PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

11-Mar-2014

Contact: Lauren Riley lauren.riley@aacr.org 215-446-7155 American Association for Cancer Research

SAN DIEGO Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D., will receive the 2014 Pezcoller Foundation-American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) International Award for Cancer Research at the AACR Annual Meeting 2014, to be held in San Diego, Calif., April 5-9, in recognition of her seminal work contributing to the understanding of mammalian skin, skin stem cells, and skin-related diseases, particularly cancers, genetic diseases, and proinflammatory disorders.

Fuchs is the Rebecca C. Lancefield professor and head of the Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development at The Rockefeller University in New York, N.Y., and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She will give her lecture, "Stem Cells in Silence, Action, and Cancer," Sunday, April 6, 4:30 p.m. PT, in Halls F-G in the San Diego Convention Center.

"Dr. Fuchs is an exceptional scientist, and we are delighted to recognize her pioneering research on the biology of skin stem cells and how they go awry in human diseases of the skin, including cancer," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (hon.), chief executive officer of the AACR. "Her seminal studies have had a profound impact not only on the field of cancer research, but also on the research disciplines of genetics and dermatology."

Fuchs is highly regarded for her studies using reverse genetics to understand the biological basis of normal and abnormal skin development and function. Among her important research discoveries was the clarification of the molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of skin stem cells to produce the epidermis and its appendages, including hair follicles and sweat and oil glands. She has also defined how the normal biology of skin stem cells can be deregulated in skin cancers and other hyperproliferative disorders of the skin.

"I'm honored, delighted, and humbled to receive this award from the AACR," said Fuchs. "My students, postdocs, and staff, present and past, are the ones who truly merit recognition. My group has long had an interest in skin stem cells, how they make and repair tissues, and how this goes awry in cancers. As a basic scientist who studies the fundamental mechanisms underlying stem cell biology and cancer, it is particular pleasing to be recognized not only by basic cancer biologists, but also by physician scientists and clinicians. It is the diversity and breadth of the AACR that make this Society and this honor so special."

The Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award, now in its 17th year, recognizes an individual scientist of international renown who has made a major scientific discovery in basic or translational cancer research.

As recipient of this award, Fuchs will also present the Ninth Annual Stanley J. Korsmeyer Lecture at the Venetian Institute for Molecular Medicine in Padua, Italy, prior to the Pezcoller Foundation's official award ceremony in Trento, Italy, May 2014.

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Pezcoller Foundation and AACR honor outstanding achievements of Dr. Elaine Fuchs

Health

Teruhiko Wakayama, a respected stem cell scientist from Japans RIKEN Institute, said he is not certain about the methods used in two studies he co-authored with lead investigator Haruko Obokata.

In the ground-breaking work, heralded by some in the field as a game-changer in the way stem cells are made, Obokata and her team, which included researchers from Harvard University and other international institutes, detailed how they were able to coax already developed cells to revert back to an embryonic-like state to become stem cells by simply exposing them to chemical solutions (mostly acidic) or physical stress. Stem cells can be manipulated to develop into any of the bodys tissues to repair or replace diseased cells.

The controversy erupted when Obokata and her team published a tips sheet for other researchers to follow to replicate their work. But inconsistencies between the newly released methods and the original protocol in the papers, as well as questions about images in the published work, led some to wonder about the validity of the results. Wakayama himself said he was able to repeat the study only once, with Obokatas assistance, but not on his own.

MORE: The Rise and Fall of the Cloning King

In a press conference in Japan last month, Wakayama, who is best known for using stem cell techniques to clone mice, said he asked all of the scientists involved to retract the papers, which were published in the journal Nature in January, and to have the data and results reviewed by other scientists. RIKEN is investigating the work, as is Nature.

The development adds another black eye to the field of stem cell science, which is ripe with possibility but has struggled to establish its credibility. In 2006, Korean researcher Woo Suk Hwang claimed he had become the first to successfully clone human cells, generating patient-specific lines of stem cells from a persons skin cell. The work turned out to be fraudulent, and the stem cells derived from an already established technique of extracting them from existing embryos.

Since then, both policy makers and those in the field have been more skeptical of milestone claims for good reason, as the latest study shows.

Originally posted here:
Stem Cell Researcher Calls for Retraction of His Own Work

Harvard scientists have made a breakthrough in studying early onset Alzheimers Disease by converting patients skin cells into neurons in the hopes of facilitating a better understanding of the disease and creation of drug therapies.

The study, led by Tracy Young-Pearse, a Harvard Stem Cell Institute affiliate and member of Brigham and Womens hospital, concluded what had previously only been observed in micethat the early onset of Alzheimers is directly correlated to higher levels of amyloid beta protein 42. Most people generally produce amyloid beta with only 40 amino acids, but in early onset of the disease, amyloid beta protein 42, which has two extra amino acids, was more prevalent.

As a form of progressive dementia that affects more than 26 million people worldwide, early onset AD usually brings about cognitive decline and memory loss in individuals in their 30s to 50s while the more common late onset AD tends to affect individuals in their 70s, 80s and 90s.

Researchers also concluded that the neurons had higher amounts of tau protein, a classic signal of Alzheimers presence.

The recent findings could lead to the development of potential therapies for this common disease.

The ability to direct stem cells generated from patients to become brain cells allows us with an unprecedented opportunity to study, on a large scale, living patient-derived brain cells in a dish, Young-Pearse said. Not only can we use these to better understand the mechanisms underlying the disease, but we also can use these to test novel therapeutic strategies in the cell types involved in the disease.

Moreover, this research serves as a proof-of-concept that stem cells can be used to model diseases and discover therapies.

The field is highly collaborative, working together to[make] different types of neurons that are affected in various neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's, ALS, Huntington's and Alzheimer's disease, Young-Pearse said.

Staff writer Arjun S. Byju can be reached at arjun.byju@thecrimson.com.

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Researchers Find Novel Methods to Study Alzheimer's

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) March 10, 2014

Histogen Aesthetics, a subsidiary of regenerative medicine company Histogen, Inc. focused on skin care and cosmeceuticals, announced today that the Company has acquired the CellCeuticals Biomedical Skin Treatments line of skincare products.

Histogen Aesthetics will continue sales of the eleven existing CellCeuticals Biomedical Skin Treatments skincare products, while bringing new innovation to the line through the addition of a unique regenerative medicine technology, working to improve skin aging at a cellular level.

We have long admired the science, clinical data and elegant formulas behind the CellCeuticals line, and see it as an ideal fit for our recently revitalized aesthetics subsidiary, said Dr. Gail K. Naughton, CEO and Chairman of Histogen, Inc. We are very excited to begin infusing unique cell-signaling factors into the CellCeuticals regimen, to truly transform skin one cell at a time.

Dr. Naughton has spent more than 30 years in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and holds over 100 patents in the field. She founded Histogen in 2007, focused on developing therapies that work to stimulate the stem cells in the body to regenerate tissues and organs. Through this work, she has also seen how different compositions of human proteins can have cosmetic benefits, particularly in anti-aging and rejuvenation.

I am pleased that the CellCeuticals Biomedical Skin Treatments will evolve, and see Histogen Aesthetics as an excellent home for this innovative product line, said Paul Scott Premo, co-founder of CellCeuticals Skin Care, Inc. I believe the addition of this regenerative medicine technology will be the opportunity to introduce a new generation of products that are the vanguard of regenerative skin care.

The CellCeuticals system is made up of eleven distinctive products including the Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser, CellGenesis Regenerative Skin Treatment, and PhotoDefense Color Radiance SPF55+ with proprietary and patented PhotoPlex technology. The line is currently available at retailers including QVC.com, Dermstore.com, and Nordstrom.com, as well as http://www.cellceuticalskincare.com.

About Histogen Aesthetics Histogen Aesthetics LLC, formed in 2008 as a subsidiary of Histogen, Inc., focuses on the development of innovative skin care products utilizing regenerative medicine technology. Histogen Aesthetics technology is based on the expertise of founder Dr. Gail K. Naughton, in which fibroblasts are grown under unique conditions, producing a complex of naturally-secreted proteins and synergistic bio-products known to stimulate skin cells to regenerate and rejuvenate tissues. In 2014, Histogen Aesthetics acquired CellCeuticals Biomedical Skin Treatments, a line of scientifically-proven products that reactivate cells to help aging skin perform and look healthier and younger. For more information, visit http://www.cellceuticalskincare.com.

About Histogen Histogen is a regenerative medicine company developing solutions based upon the products of cells grown under proprietary conditions that mimic the embryonic environment, including low oxygen and suspension. Through this unique technology process, newborn cells are encouraged to naturally produce the vital proteins and growth factors from which the Company has developed its rich product portfolio. Histogen's lead product, Hair Stimulating Complex (HSC) has shown success in two Company-sponsored clinical trials as an injectable treatment for alopecia. In addition, the human multipotent cell conditioned media produced through Histogen's process is also being researched for oncology applications, and in orthopedics through joint venture PUR Biologics, LLC. For more information, please visit http://www.histogen.com.

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Histogen Aesthetics Acquires CellCeuticals Biomedical Skin Treatments

By Marcus Johnson

Stem cell researchers from Harvard have been able to turn patients skin cells into neurons that can be affected by early-onset Alzheimers. Experts believe that this will make it easier to gather the results of cells affected by the disease. It is also believed that the research will make the development of new treatments a faster process.

The research was published in the Human Molecular Genetics journal and headed by Tracy Young-Pearse. The data showed that peopl suffering from Alzheimers had cell mutations t similar to mutations occurring in mice. We see this mild increase in A42 in cells from patients with Alzheimer's disease, which seems to be enough to trigger disease processes, said Young-Pearse. We also see increases of a smaller species of amyloid-beta called A38, which was unexpected as it should not be very aggregation prone. We don't fully understand what it means, but it may combine with other forms of amyloid-beta to stimulate plaque formation.

The researchers hope that their work can lead to new drugs that are more effective against the disease. Alzheimers drugs have had a high rate of failure during clinical trials because much of the drug development was based on non-human models. Young-Pearse hopes that their research can make it easier to treat the disease and develop new drugs. Because of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, we were able to work with other researchers to make patient cells into any type of neuron," said Young-Pearse. "The environment provides a really nice system for testing many kinds of hypotheses.

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Stem Cells Driving Alzheimer's Research

(PRWEB) March 07, 2014

Dr. Vincent Giampapa, Co-founder and Chief Medical Offer of CellHealthTM Institute (CHI), will appear as a guest on A Healthy You and Carol Alt March 8th and 9th at 4pm EST on FOX. Dr. Giampapa and the former supermodel, healthy living expert and show host Carol Alt will explore the new technology of banking ones own adult stem cells for future use through CHIs new program, MyStemBank, http://www.MyStemBank.com. The show will dive deep into the real life needs for this new type of bio-insurance and will explain the ins and outs of the adult stem cell collection and storage process.

The human body is comprised of trillions of cells, which make up the skin, bones, muscles, tissues, and organs. They perform various, critical functions including transmitting signals, producing energy, and defending the body against illness. The mother of all of those cells is our adult stem cells.

Adult stem cells are the reservoir from which cells can be used now and in the future for both preventive health and disease treatment. The implications of this on our human health are tremendous, says Dr. Giampapa.

Tune in to learn about how this fascinating new preventive health practice is becoming as popular as cord blood storage and how MyStemBanks gold standard of adult stem cell collection differs from other types of collection.

Dr. Vincent Giampapa will also be a featured expert on Stem Cell Universe with Stephen Hawking, airing on Science Channel on March 13th, 9am PST/EST that will discuss in greater detail the importance of adult stem cell collection.

CellHealthTM Institute, a research based biotech company committed to developing and delivering the highest quality products and services that will enable and empower people to live healthier lives, longer. CHI is committed to developing and delivering high quality and high efficacy products to empower people to take control of their health at its most basic, cellular level. CHI collaborates with top-tier research universities and biotech companies to offer breakthrough nutritional supplements, lifestyle education, and fully integrated personalized health programs. CHI is also committed to pushing the limits of current medical practice to unlock the secrets of chronic illness, disease and aging by exploring the possibilities of advanced stem cell therapies.

For more information or press inquires please go to http://www.mystembank.com or call 844-709-7836.

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CellHealth Institutes Dr. Vincent Giampapa Unveils MyStemBank: A Revolutionary Type of Adult Stem Cell Bio ...

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

6-Mar-2014

Contact: Jessica Maki jmaki3@partners.org 617-525-6373 Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, MA A team of Alzheimer's disease (AD) researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) has been able to study the underlying causes of AD and develop assays to test newer approaches to treatment by using stem cells derived from related family members with a genetic predisposition to (AD).

"In the past, research of human cells impacted by AD has been largely limited to postmortem tissue samples from patients who have already succumbed to the disease," said Dr. Tracy L. Young-Pearse, corresponding author of the study recently published in Human Molecular Genetics and an investigator in the Center for Neurologic Diseases at BWH. "In this study, we were able to generate stem cells from skin biopsies of living family members who carry a mutation associated with early-onset AD. We guided these stem cells to become brain cells, where we could then investigate mechanisms of the disease process and test the effects of newer antibody treatments for AD."

The skin biopsies for the study were provided by a 57-year-old father with AD and his 33 year-old- daughter, who is currently asymptomatic for AD. Both harbor the "London" familial AD Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) mutation, V7171. More than 200 different mutations are associated with familial AD. Depending on the mutation, carriers can begin exhibiting symptoms as early as their 30s and 40s. APPV7171 was the first mutation linked to familial AD and is the most common APP mutation.

The BWH researchers submitted the skin biopsies to the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, where the cells were converted into induced pluripotent stem cells (or iPSCs). Dr. Young-Pearse's lab then directed the stem cells derived from these samples into neurons specifically related to a particular region of the brain which is responsible for memory and cognitive function. The scientists studying these neurons made several important discoveries. First, they showed that the APPV7171 mutation alters APP subcellular location, amyloid-beta protein generation, and then alters Tau protein expression and phosphorylation which impacts the Tau protein's function and activity. Next, the researchers tested multiple amyloid-beta antibodies on the affected neurons. Here, they demonstrated that the secondary increase in Tau can be rescued by treatment with the amyloid -protein antibodies, providing direct evidence linking disease-relevant changes in amyloid-beta to aberrant Tau metabolism in living cells obtained directly from an AD patient.

While AD is characterized by the presence of amyloid-beta protein plaques and Tau protein tangles, observing living cell behavior and understanding the mechanisms and relationship between these abnormal protein deposits and tangles has been challenging. Experimental treatments for AD are using antibodies to try to neutralize the toxic effects of amyloid-beta, because they can bind to and clear the amyoid-beta peptide from the brain.

This study is the first of its kind to examine the effects of antibody therapy on human neurons derived directly from patients with familial AD.

"Amyloid-beta immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic option in AD, if delivered early in the disease process," said Dr. Young-Pearse. "Our study suggests that this stem cell model from actual patients may be useful in testing and comparing amyloid-beta antibodies, as well as other emerging therapeutic strategies in treating AD."

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Alzheimer's research team employs stem cells to understand disease processes and study new treatment

Doctors in London have devised a way to reconstruct human ears and noses with stem cells taken from body fat, BBC News reported.

In a study published in the journal Nanomedicine, researchers from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London said theyve successfully used fat stem cells to grow cartilage in a laboratory setting. Using ear-shaped scaffolding to ensure that the stem cells grow into the desired shape, physicians said they hope to someday be able to implant lab-grown cartilage underneath a persons skin to correct facial abnormalities.

While more testing needs to be done before the technique is used in patients, researchers hope to use this method to help patients with conditions like microtia a congenital deformity that can leave a child with a missing or malformed ear. Currently, the only corrective procedure available to these children involves taking cartilage from the childs ribs a procedure that leaves permanent scaring and requires multiple surgeries.

"It would be the Holy Grail to do this procedure through a single surgery," study author Dr Patrizia Ferretti told BBC News."So, decreasing enormously the stress for the children and having a structure that hopefully will be growing as the child grows."

The researchers also said the technique could be useful in correcting cartilage damage in the nose.

Click for more from BBC News.

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Doctors grow ears, noses using body fat stem cells

The breakthrough might set up another showdown about cloning for therapeutic purposes

OHSU Photos

From Nature magazine

It was hailed some 15 years ago as the great hope for a biomedical revolution: the use of cloning techniques to create perfectly matched tissues that would someday cure ailments ranging from diabetes to Parkinsons disease. Since then, the approach has been enveloped in ethical debate, tainted by fraud and, in recent years, overshadowed by a competing technology. Most groups gave up long ago on the finicky core method production of patient-specific embryonic stem cells (ESCs) from cloning. A quieter debate followed: do we still need therapeutic cloning?

A paper published this week by Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a reproductive biology specialist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Beaverton, and his colleagues is sure to rekindle that debate. Mitalipov and his team have finally created patient-specific ESCs through cloning, and they are keen to prove that the technology is worth pursuing.

Therapeutic cloning, or somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), begins with the same process used to create Dolly, the famous cloned sheep, in 1996. A donor cell from a body tissue such as skin is fused with an unfertilized egg from which the nucleus has been removed. The egg reprograms the DNA in the donor cell to an embryonic state and divides until it has reached the early, blastocyst stage. The cells are then harvested and cultured to create a stable cell line that is genetically matched to the donor and that can become almost any cell type in the human body.

Many scientists have tried to create human SCNT cell lines; none had succeeded until now. Most infamously, Woo Suk Hwang of Seoul National University in South Korea used hundreds of human eggs to report two successes, in 2004 and 2005. Both turned out to be fabricated. Other researchers made some headway. Mitalipov created SCNT lines in monkeys in 2007. And Dieter Egli, a regenerative medicine specialist at the New York Stem Cell Foundation, successfully produced human SCNT lines, but only when the eggs nucleus was left in the cell. As a result, the cells had abnormal numbers of chromosomes, limiting their use.

