Mark and Mindy Ammons lost their 2-year-old son, Christopher, in 1988 to neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. In 2009, Mindy Ammons donated her own stem cells to a woman with cancer. And this weekend, the family's youngest son will prepare a bone marrow donor registry in memory of his oldest brother as an Eagle Scout project.

Family photo

Bone marrow donation is close to the heart for the Ammons family of Provo.

Mark and Mindy Ammons lost their 2-year-old son, Christopher, in 1988 to neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. In 2009, Mindy Ammons donated her own stem cells to a woman with cancer. And this weekend, the familys youngest son will lead a bone marrow registry drive as an Eagle Scout project in memory of his oldest brother.

We are in the unique position of having been on both sides of the process, Mindy Ammons said.

In the "Be The Match" flier created for the project, Will Ammons, 13, explains that Christophers only chance of survival was a bone marrow transplant, but sadly, no one in our family was a match, so he had to be his own donor.

Christopher underwent treatment at the UCLA Medical Center where, after five days of chemotherapy, three days of full-body radiation and then surgery, he received his own marrow as a transplant. He died two weeks into the process, just shy of his third birthday.

Over the years, the Ammonses talked about this experience with their children and stayed informed on treatment advances. When it came time for their second oldest son, Jon, to do his Eagle Scout project, he didn't just want to do something to check off on a list. He wanted a meaningful project.

He wanted to do something that would make a difference and was cancer-related," Mindy Ammons said.

They discussed raising money for cancer research but decided that would be like dropping a coin in a well, she said.

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Family saves lives through bone marrow registry and stem cell donation

OpRegen consists of animal product-free retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells with high purity and potency that were derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Cell Cure will conduct the trial in Israel where OpRegen will be transplanted as a single dose into the subretinal space of the eye to test the safety and efficacy of the product. Patient enrollment is expected to begin in 2014 following approval of the trial by the Israel Ministry of Health.

About the OpRegenClinical Trial

Cell Cures Phase I/IIa clinical trial is a dose escalation safety and preliminary efficacy study of hESC-derived Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cells transplanted subretinally in patients with advanced dry-form AMD called geographic atrophy. The open-label, single center, nonrandomized trial will evaluate three different dose regimens of 50,000 to 500,000 cells. A total of 15 patients will be enrolled. The patients will be 55 years of age and older, with non-neovascular (dry-AMD) who have funduscopic findings of GA in the macula with absence of additional concomitant ocular disorders. The eye most affected by the disease will be treated with the contralateral eye being the control. Following transplantation, the patients will be followed for 12 months at specified intervals, to evaluate the safety and tolerability of OpRegen. A secondary objective of the clinical trial will be to examine the ability of transplanted OpRegen to engraft, survive, and induce changes in visual acuity. In addition to thorough characterization of visual function, a battery of defined ophthalmic imaging modalities will be used to quantify structural changes and rate of GA expansion. The study will be performed at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel.

The FDAs acceptance of our IND for the Phase I/IIa trial of OpRegen is a significant milestone for our company, and in the broader development of therapies based on human embryonic stem cells for the treatment of major diseases, said Benjamin Reubinoff, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Cell Cure and Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center at Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. We look forward to initiating this first-of-its-kind study, and to continuing the clinical development of OpRegen.

Cell Cures Phase I/IIa study of OpRegen has been designed to provide preliminary, objective functional and structural data on the ability of hESC-RPE cell transplantation to slow the progression of geographic atrophy, in addition to safety data, added Prof. Eyal Banin, Head of the Center for Retinal and Macular Degenerations at the Department of Ophthalmology of Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel who together with Prof. Reubinoff helped develop this novel treatment over the last decade. We are truly excited that this unique, hESC-based therapy will finally be tested in patients with dry-AMD which severely impacts the quality of life of the elderly, and for which no approved therapy yet exists, Dr. Banin stated.

Information about the trial will be made available at ClinicalTrials.gov website of the National Institutes of Health http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/home. Additional information will be made available on Cell Cures website at http://www.cellcureneurosciences.com/.

About Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the major diseases of aging and is the leading eye disease responsible for visual impairment of older persons in the US, Europe and Australia. AMD affects the macula, which is the part of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision that is important for facial recognition, reading and driving. There are two forms of AMD. The dry form (dry-AMD) advances slowly and painlessly but may progress to geographic atrophy (GA) in which RPE cells and photoreceptors degenerate and are lost. Once the atrophy involves the fovea (the center of the macula), patients lose their central vision and may develop legal blindness. There are about 1.6 million new cases of dry-AMD in the US annually, and as yet there is no effective treatment for this condition. The yearly economic loss to the gross domestic product in the United States from dry-AMD has been estimated to be $24.4 billion. The market opportunity for a treatment for GA has been estimated at over $5 billion globally. About 10% of patients with dry-AMD develop wet (or neovascular) AMD, the second main form of this disease, which usually manifests acutely and can lead to severe visual loss in a matter of weeks. Wet-AMD can be treated with currently marketed VEGF inhibitors. However, such products typically require frequent repeated injections in the eye, and patients often continue to suffer from continued progression of the underlying dry-AMD disease process. Current annual sales of VEGF inhibitors for the treatment of the wet form of AMD are estimated to be about $7 billion worldwide.

