Since ancient times, humankind has been aware of how important blood is to life. Naturalists speculated for thousands of years on the source of the body's blood supply. For several centuries, the liver was believed to be the site where blood forms. In 1868, however, the German pathologist Ernst Neumann discovered immature precursor cells in bone marrow, which turned out to be the actual site of blood cell formation, also known as hematopoiesis. Blood formation was the first process for which scientists formulated and proved the theory that stem cells are the common origin that gives rise to various types of mature cells.

"However, a problem with almost all research on hematopoiesis in past decades is that it has been restricted to experiments in culture or using transplantation into mice," says Professor Hans-Reimer Rodewald from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ). "We have now developed the first model where we can observe the development of a stem cell into a mature blood cell in a living organism."

Dr. Katrin Busch from Rodewald's team developed genetically modified mice by introducing a protein into their blood stem cells that sends out a yellow fluorescent signal. This fluorescent marker can be turned on at any time by administering a specific reagent to the animal. Correspondingly, all daughter cells that arise from a cell containing the marker also send out a light signal.

When Busch turned on the marker in adult animals, it became visible that at least one third (approximately 5000 cells) of a mouse's hematopoietic stem cells produce differentiated progenitor cells. "This was the first surprise," says Busch. "Until now, scientists had believed that in the normal state, very few stem cells - only about ten - are actively involved in blood formation."

However, it takes a very long time for the fluorescent marker to spread evenly into peripheral blood cells, an amount of time that even exceeds the lifespan of a mouse. Systems biologist Prof. Thomas Hfer and colleagues (also of the DKFZ) performed mathematical analysis of these experimental data to provide additional insight into blood stem cell dynamics. Their analysis showed that, surprisingly, under normal conditions, the replenishment of blood cells is not accomplished by the stem cells themselves. Instead, they are actually supplied by first progenitor cells that develop during the following differentiation step. These cells are able to regenerate themselves for a long time - though not quite as long as stem cells do. To make sure that the population of this cell type never runs out, blood stem cells must occasionally produce a couple of new first progenitors.

During embryonic development of mice, however, the situation is different: To build up the system, all mature blood and immune cells develop much more rapidly and almost completely from stem cells.

The investigators were also able to accelerate this process in adult animals by artificially depleting their white blood cells. Under these conditions, blood stem cells increase the formation of first progenitor cells, which then immediately start supplying new, mature blood cells. In this process, several hundred times more cells of the so-called myeloid lineage (thrombocytes, erythrocytes, granulocytes, monocytes) form than long-lived lymphocytes (T cells, B cells, natural killer cells) do.

"When we transplanted our labeled blood stem cells from the bone marrow into other mice, only a few stem cells were active in the recipients, and many stem cells were lost," Rodewald explains. "Our new data therefore show that the findings obtained up until now using transplanted stem cells can surely not be reflective of normal hematopoiesis. On the contrary, transplantation is an exception [to the rule]. This shows how important it is that we actually follow hematopoiesis under normal conditions in a living organism."

The scientists in Rodewald's department, working together with Thomas Hfer, now also plan to use the new model to investigate the impact of pathogenic challenges to blood formation: for example, in cancer, cachexia or infection. This method would also enable them to follow potential aging processes that occur in blood stem cells in detail as they occur naturally in a living organism.

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Live assessment of blood formation

Severe hypophosphatasia generally fatal during infancy, bone marrow transplant along with mensenchymal stem cell transplants offers hope

Putnam Valley, NY. (Feb 9, 2015) - Recent research carried out by a team of researchers in Japan has investigated the use of bone marrow transplants (BMTs) to treat hypophosphatasia (HPP). In this study, the researchers carried out BMT for two infants with HPP in combination with allogenic (other-donated) mesenchymal stem cell transplants (MSCTs). The allogenic MSC donors were a parent of the infant.

