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Regeneus Limited (ASX:RGS) is a regenerative medicine company that develops and commercialises proprietary technologies for the preparation of point-of-care and off-the-shelf cell therapies.

Regeneus' stem cell therapy a treatment option for neuropathic pain

Regeneus (ASX: RGS) is investigating the use of its HiQCell stem cell therapy for treating neuropathic pain, extending its use beyond treating musculoskeletal conditions, such as osteoarthritis.

This is after the publication of a paper in the Journal of Pain Research describing safety and early efficacy data for the use of HiQCell in patients suffering from persistent, severe and intolerable pain in the face and dental region.

Neuropathic pain affects up to 6% of the population.

This new study confirms that the therapy appears to offer a viable new treatment option. Regeneus Clinical Development Director Dr Richard Lilischkis said that to date the pioneering work of HiQCell has focused on the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, such as osteoarthritis.

Following extensive research and development, we are working with our medical specialist partners to offer a therapeutic treatment option for patients suffering with neuropathic pain, he added.

We look forward to continuing offering stem cell clinical treatment options with North Shore Specialist Day Hospital to deliver high quality outcomes for patients.

Regeneus will continue to explore pain more generally and how HiQCell could be applied to other indications.

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Regeneus' stem cell therapy a treatment option for ...

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) May 13, 2014

Neil Riordan, PhD will Present Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) in the Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases at the 22nd Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging, Regenerative and Aesthetic Medicine at the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Orlando, Florida as part of the Specialty Workshop: Stem Cells in Anti-Aging Medicine: An Update.

The primary focus of this workshop is to teach medical professionals how to successfully incorporate stem cell treatments into their practices. Expert faculty will cover stem cell theory and clinical trial research for all aspects of regenerative medicine as well as stem cell treatment marketing.

Dr. Riordan will discuss: Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells mechanisms of immune modulating activities; the importance of MSC placement for clinical effect; human clinical trials demonstrating efficacy; alternative routes of MSC delivery; dose and frequency; and clinical safety of MSC.

The conference will be held from May 15 17, 2014 at the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Orlando, Florida. For more information, please visit http://www.a4m.com/anti-aging-conference-orlando-2014-may.html.

About Neil Riordan PhD

Dr. Riordan is the founder and chairman of Medistem Panama, Inc., (MPI) a leading stem cell laboratory and research facility located in the Technology Park at the prestigious City of Knowledge in Panama City, Panama. Founded in 2007, MPI stands at the forefront of applied research on adult stem cells for several chronic diseases. MPI's stem cell laboratory is ISO 9001 certified and fully licensed by the Panamanian Ministry of Health. Dr. Riordan is the founder of Stem Cell Institute (SCI) in Panama City, Panama (est. 2007).

Under the umbrella of MPI subsidiary Translational Biosciences, MPI and SCI are currently conducting five IRB-approved clinical trials in Panama for multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis using human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells, mesenchymal trophic factors and stromal vascular fraction. Additional trials for spinal cord injury, autism and cerebral palsy are slated to commence in 2014 upon IRB approval.

Dr. Riordan is an accomplished inventor listed on more than 25 patent families, including 11 issued patents. He is credited with a number of novel discoveries in the field of cancer research since the mid-1990s when he collaborated with his father Dr. Hugh Riordan on the effects of high-dose intravenous vitamin C on cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment. This pioneering study on vitamin Cs preferential toxicity to cancer cells notably led to a 1997 patent grant for the treatment of cancer with vitamin C. In 2010, Dr. Riordan received another patent for a new cellular cancer vaccine.

Dr. Riordan is also the founder of Aidan Products, which provides health care professionals with quality nutraceuticals including Stem-Kine, the only nutritional supplement that is clinically proven to increase the amount of circulating stem cells in the body for an extended period of time. Stem-Kine is currently sold in 35 countries.

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Neil Riordan, PhD Presents at American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine's 22nd Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging ...

Using new stem cell technology, scientists at the Salk Institute have shown that neurons generated from the skin cells of people with schizophrenia behave strangely in early developmental stages, providing a hint as to ways to detect and potentially treat the disease early.

The findings of the study, published online in April's Molecular Psychiatry, support the theory that the neurological dysfunction that eventually causes schizophrenia may begin in the brains of babies still in the womb.

"This study aims to investigate the earliest detectable changes in the brain that lead to schizophrenia," says Fred H. Gage, Salk professor of genetics. "We were surprised at how early in the developmental process that defects in neural function could be detected."