The root cause of the larger problem of dry-AMD is believed to be the dysfunction of RPE cells. Therefore, one of the most exciting new therapeutic strategies for dry-AMD is the transplantation of healthy young RPE cells to support and replace those lost with age. Pluripotent stem cells, such as hESCs, can potentially provide a means of manufacturing such healthy RPE cells on an industrial scale.

About OpRegen

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BioTimes Subsidiary Cell Cure Neurosciences Receives FDA Authorization to Initiate Phase I/IIa Trial of Embryonic ...

MIAMI (PRWEB) November 04, 2014

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. has been named exclusive distributor for Adistem medical solutions, and Adilyfe, a new regenerative medicine products company founded by Adistem Ltd. Scientific Founder Vasilis Paspaliaris, M.D. in Melbourne, Australia and set to launch in early 2015. Paspaliaris made the announcement at the First International Symposium on Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine held in Buenos Aires, Argentina Oct. 2-4 and hosted by Global Stem Cells Group.

Adistem-Adilyfe will manufacture a group of products for use in stem cell treatments, therapies and training through the Adimarket Division of the Global Stem Cells Group. The timing is perfect for GSCGs current expansion into Latin American countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico and Peru, according to Global Stem Cells Group CEO Benito Novas.

Vasilis, an accomplished biotech scientist, stem cell researcher and pharmaceutical consultant joined the Global Stem Cells Group Scientific Advisory Board, part of the Regenestem Network.

As always, Dr. Paspaliaris brings excellence to stem cell research, Novas says. His work has already proven critical to improving the quality of life for a range of chronically ill patients all over the world.

We are honored to be representing Adistem and AdiLyfe products in Latin America; we consider the opportunity a strategic commitment to world class stem cell research.

Vasilis says he knew Global Stem Cells Group would be the only choice to represent Adistem and AdiLyfe in Latin America.

We are proud of our relationship with Global Stem Cells Group, we couldnt ask for better partners, Vasilis says.

To learn more about the Global Stem Cells Group, visit the website at http://www.stemcellsgroup.com, email bnovas(at)stemcellsgroup(dot)com, or call 305.224.1858.

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Global Stem Cells Group Named Exclusive Distributor for Adistem and Adilyfe Companies and Product Lines

Heart Disease

With respect to the heart, stem cells have the ability to not only home into the damaged areas but also to initiate a cascade of biological events which both culminate in healing of the heart muscle. For example, animal studies have demonstrated that stem cell therapy will cause new muscle cells to be formed through stimulation of dormant stem cells that are already inside the heart muscle. In these studies, the administered stem cell also transformed into new heart muscle cells.

At Stem Cell Institute, our stem cell treatment protocol for heart failure involves administration of mesenchymal stem cells harvested from human umbilical cord tissue.

The adult stem cells used to treat heart failure at the Stem Cell Institute come from human umbilical cord tissue (allogeneic mesenchymal). These stem cells are expanded at Medistem Panamas state-of-the-art laboratory.

The mesenchymal stem cells we use are recovered from donated umbilical cords following normal, healthy births. Each mother has her medical history screened and is tested for infectious diseases. Proper consent is received from each family prior to donation.

All umbilical cord-derived stem cells are screened for infectious diseases to International Blood Bank Standards before they are cleared for use in patients.

Approximately 1 in 10 donated umbilical cords pass our rigorous screening process.

Through retrospective analysis of our cases, weve identified proteins and genes that allow us to screen several hundred umbilical cord donations to find the ones that we know are most effective. We only use these cells and we call them golden cells.

We go through a very high throughput screening process to find cells that we know have the best anti-inflammatory activity, the best immune modulating capacity, and the best ability to stimulate regeneration.

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Stem Cell Therapy || Heart Failure || Stem Cell Treatment ...

Blue Horizon's Special Skin Serum Stem Product Fact Sheet

Our Stem Cell Skin Care is a potent anti-aging innovation derived from non-embryonic human stem cell research. Blue Horizon International has infused medicines most promising clinical advances into this powerful skin care product.

Cytokine action, epidermal growth factors (EGFs), short and long-chained hyaluronic acid and ceramides combat the effects of aging and deliver unique skin benefits without surgery.

