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News Royal Oak native meets woman she saved with vital stem cell donation Jenn Schanz 11 – WXYZ

By Stem Cell Medical Center

When you see Kelly Schneider and Alex Barr together, you'd think they go way back; they laugh at the same moments, seem to have inside jokes, and generally send off a vibe that they're old friends.

"Our families are both Middle Eastern, so we just have this connection. Weve just been gabbing and eating like we know each other," Schneider told Action News at her mother's house in Bloomfield Hills on Sunday.

It's where Barr and her mother came from the Boston area to meet Schneider and her family or the very first time in person, and to say thank you, since sharing something pretty personal back in August of 2018.

"I mean, she kind of is morphing into me now that she has my DNA. Thats how this works, right?" Schneider joked.

About a year earlier, in the summer of 2017 Barr, then in graduate school in the Boston area, learned she had Leukemia for the second time.

"It was just unreal. Like I couldnt even process it," Barr told Action News.

Barr didn't know it then, but Schneider had already signed up with Be The Match, and a national bone marrow registry, when she learned a close friend was diagnosed with cancer.

"We went and got tested and we donated blood. And unfortunately she did not survive. But after 4 or 5 months after she passed away, I got a call from Be The Match.

That call was on behalf of Barr, hoping Schneider might be willing to donate life-saving bone marrow.

Soon after, Schneider was getting treatment to donate stem cells from her bone marrow, to save Barr's life, who was still a stranger at the time.

All Schneider knew then was that her donation was going to help a 24-year-old from Michigan.

"How could you not? If someone needs it?" She said.

"When you hear bone marrow donation that sounds scary like theyre going to drill into your bone or something," Barr said, noting that it really wasn't as intense of a procedure as some people may think.

In this case, Schneider had to get a series of shots, the stem cells were collected, and then shipped to Boston for Barr, who is now in remission.

Its incredible. Like, I cant even describe. And I know that I would do the same," Barr said.

First, the two communicated communicated through the registry.

"We had been talking back and forth like online since September. I could tell that we would really hit it off," Barr told Action News.

Then, they decided to meet in person at Schneider's mother's house.

Not only do the two now share some of the same DNA, they keep finding other things they have in common.

Like a photo of Barr's cousin, which looks strikingly similar to Schneider.

I look like her! she said, pointing at the photo Barr brought with her.

For both Barr and Schneider, this full-circle experience is a reminder of how important the the Be The Match registry is, for the thousands of people waiting to find their life-saving donor, and just possibly, a life-long connection too.

Barr, who is now a healthy 26-year-old, is working in the health field. She works in the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), hoping to help others who have been diagnosed with potentially terminal diseases.

Barr said her experience beating Leukemia inspired her to go into the medical field as a biologist to study diseases of the blood.

She is a currently also a volunteer with Be The Match, and conducts her own registry drives as living proof of how important the registry is and how bone marrow donations can save lives.

Click here to join the register or the learn more about the Be The Match.

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News Royal Oak native meets woman she saved with vital stem cell donation Jenn Schanz 11 - WXYZ

UCLA researchers discover new compound that promotes lung health – Newswise

By Stem Cell Medical Center

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Newswise A molecule identified by UCLA researchers helps maintain a healthy balance of cells in airway and lung tissue. If the compound, so far only studied in isolated human and mouse cells, has the same effect in people, it may lead to new drugs to treat or prevent lung cancer.

We think this could help us develop a new therapy that promotes airway health, said Dr. Brigitte Gomperts, a UCLA professor of pediatrics and of pulmonary medicine, a member of theEli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA, and lead author of the study. This could not only inform the treatment of lung cancer, but help prevent its progression in the first place.

Humans respiratory systems are constantly being injured by pollution and germs in the air we breathe and must be replenished with healthy cells. That process is driven by airway basal stem cells, which divide to produce both more stem cells and the mucociliary cells that line the airways and lungs.

There are two types of mucociliary cells: mucus cells, which produce the mucus that trap toxic and infectious particles, and ciliated cells, which have finger-like projections that sweep the mucus away to keep the respiratory system healthy and clear. In healthy lungs, airway basal stem cells stay balanced between producing mucociliary cells and self-renewing to maintain a population of stem cells.