Currently, over 1.1 percent of the world's population has schizophrenia, with an estimated three million cases in the United States alone. The economic cost is high: in 2002, Americans spent nearly $63 billion on treatment and managing disability. The emotional cost is higher still: 10 percent of those with schizophrenia are driven to commit suicide by the burden of coping with the disease.

Although schizophrenia is a devastating disease, scientists still know very little about its underlying causes, and it is still unknown which cells in the brain are affected and how. Previously, scientists had only been able to study schizophrenia by examining the brains of patients after death, but age, stress, medication or drug abuse had often altered or damaged the brains of these patients, making it difficult to pinpoint the disease's origins.

The Salk scientists were able to avoid this hurdle by using stem cell technologies. They took skin cells from patients, coaxed the cells to revert back to an earlier stem cell form and then prompted them to grow into very early-stage neurons (dubbed neural progenitor cells or NPCs). These NPCs are similar to the cells in the brain of a developing fetus.

The researchers generated NPCs from the skin cells of four patients with schizophrenia and six people without the disease. They tested the cells in two types of assays: in one test, they looked at how far the cells moved and interacted with particular surfaces; in the other test, they looked at stress in the cells by imaging mitochondria, which are tiny organelles that generate energy for the cells.

On both tests, the Salk team found that NPCs from people with schizophrenia differed in significant ways from those taken from unaffected people.

In particular, cells predisposed to schizophrenia showed unusual activity in two major classes of proteins: those involved in adhesion and connectivity, and those involved in oxidative stress. Neural cells from patients with schizophrenia tended to have aberrant migration (which may result in the poor connectivity seen later in the brain) and increased levels of oxidative stress (which can lead to cell death).

These findings are consistent with a prevailing theory that events occurring during pregnancy can contribute to schizophrenia, even though the disease doesn't manifest until early adulthood. Past studies suggest that mothers who experience infection, malnutrition or extreme stress during pregnancy are at a higher risk of having children with schizophrenia. The reason for this is unknown, but both genetic and environmental factors likely play a role.

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Stem cell technology points to early indicators of schizophrenia

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Newswise LA JOLLAUsing new stem cell technology, scientists at the Salk Institute have shown that neurons generated from the skin cells of people with schizophrenia behave strangely in early developmental stages, providing a hint as to ways to detect and potentially treat the disease early.

The findings of the study, published online in April's Molecular Psychiatry, support the theory that the neurological dysfunction that eventually causes schizophrenia may begin in the brains of babies still in the womb.

"This study aims to investigate the earliest detectable changes in the brain that lead to schizophrenia," says Fred H. Gage, Salk professor of genetics. "We were surprised at how early in the developmental process that defects in neural function could be detected."

Currently, over 1.1 percent of the world's population has schizophrenia, with an estimated three million cases in the United States alone. The economic cost is high: in 2002, Americans spent nearly $63 billion on treatment and managing disability. The emotional cost is higher still: 10 percent of those with schizophrenia are driven to commit suicide by the burden of coping with the disease.

Although schizophrenia is a devastating disease, scientists still know very little about its underlying causes, and it is still unknown which cells in the brain are affected and how. Previously, scientists had only been able to study schizophrenia by examining the brains of patients after death, but age, stress, medication or drug abuse had often altered or damaged the brains of these patients, making it difficult to pinpoint the disease's origins.

The Salk scientists were able to avoid this hurdle by using stem cell technologies. They took skin cells from patients, coaxed the cells to revert back to an earlier stem cell form and then prompted them to grow into very early-stage neurons (dubbed neural progenitor cells or NPCs). These NPCs are similar to the cells in the brain of a developing fetus.

The researchers generated NPCs from the skin cells of four patients with schizophrenia and six people without the disease. They tested the cells in two types of assays: in one test, they looked at how far the cells moved and interacted with particular surfaces; in the other test, they looked at stress in the cells by imaging mitochondria, which are tiny organelles that generate energy for the cells.

On both tests, the Salk team found that NPCs from people with schizophrenia differed in significant ways from those taken from unaffected people.

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New Stem Cell Research Points to Early Indicators of Schizophrenia

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Newswise May 13, 2014 (BRONX, NY) Healthy stem cells work to restore or repair the bodys tissues, but cancer stem cells have a more nefarious mission: to spawn malignant tumors. Cancer stem cells were discovered a decade ago, but their origins and identity remain largely unknown.

Today, the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University hosted its second Stem Cell Symposium, focusing on cancer stem cells. Leading scientists from the U.S., Canada and Belgium discussed the latest advances in the field and highlighted the challenges of translating this knowledge into targeted cancer treatments.