The study will be published in a future issue of Cell Transplantation and is currently freely available on-line as an unedited early e-pub at: http://ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/pre-prints/content-CT-1337_Taketani_et_al

"Hypophosphatasia" (HPP) is a rare and most often fatal genetic bone disease affecting infants that has no current treatment. The disease is caused by mutations in the ALPL gene, which encodes alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Patients with severe HPP develop bone impairment and have extremely low levels of ALP activity, an enzyme necessary for bone mineralization.

Although there are mild and more severe forms, severe hypophosphatasia prevents proper bone mineralization during perinatal development. When the disease develops perinatally, many infants are still-born, with little evidence of bone mineralization. HPP can also appear in later infancy, generally before an infant reaches the age of six months, with the result that most afflicted infants do not live past the age of six months. Milder forms of HPP can present in later youth or in adulthood.

"Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reside in bone marrow and other tissues and have a self-renewal capacity so that after transplantation they can differentiate into various cell lineages, including bone and cartilage," said Dr. Takeshi Taketani of the Division of Blood Transfusion at Shimane University Hospital in Shimane, Japan. "We performed multiple infusions of MSCs for two infant patients with severe HPP who had already undergone BMT. The adverse events from the BMT were managed and there were no adverse events from the MSC infusions."

After each infant had undergone BMT, one infant received four MSCTs and a second infant received nine MSCTs. Previous research had revealed that MSCT without a prior BMT was ineffective.

The researchers reported that the two infants receiving both BMT and MSCTs improved not only in terms of bone mineralization, but also saw improvements in muscle mass, respiratory function and mental development. Both children continue to survive at age three.

"Our data suggest that allogenic MSCT combined with BMT might be one of the safer and more effective remedies for patients with severe HPP, although long-term effectiveness remains unknown and warrants further study," concluded the researchers. "We need to establish curative, MSC-based treatment strategies that can maintain the long-term survival and differentiation capabilities of transplanted allo-MSCs."

"This study highlights the promise of stem cells in presenting a new frontier for regenerative medicine, with an improvement of HPP-associated symptoms and survival following BMT and MSCT." said Dr. David Eve, Cell Transplantation associate editor, and Instructor of neurosurgery and brain repair at the University of South Florida School of Medicine. "In order to elucidate the mechanisms behind recovery and further extrapolate the study to all HPP patients, a larger cohort and more long term follow-up are needed."

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Infants with rare bone disease improve bone formation after cell transplantation

Black South Africans make up about 47 percent of all cancer patients but only 5 percent of donors in the nations bone marrow registry. The gap between those who may need bone marrow or stem cell transplants, and those able to provide them has deadly consequences for cancer patients.

Black South Africans make up about 47 percent of all cancer patients but only 5 percent of donors in the nations bone marrow registry

Maphoko Nthane, 50, had experienced mysterious and severe backaches for months. Doctors ran test after test, but could find nothing wrong with Nthane.

I had a severe back ache for months, she told Health-e News. Whenever I would have that pain, I couldnt sit down I had to walk or stand up.

Doctors eventually diagnosed Nthane with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, a severe form of cancer affecting a patients blood and bone marrow.

After I was diagnosed I thought I was going to die I didnt know that people with leukaemia could live, Nthane said. My husband was just as traumatised and as a result he didnt know how to support me.

Nthanes cancer failed to respond to standard chemotherapy and ultimately a stem cell transplant saved her life.

As part of stem cell transplants, stem cells are removed from the tissue of donors or, where possible, patients. These cells are usually from human tissues including bone marrow or fat.

Once removed, the stem cells are given high doses of chemotherapy higher than what could be administered to patients before being transplanted into patients in the hope that they will kill other cancerous cells.

Nthane was lucky to find a stem cell donor.

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Deadly shortage of black stem cell donors

DEAR DOCTOR K: I have leukemia. Thankfully, a family member was a bone marrow match. Can you tell me what to expect during my bone marrow transplant procedure?

DEAR READER: A bone marrow transplant can be a life-saving treatment. To understand how it works, you need to understand how blood cells are created. And what leukemia is.

Your blood contains red and white blood cells. There are several types of white blood cells, which are a key part of your immune system. All your blood cells are made by blood stem cells, which live primarily in the spongy center of your big bones.

