Stem cells and gene hold promising treatment options for Parkinson's, mandate doctors across the globe, including from Mumbai. Eleven trials to test stem cell and gene therapy for treating Parkinson's are underway currently of which the one in Mumbai had to be put on hold due to regulatory hurdles.

Currently, neuro-augmentative therapies such as usage of drugs or deep brain stimulation (DBS) are being used to treat Parkinson's disorder. "The future holds hope for neuro-restorative therapies like that of stem cells or gene infusion in the Parkinson's disorder treatment. It involves restoration of brain function to normal. In the next five to seven years, this may pave the way for future," said Dr Paresh Doshi, neurologist at Jaslok Hospital, Peddar Road in Mumbai.

Regulatory hurdles and resource constraints though have led to these trials being held up in Mumbai. Dr Doshi said that trials of Duodopa therapy which involves infusion of an active ingredient gel called Levodopa in the intestines has been kept on hold at the moment at privately-run Jaslok Hospital due to regulatory hurdles. The hospital was the only centre in entire South East Asia to have been running the trial.

"Levodopa gets converted into dopamine in the body. Normal levels of dopamine control Parkinsons disorder," said Dr Doshi.

Trials to infuse stem cells from the patient's body in the patient itself had been underway in small group of patients in India, but due to inability to recruit more patients, the trial was stopped. "We could only recruit four patients for two years. However, a similar trial is underway in China and another trial which explores adipose tissue stem cells in treating Parkinson's disease is underway in South Africa," said Dr Doshi.

In January this year, medical journal The Lancet reported that after sixteen years of trials, gene therapy is showing promising results in humans. "Three genes that promote the formation of dopamine generating cells in the brain were injected in the brain bound with a viral vector in fifteen patients. The genes are intended to boost the production of dopamine, a chemical that becomes deficient in patients withParkinson's," said The Lancet report.

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Gene therapy, stem cell therapy trials underway

Glossary

Below is a glossary of terms related to stem cell research and clinical trials at the Stem Cell Center. For questions about any of these terms, please call the center at 832-355-9405.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI)The medical term for a "heart attack."Acute myocardial infarction results from a blockage in one or more of the blood vessels leading to the heart. Damage to the heart muscle results, due to the lack of blood flow.

Adult stem cellAn undifferentiated cell found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ.Thestemcellcan renew itself and change to yield all the specialized cell types of the tissue or organ.

AkinesiaA lack of myocardial wall motion.

AllogeneicA graft or tissue from someone other than the patient such as a donor or other third-party source.

Angina or angina pectorisChest pain that occurs when diseased blood vessels restrict blood flow to the heart.

AngiogenesisA new blood vessel growth.

AngiographyAn x-raytechniqueinwhichdye is injected into the chambers of your heart or the arteries that lead to your heart (the coronary arteries). The test lets doctors measure the blood flow and blood pressure in the heart chambers and see if the coronary arteries are blocked.

AngioplastyA nonsurgical technique for treating diseased arteries by temporarily inflating a tiny balloon inside an artery.

Excerpt from:
Stem Cell Education Center - Texas Heart Institute at St ...

Nonsurgical pain management for joint arthritis, such as in the knee, shoulder or hip, has so far consisted predominantly of pain suppressing medicines. This usually entails steroid injections, topical analgesic creams and medications by mouth such as anti-inflammatory medications. What has really been necessary, though, is a treatment that truly alters the underlying problem.

Stem Cells are like a blank slate and can differentiate into all types of cells for regeneration.

Regenerative medicine provides the opportunity for a real cure with stem cells, platelet rich plasma and growth factors to heal damage. One of the foremost procedures at TeleHealth Medical Group that continues to increase in popularity is bone marrow derived stem cell injections. A persons own bone marrow contains a substantial amount of the stem cells and additional biologic materials necessary for regeneration, with the added benefit of being low risk and outpatient.

What are bone marrow derived stem cell injections?

The main reason that stem cells are used as therapy for arthritis and other conditions that experience joint pain is that they maintain regenerative properties with the potential to repair and reverse damaged joints.

Bone marrow is a spongy tissue contained inside ones bones, and makes cells that are crucial to existence including platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells. All of these cells start in the marrow as stem cells, which are basically a blank slate type of cell. With a blank slate, the cell can then turn into many different types of cells needed in the body including cartilage, tendon or muscle. There are three types of adult stem cells in the human body. The first type of stem cell turns into blood components, with a second destined to become lining of the endometrium.