In precancerous cells in the lungs, basal stem cells divide more often than usual, generating a large number of stem cells but too few mucociliary cells. The resulting imbalance of cells in the airway leaves the airways unable to properly clear debris, and it creates a greater risk that the precancerous cells will give rise to a tumor.

In the new study, published today in Cell Reports, Gomperts and her colleagues analyzed airway cells from equal numbers of biopsies of healthy people, people with premalignant lung cancer lesions and people with squamous lung cancer. They discovered that one group of molecules collectively called the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway was present at different levels in the basal stem cells of the patient samples versus the cells from healthy people.

And when the researchers altered the levels of these molecules in healthy airway cells from mice, the balance between stem cells and mucociliary cells shifted, mimicking the imbalance seen in lung pre-cancers.

When you activate the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway, these stem cells just divide and divide, said Gomperts, who is also a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Finally, the team screened more than 20,000 chemical compounds for their ability to reverse this effect in human cells, lowering levels of Wnt and restoring the balance of stem cells and mature airway cells.

One compound stood out for its ability to limit the proliferation of basal stem cells and restore the balance of the stem cells and mucociliary cells to normal. The compound was also less toxic to airway cells than other, previously discovered, molecules that block Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. The team named the compound Wnt Inhibitor Compound 1, or WIC1.

The identification of this new drug is a nice tool to tease apart the biology of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway and its effects on lung health, said Cody Aros, the first author of the new paper and a UCLA graduate student. Its also very exciting that it may act in a new way than other existing Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway inhibitors and has such low toxicity.

Since WIC1 was identified through a random drug screen, the researchers dont yet know exactly how it works, but theyre planning future studies on its mechanism and safety.

The compound tested by the researchers was used in preclinical tests only and has not been tested in humans or approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective for use in humans.

The newly identified compound is covered by a patent application filed by the UCLA Technology Development Group on behalf of the Regents of the University of California, with Gomperts and Aros as co-inventors.

Funding for the study was provided in part by the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program and the Broad Stem Cell Research Center Training Program, including support from the Rose Hills Foundation Graduate Scholarship.

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UCLA researchers discover new compound that promotes lung health - Newswise

Family honors the memory of loved one by collecting teddy bears for families dealing with cancer – KTIV

By Stem Cell Doctors

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - For five years now, the Ruehle family has held a teddy bear drive in memory of Mike Ruehle, who passed from cancer in 2014.

The teddy bears are given to adults and children with a cancer connection, in Mike's memory.

Family and friends knew Mike as "Bear."

The family asks people to consider donating a teddy bear in memory of a loved one, or in honor of healthy family members.

If you'd like to donate, every bear must be new with the tag still attached. The donations will stay in Siouxland.

There are five different locations where you can drop off the bears:

Ruehle's family says the teddy bear drive has donated more than 3,000 stuffed animals to several Siouxland agencies.

But who is the man who inspired the teddy bear drive?

"Very thoughtful person, very giving, he always took the time to listen to other people, just a really compassionate, kindhearted person," said Kerry Ruehle, Mike's Widow.

Mike Ruehle, or as his family called him, Bear, passed away six years ago, after a 12 year battle with cancer.

The family said he was very active in the community and was often coaching numerous sports teams.

They said he had a big heart, and always did what he could to make others feel better, even while he himself had cancer.

"If there were any patients his doctor had, who were having a difficult time with the news or with the adjustment. He would reach out to my dad, and see if my dad would sit down with them and talk about what was going on with them," said Rhett, Mike's son.

Part of the reason the teddy bear drive was started was because of Bear's compassion towards children who were also dealing with cancer.

"He would see a young child going through similar things that he was going through. He would always go out of his way to talk to that little kid and brighten their day a little bit," said Rhett.

Mike had had three different kinds of cancers, and due to the chemotherapy, eventually was diagnosed with MDS, which is a bone marrow failure disorder.

Doctors determined that the best treatment would be a stem cell transplant. The transplant surgery went well, but months later his body began rejecting his brother's stem cells, and within five weeks he had passed away.