In the years before you got leukemia, each of your blood cells was programmed to live for a while, and then to die only to be replaced by new, young cells.

When you developed leukemia, genetic changes in some white blood cells suddenly kept them from dying. As a result, the number of that type of white blood cell kept growing. An ideal treatment would kill just the cancerous white blood cells, and allow noncancerous new cells to replace them. The ideal treatment has not been discovered. Bone marrow transplant, while less than ideal, is such an important advance that it was honored with the Nobel Prize.

In a bone marrow transplant, all of your white blood cells healthy and cancerous are killed by drugs, radiation or both. Then healthy blood stem cells are infused into your blood. Those cells find their way to your bone marrow, and start to make healthy new red and white blood cells. The new cells will multiply. Ive put an illustration of the transplant process on my website, AskDoctorK.com.

The healthy blood stem cells may be collected from your blood, before the main radiation or chemotherapy begins. The cells are treated to remove any cancer cells, and then stored until the transplant. In your case, the healthy blood stem cells will come from another person (a donor). The donors cells must be a good match for you this means certain markers on their cells and your cells are as similar as possible. This reduces the risk that the cells will be rejected by your body.

Bone marrow transplants are usually used to treat leukemia, lymphomas, Hodgkins disease and multiple myeloma, because these cancers affect the bone marrow directly. The procedure is also used for some noncancerous conditions, such as sickle cell anemia.

You will stay in the hospital for several weeks after the transplant. Until your bone marrow cells multiply to a certain level, you will be at increased risk of infection. Other serious risks include severe bleeding, liver problems and increased risk of developing another cancer.

Another possible problem is that cells from a donor might not match your cells well enough and the new donor cells will begin attacking the cells of your body. This is called graft-versus-host disease. You will take medications to reduce the risk of this happening. Despite the dangers, bone marrow transplantation is usually successful.

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The ins and outs of bone marrow transplantation

WATERTOWN, Conn. (AP) A year ago, Nancy Demers, 71, was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a deficiency in the bone marrow. The disease can eventually become leukemia.

Its treated as if it were cancer but there is no cure for it, said her son, Scott Demers.

Now Nancy Demers has a new chance at life, thanks to advances in bone marrow stem cell transplants.

If I didnt do this, once I went out of remission its not if, its when I would go into acute leukemia and there will be nothing there to help me, Nancy Demers said. This will save my life and give me time.

Demers is one of a rapidly growing number of people looking to depend on strangers to donate marrow since she doesnt have a match within her family.

The rising number of patients seeking bone marrow has created new demands on registries that seek to match patient needs with willing donors.

Each sibling has a 25 percent chance of being a transplant match, according to Dr. Joseph Antin, chief and program director of the adult stem cell transplantation program at Dana Farber Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston.

In the United States, about 30 percent of patients find a donor within their family, according to Be the Match. Those who dont must turn to international registries to find an unrelated donor.

Around 15 years ago, doctors couldnt do a transplant on anyone over the age of 50, according to Dr. Leslie Lehmann, clinical director of the Stem Cell Transplant Center at Dana Farber.

Its a big stress on the body, Lehmann said.

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Registries seek to match donors with rising marrow demand

Testing breast cancer cells for how closely they resemble stem cells could identify women with the most aggressive disease, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that breast cancers with a similar pattern of gene activity to that of adult stem cells had a high chance of spreading to other parts of the body.

Assessing a breast cancer's pattern of activity in these stem cell genes has the potential to identify women who might need intensive treatment to prevent their disease recurring or spreading, the researchers said.

Adult stem cells are healthy cells within the body which have not specialised into any particular type, and so retain the ability to keep on dividing and replacing worn out cells in parts of the body such as the gut, skin or breast.

A research team from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, King's College London and Cardiff University's European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute identified a set of 323 genes whose activity was turned up to high levels in normal breast stem cells in mice.

The study is published today (Wednesday) in the journal Breast Cancer Research, and was funded by a range of organisations including the Medical Research Council, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Cancer Research UK.