The third, and most important for musculoskeletal regenerative medicine, are mesenchymal stem cells found in bone marrow. They have been used in animal models to regenerate cartilage and in human models to regenerate bone. (Centeno et al, 2008)

The largest and easiest sources of stem cells for concentrated amounts of bone marrow are in the iliac crest of the hip and the bones of the spine. For the easiest process at TeleHealth, the iliac crest is used for the procedures in an outpatient setting.

Harvesting bone marrow from the iliac crest hip bone.

How are these injections performed?

Original post:
Bone Marrow Stem Cell Injections, Mesenchymal Stem Cell ...

The bone marrow and stem cell transplant program at the Siteman Cancer Center is one of the largest in the world, completing nearly 500 transplants each year and more than 5,000 since 1982. The program has performed unrelated donor transplants since 1992.

Our physicians use the latest clinical techniques and resources to collect stem cells or peripheral blood for allogeneic transplants, in which transplanted cells come from siblings and unrelated donors. By manipulating stem cell grafts, they also are working to reduce tumor contamination and bolster immunity. Whenever it is appropriate, they recommend that patients participate inclinical trials, research studies that test whether new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer are safe and effective.

At any given time, Siteman offers more than 40 therapeutic clinical trials for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and related disorders, including studies that incorporate transplant. Our large patient population allows us to offer single-institution studies and provides us with access to a wide range of tissue samples for future study.

In recent years, Siteman physicians have conducted clinical studies that led to the approval of the drug plerixafor to mobilize, or harvest, stem cells for transplant in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. They participated in studies that showed decitabine and high-dose lenalidomide were effective treatments for elderly patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). And they were the first to use a novel suicide gene for gene therapy to control graft-versus-host disease, a serious complication of transplantation.

Dedicated facilities include a 26-bed unit for patients undergoing transplant, which offers eight ICU beds and special HEPA filtration systems to reduce the risk of infection and a second unit for transplant patients and those with blood-related cancers, currently licensed for 38 beds.

Our program has long been an active member of theNational Marrow Donor Program, International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry, North American Bone Marrow Transplant Registry, Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network and Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) Transplant Consortium.

Excerpt from:
Bone Marrow Transplant and Stem Cell Transplant Program ...

As we age, the reduced turnover of our cells means we can lose control over how our skin ages. Epidermal stem cells needed to create healthy new skin are significantly reduced and function less efficiently. A discovery based on promising plant stem cell research may allow you to regain control.

Scientists have found that a novel extract derived from the stem cells of a rare apple tree cultivated for its extraordinary longevity shows tremendous ability to rejuvenate aging skin. By stimulating aging skin stem cells, this plant extract has been shown to lessen the appearance of unsightly wrinkles. Clinical trials show that this unique formulation increases the longevity of skin cells, resulting in skin that has a more youthful and radiant appearance.

Cells in our bodies are programmed for specific functions. A skin cell, a brain cell, and a liver cell all contain the same DNA, or set of genes. However, each cells fate is determined by a set of epigenetic (able to change gene expression patterns) signals that come from inside it and from the surrounding cells as well. These signals are like command tags attached to the DNA that switch certain genes on or off.

This selective coding creates all of the different kinds of cells in our bodies, which are collectively known as differentiated (specialized) cells.

Although differentiated cells vary widely in purpose and appearance, they all have one thing in common: they all come with a built-in operational limit. After so many divisions, they lose their ability to divide and must be replaced. This is where stem cells come in.

Your body also produces other cells that contain no specific programming. These stem cells are blank, so your body can essentially format them any way it pleases. Two universal aspects shared by this type of cell are: (1) the ability to replenish itself through a process of self-renewal and (2) the capacity to produce a differentiated cell.

In animals and humans, two basic kinds of stem cells exist: embryonic and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells have the power to change into any differentiated cell type found anywhere in your body. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, are generally more limited. They can only evolve into the specific type of cell found in the tissue where they are located. The primary function of these adult stem cells is maintenance and repair.

But certain adult stem cells found in nature retain the unlimited developmental potential that embryonic stem cells possess. These cells have become the main focus for an exciting new wave of regenerative medicine (repairing damaged or diseased tissues and organs using advanced techniques like stem cell therapy and tissue engineering).