Our formulation is safe, having passed toxicology tests in accordance with European Union regulation 1223/2009/EC.

Patents are pending.

Our skin care is derived from what stem cell scientists call a conditioned medium. Here, human stem cells from placentas and umbilical cords condition the culture medium by releasing cytokines and other skin regenerating proteins that become available for skin repair. We stabilize the liberated cytokines, rendering them safe and accessible for aesthetic skin improvement. The conditioned medium is the base for our stem cell skin care products.

An independent skin test on twenty individuals aged 46 to 81 found a 23% reduction in skin roughness, including a decrease in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and scars.

Cytokines are one of todays most exciting captured biological processes, because they govern so many regenerative functions. The cytokine group of chemical regulators includes a diverse assortment of interleukins, interferons and growth factors that control anti-aging and activate the bodys immune system.

Cytokines stimulate, propagate and regulate new cell production in human skin. These messaging molecules mobilize cell division to help heal age related damage. Cytokines have powerful influence over skin texture and quality because they regulate cell shape, metabolism and migration from one location to another.

Several stem cell skin care ranges claim cytokine-style benefits. However, human stem cell cytokines are more biologically compatible with human skin than cytokine proteins from other sources.

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Stem Cell Skin Care - BlueHorizonSkinCare.com

Pioneers of transplantation John Gurdon
Interview with Sir John Gurdon, developmental biologist and forefather of stem cell medicine. The footage, produced by Figment Productions, formed part of an exhibition organised by the MRC...

By: Medical Research Council

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Pioneers of transplantation John Gurdon - Video

Study Identifies Potential Treatment Target for Cocaine Addiction

30 Oct 2014A study led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has identified a potential target for therapies to treat cocaine addiction. Read more

27 Oct 2014A new effort mapping 24-hr patterns of expression for thousands of genes in 12 different mouse organs five years in the making provides important clues about how the role of timing may influence the way drugs work in the body. Read more

27 Oct 2014An all-female panel of luminaries in fields including epigenetics and stem cell biology will come together at a Penn symposium entitled Celebrating Women in Science. The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has organized the... Read more

22 Oct 2014A Penn Medicine-developed drug has received orphan status from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare, life-threatening disease that causes anemia due to destruction of red blood cells and thrombosis. Read more

22 Oct 2014Some of the most promising startup teams in healthtech will pitch their companies to an audience of several hundred investors, industry leaders and potential customers at DreamIt Health Philadelphia Demo Day on Thursday, October 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. Read more

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Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

PURTIER LIVE STEM CELL THERAPY
PURTIER INTRODUCTION IN CHINESE Please contact Pearly @ +65 9338 9541 / +65 9189 7351 for more details.

By: Purtier30

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PURTIER LIVE STEM CELL THERAPY - Video

JANUARY 2014 State of the Industry Briefing at EBD's Biotech Showcase Jan 13. San Francisco, CA EBD's Biotech Showcase: Regenerative Medicine Industry Track Jan 13-15. San Francisco, CA ECI's Conference on Scale-Up and Manufacturing of Cell-Based Therapies Jan 6-9. San Diego, CA International Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease Jan 22-24. New York, NY Phacilitate's Cell and Gene Therapy Forum Jan 27-29. Washington, DC FEBRUARY 2014 RRY's New York Stem Cell Summit Feb 18. New York, NY STEMSO's International Stem Cell Society Conference Feb 19-22. Freeport, Grand Bahama BMT Tandem Meetings Feb 26-Mar.Grapevine (Dallas), TX MARCH 2014 Danish Stem Cell Symposium Mar 7-8. Hillerd, Denmark ISBioTech Spring Mtg - Cellular Therapies Track Mar 10-12. Washington, DC AAT's Advanced Therapies Summit Mar 12-13. Turin, Italy ISSCR/SBE International Conference on Stem Cell Engineering Mar 16-19. Coronado, CA Congress on Stem Cell and Cell Therapies Mar 2023. Koceli, Turkey FDA and the Changing Paradigm for HCT/P Regulation Mar 24-26. Bethesda, MD BIRAXs' UK-Israel Regenerative Medicine Conference Mar 25-26. Haifa, Israel ARM's RegenMed Investor Day Mar 26. New York, NY. Regenerative Medicine Workshop at Hilton Head Mar 26-29 . Hilton Head, SC Cancer Immunotherapy: A Long-Awaited Reality Mar 27. NYC, NY. FDA Workshop: Synergizing Efforts in Standards Development for Cellular Therapies and Regenerative Medicine Public Mar 31. Silver Spring, MD.

