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Cell Therapy CMC and Analytics – The Bioprocessing Summit

By Uncategorized

Cambridge Healthtech Institute s 3rd Annual August 13-14, 2018

To ensure the quality, safety and rapid production of cell therapies, companies must keep on top of their CMC and analytical strateigies. However, cell-based therapies are extremely complex to analysis with high variability.

Cambridge Healthtech Institutes Cell Therapy CMC and Analytics meeting focuses on the technical and regulatory requirements needed to advance the analysis, quality and development of cell therapies with in-depth case studies and regulatory feedback on CMC development, product release, assay development and validation, flow cytometry, target product profiles, critical quality attributes, critical process parameters, and product release.

Final Agenda

Day 1 | Day 2 | Speaker Biographies

Monday, August 13

8:00 am Short Course Registration Open (Grand Ballroom Foyer) and Morning Coffee (Break Foyer)

11:30 Main Conference Registration Open (Grand Ballroom Foyer)

1:00 pm Chairpersons Opening Remarks

Fouad Atouf, PhD, Vice President, Global Biologics, USP

1:10 Cell Therapy Product Manufacturing Considerations

Bernadette Keane, PhD, Principal, Keane Consultancy

Cell therapies are substantially more complex than small molecule or biological approaches to medicine. This complexity poses challenges for both academic groups and companies developing cell therapies, as well as for regulators seeking to oversee this growing area of medicine. In this interactive session, we will discuss some of the common challenges and lessons learned along the way and explore how collaborations between industry and the regulators can help lead to successful translation and commercialization of cell therapies.

1:45 Regulatory Aspects of Manufacturing and Control of Genetically Modified Cells

Matthias Renner, PhD, Scientist, Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, Paul Ehrlich Institute

In respect to manufacturing and quality control, genetically modified cells are considered to be most complex medicinal products. Regulatory aspects considering the fundamental steps in manufacturing and control of these medicinal products will be presented, and the regulatory framework for these products which are classified in the EU as advanced therapy medicinal products and are regulated centrally by the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency will be given.

2:15 Standards and Best Practices Applicable for Advanced Therapies

Fouad Atouf, PhD, Vice President, Global Biologics, USP

Qualification of raw materials used in the manufacturing of cellular therapies, requires the use of risk assessment strategies to categorize the critical components of a manufacturing process. In addition to cell culture supplements, excipients and other formulations components must meet the required quality to ensure consistency in manufacturing and subsequently the quality and safety of finished cell therapy products. This presentation will discuss the critical strategies facing the development of cell therapies as per USP recommendations.

2:45 Refreshment Break (Foyer)

3:15 FDAs CMC Review of a Cell Therapeutics

William Lee, PhD, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Cato Research

This talk will focus on two case studies. The first case study will discuss FDAs CMC issues with a stem cell therapy that were raised at a pre-IND meeting. The second case study will discuss FDAs CMC questions for an investigational cell therapy during the pre-IND meeting and then subsequently during the IND 30-day review after initial IND submission.

3:45 PANEL DISCUSSION: Regulatory and CMC Strategies for Cell Therapies

Moderator:

Fouad Atouf, PhD, Vice President, Global Biologics, USP

Panelists:

Bernadette Keane, PhD, Principal, Keane Consultancy

Matthias Renner, PhD, Scientist, Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, Paul Ehrlich Institute

4:30 Breakout Discussions

This session provides the opportunity to discuss a focused topic with peers from around the world in an open, collegial setting. Select from the list of topics available and join the moderated discussion to share ideas, gain insights, establish collaborations or commiserate about persistent challenges. Then continue the discussion as you head into the lively exhibit hall for information about the latest technologies.