The basal (innermost) layer of the skins epidermis comprises two basic types of cells: (1) the slowly dividing epidermal stem cells (that represent about 2-7% of the basal cell population) and (2) their rapidly dividing offspring that supply new cells to replace those that are lost or dying.1-3

The slow self-renewal process of epidermal stem cells, however, creates a problem. Because each epidermal stem cell only lasts for a certain number of divisions, and because each division runs the risk of lethal DNA mutation, the epidermal stem cell population can become depleted. When this happens, lost or dying skin cells begin to outnumber their replacements and the skins health and appearance start to decline.

Original post:
Apple Stem Cells Offer Hope for Aging and Damaged Skin ...

Cellular Dynamics International(CDI) is getting a $1.2 million contract from the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, as part of an effort to fight macular degeneration, a condition that leads to loss of vision.

By reprogramming skin and blood samples from patients with age-related macular degeneration, CDI will create induced pluripotent stem cells and will turn them into human retina cells. The cells will be put back into the patient's eyes to treat the disorder.

Ten patients have been chosen for a pilot study of the process by the National Eye Institute, CDI said.

The Madison company said the process, called autologous cellular therapy, will be the first in the U.S. using a patient's own reprogrammed cells.

Publicly traded CDI was founded by UW-Madison stem cell pioneer James Thomson in 2004 and manufactures large quantities of human stem cells for drug discovery, safety screening and for stem cell banks.

The rest is here:
Cellular Dynamics receives contract to make eye cells

IPS Stem Cells: New Ethical Quandaries By Sally Lehrman

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When scientists learned how to turn back the clock in a young skin cell, to bring it back to an early-stage cell that could become any other type in the body, both they and ethicists rejoiced. The reprogrammed cell was pluripotent, much like an embryonic stem cell. Maybe even better, it also might be prompted to jump from one cell type to another.

One day, these induced pluripotent stem cells -- iPS cells for short -- might be able to correct any number of life-threatening and disabling conditions. Much sooner, these cells will almost certainly serve as extremely useful models for studying disease.

The researchers used viruses to deliver three to four new genes into the cell nucleus. And with the new information, the skin cells reprogrammed themselves. They behaved almost exactly like embryonic stem cells, which are derived from fertilized eggs. But with these reprogrammed cells, people thought, there would be no moral and political controversy. No embryo would be destroyed.

Recently, new studies have taken the work a step further. Researchers used synthetic RNA instead of viruses to get new instructions into the cell nucleus. This sped up the process and lessened the possibility of side effects such as cancer when the cells finally become a treatment for patients. (They're called RNA-induced pluripotent cells.)

But as researchers and ethicists take a closer look at these iPS cells, they are realizing that the issues posed are as thorny as ever. In fact, the issues may be even more urgent because the new techniques are so much easier and cheaper. The concerns fall into three main areas.

First, the possibility of human cloning from one person's skin cells or human reproduction from cells made into sperm and egg. The possibility is far-off, but real. Scientists already have reported progress that could lead to either. One could become a parent at any age, using tissue from someone either living or dead.

More immediate concerns have to do with control of the original tissue donation and the purposes to which it is applied.

For instance, privacy. Because of the desire to use these cells to study or treat diseases such as Parkinson's, juvenile diabetes or Alzheimer's, it will be important to know the donor's health history. The donor's personal information and health history must always be linked to the cells. It may be impossible to maintain donor privacy.

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IPS Stem Cells: New Ethical Quandaries - Santa Clara ...

The long-term goal of Dr. Ikeda's lab is to develop efficient and safe gene and cell therapy platforms for individualized medicine. Dr. Ikeda's main research interests include induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology as a novel diabetes therapy; adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-mediated gene therapy for diabetes and cardiovascular disease; and intrinsic immunity against HIV and retroviral infection.

Towards patient-specific iPS cells for a novel cell therapy for type I diabetes

Dr. Ikeda's research interests include:

Gene and cell therapy for diabetes. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology enables derivation of pluripotent stem cells from nonembryonic sources. Successful differentiation of autologous iPS cells into islet-like cells could allow in vitro modeling of patient-specific disease pathogenesis and future clinical cell therapy for diabetes. However, an efficient methodology is not available for the generation of glucose-responsive insulin-producing cells from iPS cells in vitro.

Recently, the lab has examined the efficiency of iPS differentiation into glucose-responsive insulin-producing cells using a modified stepwise protocol with indolactam V and GLP-1 and demonstrated successful generation of islet-like cells, which expressed pancreas-specific markers. Importantly, the iPS-derived islet-like cells secreted C peptide in a glucose-dependent manner. The lab is currently working on reprogramming diabetic patient-derived cells into genomic modification-free iPS cells using nonintegrating vectors, as well as studying the therapeutic effects of iPS-derived insulin-producing islet-like cells in a diabetic mouse model.

