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Mother and son, together, cope with autism and multiple sclerosis – MLive.com

By Stem Cell Doctors

Jacob Austin depends on his mom, and she depends on him.

April Austin, a 33-year-old Eastern Michigan University student who suffers from blindness and other ailments related to multiple sclerosis, relies on a walking cane, a white cane and often her son to get around.

When she's in pain, 12-year-old Jacob, who is autistic, is there to help with things like carrying groceries up the stairs. Jacob relies on his mom for help with communication, focus, learning and emotional needs.

Hes not mentally capable of doing things in his age range right now, so that keeps me going because I know he depends on me, Austin said. "I need him because he keeps me moving. He gives me a reason to keep moving. I know that he needs me to help him with basic daily tasks like bathing and cutting his hair. No matter how bad I'm feeling, I know that he needs me to do those things, so it pushes me to get up and do those things for him.

Below is a peek inside the day-to-day lives of April and Jacob Austin, in photos.

The mother and son have a co-dependent relationship, Austin said.

"Right now hes going through puberty," she said. "I'm a little worried about that because now were dealing with facial hair and stuff like that, but I say were going to work together and figure it out... Some days, we struggle with regular tasks, like taking a bath and doing his homework, even communicating. I am his voice. I have to think for him and speak for him. Because if I dont do it, I don't think no one else will."

More on the Austins here.

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

April and Jacob practice counting on their fingers on an Uber ride home after grocery shopping together. "We sort of need each other," April said. She is unable to drive due to her blindness and relies rely on ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft to get around. Her insurance carrier covers the costs of getting to and from doctors appointments, but not other transportation needs.

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

April gives Jacob a haircut at their Belleville home. Because Jacob has autism, it can be hard for him to perform some basic tasks. April does what she can to help Jacob live the most comfortable life he can, including giving him haircuts herself. "It's always just me and him," said April.

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

April receives a treatment to help ease symptoms of multiple sclerosis at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014. Since being diagnosed, she's endured partial blindness, bladder infections and pain throughout her body. She undergoes treatments to help ease her pain, although it comes with a cost. After the treatments, which she undergoes a few times a year, she's usually sick for days, making it difficult to care for Jacob. The treatments themselves last an entire day. She no longer brings Jacob with her to the appointments, instead having friends help care for him.

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

Jacob covers his face as he walks through a Walmart with April. "He has real bad social anxiety." The mother and son are often subject to strange looks when they venture out in public together. Due to Jacob's autism, he has a tendency to yell out or run around. During one trip to a public pool, a young girl asked Jacob if he was dumb, April said. Jacob stayed by his mom's side the rest of the time they were there. "He's such a sweet person," said April of her son. "When I go to Walmart, when I go to stores, I want to see people like Jacob included and working."

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

Photos of April and Jacob lay out around their home. April is working on a photo album with images of the two giving each other kisses. "I often feel that him and I only exist to each other. I believe our ailments together make us even closer."

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

Jacob sits on April's lap during an appointmentwith a child psychologist. Jacob sees a therapist in their home multiple times a week to help him learn to be more independent. Jacob has learned to cook a few meals for himself and will make himself breakfast some mornings before he goes to school. Jacob learning to be more independent has been a priority for April, who hopes that eventually, on her bad days, Jacob can care for himself and live a more fulfilling life.

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

Jacob looks up at April while grocery shopping with her. On days when her pain is bad, Jacob helps support his mom, carrying groceries for her, and giving her the physical support she needs to climbs stairs.

April fastens a brace on Jacob before he gets on the school bus in the morning. The brace is meant to prevent Jacob from running off the bus. Jacob has a history of attempting to run off. It proved to be a challenge for April, especially in recent years as she began to deal with the chronic pain. To keep Jacob from running out of the house, she had a special lock installed on their front door. She said they haven't had to use the lock for some time, as Jacob has gotten older and more responsible.

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

Jacob gives April a kiss as he gets home from school one afternoon. "I want to work for people in the community who can't speak for themselves," said April. She currently works as a long-term substitute teacher for nearby schools, while simultaneously working toward a bachelor's degree in social work from Eastern Michigan University. With her degree, she hopes to advocate for policies that would protect people like Jacob who can't speak for themselves. She also hopes to one day open an autism residential facility where teens and adolescents can live an independent, high-quality life with the right resources. "With training, with therapies, the right medications and education, our kids can really function and do well in society," April said.