APRIL 2014 Select Biosciences' Clinical Translation of Stem Cells Apr 21-22. Palm Springs, AZ ISCT Annual Meeting Apr 23-26. Paris, France GTCBio's Stem Cell Summit Apr 23-25. Boston, MA ARMs Annual Dinner & Legislative Fly-In Apr 28-9. Washington, DC.

MAY 2014 GeneExpression Systems' Stem Cells and Cell Signaling Mtg on Assays to Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering and Therapeutics May 5-6. Waltham-Boston, MA Regenerative Medicine Foundation Symposium May 5-7. San Francisco, CA CHIsAdoptive T Cell Therapy:New Targets and Strategies for Immune Driven Diseases (part of the Tenth Annual PEGS: the essential protein engineering summit) May 7-8. Boston, MA ASGCT - American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Mtg May 21-24. Washington, DC Terrapinn's World Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Congress May 20-22. London, UK JUNE 2014 PDA Europe: Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products Jun 3-4. Madrid, Spain The Orthobiologic Institute's PRP and Regenerative Medicine Symposium Jun 6-7. Los Angeles, CA Israstem Jun 10-11. Ramat, Gan. Israel TERMIS EU Mtg Jun 10-14. Genova, Italy ISSCR - International Society for Stem Cell Research Mtg Jun 18-21. Vancouver, BC, Canada Cell Tracking Symposium June 20. London, ON

BIO International Convention(with BPI BioProcess Theater) Jun 23-26. San Diego, CA ARM Networking Reception @BIO June 24. San Diego, CA OMIC'sCell Science and Stem Cell Research Jun 24-26. Valencia, Spain JULY 2014 The Business of Regenerative Medicine: New Therapies, New Models July 14-16. Toronto, ON Regenerative Medicine Essentials: The Fundamentals to the Future. July 21-25.Winston-Salem, NC

AUGUST 2014 CHI'sCell Therapy Bioproduction (part of the Bioprocessing Summit) Aug 18-22. Boston, MA Rejuvenation Biotechnology: Emerging Regenerative Medicine Solutions for the Diseases of Aging conference Aug 21-23. Santa Clara, CA.

SEPTEMBER 2014 Terrapinn's Stem Cells USA and Regenerative Medicine Congress Sep 15-16. Boston, MA IBC's Cell Therapy Bioprocessing Sep 15-16. Arlington, VA TERMIS Asia Pacific Mtg Sep 24-17. Daegu, S. Korea

OCTOBER 2014 Cancer Immunotherapy 2014 Oct. 6. New York City, NY ARM's Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa Oct 7-9. La Jolla, CA Fraunhofer Life Science Symposium"Medicinal Stem Cell Products Oct 9-10. Leipzig, Germany Translational Regenerative Medicine Congress Oct 21-22. Leipzig, Germany CCRM-SCN Till and McCulloch Meetings Oct 27-29. Ottawa, ON, Canada OMICS' International Conference and Exhibition on Cell and Gene Therapy Oct 27-29. Las Vegas, NV

NOVEMBER 2014 ISSCR/SSCS Global Controls in Stem Cells Nov 5-7, 2014. Singapore Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Annual Meeting Nov 6-9. National Harbor, MD International Conference on Stem Cells and Cancer (ICSCC-2014): Proliferation, Differentiation and Apoptosis Nov 8-10. New Delhi, India IFATS Annual Mtg Nov 13-16. Amsterdam, NL BIT's World Congress of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cells (RMSC2014) Nov 13-16.Haikou, China Commercial Translation of Regenerative Medicine Nov/Dec ??. London, UK DECEMBER 2014 Cell Therapy Manufacturing Dec 3-4. Brussels, Belgium World Stem Cell Summit Dec 3-5. San Antonio, TX TERMIS Americas Mtg Dec 13-16. Washington, DC If I've missed an event you'd like to see added, please email me at lbuckler [at] celltherapygroup [dot] com.

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Cell Therapy Blog: Cell Therapy Conferences 2014

Adult stem cells can change the healthcare landscape

A recent Colorado political advertisement highlighting a candidates stance on stem cell research shows the issue is still at the forefront of public consciousness. Part of what makes stem cell research such a hot button issue is the number of persistent myths that propagate many of the heated emotions surrounding the topic.

Much of the stem cell controversy comes from the fact many people only know of embryonic stem cells, which are generated from fertilized, frozen eggs at in-vitro fertilization centers. These are not the only type of stem cells. Other types include umbilical cord blood and adult stem cells.

Umbilical cord blood is extracted from birth and preserved for the future benefit of the child. While this type of stem cell technique is safe and it is becoming commonplace to store the cells, there is currently no way to utilize these cells beyond compassionate care cases which are few and far between. However, adult stem cells are currently in clinical use today and are easily and safely harvested from the patients fat and bone marrow reserves. The adult stem cells can be utilized for a variety of treatment options, which include joint, ligament and tendon injuries, back pain, and autoimmune diseases.