Additionally, the lab has developednovel pancreatic gene delivery vectors and is currently studying the therapeutic effects of pancreatic overexpression of factors known to accelerate beta cell regeneration and neogenesis in diabetic mouse models.

Gene therapy for hypertensive heart disease. Altered myocardial structure and function secondary to hypertensive heart disease are leading causes of heart failure and death. A frequent clinical phenotype of cardiac disease is diastolic dysfunction associated with high blood pressure, which over time leads to profound cardiac remodeling, fibrosis and progression to congestive heart failure.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has blood pressure lowering, anti-fibrotic and anti-hypertrophic properties, making it an attractive therapeutic for attenuating the adverse cardiac remodeling associated with hypertension. However, use of natriuretic peptides for chronic therapy has been limited by their extremely short in vivo half-life. Recently, the lab usedmyocardium-tropic adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9)-based vectors and demonstrated long-term cardiac BNP expression in spontaneous hypertensive rats. Sustained BNP expression significantly lowered blood pressure for up to nine months and improved the cardiac functions in hypertensive heart disease.

The lab is currently examining the feasibility of this strategy in a large animal model for future clinical applications, as well as further developing a gene therapy strategy for hypertensive heart disease using other therapeutic genes.

Pathogenesis of HIV and retroviruses. Mammalian cells have evolved several strategies to limit viral production. For instance, type 1 interferons stimulate a series of cellular factors that block viral gene expression by degrading viral RNA or inhibiting protein translation.

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Overview Gene and Cell Therapy for Diabetes and ...

21 hours ago

In a study that will provide the foundation for scientists to better replicate natural stem cell development in an artificial environment, UCLA researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research led by Dr. Guoping Fan, professor of human genetics, have established a benchmarking standard to assess how culture conditions used to procure stem cells in the lab compare to those found in the human embryo.

The study was published online ahead of print in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are cells that can transform into almost any cell in the human body. Scientists have long cultured PSCs in the laboratory (in vitro) using many different methods and under a variety of conditions. Though it has been known that culture techniques can affect what kind of cells PSCs eventually become, no "gold standard" has yet been established to help scientists determine how the artificial environment can better replicate that found in a natural state (in vivo).

Dr. Kevin Huang, postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Fan and a lead author of the study, analyzed data from multiple existing research studies conducted over the past year. These previously published studies used different culture methods newly developed in vitro in the hopes of coaxing human stem cells into a type of pluripotency that is in a primitive or ground-zero state.

Utilizing recently-published gene expression profiles of human preimplantation embryos as the benchmark to analyze the data, Dr. Huang and colleagues found that culture conditions do affect how genes are expressed in PSCs, and that the newer generation culture methods appear to better resemble those found in the natural environment of developing embryos. This work lays the foundation on the adoption of standardized protocol amongst the scientific community.

"By making an objective assessment of these different laboratory techniques, we found that some may have more of an edge over others in better replicating a natural state," said Dr. Huang. "When you have culture conditions that more consistently match a non-artificial environment, you have the potential for a much better reflection of what is going on in actual human development."

With these findings, Dr. Fan's lab hopes to encourage further investigation into other cell characteristics and molecular markers that determine the effectiveness of culture conditions on the proliferation and self-renewal of PSCs.

"We hope this work will help the research community to reach a consensus to quality-control human pluripotent stem cells," said Dr. Fan.

Explore further: Technique to make human embryonic stem cells more closely resemble true epiblast cells

See the article here:
Team proposes benchmark to better replicate natural stem cell development in the laboratory environment

San Diego, California (PRWEB) October 28, 2014

The top stem cell clinic in San Diego, Telehealth, is now offering regenerative medicine procedures for the knee to help restore cartilage and avoid the need for joint replacement. The procedures are outpatient and performed by Board Certified doctors at Telehealth. Call (888) 828-4575 for more information and scheduling.

Hundreds of thousands of knee replacements are performed every year in the US, with most being extremely successful. However, it is a major surgery and there is a chance of complications such as infection or blood clot. Therefore, it is advisable to consider a stem cell procedure for the arthritic knee in an effort to delay or avoid the procedure.

Telehealth provides the procedures with several options, including platelet rich plasma therapy, bone marrow or fat derived stem cells, along with amniotic derived procedures. All of the procedures are outpatient and low risk.