Accelerating Cell Therapy Development

Moderator: Fouad Atouf, PhD, Vice President, Global Biologics, USP

Matthias Renner, PhD, Scientist, Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, Paul Ehrlich Institute

Bernadette Keane, PhD, Principal, Keane Consultancy

Commercial Manufacturing of Gene-Modified Cell Therapies: The Challenges Ahead

Moderator: Michael D. Jacobson, PhD., Managing Partner, Cambridge Biostrategy Associates

5:30 Grand Opening Reception in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing (Grand Ballroom)

7:00 End of Day

Day 1 | Day 2 | Speaker Biographies

Tuesday, August 14

7:30 am Registration Open and Morning Coffee (Grand Ballroom Foyer)

7:55 Chairpersons Remarks

Christopher Bravery, PhD, Consulting Regulatory Scientist, Consulting on Advanced Biologicals Ltd.

8:00 Tools and Strategies to Improve Confidence in Cell Counting Measurements

Laura Pierce, PhD, Biomedical Engineer, Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, Biomaterials Group, NIST

Cell count, a routinely performed fundamental measurement in the biosciences, underpins key decisions in the manufacturing, commercialization, and release of cell-based therapies. The industry seeks tools to gain greater confidence in cell counting measurements. NIST, in collaboration with industry and other government agencies, is developing strategies to provide fit-for-purpose measurement assurance for cell counting, in the forms of written standards, experimental designs, and control materials.

8:30 Towards Rigor and Reproducibility in Single Cell Analytics for Therapeutic Cell Products

Ruud Hulspas, PhD, Independent Consultant, Cellular Technologies Bioconsulting, LLC

Cell characterization occurs at multiple checkpoints of the manufacturing process and is particularly important at product release. In contrast to bulk analysis, single cell analysis offers detailed information about the composition of therapeutic cell products. Flow cytometry provides rapid analysis of millions of cells for up to 30 cellular parameters, simultaneously measured on individual cells, but it can also be difficult, unreliable and expensive. Existing expertise and new developments are applied for successful integration in cell therapy.

9:00 Assays in Purification of Targeted Cell Populations

Patricia Rogers, Manager, Cell Sorting Capability, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Cell purification of targeted populations is necessary when specific populations are needed for downstream applications. Instrumentation needed in order to purify cell populations is often complicated and hard to standardize. Also, there is biological variation between samples that needs to be accounted for. This presentation will focus on understanding the key areas for variation and developing tools to standardize each part of the assay in order to provide reproducible results.

9:30 Advancing Rapid Microbial Testing Methods for Cell-Based Therapies

Jacqueline Wolfrum, PhD, Associate Director, Biomanufacturing Program (BioMAN), Center for Biomedical Innovation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cell therapy manufacturers need rapid microbial testing methods (RMTM) to provide evidence of process and product safety in timeframes relevant to the manufacturing process, product shelf life, and patient treatment protocol. The Standards Coordinating Body is driving a collaborative effort to meet this shared need for RMTM by identifying, developing, and validating needed standards and methods. Interested stakeholders are encouraged to participate in this project.

9:45 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing (Grand Ballroom)

10:30 Potency Assay Development and Qualification for B-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease Autologous Gene Therapy Drug Products

Ilya Shestopalov, PhD, Senior Scientist, Cellular Process Characterization and Analytics, bluebird bio

Quantitative potency assays were developed to demonstrate correction of b-thalassemia and sickle cell disease properties in an in vitro cell culture system. Potency was found to be specific to the beta-globin lentiviral vector and dependent on transduction efficiency of the autologous gene therapy drug product, demonstrating ability to reject sub-functional drug products. Considerations for assay development, qualification results, and redundancy to transduction efficiency methods will be discussed.

11:00 Product Release towards Rapid Quality Control

Junxia Wang, PhD., Director, Analytical Development, Mustang Bio, Inc.

As living drugs, cell therapies pose unique analytical characterization challenges; these challenges extend from the research bench to the cGMP manufacturing setting. This talk will review common analytical methods for cell therapies, specifically CAR T- and TCR-based therapies, with a specific emphasis on the limitations of current methods and the move towards automated analytical methods.