Polls indicate a shifting paradigm in how people view stem cell use and research. A Pew Research survey conducted in 2013 revealed only 16 percent believed non-embryonic stem cell research was immoral. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI recently gave his approval on adult stem cell research, I pray that your commitment to adult stem cell research will bring great blessings for the future of man and genuine enrichment to his culture.

Those with an understanding of adult stem cells know there is no controversy as they do not require the harming of an embryo. While progress in the realm of public opinion is being made, regulatory and administrative difficulties are still hampering medical innovation according to some healthcare experts.

Adult stem cells hold great promise for the future of medicine because of their potential to improve cartilage health, repair lumbar discs, and slow progression of autoimmune diseases. The ability to utilize stem cells from ones own body to safely and naturally heal itself from many different ailments is beginning to revolutionize healthcare.

With more public support and cooperative regulatory policies, adult stem cells have the potential to forever change the healthcare landscape as profoundly as the mark antibiotics made on medicine.

Dr. Scott Brandt

ThriveMD Aspen

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Letter: Adult stem cells can change the healthcare landscape

Stem Cell Therapy | stem cell mobilization gcsf
http://www.arthritistreatmentcenter.com Another breakthrough in stem cell science and we have lab rats to thank for it next Osteoarthritis in rats responds to stem cell mobilization therapy...

By: Nathan Wei

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Stem Cell Therapy | stem cell mobilization gcsf - Video

Adler Footcare - Stem Cell Therapy
Backed by years of research, thousands of happy patients, and faster healing time is the latest in ethical stem cell treatments for foot pain offered at Adle...

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Adler Footcare - Stem Cell Therapy - Video

The central nervous system in vertebrates develops from the neural tube, which is the basis for the differentiation in spinal cord and brain. Professor Elly Tanaka and her research group at the DFG Research Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden -- Cluster of Excellence at the TU Dresden (CRTD) demonstrated for the first time the in vitro growth of a piece of spinal cord in three dimensions from mouse embryonic stem cells. Correct spatial organization of motor neurons, interneurons and dorsal interneurons along the dorsal/ventral axis was observed. This study has been published online by the American journal Stem Cell Reports.

For many years Elly Tanaka and her research group have been studying the regenerative potential of axolotls at the molecular level. The Mexican salamanders have the potential to regenerate their spinal cord and other organs to restore full functionality after injury. Mammals such as humans are not able to regenerate most organs. The restoration of the spinal cord in axolotl occurs in a three dimensional structure similar to an embryonic spinal cord. Due to their positions in the tissue, cells in the regenerated spinal cord know which function to perform in the restored tissue. "In this study we applied the knowledge gained about the regenerative potential in axolotls to a mammal, the mouse" explains Professor Elly Tanaka.

Single mouse embryonic stem cells embedded in a three-dimensional matrix and were grown in neural differentiation medium led to the clonal development of neuroepithelial cysts. These cysts settled in the midbrain and hindbrain along the neural axis. "Our goal, however, was to generate spinal cord in vitro," says Dr. Andrea Meinhardt, a postdoc at the CRTD. "For this reason we added retinoic acid to the culture medium on the second day of the 3D cell culture." The result not only caused the neural tissue to switch to spinal cord but also induced the formation of a local signaling center for forming all the different cell types of the spinal cord. "For the first time we could hereby reconstruct the structure of a typical embryonic neural tube in vitro," said Andrea Meinhardt.

"With this study we have moved a tiny step closer to turn the idea of constructing a three-dimensional piece of spinal cord for transplantation in humans into reality" says Elly Tanaka.

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The above story is based on materials provided by Technische Universitaet Dresden. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Reconstruction of patterned piece of spinal cord in 3D culture

Irelands first human stem cell trial using lab-grown cells is due to get underway in Galway in the new year following approval from the medicines watchdog.

The trial will involve extracting adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from the bone marrow of patients with a condition known as critical limb ischemia (CLI) a severe blockage of the arteries resulting in marked reduction in blood flow to the extremities.

Reduction in blood flow to the legs puts patients at risk of gangrene, ulceration, and amputation, and the Galway trial will look at the use of MSCs to grow new stems cells which will then be injected back into the patients leg with the hope of growing new blood cells and improving circulation.

The harvested stem cells will be grown to much greater quantities in a highly specialised lab before being injected back into the patients leg.

Tim OBrien, director of the Galway-based Regenerative Medicine Institute, said their research was focused on whether MSC therapy could improve blood flow to the legs in patients with CLI a condition common in diabetics and therefore avoid the need for amputation. The trial is aimed predominantly at testing the safety and feasibility of what is very much an experimental therapy, Prof OBrien said.