In most cases, the procedures are covered in whole or partly by insurance. Telehealth will perform an insurance verification prior to one's procedure. The Board Certified doctors at the stem cell clinic in San Diego treat patients from a broad area in Southern California. There are several locations including La Jolla, Orange and Upland CA.

In addition to stem cell procedures for knee arthritis, TeleHealth also provides regenerative medicine options for tendon and ligament injuries, sports injuries along with hip, shoulder and ankle arthritis.

For those interested in avoiding knee replacement with a procedure that can potentially preserve or repair arthritic cartilage, call Telehealth at (888) 828-4575 and visit http://stemcelltherapyincalifornia.com/ for more information.

Link:
San Diego Stem Cell Clinic, Telehealth, Now Offering Knee Procedures for Cartilage Restoration

Welcome to Regenexx Stem Cell Therapy for Arthritis & Injuries The Regenexx Procedures are a family of non-surgical stem cell and blood platelet treatments for common injuries and degenerative joint conditions, such as osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis. These stem cell procedures utilize a patients own stem cells or blood platelets to help heal damaged tissues, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, spinal disc, or bone. Regenexx Stem Cell and Blood Platelet Procedures offer a viable alternative for individuals suffering from joint pain, or who may be considering elective surgery or joint replacement due to injury or arthritis. Patients avoid the lengthy periods of downtime, and painful rehabilitation that typically follow invasive surgeries. Commonly Treated Conditions - Regenexx Stem Cell and Platelet Procedures

The list below represents the most commonly treated conditions using Regenexx stem cell or platelet procedures. It is not a complete list, so please contact us or complete the Regenexx Candidate Form if you have questions about whether you or your condition can be treated with these non-surgical procedures. The type of procedure used (stem cell or blood platelet) to treat these conditions is largely dependent upon the severity of the injury or condition.

The Centeno-Schultz Clinic is theoriginalstem cell based musculoskeletal practice in the U.S., with more stem cell orthopedics experience than any other clinic. We are also physician leaders in stem cell treatments for arthritis and injuries in terms of research presentations, publications, and academic achievements.

In January I was faced with another full thickness tear in my rotator cuff and wondered what my options might be. Would it be another surgery or possibly something different? I was introduced to Dr Andrew Blecher who thought I might be a candidate for the new Regenexx stem cell procedure. This new procedure has changed my life, given me a new shoulder and all without invasive shoulder surgery. I cannot explain how happy I am that I chose this method for my shoulder and now I feel great, have significantly less pain and 100% range of motion. Thank you Dr Blecher and Regenexx.

-Lloyd Eisler 2-Time Olympic Medalist Member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame

The episode features Dr. Centeno and Dr. Hanson, along with patient Barbee James, who required stem cell treatment after a failed micro fracture and continued problems following traditional knee surgery. The episode provided a nice overview of a Regenexx-SD (same-day) stem cell procedure for Barbees knee cartilage damage.

On February 28, 2013 Seattle King TV featured Regenexx patient Paul Lyon, who underwent a Regenexx-SD knee procedure in our Broomfield clinic. The story looks at his results and includes an interview with Dr. Christopher Centeno, along with footage in our advanced lab where stem cells are processed as part of the procedure.

Regenexx Network Physician Dr. Mayo Friedlis (Washington D.C. area) is featured in this recent news story about stem cell therapy, which explores the Regenexx-SD stem cell procedure and a very active seniors outcome following his knee stem cell injection.

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Regenexx - Stem Cell Therapy for Arthritis and Injuries ...

Using stem cells from blood, researchers have been able to grow blood vessels in a week.REUTERS

Researchers at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden have been successful in transplanting blood vessels made from three spoons of blood.

Two years ago two patients at the hospital received the blood vessels made from stem cellsin the blood.

Earlier, another patient too was treated using blood vessels made by her stem cells but in that case, the researchers had to drill into the bone marrow to obtain the stem cells.

In the later cases, all they needed was three spoons of the patient's blood and a waiting period of a week.

The children did not have the vein that goes from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver. This was rectified using the new blood vessels, a treatment that holds out promise for people with varicose veins and myocardial infarction.

The method also rules out rejection normally accompanying any foreign body transplant.

Professors Olausson and Sumitran-Holgersson have treated three patients so far. Two of the three patients are still doing well and have veins that are functioning well.

They now hope to be able to grow complete organs to overcome organ shortage from donors.

Use of embryonic stem cells to treat macular dystrophy and degeneration has been proven to be safewith low rejection rates.

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Blood Vessels Made from Three Spoons of Blood in a Week's Time

CTVNews.ca Staff Published Saturday, October 25, 2014 10:30PM EDT Last Updated Saturday, October 25, 2014 11:46PM EDT

An estimated 16,000 Canadians live with scleroderma, an incurable autoimmune disorder which causes the body to produce too much collagen, resulting in a hardening of the skin and tissue. There is no cure for the scleroderma, but some patients in Canada are now seeking a costly and experimental stem cell therapy in the U.S.

A little over a year ago, Mike Berry of Kingston, Ont., started having trouble breathing. It was the first sign of scleroderma.

Berry, 42, suffers from the systemic version of scleroderma, which attacks his internal organs. His lungs have been scarred by the disorder, with his lung capacity dropping to 41 per cent in just nine months. His disease may ultimately be fatal.

He described to CTV News how scleroderma has impacted his day-to-day life.

"I'm unable to work any longer; it affects me and everything now," he said. "It's hard to walk fast; I can't walk and talk."

Drugs to treat his scleroderma haven't worked, so now Berry is trying to fundraise more than $150,000 for an experimental U.S. stem cell treatment called Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT), in the hopes that it will save his life.

"It would give me as second chance, I guess I just have a lot to fight for," he said.

Pioneered by Dr. Richard Burt at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, patients receiving HSCT are administered stem cells intravenously.

During the treatment, the patient's stem cells are harvested, and then the patient's over-active immune system is destroyed with powerful chemotherapy drugs. Doctors then re-program the patient's immune system with the harvested stem cells, in the hopes that the cells will "reset" the patient's immune system and stop scleroderma.

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Scleroderma patients seek experimental U.S. stem cell therapy

Few diseases are as terrifying as Huntington's, an inherited genetic disorder that gradually saps away at sufferers' muscle control and cognitive capacity until they die (usually some 20 or so years after initial symptoms). But scientists at Washington University School of Medicine may have provided a new glimmer of hope by converting human skin cells (which are much more readily available than stem cells) directly into a specific type of brain cell that is affected by Huntington's.

This new method differs from another technique devised at the University of Rochester last year in that it bypasses any intermediary steps rather than first reverting the cells to pluripotent stem cells, it does the conversion in a single phase.

To reprogram the adult human skin cells, the researchers created an environment that closely mimics that of brain cells. Exposure to two types of microRNA, miR-9 and miR-124, changes the cells into a mix of different types of neurons. "We think that the microRNAs are really doing the heavy lifting," said co-first author Matheus Victor, although the team admits that the precise machinations remain a mystery.

Huntington's disease especially affects medium spiny neurons, which are involved in initiating and controlling movement and can be found in a part of the basal ganglia called the corpus striatum. This part of the brain also contains proteins called transcription factors, which control the rate at which genetic information is copied from DNA to messenger RNA.

By exposing human skin cells (top) to a combination of microRNAs and transcription factors, the researchers were able to create medium spiny neurons (bottom) (Image: Yoo Lab/Washington University at St Louis)

The researchers fine-tuned the chemical signals fed into the skin cells as they were exposed to the microRNAs, with the transcription factors guiding the cells to become medium spiny neurons. Different transcription factors would produce different types of neurons, they believe, but not without the microRNAs which appear to be the crucial component, as cells exposed to transcription factors alone failed to become neurons.

When transplanted into the brains of mice, the converted cells survived at least six months while showing functional and morphological properties similar to native neurons. They have not yet been tested in mice with a model of Huntington's disease to see if this has any effect on the symptoms.

The research will nonetheless contribute to scientific understanding of the cellular properties associated with Huntington's, regardless of whether this new method leads directly to a treatment or cure.

A paper describing the research is available in the journal Neuron.

Source: Washington University in St Louis

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Converting skin cells directly into brain cells advances fight against Huntington's disease

UC San Diego has been named an "alpha clinic" for the clinical study of stem cells, and the distinction comes with $8 million in research grants.

Stem cell therapies represent a new way of treating disease by regenerating damaged tissues and organs. Spokesmen for the UCSD school of medicine say the alpha clinic will focus on clinical trials in humans, not just basic research based on animals.

The decision to make UCSD an alpha clinic was announced Friday by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which was created by California voters after they approved $3 billion for stem cell funding in 2004.