"It was a shock because he had been ahead of schedule and everything else. And he had come through things beautifully, so it was quite a shock. But it was god's plan I guess," said Kerry.

But Mike's family wanted a way to keep Mike's memory alive, and that's what also helped start the teddy bear drive.

"My oldest granddaughter is five, she never met her grandpa. But in some ways, she feels as though she did, because of talking about him and she helps me with the bear drive," said Kerry

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Family honors the memory of loved one by collecting teddy bears for families dealing with cancer - KTIV

Transplanting the immune system: Easier on patients than medication? – WNDU-TV

By Stem Cell Doctors

There are nearly 35,000 organ transplants done in the U.S. every year. Once patients receive their transplant, they face a lifetime of medications that keep their body from rejecting the new organ, but those medications can cause serious side effects.

Now, a groundbreaking procedure has successfully changed that for one woman.

Having breakfast together was nearly impossible for Barb Okey and her husband after her kidney transplant. The 24 pills she took before breakfast ruined her appetite, and the side effects left her tired. But that's all in the past now.

In 27 years doing transplants, Dr. Dixon Kaufman has never done one like Barb's. Her sister's kidney was a perfect match, but then both women took part in a second pioneering transplant to give Barb her sister's immune system.

"We had the transplant and the next day I started radiation. I had to do radiation for 10 days," Barb recalled. "That was to suppress my immune system. After the 10th day, they gave me my sister's stem cells."

"The immune cells start to multiply, so she has not only the kidney from her sister but a little bit of her sister's immune system, and we call that phenomenon chimerism a,nd that's where you have a dual immune system," Kaufman said.

The immunity accepted the new kidney and left Barb drug-free.

"It's the start of hopefully a long progression of trials that will allow more and more people to, if not completely eliminate the medicines, significantly reduce them," Kaufman said.

"I feel very, very lucky. Very lucky," Barb said.

Barb is just the second person in the U.S. to take part in the national trial pioneering the duel transplant. The hope is that the procedure will one day be available to transplant recipients who are not perfect matches with their donors, and possibly even to those who have had transplants in the past.

MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHSRESEARCH SUMMARYTOPIC: TRANSPLANTING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM: EASIER ON PATIENTS?REPORT: MB #4700

BACKGROUND: Organ transplantation is sometimes necessary when one of a patient's organs has failed. This can happen because of injury or illness. The organ may come from a living donor or one who has died. Transplants can include heart, intestine, kidney, liver, lung, or pancreas. Often patients must wait a long time for an organ transplant and doctors must match donors to recipients to reduce the risk of transplant rejection. (Source: https://medlineplus.gov/organtransplantation.html)

REJECTION RISK: The immune system usually protects you from substances that may be harmful, but it can also simply attack anything that enters the body, which the immune system detects as "foreign", and this includes transplanted organs. When a person receives an organ in transplant surgery, their immune system may recognize that it is foreign if the cells of the organ are different or "not matched". Mismatched organs can trigger a blood transfusion reaction or transplant rejection. To help prevent this rejection, doctors try their best to match similar proteins known as antigens between the donor and recipient. Tissue typing ensures the organ or tissue is as similar as possible to the recipient's tissue. The match is usually not perfect, as only identical twins have identical tissue antigens. Doctors use medicines to suppress the recipient's immune system with the goal of preventing it from attacking the newly transplanted organ. If these medicines are not used, the body will almost always launch an immune response and destroy the foreign tissue. Some exceptions include cornea transplants, because the cornea has no blood supply. Also, transplants from one identical twin to another are almost never rejected. (Source: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000815.htm)

NEW RESEARCH: Medeor Therapeutics is now developing cell-based therapy to reprogram an organ recipient's immune system to accept the transplanted kidney without the need for long-term use of immune system suppressing drugs. The study is in Phase 3 and is working to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of how transplanting some of the stem cells from the organ donor into the organ recipient after transplant surgery could cause an immune tolerance; preserving the organ donation and preventing kidney transplant rejection. It would also eliminate the need for immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of the patient's life. (Source: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT03363945?show_locs=Y#locn)

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Transplanting the immune system: Easier on patients than medication? - WNDU-TV

FHSU partners with Be the Match for bone marrow registry event – hays Post

By Stem Cell Doctors

Brynn Niblock, FHSU junior in pre-med from Hoxie, swabs her cheek as part of the sign up for the Be the Match bone marrow registry Feb. 6 at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

By CRISTINA JANNEYHays Post

Usually Tiger basketball games are a time to have fun cheer the home team, eat some popcorn but students and community members at Feb. 6 game took a few minutes to stop and potentially save a life.