These exceptional scientists are pioneers in the field and have made enormous contributions to our understanding of the biology of stem cells and cancer, said Paul Frenette, M.D., director and chair of Einsteins Stem Cell Institute and professor of medicine and of cell biology. Hopefully this symposium will spark productive dialogues and collaborations among the researchers who attend.

The presenters were:

Cancer Stem Cells and Malignant Progression, Robert A. Weinberg, Ph.D., Daniel K. Daniel K. Ludwig Professor for Cancer Research Director, Ludwig Center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Member, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research Towards Unification of Cancer Stem Cell and Clonal Evolution Models of Intratumoral Heterogeneity, John Dick, Ph.D., Canada Research Chair in Stem Cell Biology and senior scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network; professor of molecular genetics, University of Toronto Normal and Neoplastic Stem Cells, Irving L. Weissman, M.D., Director, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Director, Stanford Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine; Professor of Pathology and Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine Cell Fate Decisions During Tumor Formation, Leonard I. Zon, M.D., Grousbeck Professor of Pediatric Medicine, Director, Stem Cell Research Program, Howard Hughes Medical Institute/Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School Skin Stem Cells in Silence, Action and Cancer, Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D., Rebecca C. Lancefield Professor, Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, Howard Hughes Medical Institute/The Rockefeller University Mechanism Regulating Stemness in Skin Cancer, Cdric Blanpain, M.D., Ph.D., professor of stem cell and developmental biology, WELBIO, Interdisciplinary Research Institute, Universit Libre de Bruxelles Mouse Models of Malignant GBM: Cancer Stem Cells and Beyond, Luis F. Parada, Ph.D., professor and chairman, Diana K and Richard C. Strauss Distinguished Chair in Developmental Biology; Director, Kent Waldrep Foundation Center for Basic Neuroscience Research; Southwestern Ball Distinguished Chair in Nerve Regeneration Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

***

About Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is one of the nations premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2013-2014 academic year, Einstein is home to 734 M.D., 236 Ph.D. students, 106 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 353 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 2,000 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2013, Einstein received more than $155 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in diabetes, cancer, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore Medical Center the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Through its extensive affiliation network involving Montefiore, Jacobi Medical CenterEinsteins founding hospital, and five other hospital systems in the Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island and Brooklyn, Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and view us on YouTube.

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Cancer Stem Cells Under the Microscope at Albert Einstein College of Medicine Symposium

May 14, 2014, 4 a.m.

STEM cell therapy is the great frontier of todays medical research.

STEM cell therapy is the great frontier of todays medical research.

While still in its infancy, stem cell technology has already moved from being a promising idea to delivering life-saving treatment for conditions such as leukaemia.

Last week about 70 people gathered at the Mid City Motel, Warrnambool, to hear about the advances from one of Australias leading researchers.

Stem cell researcher, Professor Graham Jenkin.

Professor Graham Jenkin, of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at Monash University, is researching the use of stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood to treat babies at risk of developing cerebral palsy as the result of oxygen deprivation during birth.

The event was hosted by the Warrnambool branch of the Inner Wheel Club as part of a national fund-raising program by the organisation.

Professor Jenkin, deputy director of The Ritchie Centre, said treating infants deprived of oxygen with cord blood stem cells was showing promising results in preventing the brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy.

We are looking at treating infants within a 24-hour window after birth, Professor Jenkin said. We would be aiming for treatment after about six hours if possible, which is about as soon as the stem cells can be harvested.

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Stem cell research offers new hope

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Washington, May 12 : Researchers have merged stem cell and 'organ-on-a-chip' technologies to grow, for the first time, functioning human heart tissue carrying an inherited cardiovascular disease.

The research appears to be a big step forward for personalized medicine, as it is working proof that a chunk of tissue containing a patient's specific genetic disorder can be replicated in the laboratory.

Using their interdisciplinary approach, the investigators modeled the cardiovascular disease Barth syndrome, a rare X-linked cardiac disorder caused by mutation of a single gene called Tafazzin, or TAZ. The disorder, which is currently untreatable, primarily appears in boys, and is associated with a number of symptoms affecting heart and skeletal muscle function.

The researchers took skin cells from two Barth syndrome patients, and manipulated the cells to become stem cells that carried these patients' TAZ mutations. Instead of using the stem cells to generate single heart cells in a dish, the cells were grown on chips lined with human extracellular matrix proteins that mimic their natural environment, tricking the cells into joining together as they would if they were forming a diseased human heart.