11:30 PANEL DISCUSSION: Automation in Analytics and Manufacturing

Moderator:

Rodney Rietz, PhD, Senior Investigator, Exploratory Immuno-Oncology, Novartis

Panelists:

Christopher Bravery, PhD, Consulting Regulatory Scientist, Consulting on Advanced Biologicals Ltd.

Junxia Wang, PhD., Director, Analytical Development, Mustang Bio, Inc..

Jacqueline Wolfrum, PhD, Associate Director, Biomanufacturing Program (BioMAN), Center for Biomedical Innovation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

12:00 pm Single Cell Proteomics for Evaluating Function & Clinical Utility in Cell Therapy

Sean Mackay, CEO, IsoPlexis

By capturing 40+ secreted proteins per single cell, thousands of cells at at time, researchers can determine the functional activity and strength of immune cells and cellular products. Using the IsoCode technology to define T-cell functional strength, Kite Pharma has used their pre-infusion product to predict objective response to CAR-T therapy. Isocode technology has also provided biomarker correlates to objective response in checkpoint inhibitor therapy - both from TILs and PBMC.

12:30Enjoy Lunch on Your Own

1:15 Dessert Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing (Grand Ballroom)

1:55 Chairpersons Remarks

Scott R. Burger, MD, Principal, Advanced Cell & Gene Therapy, LLC

2:00 Assessment of Comparability of a Gene Therapy Drug Product after Manufacturing Site and Process Changes

Stephen J. Duguay, PhD, Director, Cellular Process Characterization and Analytics, bluebird bio

Manufacturing site changes and process improvements were implemented during clinical evaluation of an autologous cell-based gene therapy. A risk based approach was used to rank the potential impact of the changes to product quality, safety and efficacy. Statistical evaluation of study results included equivalence testing, quality ranges and qualitative comparisons. The study design, results and conclusions will be discussed.

2:30 In vitro Product Characterization and Stability Studies of CAR T Cell Therapies

Carlotta Peticone, PhD, Senior Scientist I, Process Development, Autolus

3:00 How Much Information Do I Need to Present for the Vector of My Genetically Modified Cell Product?

Christopher Bravery, PhD, Consulting Regulatory Scientist, Consulting on Advanced Biologicals Ltd.

How do regulatory agencies view the vector of a genetically modified cell? Does the vector need to be GMP; from what point in manufacture would this apply? Can I use a drug masterfile? How much information, including data, should I provide in the dossier for clinical trials; will this be different for approval?

3:30 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with 1st Session Poster Winner Announced (Grand Ballroom)

4:15 Designing Strategies for Data-Driven Product Characterization

Marc-Olivier Baradez, PhD, Lead Analytical Development Scientist, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult

In the development of cell therapy products, the ability to characterize the product during its manufacture is becoming as valuable as the ability to control and optimize the process itself. This presentation will explain the current limitations and opportunities associated with such dual product/process characterization, and it will cover the principles behind a suitable data-driven strategy for efficient product/process development in the context of industrialization.

4:45 Big Data Strategies for Cell Therapy Manufacturing

Scott R. Burger, MD, Principal, Advanced Cell & Gene Therapy, LLC

The quest to retrieve, analyze, and leverage that data has become the new gold rush in life sciences. This presentation will discuss the role of big data in cell therapy process development, real time analytics and commercial scale manufacturing.

5:15 End of Conference

6:00 - 8:30 Recommended Dinner Short Course*

Day 1 | Day 2 | Speaker Biographies

See original here:
Cell Therapy CMC and Analytics - The Bioprocessing Summit

Stem Cell Therapy in Dallas, TX | Atlas Medical Center

By Stem Cell Medical Center

Stem Cell Therapy A Natural, Safe Alternative To Surgery

Stem cell therapy is a revolutionary regenerative treatment that uses your own mesenchymal stem cells from your fat cells (adipose cells) or from your bone marrow to help repair the damaged or degenerative cells in your joints and encourages healing. These procedures use state-of-the-art techniques that are very ethical and safe. All of our procedures follow the FDA guidelines for MINIMAL MANIPULATION (WE DONT ADD ANY ENZYMES OR CHANGE YOUR CELLS IN ANY WAY).