FHSU student health sponsored a Be the Match bone marrow registry drive.

Potential donors ages 18 to 44 answered a list of qualifying health questions on their smartphones and then swabbed their cheeks to be matched with a potential cancer sufferer in need of bone marrow transplants.

Kathy Pyke of Hays knows too the well the importance of the registry. Pyke was at Gross Memorial Coliseum the night of the drive as a volunteer handing out information to potential donors.

Her husband, Tom, was diagnosed with leukemia on March 1, 2014. Family members were tested, and they were not matches. Doctors were also unable to find a bone marrow match on the national registry. There were 6.2 million people in the registry at the time.

In lieu of a bone marrow transplant, Pyke was given donated umbilical cord blood.

Initially the treatment improved Pyke's condition. However, he ultimately died as a result of the disease on Feb. 12, 2015 at the age of 62.

Kathy said the family was rocked by Tom's illness. He was playing golf and went fishing the week before he was diagnosed with cancer.

Kathy said she wishes she could be on the registry to help another family, but her age prevents her from doing so.

"Not only for my husband," she said of the importance of the registry. "I did pray there had been a match. We stayed at the Hope Lodge that was run by the American Cancer Society in Kansas City. There were 45 apartments there and everyone there has someone who has cancer plus a caregiver in it. You just see so many lives being touched. ...

"If this is something that can help somebody, it is just an easy thing to do."

Kathy said she had a good friend who had a family member sign up for the registry, and he was able to donate to someone who had cancer in England.

Pyke said she would also like to see more hospitals participate in the cord blood bank, which is what helped her husband. At the time of Tom's illness, HaysMed was not participating in the umbilical cord blood bank.

Michelle Toogood, BSN, RN, supervisor of Hays Meds Women's andInfant Care Center/NICU, said parents wishing to participate in cord blood donation should initiate the process prior to delivery. HaysMed staff will then aid in the collection of the specimen.

"I just can't express how much people need to do this," Pyke said of signing up for the registry. "It is just so easy to swab test and they could potentially save more than one person's life. It is so easy to do and so important."

If you are identified as a match to someone suffering from cancer, you would be contacted through the registry and asked if you are willing to donate,Amanda McCord, RN at the FHSU student health center.

"Finding the perfect match is essential for people who are fighting this type of cancer," McCord said. "The closer the match the better their chances of remission and beating whatever cancer they are fighting."

There are over 70 diseases that can be treated by bone marrow transplants, according to Be the Match.

Physicians will usually look for matches among relatives first, but only 70 percent of the time are matches made from family members, McCord said.

Statistics also indicate minority patients are less likely to find matches than Caucasian patients. Be the Match is trying to boost minority participation as there are fewer minority participants in the registry at this time, McCord said.

Donating bone marrow is a little bit different for every donor, McCord said.

Most give through a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) donation. A machine draws blood from one arm, extracts the cells it needs, and returns the remaining blood through your other arm, according to the Be the Match website.

Others give through a marrow donation. Liquid marrow is withdrawn from the back of your pelvic bone with a needle. In this case, youll receive anesthesia and feel no pain during the procedure, the Be the Match website said.

According to Be the Match,PBSC donors may experience headaches or body aches several days before collection, but these disappear shortly after donation. Most donors feel completely recovered within a few weeks.

If you missed the Be the Match event at FHSU last week, you can contact Be the Match though its website, and the organization will send you the cheek swab kit to sign up for the registry.

The Be the Match website also has information on the donation process and a link to make monetary donations to the Be the Match program.

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FHSU partners with Be the Match for bone marrow registry event - hays Post

Coronavirus: Doctors try 3,000-year-old Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat the virus – Times of India

By Stem Cell Doctors

The novel coronavirus has claimed around 1,770 lives and affected almost 70,000 people with no possible cure in sight. Scientists all over the world are working hard to find treatment. More than 80 clinical trials have been launched to find the treatment for the deadly virus. While trying everything from stem cell therapy to HIV drugs, China has resorted to giving a 3,000-year-old traditional remedy a trial, to treat the patients. The new health commission head in Hubei, Wang Hesheng said that their efforts have shown some good results and the Traditional Chinese Medicine experts have been sent to Hubei for research and treatment. The treatment in Wuhan hospital combines Traditional Chinese Medicine, commonly known as TCM and western medicines. This combination is given to more than half of the confirmed cases in Hubei.

The reports of treatments and vaccine of those infected with the virus have caused ripples of excitement in people who are looking at it as a sign of hope!

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?Traditional Chinese Medicine ranges back to thousands of years. TCM practitioners use various mind and body practices (acupuncture, tai chi, Chinese herbal products) to address several health issues.

Coronavirus in IndiaTill now there have three positive cases of novel Coronavirus in Kerela, India. The good news is that out of these three, two patients have already been discharged after showing negative results for the test of the virus.

Common symptoms of novel coronavirusThe initial symptoms of novel coronavirus are very similar to that of normal cold and flu. Common symptoms include:

- Fever

- Cough

- Shortness of breath

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Coronavirus: Doctors try 3,000-year-old Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat the virus - Times of India

Stem Cell Manufacturing in Stem Cell Therapy, Drug Discovery & Development, Stem Cell Banking, and More (2020-2025) – P&T Community

By Stem Cell Treatment

DUBLIN, Feb. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Stem Cell Manufacturing Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020 - 2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Stem Cell Manufacturing market is projected to grow with a CAGR of nearly 3.3% over the forecast period.

The major factors attributing to the growth of the market include the technological advancements in stem cell manufacturing and preservation and growing public awareness about the therapeutic potency of stem cell products.

According to California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, for the millions of people around the world who suffer from incurable diseases and injury, Stem Cell Awareness Day, October 11th is a day to celebrate the scientific advances made to-date. Research and academic institutions and educators are encouraged to participate by hosting public talks and other activities and events in their community. Furthermore, the growing growing public-private investments and funding in stem cell-based research is boosting the market growth. However, the gaining popularity of alternative procedures is the major drawback of market growth.

Stem Cell Banking Segment is the Fastest Growing Segment in the Stem Cell Manufacturing Market.

Stem cell bank is a provision that stores stem cells developed from amniotic fluid for future use. Stem cell samples in private banks are stored specifically for use by the individual person from whom such cells have been collected and the banking costs are paid the person. The sample can later be recovered only by that individual and for the use by such individual or, in many cases, by her or his first-degree blood relatives.

The major factor driving the growth of the segment is the increasing public demand for cord blood stem cell banking and rising awareness regarding the prospective advantages of stem cell preservation. Furthermore, stem cells have been proven to treat approximately 80 diseases and disorders including hematopoietic disorders, immunodeficiency diseases, metabolic disorders, etc. With the continued increase in per capita disposable revenue across developing countries and an expected decrease in product costs associated with stem cell therapies, increasing public awareness and the adoption of stem cell therapies, are the reasons driving the segment growth.

North America Dominates the Market and Expected to do Same in the Forecast Period

North America is expected to dominate the overall market, throughout the forecast period. The market growth is due to the factors such as the presence of key players, high concentration of stem cell research in the region, mounting public-private funding and grants to support the clinical evaluation of stem cells for various applications, robust research infrastructure, and raising public awareness on the therapeutic potency of stem cells. Furthermore, beneficial government initiatives and an increase in the number of research partnerships are some of the drivers expected to increase market growth.

Competitive Landscape

The Stem Cell Manufacturing market is moderately competitive and consists of several major players. Some of the companies which are currently dominating the market are Anterogen, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Cellular Dynamics (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation), Lonza Group, Stemcell Technologies, Medipost, Merck Group, Osiris Therapeutics, Pluristem Therapeutics, Bio-Rad Laboratories.

Key Topics Covered

1 INTRODUCTION1.1 Study Deliverables1.2 Study Assumptions1.3 Scope of the Study

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4 MARKET DYNAMICS4.1 Market Overview4.2 Market Drivers4.2.1 Technological Advancements in Stem Cell Manufacturing and Preservation4.2.2 Growing Public Awareness About the Therapeutic Potency of Stem Cell Products4.2.3 Growing Public-Private Investments and Funding in Stem Cell-Based Research4.3 Market Restraints4.3.1 High Operational Costs Associated With Stem Cell Manufacturing and Banking4.4 Porter's Five Force Analysis

5 MARKET SEGMENTATION5.1 By Product5.1.1 Culture Media5.1.2 Consumables5.1.3 Instruments5.1.4 Stem Cell Lines5.2 By Application5.2.1 Stem Cell Therapy5.2.2 Drug Discovery and Development5.2.3 Stem Cell Banking5.2.4 Others5.3 By End-User5.3.1 Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies5.3.2 Cell Banks and Tissue Banks5.3.3 Others5.4 Geography5.4.1 North America5.4.2 Europe5.4.3 Asia-Pacific5.4.4 Middle-East and Africa5.4.5 South America

6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE6.1 Company Profiles6.1.1 Anterogen6.1.2 Becton, Dickinson and Company6.1.3 Cellular Dynamics (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)6.1.4 Lonza Group6.1.5 Stemcell Technologies6.1.6 Medipost6.1.7 Merck Group6.1.8 Osiris Therapeutics6.1.9 Pluristem Therapeutics6.1.10 Bio-Rad Laboratories

7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wqnf8z

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com

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Stem Cell Manufacturing in Stem Cell Therapy, Drug Discovery & Development, Stem Cell Banking, and More (2020-2025) - P&T Community

Should California invest another $5.5 Billion into stem cell research? – Long Beach Business Journal – Long Beach News

By Stem Cell Treatment

Over the past 15 years, Californias stem cell program has funded over 1,000 research, training and community engagement projects focused on stem cell technology in the state.

But in October of last year, the agency in charge of administering the states stem cell program awarded its last round of new funds, allocating the last of a total of $3 billion in funding approved by California voters. Now, the author of Proposition 71, which established the program in 2004, is seeking another round of $5.5 billion in funding for stem cell research in a measure vying for a spot on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The scientists and patient advocates in California have proven through the California stem cell initiative funding that they can change the future of medicine and human suffering, the measures author, Robert Bob Klein II told the Business Journal. California funding has filled the gap of the federal governments failure to fund this revolution in medicine.

Kleins interest in stem cell research and regenerative medicine arose from his youngest sons ultimately fatal battle with diabetes. Diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at age 11, Kleins son Jordan required human insulin-producing beta cells, the artificial production of which to the best knowledge of the scientific community at this point requires stem cells.

In 2016, 26-year-old Jordan Klein died of complications related to the disease, two years after scientists first made significant progress on finding a treatment developed with the help of human embryonic stem cells.

Klein blames the federal governments resistance to embracing stem cell research for the lack of adequate treatment options that lead to his sons death. My youngest son died. If they hadnt held it up in D.C., he would be alive, he said. How many children, how many adults are going to die before they create enough stability to advance therapies that mitigate or cure these chronic diseases?

For years, Klein a wealthy real estate developer had tried to affect change on the federal level, before shifting his attention to his home state. I became focused on what California could do, because the federal government was encumbered by religious issues, he explained.

Despite having no experience in the field of scientific research, Klein was able to mount a successful campaign, with 59.1% of California voters approving the creation of a state-funded stem cell program and an agency to govern it. The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine held its first meeting in December 2004 and issued its first round of funding in 2006, after battling several challenges to the proposition in state and federal court.

Since then, CIRMs funding has enabled conferences, translational research projects and clinical trials exploring cures for various types of cancers, diabetes and neurological disorders. While a majority of funding went to the University of Californias main campuses as well as regenerative medicine companies and institutes in major hubs like San Diego and the Bay Area, California State University, Long Beach and Torrance-based Pathways to Stem Cell Science have also received funds from CIRM.

CIRM has created a new industry in California that has been tremendously beneficial for the California economy, Dr. Victoria Fox, president of Pathways, told the Business Journal. Her company, which offers stem cell extraction and education services, has received both direct and indirect funding from CIRM.

Last year, Pathways hosted the SPARK Annual Meeting, an event that highlights the scientific accomplishments of students in the SPARK high school summer training program funded through a CIRM grant. Foxs company also provides educational services through CIRMs Bridges program at CSULB, in which students from state and junior colleges compete for six-month lab positions at UC research labs.

[These programs] are important to us, not only because they generate income to operate, but because they generate a workforce, Fox explained.

She said other companies often approach her in search of stem cell scientists. If voters decided not to extend funding for CIRM and its program in November, Fox said shed be hard-pressed to find an equivalent network for talent acquisition. I dont know where Im going to refer companies to find talent. I really dont know.

Dr. Aaron Levine, an associate professor at the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, has focused primarily on the intersection between public policy and bioethics. In this context, Levine has followed and reviewed Californias stem cell program for years, and he agreed that its impact has been transformative.

CIRM stepped in to fill a gap when the National Institutes of Health was restricting its funding in this space, Levine said. The research that CIRM has supported, as well as the training programs, has had quite a big impact on the field.

But Levine also pointed to what he described as missed opportunities, as the program enters its bid for renewal. One example is the new proposals requirement to commit a certain percentage of funds to finding cures for specific diseases, such as Alzheimers and other neurological disorders.

From a science policy perspective, I dont really like that. I would like the funding agency to have the flexibility to fund the best science they see submitted, the most promising science, Levine said. Klein argued that setting aside a certain percentage of funds for research on neurological diseases will ensure that they wont be left behind in favor of less costly research projects.

Levine also noted that the program has yet to resolve one crucial question: Who will pay for patients treatment with costly stem cell therapies once theyre ready to hit the market? Per-patient costs for stem cell therapies can easily reach several hundred thousand dollars and as research advances, more patients are expected to qualify.

Suddenly, thats just such a substantial sum of money that it becomes a fundamental challenge to how we pay for healthcare, how we pay for medicine in the United States, Levine said. Subsidies for California residents, whose taxes helped pay for the research necessary to bring these cures and therapies to market, would be one option, Levine noted.

Despite these concerns, Levine said he supports the measure to extend the program. Even though this is not the perfect measure, I think theres a lot of value in CIRM and it makes sense to continue it, he said. In the end, it will be up to California voters to decide.

It largely will rise and fall on whether theres a motivated campaign for and against it and what people whove never really thought about stem cell research as a state ballot issue are going to think about this particular initiative when it comes in the fall, Levine said.

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Should California invest another $5.5 Billion into stem cell research? - Long Beach Business Journal - Long Beach News

Chinese Scientist Unite Together to Tackle With COVID-19 – Associated Press

By Stem Cell Treatment

Press release content from PR Newswire. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation.

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BEIJING, Feb. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Reported by Science & Technology Daily:

As to the battle against the COVID-19, Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has been launched the program of Dealing With the Outbreak of COVID-19 Using Science and Technology, a program including four batches of 20 emergency projects until now. Moreover, MOST re-examining two major scientific and technological projects, including the Creation of Important Innovative New Drugs and the Prevention and Treatment of Severe Contagions, and a series of national essential research and development plans. Recently, some important achievements from these projects have already been implemented in the front line of epidemic prevention and control.

When it comes to drug screening, front-line staff from different research teams collaborated on the basis of existing researches, making great efforts to systematically and massively screen the drugs that have been on the market already or already go into clinical trials. As a consequence, they discovered potentially effective anti- coronavirus drugs, such as Chloroquine Phosphate, Remdesivir, and Favipiravir. Furthermore, in recent days, researchers have urgently launched some clinical trials and the results show that the curative effect of drugs on patients is increasingly obvious.

