SAN DIEGO, Dec. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Neuroscience, Inc. today announced its launch following a $6.5 million seed round led by Domain Associates and Axon Ventures and including Alexandria Venture Investments,Arch Venture Partners,OrbiMedand Section 32 to develop the first autologous cell therapies for Parkinson's disease. Aspen's proprietary approach was developed by the company's co-founders, Jeanne F. Loring, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute, and Andres Bratt-Leal, Ph.D., a former post-doctoral researcher in Dr. Loring's lab. The company was initially supported by Summit for Stem Cell, a founding partner and non-profit organization which provides a variety of services for people with Parkinson's disease. Aspen is led by industry veteran Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer.

Parkinson's disease is characterized by the loss of specific brain cells that make the chemical dopamine. Without dopamine, nerve cells cannot communicate with muscles and people are left with debilitating motor problems. Aspen is focusing on human pluripotent stem cells, cultured cells that can become any cell type in the human body. The company's research is specific to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which it develops by taking a skin biopsy from a person with Parkinson's disease and turning the tissue into pluripotent stem cells using genetic engineering. Aspen then differentiates the pluripotent stem cells into dopamine-releasing neurons that can be transplanted into that same person (autologous), thereby restoring the types of neurons lost in Parkinson's disease.

As an autologous cell therapy for Parkinson's disease, Aspen's treatment would eliminate the need for immunosuppression because the neurons are transplanted back into the same patient from which they were generated. The use of immunosuppression is necessary with currently available cell therapies for Parkinson's disease and when transplanting cells from one patient to another (allogeneic) to prevent rejection but can pre-dispose the patient to life-threatening complications including infection and add cost to the patient and health system. Aspen is the only company in the world offering an autologous neuron replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease.

Aspen encompasses a powerful executive leadership team including Dr. Federoff who, in addition to his leadership roles at the UC Irvine Health System, was the Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and the Executive Dean of Medicine at Georgetown University. Dr. Federoff also has significant biotech industry experience including co-founding MedGenesis Therapeutix and Brain Neurotherapy Bio, as well as leading the U.S. Parkinson's Disease Gene Therapy Study Group. The company is also proud to announce the addition of several experienced and well-known members to its leadership team including Edward Wirth, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Wirth currently serves as the Chief Medical Ofcer for Lineage Cell Therapeutics where he oversees clinical development of its two therapeutic programs for spinal cord injuries and lung cancer. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1994 and remained to conduct postdoctoral research including leading the University of Florida team that performed the rst human embryonic spinal cord transplant in the U.S. Dr. Wirth went on to serve as the Medical Director for Regenerative Medicine at Geron Corporation where the world's rst clinical trial of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived product occurred which demonstrated initial clinical safety.

Drs. Federoff and Wirth are joined by Dr. Loring, as Chief Scientific Officer; Jay Sial, as Chief Financial Officer; Andres Bratt-Leal, Ph.D., as Vice President of Research and Development; Thorsten Gorba, Ph.D., as Senior Director of Manufacturing and Naveen M. Krishnan, M.D., M.Phil., as Senior Director of Corporate Development.

"Aspen is developing a restorative, disease modifying autologous neuron therapy for people suffering from Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Federoff. "We are fortunate to have such a high-caliber scientific and medical leadership team to make our treatments a reality. Our cell replacement therapy, which originated in the laboratory of Dr. Jeanne Loring and was later supported by Summit for Stem Cell and its President, Ms. Jenifer Raub, has the potential to release dopamine and reconstruct neural networks where no disease-modifying therapies exist."

Aspen's lead product (ANPD001) is currently undergoing investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies for the treatment of sporadic Parkinson's disease. Aspen is also developing a gene-edited autologous neuron therapy (ANPD002) that is in the research stage and targeted toward familial forms of Parkinson's disease beginning with the most common genetic variant in the gene encoding glucocerebrosidase (GBA). Aspen leverages proprietary machine-learning tools and artificial intelligence to ensure quality control during manufacturing and to deliver a safe and reproducible product for each cell line.

"Aspen's financial backing, combined with its experienced and proven leadership team, positions it well for future success," said Kim P. Kamdar, Ph.D., Partner at Domain Associates, one of Aspen's seed investors. "Domain prides itself on investing in companies that can translate scientific research into innovative medicines and therapies that make a difference in people's lives. We clearly see Aspen as fitting into that category, as it is the only company using a patient's own cells for replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease."

About Aspen Neuroscience

Aspen Neuroscience Inc. is a development stage, private biotechnology company that uses innovative genomic approaches combined with stem cell biology to deliver patient-specific, restorative cell therapies that modify the course of Parkinson's disease. Aspen's therapies are based upon the scientific work of world-renowned stem cell scientist, Dr. Jeanne Loring, who has developed a novel method for autologous neuron replacement. For more information and important updates, please visithttp://www.aspenneuroscience.com.

CONTACT: Jennifer Viera, AspenNeuroscience@TeamSeismic.com

SOURCE Aspen Neuroscience

http://www.aspenneuroscience.com

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Aspen Neuroscience Launches With $6.5 Million Seed Funding to Advance First-of-its-Kind Personalized Cell Therapy for Parkinson's Disease - PRNewswire

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A hockey player paralyzed in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash says it feels good to be home after spending five weeks in Thailand, where he underwent spinal surgery.

It feels good. I mean I felt that cold, cold wind hit my legs, so Im feeling good. Its good to be back, Ryan Straschnitzki said Sunday night as he wheeled himself into the Calgary airport.

The 20-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., who is paralyzed from the chest down, had an epidural stimulator implanted in his spine while he was in Bangkok. A week later, doctors also injected stem cells above and below his spinal injury to try to reverse some of the damage.

Videos posted by Straschnitzki and his father in Thailand show him straightening a leg. In another, Straschnitzki kicks a ball.

In another clip, while hes strapped into a harness, physiotherapists slowly help him walk with a wheeled machine.

It was incredible. I mean the last time I walked beside my dad was before the accident and before I moved away, said Straschnitzki. So doing that again and just seeing the look in his eyes is motivating to me.

Straschnitzki was one of 13 players injured when a semi truck blew through a stop sign and into the path of his junior hockey teams bus at a rural intersection in Saskatchewan in April 2018.

Sixteen others on the bus were killed.

READ MORE: Paralyzed Humboldt Broncos player to get spinal surgery in Thailand

Tom Straschnitzki said hes not an emotional guy, but watching the progress his son made in Thailand has given him hope.

When I actually saw him move his leg, it just took me back to imagining his last steps going onto that bus on that fateful day. And I was just thinking maybe he can go back on the bus one day, he said.

The surgery can cost up to $100,000 but isnt covered by public health care or insurance, because it has not been approved by Health Canada. The Straschnitzkis say theyre frustrated the treatment isnt available here.

Ryan Straschnitzki hopes his experience might at least get the conversation going.

Our health-care system is kind of lacking in this area for spinal cord injuries and I think its huge that Thailand and some other places are getting this started, he said.

I think if Canada can step in and advance this program, I think itll help a lot of people out.

Tom and Michelle Straschnitzki said they have been flooded with comments and questions about their sons procedure.

They want to try it and ask why doesnt Canada do it? I dont have the answer about Canada but they do it in Thailand and it is not experimental, said Tom Straschnitzki.

Health Canada has said it provides licensed spinal cord stimulators but only for pain relief. A spokesman said it has not received an application to have stimulators used to regain motor skills.

READ MORE: Loss for words Injured Bronco shocked, excited over effect of spinal surgery

Ryan Straschnitzki said he isnt expecting a cure but hopes his implant will restore some muscle movement.

Just getting that feeling of being able to move something that I wasnt able to move before and I know core is a huge part of my disability, so anything below my chest is crucial. And after the programming it really helped, he said.

Straschnitzki is hoping to make the Canadian sledge hockey team and compete in the Olympics. He even took his sled with him to Thailand and sat in it as part of his rehabilitation there.

He said he plans to take a few days off before returning to physiotherapy and hitting the ice again back home.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

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Kind of lacking: Injured Bronco wonders why Canada wont fund spinal surgery - Houston Today

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A recent report published by Infinium Global Research on cell therapy market provides in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the global as well as regional cell therapy market.

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/13/2019 -- The Infinium Global Research analyzes the "Cell Therapy Market (Cell Type - Stem Cell, and Differentiated Cell; Therapy Type - Allogenic Therapies, and Autologous Therapies; Application - Autoimmune Diseases, Oncology, Dermatology, Musculoskeletal Therapies, and Other Applications; End-users - Hospitals and Clinics, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Companies, and Research Institutes): Global Industry Analysis, Trends, Size, Share and Forecasts to 2025."

For More Details Get FREE Sample Pages of this Research Report@ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/sample-request/12810

Cell therapy is the transplantation of human cells to replace or repair damaged tissue or cells. With new technologies, products, innovative, and limitless imagination. Cells used for cell therapy often stem cells, cells that can mature into different types of specialized cells. The most common type of cell therapy has been the replacement of mature, functioning cells through blood and platelet transfusions. Cell therapies treat cancer, improving a weakened immune system, autoimmune disease, rebuilding damaged cartilage in joints, urinary problems, and infectious disease, repairing spinal cord injuries, and helping patients with neurological disorders.