We will be doing a dose escalation study, with some patients given a small dose, others a medium dose and the remainder a high dose, he said. We want to try and establish how many cells do you need to give a patient.

The study, the first in humans in Ireland, will be a year-long study involving nine patients. Prof OBrien said they would not be advertising for participants, but rather would let clinicians know and await referrals of suitable patients.

In the meantime, they would be preparing the custom-built facility where the cells are grown, at the Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland in NUI Galway, the first such facility in Ireland to receive a licence from the Health Products Regulatory Authority.

Prof OBrien said MSCs have a lot of properties that may make them useful in treating a wide variety of disease because of their reparative and regenerative qualities.

Prof OBrien delivered a talk yesterday on the Therapeutic Potential of MSCs in Diabetic Complications on the second day of a two-day international stem cell conference at NUI Galway.

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Lab-grown stem cell trial gets green light

DALLAS, October 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the new market research report The"Cell Expansion Marketby Product (Reagent, Media, Serum, Bioreactors, Centrifuge), Cell Type (human, animal), Application (Stem Cell Research, Regenerative Medicine, Clinical Diagnostics), End User (Hospital, Biotechnology, Cell Bank) - Forecast to 2019", published by MarketsandMarkets, provides a detailed overview of the major drivers, restraints, challenges, opportunities, current market trends, and strategies impacting the Cell Expansion Market along with the estimates and forecasts of the revenue and share analysis.

Browse 149 Market Data Tables and 56 Figures spread through 224 Pages and in-depth TOC on"Cell Expansion Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cell-expansion-market-194978883.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

The global Cell Expansion Market is expected to reach $14.8 Billion by 2019 from $6.0 Billion in 2014, growing at a CAGR of 19.7% from 2014 to 2019.

The report segments this market on the basis of product, cell type, application, and end user. Among various applications, the regenerative medicines is expected to account for the largest share in 2014 and is expected to account for the fastest-growing segment in the cell expansion market, owing to technological advancement due to which new products are being launched in the market. Furthermore, rising investments by companies and government for research is another major reason for the growth of this market.

Based on geography, the global Cell Expansion Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (RoW). North America is expected to account for the largest share of the market by the end of 2014. The large share of this region can be attributed to various factors including increasing government support for cancer and stem cell research and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in this region.

Further Inquiry:http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=194978883

Prominent players in the Cell Expansion Market are Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), Corning Incorporated (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), GE Healthcare (U.K.), Merck Millipore (U.S.), Miltenyi Biotec (Germany), STEMCELL Technologies (Canada), Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (U.S.), Terumo BCT (U.S.), and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.).

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Cell Expansion Market Worth $14.8 Billion by 2019

Stem Cell Therapy BACKSTAGE

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Stem Cell Therapy BACKSTAGE - Video

Using stem cells to repair damaged heart muscle in patients with chronic heart failure is safe and beneficial, whether the cells come from patients own bone marrow or from a healthy volunteer, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. In a study of 31 patients, the therapy reduced heart muscle scar tissue and improved their quality of life. For many patients in the study, the therapy also enhanced their hearts pumping ability.

An article describing the study, "Comparison of Allogeneic vs. Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Delivered by Transendocardial Injection in Patients with Ischemic Cardiomyopathy," is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on Nov. 6. Results are scheduled to be presented that same day at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Los Angeles.

The researchers say this is the first study to compare autologous stem cells, which are derived from the patients' own bone marrow, to allogeneic stem cells, taken from the marrow of healthy volunteers, in patients with heart disease. The advantage of using allogeneic cells is the potential for developing an off-the-shelf therapy that could be delivered in a more timely way, rather than requiring a bone marrow biopsy from heart failure patients and waiting for the cells to be processed. Also, stem cells from the patients themselves may not be as robust.

All of the study patients had longstanding ischemic cardiomyopathy - chronic heart failure caused by a prior heart attack that blocked blood flow to the heart and damaged heart muscle. The condition affects about 70 percent of the six million people in the United States who suffer from heart failure.

"The primary focus of our study was to determine the safety of the therapy, specifically within 30 days of the treatment," says Gary Gerstenblith, M.D., professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-author of the study. "We found that the treatment was safe and also that many of the patients experienced significant improvement, whether they had received the allogeneic or the autologous stem cells," he says.

Patients in the study were randomly selected to have either their own stem cells or donated cells injected directly into their heart muscle. They were monitored for treatment-associated complications, such as death, heart attack, stroke, hospitalization for worsening heart failure and dangerous heart arrhythmias. All of the patients were still alive 12 months after the treatment.