The scientists cross-referenced their panel of normal stem cell genes against the genetic profiles of tumours from 579 women with triple-negative breast cancer - a form of the disease which is particularly difficult to treat.

They split the tumour samples into two categories based on their 'score' for the activity of the stem cell genes.

Women with triple-negative tumours in the highest-scoring category were much less likely to stay free of breast cancer than those with the lowest-scoring tumours. Women with tumours from the higher-scoring group had around a 10 per cent chance of avoiding relapse after 10 years, while women from the low-scoring group had a chance of around 60 per cent of avoiding relapse.

The results show that the cells of aggressive triple-negative breast cancers are particularly 'stem-cell-like', taking on properties of stem cells such as self-renewal to help them grow and spread. They also suggest that some of the 323 genes could be promising targets for potential cancer drugs.

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'Stem cell' test could identify most aggressive breast cancers

IMAGE:This is Assistant Professor of Biology Jason Meyer, Ph.D. of the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis with graduate students Sarah Ohlemacher (left) and Akshaya Sridhar. view more

Credit: School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS -- Jason Meyer, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology in the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, has received a National Institutes of Health grant to study how glaucoma develops in stem cells created from skin cells genetically predisposed to the disease. The five-year, $1.8 million grant is funded by the NIH's National Eye Institute.

Glaucoma is a group of degenerative diseases that damage the eye's optic nerve and can result in vision loss and blindness. It is the most common disease that affects retinal ganglion cells. These cells serve as the connection between the eye and the brain. Once these cells are damaged or severed, the brain cannot receive critical information, leading to blindness.

Meyer's research uses human induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be generated from any cell in the body. In this case, they are created from skin cells of patients predisposed to glaucoma. These cells are genetically reprogrammed and then given instructions to develop into cells of the eye's retina.

"Our hope is that because these cells have the genetic information to develop the disease, they will do so in our lab," Meyer said. "Hopefully, we can figure out what goes wrong in those cells and then develop new ways to fix that."

Meyer and two School of Science graduate students are now creating the stem cells and observing their features to determine what isn't going the way it should. They will determine whether they can identify the cause of damage or death of the retinal ganglion cells.

"This is a five-year award, so our hope is that toward the end of the award we can use the information we gather to start developing customized strategies to fix what's going wrong," Meyer said.

He sees this as an exciting approach to stem cell research. Often, stem cells are transplanted to replace cells damaged by disease. While that's a possibility, Meyer's research instead could lead to repairing the existing cells in the eye and restoring vision for patients.

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IUPUI biologist receives NIH grant to study how glaucoma develops in stem cells

Researchers have recently converted human skin cells into appetite controlling neurons for the first time ever, which might eventually provide obesity cure.

The study, led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and at the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF), found that cells provided individualized model for studying obesity and testing treatments.

To make the neurons, human skin cells were first genetically reprogrammed to become induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Like natural stem cells, iPS cells are capable of developing into any kind of adult cell when given a specific set of molecular signals in a specific order.

The iPS cell technology has been used to create a variety of adult human cell types, including insulin-producing beta cells and forebrain and motor neurons.

The CUMC/NYSCF team determined which signals are needed to transform iPS cells into arcuate hypothalamic neurons, a neuron subtype that regulates appetite. The transformation process took about 30 days.

The neurons were found to display key functional properties of mouse arcuate hypothalamic neurons, including the ability to accurately process and secrete specific neuropeptides and to respond to metabolic signals such as insulin and leptin.

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. (ANI)

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Human skin may harbor obesity cure

CHICAGO -- The International Society for Stem Cell Research's 13th annual meeting will take place June 24-27, 2015 at the Stockholmsmssan Exhibition and Convention Center in Stockholm, Sweden. The meeting will bring together approximately 4,000 stem cell scientists, bioethicists, clinicians and industry professionals from over 50 countries to present and discuss the latest discoveries and technologies within the field.