Everything we do has one simple goal, to accelerate the development of successful treatments for people in need, said C. Randal Mills, CIRM president and CEO.

Catriona Jamieson, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, is the alpha clinic grants principal investigator. She said the clinic will provide needed infrastructure for first-in-human stem cell-related clinical trials.

"It will attract patients, funding agencies and study sponsors to participate in, support and accelerate novel stem cell clinical trials and ancillary studies for a range of arduous diseases, Jamieson said.

The university has already announced human stem cell trials, aimed at treating spinal chord injuries, leukemia and type-1 diabetes.

UCSD spokesmen said researchers are conducting those trials using fetal and embryonic stems cells, as well as stem cells made from reprogramming skin cells.

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UCSD Gets $8 Million For Stem Cell Research

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Newswise In a study that will provide the foundation for scientists to better replicate natural stem cell development in an artificial environment, UCLA researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research led by Dr. Guoping Fan, professor of human genetics, have established a benchmarking standard to assess how culture conditions used to procure stem cells in the lab compare to those found in the human embryo.

The study was published online ahead of print in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are cells that can transform into almost any cell in the human body. Scientists have long cultured PSCs in the laboratory (in vitro) using many different methods and under a variety of conditions. Though it has been known that culture techniques can affect what kind of cells PSCs eventually become, no "gold standard" has yet been established to help scientists determine how the artificial environment can better replicate that found in a natural state (in vivo).

Dr. Kevin Huang, postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Fan and a lead author of the study, analyzed data from multiple existing research studies conducted over the past year. These previously published studies used different culture methods newly developed in vitro in the hopes of coaxing human stem cells into a type of pluripotency that is in a primitive or ground-zero state.

Utilizing recently-published gene expression profiles of human preimplantation embryos as the benchmark to analyze the data, Dr. Huang and colleagues found that culture conditions do affect how genes are expressed in PSCs, and that the newer generation culture methods appear to better resemble those found in the natural environment of developing embryos. This work lays the foundation on the adoption of standardized protocol amongst the scientific community.

"By making an objective assessment of these different laboratory techniques, we found that some may have more of an edge over others in better replicating a natural state," said Dr. Huang. "When you have culture conditions that more consistently match a non-artificial environment, you have the potential for a much better reflection of what is going on in actual human development."

With these findings, Dr. Fan's lab hopes to encourage further investigation into other cell characteristics and molecular markers that determine the effectiveness of culture conditions on the proliferation and self-renewal of PSCs.

"We hope this work will help the research community to reach a consensus to quality-control human pluripotent stem cells," said Dr. Fan.

Read the original:
UCLA Scientists Propose Benchmark to Better Replicate Natural Stem Cell Development in the Laboratory Environment

Lyme Disease and Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy Testimonial
Kim gives a testimonial after 3 months of having followed the Stemaid Lyme Disease Protocol.

By: stemaid

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Lyme Disease and Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy Testimonial - Video

In 2010, Darek Fidyka was paralyzed from the chest down as a result of a knife attack that left an 8 mm gap in his spinal column. Now surgeons in Poland, working in collaboration with scientists in London, have given Fidyka the ability to walk again thanks to a new procedure using transplanted cells from his olfactory bulbs.

The spinal injury that left Darek Fidyka paralyzed did not see the spinal cord entirely severed, but rather an 8 mm chunk removed from the left side. Researchers have for years worked to develop treatments to help those with spinal injuries, but for Fidyka no amount of therapy was helping him recover feeling below his chest. Now, two years after the groundbreaking treatment, Fidyka has regained some feeling in his legs, feet, bowels, bladder, and can now walk with the assistance of a frame.

The procedure saw the medical team remove one of Fidykas olfactory bulbs then grow olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) in culture and graft the cells onto his damaged spinal column where they helped to re-link vital nerve fibers. According to the UCL, the OECs act as pathway cells that repair and renew nerve fibers when damaged. The team chose OECs as they are the only part of the nervous system with the ability to regenerate in adults.

A few weeks after the initial OEC removal and culture harvesting, the team applied 100 micro-injections of the olfactory cells above and below the injured area. Then four thin strips of nerve tissue from Fidykas ankle were applied across the damaged area. After about three months they noticed muscle mass increasing on his left thigh, and after six months Fidyka was able to stand and take his first steps with the assistance of parallel bars, leg braces and a physiotherapist. Today he still undergoes five hours of physiotherapy, five days a week.