Automation in Cell Therapy Manufacturing Providing Intensive Opportunities in the Cell Therapy Market

The rising occurrence of chronic diseases across the globe is the major driver for the growth of the global cell therapy market. Moreover, increasing the geriatric population, increase in cell therapy transplantation rate, and replacement of animal testing model are some of the key factors fueling the market growth. Furthermore, increasing awareness of stem cell therapy and the development of cell banking facilities contributing to the growth of the global cell therapy market.

Moreover, technological advancements and improvements in the regulatory framework continuously provide to the growing market. However, challenges in research and development, lack of proper and advanced healthcare in developing regions may hinder market growth. Furthermore, automation in cell therapy manufacturing providing intensive opportunities in the cell therapy market in the coming years.

Request a Discount on Standard Prices of this Premium Report @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/request-discount/12810

Stem Cell Therapy is Expected to Hold Maximum Share in the Cell Therapy Market

The global cell therapy market is segmented on the basis of type, therapy, application, and end-user. Types are further segmented into stem cells and differentiated cells. Stem cell therapy is expected to hold maximum share in the cell therapy market. Stem cell therapies having several advantages like regenerating the body organisms and other cells, which contributes to the growth of the stem cell therapies market.

By therapy, the cell therapy market is segmented into allogeneic therapies and autologous therapies. On the basis of application, the market is further divided into autoimmune diseases, oncology, dermatology, musculoskeletal therapies, and other applications. Based on end-users, the market is hospitals and clinics, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and Research Institutes.

North America is Leading the Market Share in the Cell Therapy Market

The cell therapy market is segmented regionally into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. North America is leading the market share in the cell therapy market due to the high rate of cancer and blood-related disorders coupled with high investments in the research and development of novel technologies. North America has a firm healthcare organization that acts as an added advantage for the growth of the market in this region.

Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to stimulate the growth of the cell therapy market due to a large number of surgeries performed in this region. Rising awareness about advanced medicinal therapies contributes to the growth of the market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Browse Detailed TOC and Description of this Exclusive Report@ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/healthcare-medical-devices/global-cell-therapy-market

Cell Therapy Market: Competitive Analysis

The leading players in the cell therapy market are NuVasive, Inc., Kolon TissueGene, Inc., JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., MEDIPOST, Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., Celgene Corporation, ANTEROGEN.CO., LTD, Vericel Corporation. These companies are adopting strategic partnerships to enhance their product portfolio.

Reasons to Buy this Report:

=> Comprehensive analysis of global as well as regional markets of the cell therapy.

=> Complete coverage of all the product type and application segments to analyze the trends, developments, and forecast of market size up to 2025.

=> Comprehensive analysis of the companies operating in this market. The company profile includes analysis of product portfolio, revenue, SWOT analysis and the latest developments of the company.

=> Infinium Global Research- Growth Matrix presents an analysis of the product segments and geographies that market players should focus to invest, consolidate, expand and/or diversify.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/automation-in-cell-therapy-manufacturing-is-driving-the-growth-of-the-cell-therapy-market-over-the-forecast-period-2019-2025-1267918.htm

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Automation in Cell Therapy Manufacturing Is Driving the Growth of the Cell Therapy Market over the Forecast Period (2019-2025) - Press Release -...

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Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a system that allows for real-time observations of individual cells in the colon of a living mouse.

Researchers expect the procedure to allow new investigations into the digestive systems microbiome as well as the causes of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer and their treatments.

The procedure described online on December 11 in Nature Communications involves surgically implanting a transparent window into a mouses abdominal skin above the colon. Similar setups are already being used to allow live looks into the detailed inner workings of the brain, spinal cord, liver, lungs and other organs. Imaging a live colon, however, is a slipperier proposition.

A brain doesnt move around a lot, but the colon does, which makes it difficult to get detailed images down to a single cell, said Xiling Shen, the Hawkins Family Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. Weve developed a magnetic system that is strong enough to stabilize the colon in place during imaging to obtain this level of resolution, but can quickly be turned off to allow the colon to move freely.

Immobilizing the colon for imaging is a tricky task for traditional methods such as glue or stitches. At best they can cause inflammation that would ruin most experiments. At worst they can cause obstructions, which can quickly kill the mouse being studied.

To skirt this issue, Shen developed a magnetic device that looks much like a tiny metal nasal strip and can be safely attached to the colon. A magnetic field snaps the colon into place and keeps it stable during imaging, but once turned off, leaves the colon free to move and function as normal.

A vital organ that houses much of the digestive systems microbiome, the colon can be afflicted by diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, functional gastrointestinal disorders and cancer. It also plays a key role in regulating the immune system, and can communicate directly with the brain through sacral nerves.

There is a great need to better understand the colon, because it can suffer from so many diseases and plays so many roles with significant health implications, Shen said.

In the study, Shen and his colleagues conducted several proof-of-principle experiments that provide starting points for future lines of research.

The researchers first colonized a living mouse colon with E. coli bacteria, derived from Crohns disease patients, that had been tagged with fluorescent proteins. The researchers then showed they could track the migration, growth and decline of the bacteria for more than three days. This ability could help researchers understand not only how antagonistic bacteria afflict the colon, Shen says, but the positive roles probiotics can play and which strains can best help people with gastrointestinal disorders.

In the next experiment, mice were bred with several types of fluorescent immune cells. The researchers then induced inflammation in the colon and carefully watched the activation of these immune cells. Shen says, this approach could be used with various types of immune cells and diseases to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to challenges.

Shen and his colleagues then showed that they could tag and track colon epithelial stem cells associated with colorectal cancer throughout radiation treatment. They also demonstrated that they could watch nerves throughout the colon respond to sacral nerve stimulation, an emerging therapy for treating motility and immune disorders such as functional gastrointestinal disorders and irritable bowel disorder.

While we know electrically stimulating the sacral nerves can alleviate the symptoms of these gastrointestinal disorders, we currently have no idea why or any way to optimize these treatments, Shen said. Being able to see how the colons neurons respond to different waveforms, frequencies and amplitudes of stimulation will be invaluable in making this approach a better option for more patients.

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (R35GM122465, OT2OD023849), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (N66001-15-2-4059) and the National Cancer Institutes (R35CA197616).

An Intravital Window to Image the Colon in Real Time, Nikolai Rakhilin, Aliesha Garrett, Chi-Yong Eom, Katherine Ramos C., David M. Small, Andrea R. Daniel, Melanie M. Kaelberer, Menansili A. Mejooli, Qiang Huang, Shengli Ding, David G. Kirsch, Diego V. Bohrquez, Nozomi Nishimura, Bradley B. Barth, and Xiling Shen. Nature Communications, 2019. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13699-w

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Co-founded by World-Renowned Stem Cell Scientist Jeanne F. Loring, Ph.D. and Andres Bratt-Leal, Ph.D.

Led by Chief Executive Officer Howard Federoff, M.D., Ph.D., Former Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Chief Executive Officer of the University of California Irvine Health System

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Neuroscience, Inc. today announced its launch following a $6.5 million seed round led by Domain Associates and Axon Ventures and including Alexandria Venture Investments,Arch Venture Partners,OrbiMedand Section 32 to develop the first autologous cell therapies for Parkinson's disease. Aspen's proprietary approach was developed by the company's co-founders, Jeanne F. Loring, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute, and Andres Bratt-Leal, Ph.D., a former post-doctoral researcher in Dr. Loring's lab. The company was initially supported by Summit for Stem Cell, a founding partner and non-profit organization which provides a variety of services for people with Parkinson's disease. Aspen is led by industry veteran Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer.

Aspen Neuroscience Inc. is a development stage, private biotechnology company that uses innovative genomic approaches combined with stem cell biology to deliver patient-specific, restorative cell therapies that modify the course of Parkinsons disease. Aspens therapies are based upon the scientific work of world-renowned stem cell scientist, Dr. Jeanne Loring, who has developed a novel method for autologous neuron replacement.

Parkinson's disease is characterized by the loss of specific brain cells that make the chemical dopamine. Without dopamine, nerve cells cannot communicate with muscles and people are left with debilitating motor problems. Aspen is focusing on human pluripotent stem cells, cultured cells that can become any cell type in the human body. The company's research is specific to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which it develops by taking a skin biopsy from a person with Parkinson's disease and turning the tissue into pluripotent stem cells using genetic engineering. Aspen then differentiates the pluripotent stem cells into dopamine-releasing neurons that can be transplanted into that same person (autologous), thereby restoring the types of neurons lost in Parkinson's disease.

As an autologous cell therapy for Parkinson's disease, Aspen's treatment would eliminate the need for immunosuppression because the neurons are transplanted back into the same patient from which they were generated. The use of immunosuppression is necessary with currently available cell therapies for Parkinson's disease and when transplanting cells from one patient to another (allogeneic) to prevent rejection but can pre-dispose the patient to life-threatening complications including infection and add cost to the patient and health system. Aspen is the only company in the world offering an autologous neuron replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease.

Aspen encompasses a powerful executive leadership team including Dr. Federoff who, in addition to his leadership roles at the UC Irvine Health System, was the Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and the Executive Dean of Medicine at Georgetown University. Dr. Federoff also has significant biotech industry experience including co-founding MedGenesis Therapeutix and Brain Neurotherapy Bio, as well as leading the U.S. Parkinson's Disease Gene Therapy Study Group. The company is also proud to announce the addition of several experienced and well-known members to its leadership team including Edward Wirth, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer.