"The ISSCR is excited to bring its annual meeting to Stockholm, a city that shares our passion and reputation for great scientific research and collaboration," said ISSCR President Rudolf Jaenisch, M.D., Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. "We look forward to learning more about the strong work being done in Sweden and across Europe."

The meeting will open with the Presidential Symposium on June 24 from 1:15-3:15 p.m. local time. The symposium sets the stage for the meeting with world renowned speakers, including Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka. It is also the platform for the formal recognition of the 2015 recipients of the McEwen Award for Innovation and the ISSCR Public Service Award. Another prestigious award, the ISSCR-BD Biosciences Outstanding Young Investigator Award, will be presented during Plenary VI on June 27 from 9-11:20 a.m. and followed by an award lecture.

"I look forward to the Presidential Symposium setting the tone for the entire program," Jaenisch said. "A thread throughout will be the use of stem cells to drive our understanding of development and disease, as we explore disease modeling, gene and tissue engineering technologies and other important advances that are bringing stem cells into the clinic."

Presidential Symposium speakers will include:

Fred H. Gage, Ph.D., Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, U.S.

Jrgen Knoblich, Ph.D., Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Austria

Shinya Yamanaka, M.D., Ph.D., Center for iPS Cell Research & Application, Japan

Jeannie Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, U.S.

The McEwen Award for Innovation award winners (Presidential Symposium):

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The International Society for Stem Cell Research announces annual meeting details

IMAGE:Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons from an ALS patient (left) compared with normal cells (right). The cells are being used to study the role of the genes TBK1 and... view more

NEW YORK, NY (February 19, 2015)--Using advanced DNA sequencing methods, researchers have identified a new gene that is associated with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that results in the loss of all voluntary movement and is fatal in the majority of cases. The next-generation genetic sequencing of the exomes (protein-coding portions) of 2,874 ALS patients and 6,405 controls represents the largest number of ALS patients to have been sequenced in a single study to date.

Though much is known about the genetic underpinnings of familial ALS, only a handful of genes have been definitively linked to sporadic ALS, which accounts for about 90 percent of all ALS cases. The newly associated gene, called TBK1, plays a key role at the intersection of two essential cellular pathways: inflammation (a reaction to injury or infection) and autophagy (a cellular process involved in the removal of damaged cellular components). The study, conducted by an international ALS consortium that includes scientists and clinicians from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), Biogen Idec, and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, was published today in the online edition of Science.

"The identification of TBK1 is exciting for understanding ALS pathogenesis, especially since the inflammatory and autophagy pathways have been previously implicated in the disease," said Lucie Bruijn, PhD, Chief Scientist for The ALS Association. "The fact that TBK1 accounts for one percent of ALS adds significantly to our growing understanding of the genetic underpinnings of the disease. This study, which combines the efforts of over two dozen laboratories in six countries, also highlights the global and collaborative nature of ALS research today.

"This study shows us that large-scale genetic studies not only can work very well in ALS, but that they can help pinpoint key biological pathways relevant to ALS that then become the focus of targeted drug development efforts," said study co-leader David B. Goldstein, PhD, professor of genetics and development and director of the new Institute for Genomic Medicine at CUMC. "ALS is an incredibly diverse disease, caused by dozens of different genetic mutations, which we're only beginning to discover. The more of these mutations we identify, the better we can decipher--and influence--the pathways that lead to disease." The other co-leaders of the study are Richard M. Myers, PhD, president and scientific director of HudsonAlpha, and Tim Harris, PhD, DSc, Senior Vice President, Technology and Translational Sciences, Biogen Idec.

"These findings demonstrate the power of exome sequencing in the search for rare variants that predispose individuals to disease and in identifying potential points of intervention. We are following up by looking at the function of this pathway so that one day this research may benefit the patients living with ALS," said Dr. Harris. "The speed with which we were able to identify this pathway and begin our next phase of research shows the potential of novel, focused collaborations with the best academic scientists to advance our understanding of the molecular pathology of disease. This synergy is vital for both industry and the academic community, especially in the context of precision medicine and whole-genome sequencing."