The researchers were especially interested in learning whether the patients immune system would recognize the allogeneic (donated) stem cells as foreign and mount an immune response to reject the cells. Only 3.7 percent of the patients receiving the donated cells had such a response. The cells were injected into the heart muscle just once during a cardiac catheterization procedure.

The particular cells used for the therapy, mesenchymal stem cells, are less likely to stimulate an immune response and rejection than most other stem cells. They have the ability to repair muscular tissues and to reduce inflammation.

Patients in the allogeneic and autologous groups were further divided according to the doses of the stem cells they received. Three different doses were tested: 20 million cells, 100 million cells and 200 million cells.

"We generally think the more the better, but in fact, the lowest dose of 20 million cells appeared to be the most effective at improving the hearts pumping ability as well as reducing the extent of scar tissue," says Peter Johnston, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins and co-author of the study.

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Stem Cell Therapy Safely Repairs Damaged Heart Muscle in ...

2 hours ago A cross section through a histotripsy lesion created in bovine liver tissue with the liquified cellular contents washed out revealing the remaining extracellular matrix. The scale bar represents 5mm. Credit: T.Khoklova/UW

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a way to use sound to create cellular scaffolding for tissue engineering, a unique approach that could help overcome one of regenerative medicine's significant obstacles. The researchers will present their technique at the 168th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), held October 27-31, 2014, at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown Hotel.

The development of the new technique started with somewhat of a serendipitous discovery. The University of Washington team had been studying boiling histotripsy - a technique that uses millisecond-long bursts of high-intensity ultrasound waves to break apart tissue - as a method to eliminate cancerous tumors by liquefying them with ultrasound waves. After the sound waves destroy the tumors, the body should eliminate them as cellular waste. When the researchers examined these 'decellularized' tissues, however, they were surprised by what the boiling left intact.

"In some of our experiments, we discovered that some of the stromal tissue and vasculature was being left behind," said Yak-Nam Wang, a senior engineer at the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory. "So we had the idea about using this to decellularize tissues for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine."

The structure that remains after decellularizing tissues is known as the extracellular matrix, a fibrous network that provides a scaffold for cells to grow upon. Most other methods for decellularizing tissues and organs involve chemical and enzymatic treatments that can cause damage to the tissues and fibers and takes multiple days. Histrostipsy, on the other hand, offers the possibility of fast decellularization of tissue with minimal damage to the matrix.

"In tissue engineering, one of the holy grails is to develop biomimetic structures so that you can replace tissues with native tissue," Wang said. Stripping away cells from already developed tissue could provide a good candidate for these structures, since the extracellular matrix already acts as the cellular framework for tissue systems, Wang said.

Due to its bare composition, the matrix also induces only a relatively weak immune response from the host. The matrix could then theoretically be fed with stem cells or cells from the same person to effectively re-grow an organ.

"The other thought is that maybe you could just implant the extracellular matrix and then the body itself would self-seed the tissues, if it's just a small patch of tissue that you're replacing," Wang said. "You won't have any immune issues, and because you have this biomimetic scaffold that's closer to the native tissue, healing would be better, and the body would recognize it as normal tissue."

Wang is currently investigating decellularization of kidney and liver tissue from large animals. Future work involves increasing the size of the decellularized tissues and assessing their in-vivo regenerative efficacy.

Explore further: The future of regenerative medicine

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High-intensity sound waves may aid regenerative medicine

3 hours ago Amy Ralston, MSU biochemist and molecular biologist, has identified a possible source of stem cells, which can advance regenerative and fertility research. Credit: G.L. Kohuth

When most animals begin life, cells immediately begin accepting assignments to become a head, tail or a vital organ. However, mammals, including humans, are special. The cells of mammalian embryos get to make a different first choice to become the protective placenta or to commit to forming the baby.

It's during this critical first step that research from Michigan State University has revealed key discoveries. The results, published in the current issue of PLOS Genetics, provide insights into where stem cells come from, and could advance research in regenerative medicine. And since these events occur during the first four or five days of human pregnancy, the stage in which the highest percentage of pregnancies are lost, the study also has significant implications for fertility research.

Pluripotent stem cells can become any cell in the body and can be created in two ways. First, they can be produced when scientists reprogram mature adult cells. Second, they are created by embryos during this crucial four-day window of a mammalian pregnancy. In fact, this window is uniquely mammalian, said Amy Ralston, MSU assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and lead author on the study.

"Embryos make pluripotent stem cells with 100 percent efficiency," she said. "The process of reprogramming cells, manipulating our own cells to become stem cells, is merely 1 percent efficient. Embryos have it figured out, and we need to learn how they're doing it."