Story continues

Dr. Wirth currently serves as the Chief Medical Ofcer for Lineage Cell Therapeutics where he oversees clinical development of its two therapeutic programs for spinal cord injuries and lung cancer. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1994 and remained to conduct postdoctoral research including leading the University of Florida team that performed the rst human embryonic spinal cord transplant in the U.S. Dr. Wirth went on to serve as the Medical Director for Regenerative Medicine at Geron Corporation where the world's rst clinical trial of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived product occurred which demonstrated initial clinical safety.

Drs. Federoff and Wirth are joined by Dr. Loring, as Chief Scientific Officer; Jay Sial, as Chief Financial Officer; Andres Bratt-Leal, Ph.D., as Vice President of Research and Development; Thorsten Gorba, Ph.D., as Senior Director of Manufacturing and Naveen M. Krishnan, M.D., M.Phil., as Senior Director of Corporate Development.

"Aspen is developing a restorative, disease modifying autologous neuron therapy for people suffering from Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Federoff. "We are fortunate to have such a high-caliber scientific and medical leadership team to make our treatments a reality. Our cell replacement therapy, which originated in the laboratory of Dr. Jeanne Loring and was later supported by Summit for Stem Cell and its President, Ms. Jenifer Raub, has the potential to release dopamine and reconstruct neural networks where no disease-modifying therapies exist."

Aspen's lead product (ANPD001) is currently undergoing investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies for the treatment of sporadic Parkinson's disease. Aspen is also developing a gene-edited autologous neuron therapy (ANPD002) that is in the research stage and targeted toward familial forms of Parkinson's disease beginning with the most common genetic variant in the gene encoding glucocerebrosidase (GBA). Aspen leverages proprietary machine-learning tools and artificial intelligence to ensure quality control during manufacturing and to deliver a safe and reproducible product for each cell line.

"Aspen's financial backing, combined with its experienced and proven leadership team, positions it well for future success," said Kim P. Kamdar, Ph.D., Partner at Domain Associates, one of Aspen's seed investors. "Domain prides itself on investing in companies that can translate scientific research into innovative medicines and therapies that make a difference in people's lives. We clearly see Aspen as fitting into that category, as it is the only company using a patient's own cells for replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease."

About Aspen Neuroscience

Aspen Neuroscience Inc. is a development stage, private biotechnology company that uses innovative genomic approaches combined with stem cell biology to deliver patient-specific, restorative cell therapies that modify the course of Parkinson's disease. Aspen's therapies are based upon the scientific work of world-renowned stem cell scientist, Dr. Jeanne Loring, who has developed a novel method for autologous neuron replacement. For more information and important updates, please visithttp://www.aspenneuroscience.com.

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JavaScript is disabled on your browser. Please enable JavaScript to use all the features on this page.Highlights

Transplantation of iPSC-derived neural precursor cells (NPCs) shows beneficial effects for spinal cord injury (SCI).

Because unsafe iPSC-NPC lines can form tumors after grafting, provisions to attenuate this risk are substantially important.

Clinical application for SCI patients using iPSCs will be conducted in the near future.

For the past few decades, spinal cord injury (SCI) has been believed to be an incurable traumatic condition, but with recent developments in stem cell biology, the field of regenerative medicine has gained hopeful momentum in the development of a treatment for this challenging pathology. Among the treatment candidates, transplantation of neural precursor cells has gained remarkable attention as a reasonable therapeutic intervention to replace the damaged central nervous system cells and promote functional recovery. Here, we highlight transplantation therapy techniques using induced pluripotent stem cells to treat SCI and review the recent research giving consideration to future clinical applications.

Spinal cord injury

Neural precursor cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells

Clinical application

neural precursor cells

induced pluripotent stem cells

high mobility group box-1

swine leukocyte antigen

mixed lymphocyte reaction

human leukocyte antigen

peripheral blood mononuclear cells

directly reprogrammed neural precursor cells

-secretase inhibitor

herpes simplex virus type I thymidine kinase

oligodendrocyte progenitor cells

the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application

American Spinal Injury Association

chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans

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2019 The Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.

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Cell therapy for spinal cord injury using induced ...

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ESPCs derived from pig provide important implications for developmental biology, organ transplantation, regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and screening for drugs.

FREMONT, CA: Stem cell therapy, usually applied to humans, is now extended to animals too. It is a regenerative treatment applied to cats, dogs, pigs, and other animals. It includes removing cells from bone marrow, blood or fat, umbilical cords, and the cell can grow into any kind of cell and can repair damaged tissues. The regenerative therapy has been successful in animals. It can be used mainly for the treatment of spinal cord and bone injuries along with the problems with tendons, ligaments, and joints. One of the breakthroughs is the embryonic stem cell lines obtained from the pig.

Scientists have derived Expanded Potential Stem Cells (EPSCs) from pig embryos for the first time. They offer the groundbreaking potential to study embryonic development and produce translational research in genomics and regenerative medicine. Embryonic stem cells (ESC) are derived from the inner cells of early embryos called blastocysts. They are pluripotent cells as they can develop into various cell types of the body in the culture dish. The newly derived porcine EPSCs isolated from pig embryos are the first well-characterized cell lines worldwide. Their pluripotent ability provides important implications for developmental biology, organ transplantation, regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and screening for drugs.

The stem cells can renew themselves, showing that they can be kept in culture indefinitely while showing the typical morphology and gene expression patterns of embryonic stem cells. Because somatic cells have a limited lifespan, they cannot be used for such applications, and therefore the new stem cells are better suited for the lengthy selection process. These porcine stem cell lines can easily be edited with new genome editing techniques like CRISPR/Cas, and are currently the simplest, most versatile and precise method of genetic manipulation.

The EPSCs have a greater capacity to develop into numerous cell types of the organism as well as into extraembryonic tissue, the trophoblasts, rending them very unique and, thus, their name. This capacity is valuable for the future promising organoid technology where organ-like small cell aggregations are grown in 3D aggregates and used for research into early embryo development, various disease models, and testing of new drugs in Petri dishes. Also, they offer a unique possibility to investigate functions or diseases of the placenta in vitro.

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How Will Animals Get Benefitted by Stem Cell Therapy? - Medical Tech Outlook

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Parkinsons disease is characterized by the loss of specific brain cells that make the chemical dopamine. Without dopamine, nerve cells cannot communicate with muscles and people are left with debilitating motor problems. Aspen is focusing on human pluripotent stem cells, cultured cells that can become any cell type in the human body. Many health technology startups are on the raise to cure this disease. At the forefront is Aspen Neuroscience, a healthtech startup developing first-of-its-kind personalized cell therapy for Parkinsons disease.

Aspen Neuroscience is a development stage, private biotechnology company that uses innovative genomic approaches combined with stem cell biology to deliver patient-specific, restorative cell therapies that modify the course of Parkinsons disease.

Today,Aspen Neuroscience announced its official launch with $6.5 million seed financingto develop the first autologous cell therapies for Parkinsons disease.The round was led by Domain Associates and Axon Ventures and including Alexandria Venture Investments, Arch Venture Partners, OrbiMed and others.

Aspens proprietary approach was developed by the companys co-founders, Jeanne F. Loring, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute, and Andres Bratt-Leal, Ph.D., a former post-doctoral researcher in Dr. Lorings lab. The company was initially supported by Summit for Stem Cell, a founding partner and non-profit organization which provides a variety of services for people with Parkinsons disease. Aspen is led by industry veteran Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer.

The companys research is specific to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which it develops by taking a skin biopsy from a person with Parkinsons disease and turning the tissue into pluripotent stem cells using genetic engineering. Aspen then differentiates the pluripotent stem cells into dopamine-releasing neurons that can be transplanted into that same person (autologous), thereby restoring the types of neurons lost in Parkinsons disease.

As an autologous cell therapy for Parkinsons disease, Aspens treatment would eliminate the need for immunosuppression because the neurons are transplanted back into the same patient from which they were generated. The use of immunosuppression is necessary with currently available cell therapies for Parkinsons disease and when transplanting cells from one patient to another (allogeneic) to prevent rejection but can pre-dispose the patient to life-threatening complications including infection and add cost to the patient and health system. Aspen is the only company in the world offering an autologous neuron replacement therapy for Parkinsons disease.

Aspen encompasses a powerful executive leadership team including Dr. Federoff who, in addition to his leadership roles at the UC Irvine Health System, was the Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and the Executive Dean of Medicine at Georgetown University. Dr. Federoff also has significant biotech industry experience including co-founding MedGenesis Therapeutix and Brain Neurotherapy Bio, as well as leading the U.S. Parkinsons Disease Gene Therapy Study Group. The company is also proud to announce the addition of several experienced and well-known members to its leadership team including Edward Wirth, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Wirth currently serves as the Chief Medical Ofcer for Lineage Cell Therapeutics where he oversees clinical development of its two therapeutic programs for spinal cord injuries and lung cancer. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1994 and remained to conduct postdoctoral research including leading the University of Florida team that performed the rst human embryonic spinal cord transplant in the U.S. Dr. Wirth went on to serve as the Medical Director for Regenerative Medicine at Geron Corporation where the worlds rst clinical trial of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived product occurred which demonstrated initial clinical safety.