Monkeying around Mitalipov and his group began work on their new study last September, using eggs from young donors recruited through a university advertising campaign. In December, after some false starts, cells from four cloned embryos that Mitalipov had engineered began to grow. It looks like colonies, it looks like colonies, he kept thinking. Masahito Tachibana, a fertility specialist from Sendai, Japan, who is finishing a 5-year stint in Mitalipovs laboratory, nervously sectioned the 1-millimetre-wide clumps of cells and transferred them to new culture plates, where they continued to grow evidence of success. Mitalipov cancelled his holiday plans. I was happy to spend Christmas culturing cells, he says. My family understood.

The success came through minor technical tweaks. The researchers used inactivated Sendai virus (known to induce fusion of cells) to unite the egg and body cells, and an electric jolt to activate embryo development. When their first attempts produced six blastocysts but no stable cell lines, they added caffeine, which protects the egg from premature activation.

None of these techniques is new, but the researchers tested them in various combinations in more than 1,000 monkey eggs before moving on to human cells. They made the right improvements to the protocol, says Egli. Its big news. Its convincing. I believe it.

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Patient-Specific Human Embryonic Stem Cells Created by Cloning

Sir Ian Wilmut proposes an alternative method as a possible means of creating a mammoth--or a hybrid. Such research could lead to major biological discoveries and advances

Wikimedia Commons/Mammut

Editor's note: The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation UK, an online publication covering the latest research.

By Ian Wilmut, University of Edinburgh

It is unlikely that a mammoth could be cloned in the way we created Dolly the sheep, as has been proposed following the discovery of mammoth bones in northern Siberia. However, the idea prompts us to consider the feasibility of other avenues. Even if the Dolly method is not possible, there are other ways in which it would be biologically interesting to work with viable mammoth cells if they can be found.

In order for a Dolly-like clone to be born it is necessary to have females of a closely related species to provide unfertilised eggs, and, if cloned embryos are produced, to carry the pregnancies. Cloning depends on having two cells. One is an egg recovered from an animal around the time when usually she would be mated.

In reality there would be a need for not just one, but several hundred or even several thousand eggs to allow an opportunity to optimise the cloning techniques. The cloning procedure is very inefficient. After all, after several years of research with sheep eggs, Dolly was the only one to develop from 277 cloned embryos. In species in which research has continued, the typical success rate is still only around 5% at best.

Elephant eggs

In this case the suggestion is to use eggs from elephants. Because there is a danger of elephants becoming extinct it is clearly not appropriate to try to obtain 500 eggs from elephants. But there is an alternative.

There is a considerable similarity in the mechanisms that regulate function of the ovaries in different mammals. It has been shown that maturation of elephant eggs is stimulated if ovarian tissue from elephants is transplanted into mice.

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Produce Woolly Mammoth Stem Cells, Says Creator of Dolly the Sheep

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

4-Mar-2014

Contact: Jen Middleton jen.middleton@ed.ac.uk 44-131-650-6514 University of Edinburgh

Horses suffering from neurological conditions similar to those that affect humans could be helped by a breakthrough from stem cell scientists.

Researchers who are the first to create working nerve cells from horse stem cells say the advance may pave the way for cell therapies that target conditions similar to motor neurone disease.

The research could also benefit horses affected by grass sickness, a neurological condition that affects around 600 horses a year in the UK.

Little is known about the disease, which causes nerve damage throughout the body. It is untreatable and animals with the most severe form usually die or have to be put down.

The advance by the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute will provide a powerful tool for those studying horse diseases. It will also help scientists to test new drugs and treatments.

The researchers took skin cells from a young horse and turned them into stem cells using a technique that was originally developed for human cells. The reprogrammed cells are pluripotent, which means they can be induced to become any type of cell in the body.

The team used them to create nerve cells in the laboratory and tested whether they were functional by showing that they could transmit nerve signals in a test tube.

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Horses set to gain health benefits from stem cell advance

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Researchers in London, UK, are investigating the effectiveness of stem cell therapies for facial reconstruction.

A joint team, from London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and University College London's Institute of Child Health, has published the findings of their research in the journal Nanomedicine.

This follows the recent news that another UK-based team, of The London Chest Hospital, has begun the largest ever trial of adult stem cells in heart attack patients.

Great Ormond Street has a proven track record in facial reconstruction, particularly with regard to treating children with a missing or malformed ear - a condition called microtia. This kind of reconstructive surgery involves taking cartilage from the patient's ribs to craft a "scaffold" for an ear, which is then implanted beneath the skin.

Despite successes with this method, the researchers thought the treatment may be improved by bringing stem cells into the process.

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Reconstructing faces using human stem cells from fat

Scientists have managed to use body fat and turned it into cartilage It is now hoped technique could help patients born with microtia At the moment, doctors take cartilage from other parts of the body

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 06:43 EST, 2 March 2014 | UPDATED: 06:46 EST, 2 March 2014

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British scientists are aiming to grow ears and noses in a laboratory to transplant then into humans.