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

April watches over Jacob as he gets ready for bed. "The goal is for him to be independent. Autistic people live and thrive on their own all the time," said April. The pair often rely on each other. April does everything she can to be there for her son as both a mother and a friend, she said, providing him with the resources he needs to succeed.

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

Jacob plays on his tablet in his room by himself. "I don't have a lot of support. That's why I'm trying to push his independence, because I can't take him everywhere."

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

With one hand, April holds onto Jacob, and with the other, her cane as they take an Uber to the grocery store. April doesn't use her cane every day. In fact, she often tries to conceal the pain she is feeling. "(Life) doesn't stop, no matter how much pain you're in," April said.

April leads Jacob toward the bus before school in the early morning. Jacob attends BurgerSchoolfor Students with Autism in Garden City, about a 20-minute drive from their home in Belleville. "It takes a lot of work to get your child the help that they need," April said. When April began looking at programs in which to enroll Jacob to help him, she quickly learned how difficult it can be to get your child the help they need. "I had to really sit down and study and look into stuff. I just about know in every state what resources are available to Autistic children."

Jenna Kieser | jkieser@mlive.com

April often speaks of living in isolation and how challenging it has been for her, often feeling alone. She is planning on starting a support group for mothers with children with disabilities. "I just started reaching out," she said. She spends her time advocating for children with Autism and helping parents learn what resources are available to them. She also likes to collect donations for children in need to help provide them with more clothes or food.

April Austin is hoping to undergo a hematopoietic stem cell transplant and has raised more than $5,000 in an online

to help with the costs. She's seeking the treatment in Mexico, where she estimates the cost at about $54,000, whereas the procedure at Northwestern University in Chicago would come close to $100,000.

She plans to get the treatment at Clinica Ruiz in Puebla.

More:EMU student seeks stem cell treatment in Mexico for debilitating multiple sclerosis

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Mother and son, together, cope with autism and multiple sclerosis - MLive.com

Local firm adds a new wrinkle to anti-aging products – Williamson Daily News

By Stem Cell Doctors

HUNTINGTON Serucell Corporation, a cosmeceutical company based in Huntington, has developed the worlds only dual-cell technology to create and produce anti-aging skincare products, and they did it in Huntington.

Serucell KFS Cellular Protein Complex Serum is made start to finish at Serucells laboratory on the south side of Huntington.

This has been one of the best kept secrets in West Virginia, said Cortland Bohacek, executive chairman and a co-founder of Serucell Corporation.

The company soft launch was in September 2018 at The Greenbrier Spas. The Official online launch was April 2019 and is getting exposure with some well known sellers like Neiman Marcus, local dermatologist and plastic surgeons offices and several other retail locations from New York to California. It is also sold online at serucell.com.

One person that has tried the product is Jennifer Wheeler, who is also a Huntington City Council member.

As a consumer I have an appreciation of the quality of the product and the results Ive seen using it, she said. It has been transformative for my skin and seems like its success will be transformative for our city as well.

She said Serucell and the people behind it are impressive on every level.

In my role on council, Im especially grateful for the companys conscious effort to stay and grow in our city, Wheeler said.

A one-ounce bottle of the serum costs $225. The recommended usage is twice per day and it will last on average of about six weeks.

Serucells active ingredient is called KFS (Keratinocyte Fibroblast Serum), which is made up of more than 1,500 naturally derived super proteins, collagens, peptides and signaling factors that support optimal communication within the cellular makeup of your skin.

This is the first and only dual-cell technology that optimizes hydration and harnesses the power of both keratinocytes and fibroblasts, two essential contributors to maintaining healthy skin by supporting natural rejuvenation of aging skin from the inside out, said Jennifer Hessel, president and CEO of the company.

When applied to the skin, KFS helps boost the skins natural ability to support new collagen and elastin, strengthen the connection and layer of support between the upper and lower layers of your skin. The result, over time is firmer, plumper and smoother skin, according to Hessel.

Why it works so naturally with your skin is because it is natural, Hessel said. These proteins play an important role in strengthening the bond between the layers of your skin, and thats where the re-boot happens.

KFS is the creation of Dr. Walter Neto, Serucells chief science officer and co-founder of the company. Neto is both a physician and a research scientist, specializing in the field of regenerative medicine with an emphasis on skin healing and repair.

Neto said Serucells technology unlocks the key to how our cells communicate and harnesses the signaling power actions to produce the thousands of bioactive proteins necessary to support the skins natural rejuvenation.