The engineered diseased tissue contracted very weakly, as would the heart muscle seen in Barth syndrome patients.

The investigators then used genome editinga technique pioneered by Harvard collaborator George Church, PhDto mutate TAZ in normal cells, confirming that this mutation is sufficient to cause weak contraction in the engineered tissue.

On the other hand, delivering the TAZ gene product to diseased tissue in the laboratory corrected the contractile defect, creating the first tissue-based model of correction of a genetic heart disease.

Furthermore, the scientists discovered that the TAZ mutation works in such a way to disrupt the normal activity of mitochondria, often called the power plants of the cell for their role in making energy.

However, the mutation didn't seem to affect overall energy supply of the cells. In what could be a newly identified function for mitochondria, the researchers describe a direct link between mitochondrial function and a heart cell's ability to build itself in a way that allows it to contract.

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Stem cell and 'organ-on-a-chip' merger step forward for personalized meds

Vancouver, British Columbia (PRWEB) May 12, 2014

STEMCELL Technologies Inc. has just released NEW MesenCult Proliferation Kit with MesenPure (Mouse), a novel cell culture medium to advance research on mouse mesenchymal stem and progenitor cells (MSCs).

When added to MesenCult medium, MesenPure supplement enriches mouse bone marrow- or compact bone-derived MSC cultures by reducing the number of hematopoietic cells. Culturing with MesenPure eliminates the time-intensive serial passaging steps and frequent cell culture medium changes normally required to decrease the unwanted hematopoietic cell population typically present in MSC cultures. Cultures treated with MesenPure appear homogeneous and mostly devoid of hematopoietic cells as early as passage zero and also contain increased numbers of mesenchymal stem cells that display more robust differentiation.

This easy-to-use and versatile kit, may save researchers from having to wait several weeks for homogeneous MSC cultures, explains Dr. Arthur Sampaio, Senior Scientist at STEMCELL Technologies. But, I think the greatest advantage to using MesenPure may be the ability to use lower-passage cultures. It has been shown that over time, extended passaging can bring about detrimental changes to MSCs, such as a loss of phenotype, senescence, and a decrease in the homing ability and differentiation potential of the cells. By using the MesenCult Proliferation Kit with MesenPure, researchers will be able to study lower passage mouse MSCs, increasing their ability to evaluate the true potential of these cells.

For more information or to request a free sample, please visit http://www.stemcell.com/freemesenpure.

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STEMCELL Technologies Inc. Launches Novel Cell Culture Medium to Advance Research on Mouse Mesenchymal Stem and ...

Image Caption: Researchers use modified RNA transfection to correct genetic dysfunction in heart stem cells derived from Barth syndrome patients. The series of images show how inserting modified RNA into diseased cells causes the cells to produce functioning versions of the TAZ protein (first image: in green) that correctly localize in the mitochondria (second image: in red). When the images are merged to demonstrate this localization, green overlaps with red, giving the third image a yellow color. Credit: Gang Wang and William Pu/Boston Children's Hospital

[ Watch The Video: Cardiac Tissue Contractile Strength Differences Shown Using Heart-On-A-Chip ]

Harvard University

Harvard scientists have merged stem cell and organ-on-a-chip technologies to grow, for the first time, functioning human heart tissue carrying an inherited cardiovascular disease. The research appears to be a big step forward for personalized medicine, as it is working proof that a chunk of tissue containing a patients specific genetic disorder can be replicated in the laboratory.

The work, published in Nature Medicine, is the result of a collaborative effort bringing together scientists from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston Childrens Hospital, the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Harvard Medical School. It combines the organs-on-chips expertise of Kevin Kit Parker, PhD, and stem cell and clinical insights by William Pu, MD.

Using their interdisciplinary approach, the investigators modeled the cardiovascular disease Barth syndrome, a rare X-linked cardiac disorder caused by mutation of a single gene called Tafazzin, or TAZ. The disorder, which is currently untreatable, primarily appears in boys, and is associated with a number of symptoms affecting heart and skeletal muscle function.

The researchers took skin cells from two Barth syndrome patients, and manipulated the cells to become stem cells that carried these patients TAZ mutations. Instead of using the stem cells to generate single heart cells in a dish, the cells were grown on chips lined with human extracellular matrix proteins that mimic their natural environment, tricking the cells into joining together as they would if they were forming a diseased human heart. The engineered diseased tissue contracted very weakly, as would the heart muscle seen in Barth syndrome patients.

The investigators then used genome editinga technique pioneered by Harvard collaborator George Church, PhDto mutate TAZ in normal cells, confirming that this mutation is sufficient to cause weak contraction in the engineered tissue. On the other hand, delivering the TAZ gene product to diseased tissue in the laboratory corrected the contractile defect, creating the first tissue-based model of correction of a genetic heart disease.

You dont really understand the meaning of a single cells genetic mutation until you build a huge chunk of organ and see how it functions or doesnt function, said Parker, who has spent over a decade working on organs-on-chips technology. In the case of the cells grown out of patients with Barth syndrome, we saw much weaker contractions and irregular tissue assembly. Being able to model the disease from a single cell all the way up to heart tissue, I think thats a big advance.

Furthermore, the scientists discovered that the TAZ mutation works in such a way to disrupt the normal activity of mitochondria, often called the power plants of the cell for their role in making energy. However, the mutation didnt seem to affect overall energy supply of the cells. In what could be a newly identified function for mitochondria, the researchers describe a direct link between mitochondrial function and a heart cells ability to build itself in a way that allows it to contract.

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'Heart Disease-On-A-Chip' Made From Patient Stem Cells

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A child with a life threatening disease is heart wrenching for parents. Suddenly they are faced with no easy way to get a match for stem cells that could save their child.

With cell therapy, there is a way to do that but it starts in the delivery room.

Delanie Rinne's fourth child, Ezekial, was born earlier this year and even though he'll get older; proof of that day is being stored at Core23 BioBank in Springfield.

"We decided to look into banking the cord blood because we know that this is probably our last biological child," says Rinne.

Core23 stores your child's blood, plasma or tissue from the umbilical cord to help treat 81 different diseases.

"If I had a child that has Leukemia and I was pregnant then that would be a treatment option."

Emily and Michael Perry opened the private cord bank as another option for parents.

"We see that cell therapy is surpassing bone marrow, we truly believe that it is the medicine of the future."

"Cell therapy is taking a healthy, viable cell and putting it into somebody's body to treat a disease or a condition."

The process starts in the delivery room and ends in a hydrogen tank in their lab.

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Cord Banking, Cell Therapy Helps Treat Deadly Diseases

Beverly Hills, California (PRWEB) May 12, 2014

The top Beverly Hills pain management doctors at BZ Pain are now offering stem cell procedures for those with joint arthritis and pain. The outpatient regenerative medicine procedures are typically able to relieve pain and help patients avoid the need for joint replacement surgery of the shoulder, hip, knee and ankle. Call (310) 626-1526 for more information and scheduling.

Over a million joint replacement procedures are performed each year in America. These procedures should be considered an absolute last resort, since the implants are not meant to last forever. There are potential complications with joint replacement.

Therefore, stem cell procedures are an excellent option. They often help repair and regenerate damaged tissue, which is very different than what occurs with steroid injections. The stem cell procedures include options derived from amniotic fluid, fat tissue, or one's bone marrow.

Initial studies are showing the benefits of stem cell procedures for degenerative arthritis. With exceptionally low risk, there is a significant upside with the stem cell pain management therapies.

Dr. Zarrini at BZ Pain is a Double Board Certified Los Angeles pain management doctor, and is able to provide both medical and interventional therapies. The procedures do not involve any fetal tissue or embryonic stem cells. The procedures may help degenerative disease symptoms in the shoulder, hip, knee and ankle to name a few joints.

For those interested in stem cell therapy Los Angeles and Beverly Hills trusts, call BZ Pain today at (310) 626-1526.

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Top Beverly Hills Pain Management Doctors at BZ Pain Now Offering Stem Cell Procedures for Joint Arthritis for Pain ...

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

11-May-2014

Contact: Joseph Caputo joseph_caputo@harvard.edu 617-496-1491 Harvard University

Cambridge, MAHarvard scientists have merged stem cell and 'organ-on-a-chip' technologies to grow, for the first time, functioning human heart tissue carrying an inherited cardiovascular disease. The research appears to be a big step forward for personalized medicine, as it is working proof that a chunk of tissue containing a patient's specific genetic disorder can be replicated in the laboratory.

The work, published in Nature Medicine, is the result of a collaborative effort bringing together scientists from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston Children's Hospital, the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Harvard Medical School. It combines the 'organs-on-chips' expertise of Kevin Kit Parker, PhD, and stem cell and clinical insights by William Pu, MD.

Using their interdisciplinary approach, the investigators modeled the cardiovascular disease Barth syndrome, a rare X-linked cardiac disorder caused by mutation of a single gene called Tafazzin, or TAZ. The disorder, which is currently untreatable, primarily appears in boys, and is associated with a number of symptoms affecting heart and skeletal muscle function.

The researchers took skin cells from two Barth syndrome patients, and manipulated the cells to become stem cells that carried these patients' TAZ mutations. Instead of using the stem cells to generate single heart cells in a dish, the cells were grown on chips lined with human extracellular matrix proteins that mimic their natural environment, tricking the cells into joining together as they would if they were forming a diseased human heart. The engineered diseased tissue contracted very weakly, as would the heart muscle seen in Barth syndrome patients.

The investigators then used genome editinga technique pioneered by Harvard collaborator George Church, PhDto mutate TAZ in normal cells, confirming that this mutation is sufficient to cause weak contraction in the engineered tissue. On the other hand, delivering the TAZ gene product to diseased tissue in the laboratory corrected the contractile defect, creating the first tissue-based model of correction of a genetic heart disease.

"You don't really understand the meaning of a single cell's genetic mutation until you build a huge chunk of organ and see how it functions or doesn't function," said Parker, who has spent over a decade working on 'organs-on-chips' technology. "In the case of the cells grown out of patients with Barth syndrome, we saw much weaker contractions and irregular tissue assembly. Being able to model the disease from a single cell all the way up to heart tissue, I think that's a big advance."

Furthermore, the scientists discovered that the TAZ mutation works in such a way to disrupt the normal activity of mitochondria, often called the power plants of the cell for their role in making energy. However, the mutation didn't seem to affect overall energy supply of the cells. In what could be a newly identified function for mitochondria, the researchers describe a direct link between mitochondrial function and a heart cell's ability to build itself in a way that allows it to contract.

See the original post:
Patient stem cells used to make 'heart disease-on-a-chip'

Neurosurgeon and stem cell researcher, Joseph Ciacci M.D. will soon start a clinical trial of stem cells to treat paralysis from spinal cord injury.

After many years of waiting, a flood of new regenerative-cell therapies is finally reaching patients. Hundreds of clinical trials for these experimental treatments are under way across the world.

In the United States, 774 trials with stem or other regenerative cells are open to patients or soon will be, according to clinicaltrials.gov, which lists government-approved clinical testing in this country and abroad. Of that total, 147 are taking place in California.

One of the most difficult tests involving stem cells repairing spinal-cord damage that has caused complete loss of movement and sensation below the injury site is set to begin soon at UC San Diego.

Patients in that study will get injections of fetal-derived neural stem cells in and around the injury site, along with physical therapy and immune-system drugs in case theres a reaction to the stem cells. The trial will use a device that delivers precisely targeted micro-injections of cells to the targeted areas.

The clinical trial will test safety and look for early signs of efficacy, said Dr. Joseph Ciacci, a UC San Diego neurosurgeon leading the testing.

A study published a year ago found that in rats with spinal-cord injuries, the neural stem cells significantly improved movement in the hind paws. Ciacci, who co-authored that study, saw the cells proliferate and fill in a spinal-cord cavity that had resulted from the injuries. Such results supported testing the therapy in people, he said, but he declined to say whether he expected to see any improvement in those patients.

I really dont know, because its not been done, Ciacci said.

The clinical trial is expected to start in June. Its intended for adults 18 to 65 years old who suffered their injury at least one year ago but no more than two years ago. For more information, visit utsandiego.com/ucsdspinal or call Amber Faulise at (858) 657-5175.

Another type of stem cells, mesenchymal stromal, might be described as the duct tape of regenerative cells. Generally derived from bone marrow, they are being tested for treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, kidney transplants, liver cirrhosis, osteoarthritis of the knee, stroke and many other conditions. Worldwide, 226 trials are being conducted with these cells, including 45 in the U.S. and 12 in California, according to clinicaltrials.gov.

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Stem cell treatments reaching patients

Knee arthritis/torn meniscus 6 months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson
Alan discusses his results six months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson for treatment of his arthritic knees and torn menisci http://www.docereclinics.com.

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

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Knee arthritis/torn meniscus 6 months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson - Video

Jeanne Loring, stem cell researcher and astronomy buff, at home with one of her telescopes.

Few medical advances equal stem cells in their promise to treat conditions that currently have no cure. From Parkinsons disease to AIDS to spinal-cord injuries, scientists are getting ever closer to realizing that promise for hundreds of millions of patients.