Based on the R&D level and preliminary accumulation in the field of cell therapy, traditional Chinese medicine and plasma therapy in China, the clinical trials of the three therapies organized by the Joint Prevention and Control Group have been gradually carried out, and they are playing significant role in curing critically ill patients.

For the purpose of providing more cutting-edge and effective solutions to the epidemic using stem cell therapy, the leaders of the MOST went to the Innovation Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine of the Chinese Academy of Science to confirm their progressing. A new cellular drug called CAStem supposed to cure COVID-19 was created, and it has already made major progress in the experiment about the treatment of the severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) previously. The research team has applied for emergency approval from China National Medical Products Administration, and it is cooperating with relevant medical institutions. So far, the CAStem has already been approved by the Ethics Committee, and is ongoing clinical observation and evaluation.

An emergency project titled Clinical Study on the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 by Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine was officially launched on February 3 with the support from the MOST. The positive curative effect has been shown in treating COVID-19, said Zhang Boli, the project leader and the headmaster of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was reported that a total of 23 patients had been cured and discharged from Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine and Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

With regard to the field of plasma therapy, China National Biotech Group has completed the collection of plasma from some convalescent patients, as well as the preparation of special immune plasma products and special immune globulin of novel coronavirus on February 13. Through strict blood biosafety testing, virus inactivation, and antiviral activity testing, etc., special immune plasma has been successfully prepared for clinical treatment and has already been put into clinical treatment of severely ill patients.

In terms of field of vaccine research and development, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had successfully isolated the first COVID-19 virus strain on January 24, which was recognized by the World Health Organization and other international agencies. Several new type of vaccines for COVID-19 have started the animal testing phase, which bring hope to all.

View original content: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinese-scientist-unite-together-to-tackle-with-covid-19-301006701.html

SOURCE Science and Technology Daily

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Chinese Scientist Unite Together to Tackle With COVID-19 - Associated Press

Cell Therapy Market 2020: Growing with Technology Development, New Innovations, Future Projections, In-depth Analysis and Forecast by 2025 – News…

By Stem Cell Treatment

The analysts who wrote the report ranked the global Cell Therapy market by product, application, and region. All sectors were examined in detail, focusing on CAGR, market size, growth potential, market share and other important factors. The segment studies included in the report will help players focus on the lucrative areas of the global Cell Therapy market. Regional analysis will help players strengthen their base in the major regional markets. This shows the opportunities for unexplored growth in local markets and how capital can be used in the forecast period.

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The most commonly used process of cell therapy aims to use healthy cells from a donor (Allogeneic) which is compatible or autogenic that is from the patient itself along with their alteration to increase their therapeutic ability. There are various complex steps involved in the process like genetic screening of cell, cell harvesting and reinfusion into the patients body. All these steps are complex and important and have therapeutic result on the patient. These advanced usage of cell therapy will result in growth of the cell therapy market size during the forecast period.

Cell therapy market trends indicate growth owing to the various regulations being approved by the government in the desire to provide quick relief to the patients. Furthermore, many healthcare industries are working in collaboration with the government to identify the various processes to ways to improve cell therapy. Furthermore, the cell therapy market size is also influenced by the commercialization of stem cells treatments.

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The Stem cell therapy segment dominates the types of cell therapy and is said to have the maximum success rate. It has a special feature that it differentiates into any category of cell, at the same time ensuring the individual identity is intact. Industry experts state that the stem cell would revolutionize regenerative medicine, owing to its extensive use in treatment of fatal disease like neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and cancer. The growth of cell therapy market size is also factored to the increased research and development about the same. However, at the same time the huge cost involved in the various processes involved might be hinder the market growth.

The cell therapy market size is segmented on various categories like Clinical-use, Research and Therapy type and region. On the basis of region, North America is projected to contribute the maximum share to the market owing to increased development.

Key players in the market are JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Kolon TissueGene, Inc.; and Medipost and many more.

Segmentation:

The various segments of cell therapy market size are:

By Use & Type Outlook

By Cell Therapy Type

By Therapeutic Area

By Therapy Type

By Region

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Cell Therapy Market 2020: Growing with Technology Development, New Innovations, Future Projections, In-depth Analysis and Forecast by 2025 - News...

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