Originally from Brazil, Neto studied at Saint Matthews University and completed his clinical training in England. His clinical research on stem-cell cancer therapies, bone and tissue engineering and wound and burn healing led to his discovery in cell-to-cell communication, and ultimately the creation of Serucells KFS Cellular Protein Complex Serum.

Neto received multiple patents for the production method of Serucell KFS Serum.

Neto lives in Huntington with his wife and four golden retrievers.

Neto works alongside his longtime friend, Dr. Brett Jarrell.

I have known Brett since I was 18 years old, Neto said.

Jarrell practices emergency medicine in Ashland, Kentucky, and oversees all aspects of quality control for Serucell. He received his bachelors degree in biology from Wittenberg University, his masters degree in biology from Marshall University and his medical degree from the Marshall University School of Medicine. Jarrell completed his residency at West Virginia University and is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

Jarrell has served as a clinical instructor of emergency medicine at the Marshall School of Medicine, president of the West Virginia chapter of the American College of Emergency Medicine and he has published a number of peer-reviewed journal articles on stroke research.

Jarrell also lives in Huntington.

Another co-founder of the company is Dr. Tom McClellan.

McClellan is Serucells chief medical officer and director of research and is a well-respected plastic and reconstructive surgeon with a private practice, McClellan Plastic Surgery, in Morgantown.

McClellan completed his plastic and reconstructive surgery training at the world-renowned Lahey Clinic Foundation, a Harvard Medical School and Tufts Medical School affiliate in Boston, Massachusetts. While in Boston, he worked at Lahey Medical Center, Brigham and Womens Hospital, as well as at the Boston Childrens Hospital. McClellan is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

In addition to his practice and role at Serucell, McClellan utilizes his surgical skills through pro bono work with InterplastWV, a non-profit group that provides comprehensive reconstructive surgery to the developing world. He has participated in surgical missions to Haiti, Peru and the Bahamas.

McClellan lives in Morgantown with his family.

All three doctors here have strong connections to West Virginia and we didnt want to leave, Neto said. We all want to give back to West Virginia, so that is the main reason we have our business here in Huntington.

We are building a company we believe can make a difference in the community, Hessel added. Our goal is to grow Serucell and build our brand right here in Huntington. There is a pool of untapped talent here in Huntington. When we expand our business here, we can provide another reason for young people to be able to stay and grow their careers, whether it is in science, operations or manufacturing. The team is a pretty excited to make an impact in the community where it all started.

Hessel decline to give sales numbers, but said the business has been growing each year since the product was introduced. She also declined to give the number of employees at the facility, but did say it has sales representatives across the country.

For more information, visit serucell.com.

Originally posted here:
Local firm adds a new wrinkle to anti-aging products - Williamson Daily News

Miracle recovery of rider and her horse after severe injuries – Yorkshire Post

By Stem Cell Doctors

When Katie Brickman and Flash were hurt, she feared she would never ride again, but the pair have qualified for a top competition. Catherine Scott reports.

Two years ago Katie Brickman was told she would never ride again after a freak accident.

She was devastated and the bad news was compounded when her beloved horse Flash was also injured.

But the determined equine vet, who lives in Welburn, North Yorkshire, has defied expectations and she and Flash have qualified for a top eventing competition.

Katie, 29, who works at Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic in Ripon, refused to give up when doctors told her riding career was over because of a hand injury.

She then used the same determination to help Flash recover from an injury most competition horses would never recover from.

In March 2017, Katie suffered the horrific injury when she fell over while carrying a 500ml glass bottle of antibiotics, severing an artery and nerves in her left hand.

I was lucky that one of the people working in the yard was also a nurse so she helped tourniquet my hand as there was a lot of blood.

She was rushed to hospital in York and then transferred in Hull, where she underwent an eight-hour operation.

She was told the damage was so serious, she might never be able to properly grip reins again and was advised to retire from riding.

For someone who had ridden since she was three, it was devastating.

Two months later, Flash suffered a serious injury when he ripped a ligament in the stifle joint at the top of his leg while in his field.

The prognosis was so bleak, Katie feared he would have to be put down.

When he had a bone scan it was so bad that they said I should even think about having him put down.

But I love that horse. He is really quirky and not easy but for me he is amazing and I wasnt going to give up on him.

Katie and Flash both made a miraculous recovery and returned to competition this year.

Not only have they enjoyed their best-ever year with four wins, they have qualified for Badminton Horse Trials Grassroots Championships, in May, part of one of the biggest events in the world equine sporting calendar.