The researchers' first discovery is that in mouse embryos, the gene, Sox2, appears to be acting ahead of other genes traditionally identified as playing crucial roles in stem cell formation. Simply put, this gene could determine the source of stem cells in mammals. Now researchers are trying to decipher why Sox2 is taking the lead role.

"Now we know Sox2 is the first indicator that a cell is pluripotent," Ralston said. "In fact, Sox2 may be the pre-pluripotent gene. We show that Sox2 is detectable in just one or two cells of the embryo earlier than previously thought, and earlier than other known stem cell genes."

The second discovery is that Sox2 has broader influence than initially thought. The gene appears to help coordinate the cells that make the fetus and the other cells that establish the pregnancy and nurture the fetus.

Future research will focus on studying exactly why Sox2 is playing this role. The team has strong insights, but they want to go deeper, Ralston said.

"Reprogramming is amazing, but it's inefficient," she said. "What we've learned from the embryo is how to improve efficiency, a process that could someday lead to generating stem cells for clinical purposes with a much higher success rate."

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Identifying the source of stem cells

Shinya Yamanaka ( , Yamanaka Shin'ya?, born September 4, 1962) is a Japanese Nobel Prize-winning stem cell researcher.[1][2][3] He serves as the director of Center for iPS Cell Research and Application and a professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences at Kyoto University; as a senior investigator at the UCSF-affiliated J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, California; and as a professor of anatomy at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Yamanaka is also a past president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).

He received the Wolf Prize in Medicine in 2011 with Rudolf Jaenisch;[6] the Millennium Technology Prize in 2012 together with Linus Torvalds. In 2012 he and John Gurdon were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery that mature cells can be converted to stem cells.[7] In 2013 he was awarded the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his work.

Yamanaka was born in Higashisaka Japan in 1962. After graduating from Tennji High School attached to Osaka Kyoiku University,[8] he received his M.D. at Kobe University in 1987 and his PhD at Osaka City University Graduate School in 1993. After this, he went through a residency in orthopedic surgery at National Osaka Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, San Francisco.

Afterwards he worked at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, USA and Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan. Yamanaka is currently Professor at Kyoto University, where he directs its Center for iPS Research and Application. He is also a senior investigator at the Gladstone Institutes as well as the director of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application.[9]

Between 1987 and 1989, Yamanaka was a resident in orthopedic surgery at the National Osaka Hospital. His first operation, was removing a benign tumor from his friend Shuichi Hirata, a task he could not complete after one hour, when a skilled surgeon would take ten minutes or so. Some seniors referred to him as "Jamanaka", a pun on the Japanese word for obstacle.[10]

From 1993 to 1996, he was at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease. Between 1996 and 1999, he was an assistant professor at Osaka City University Medical School, but found himself mostly looking after mice in the laboratory, not doing actual research.[10]

His wife advised him to become a practicing doctor, but instead he applied for a position at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology. He stated that he could and would clarify the characteristics of embryonic stem cells, and this can-do attitude won him the job. From 19992003, he was an associate professor there, and started the research that would later win him the 2012 Nobel Prize. He became a full professor and remained at the institute in that position from 20032005. Between 2004 and 2010, Yamanaka was a professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences.[11] Currently, Yamanaka is the director and a professor at the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at Kyoto University.

In 2006, he and his team generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) from adult mouse fibroblasts.[1] iPS cells closely resemble embryonic stem cells, the in vitro equivalent of the part of the blastocyst (the embryo a few days after fertilization) which grows to become the embryo proper. They could show that his iPS cells were pluripotent, i.e. capable of generating all cell lineages of the body. Later he and his team generated iPS cells from human adult fibroblasts,[2] again as the first group to do so. A key difference from previous attempts by the field was his team's use of multiple transcription factors, instead of transfecting one transcription factor per experiment. They started with 24 transcription factors known to be important in the early embryo, but could in the end reduce it to 4 transcription factors Sox2, Oct4, Klf4 and c-Myc.[1]

Yamanaka practiced judo (2dan black belt) and played rugby as a university student. He also has a history of running marathons. After a 20-year gap, he competed in the inaugural Osaka Marathon in 2011 as a charity runner with a time of 4:29:53. He also took part in the 2012 Kyoto Marathon to raise money for iPS research, finishing in 4:03:19. He also ran in the second Osaka Marathon on November 25, 2012.[12]

In 2007, Yamanaka was recognized as a "Person Who Mattered" in the Time Person of the Year edition of Time Magazine.[13] Yamanaka was also nominated as a 2008 Time 100 Finalist.[14] In June 2010, Yamanaka was awarded the Kyoto Prize for reprogramming adult skin cells to pluripotential precursors. Yamanaka developed the method as an alternative to embryonic stem cells, thus circumventing an approach in which embryos would be destroyed.

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Shinya Yamanaka - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia