Public release date: 10-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Bill Seiler bseiler@umm.edu 410-328-8919 University of Maryland Medical Center

Baltimore, MD September 10, 2012 Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who are exploring novel ways to treat serious heart problems in children, have conducted the first direct comparison of the regenerative abilities of neonatal and adult-derived human cardiac stem cells. Among their findings: cardiac stem cells (CSCs) from newborns have a three-fold ability to restore heart function to nearly normal levels compared with adult CSCs. Further, in animal models of heart attack, hearts treated with neonatal stem cells pumped stronger than those given adult cells. The study is published in the September 11, 2012, issue of Circulation.

"The surprising finding is that the cells from neonates are extremely regenerative and perform better than adult stem cells," says the study's senor author, Sunjay Kaushal, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director, pediatric cardiac surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center. "We are extremely excited and hopeful that this new cell-based therapy can play an important role in the treatment of children with congenital heart disease, many of whom don't have other options."

Dr. Kaushal envisions cellular therapy as either a stand-alone therapy for children with heart failure or an adjunct to medical and surgical treatments. While surgery can provide structural relief for some patients with congenital heart disease and medicine can boost heart function up to two percent, he says cellular therapy may improve heart function even more dramatically. "We're looking at this type of therapy to improve heart function in children by 10, 12, or 15 percent. This will be a quantum leap in heart function improvement."

Heart failure in children, as in adults, has been on the rise in the past decade and the prognosis for patients hospitalized with heart failure remains poor. In contrast to adults, Dr. Kaushal says heart failure in children is typically the result of a constellation of problems: reduced cardiac blood flow; weakening and enlargement of the heart; and various congenital malformations. Recent research has shown that several types of cardiac stem cells can help the heart repair itself, essentially reversing the theory that a broken heart cannot be mended.

Stem cells are unspecialized cells that can become tissue- or organ-specific cells with a particular function. In a process called differentiation, cardiac stem cells may develop into rhythmically contracting muscle cells, smooth muscle cells or endothelial cells. Stem cells in the heart may also secrete growth factors conducive to forming heart muscle and keeping the muscle from dying.

To conduct the study, researchers obtained a small amount of heart tissue during normal cardiac surgery from 43 neonates and 13 adults. The cells were expanded in a growth medium yielding millions of cells. The researchers developed a consistent way to isolate and grow neonatal stem cells from as little as 20 milligrams of heart tissue. Adult and neonate stem cell activity was observed both in the laboratory and in animal models. In addition, the animal models were compared to controls that were not given the stem cells.

Dr. Kaushal says it is not clear why the neonatal stem cells performed so well. One explanation hinges on sheer numbers: there are many more stem cells in a baby's heart than in the adult heart. Another explanation: neonate-derived cells release more growth factors that trigger blood vessel development and/or preservation than adult cells.

"This research provides an important link in our quest to understand how stem cells function and how they can best be applied to cure disease and correct medical deficiencies," says E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs, University of Maryland; the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor; and dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Sometimes simple science is the best science. In this case, a basic, comparative study has revealed in stark terms the powerful regenerative qualities of neonatal cardiac stem cells, heretofore unknown."

Excerpt from:
University of Maryland study: Neonatal heart stem cells may help mend kids' broken hearts

TORONTO, Sept. 10, 2012 /CNW/ - Sigmacon Skin Sciences announced it is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Stemulation, a luxury skin care line that uses the healing power of human stem cells to combat wrinkles and other signs of aging.

Stemulation is based on the science that stem cells can be effectively used for skin rejuvenation, tissue repair and wound healing. A research team of specialists spent two years capturing growth factors from adult human skin cells, which they turned into an active ingredient and the basis for Stemulation products. These growth factors stimulate collagen and the reproduction of new skin cells to reduce wrinkles, eliminate sun spots and smooth scars and fine lines. It truly is a groundbreaking (and technology-backed) new way to achieve younger-looking skin!

The Stemulation line includes a serum, cleanser, exfoliant and face and body creams. The line will be sold through select doctors, estheticians and medical spas.

ABOUT Sigmacon Skin Sciences is the national distributor of a comprehensive set of performance skin care products with dedicated product specialists and trainings all across Canada. Our product lines include professional treatments, sun protection products and results-oriented home care. Sigmacon is also the distributor of advanced medical and aesthetic devices. Visit http://www.skinsciences.ca to learn more.

Image with caption: "The Future of Skin Care: Stemulation Facial Serum and Boost Crme used over 1 year. (CNW Group/Sigmacon Skin Sciences)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120910_C3135_PHOTO_EN_17420.jpg

The rest is here:
Introducing Canadians to a whole new way to treat aging skin: Stemulation

By Leila B. Salaverria Philippine Daily Inquirer

Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo: Stem cell treatment

MANILA, PhilippinesLike her predecessor, former President and Pampanga lawmaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has turned to stem cell therapy in an effort to improve her health.

Arroyo said in her official Twitter account that she would have her fourth stem cell intravenous treatment with her alternative medicine doctor on Monday.

Arroyo said her treatment would involve cultured stem cells, and it would be much more modest in price than the one coming from sheep or ones own body.

A close friend and ally of Arroyo, Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez, confirmed that the President has started stem cell therapy, and that she told him that the stem cells she has been using did not come from lamb placenta, and was the less costly form of stem cell treatment.

If you have a lot of health problems, you will try such things, Suarez said on Sunday.

Suarez said he has even filed a resolution to investigate the practice of stem cell treatments in the country, as well as the claims being made about it, considering that it has been gaining popularity.

The public needs to be better informed about it. It might have setbacks that we need to know about, he said.

The therapy involves the use of fresh cells, which are injected into the body to regenerate cells to treat illnesses or reverse aging.

See the rest here:
Arroyo undergoes 4th stem cell treatment

Fresh from winning $40 million from the
California stem cell agency, StemCells, Inc., is shooting for
another, $10 million award from the state research effort.

“Already looking ahead, StemCells has
set its sights on one more CIRM initiative designed to fund early
stage clinical trials over a four-year period. StemCells has applied
for that grant, worth up to $10 million, to fund a Phase II trial in
PMD(Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease).”

"We're the only company that has
programs going on in all three regions of the central nervous system:
the brain, the spinal cord and the eye."

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Frustrated with politicking,
“arm-twisting,” lobbying and “emotionally charged
presentations,” the governing board of the $3 billion California
stem cell agency today approved short-term changes in its grant
appeal process and ordered up a study to prepare long-term reforms.

"I don't think we can run a board
this way. If we do, it would be chaos." 

“On big money grants, people will be
calling their friends.”

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Directors of the California stem cell agency today approved about $38 million for research into basic biology, including two appeals by researchers on applications initially rejected by reviewers.

The governing board turned down five appeals in the round, which attracted 357 applications in its "pre-app" process, 64 of which were invited to apply. Reviewers approved 25 applications.

The following appeals in the biology round were approved:

• $1.3 million, Deborah Lieu of UC Davis. (Review summary here, appeal here.) 764
• $1.4 million, Yanhong Shi  of the City of Hope. (See review summary here and appeal here.)

The board also approved another application that was rejected by reviewers based on a recommendation by CIRM President Alan Trounson.  It is very unusual for the board to approve rejected applications based on staff recommendations following a review. Trounson described the grant addressed a major bottleneck in stem cell science.

 The California stem cell agency is expected to post a press release shortly with the names of all recipients. The agency usually withholds names of applicants until the the board formally acts.
(An earlier version of this item reported that the board approved $37 million in grants.)

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Dennis Steindler UF Photo

The governing board of the California stem cell agency this morning approved a $6.7 million grant to recruit Dennis Steindler of the University of Florida to the Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, Ca.

The grant was approved immediately following a 45-minute executive session with no further debate. (For more on this, see here, here and here.)

Steindler later told the California Stem Cell Report he would begin work in California as soon as possible.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

The governing board of the California stem cell agency has just concluded a 45 minute executive session on a $6.7 million grant to recruit a Florida scientist to the Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, Ca.

It was the longest executive session ever on a recruitment grant, which are usually approved routinely with little serious discussion.

The board is now resuming discussion of the matter(see here and here.)

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

"In summary, this is an
application from an established leader in NSC biology to pursue
research focused on disease mechanisms in PD. Strengths of the
proposal include the quality of the PI, the focus of the project on
an interesting hypothesis, and the leadership in basic science that
the candidate would bring to the applicant institution. Weaknesses
included deficiencies in the research plan, the limited track-record
of the PI in PD research and an institutional environment lacking
adequate support for basic science investigations."

"During programmatic discussion some GWG (grant review group) members cited a need to broaden stem cell leadership not only at the
large universities but also at the smaller institutions as well. They
felt that the candidate's recruitment would strengthen the applicant
institution and provide leadership and strength in basic research.
The need for increased research focused on Parkinson's Disease was
also cited by some reviewers. A motion to recommend the application
for funding carried with a majority vote. Because more than 35% of
GWG members opposed the motion, opponents have exercised their right
to have that position reported to the ICOC. The consensus statement
from this group is as follows: 'Despite the facts that the
applicant has many excellent attributes, that Parkinson's disease is
a key area of interest, and that the applicant institution may
deserve additional consideration, our opinion is that the application
clearly falls short in several critical scientific areas that
outweigh the programmatic concerns and do not justify a
recommendation for funding. We believe that the people of California
depend upon us to make recommendations based on our scientific
expertise, for outcomes that are most likely to impact medicine and
the health and treatment of their citizens. We believe that their
money can be better spent.'"

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

The board of the California stem cell agency is discussing a proposal to award $6.7 million to recruit a Florida scientist to the Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, Ca.

The scientist is Dennis Steindler of the University of Florida. The recruitment award received a score of 57, although the scores ranged from 30 to 75.  Jeff Sheehy, a member of the grant review group and CIRM board member, said the score reflected two extremely divergent positions by two reviewers.

The board has awarded four grants in its recruitment round over the past couple of years, but this is the first extended discussion of an award recommended by reviewers. It is also the first to have a representative of the applicant institution speaking publicly for the grant.

CIRM directors have now moved into executive session to discuss matters they prefer to air in private.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

The governing board of the California stem cell agency last night rejected appeals by two applicants -- OncoMed Pharmaceuticals of Redwood City and Albert Wong of Stanford -- in the $200 million disease team round.

Both petitions generated little discussion. You can find more on their petitions here and here.

The board also approved changes in its intellectual property and grant administration rules. Both proposals will now enter the state's official administrative law process for more comment and possible change.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

StemCells, Inc., was quick this morning
with a press release about winning a $20 million award last night from the
California stem cell agency.

 "CIRM's approval of two
awards to StemCells illustrates the tremendous promise of
our neural stem cell technology and the high degree of confidence in
the world class team of scientists and clinicians who will be working
to translate this technology into potential treatments and cures for
these devastating diseases." 

 "With the recent spate of late-stage clinical
failures in Alzheimer's disease, it is clear that the field could
benefit from alternative approaches to lessen the huge burden on
families, caregivers and our healthcare system.

"Our recently reported preclinical
data, which showed that our neural stem cells restored memory and
enhanced synaptic function in two animal models relevant to
Alzheimer's disease, shows our approach has promise. We greatly
appreciate the support from CIRM, which should help us accelerate our
efforts to test our HuCNS-SC cells in Alzheimer's disease."

 “We are reiterating our strong
speculative buy with a price target of $4.50 as StemCells Inc.
continues to distinguishing themselves as one of the most advanced
players in the stem cell space.”

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Following a second impassioned pitch by its former chairman, Robert Klein, the governing board of the California stem cell agency approved a $20 million award to a financially strapped biotech firm, StemCells, Inc., of Newark, Ca.

Approval came on a 7-5 vote with the condition that the company demonstrate it has access to $20 million in matching funds prior to funding.  It is the second $20 million award that the company has received in the disease team round, which now totals $214 million. Another disease team application has been tabled and will not be considered until October.

The current CIRM chairman, J.T. Thomas, a Los Angeles bond financier, asked for the financial proof because he said some concerns were expressed during an executive session that CIRM would now "account for such a large part of the assets of the company." Martin McGlynn, CEO of StemCells, Inc., also told the board that the company might have to drop its Alzheimer's research if it did not receive the CIRM award.

The StemCells, Inc., application was rejected twice by reviewers. The original rejection came before the July meeting at which Klein first appeared (see here and here). The proposal was then sent back for re-review, during which it was rejected again.

However, the 29-member board narrowly approved the application following discussion tonight and following its rejection of another Alzheimer's research proposal from USC. Both applicants produced a number of witnesses, including patients, on behalf of their appeals.

“The reviewers did not feel there was compelling data for neuron migration in the submitted manuscript. This is the manuscript specifically referenced at the ICOC (CIRM governing board) meeting (in July) that prompted the call for additional analysis. The manuscript is not yet accepted, it is 'potentially acceptable' but requires 'major revisions' according to the journal editor note. In addition, however, the studies in this manuscript used mouse NSCs, not the human NSCs proposed for the disease team award....”

A footnote: The CIRM staff said that as a result of two StemCells application, a proposal is being prepared to limit applications to one per entity in later rounds.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Public release date: 6-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sally Stewart Sally.stewart@cshs.org 310-248-6566 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

LOS ANGELES Sept. 6, 2012 A team of Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute stem cell researchers today was awarded a $1.3 million grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine to continue study of an experimental stem cell therapy that treats heart attack patients with heart-derived cells. Earlier this year, data from the first clinical trial of the stem cell treatment showed the therapy helped damaged hearts regrow healthy muscle.

To date, this cell therapy, developed by Eduardo Marbn, MD, PhD, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and Mark S. Siegel Family Professor, is the only treatment shown to regenerate the injured human heart. In this therapy, human heart tissue is used to grow specialized heart stem cells, which then are injected back into the patient's heart. The new research will focus on understanding the cellular mechanisms that have produced favorable outcomes.

"We have seen encouraging results in patients with this treatment, and it has the potential to revolutionize how we treat heart attack patients," Marbn said. "This further study will allow us to better understand how it works, which we hope will lead us to even more stem-cell based treatments for the heart."

During a heart attack, clots form suddenly on top of cholesterol-laden plaques, which block the flow of blood to the heart muscle. This causes living heart tissue to die and be replaced by a scar. The larger the scar, the higher the chance of death or disability from the heart attack.

Conventional treatments aim to limit the initial injury by opening the clogged artery and prevent further harm with medications. Regenerative therapy aims to regrow healthy heart muscle and dissolve the heart tissue -- an approach that, according to a study by Marbn published in The Lancet, led to an average 50 percent reduction in scar size.

Early study by Cedars-Sinai researchers indicates that much of the benefit in the experimental therapy is due to an indirect effect of the transplanted cardiac-derived cells. These cells seem to stimulate proliferation of the surrounding undamaged heart cells -- a previously unrecognized means of cardiac regeneration in response to cell therapy.

"This is vital basic science work that we believe will ultimately open pathways to new treatments in the fight against heart disease, the leading cause of premature death and disability," Marbn said.

The process to grow the cardiac-derived stem cells involved in the study was developed by Marbn when he was on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University. The university has filed for a patent on that intellectual property, and has licensed it to a company in which Dr. Marbn has a financial interest.

Continue reading here:
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute awarded $1.3 million to study cardiac stem cells

Laking pasasalamat ni Albert Martinez at ng kanyang pamilya na cleared na sa breast cancer ang asawa niyang si Liezl Martinez.

Kuwento ni Albert sa PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), sa tulong daw ng stem cell therapy ay naging cancer-free ang asawa.

Ok naman, so far with Gods blessing,. Its all cleared. So, were very, very happy.

Dealing with cancer is a struggle from day one, and Im really thankful that theres such a thing as stem cell na naging solusyon sa recovery ni Liezl."

EXTENSIVE RESEARCH. Ayon kay Albert ay pinag-aralan niya ang lahat ng puwedeng maging solusyon sa sakit ng asawa.

Pero sa huli, ang stem cell pa rin ang naging solusyon.

Marami akong pinagdaanan kasi ni-research ko lahat yan.

Kailangang alamin mo kung ano ba ang mga dapat gawin. Lahat pinag-aralan natin

And nag-end up talaga, na ang pinakamaganda is stem cell.

I took the risk, researched on the possibilities of doing it, availability niya.

See the original post:
Albert Martinez claims stem cell therapy cleared wife Liezl Martinez of breast cancer

Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will undergo stem cell therapy on Monday with an alternative medicine doctor.

Arroyo, in a post on her Twitter account Saturday morning, said Monday's session will be her fourth intravenous treatment.

"This Monday I will have my fourth stem cell intravenous treatment with my alternative medicine doctor," she said.

Also she said, "It's cultured stem cell and much more modest in price than the one coming from sheep or one's own body."

But she did not elaborate on how much the treatment will cost.

Stem cell therapy is type of intervention strategy that introduces new adult stem cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury.

Earlier this week, Arroyo said she continues to search for alternative solutions to an anatomic problem that prompted her to be rushed to a government hospital last month.

Arroyo said she had seen at least two "alternative medicine practitioners," and has initiated communication with a "neurocervical spine purist."

She said she also had her thrice-weekly therapy at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City Thursday.

Arroyo underwent treatment last August for an anatomic problem that caused her to choke on her food.

More here:
Gloria Arroyo to have stem cell treatment Monday

Researchers have discovered a cell that is the "missing link" between bone marrow stem cells and all the cells of the human immune system, according to a release from the University of California, Los Angeles. This finding promises to lead to a more profound understanding of how a healthy immune system is created and as well as how disease can cause poor immune function.

The study's senior author, Dr. Gay Crooks, was quoted as saying, " We felt it was especially important to do these studies using human bone marrow, as most research into the development of the immune system has used mouse bone marrow.The few studies with human tissue have mostly used umbilical cord blood, which does not reflect the immune system of post-natal life."

Understanding the process of normal blood formation in human adults is a crucial step in shedding light on what goes wrong during the process that results in leukemias, cancers of the blood. The findings were published online in the journal Nature Immunology.

"The identification of a progenitor in human bone marrow primed for full lymphoid differentiation will now permit delineation of the molecular regulation of the first stages of lymphoid commitment in human hematopoiesis," the authors wrote. "It will also allow understanding of how these processes are affected during aberrant hematopoiesis in disease states."

Continued here:
Stem Cells & Immune System: "Missing Link" Found

NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), a cell therapy company, today announced that Company management of a NeoStem company, Progenitor Cell Therapy ("PCT"), an internationally recognized contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has been invited to present on its core expertise in development of commercial manufacturing processes for cell therapy at two cell therapy conferences in September. At each, PCT will offer its unique perspective as an industry leader in contract development and manufacturing of cell therapy products, with over 12 years of exclusive cell-therapy focused experience.

Timothy Fong, Ph.D, M.B.A, PCT's Vice President, Technology and Product Development, will be sharing PCT's expertise in cell therapy manufacturing with a focus on commercialization. At IBC Life Sciences' Cell Therapy Bioprocessing Conference, he will chair a panel on quality assurance and controls and will give a presentation entitled "From Concept to Product: Considerations for Developing a Robust Commercial Manufacturing Process", which will include considerations for developing a robust commercial manufacturing process. He will also speak at the Stem Cells USA and Regenerative Medicine Congress on "Cell manufacturing considerations for first-in-world stem cell therapeutics".

Dr. Fong stated, "As a cell therapeutic progresses from concept to product, the development of a commercial manufacturing process may contain unexpected technical and quality issues. The development path should follow several defined steps. My presentations will discuss the key steps in the process and highlight critical areas that need to be addressed to develop a successful commercial manufacturing process. PCT helps clients bridge the gap between discovery and patient care through efficient transfer of cell-based therapies from laboratory into clinical practice."

NeoStem and PCT invite you to attend the conference(s), see Dr. Fong's talks, and connect with the PCT team at PCT's booths. If you are a colleague of PCT or NeoStem, PCT can offer you a registration discount. Please contact PCT at bdm@pctcelltherapy.com for more details.

IBC Life Sciences' 2nd Annual Cell Therapy Bioprocessing Conference

Terrapinn 4th Annual Stem Cells USA and Regenerative Medicine Congress

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. continues to develop and build on its core capabilities in cell therapy capitalizing on the paradigm shift that we see occurring in medicine. In particular, we anticipate that cell therapy will have a large role in the fight against chronic disease and in lessening the economic burden that these diseases pose to modern society. We are emerging as a technology and market leading company in this fast developing cell therapy market. Our multi-faceted business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT") with a medically important cell therapy product development program, enabling near and long-term revenue growth opportunities. We believe this expertise and existing research capabilities and collaborations will enable us to achieve our mission of becoming a premier cell therapy company.

Our contract development and manufacturing service business supports the development of proprietary cell therapy products. NeoStem's most clinically advanced therapeutic, AMR-001, is being developed at Amorcyte, LLC ("Amorcyte"), which we acquired in October 2011. Amorcyte is developing a cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and is enrolling patients in a Phase 2 trial to investigate AMR-001's efficacy in preserving heart function after a heart attack. Athelos Corporation ("Athelos"), which is approximately 80%-owned by our subsidiary, PCT, is collaborating with Becton-Dickinson in the early clinical exploration of a T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions. In addition, pre-clinical assets include our VSELTM Technology platform as well as our mesenchymal stem cells product candidate for regenerative medicine. Our service business and pipeline of proprietary cell therapy products work in concert, giving us a competitive advantage that we believe is unique to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Supported by an experienced scientific and business management team and a patent and patent pending (IP) portfolio, we believe we are well positioned to succeed.

For more information on NeoStem, please visit http://www.neostem.com. For more information on PCT, please visit http://www.pctcelltherapy.com.

Originally posted here:
Progenitor Cell Therapy, a NeoStem Company, Invited to Present at Two Conferences in September

LOS ANGELES UCLA researchers have discovered a type of cell that is the "missing link" between bone marrow stem cells and all the cells of the human immune system, a finding that will lead to a greater understanding of how a healthy immune system is produced and how disease can lead to poor immune function.

The research was done using human bone marrow, which contains all the stem cells that produce blood during post-natal life.

"We felt it was especially important to do these studies using human bone marrow, as most research into the development of the immune system has used mouse bone marrow," said the study's senior author, Dr. Gay Crooks, co-director of UCLA's Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research and a co-director of the cancer and stem-cell biology program at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. "The few studies with human tissue have mostly used umbilical cord blood, which does not reflect the immune system of post-natal life."

The research team was "intrigued to find this particular bone marrow cell, because it opens up a lot of new possibilities in terms of understanding how human immunity is produced from stem cells throughout life," said Crooks, a professor of pathology and pediatrics.

Understanding the process of normal blood formation in human adults is a crucial step in shedding light on what goes wrong during the process that results in leukemias, cancers of the blood.

The findings appeared Sept. 2 in the early online edition of the journal Nature Immunology.

Before this study, researchers had a fairly good idea of how to find and study the blood stem cells of the bone marrow. The stem cells live forever, reproduce themselves and give rise to all the cells of the blood. In the process, the stem cells divide and produce cells in intermediate stages of development called progenitors, which make various blood lineages, like red blood cells or platelets.

Crooks was most interested in the creation of the progenitors that form the entire immune system, which consists of many different cells called lymphocytes, each with a specialized function to fight infection.

"Like the stem cells, the progenitor cells are also very rare, so before we can study them, we needed to find the needle in the haystack," said Lisa Kohn, a member of the UCLA Medical Scientist Training Program and first author of the study.

Previous work had found a fairly mature type of lymphocyte progenitor with a limited ability to differentiate, but the new work describes a more primitive type of progenitor primed to produce the entire immune system, Kohn said.

Continued here:
'Missing link' ties blood stem cells, immune system

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE MKT:NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), a rapidly emerging market leader in the fast growing cell therapy market, today announced that Company management will present at three investor conferences in September.

The 19th Annual Newsmakers in the Biotech Industry - BioCentury & Thomson Reuters

Rodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment Conference

National Investment Banking Association Conference

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. continues to develop and build on its core capabilities in cell therapy capitalizing on the paradigm shift that we see occurring in medicine. In particular, we anticipate that cell therapy will have a large role in the fight against chronic disease and in lessening the economic burden that these diseases pose to modern society. We are emerging as a technology and market leading company in this fast developing cell therapy market. Our multi-faceted business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT") with a medically important cell therapy product development program, enabling near and long-term revenue growth opportunities. We believe this expertise and existing research capabilities and collaborations will enable us to achieve our mission of becoming a premier cell therapy company.

Our contract development and manufacturing service business supports the development of proprietary cell therapy products. NeoStem's most clinically advanced therapeutic, AMR-001, is being developed at Amorcyte, LLC ("Amorcyte"), which we acquired in October 2011. Amorcyte is developing a cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and is enrolling patients in a Phase 2 trial to investigate AMR-001's efficacy in preserving heart function after a heart attack. Athelos Corporation ("Athelos"), which is approximately 80%-owned by our subsidiary, PCT, is collaborating with Becton-Dickinson in the early clinical exploration of a T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions. In addition, pre-clinical assets include our VSELTM Technology platform as well as our mesenchymal stem cells product candidate for regenerative medicine. Our service business and pipeline of proprietary cell therapy products work in concert, giving us a competitive advantage that we believe is unique to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Supported by an experienced scientific and business management team and a patent and patent pending (IP) portfolio, we believe we are well positioned to succeed.

Forward-Looking Statements for NeoStem, Inc.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to the successful execution of the Company's business strategy, including with respect to the Company's or its partners' successful development of AMR-001 and other cell therapeutics, the size of the market for such products, its competitive position in such markets, the Company's ability to successfully penetrate such markets and the market for its CDMO business, and the efficacy of protection from its patent portfolio, as well as the future of the cell therapeutics industry in general, including the rate at which such industry may grow. Forward looking statements also include statements with respect to satisfying all conditions to closing the disposition of Erye, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals in the PRC. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward- looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to (i) the Company's ability to manage its business despite operating losses and cash outflows, (ii) its ability to obtain sufficient capital or strategic business arrangement to fund its operations, including the clinical trials for AMR-001, (iii) successful results of the Company's clinical trials of AMR-001 and other cellular therapeutic products that may be pursued, (iv) demand for and market acceptance of AMR-001 or other cell therapies if clinical trials are successful and the Company is permitted to market such products, (v) establishment of a large global market for cellular-based products, (vi) the impact of competitive products and pricing, (vii) the impact of future scientific and medical developments, (viii) the Company's ability to obtain appropriate governmental licenses and approvals and, in general, future actions of regulatory bodies, including the FDA and foreign counterparts, (ix) reimbursement and rebate policies of government agencies and private payers, (x) the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property, (xi) the company's ability to successfully divest its interest in Erye, and (xii) matters described under the "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 20, 2012 and in the Company's other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available on its website. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. The Company's further development is highly dependent on future medical and research developments and market acceptance, which is outside its control.

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NeoStem to Present at Three Investor Conferences in September