Katie, who has worked with Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic in York and Malton as well as Ripon for six years, has a particular interest in orthopaedics and the performance of sport horses so was in the ideal position to help Flash.

He was very lame on his left hind leg and, following diagnostics, it was discovered he had split his middle patella ligament, explains Katie.

This is an extremely rare injury, in fact I have only found one other case in America.

I was told Flash may never be sound again, never mind event again.

After six months of rest, Katie took him for a bone scan at Rainbow Equine Hospital, which like Minster Equine Clinic, is owned by VetPartners, a York-based veterinary group. While she feared he would never compete in eventing again, she hoped Flash could at least ride again.

She started giving him laser, shockwave and ultrasound treatment to the injured stifle joint, as well as stem cell therapy.

By August 2018, he was making such good progress, Katie decided to test out his recovery, as well as her own, by jumping then this year started competing.

It was the best feeling ever, she says.

I took it very very slowly as I would never want to anything that would harm him. But he loves to compete.

In October 2018, she competed at Askham Bryan College, in York and won.

After finishing fifth in their first British Evening One-Day Event at Epworth, near Doncaster, Katie and Flash won at Northallerton in April, finished second at Richmond in May, before winning a qualifier for the Three-Day Event National Championships in Oxford in June.

They won that event and then finished fourth in the British Eventing Regional Finals, at Western Park, in October, qualifying for the Badminton Horse Trials Grassroots Championship.

Katie will still have to have physiotherapy on her hand and she will never be able to lay it flat.

I had to have a second operation on my hand and then after that the physio was really painful, but I was told it was crucial.

It actually was easier holding the reins and riding.

Flash and I have both gone from being told neither of us will never compete again to qualifying for the Badminton Grassroots Championships.

He has had an amazing season and its been our best ever year. It goes to show you should never give up and all horses deserve a chance to recover from even the worst kind of injuries.

I never gave up hope on either of us, but to reach Badminton is beyond my wildest dreams.

Flash is a very special horse because he had a tough start as I dont think he was treated well before I got him so hes very nervous.

It was really grim news about his injury as he was extremely lame, but I was determined to do everything to help him recover even though everything was stacked against him.

Katie added: My surgeon says he couldnt believe it, but I am stubborn, and was determined to ride again. I was also determined not to give up on Flash.

We have such a good relationship as a horse and rider, and Im absolutely thrilled at what weve achieved together against all the odds.

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Miracle recovery of rider and her horse after severe injuries - Yorkshire Post

Protein Associated with Leukemia May Lead to Targeted Therapy for Currently Incurable Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia – Pharmacy Times

By Stell Cell Research

Protein Associated with Leukemia May Lead to Targeted Therapy for Currently Incurable Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

ALL is a form of blood cancer that primarily affects children and young people and causes large quantities of malignant progenitor cells to build in a patients blood instead of healthy white blood cells. This is often caused by 2 chromosomes fusing together to create new abnormal genes that disrupt the system controlling normal blood development. Because of this process, certain types of leukemia are extremely resistant and unable to be cured with intensive chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation.

Researchers analyzed a protein called TCF3-HLF, which is typically associated with this type of leukemia and does not occur naturally. It is produced through the fusion of 2 chromosomes and contains elements of transcription factors, which activate the transcription of certain genes.

The analysis revealed that TCF3-HLF activates a whole range of genes, but it does so in the wrong contextat the wrong point in the blood development process. The formation of malignant white blood cells is then triggered, causing leukemia.

The study authors also discovered that the abnormal protein does not act alone, but instead gathers more than 100 other proteins around it, which helps to activate the genes. The researchers investigated the function of the individual proteins in the genetic machinery and used it to identify key elements that could be targeted through therapy.

Using the CRISPR/Cas9 method, researchers detached the specific parts they had identified from the machinery and found 11 critical factors that are crucial to the build-up of malignant abnormal blood cells in leukemia.

One of the essential components now identified is the protein EP300, a cofactor that boosts gene activation. The researchers used a new kind of substance called A-485, known to bind to EP300 and inhibit its activity. When A-485 was administered to human leukemia cells, the malignant cells died off.

The study authors noted that it is possible to stop the fundamental driving force behind the leukemia directly and thus develop a targeted type of therapy. Given that other forms of leukemia are caused by similar mechanisms, it may also be possible to identify a common denominator for developing new drugs to combat cancer.

REFERENCE

New approach to treating incurable leukemia in children discovered [press release]. University of Zurich. BioPortfolio website. Published November 24, 2019. https://www.bioportfolio.com/news/article/4148041/New-approach-to-treating-incurable-leukemia-in-children-discovered.html. Accessed December 4, 2019.

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Protein Associated with Leukemia May Lead to Targeted Therapy for Currently Incurable Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - Pharmacy Times

The Next Generation of Biologic Pacemakers? New Discovery in Stem Cells from Fat Creates Another Alternative Treatment – DocWire News

By Stell Cell Research

A research team from the University of Houston has found a way to use the stem cells found in fat and guide it to become a pacemaker-like cell, according to a new study.

We are reprogramming the cardiac progenitor cell and guiding it to become a conducting cell of the heart to conduct electrical current, said study co-author Bradley McConnell, associate professor of pharmacology, in a press release

The team, publishing the study in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, worked on converting adipogenic mesenchymal stem cells, which reside within fat cells, into cardia progenitor cells. The ensuing cardiac progenitor cells can be programmed to aid heartbeats as a sinoatrial node (SAN), which is part of the electrical cardiac conduction system.

The researchers used what they called a standard screening strategy to test for reprogramming factors for converting human cardiac progenitor cells into pacemaker-like cells. According to their study results, the authors observed expressions of many pacemaker-specific genes, including CX30.2, KCNN4, HCN4, HCN3, HCN1, and SCN3b. The authors wrote that SHOX2, HCN2, and TBX5 (SHT5) combinations of transcription factors were much better candidate(s) in driving cardiac progenitor cells into pacemaker-like cells than other combinations and single transcription factors.

Results of this study show that the SHT5 combination of transcription factors can reprogram CPCs into Pacemaker-like cells, they wrote in their conclusion. SHT5 may be used as a potential stem cell therapy for sick sinus syndrome (SSS) and for other cardiac conduction diseases.

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The Next Generation of Biologic Pacemakers? New Discovery in Stem Cells from Fat Creates Another Alternative Treatment - DocWire News

Top Technical Advances of 2019 – The Scientist

By Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Artificial intelligence tackles life science

Look under the hood of many of this years headline-making discoveries in biology and youll find machine learning, a tool thats gaining ground in the life sciences thanks to growing computational power and the availability of big datasets needed for training. Among other advances in 2019, researchers reported successfully using machine learning to screen images for signs of cancer or infection by pathogens, and to identify epigenetic markers in blood samples that are associated with vascular complications in people with diabetes. Check out our special issue on AI for more examples of how the tool is transforming biology.

Even as computers take on more of the tasks once done by hand, engineers are exploring DNAs capacity to adopt a function usually associated with machines: information storage. This summer, researchers in Boston reported a way of harnessing DNA, together with CRISPR-like base editing machinery, to make a record of events inside living cells that can then be decoded via sequencing. Study coauthor Timothy Lu of MIT told The Scientist that its potential applications include detecting environmental toxins and recording developmental processes.

Another creative spin on CRISPR-Cas9 editing to come out this year is a detection device for particular DNA sequences. Here, the Cas9 enzyme is bound to an RNA and to a graphene chip and engineered not to make cuts in DNA. If the RNA-Cas9 complex connects to its target DNA sequence, it causes a change in the chips electric field and thus a positive readout. The chips developers suggest it could one day be used for quick DNA tests in clinical settings.

Among the endless variations of CRISPR scientists are engineering, one developed this year purports to reduce its off-target effects by avoiding double-strand DNA breaks. The technique, known as prime editing, uses the same Cas9 nuclease as frequently deployed in the CRISPR system but combines the enzyme with a guide RNA called pegRNA and a reverse transcriptase that initiates the addition of a new sequence or base into the genome. Once the new genetic material is incorporated into a cut strand of DNA, the prime editor nicks the unedited strand, signaling to the cell to rebuild it to match the edited strand.

As some researchers worked on their own variations of genome editing, others made an important edit of a recipe for induced pluripotent stem cells. First published by Shinya Yamanaka (now of Kyoto University) in 2006, the method overexpresses genes for four transcription factors in differentiated cells to reset them to a pluripotent state, creating what are known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The most important of the four overproduced factors was thought to be Oct4. But last month, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine announced theyd not only managed to make mouse iPSCs without tweaking Oct4 levels, but that the process was more efficient that way. If this works in adult human cells, it will be a huge advantage for the clinical applications of iPS cells, Yamanaka wrote in an email to The Scientist.

Shawna Williams is a senior editor atThe Scientist. Email her at swilliams@the-scientist.com or follow her on Twitter @coloradan.

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Top Technical Advances of 2019 - The Scientist

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Market: Latest Innovations, Drivers and Industry Key Events 2016 2021 – Market Reports Observer

By Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

The global market forinduced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)reached $2.1 billion in 2016. The market should reach $3.6 billion in 2021, increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6% from 2016 through 2021.

Report Scope:

This study is focused on the market side of iPSCs rather than its technical side. Different market segments for this emerging market are covered. For example, application-based market segments include academic research, drug development and toxicity testing, and regenerative medicine; product function-based market segments include molecular and cellular engineering, cellular reprogramming, cell culture, cell differentiation and cell analysis; iPSC-derived cell-type-based market segments include cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, neurons, endothelia cells and other cell types; geography-based market segments include the U.S., Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World. Research and market trends are also analyzed by studying the funding, patent publications and research publications in the field.

Report Includes:

An overview of the global market for induced pluripotent stem cells. Analyses of global market trends with data from 2015 and 2016, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2021. Information on induced pluripotent stem cell research products, defined as all research tools including but not limited to: induced pluripotent stem cells and various differentiated cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells; various related assays and kits, culture media and medium components, such as serum, growth factors and inhibitors, antibodies, enzymes, and many others that can be applied for the specific purpose of executing induced pluripotent stem cell research. Discussion of important manufacturers, technologies, and factors influencing market demand, such as the driving forces and limiting factors of induced pluripotent stem cell market growth. Profiles of major players in the industry.

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Report Summary

Its been over 10 years since the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology. The market has gradually become an important part of the life sciences industry during recent years. Particularly for the past five years, the global market for iPSCs has experienced a rapid growth. The market was estimated at $1.7 billion in 2015 and over $2 billion in 2016, with an average 18% growth. The overall iPSC market is forecast to continue its relatively rapid growth and reach over $3.6 billion in 2021, with an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6% from 2016 through 2021.

Key Drivers for Market Growth

This report has identified several key drivers for the rapidly growing market: iPSC shold promising hope for therapeutic solutions for diseases without ethical issues. A series of technical breakthroughs were made in recent years for improving cellular reprogramming, differentiation and large-scale production of GMP- grade iPSCs derived cells toward clinical usability. The pharmaceutical industry needs better cell sources such as iPSC-derived functional cells for drug toxicity testing and drug screening. The U.S. government has been encouraging the marketing of stem cells, including iPSCs.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been authorized to provide orphan drug designations for many of the therapies developed for rare diseases such as Parkinsons and Huntingtons using stem cells. The provisions of grants from organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) have been encouraging for the research institutes to venture into iPSC research. Rapidly growing medical tourism and contract research outsourcing drives the Asia-Pacific stem cell market. Cellular reprogramming, including iPSC technology, was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize. The first human iPSC clinical trial started in August 2014, and the recent report of the first macular degeneration patient treated with the sheets of retinal pigmented epithelial cells made from iPSCs was encouraging. iPSC technology is developing into a platform for precision and personalized medicine, which is experiencing rapid growth globally. New biotechnologies such as genome editing technology are advancing iPSCs into more and better uses.

This report identifies key revenue segments for the iPSC market from various aspects. The applicationbased segments include the research, drug development and clinical markets; the product functionbased segments include molecular and cellular engineering, cellular reprogramming, cell culture, cell differentiation and cell analysis. The current major revenue segment is the drug development and toxicity testing sector, but the market for regenerative medicine is the fastest growing one. The marketfor clinical applications is not fully established, but the market for the translational medicine research of iPSC is also growing very quickly.

Report Analysis: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/analysis/BCC/induced-pluripotent-stem-cells-market

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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Market: Latest Innovations, Drivers and Industry Key Events 2016 2021 - Market Reports Observer

The next 3D-printing craze? It could be functioning ‘mini-livers’ – Inverse

By Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

3D-printing human organs will save lives once perfected. Over 100,000 people are currently on a transplant waiting list, and 18 people die every day in the United States waiting to receive a transplant. If we could just print someone an organ using their own cells, they wouldnt have to wait for a donor and thered be pretty much no chance of the organ being rejected. Researchers in Brazil just successfully 3D-printed mini-livers in a lab, and they function just like a regular liver. Their research was published in late November 2019 in the journal Biofabrication.

The researchers took blood from three volunteers and reprogrammed the blood cells to turn them into pluripotent stem cells, which are able to develop into any type of cell found in the human body.

The pluripotent stem cells were then induced to become liver cells, mixed with bioink and put through the 3D printer as spheroids. Spheroids are clusters of cells, so unlike other organ tissue that has been printed by researchers in the past, they were printing with more than one cell at a time. The researchers then let the structure culture for 18 days.

When the scientists examined the culture after it growth period, they found hepatic organoids, which are essentially miniature livers. They are able to function exactly as a liver does on a smaller scale.

Ernesto Goulart, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of So Paulos Institute of Biosciences and an author of the study, claimed in a statement that their method was more successful than other methods.

Instead of printing individualized cells, we developed a method of grouping them before printing. These clumps of cells, or spheroids, are what constitute the tissue and maintain its functionality much longer, Goulart.

The tissue that was printed maintained hepatic functions longer than other liver tissue produced by 3D printing. Hepatic function is the term for how well the liver is working.

See also: How 3D-Printed Organs at the International Space Station May Cure Diseases

The researchers claim this whole process can be completed in 90 days. They claim their methods could definitely be used to print a fully functioning human liver.

We did it on a small scale, but with investment and interest, it can easily be scaled up, Goulart said.

Scientists have been getting much better at 3D-printing organ tissue and miniature versions of human organs in recent years. Scientists at Tel Aviv University were actually able to print a mini-human heart earlier this year. The bio-printing company Organovo is actually trying to have a patient receive a partial organ transplant with tissue made by a 3D printer by next year. A partial transplant would mean a portion of the organ tissue is replaced, which would in turn theoretically buy a patient a year or two before they need a transplant.

Were still years away from a scenario where people are regularly getting entirely new organs that were made using their own cells, but its not science fiction anymore. Once this technology proliferates and becomes affordable for the average person, well enter a time when people dont die waiting for transplants anymore.

Abstract:

The liver is responsible for many metabolic, endocrine and exocrine functions. Approximately 2 million deaths per year are associated with liver failure. Modern 3D bioprinting technologies allied with autologous induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS)-derived grafts could represent a relevant tissue engineering approach to treat end stage liver disease patients. However, protocols that accurately recapitulates livers epithelial parenchyma through bioprinting are still underdeveloped. Here we evaluated the impacts of using single cell dispersion (i.e. obtained from conventional bidimensional differentiation) of iPS-derived parenchymal (i.e. hepatocyte-like cells) versus using iPS-derived hepatocyte-like cells spheroids (i.e. three-dimensional cell culture), both in combination with non-parenchymal cells (e.g. mesenchymal and endothelial cells), into final liver tissue functionality. Single cell constructs showed reduced cell survival and hepatic function and unbalanced protein/amino acid metabolism when compared to spheroid printed constructs after 18 days in culture. In addition, single cell printed constructs revealed epithelial-mesenchymal transition, resulting in rapid loss of hepatocyte phenotype. These results indicates the advantage of using spheroid-based bioprinting, contributing to improve current liver bioprinting technology towards future regenerative medicine applications and liver physiology and disease modeling.

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The next 3D-printing craze? It could be functioning 'mini-livers' - Inverse

Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections

By Platelet Rich Plasma Injections

PRP has been used in surgeries to promote cell regeneration since 1987,1,2 and a growing body of evidence shows it is a viable treatment for tendinosis.3-6 Not until recently, though, have experts researched and debated whether or not platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are an effective treatment for osteoarthritis.

See Osteoarthritis Treatment

Nearly all of the research investigating the use of PRP to treat osteoarthritis and other cartilage defects has been done since 2000, and the vast majority of research articles on the topic have been published since 2010.

See What Is Cartilage?

Not all studies support the use of PRP to treat osteoarthritis; however, experts who have reviewed the existing body of research believe the evidence is largely encouraging and merits further investigation.7-9

See Stem Cell Therapy for Arthritis

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Researchers studying PRP and osteoarthritis often work with patients who have knee osteoarthritis, a condition that experts estimate will affect nearly half of all Americans at some point during their lives.10 Two clinical studies that examine PRP to treat knee arthritis are described below.

The platelet-rich plasma used in this clinical study had 3 times the platelet concentration of normal blood and had been filtered to remove white blood cells.

While knee cartilage did not seem to regenerate for patients, the fact that the arthritis did not worsen may be significant. Evidence suggests that an average of 4 to 6% of cartilage disappears each year in arthritic joints.13,14

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Not all clinical studies provide evidence that PRP alleviates osteoarthritis symptoms. In several clinical studies PRP injections were no better than a placebo treatment. Even in studies that do provide evidence that PRP works, not all patients benefit.

See Is Stem Cell Therapy for Arthritis Safe and Effective?

PRP proponents assert that PRP fails to successfully treat symptoms in some cases because of differences in PRP formulation or injection administration - in other words, certain changes in variables, such as PRP preparation methods, the amount of PRP injected, and the frequency of injections, can make the PRP less effective. Others suggest that PRP therapy may be a passing fad that has limited value.15,16

It may be that PRP therapy, like other osteoarthritis treatments, works for some people but not for others, or works best in conjunction with other treatments, such as physical therapy.

Read more: Knee Exercises for Arthritis

Read more here:
Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections

In case you missed them: Spectrum’s standout stories from 2019 – Spectrum

By Stem Cell Treatment

Spectrum published hundreds of articles this year on a range of topics, from characterization of candidate genes to immune-system connections. We are proud of all of them, but some in particular stand out: They expose harmful therapies such as chiropractic and stem-cell treatments, upend conventional wisdom about autism, expose uncomfortable truths or adroitly explain complex theories about the condition.

Our staff and some of our readers picked the following seven as particular favorites from the year.

Autism, explained

How might a brain-signaling imbalance underlie autism? What is the female protective effect and, conversely, an extreme male brain? We expanded our compendium of autism explainers this year to include some of the most popular theories about the condition.

False hope for autism in the stem-cell underground

Clinics offering stem-cell treatments for autism are proliferating, and desperate parents pay thousands of dollars to have these products injected into their children despite a lack of evidence that they help. Many, in fact, have the potential to cause serious harm, from introducing life-threatening infections to seeding autoimmune disorders. In this story, investigative reporter Brendan Borrell traces the provenance of one childs treatments through a cast of rogue characters and calls attention to the fact that the products are, as one of his sources says, basically afterbirth thrown in a blender.

Can preventing seizures alter the course of autism?

This story sprang to life when reporter Jessica Wright observed experimental brain surgery on a 12-year-old boy named Kevin Lightner. Kevin has dup15q syndrome, a rare genetic condition that often causes seizures and autism, and his case presented a prime opportunity to explore a provocative question: Can epilepsy lead to or at least contribute to autism? Wright followed Kevin and his family through a risky procedure to implant a responsive neurostimulation device into his brain, and over the weeks that followed.

When autistic people commit sexual crimes

Many autistic people become embroiled in the criminal justice system for sexual behaviors, including collecting child pornography, stalking and sexual assault. Some go to prison, and others become registered sex offenders a status that can prevent them from receiving state services for the rest of their lives. But as Melinda Wenner-Moyer explores in this story, autistic people may engage in these behaviors without understanding the implications of their actions or the law. Some experts are calling for a change in how the criminal justice system treats these autistic people, and for more sexual education for autistic teens.

Autism, through the eyes of a computer

Clinicians are the main arbiters of autism traits. They use their expertise to diagnose autism and judge its severity. But a growing cadre of scientists is betting that computers could do some parts of these tasks better. In this story, reporter Nicholette Zeliadt explores the use of wearable sensors and other devices to track autism traits over time as they collect data from autistic people in their homes and schools. These measurements may never replace the judgment clinicians hone through years of experience, but they may ease the workload of experts and the wait time for people who need evaluations.

Large study supports discarding the term high-functioning autism

Autistic people who excel academically are sometimes referred to as high functioning. The problem is, many dont function at all well: They struggle with everyday tasks, from getting dressed to taking the bus. This story underscores the gaping chasm between intelligence and daily living skills, and the crescendo of voices calling to abandon the high functioning label.

Studies of autism treatments lack standard yardsticks

An analysis of 36 years of clinical trials showed that researchers do not use a consistent set of tools to measure the efficacy of autism treatments. Nearly 70 percent of the tools were used in just one study, making it difficult to compare the treatments. And only three validated tools that measure core autism traits were used in more than 5 percent of the studies. But these tools are not designed to measure treatment outcomes, so they may miss subtle signs that a drug, dietary supplement or psychotherapy is working.

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In case you missed them: Spectrum's standout stories from 2019 - Spectrum

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