"Industry and academia often do things together, but this is a perfect example of a large, complex project that required many parts, with equal contributions from Biogen Idec. Dr. Tim Harris, our collaborator there, and his team, as well as David Goldstein and his team, now at Columbia University, as well as our teams here at HudsonAlpha, said Dr. Myers. "I love this research model because it doesn't happen very frequently, and it really shows how industry, nonprofits, and academic laboratories can all work together for the betterment of humankind. The combination of those groups with a large number of the clinical collaborators who have been seeing patients with this disease for many years and providing clinical information, recruiting patients, as well as collecting DNA samples for us to do this study, were all critical to get this done."

Searching through the enormous database generated in the ALS study, Dr. Goldstein and his colleagues found several genes that appear to contribute to ALS, most notably TBK1 (TANK-Binding Kinase 1), which had not been detected in previous, smaller-scale studies. TBK1 mutations appeared in about 1 percent of the ALS patients--a large proportion in the context of a complex disease with multiple genetic components, according to Dr. Goldstein. The study also found that a gene called OPTN, previously thought to play a minor role in ALS, may actually be a major player in the disease.

"Remarkably, the TBK1 protein and optineurin, which is encoded by the OPTN gene, interact physically and functionally. Both proteins are required for the normal function of inflammatory and autophagy pathways, and now we have shown that mutations in either gene are associated with ALS," said Dr. Goldstein. "Thus there seems to be no question that aberrations in the pathways that require TBK1 and OPTN are important in some ALS patients."

The researchers are currently using patient-derived induced pluripotent embryonic stem cells (iPS cells) and mouse models with mutations in TBK1 or OPTN to study ALS disease mechanisms and to screen for drug candidates. Several compounds that affect TBK1 signaling have already been developed for use in cancer, where the gene is thought to play a role in tumor-cell survival.

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New ALS gene and signaling pathways identified

(March 5, 2015) - Gender equality has not yet been achieved in science, medicine, and engineering, but The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF), through its Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering, is committed to making sure progress is made. NYSCF convened the Inaugural Meeting of its Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering (IWISE) Working Group in February 2014, where the group put forward seven actionable strategies for advancing women in science, medicine, and engineering, and reconvened in February 2015 to further develop the strategies.

NYSCF began this initiative after an analysis of its own programs. "We found that the ratio of men and women in our own programs was OK but it could certainly be improved," said Susan L. Solomon, CEO and Co-Founder, of NYSCF. "We wanted to take action and actually make tangible progress, so we brought together many of the leading men and women who have already committed time, energy, and resources towards this problem."

Today, the recommendations were published in Cell Stem Cell. They were divided into three categories: direct financial support strategies, psychological and cultural strategies, and major collaborative and international initiatives. The group chose to highlight the most high-impact and implementable strategies from a larger list developed during the meeting. They also sought to promote promising, long-term initiatives that will require significant collaboration among multiple stakeholders with the aim of connecting potential partners.

"Advancing women in science and medicine is of critical importance to the academic and research enterprise in our country," said Dr. Marc Tessier-Lavigne, President of Rockefeller University. "This paper is important as it not only brings attention to this key issue but also outlines creative strategies that can help break down barriers to gender equality in science."

Changing financing structures, embedded cultural norms, and tying funding to gender balance to enact real change are the pillars underlying the seven strategies recommended by the Working Group.

"The brain power provided by women in science is essential to sustaining a thriving US society and economy. It is time to move beyond just lamenting its loss and embrace the actions called for in this timely report," Dr. Claire Pomeroy, President, the Lasker Foundation and a member of the IWISE Working Group.

The seven strategies include:

1) Implement flexible family care spending 2) Provide "extra hands" awards 3) Recruit gender-balanced external review committees and speaker selection committees 4) Incorporate implicit bias statements 5) Focus on education as a tool 6) Create an institutional report card for gender equality 7) Partner to expand upon existing searchable databases of women in science, medicine, and engineering

The IWISE Working Group reconvened in February 2015 to continue to work on the Institutional Report Card for Gender Equality. The paper published today includes the proposed Phase 1 Institutional Report Card, and the group plans to release the Phase 2 report card once finalized.