Drs. Federoff and Wirth are joined by Dr. Loring, as Chief Scientific Officer; Jay Sial, as Chief Financial Officer; Andres Bratt-Leal, Ph.D., as Vice President of Research and Development; Thorsten Gorba, Ph.D., as Senior Director of Manufacturing and Naveen M. Krishnan, M.D., M.Phil., as Senior Director of Corporate Development.

Aspen is developing a restorative, disease modifying autologous neuron therapy for people suffering from Parkinsons disease, said Dr. Federoff. We are fortunate to have such a high-caliber scientific and medical leadership team to make our treatments a reality. Our cell replacement therapy, which originated in the laboratory of Dr. Jeanne Loring and was later supported by Summit for Stem Cell and its President, Ms. Jenifer Raub, has the potential to release dopamine and reconstruct neural networks where no disease-modifying therapies exist.

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Aspen Neuroscience launches with $6.5M seed funding to develop personalized and autologous cell therapy for Parkinson's disease - TechStartups.com

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Aspen Neuroscience launches with $6.5M seed funding to develop personalized and autologous cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease – TechStartups.com | December 12th, 2019

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Neuroscience, Inc. today announced its launch following a $6.5 million seed round led by Domain Associates and Axon Ventures and including Alexandria Venture Investments,Arch Venture Partners,OrbiMedand Section 32 to develop the first autologous cell therapies for Parkinson's disease. Aspen's proprietary approach was developed by the company's co-founders, Jeanne F. Loring, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute, and Andres Bratt-Leal, Ph.D., a former post-doctoral researcher in Dr. Loring's lab. The company was initially supported by Summit for Stem Cell, a founding partner and non-profit organization which provides a variety of services for people with Parkinson's disease. Aspen is led by industry veteran Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer.

Parkinson's disease is characterized by the loss of specific brain cells that make the chemical dopamine. Without dopamine, nerve cells cannot communicate with muscles and people are left with debilitating motor problems. Aspen is focusing on human pluripotent stem cells, cultured cells that can become any cell type in the human body. The company's research is specific to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which it develops by taking a skin biopsy from a person with Parkinson's disease and turning the tissue into pluripotent stem cells using genetic engineering. Aspen then differentiates the pluripotent stem cells into dopamine-releasing neurons that can be transplanted into that same person (autologous), thereby restoring the types of neurons lost in Parkinson's disease.

As an autologous cell therapy for Parkinson's disease, Aspen's treatment would eliminate the need for immunosuppression because the neurons are transplanted back into the same patient from which they were generated. The use of immunosuppression is necessary with currently available cell therapies for Parkinson's disease and when transplanting cells from one patient to another (allogeneic) to prevent rejection but can pre-dispose the patient to life-threatening complications including infection and add cost to the patient and health system. Aspen is the only company in the world offering an autologous neuron replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease.

Aspen encompasses a powerful executive leadership team including Dr. Federoff who, in addition to his leadership roles at the UC Irvine Health System, was the Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and the Executive Dean of Medicine at Georgetown University. Dr. Federoff also has significant biotech industry experience including co-founding MedGenesis Therapeutix and Brain Neurotherapy Bio, as well as leading the U.S. Parkinson's Disease Gene Therapy Study Group. The company is also proud to announce the addition of several experienced and well-known members to its leadership team including Edward Wirth, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Wirth currently serves as the Chief Medical Ofcer for Lineage Cell Therapeutics where he oversees clinical development of its two therapeutic programs for spinal cord injuries and lung cancer. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1994 and remained to conduct postdoctoral research including leading the University of Florida team that performed the rst human embryonic spinal cord transplant in the U.S. Dr. Wirth went on to serve as the Medical Director for Regenerative Medicine at Geron Corporation where the world's rst clinical trial of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived product occurred which demonstrated initial clinical safety.

Drs. Federoff and Wirth are joined by Dr. Loring, as Chief Scientific Officer; Jay Sial, as Chief Financial Officer; Andres Bratt-Leal, Ph.D., as Vice President of Research and Development; Thorsten Gorba, Ph.D., as Senior Director of Manufacturing and Naveen M. Krishnan, M.D., M.Phil., as Senior Director of Corporate Development.

"Aspen is developing a restorative, disease modifying autologous neuron therapy for people suffering from Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Federoff. "We are fortunate to have such a high-caliber scientific and medical leadership team to make our treatments a reality. Our cell replacement therapy, which originated in the laboratory of Dr. Jeanne Loring and was later supported by Summit for Stem Cell and its President, Ms. Jenifer Raub, has the potential to release dopamine and reconstruct neural networks where no disease-modifying therapies exist."

Aspen's lead product (ANPD001) is currently undergoing investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies for the treatment of sporadic Parkinson's disease. Aspen is also developing a gene-edited autologous neuron therapy (ANPD002) that is in the research stage and targeted toward familial forms of Parkinson's disease beginning with the most common genetic variant in the gene encoding glucocerebrosidase (GBA). Aspen leverages proprietary machine-learning tools and artificial intelligence to ensure quality control during manufacturing and to deliver a safe and reproducible product for each cell line.

"Aspen's financial backing, combined with its experienced and proven leadership team, positions it well for future success," said Kim P. Kamdar, Ph.D., Partner at Domain Associates, one of Aspen's seed investors. "Domain prides itself on investing in companies that can translate scientific research into innovative medicines and therapies that make a difference in people's lives. We clearly see Aspen as fitting into that category, as it is the only company using a patient's own cells for replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease."

About Aspen Neuroscience

Aspen Neuroscience Inc. is a development stage, private biotechnology company that uses innovative genomic approaches combined with stem cell biology to deliver patient-specific, restorative cell therapies that modify the course of Parkinson's disease. Aspen's therapies are based upon the scientific work of world-renowned stem cell scientist, Dr. Jeanne Loring, who has developed a novel method for autologous neuron replacement. For more information and important updates, please visithttp://www.aspenneuroscience.com.

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Aspen Neuroscience Launches With $6.5 Million Seed Funding to Advance First-of-its-Kind Personalized Cell Therapy for Parkinson's Disease - P&T...

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Aspen Neuroscience Launches With $6.5 Million Seed Funding to Advance First-of-its-Kind Personalized Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease – P&T… | December 12th, 2019

When embryonic Stem Cell therapy was first discovered in 1998, it changed the face of medicine. The idea of being able to regenerate and replace damaged cells seemed futuristic at the time, yet today such treatments are commonplace. Now, science has taken another quantum leap this time into the nano-sized world of exosomes, tiny bubbles that grow out of cell walls and contain much of the information contained within the cell including Growth factors, microRNA and messenger RNA. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) exosome therapy is currently one of the hottest trends in regenerative medicine, one that patients at AM Medical in Yelm can now experience.

Everyone has heard of stem cell therapy, but it turns out that its not the stem cells that are doing the work, says Dr. Ana Mihalcea, President of AM Medical. Its the exosomes that carry the information of regeneration. Infused stem cells, attach to blood vessel walls, and then give off exosomes.

Exosomes have several key differences from stem cells; they do not get removed from the circulation like stem cells, which are in the body for less than 72 hours before they get destroyed by the immune system; they do not produce a rejection reaction because they are not a cell and contain no DNA, and they pass the blood brain barrier, Mihalcea notes. In a study on stroke scientists fluorescently tagged exosomes, and the infused exosomes went exactly to the region where the stroke had occurred, she adds. The same was not true of stem cells as they do not cross the blood brain barrier.

As a result of their powerful cargo, exosomes can be used to address a multitude of conditions, including arthritis, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular and neurogenerative diseases like Parkinsons and Alzheimers. Old cells can be reprogrammed by MSC exosomes as the target cells can transcribe the microRNA into functional proteins. Just like a virus, the exosome information of the young stem cells can infect the old cells with Youth, explains Mihalcea.

Spinal cord injuries are an area in which exosomes have produced dramatic results. Mihalcea cites the example of Dr. Douglas J. Spiels Interventional Pain Specialty Practice in NJ. Dr. Spiel has been able to rehabilitate spinal cord injuries with Exosome infusions into the spine and intravenously, she says. After several weeks, hes had patients regain muscle strength and sensation. These are prolonged, ongoing regenerative effects that continued to improve for months after the infusion.

When it comes to autoimmune diseases, inflammation plays a key role. Again, exosomes are able to reduce the problem by downregulating inflammation. TGF Beta 3 [Transforming growth factor beta-3] is the most important anti-inflammatory protein in the body and is abundant in MSC exosomes says Mihalcea. Many more Growth factors for blood vessel growth, neuronal and other tissue growth are present, allowing regenerative effects in all organ systems including skin wounds and burns.

The exosomes at AM Medical come from a laboratory in Florida that conducted pioneering research in the field. They come from perinatal mesenchymal stem cells and are scanned for any possible viruses to ensure their safety. Once harvested, the exosomes are concentrated so they can be infused in large doses.

For patients who qualify, the infusion process takes 10 to 15 minutes. Already, its been producing results for AM Medical patients. Weve had people with arthritis and chronic pain who had great responses, Mihalcea notes. There is an overall increase in wellbeing and sense of rejuvenation that is definitely noticeable.

Perhaps one of the largest sources of excitement over exosomes has to do with their anti-aging effects. Recently, ideas about the root causes of aging have been evolving, according to Mihalcea. Its been thought that aging occurs due to multiple different reasons like stem cell exhaustion, epigenetic changes, telomere shortening and others, she explains. It turns out that exosomes can modify almost all the hallmarks of aging. Theyre changing epigenetic expression to youthful function, and there are many potential applications. This is a new frontier in regenerative medicine that can help many people.

Learn more by watching Dr. Ana Mihalceas video on Exosomes The New Frontier Part 1: Longevity and Age reversal or reading further on the AM Medical website.

Sponsored

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Cutting Edge Exosome Regenerative Therapy Comes to Yelm's AM Medical - ThurstonTalk

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Cutting Edge Exosome Regenerative Therapy Comes to Yelm’s AM Medical – ThurstonTalk | December 12th, 2019

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a system that allows for real-time observations of individual cells in the colon of a living mouse.

Researchers expect the procedure to allow new investigations into the digestive systems microbiome as well as the causes of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer and their treatments.

The procedure described online today (December 11, 2019) in Nature Communications involves surgically implanting a transparent window into a mouses abdominal skin above the colon. Similar setups are already being used to allow live looks into the detailed inner workings of the brain, spinal cord, liver, lungs and other organs. Imaging a live colon, however, is a slipperier proposition.

A brain doesnt move around a lot, but the colon does, which makes it difficult to get detailed images down to a single cell, said Xiling Shen, the Hawkins Family Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. Weve developed a magnetic system that is strong enough to stabilize the colon in place during imaging to obtain this level of resolution, but can quickly be turned off to allow the colon to move freely.

This video shows green fluorescent colon neurons activated by neurostimulation in real-time. This is the first time that sacral nerve stimulation, an FDA approved therapy for colon motility disorders, has definitively been shown to activate neurons in the colon in live animals, explaining why the therapy might work.

Credit: Xiling Shen, Duke University

Immobilizing the colon for imaging is a tricky task for traditional methods such as glue or stitches. At best they can cause inflammation that would ruin most experiments. At worst they can cause obstructions, which can quickly kill the mouse being studied.

To skirt this issue, Shen developed a magnetic device that looks much like a tiny metal nasal strip and can be safely attached to the colon. A magnetic field snaps the colon into place and keeps it stable during imaging, but once turned off, leaves the colon free to move and function as normal.

A vital organ that houses much of the digestive systems microbiome, the colon can be afflicted by diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, functional gastrointestinal disorders, and cancer. It also plays a key role in regulating the immune system, and can communicate directly with the brain through sacral nerves.

There is a great need to better understand the colon, because it can suffer from so many diseases and plays so many roles with significant health implications, Shen said. In the study, Shen and his colleagues conducted several proof-of-principle experiments that provide starting points for future lines of research.

The researchers first colonized a living mouse colon with E. coli bacteria, derived from Crohns disease patients, that had been tagged with fluorescent proteins. The researchers then showed they could track the migration, growth and decline of the bacteria for more than three days. This ability could help researchers understand not only how antagonistic bacteria afflict the colon, Shen says, but the positive roles probiotics can play and which strains can best help people with gastrointestinal disorders.

In the next experiment, mice were bred with several types of fluorescent immune cells. The researchers then induced inflammation in the colon and carefully watched the activation of these immune cells. Shen says, this approach could be used with various types of immune cells and diseases to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to challenges.

Shen and his colleagues then showed that they could tag and track colon epithelial stem cells associated with colorectal cancer throughout radiation treatment. They also demonstrated that they could watch nerves throughout the colon respond to sacral nerve stimulation, an emerging therapy for treating motility and immune disorders such as functional gastrointestinal disorders and irritable bowel disorder.

While we know electrically stimulating the sacral nerves can alleviate the symptoms of these gastrointestinal disorders, we currently have no idea why or any way to optimize these treatments, Shen said. Being able to see how the colons neurons respond to different waveforms, frequencies and amplitudes of stimulation will be invaluable in making this approach a better option for more patients.

###

Reference: An intravital window to image the colon in real time by Nikolai Rakhilin, Aliesha Garrett, Chi-Yong Eom, Katherine Ramos Chavez, David M. Small, Andrea R. Daniel, Melanie M. Kaelberer, Menansili A. Mejooli, Qiang Huang, Shengli Ding, David G. Kirsch, Diego V. Bohrquez, Nozomi Nishimura, Bradley B. Barth and Xiling Shen, 11 December 2019, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13699-w

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (R35GM122465, OT2OD023849), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (N66001-15-2-4059) and the National Cancer Institutes (R35CA197616).

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A Real-Time Window Into the Hidden World of the Colon of a Living Animal - SciTechDaily

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on A Real-Time Window Into the Hidden World of the Colon of a Living Animal – SciTechDaily | December 12th, 2019

PATIENTS with life-changing injuries could walk again thanks to a pioneering electrical spinal implant. The device has proven effective in trials on macaque monkeys and researchers in Canada are hopeful it will be available for use on human patients in as little as a decade.

Lead researcher Dr Vivian Mushahwar, of the University of Albertas Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, said: We think that intraspinal stimulation itself will get people to start walking longer and longer, and maybe even faster.

That in itself becomes their therapy. Theres been an explosion of knowledge in neuroscience over the last 20 years.

Were at the edge of merging the human and the machine.

The device features hair-like electrical wires that plunge deep into the spinal grey matter, sending electrical signals to trigger the networks that already know how to do the hard graft.

To work alongside the implant, the team created a map to identify which parts of the spinal cord trigger the hip, knees, ankles and toes, and the areas that put movements together.

People tend to think the brain does all the thinking, but the spinal cord has built-in intelligence, said Dr Mushahwar.

A complex chain of motor and sensory networks regulate everything from breathing to bowels, while the brain stems contribution is basically go! and faster!

Your spinal cord isnt just moving muscles, its giving you your natural gait. Being able to control standing and walking would improve bone health, improve bowel and bladder function, and reduce pressure ulcers, the researchers say.

For those with less severe spinal injuries, an implant could be therapeutic, removing the need for months of gruelling physical therapy regimes that have limited success, they add. The team are now focused on refining the hardware further by miniaturising an implantable stimulator and getting approval for human trials.

The first generation of the implants will require a patient to control walking and movement through physical means, but longer term, the implants could potentially include a direct connection to the brain, they say.

Dr Mushahwar said it has the power to transform lives.

Imagine the future, a person just thinks and commands are transmitted to the spinal cord. People stand up and walk. This is the dream, she said.

23million The number of lives saved globally by vaccines between 2000 and 2018, as estimated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHILE they may not be as talkative as Jungle Books King Louie, it turns out wild orangutans have some serious communication skills.

Researchers at the University of Exeter in Devon have identified 11 vocal signals and 21 physical gesture types that the apes use to communicate with one another.

The findings reveal orangutans are highly responsive to communication, reacting either before gesturing ended or in less than a second in 90 per cent of communications.

The team studied video footage of 16 orangutans consisting of seven mother-child pairs and a pair of siblings, noting a total of 1,299 communicative signals 858 vocal signals and 441 gestures.

The sounds included the kiss squeak a sharp kiss noise created while inhaling the grumph (a low sound lasting one or two seconds made on the inhale), the gorkum (a kiss squeak followed by a series of multiple grumphs) and the self-explanatory raspberry.

Gestures included beckoning, stamping, pushing out a lower lip, shaking objects and presenting a body part.

The eight identified goals or requests of their communications are acquire object, climb on me, climb on you, climb over, move away, decrease intensity, resume play and stop that.

Orangutans are the most solitary of all the apes, which is why most studies have been done on African apes, and not much is known about wild orangutan gestures, said University of Exeter scientist Dr Helen Morrogh-Bernard. We spent two years filming more than 600 hours of footage of orangutans in the Sabangau peat swamp forest in Borneo, Indonesia.

While some of our findings support what has been discovered by zoo-based studies, other aspects are new and these highlight the importance of studying communication in its natural context.

More signals are likely to be identified in the future, the researchers say.

1/2million The number of hermit crabs estimated to have been killed by plastic waste, according to a study by the Natural History Museum

WE MAY like to put our feet up at Christmas but for older people, even a short period of reduced physical activity could lead to significant loss of muscle mass and gains in body fat.

Just a fortnight of walking fewer than 1,500 steps a day could have a severe impact making daily tasks harder and kick-starting chronic health conditions a University of Liverpool study found.

The team measured the effect of two weeks inactivity on 47 participants, around half of whom were elderly. All lost muscle size, strength and bone mass. But the older volunteers also experienced a big drop in cardio fitness and mitochondrial function the way cells produce energy.

If the gym is hard to get to, people should be encouraged to just meet 10,000 steps, said researcher Juliette Norman. Even this can guard against reductions in muscle and bone health as well as maintaining healthy levels of body fat.

EXPERIENCING stress at a young age could help you live longer. Juvenile Caenorhabditis elegans worms that produce more oxidants and free radicals, which are associated with stress and ageing, last longer, US researchers at the University of Michigan found. Study leader Daphne Bazopoulou said early exposure may make you better able to fight stress later in life.

AGE can be predicted by protein levels in the blood. Using blood samples from more than 4,000 18- to 95-year-olds, scientists at Stanford University, California, found 373 proteins that peak and trough across a lifespan. The blood test can also show how physiological and real ages compare, which could flag those more at risk of ageing-related illnesses or reveal the ageing effect of drugs and treatments.

To brag flagrantly is, most of us realise, unbecoming, and so a favoured mitigation tactic has emerged: the humblebrag. This is a way of masking a boast, either in a feigned complaint or as fake modesty, such as its so exhausting staying in touch with all my friends or if someone told me Id pass with first-class honours, Id never have believed them. Unfortunately for humblebraggers, the tactic is too transparent to work. Last year, researchers at the University of North Carolina and Harvard Business School found humblebraggers are less liked, and perceived as less competent, because they appear insincere.

Astronomers have found magnetic field strengths near supermassive black holes can be as strong as their intense gravitational fields. These fields are able to expel material from the vicinity of the black hole to form highly energetic outflows called jets. However, this process is not acting on material that has already passed beyond the black holes event horizon, where not even light can escape. Such material would need to be accelerated to the speed of light to escape, which would require an infinite amount of energy. No magnet, however powerful, could provide this.

The ethics of Nazi research dissected

What really happens in near-death experiences

Having babies in space

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Lab: Electric implant could allow people with crippling injuries to walk again - Metro Newspaper UK

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Lab: Electric implant could allow people with crippling injuries to walk again – Metro Newspaper UK | December 12th, 2019

A campaign has been launched to fund vital research into Multiple Sclerosis in Sheffield. Catherine Scott reports.

Sheffield Hospitals Charity is appealing for support to fund a new research project being undertaken in the city that could help find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

MS affects more than 100,000 people in the UK and is the most common cause of physical disability in young adults. It can cause pain, fatigue, problems with memory and thinking, speech and vision problems, but most noticeably, loss of mobility.

The disease occurs when the bodys immune system becomes faulty, instead of protecting against viruses and germs, the immune system attacks the nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord.

Currently, there is no effective treatment for MS and existing treatments focus on alleviating symptoms and their impact on long term disability. But Sheffield scientists Professor Basil Sharrack and Professor John Snowden are determined to find better treatments and even a cure for MS.

One of these 100,000 people, and a patient of Professors Sharrack and Snowden, is Allison Parfitt, 50 from Sheffield who has had MS since 2008.

Allison explained the impact this had on her life: When I was diagnosed, I felt like my whole world was falling apart around me. MS controls my life. I feel exhausted all over my whole body is tired, right down to my fingertips.

Some days, every move I make is like walking through quick sand, everything is slower. My mind feels like theres a fog inside it, stopping me from concentrating or thinking clearly. My legs wont support me anymore, so I have to use crutches or a wheelchair to get around.

Im a very independent person but that is being taken away from me. I cant even go to the shops on my own anymore, I need someone with me.

The research going on here in Sheffield gives me hope. Hope that one day, Ill receive that call to say a cures been found. It would be good to know that people in the future wont have to go through what I have.

The project will be delivered by Professor Basil Sharrack, Consultant Neurologist and Professor John Snowden, Consultant Haematologist from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Professor Sharrack explained how supporting his research could help future patients like Allison.

For the first time ever, weve been able to reverse disability in some patients with MS using a brand new stem cell therapy trialled right here in Sheffield and its like nothing weve seen before.

First we destroy the faulty immune system that causes MS and then we replace it with a healthy new one, grown from a patients own stem cells. In some patients it has reversed some of the disabilities associated with their MS condition, but this isnt suitable for everyone as stem cell treatment can be quite aggressive.

The pair wants to build upon the success of their stem cell work by trying to identify a biomarker a test which will allow clinicians to predict how each patients disease is likely to progress.

Professor John Snowden explained further: Once a biomarker is identified, it can be used to measure the progression of MS and predict how the disease will develop and how it will respond to treatment.

This could help us revolutionise the way in which MS patients are treated. Doctors will be able to make more informed choices about which treatment course to follow and when to start and escalate the treatment to prevent long-term disability.

We will gain a crucial understanding about how MS works, which will help provide new information that could help identify new drugs that could potentially cure MS.

For the first time, it feels like a cure for MS could be right around the corner. Thats why it is so critical that our research goes ahead.

No other hospital in the UK combines neurology and haematology in the way we do here in Sheffield we are in a unique position. We want to get started with our research as soon as possible so that people living with MS right now can benefit from the discoveries we make. By donating to Sheffield Hospitals Charitys Multiple Sclerosis Appeal you could help create a better future for people like Allison.

Sheffield Hospitals Charity is aiming to raise 200,000 to support the research project. Anyone interested in donating or fundraising to enable the MS research to be undertaken can find out more at http://www.sheffieldhospitalscharity.org.uk/msresearch

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How research in Sheffield is giving hope to MS sufferers - Yorkshire Post

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on How research in Sheffield is giving hope to MS sufferers – Yorkshire Post | December 12th, 2019

Brian Bowman, who presides over a city increasingly defined by rising crime, chaos, and a spiralling meth epidemic, apparently thought it would be smart to tweet out a photo of him looking happy to meet Chinas ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu.

Pleased to visit with Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu. Thank you for a productive discussion about our Sister City Chengdu, trade, and Winnipegs goal of becoming a leader in the protection and promotion of human rights.

Pleased to visit with Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu. Thank you for a productive discussion about our Sister City Chengdu, trade, and Winnipeg's goal of becoming a leader in the protection and promotion of human rights. pic.twitter.com/xe4hqpHrUI Mayor Brian Bowman (@Mayor_Bowman) December 5, 2019

You can already see the problems here.

First, if youre going to talk about the protection and promotion of human rights, you probably shouldnt be meeting with an ambassador from a country that has a horrific human rights record like China.

China has at least one million innocent Muslim people in concentration camps, is committing a cultural genocide, is breaking their One Country, Two Systems pledge in Hong Kong, and is threatening their neighbours.

Also, to thank Chinas ambassador after that same ambassador threatened Canada, and while China continues to jail the two Michaels is an absolute disgrace.

Unsurprisingly, Bowman is being ripped following the Tweet.

Below, you can see how badly Bowman got ratioed, with just 26 retweets and 482 comments.

Here is some of what people said:

How much money did communists pay you to make you praise their human rights disaster?! Swear you dont know Tiananmen Square Massacre, live organ harvesting, Uyghurs in concentration camps, HK protests being brutally cracked down! Where is your conscience sir?!

How much money did communists pay you to make you praise their human rights disaster?! Swear you dont know Tiananmen Square Massacre, live organ harvesting, Uyghurs in concentration camps, HK protests being brutally cracked down! Where is your conscience sir?! pic.twitter.com/RvowTsYR0C

Whose going to tell him they have two of our people in torture like conditions?

#TheMichaels will appreciate the irony in the Human Rights part

#TheMichaels will appreciate the irony in the Human Rights part Mr. Omega Man -1965 (@Keepershiny) December 7, 2019

Human rights and industrial scale murder for organs are not compatible

Its time to drop Chengdu as a sister city. And certainly time to revoke any future invitations to ANYONE who denies the existence of these concentration camps. Oh, and youve officially lost my vote.

Its time to drop Chengdu as a sister city. And certainly time to revoke any future invitations to ANYONE who denies the existence of these concentration camps. Oh, and youve officially lost my vote. Long time listener, first time caller (@EdVorst) December 7, 2019

Bowman was also ripped by some Canadian leaders, including Conservative MP James Bezan, and former Canadian Ambassador to China David Mulroney:

Statements like this play into the PRCs agenda of obfuscation, and actually undermine efforts to protect human rights. They reflect the false assumption that diplomacy cannot cope with plain-speaking and hard truths

Statements like this play into the PRC's agenda of obfuscation, and actually undermine efforts to protect human rights. They reflect the false assumption that diplomacy cannot cope with plain speaking and hard truths David Mulroney (@David_Mulroney) December 7, 2019

Too bad @Mayor_Bowman was played. The only discussions with Chinese officials should be about the release of Michael Kovrig & Michael Spavor, removing Chinese sanctions on our agriculture products, & respecting human rights in China. Until then, everything else is off the table.

Too bad @Mayor_Bowman was played. The only discussions with Chinese officials should be about the release of Michael Kovrig & Michael Spavor, removing Chinese sanctions on our agriculture products, & respecting human rights in China. Until then, everything else is off the table. https://t.co/v0H999derC James Bezan (@jamesbezan) December 8, 2019

Bowman has made a fool of himself, and sent a message that will encourage China to treat Canada even worse, as they once again see that the only response from Canadas political elites is pathetic weakness.

If Bowman had any integrity he would listen to Yaakov Pollak and resign.

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Canadians are filing for multiple bankruptcies and it's costing everyone - The Post Millennial

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Canadians are filing for multiple bankruptcies and it’s costing everyone – The Post Millennial | December 10th, 2019

The issuance of this patent highlights Lineages dominant position in the field of cell therapy, stated Brian M. Culley, CEO of Lineage. Our efforts to develop new treatments rely on well-characterized and NIH-approved human cell lines. These lines are not genetically manipulated, which avoids the safety concerns associated with genetic aberrations arising from the creation of iPS cells. We believe the Lineage cell lines provide the safest option for our current clinical-stage programs, particularly in immune-privileged anatomical sites such as the eye (OpRegen for the treatment of dry AMD) and spinal cord (OPC1, for the treatment of spinal cord injury). However, the vast intellectual property estate which underlies our cell therapy platform has never been limited to these particular cell lines. As one example, this newly-issued patent provides us with proprietary methods for producing induced pluripotent stem cells, or, as it was practiced by us prior to Yamanaka, Analytical Reprogramming Technology (ART). In certain settings, an ART/iPS approach might offer important advantages, such as for an autologous treatment or when the selection of preferential attributes from a series of iPS lines is desirable. Questions as to which stem cell technology is preferred ultimately will be answered by clinical safety and efficacy and likely will be indication-specific, so we believe it is in the best interest of our shareholders to generate patented technology which enables us to pursue programs in either or both formats which we believe will ensure the highest probability of success.

This patent broadly describes multiple techniques for reprogramming cells of the body back to the all-powerful stem cell state, said Dr. Michael D. West, CEO of AgeX and first inventor on the patent. Perhaps more significantly, it includes certain factors that address some of the difficulties currently encountered with iPS cells. It also reflects the foundational work our scientists have undertaken to apply reprogramming technology to age-reversal, specifically, induced Tissue Regeneration (iTR) which is currently a focus of AgeX product development.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) are typically derived from adult skin or blood cells which have been reprogrammed or induced to retrace their developmental age and regain the potential to form all of the young cell and tissue types of the body. In 2010 inventors of the -723 patent issued today demonstrated that this reversal of developmental aging even extended to the telomere clock of cell aging. This reprogramming technology provides an alternate source of starting material for the manufacture of potentially any type of human cell needed for therapeutic purposes. Because iPSCs can be derived directly from adult tissues, they can be used to generate pluripotent cells from patients with known genetic abnormalities for drug discovery or as an alternative source of cell types for regenerative therapies.

U.S. Patent No. 10,501,723, entitled Methods of Reprogramming Animal Somatic Cells was assigned to Advanced Cell Technology of Marlborough, Massachusetts (now Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine) and licensed to Lineage and sublicensed to AgeX Therapeutics for defined fields of use. Inventors of the patent include Michael D. West, CEO of AgeX and previous CEO of Advanced Cell Technology, Karen B. Chapman, Ph.D., and Roy Geoffrey Sargent, Ph.D.

About Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cell therapies for unmet medical needs. Lineages programs are based on its proprietary cell-based therapy platform and associated development and manufacturing capabilities. With this platform Lineage develops and manufactures specialized, terminally-differentiated human cells from its pluripotent and progenitor cell starting materials. These differentiated cells are developed either to replace or support cells that are dysfunctional or absent due to degenerative disease or traumatic injury or administered as a means of helping the body mount an effective immune response to cancer. Lineages clinical assets include (i) OpRegen, a retinal pigment epithelium transplant therapy in Phase I/IIa development for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the developed world; (ii) OPC1, an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell therapy in Phase I/IIa development for the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries; and (iii) VAC2, an allogeneic cancer immunotherapy of antigen-presenting dendritic cells currently in Phase I development for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Lineage is also evaluating potential partnership opportunities for Renevia, a facial aesthetics product that was recently granted a Conformit Europenne (CE) Mark. For more information, please visit http://www.lineagecell.com or follow the Company on Twitter @LineageCell.

About AgeX Therapeutics

AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: AGE) is focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics for human aging. Its PureStem and UniverCyte manufacturing and immunotolerance technologies are designed to work together to generate highly-defined, universal, allogeneic, off-the-shelf pluripotent stem cell-derived young cells of any type for application in a variety of diseases with a high unmet medical need. AgeX has two preclinical cell therapy programs: AGEX-VASC1 (vascular progenitor cells) for tissue ischemia and AGEX-BAT1 (brown fat cells) for Type II diabetes. AgeXs revolutionary longevity platform induced Tissue Regeneration (iTR) aims to unlock cellular immortality and regenerative capacity to reverse age-related changes within tissues. AGEX-iTR1547 is an iTR-based formulation in preclinical development. HyStem is AgeXs delivery technology to stably engraft PureStem cell therapies in the body. AgeX is developing its core product pipeline for use in the clinic to extend human healthspan and is seeking opportunities to establish licensing and collaboration agreements around its broad IP estate and proprietary technology platforms. For more information, please visit http://www.agexinc.com or connect with the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

Forward-Looking Statements

Lineage cautions you that all statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as believe, may, will, estimate, continue, anticipate, design, intend, expect, could, plan, potential, predict, seek, should, would, contemplate, project, target, tend to, or the negative version of these words and similar expressions. Such statements include, but are not limited to, Lineages exploration of alternative cell therapy platforms. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Lineages actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release, including risks and uncertainties inherent in Lineages business and other risks in Lineages filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). Lineages forward-looking statements are based upon its current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included under the heading Risk Factors in Lineages periodic reports with the SEC, including Lineages Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 14, 2019 and its other reports, which are available from the SECs website. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Lineage undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191210005404/en/

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Lineage Cell Therapeutics and AgeX Therapeutics Announce Issuance of US Patent for Method of Generating Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - BioSpace

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Lineage Cell Therapeutics and AgeX Therapeutics Announce Issuance of US Patent for Method of Generating Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells – BioSpace | December 10th, 2019

A hockey player paralyzed in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash says it feels good to be home after spending five weeks in Thailand, where he underwent spinal surgery.

It feels good. I mean I felt that cold, cold wind hit my legs, so Im feeling good. Its good to be back, Ryan Straschnitzki said Sunday night as he wheeled himself into the Calgary airport.

The 20-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., who is paralyzed from the chest down, had an epidural stimulator implanted in his spine while he was in Bangkok. A week later, doctors also injected stem cells above and below his spinal injury to try to reverse some of the damage.

Videos posted by Straschnitzki and his father in Thailand show him straightening a leg. In another, Straschnitzki kicks a ball.

In another clip, while hes strapped into a harness, physiotherapists slowly help him walk with a wheeled machine.

It was incredible. I mean the last time I walked beside my dad was before the accident and before I moved away, said Straschnitzki. So doing that again and just seeing the look in his eyes is motivating to me.

Straschnitzki was one of 13 players injured when a semi truck blew through a stop sign and into the path of his junior hockey teams bus at a rural intersection in Saskatchewan in April 2018.

Sixteen others on the bus were killed.

READ MORE: Paralyzed Humboldt Broncos player to get spinal surgery in Thailand

Tom Straschnitzki said hes not an emotional guy, but watching the progress his son made in Thailand has given him hope.

When I actually saw him move his leg, it just took me back to imagining his last steps going onto that bus on that fateful day. And I was just thinking maybe he can go back on the bus one day, he said.

The surgery can cost up to $100,000 but isnt covered by public health care or insurance, because it has not been approved by Health Canada. The Straschnitzkis say theyre frustrated the treatment isnt available here.

Ryan Straschnitzki hopes his experience might at least get the conversation going.

Our health-care system is kind of lacking in this area for spinal cord injuries and I think its huge that Thailand and some other places are getting this started, he said.

I think if Canada can step in and advance this program, I think itll help a lot of people out.

Tom and Michelle Straschnitzki said they have been flooded with comments and questions about their sons procedure.

They want to try it and ask why doesnt Canada do it? I dont have the answer about Canada but they do it in Thailand and it is not experimental, said Tom Straschnitzki.

Health Canada has said it provides licensed spinal cord stimulators but only for pain relief. A spokesman said it has not received an application to have stimulators used to regain motor skills.

READ MORE: Loss for words Injured Bronco shocked, excited over effect of spinal surgery

Ryan Straschnitzki said he isnt expecting a cure but hopes his implant will restore some muscle movement.

Just getting that feeling of being able to move something that I wasnt able to move before and I know core is a huge part of my disability, so anything below my chest is crucial. And after the programming it really helped, he said.

Straschnitzki is hoping to make the Canadian sledge hockey team and compete in the Olympics. He even took his sled with him to Thailand and sat in it as part of his rehabilitation there.

He said he plans to take a few days off before returning to physiotherapy and hitting the ice again back home.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

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Kind of lacking: Injured Bronco wonders why Canada wont fund spinal surgery - Coast Mountain News

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Kind of lacking: Injured Bronco wonders why Canada wont fund spinal surgery – Coast Mountain News | December 9th, 2019

The spinal cord is a long, fragile tubelike structure that begins at the end of the brain stem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spine. The spinal cord consists of nerves that carry incoming and outgoing messages between the brain and the rest of the body. It is also the center for reflexes, such as the knee jerk reflex (see Figure: Reflex Arc: A No-Brainer).

Like the brain, the spinal cord is covered by three layers of tissue (meninges). The spinal cord and meninges are contained in the spinal canal, which runs through the center of the spine. In most adults, the spine is composed of 33 individual back bones (vertebrae). Just as the skull protects the brain, vertebrae protect the spinal cord. The vertebrae are separated by disks made of cartilage, which act as cushions, reducing the forces generated by movements such as walking and jumping. The vertebrae and disks of cartilage extend the length of the spine and together form the vertebral column, also called the spinal column.

A column of bones called vertebrae make up the spine (spinal column). The vertebrae protect the spinal cord, a long, fragile structure contained in the spinal canal, which runs through the center of the spine. Between the vertebrae are disks composed of cartilage, which help cushion the spine and give it some flexibility.

Like the brain, the spinal cord is covered by three layers of tissue (meninges).

Spinal nerves: Emerging from the spinal cord between the vertebrae are 31 pairs of spinal nerves. Each nerve emerges in two short branches (roots):

One at the front (motor or anterior root) of the spinal cord

One at the back (sensory or posterior root) of the spinal cord

The motor roots carry commands from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body, particularly to skeletal muscles.

The sensory roots carry information to the brain from other parts of the body.

Cauda equina: The spinal cord ends about three fourths of the way down the spine, but a bundle of nerves extends beyond the cord. This bundle is called the cauda equina because it resembles a horses tail. The cauda equina carries nerve impulses to and from the legs.

Like the brain, the spinal cord consists of gray and white matter. The butterfly-shaped center of the cord consists of gray matter. The front wings (also called horns) contain motor nerve cells (neurons), which transmit information from the brain or spinal cord to muscles, stimulating movement. The back horns contain sensory nerve cells, which transmit sensory information from other parts of the body through the spinal cord to the brain. The surrounding white matter contains columns of nerve fibers that carry sensory information to the brain from the rest of the body (ascending tracts) and columns that carry motor impulses from the brain to the muscles (descending tracts).

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Spinal Cord - Brain, Spinal Cord, and Nerve Disorders ...

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Spinal Cord – Brain, Spinal Cord, and Nerve Disorders … | December 8th, 2019

The tiny artificial nerve cell fits on a fingertip.

Scientists have built tiny silicon microchips, small enough to fit on a fingertip, which are "nearly identical" to biological nerve cells present in the human body. The research team suggests the low-power cells-on-a-chip could be used in bio-electronic devices and implants, providing a new way to combat diseases affecting the nervous system, such as Alzheimer's, or spinal cord injury.

Nerve cells, or neurons, are present throughout the brain and the nervous system and rapidly send electrical signals through their long, spindly arms, relaying information from brain to body and back. Their signalling activities require ion channels that convert mechanical or chemical signals into electrical ones. It's a complex dance underlying all our nerve impulses -- but that complexity has made it difficult to unravel how cells respond to certain stimuli.

"Until now neurons have been like black boxes, but we have managed to open the black box and peer inside," said Alain Nogaret, a physicist at the University of Bath and co-author of the study, in a press release. "Our work is paradigm changing because it provides a robust method to reproduce the electrical properties of real neurons in minute detail."

The new study,published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday, details the breakthrough technology which reproduces the electrical properties of a neuron on the tiny chip. The team were able to replicate the dynamics of individual nerve cells in the brain required for memory ("hippocampal neurons") and those required for breathing ("respiratory neurons"). The chips have a number of synthetic ion channels, which are responsible for the electrical impulses in biological cells.

Comparing the signals to those found in rat hippocampal neurons and rat brain stem neurons, the research team subjected their chip to 60 different stimulation protocols and modeled the responses, finding each time the chip was able to recapitulate responses seen in real cells.

While the study shows promise for potential bio-medical implants in the future, the authors note that other features of nerve cells will need to be considered.

The chip acts like a single cell, but nerve cells are complex beasts with branching arms, known as dendrites, responsible for propagating signals from cell to cell. The team suggests their model allows for the "complete dynamics of a biological neuron" to be placed on the chip, while noting a second compartment may need to be added that could describe the active properties of dendrites.

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Scientists develop artificial nerve cells which behave just like real cells - CNET

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Scientists develop artificial nerve cells which behave just like real cells – CNET | December 3rd, 2019

Ryan Straschnitzki sits in a hockey sled while he does physiotherapy in Bangkok, Thailand after spinal surgery.

Tom Straschnitzki/The Canadian Press

A hockey player paralyzed in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash says he is thrilled with the progress hes made since receiving spinal surgery in Thailand a month ago.

Doctors implanted an epidural stimulator in Ryan Straschnitzkis spine, and one week later injected stem cells above and below the injury to try to reverse some of the damage.

The 20-year-old has just a week to go before returning home to Airdrie, Alta.

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Its been progressively getting better and harder at the same time, which is good. They put me through a good sweat, doing a couple of laps around the buildings. Its good work, Mr. Straschnitzki said in an interview from Bangkok with The Canadian Press.

One video of his rehab shows him straightening a leg. In another, he is strapped into a harness as physiotherapists slowly help him walk with the use of a wheeled machine.

I was at a loss for words. I was really shocked and excited at the same time. It kind of scared me a little bit, but again, it was pretty excited, Mr. Straschnitzki said.

I dont remember being that tall.

He said he felt all sorts of emotions when he took his first steps since climbing aboard the Broncos hockey bus on April 6, 2018.

It gave me kind of a shock and brought back obviously a lot of memories ... [including] all the sports activities I was involved in.

Mr. Straschnitzki was one of 13 players injured when an inexperienced truck driver blew through a stop sign and into the path of the Saskatchewan junior teams bus. Sixteen others on the bus would die.

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Mr. Straschnitzki, who was paralyzed from the chest down, isnt expecting a cure, but hopes the implant will restore some muscle movement.

Tom Straschnitzki, the young mans father, said the only downside is that his son is enduring spasms after using muscles that havent been working for the past 19 months.

Hes getting pain where he never had before, which is a good thing, but it takes months for it to kick in.

Tom Straschnitzki said the best part of the journey has been watching his son react to the changes hes experiencing.

When he took his first steps on his own and he controlled it ... he was pretty revved.

The surgery can cost up to $100,000 and isnt covered by public health care or insurance, because the epidural procedure has not been approved by Health Canada. The Straschnitzki family is paying for it, but is angry the treatment isnt available here.

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Health Canada says it has licensed spinal-cord stimulators but only for pain relief.

The department has not licensed a spinal-cord stimulator device for regaining motor skills or sensory functions following spinal injuries, nor received an application for this intended use as of yet, Health Canada spokesman Geoffroy Legault-Thivierge wrote in an email.

Ryan Straschnitzki, who is hoping to make the Canadian sledge-hockey team and compete in the Olympics, took his sled with him to Thailand and has been sitting in it as part of his rehab.

Its supposed to help me with more balance, so when Im on the ice Im not falling over as easily.

Hes finally been cleared to return to the ice in Bangkok later this week.

Ive been itching to get out there and I cant wait.

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Paralyzed survivor of Humboldt Broncos crash at a loss for words over progress since spinal surgery - The Globe and Mail

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Paralyzed survivor of Humboldt Broncos crash at a loss for words over progress since spinal surgery – The Globe and Mail | December 3rd, 2019

In theglobal stem cells marketa sizeable proportion of companies are trying to garner investments from organizations based overseas. This is one of the strategies leveraged by them to grow their market share. Further, they are also forging partnerships with pharmaceutical organizations to up revenues.

In addition, companies in the global stem cells market are pouring money into expansion through multidisciplinary and multi-sector collaboration for large scale production of high quality pluripotent and differentiated cells. The market, at present, is characterized by a diverse product portfolio, which is expected to up competition, and eventually growth in the market.

Some of the key players operating in the global stem cells market areSTEMCELL Technologies Inc., Astellas Pharma Inc., Cellular Engineering Technologies Inc., BioTime Inc., Takara Bio Inc., U.S. Stem Cell, Inc., BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., Cytori Therapeutics, Inc., Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., and Caladrius Biosciences, Inc.

As per a report by Transparency Market Research, the global market for stem cells is expected to register a healthy CAGR of 13.8% during the period from 2017 to 2025 to become worth US$270.5 bn by 2025.

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Depending upon the type of products, the global stem cell market can be divided into adult stem cells, human embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, etc. Of them, the segment of adult stem cells accounts for a leading share in the market. This is because of their ability to generate trillions of specialized cells which may lower the risks of rejection and repair tissue damage.

Depending upon geography, the key segments of the global stem cells market are North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. At present, North America dominates the market because of the substantial investments in the field, impressive economic growth, rising instances of target chronic diseases, and technological progress. As per the TMR report, the market in North America will likely retain its dominant share in the near future to become worth US$167.33 bn by 2025.

Investments in Research Drives Market

Constant thrust on research to broaden the utility scope of associated products is at the forefront of driving growth in the global stem cells market. Such research projects have generated various possibilities of different clinical applications of these cells, to usher in new treatments for diseases.

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Since cellular therapies are considered the next major step in transforming healthcare, companies are expanding their cellular therapy portfolio to include a range of ailments such as Parkinsons disease, type 1 diabetes, spinal cord injury, Alzheimers disease, etc.

The growing prevalence of chronic diseases and increasing investments of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies in stem cell research are the key driving factors for the stem cells therapeutics market. The growing number of stem cell donors, improved stem cell banking facilities, and increasing research and development are other crucial factors serving to propel the market, explains the lead analyst of the report.

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Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories.

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Stem Cells Market to a Revenue Opportunity of US$270.5 bn During the Period from 2025 - News Description

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Stem Cells Market to a Revenue Opportunity of US$270.5 bn During the Period from 2025 – News Description | December 3rd, 2019