Scientists from Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London have managed to use abdominal body fat and turn it into cartilage.

It is now hoped that the technique could help patients who have been born with microtia, which means the ear fails to develop properly, or who have been in an accident.

Scientists from Great Ormond Street Hospital are aiming to grow ears and noses in a laboratory to transplant then into humans

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Ears and noses to be grown in lab from stem cells for human transplants thanks to revolutionary technique

Research Dr. Amy Firth introduces students Jason Ward of San Jacinto Valley Academy and Kaitlan Navarro of Eastlake High School to the finer points of preparing and separating brain slices for scientific research.

LA JOLLA Minely Araujo, a senior at San Pasqual High School, arranged slices from a mouse brain onto glass slides Saturday that researchers at the renowned Salk Institute for Biological Sciences would study for their work examining brain cancer.

She looked at chimpanzee skin cells that had been transformed back into stem cells. And she marveled at a mouse its skin florescent green from the protein of jelly fish as it scampered inside a cage.

Its so interesting. I like to know what caused things, said Minely, who hopes to study forensic pathology at University of Southern California next year.

Its amazing that we get to see the work that is going on here. Its real research.

More than 200 students got the rare opportunity to tour Salks famed La Jolla research facilities for the 24th annual High School Science Day, co-sponsored by the March of Dimes.

The program is designed to nudge students into a science education or career while giving them the chance to meet with researchers and scientists who are striving to solve real problems.

They toured more than a dozen Salk labs that focused on everything from genetic, stem cell, infectious disease and neurobiology research. Students dissected mouse brains, studied fluorescent markers in worms and isolated single cells using a special micromanipulator.

Through lab tours, interactions with working scientists and participation in lab experiments, these students can picture themselves in the roles of future scientists observing, innovating and discovering, said William Brody, president of the Salk Institute.

Five scientists trained at Salk have won Nobel Prizes, and the labs are home to nine Howard Hughes Medical Investigators and 14 members of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Budding scientists get rare look inside Salk labs

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) February 28, 2014

Chernoff Cosmetic Surgeons is excited to bring Phytoceutical science to Indianapolis, offering patients an innovative new treatment in the form of the Apple Stem Cell Facial.

A phytoceutical is a plant-derived compound with skin and health benefits. The benefits of phytoceuticals and apple stem cells have been witnessed in Europe and some Asian Countries, but have not gained much exposure in the U.S. until now. Dr. Gregory Chernoff of Chernoff Cosmetic Surgeons is excited to bring this effective and innovative treatment to Indianapolis.

Apple Stem Cells contain similar Epigenetic Factors as human stem cells. Together, these growth factors and the complex of science-based plant nutrients provide optimal improvement in skin health, says Dr. Chernoff.

The innovative facial uses special Malus apple stem cells combined with a phytoceutical complex, both of which are rich in growth factors. This powerful combination is used to enhance collagen production and stimulate fibroblast regeneration. Additional key ingredients in this facial that make it unique are polysaccharides that improve connective tissue and stimulate micro blood circulation, and pectin extract which acts as a fibroblast nutrient to improve skin.

This benefits of this new treatment can be maximized using enhanced delivery with micro needling. Micro needling is a form of non-ablative collagen induction therapy. This technique delivers active apple stem cells, growth factors, vitamins & nutrients deep into the dermis, providing intensive fibroblast and cell regeneration. Hyaluronic acid and tri-lipids seal in the active growth factors.

Apple stem cells are not something new to Dr. Chernoffs patients. His professional line of skincare offers an Apple Stem Cell Serum that his patients have been using for years. The Apple Stem Cell Facial is the first of several phytoceutical facials offered at Chernoff Cosmetic Surgeons using advanced growth factors to help improve skin tone, texture, and quality. The treatment is excellent for all skin types including dry, sensitive, acne prone, or compromised skin. Dr. Chernoff recommends his patients use his professional line of GREGORY M.D., Apple Stem Cell Serum for optimal results.

Greg Chernoff, M.D., is a Triple Board Certified Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. His practice is dedicated exclusively to aesthetic plastic surgery, hair replacement surgery, cosmetic laser therapy, and all forms medical aesthetics. Dr. Chernoffs laser research has been instrumental in developing and refining accepted laser techniques now utilized by physicians worldwide, and he is at the forefront of research in the areas of fibroblast, stem cell, and regenerative medicine. Dr. Chernoff provides excellent results and outstanding patient care. For more information, contact Chernoff Cosmetic Surgeons at 317-573-8899 http://www.drchernoff.com.

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Chernoff Cosmetic Surgery Pleased to Offer Innovative Phytoceutical Apple Stem Cell Facial

Scientists have transformed human skin cells into fully functioning liver cells with "extremely promising" therapeutic potential.

Transplanted into laboratory mice with liver failure, the cells matured and multiplied over a period of nine months.

In future they could form the basis of personalised treatments for patients who might otherwise need a liver transplant.

Earlier attempts to produce liver cells from artificially created stem cells have proved disappointing.

Generally, once implanted into existing liver tissue the cells have not tended to survive.

The new research involved a two-stage process of transforming skin cells in the laboratory before transplanting them.

First, the cells were genetically reprogrammed back to an intermediate "endoderm" stage of development using a cocktail of genes and chemical compounds.

Story continues below the slideshow:

"The liver likes a balanced diet, just like the rest of your body," explains Dr. Nancy Reau, vice president of the American Liver Foundation's Board of Directors. She notes that an extreme elimination diet is generally not good for your system, and any benefit it may give you disappears once you go back to eating regularly. For the liver (as well as the rest of your body), look to high-fibre vegetables and lean proteins.

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Liver Transplant Research: Skin Cells Transformed Into Liver Cells Could Save Lives, Scientists Say

Washington, Feb 24 : In a path-breaking research, scientists have discovered a way to transform skin cells into mature, fully functioning liver cells that flourish on their own.

The technique could serve as an alternative for liver-failure patients who do not require full-organ replacement or who do not have access to a transplant owing to limited donor organ availability.

Researchers at Gladstone Institutes and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) revealed a new cellular reprogramming method that transforms human skin cells into liver cells that are virtually indistinguishable from the cells that make up liver tissue.

"Earlier studies tried to reprogramme skin cells back into a stem cell-like state in order to then grow liver cells. However, generating these pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, and then transforming them into liver cells was not always resulting in complete transformation," explained Sheng Ding, senior investigator at Gladstone Institutes.

"So we thought that, rather than taking these skin cells all the way back to a stem cell-like state, perhaps we could take them to an intermediate phase," he added.

Instead of taking the skin cells back to the beginning, the scientists took them only part way, creating endoderm-like cells.

Endoderm cells are cells that eventually mature into many of the body's major organs - including the liver.

This step allowed them to generate a large reservoir of cells that could more readily be coaxed into becoming liver cells.

Next, the researchers discovered a set of genes and compounds that can transform these cells into functioning liver cells.

After just a few weeks, the team began to notice a transformation.

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Skin-tillating! Healthy liver cells created in lab

Our cells don't live in a vacuum. They are surrounded by a complex, nurturing matrix that is essential for many biological functions, including growth and healing.

In all multicellular organisms, including people, cells make their own extracellular matrix. But in the lab, scientists attempting to grow tissue must provide a scaffold for cells to latch onto as they grow and proliferate. This engineered tissue has potential to repair or replace virtually any part of our bodies.

Typically, researchers construct scaffolds from synthetic materials or natural animal or human substances. All have their strengths and weaknesses, but no scaffolds grown in a Petri dish have been able to mimic the highly organized structure of the matrix made by living things, at least until now.

Feng Zhao of Michigan Technological University has persuaded fibroblasts, cells that makes the extracellular matrix, to make just such a well-organized scaffold. Its fibers are a mere 80 nanometers across, similar to fibers in a natural matrix. And, since her scaffold is made by cells, it is composed of the same intricate mix of all-natural proteins and sugars found in the body. Plus, its nanofibers are as highly aligned as freshly combed hair.

The trick was to orient the cells on a nano-grate that guided their growth -- and the creation of the scaffold.

"The cells did the work," Zhao said. "The material they made is quite uniform, and of course it is completely biological."

Stem cells placed on her scaffold thrived, and it had the added advantage of provoking a very low immune response.

"We think this has great potential," she said. "I think we could use this to engineer softer tissues, like skin, blood vessels and muscle."

The work is described in the paper "Highly Aligned Nanofibrous Scaffold Derived from Decellularized Human Fibroblasts," coauthored by Zhao, postdoctoral researcher Qi Xing and undergraduate Caleb Vogt of Michigan Technological University and Kam W. Leong of Duke University and published Jan. 29 in Advanced Functional Materials. Zhao designed the project. Xing and Vogt did the work, and Leong developed the template for cell growth.

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New biological scaffold offers promising foundation for engineered tissues

In a medical first, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have transformed human skin cells into mature, fully functioning liver cells.

Additionally, these cells can thrive on their own after being transplanted into laboratory animals a positive step for future treatment for liver failure.

So far, scientists have been able turn skin cells into cells closely resembling heart cells and pancreas cells, but there hasnt been a method to generate cells that are fully mature. And previous studies on liver-cell reprogramming had difficulties getting the stem-cell-derived liver cells to survive and flourish once transplanted inside the body.

But in this latest study, published in the journal Nature, researchers figured out a way to overcome these obstacles.

Earlier studies tried to reprogram skin cells back into a pluripotent, stem cell-like state in order to then grow liver cells, senior author Sheng Ding, a professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at UCSF, said in a press release. However, generating these so-called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, and then transforming them into liver cells wasnt always resulting in complete transformation. So we thought that, rather than taking these skin cells all the way back to a pluripotent, stem cell-like state, perhaps we could take them to an intermediate phase.

Dings regeneration method involved using a specific cocktail of reprogramming genes and chemical compounds. This mixture helped to transform the skin cells into cells resembling those in the endoderm an embryonic cell layer that eventually forms many of the bodys major organs. According to the researchers, this state allowed the cells to be more easily coaxed into becoming liver cells.

Then, using another set of genes and compounds, Ding and his team transformed the endoderm-like cells into nearly indistinguishable liver cells. To see how well these cells performed on their own, the researchers implanted them into the livers of mice that had been genetically altered to experience liver failure. Nine months post-transplantation, the team saw an overall rise in human liver protein levels an indication that the liver cells were growing and thriving.

This study has major implications for those suffering from liver failure, as a costly liver transplant is often the only form of treatment.

Many questions remain, but the fact that these cells can fully mature and grow for months post-transplantation is extremely promising, said Dr. Holger Willenbring, associate director of the UCSF Liver Center and the papers other senior author. In the future, our technique could serve as an alternative for liver-failure patients who dont require full-organ replacement, or who dont have access to a transplant due to limited donor organ availability.

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Scientists transform human skin cells into mature liver cells

Gladstone Institutes

Joint Gladstone-UCSF study highlights novel reprogramming method; offers new hope for treating liver failure

SAN FRANCISCO, CAFebruary 23, 2014 The power of regenerative medicine now allows scientists to transform skin cells into cells that closely resemble heart cells, pancreas cells and even neurons. However, a method to generate cells that are fully maturea crucial prerequisite for life-saving therapieshas proven far more difficult. But now, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have made an important breakthrough: they have discovered a way to transform skin cells into mature, fully functioning liver cells that flourish on their own, even after being transplanted into laboratory animals modified to mimic liver failure.

In previous studies on liver-cell reprogramming, scientists had difficulty getting stem cell-derived liver cells to survive once being transplanted into existing liver tissue. But the Gladstone-UCSF team figured out a way to solve this problem. Writing in the latest issue of the journal Nature, researchers in the laboratories of Gladstone Senior Investigator Sheng Ding, PhD, and UCSF Associate Professor Holger Willenbring, MD, PhD, reveal a new cellular reprogramming method that transforms human skin cells into liver cells that are virtually indistinguishable from the cells that make up native liver tissue.

These results offer new hope for the millions of people suffering from, or at risk of developing, liver failurean increasingly common condition that results in progressive and irreversible loss of liver function. At present, the only option is a costly liver transplant. So, scientists have long looked to stem cell technology as a potential alternative. But thus far they have come up largely empty-handed.

Earlier studies tried to reprogram skin cells back into a pluripotent, stem cell-like state in order to then grow liver cells, explained Dr. Ding, one of the papers senior authors, who is also a professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at UCSF, with which Gladstone is affiliated. However, generating these so-called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, and then transforming them into liver cells wasnt always resulting in complete transformation. So we thought that, rather than taking these skin cells all the way back to a pluripotent, stem cell-like state, perhaps we could take them to an intermediate phase.

This research, which was performed jointly at the Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Research at Gladstone and the Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF, involved using a cocktail of reprogramming genes and chemical compounds to transform human skin cells into cells that resembled the endoderm. Endoderm cells are cells that eventually mature into many of the bodys major organsincluding the liver.

Instead of taking the skin cells back to the beginning, we took them only part way, creating endoderm-like cells, added Gladstone and CIRM Postdoctoral Scholar Saiyong Zhu, PhD, one of the papers lead authors. This step allowed us to generate a large reservoir of cells that could more readily be coaxed into becoming liver cells.

Next, the researchers discovered a set of genes and compounds that can transform these cells into functioning liver cells. And after just a few weeks, the team began to notice a transformation.

The cells began to take on the shape of liver cells, and even started to perform regular liver-cell functions, said UCSF Postdoctoral Scholar Milad Rezvani, MD, the papers other lead author. They werent fully mature cells yetbut they were on their way.

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Scientists Transform Skin Cells Into Functioning Liver Cells