Yet when Jeanne Loring began her research pursuits in the late 1970s, few people knew what stem cells were. These microscopic wonders, with their ability to turn into many different types of cells in the body, fascinated her. She has devoted her career to studying them and encouraging others to do likewise.

Loring, in short, is a stem-cell evangelist.

She commands respect worldwide not only because she was one of the first people to become proficient in producing human embryonic stem cells in the lab, but also because her collaborative spirit has been foundational in expanding the stem-cell field to new generations of scientists.

At the request of the National Institutes of Health, she co-wrote a manual on the subject to train other researchers. She also provided knowledge that was crucial in courtroom battles against a patent that had put a stranglehold on stem cell studies nationwide. And she helped establish a trailblazing training program for stem-cell scientists in Southern California.

Today, as a leading figure at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Loring is widely considered both a stem-cell pioneer and a key voice on the latest issues in the field.

Shes a board member of the institute that funds and coordinates much of the stem-cell research in California. She revels in teamwork with experts at other scholarly institutions, in industry and from patient-advocacy groups. And shes internationally renowned for her findings on how stem cells might treat neurological diseases.

But Loring is happy to be more of a behind-the-scenes player.

Sometimes you hear about scientists who are pie-in-the-sky crazy people, and youve got to lasso them back down to Earth. Thats not a problem with Jeanne. Shes got her feet planted firmly on the Earth, said Daniel Ravicher, an attorney with the Santa Monica-based group Consumer Watchdog and founder of the Public Patent Foundation.

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Spreading the stem cell gospel

Low back disc pain 3 months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson
Brian discusses his results from the bone marrow stem cell injection into his lumbar discs performed by Dr Harry Adelson http://www.docereclinics.com.

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

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Low back disc pain 3 months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson - Video

Eczema is one of the most common skin conditions, affecting up to 30% of people in the US. Symptoms include dry, itchy skin and rashes. But according to new research, having eczema may not be all that bad; it could reduce the risk of skin cancer.

In a study published in the journal eLife, researchers from Kings College London in the UK say that eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, activates an immune response that sheds potentially cancerous cells from the skin, preventing tumor formation.

According to the research team, including Prof. Fiona Watt of the Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at Kings College, previous studies have suggested that eczema may reduce the risk of skin cancer.

However, they note that this association has proven difficult to confirm in human studies, as medication for eczema may influence cancer risk. Furthermore, symptoms of the condition vary in severity in each individual.

Eczema reduced tumor formation in mice models

For their study, the team genetically engineered mice to have skin defects commonly found in humans with eczema.

They did this by removing structural proteins in the outer layers of their skin, causing them to have an abnormal skin barrier.

The researchers then tested two cancer-causing chemicals in the genetically engineered mice, as well as in normal mice.

They found that the number of benign tumors in defected mice was six times lower than the number found in the normal mice.

Further investigation revealed that although both the defected and normal mice had equal susceptibility to mutations caused by the chemicals, the defected mice had an exaggerated inflammatory response that resulted in potentially cancerous cells being shed from the skin.

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Eczema may reduce skin cancer risk

20 hours ago A signal from Transit-Amplifying Cells (TACs) activates stem cells in the hair follicle, researchers have found. Both types of cells appear in green (top), with TACs clustered lower down. The researchers identified the signal as Sonic Hedgehog. In experiments, such as this one (bottom), they disabled the signal, interfering with hair growth and regeneration.

(Phys.org) Stem cells switch off and on, sometimes dividing to produce progeny cells and sometimes resting. But scientists don't fully understand what causes the cells to toggle between active and quiet states.

New research in Elaine Fuchs' Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development focused on stem cells in the hair follicle to determine what switches them on. The researchers found cells produced by the stem cells, progeny known at Transit-Amplifying Cells or TACs, emit a signal that tells quiet hair follicle stem cells to become active.

"Many types of mammalian stem cells produce TACs, which act as an intermediate between the stem cells and their final product: fully differentiated cells in blood, skin and elsewhere," says Ya-Chieh Hsu, who conducted the research while as a postdoc in the lab and will soon move to Harvard University. "In the past, TACs were seen as a population of cells that sat by passively cranking out tissues. No one expected them to play a regulatory role."

Hsu and Fuchs went a step further to identify the signal sent out by the TACs. They pinpointed a cell-division promoting protein called Sonic Hedgehog, which plays a role in the embryonic development of the brain, eyes and limbs.