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Achieving gender equality in science, engineering and medicine

Despite the progress made by women in science, engineering, and medicine, a glance at most university directories or pharmaceutical executive committees tells the more complex story. Women in science can succeed, but they are succeeding in fields that may not even be conscious of the gender imbalances. These imbalances manifest themselves in the number of women that are invited to speak at conferences, the percentage of grants awarded to women scientists, and the higher rates of attrition of women at every stage of the career ladder compared to those of men.

In the March 5 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, the Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering Working Group, a collection of more than 30 academic and business leaders organized by the New York Stem Cell Foundation, present seven strategies to advance women in science, engineering, and medicine in this modern landscape.

"We wanted to think about broad ways to elevate the entire field, because when we looked at diversity programs across our organizations we thought that the results were okay, but they really could be better," said Susan L. Solomon, co-founder and CEO of the New York Stem Cell Foundation and a member of the working group. "We've identified some very straightforward things to do that are inexpensive and could be implemented pretty much immediately."

The working group's seven strategies are broken into three categories: the first two are direct financial support strategies, the next three are psychological and cultural strategies, and the final two are major collaborative and international initiatives.

1. Implement flexible family care spending

Make grants gender neutral by permitting grantees to use a certain percentage of grant award funds to pay for childcare, eldercare, or family-related expenses. This provides more freedom for grantees to focus on professional development and participate in the scientific community.

2. Provide "extra hands" awards

Dedicate funds for newly independent young investigators who are also primary caregivers to hire technicians, administrative assistants, or postdoctoral fellows.

3. Recruit gender-balanced review and speaker selection committees

Adopt policies that ensure that peer review committees are conscious of gender and are made up of a sufficient number of women.

Excerpt from:
Seven strategies to advance women in science

Published February 10, 2015

A British biotech company founded by a Nobel prize winner has raised what it says is a record 691,000 pounds ($1 million) via crowdfunding to help launch a stem cell-based regenerative medicine for use following heart trauma.

Cell Therapy, based in the Welsh capital Cardiff, says the medicine has the potential to reduce scarring of the heart muscle caused by a heart attack or failure.

Chief Executive Ajan Reginald, previously at Roche, said crowd funding was a quick way to raise money for final stage trials or commercial launches.

"It was very fast and very efficient," he told Reuters on Monday. "We have spent 5 percent of our time on fundraising, which enables me to spend 95 percent of my time on the business."

The company, whose founder Martin Evans shared the 2007 Nobel Prize for medicine for groundbreaking stem cell research, used website Crowdcube to raise nearly three times its original target from more than 300 investors.

Reginald said the backers included investment bankers, hedge fund employees and scientists.

"Crowd funding allows investors to look in detail at a company in their own time," he said, adding that some 10,000 investors had seen the pitch.

The company would publish data from clinical trials of the drug, called Heartcel, next month, before final stage trials with a view to a launch in 2016.

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British biotech firm sets crowdfunding record with heart drug

Hello Doctor - Information about Stem Cell Therapy - [Ep 76]
Hello Doctor - Information about Stem Cell Therapy - [Ep 76] Today in Hello Doctor Cosmotologist Specialist Dr Ratnavel will share information about stem cell therapy. Subscribe to Vendhar...

By: Vendhar TV

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Hello Doctor - Information about Stem Cell Therapy - [Ep 76] - Video

Freeport, Grand Bahama (PRWEB) March 09, 2015

Okyanos, the leader in cell therapy, launched its next in a series of studies today to determine the emotional impact and lifestyle influence orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis and sports-related injuries have had on those affected. The survey focuses on people between the ages of 55 and 75 living with orthopedic health issues and is designed to examine the toll on those afflicted as well as their relationships.

According to Okyanos VP Marketing Carol Montgomery, Millions of people suffer disorders of the joints, bones, muscles and connective ligaments, tendons and cartilage debilitating conditions on a daily basis, ranging from reduced function to crippling pain but have exhausted available methods of treatment. These restrictions affect them in a variety of ways and our ongoing lifestyle surveys measure the effects such chronic conditions have on todays aging population. Many are turning to solutions like adult stem cell therapy for treatment with excellent results.

The Okyanos Lifestyle and Relationship Survey for Heart Disease, of nearly 700 adults, uncovered a staggering 93% were open to alternatives to their existing heart disease treatment plan showing a growing discontent with their current options. A majority 68% were emotionally impacted and felt they were saddled with restrictions imposed by their heart conditions such as chronic fatigue and shortness of breath.

Adult stem cell therapy has emerged as a new treatment alternative for those who are restricted in activities they can no longer do but are determined to live a more normal life. Okyanos cell therapy uses a unique blend of adult stem and regenerative cells derived from a patients own fat tissue, thereby utilizing the bodys own natural biology to heal itself.

Just 50 miles from US shore, Okyanos cell therapy is available to patients suffering with the daily discomfort of orthopedic conditions including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sports-related injuries and spine disease.

Patients with a severe orthopedic condition, interested in participating in the study can go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ortho_Okyanos

For a copy of the Okyanos Heart Disease Lifestyle Report that reveals the emotional toll and lifestyle impact heart disease has on patients in the United States, visit: Heart Disease Lifestyle Report

Patients can contact Okyanos to learn more and request a free consultation at http://www.Okyanos.com or by calling 1-855-659-2667.

About Okyanos: (Oh key AH nos) Based in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Okyanos brings a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease, tissue ischemia, autoimmune diseases, and other chronic neurological and orthopedic conditions. Okyanos Cell Therapy utilizes a unique blend of stem and regenerative cells derived from patients own adipose (fat) tissue which helps improve blood flow, moderate destructive immune response and prevent further cell death. Okyanos is fully licensed under the Bahamas Stem Cell Therapy and Research Act and adheres to U.S. surgical center standards. The literary name Okyanos, the Greek god of the river Okyanos, symbolizes restoration of blood flow.

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Okyanos Stem Cell Therapy Launches Orthopedic Lifestyle Survey

Platelet Rich Plasma - PRP and Adult Stem Cell Therapy
DPM Debra Weinstock discusses #prp and #stemcell injections that may help you avoid surgery and alleviate your foot and ankle pain! #CrossBayFCC is located i...

By: Cross Bay Foot Care Center

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Platelet Rich Plasma - PRP and Adult Stem Cell Therapy - Video

Alternative Treatments For COPD - FAT STEM CELL THERAPY in Dallas, Texas
http://www.InnovationsStemCellCenter.com.

By: dallasdrj

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Alternative Treatments For COPD - FAT STEM CELL THERAPY in Dallas, Texas - Video

Stem Cell-Enhanced Anterior Collateral Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction
Dr. McKenna discusses how using a patient #39;s own bone marrow stem cells augmented with AlphaGEMS amniotic tissue product can reduce recovery time from ACL sur...

By: Riordan-McKenna Institute

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Stem Cell-Enhanced Anterior Collateral Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction - Video

Healing Tendon Tears, Ligamentous Tears and Sprains with Stem Cell Therapy
For more information: http://www.rmiclinic.com or 877-899-7836 (toll-free) Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon discusses treating tendon tears, ligament tears and sprains with Stemnexa, a proprietary...

By: Riordan-McKenna Institute

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Healing Tendon Tears, Ligamentous Tears and Sprains with Stem Cell Therapy - Video

What Is AlphaGEMS Amniotic Tissue Product And How Does It Augment Bone Marrow Stem Cell Therapy?
Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, Wade McKenna, DO, explains how AlphaGEMS amniotic tissue product can actually enhance the cellular activity of a patient #39;s own bone marrow stem cells.

By: Riordan-McKenna Institute

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What Is AlphaGEMS Amniotic Tissue Product And How Does It Augment Bone Marrow Stem Cell Therapy? - Video