"It is immensely gratifying to see that years of research have now led to the development of a safe technique for transplanting cells into the spinal cord." said Professor Geoff Raisman, Chair of Neural Regeneration at the UCL Institute of Neurology. "I believe we stand on the threshold of a historic advance and that the continuation of our work will be of major benefit to mankind. I believe we have now opened the door to a treatment of spinal cord injury that will get patients out of wheel chairs. Our goal now is to develop this first procedure to a point where it can be rolled out as a worldwide general approach."

The BBC Panorama program To Walk Again shows the procedure and footage of Fidyka walking with a frame. When asked what it was like to walk again, Fidyka said, "when you cant feel almost half your body, you are helpless, but when it starts coming back its as if you were born again."

The treatment marks a world first in cell transplantation and paralysis reversal. The project was jointly funded by the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation and the UK Stem Cell Foundation. Professor Raisman, who first discovered OECs in 1985, went on to show how the treatment could be applied on rats with spinal injuries in 1997.

Details of the research can be found in the journal Cell Transplantation.

Sources: UCL Institute of Neurology, BBC Panorama

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Cell transplant enables paralyzed man to walk again

KYOTO A team of Japanese researchers has successfully created cardiac tissue sheets generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells, according to a study in the online British journal Scientific Reports.

The team said it is the first time iPS cells have produced an integrated cardiac tissue sheet that includes vascular cells as well as cardiac muscle cells and is close to real tissue in structure.

The stem cell team, led by Kyoto University professor Jun Yamashita, hopes the achievement will contribute to the development of new treatments for heart disease, because it has already found evidence that transplanting the sheets into mice with failing hearts improves in their cardiac condition.

The team used a protein called VEGF, which is related to the growth of blood vessels, as a replacement for the Dkk1 protein previously used to create cardiac muscle sheets from iPS cells.

As a result, iPS cells were simultaneously differentiated to become cardiac muscle cells, vascular mural cells, and the endothelial cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels. The cells were cultivated into a sheet about 1 cm in diameter.

Three-layer cardiac tissue sheets were then transplanted into nine mice with dead or damaged heart muscle caused by heart attacks. In four of the mice, blood vessels formed in the area where the sheets were transplanted, leading to improved cardiac function.

The weak point of iPS cells is that there is a risk of developing cancer, but the cells did not become cancerous within two months of transplantation, the team said.

About 72 percent of the cardiac tissue sheet was made of cardiac muscle cells, while 26 percent of it consisted of endothelial cells as well as vascular mural cells. But the sheet contained a small portion of cells that had not changed, leading the team to call attention to the possibility that a cancerous change might take place over the longer term.

Yamashita said in the study that he believed the new form of cardiac sheets attached well.

Oxygen and nourishment were able to reach cardiac muscle through blood because there were blood vessels, he said.

Continue reading here:
Japanese team develops cardiac tissue sheet from human iPS cells

KYOTO A team of Japanese researchers has successfully created cardiac tissue sheets generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells, according to a study in the online British journal Scientific Reports.

The team said it is the first time iPS cells have produced an integrated cardiac tissue sheet that includes vascular cells as well as cardiac muscle cells and is close to real tissue in structure.

The stem cell team, led by Kyoto University professor Jun Yamashita, hopes the achievement will contribute to the development of new treatments for heart disease, because it has already found evidence that transplanting the sheets into mice with failing hearts improves in their cardiac condition.

The team used a protein called VEGF, which is related to the growth of blood vessels, as a replacement for the Dkk1 protein previously used to create cardiac muscle sheets from iPS cells.

As a result, iPS cells were simultaneously differentiated to become cardiac muscle cells, vascular mural cells, and the endothelial cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels. The cells were cultivated into a sheet about 1 cm in diameter.

Three-layer cardiac tissue sheets were then transplanted into nine mice with dead or damaged heart muscle caused by heart attacks. In four of the mice, blood vessels formed in the area where the sheets were transplanted, leading to improved cardiac function.

The weak point of iPS cells is that there is a risk of developing cancer, but the cells did not become cancerous within two months of transplantation, the team said.

About 72 percent of the cardiac tissue sheet was made of cardiac muscle cells, while 26 percent of it consisted of endothelial cells as well as vascular mural cells. But the sheet contained a small portion of cells that had not changed, leading the team to call attention to the possibility that a cancerous change might take place over the longer term.

Yamashita said in the study that he believed the new form of cardiac sheets attached well.

Oxygen and nourishment were able to reach cardiac muscle through blood because there were blood vessels, he said.

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