Stem cells are medically valuable because they have the potential to produce a number of specialized cells suitable for specific roles. Stem cells' production of these differentiated cells is crucial to normal maintenance, growth and repair. Many tissues have two populations of stem cells: one that divides rarely, known as the quiescent stem cells, and another that is more prone to proliferate, known as primed stem cells. Regardless of their proliferation frequency, most stem cells in humans do not directly produce differentiated progeny cells; instead, they give rise to an intermediate proliferating population, the TACs.

The hair follicle, the tiny organ that produces a hair, forms a narrow cavity down into the skin. It cycles between rounds of growth, destruction and rest. When entering the growth phase, the primed stem cell population is always the first to divide and generates the TACs clustered lower down in the hair follicle. Primed stem cell proliferation sets the stage for the next round of hair growth, a process which ensures hairs are replaced as they are lost over time. Proliferating TACs produce the hair shaft, as well as all the cells surrounding the hair underneath the skin, which make up the follicle itself.

At the outset, Hsu and Fuchs suspected a role for both the TACs and for Sonic Hedgehog in hair regeneration.

"We noticed that the primed stem cell population gets activated early and makes the TACs, while the quiescent stem cell population only becomes activated once TACs are generated. This correlation prompted us to look for a signal that is made by the TACs. Sonic Hedgehog is that signal, as we went on to demonstrate," explained Fuchs.

In experiments described this week in Cell, Hsu disabled TACs' ability to produce the Sonic Hedgehog protein by knocking out the gene responsible in the hair follicles of adult mice. As a result, the proliferation of hair follicle stem cells and their TACs are both compromised. They further showed that it is the quiescent stem cell population which requires Sonic Hedgehog directly for proliferation.

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Stem cell progeny tell their parents when to turn on

Man believed to be offering stem-cell therapy without a license
Undercover agents arrested a man claiming to be a doctor who was providing stem-cell treatments for injured athletes. Authorities say the man has no medical professional licenses.

By: WPBF 25 News

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(PRWEB UK) 9 May 2014

Over the course of the human life span the body ages and becomes less able to repair itself, allowing it to become more prone to disease and illness. In the ever developing field of scientific discovery researchers have become intrigued with the concept of finding a way to slow down age-related diseases and prolonging life through the use of medicine. Since the Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka (http://bit.ly/1kWb20u) first discovered iPS cells in adult tissue and pioneered mature cell regeneration, this field in medicine has become one of the most rapidly developing fields in biomedicine.

A research team at the National Institute on Ageing at the National Institutes of Health in the US has discovered a promising strategy to arrest ageing by looking at a chemical called SRT1720 which activates a particular protein called Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). Previous research has demonstrated that activating SIRT1 can have health benefits in various organisms, and it has been proposed as an anti-ageing protein. This study, published in the March edition of Research Journal: Cell (http://bit.ly/1od2gS5) focused on comparing the lifespan, health and diseases of mice fed the same diet, but with or without the addition of a SRT1720.

Overall they found mice fed a normal diet but with the supplement had a longer natural lifespan on average (about five weeks longer). During their lifetime, additional tests also suggested they had improved muscle function and coordination, improved metabolism, improved glucose tolerance, decreased body fat and cholesterol. All in all this suggests that giving the mice this supplement could protect them from the equivalent of metabolic syndrome, a series of risk factors associated with conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

A study published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports (http://bit.ly/1hBSDF6) and carried out by the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre's Telomeres and Telomerase Group, reveals that the SIRT1 protein is needed to lengthen and maintain telomeres during cell reprogramming. SIRT1 also guarantees the integrity of the genome of stem cells that come out of the cell reprogramming process; these cells are known as iPS cells (induced Pluripotent Stem cells).

The nature of iPS cells, however, is causing intense debate. The latest research shows that chromosome aberrations and DNA damage can accumulate in these cells. "The problem is that we don't know if these cells are really safe," says Mara Luigia De Bonis, a postdoctoral researcher who has done a large part of the work. http://bit.ly/1m5gRgb

Researchers did not look at whether SIRT1 may cause side effects or complications so it is currently unclear whether SIRT1 would be safe in humans, let alone effective, but this interesting research has opened doors to pharmaceutical companies to develop dietary supplements that can help provide anti-aging pills, especially those who suffer hereditary degenerative diseases. These ongoing scientific studies will help shed light on how cell reprogramming guarantees the healthy functioning of stem cells. This knowledge will help to overcome barriers that come out of the use of iPS cells so they may be used in regenerative medicine.

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Production of synthetic SIRT1 as a dietary supplement may help prolong life, states Chemist Direct