multiply at the onset of metamorphosis when the fish is about two to three weeks old. However, the black and silvery cells come from a small set of stem cells associated with nerve nodes located close to the spinal cord in each segment. The black cells reach the skin migrating along the segmental nerves to appear in the stripe region, whereas the silvery cells pass through the longitudinal cleft that separates the musculature and then multiply and spread in the skin.

Brigitte Walderich, a co-author of the Science paper, who performed cell transplantations to trace the origin of yellow cells, explains: "My attempt was to create small clusters of fluorescently labelled cells in the embryo which could be followed during larval and juvenile stages to unravel growth and behaviour of the yellow cells. We were surprised to discover that they divide and multiply as differentiated cells to cover the skin of the fish before the silvery and black cells arrive to form the stripes."

A striking observation is that both the silvery and yellow cells are able to switch cell shape and colour, depending on their location. The yellow cells compact to closely cover the dense silvery cells forming the light stripe, colouring it golden, and acquire a loose stellate shape over the black cells of the stripes. The silvery cells thinly spread over the stripe region, giving it a blue tint. They switch shape again at a distance into the dense form to aggregate, forming a new light stripe. These cell behaviours create a series of alternating light and dark stripes. The precise superposition of the dense form of silvery and yellow cells in the light stripe, and the loose silvery and yellow cells superimposed over the black cells in the stripe cause the striking contrast between the golden and blue coloration of the pattern.

The authors speculate that variations on these cell behaviours could be at play in generating the great diversity of colour patterns in fish. "These findings inform our way of thinking about colour pattern formation in other fish, but also in animals which are not accessible to direct observation during development such as peacocks, tigers and zebras," says Nsslein-Volhard -- wondering how her cats got their stripes.

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The above story is based on materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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How the zebrafish gets its stripes: Uncovering how beautiful color patterns can develop in animals

A new research has revealed that three major pigment cell types i.e. black cells, reflective silvery cells, and yellow cells helped in forming the stripes on zebrafish.

The research conducted by Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tubingen showed that the yellow cells undergo dramatic changes in cell shape to tint the stripe pattern of zebrafish.

First author Prateek Mahalwar said that they were surprised to observe such cell behaviours, which were totally unexpected color pattern formation.

The study revealed that the three cell types reached the skin by completely different routes. A pluripotent cell population situated at the dorsal side of the embryo gave rise to larval yellow cells, which covered the skin of the embryo and began to multiply at the onset of metamorphosis when the fish was about two to three weeks old.

However, the black and silvery cells came from a small set of stem cells, which is associated with nerve nodes located close to the spinal cord in each segment.

Brigitte Walderich, a co-author of the Science paper, explained that they were surprised to discover that the small clusters of fluorescently labelled cells in the embryo, which could be followed during larval and juvenile stages to unravel growth and behaviour of the yellow cells, divided and multiplied as differentiated cells to cover the skin of the fish before the silvery and black cells arrive to form the stripes.

The study is published in journal Science.

(Posted on 29-08-2014)

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How zebrafish forms its stripes revealed

CARLSBAD, CA--(Marketwired - August 28, 2014) - International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) (www.internationalstemcell.com), a California-based biotechnology company developing novel stem cell based therapies and biomedical products, today announced that Executive Vice President Dr. Simon Craw will present a corporate overview of ISCO and its subsidiaries at two upcoming investment conferences.

Rodman and Renshaw 16th Annual Global Investment Conference:

Date:Wednesday, September 10, 2014 Time:11:40 a.m. ET Location:New York Palace Hotel, New York, NY Room:Kennedy I

Conference details:http://www.meetmax.com//sched/event_23003/~public/conference_home.html?event_id=23003

AEGIS CAPITAL Corp. 2014 Healthcare and Technology Conference:Date:Thursday, September 11, 2014 Time:10:45 a.m. PT Location:The Encore at Wynn, Las Vegas, NV

Conference details:http://www.meetmax.com/sched/event_25932/~public/conference_home.html?event_id=25932

Please contact the conference organizers if you have an interest in attending the conference or if you would like to arrange a meeting with International Stem Cell Corporation's management team.

About International Stem Cell Corporation

International Stem Cell Corporation is focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs) hence avoiding ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenetic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells for hundreds of millions of individuals of differing genders, ages and racial background with minimal immune rejection after transplantation. hpSCs offer the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology (www.lifelinecelltech.com), and stem cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care (www.lifelineskincare.com). More information is available atwww.internationalstemcell.com.

To receive ongoing corporate communications via email, visit: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

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International Stem Cell Corporation to Present at Two Upcoming Investment Conferences

MANILA The head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has a reminder to those taking the ice bucket challenge, which supports research efforts of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association (ALSA).

CBCP president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said research on ALS involves the use of stem cells.

''ALS is a degenerative disorder and stem-cells apparently hold out the promise of reversing the death and degeneration of brain cells, in particular,'' Villegas said in a statement.

''Stem cells however are most readily harvested from embryos, and it is in this regard that this type of research is ethically problematic."

Citing the ''Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation,'' Villegas noted that ''human embryos obtained in vitro are human beings and subjects with rights."

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord, which eventually leads to paralysis.

Villegas said the ALS Association said in a statement that ''most stem-cell research in ALS is currently focused on iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells, which are not burdened with ethical issues."

''We are told that iPS cells are 'induced pluripotent stem cells', stem cells created from skin cells. Such cells would indeed be pluripotent, but would not be embryonic cells,'' the CBCP chief said.

''As such, the ethical objection to the use of embryonic cells, whether harvested from embryos, or obtained through in vitro fertilization, would not arise."

The prelate, however, noted that the ALS Association also admitted that ''iPS cells are used in 'most stem-cell research.'''

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Catholics warned about ice bucket challenge

By Ciara Curtin

Jeanne Loring and her Scripps Research Institute colleagues transplanted a set of cells into the spinal cords of mice that had lost use of their hind limbs to multiple sclerosis. As the experimentalists expected, within a week, the mice rejected the cells. But after another week, the mice began to walk.

We thought that they wouldnt do anything, says Loring, who directs theCenter for Regenerative Medicineat Scripps. But as her lab has since shown numerous times, and published in Stem Cell Reports, something that these particular so-called neural precursor cells dobeforethe immune system kicks them out seems to make the mouse better.

The cells Lorings team used are derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, which are mature cells, such as skin cells, that have been coaxed with a combination of chemicals to return to an earlier stage of development.

Induced pluripotent cells, also known as iPS cells, pose a number of opportunities for medicine. For instance, Loring is using iPS cells from Parkinsons disease and multiple sclerosis patients to reconstitute cell types that may be damaged in people with those conditions. She is also using them to test how certain drugs or treatments may affect damaged cells in people with conditions such as autism spectrum disorders.

Loring (front row, center) with the Loring Lab Group at the Center for Regenerative Medicine

Loring says no viable long-term treatments exist for the diseases her team has been working on, including Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, and multiple sclerosis, Thats where the need is, she says.

The neural precursor cells that Loring has been using in the mice with MS are young cells that havent quite gotten to the point of being nerves yet. Only certain types of these cells have such a dramatic Lazarus-like effect on the affected mice, but Lorings team can readily identify them based on DNA analysis.

Even so, theyre not yet ready to treat human MS patients with the approach, she says. First, the researchers want to identify what the cells producea protein, perhaps, or a set of proteinsthat allows the mice to walk.

For other diseases, however, researchers are closer to being ready to transplant working versions of reprogrammed cells into sick people.

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Could Reprogrammed Cells Fight 'Untreatable' Diseases?

Stem cell technology pioneer,DefiniGEN Ltdhas joined the Pfizer-inspired European Bank for induced pluripotent stem cells (EBiSC) consortium.

The consortium comprises 26 partners, and has been newly-formed with support from the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).

DefiniGen, a Cambridge University spin-out that has raised millions, represents one of the first commercial opportunities to arise from the universitys expertise in stem cells and is based on the research of Dr Ludovic Vallier, Dr Tamir Rashid and Professor Roger Pedersen of the universitys Anne McLaren Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine.

The EBiSC iPS cell bank will act as a central storage and distribution facility for human iPS cells, to be used by researchers across academia and industry in the study of disease and the development of new therapeutics. DefiniGENs role will be to validate EBiSC iPS cell lines by generating liver hepatocyte cells for toxicology, disease modelling, and regenerative medicine applications.

Dr Marcus Yeo, CEO of DefiniGEN, said: We are delighted to be a part of this ground-breaking consortium which will provide a crucial platform resource to enable the realisation of the full potential of iPS technology.

Conceptualised and coordinated by Pfizer Ltd in Cambridge, UK and managed by Roslin Cells Ltd in Edinburgh, the EBiSC bank aims to become the European go to resource for high quality research grade human iPS cells.

Today, iPS cells are being created in an increasing number of research programmes underway in Europe, but are not being systematically catalogued and distributed at the necessary scale to keep pace with their generation, nor to meet future demand.

The 35 million project will support the initial build of a robust, reliable supply chain from the generation of customised cell lines, the specification to internationally accepted quality criteria and their distribution to any global qualified user, ensuring accessibility to consistent, high quality tools for new medicines development.

Ruth McKernan, CSO of Pfizers Neusentis research unit in Cambridge, said: We are excited to be a part of this precompetitive collaboration to build a sustainable repository of high quality human iPS cell lines.

For many areas of research in academia and in industry, understanding the biological basis of disease heterogeneity is the next horizon. A bank of well-characterised iPS lines with strong relevance to the entire research community will help us all in our mission to bring therapies to patients.

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Pfizer buys into Cambridge life science innovation

Scientists who hoped to replicate the results of potentially groundbreaking stem-cell research have been unsuccessful to date, researchers at the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan, said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. Detailed in two papers published in the journal Nature in January, the research was initially heralded as a breakthrough in the field of stem-cell biology, but was later met with skepticism after other institutions attempts to mirror its results failed. The authors of the papers and Nature retracted them in June.

Now, the center behind the papers says its recent efforts to confirm certain aspects of the research have failed. Researchers have conducted 22 experiments thus far, but we could not confirm the emergence of cells in the conditions described in [lead researcher Haruko Obokatas] papers, Riken said in a statement cited by Agence France-Presse. The center anticipates it will continue trying to confirm certain aspects of the research until next March, AP said.

The two papers published in Nature described a simple process for producing stem cells using an acid-based solution. Researchers said they successfully created pluripotent embryonic stem cells -- cells that can be grown into any kind of cell, including human organ tissue -- from mature skin cells. However, it was later revealed that researchers had misrepresented some of their data.

The controversy surrounding the research team who published the papers took an unexpected turn this month when one of the papers authors, Yoshiki Sasai, committed suicide at the Riken institute.

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Stem Cell Research Scandal: Japan Lab Could Not Confirm Results Of Controversial Experiment

Stem cells heal pooches in pain MIKE MATHER

NICK REED/Fairfax NZ

HAPPY HOUND: Shiloh with owner Adele Holland. She is a different dog since having stem cell injections to relieve arthritis pain, Holland says.

Three years ago australian shepherd dog Shiloh was diagnosed with a severe case of degenerative arthritis that left her limping slowly towards her deathbed.

As time went on, and to the dismay of her Horotiu family, Shiloh became increasingly stiff, was soon no longer able to jump, could barely walk without pain, and eventually had to be carried outside to the toilet.

But, remarkably, the 10-year-old pet is not only still alive today, she is walking and jumping without a trace of pain.

It's a physical improvement her owner Adele Holland describes as "nothing short of a miracle".

Shiloh's recovery is something dozens of arthritic Waikato dogs have now experienced after stem cell injections, a treatment technique adopted by Hamilton veterinarian practice CareVets.

Veterinarian Ivan Aleksic said Shiloh was the first dog to receive stem cells. His practice had successfully repeated the $2600 treatment on more than 40 dogs with arthritis. He described stem cells as "the body's own repair cells".

"They have the ability to divide and differentiate into many different types of cells based on where they are needed throughout the body. They can divide and turn into tissues such as skin, fat, muscle, bone, cartilage and nerve to name a few.

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Stem cell treatment helps arthritic dogs

5-4-3-2-1 Product Countdown

Stem Cell Skin Care Reviews presents expert & user reviews and analysis of the best (& worst) products in leading edge anti-aging skin care science. Here are the 5 top ranked products as rated by expert reviewers, who are dermatologists, biologists, estheticians, physicians, and product formulators. Click on a stem cell skin care product name or image to view detailed information, or visitthe all reviewssection to examine a larger selection of stem cell skin care products and to search by name, category, or key word.

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The editors and reviewers here are all science nerds and our passionate pursuit of the best stem cell skin creams on the planet separates us fromneurotypicals andputs us somewhere on the spectrum. That being said, we think this whole subject is critically important to survival of the home sapiens species. Especially to skin care aficionados (many of whom also qualify for nerddom). So our desire here is to find a way to communicate all this arcane knowledge into human-usable information. We might not get it right the first time around, so feel free to ask questions or just say say what??? whenever we obfuscate. We have gathered together a knowledge base which we hope will be helpful.

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Best Stem Cell Skin Care Beauty Creams and Serums

Released: 19-Aug-2014 11:30 AM EDT Embargo expired: 21-Aug-2014 12:00 PM EDT Source Newsroom: Johns Hopkins Medicine Contact Information

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Newswise Johns Hopkins stem cell biologists have found a way to reprogram a patients skin cells into cells that mimic and display many biological features of a rare genetic disorder called familial dysautonomia. The process requires growing the skin cells in a bath of proteins and chemical additives while turning on a gene to produce neural crest cells, which give rise to several adult cell types. The researchers say their work substantially expedites the creation of neural crest cells from any patient with a neural crest-related disorder, a tool that lets physicians and scientists study each patients disorder at the cellular level.

Previously, the same research team produced customized neural crest cells by first reprogramming patient skin cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are similar to embryonic stem cells in their ability to become any of a broad array of cell types.

Now we can circumvent the iPS cells step, saving seven to nine months of time and labor and producing neural crest cells that are more similar to the familial dysautonomia patients cells, says Gabsang Lee, Ph.D., an assistant professor of neurology at the Institute for Cell Engineering and the studys senior author. A summary of the study will be published online in the journal Cell Stem Cell on Aug. 21.

Neural crest cells appear early in human and other animal prenatal development, and they give rise to many important structures, including most of the nervous system (apart from the brain and spinal cord), the bones of the skull and jaws, and pigment-producing skin cells. Dysfunctional neural crest cells cause familial dysautonomia, which is incurable and can affect nerves ability to regulate emotions, blood pressure and bowel movements. Less than 500 patients worldwide suffer from familial dysautonomia, but dysfunctional neural crest cells can cause other disorders, such as facial malformations and an inability to feel pain.

The challenge for scientists has been the fact that by the time a person is born, very few neural crest cells remain, making it hard to study how they cause the various disorders.

To make patient-specific neural crest cells, the team began with laboratory-grown skin cells that had been genetically modified to respond to the presence of the chemical doxycycline by glowing green and turning on the gene Sox10, which guides cells toward maturation as a neural crest cell.

Testing various combinations of molecular signals and watching for telltale green cells, the team found a regimen that turned 2 percent of the cells green. That combination involved turning on Sox10 while growing the cells on a layer of two different proteins and giving them three chemical additives to rewind their genetic memory and stimulate a protein network important for development.

Analyzing the green cells at the single cell level, the researchers found that they showed gene activity similar to that of other neural crest cells. Moreover, they discovered that 40 percent were quad-potent, or able to become the four cell types typically derived from neural crest cells, while 35 percent were tri-potent and could become three of the four. The cells also migrated to the appropriate locations in chick embryos when implanted early in development.

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Biologists Reprogram Skin Cells to Mimic Rare Disease

Durham, NC (PRWEB) August 22, 2014

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have great potential in the field of regenerative medicine because they can be coaxed to turn into specific cells; however, the new cells dont always act as anticipated. They sometimes mutate, develop into tumors or produce other negative side effects. But in a new study recently published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, researchers appear to have found a way around this, simply by removing the material used to reprogram the stem cell after they have differentiated into the desired cells.

The study, by Ken Igawa, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues at Tokyo Medical and Dental University along with a team from Osaka University, could have significant implications both in the clinic and in the lab.

Scientists induce (differentiate) the stem cells to become the desired cells, such as those that make up heart muscle, in the laboratory using a reprogramming transgene that is, a gene taken from one organism and introduced into another using artificial techniques.

We generated hiPSC lines from normal human skin cells using reprogramming transgenes, then we removed the reprogramming material. When we compared the transgene-free cells with those that had residual transgenes, both appeared quite similar, Dr. Igawa explained. However, after the cells differentiation into skin cells, clear differences were observed.

Several types of analyses revealed that the keratinocytes cells that make up 90 percent of the outermost skin layer that emerged from the transgene-free hiPSC lines were more like normal human cells than those coming from the hiPSCs that still contained some reprogramming material.

These results suggest that transgene-free hiPSC lines should be chosen for therapeutic purposes, Dr. Igawa concluded.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines have potential for therapeutics because of the customized cells and organs that can potentially be induced from such cells, Anthony Atala, M.D., editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. This study illustrates a potentially powerful approach for creating hiPSCs for clinical use.

-#-

The full article, Removal of Reprogramming Transgenes Improves the Tissue Reconstitution Potential of Keratinocytes Generated From Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, can be accessed at http://stemcellstm.alphamedpress.org/content/early/2014/07/14/sctm.2013-0179.abstract.

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Removing Programming Material After Inducing Stem Cells Could Improve Their Regeneration Ability

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Newswise A genetic variation linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression wreaks havoc on connections among neurons in the developing brain, a team of researchers reports. The study, led by Guo-li Ming, M.D., Ph.D., and Hongjun Song, Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and described online Aug. 17 in the journal Nature, used stem cells generated from people with and without mental illness to observe the effects of a rare and pernicious genetic variation on young brain cells. The results add to evidence that several major mental illnesses have common roots in faulty wiring during early brain development.

This was the next best thing to going back in time to see what happened while a person was in the womb to later cause mental illness, says Ming. We found the most convincing evidence yet that the answer lies in the synapses that connect brain cells to one another.

Previous evidence for the relationship came from autopsies and from studies suggesting that some genetic variants that affect synapses also increase the chance of mental illness. But those studies could not show a direct cause-and-effect relationship, Ming says.

One difficulty in studying the genetics of common mental illnesses is that they are generally caused by environmental factors in combination with multiple gene variants, any one of which usually could not by itself cause disease. A rare exception is the gene known as disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), in which some mutations have a strong effect. Two families have been found in which many members with the DISC1 mutations have mental illness.

To find out how a DISC1 variation with a few deleted DNA letters affects the developing brain, the research team collected skin cells from a mother and daughter in one of these families who have neither the variation nor mental illness, as well as the father, who has the variation and severe depression, and another daughter, who carries the variation and has schizophrenia. For comparison, they also collected samples from an unrelated healthy person. Postdoctoral fellow Zhexing Wen, Ph.D., coaxed the skin cells to form five lines of stem cells and to mature into very pure populations of synapse-forming neurons.

After growing the neurons in a dish for six weeks, collaborators at Pennsylvania State University measured their electrical activity and found that neurons with the DISC1 variation had about half the number of synapses as those without the variation. To make sure that the differences were really due to the DISC1 variation and not to other genetic differences, graduate student Ha Nam Nguyen spent two years making targeted genetic changes to three of the stem cell lines.

In one of the cell lines with the variation, he swapped out the DISC1 gene for a healthy version. He also inserted the disease-causing variation into one healthy cell line from a family member, as well as the cell line from the unrelated control. Sure enough, the researchers report, the cells without the variation now grew the normal amount of synapses, while those with the inserted mutation had half as many.

We had our definitive answer to whether this DISC1 variation is responsible for the reduced synapse growth, Ming says.

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Stem Cells Reveal How Illness-Linked Genetic Variation Affects Neurons

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Newswise Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) give rise to all other blood cell types, but their development and how their fate is determined has long remained a mystery. In a paper published online this week in Nature, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine elaborate upon a crucial signaling pathway and the role of key proteins, which may help clear the way to generate HSCs from human pluripotent precursors, similar to advances with other kinds of tissue stem cells.

Principal investigator David Traver, PhD, professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and colleagues focused on the Notch signaling pathway, a system found in all animals and known to be critical to the generation of HSCs in vertebrates. Notch signaling between emitting and receiving cells is key to establishing HSC fate during development, said Traver. What has not been known is where, when and how Notch signal transduction is mediated.

Traver and colleagues discovered that the Notch signal is transduced into HSC precursor cells from signal emitting cells in the somite embryologic tissues that eventually contribute to development of major body structures, such as skeleton, muscle and connective tissues much earlier in the process than previously anticipated.

More specifically, they found that JAM proteins, best known for helping maintain tight junctions between endothelial cells to prevent vascular leakage, were key mediators of Notch signaling. When the researchers caused loss of function in JAM proteins in a zebrafish model, Notch signaling and HSCs were also lost. When they enforced Notch signaling through other means, HSC development was rescued.

To date, it has not been possible to generate HSCs de novo from human pluripotent precursors, like induced pluripotent stem cells, said Traver. This has been due in part to a lack of understanding of the complete set of factors that the embryo uses to make HSCs in vivo. It has also likely been due to not knowing in what order each required factor is needed.

Our studies demonstrate that Notch signaling is required much earlier than previously thought. In fact, it may be one of the earliest determinants of HSC fate. This finding strongly suggests that in vitro approaches to instruct HSC fate from induced pluripotent stem cells must focus on the Notch pathway at early time-points in the process. Our findings have also shown that JAM proteins serve as a sort of co-receptor for Notch signaling in that they are required to maintain close contact between signal-emitting and signal-receiving cells to permit strong activation of Notch in the precursors of HSCs.

The findings may have far-reaching implications for eventual development of hematopoietic stem cell-based therapies for diseases like leukemia and congenital blood disorders. Currently, it is not possible to create HSCs from differentiation of embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells pluripotent cells artificially derived from non-pluripotent cells, such as skin cells that are being used in other therapeutic research efforts.

Co-authors include Isao Kobayashi, Jingjing Kobayashi-Sun, Albert D. Kim and Claire Pouget, UC San Diego Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine; Naonobu Fujita, UC San Diego Section of Cell and Developmental Biology; and Toshio Suda, Keio University, Japan.

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New Blood: Tracing the Beginnings of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

TO SOME people, the term stem cell may seem kind of taboo. I personally would not want something from animals injected into my system. But Im okay with non-invasive treatments, so I was interested to try out a plant-based stem cell facial.

After cleansing and toning, cotton pads moistened with a clear solution were laid on my eyelids to protect them from a three-minute steaming session. This was followed by a special tool called a scrubber that kind of looks like a computer mouse, but helps to remove dead skin cells and unblock pores without using the rather painful pricking tool.

Next, a rejuvenating gel was applied, followed by the plant-derived stem cell formula. A unique cooling machine was used to massage it into the skin for 10 minutes. Using this machine for cold electrophoresis helps the skin absorb serums and vitamins, without having to use injections. This was great for someone like me, who is wary of invasive treatments. The cooling machine feels like having an ice-cold metal ball massaged on the face; very invigorating, indeed.

Just when I thought my skin already got a lot of pampering, the stem cell was followed by a face mask full of natural vitamins. While it penetrated into my skin, I was given an arm and foot massage, which was nice for further relaxation.

With my combination skin, I looked pretty greasy right afterwards. When I woke up the next day, I didnt see a visible difference in my skin, but it was very smooth and supple to the touch. You may not see instant results with a treatment like this, but its a good treatment to maintain radiance, softness and hydration from beneath the surface of the skin.

This type of facial is not recommended for those with oily or acne-prone skin because the added oiliness may exacerbate problems, but it is ideal for those with dry or mature skin, as it is deeply nourishing and moisturizing. After the first treatment or over time, depending on the condition of your skin, stem cell diminishes fine lines, prevents wrinkles, and promotes cell renewal (a process that slows with age) to give that glowing look that signifies healthy, youthful skin.

I tried out the stem cell facial at Lohas skin and slimming center on Paseo Saturnino, Banilad. Its a more upscale experience here with your own room, as opposed to being in one large room with dividers, in case privacy is an issue for you. All of their machines and products are brought in from Korea and their staff, like my therapist Jennylyn, are highly knowledgeable and know just how much pressure to apply during the treatment. The service, facilities and products used add up to a luxurious treatment session that makes one feel very pampered.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on August 15, 2014.

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Trying out a stem cell facial

Aug 13, 2014 Growing stem cells in conditions free of animal material makes them safe for use in humans. Credit: Eraxion/iStock/Thinkstock

Human stem cells produced through genetic reprogramming are beset by safety concerns because current techniques alter the DNA of the stem cells and use material from animals to grow them. Now, A*STAR researchers have developed an efficient approach that produces safe, patient-specific human stem cells.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells have the potential to treat a number of diseases without the ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells can be produced from adult cells by introducing genes that reprogram them. Typically, the stem cells are grown on a layer of mouse cells in solutions (known as media) that contain animal proteinsand therefore, potentially may also carry disease. For such stem cells to be safe for use in humans, they need to be grown in 'xeno-free' conditions, which are devoid of material from other animals.

Andrew Wan and Hong Fang Lu at the A*STAR Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore and colleagues set out to develop a new xeno-free system. The researchers carried out the genetic reprogramming of cells on an artificially produced protein substrate rather than mouse cells. They also used media that contained no animal components. The result was more efficient reprogramming than seen with conventional approaches.

"A xeno-free system will eliminate the risk of disease transmission from other species, which is important for regulatory approval," explains Wan. "Yet there have been few studies on cell reprogramming under totally xeno-free conditions."

The researchers went one step further by addressing the problem of cells acquiring alterations to their DNA during reprogramming.

"Incorporation of transgenes into the genome of the cell poses another safety issue, risking unwanted genetic alterations," explains Lu. "In our work, the transgenes were introduced to initiate the reprogramming, but after this they were removed from the cell, leading to transgene-free stem cells."

The researchers demonstrated that after genetic reprogramming and the removal of the added genes, the stem cells could still develop into different cells types. They were even able to induce them to form dopaminergic neurons, the type that degenerates in Parkinson's disease. The conditions in which the stem cells were grown mean that they are suitable for clinical use and can be derived from a patient's own cells, ensuring complete compatibility.

"Regulatory approval for clinical application of stem cells largely depends on the conditions in which the stem cells are derived," says Wan. "We present a workable protocol for the reprogramming of fibroblasts to stem cells that minimizes any potential safety risks."

Explore further: Discovery may make it easier to develop life-saving stem cells

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Animal-free reprogramming of adult cells improves safety

HOT SPRINGS | A new proposal to not only save but also enhance the Veterans Affairs hospital in Hot Springs surfaced Monday, and would add not only a medical college but also a medical research component involving the use of stem cells to the facility.

The idea, put forward by an Iowa-based, non-profit corporation, would also be built around treating patients with regenerative therapy, which helps skin grow back.

Bob Krause, president of Veterans National Recover Center, was joined by surgeon Don Swift in Hot Springs to presented the proposal at a press conference Monday morning. Their multi-pronged plan has been submitted for consideration to the VA Black Hills Health Care Systems Environmental Impact Statement.

Our proposal has three main areas, Krause told the small audience that attended the press conference. First, the creation of Battle Mountain College, for the training of doctors in the discipline of osteopathic medicine. Krause noted that by having the additional training, a major first hurdle in the BHHCS proposal to close the Hot Springsan inability to draw doctors to the area would be addressed.

We would also build the Battle Mountain Research Institute, for further research into the regenerative therapies, along with the Battle Mountain Clinic to treat those veterans and others who require this cutting-edge treatment, Krause said.

He added that the proposal stipulated that it is to be considered in its entirety and that if the VA medical center should close, everything is off the table. This proposal is not mutually exclusive of the one presented by Save the VA, he said of the Hot Springs-area group that is fighting to save the hospital from closure by the federal government.

Krause and Swift said that the technology, which was created in Switzerland by the military and is awaiting FDA approval in the United States, utilizes regenerative or restorative cells created from fetal stem cells to jump-start a patients ability to regenerate skin tissue. After the patients own skin begins to grow, the regenerative cells die, Krause said.

He said that submitting the new proposal through the EIS process was important, since the research would need to be conducted on federal property because South Dakota law does not allow stem cell research at this time.

Swift noted that an important part to the regenerative therapy process was access to mineral water to help hydrate the tissue and fight infection. Such water can be found in Hot Springs.

In response to a question, Krause said that he understands that there is a question involving fetal stem cell research. But what is the greater good? he asked. Do we overlook a veteran who has experienced having all of his skin burned away by an [explosion], instead of developing that single cell that could help? Are you going to walk away from that cell?

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New idea for VA would bring an educational focus