Mesenchymal stem cells from your fat OR bone marrow are also called adult stem cells, and they help facilitate the regeneration of tissue naturally in the joint. These stem cells are considered to be raw potential or multipotent meaning they can differentiate into the tissue cells needed in a specific area. These cells normally function alongside the immune system and work to replace skin and tissue when the body experiences trauma. Stem Cell Therapy takes that natural regenerative ability and focuses it on the region where your body needs help repairing itself. Mesenchymal stem cells direct cytokines and growth factors from your immune system to the targeted area to create an ongoing healing process as your body repairs itself organically. Research has shown that stem cells have the potential to repair damaged cartilage, bone, tendons, muscle, skin, and connective cell tissue.

The stem cells being used are from YOUR OWN BODY. This helps eliminate the potential for your immune system to reject the cells and also eliminates the potential for disease transmission. These are your own cells, concentrated and injected to perform the duties they were naturally created to execute. Stem cell therapy keeps you safe from the dangerous side effects of traditional joint condition treatment. Medications like NSAIDs and pain relievers carry high risks to your vital organs, and invasive surgeries to replace joints with prosthetics can lead to a list of adverse outcomes up to and including death. Adipose Stem Cell Therapy and Bone Marrow Stem Cell Therapy is minimally invasive leaving a narrow margin for complications and adverse reactions. Patients benefit from this procedure because it is administered by trained professionals, in a controlled environment in a same-day process.

In the PAST the devices used to aspirate bone marrow were considered VERY painful, time-consuming, and extremely invasive. In 2017, this all changed when a new proprietary device for bone marrow aspiration received FDA clearance. This new device is THE ONLY bone marrow aspiration device that has received FDA clearance that is virtually painless and is less invasive compared to other bone marrow aspiration methods.

Currently, Atlas Medical Center is the only office in the DFW Metroplex that has been trained to use this revolutionary device for aspirating bone marrow.

Once the cells are extracted, they are immediately injected directly into the joint or area that is injured. Once injected, the healing process begins, and the stem cells begin sending signals to your immune system to get to work repairing the damage. This is all performed under ultrasound guidance so that there is ZERO guesswork (and the provider can see in REAL TIME exactly where the injection needs to be injected).

Our patients have reported that the procedure is virtually PAINLESS. The procedure requires NO general anesthesia (just local), is considered very safe, is the least invasive, requires no downtime, no hospitalization, and has shown to yield more cells compared to any other method. The proprietary method Atlas uses allows you to be in and out of our office in 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Patients are literally shocked and amazed that they can walk right out of our office and continue their usual daily activities without a single stitch- just a band aid. For example, the difference in recovery time between knee surgery versus a stem cell therapy treatment is astounding. So many patients have avoided sacrificing half a year of their life recovering from surgery by choosing stem cell therapy that has you returning to work usually on the same day!

The adipose technique that our medical providers utilize is also a virtually painless process, compared to other older techniques.

Using a local anesthetic, our medical team will take a small sample of fat tissue from your buttock. This process is usually painless, but some patients experience a slight, minimal discomfort. Once your fat cells have been collected and processed using a powerful centrifuge, they are injected under ultrasound guidance into the area of injury.

This minimally invasive procedure can be completed in 2-3 hours. The good news is there is no hospitalization, and it is an outpatient procedure. Theres a period where patients feel sore. This feeling usually lasts for a couple of days to a week. Patients are totally awake during the treatment, and most patients return to normal activities the same day or within 24-48 hours.

When Mesenchymal stem cells from either your fat or bone marrow are injected into an affected joint/s, they start to work to potentially repair and replace the damaged tissue. These cells incorporate themselves into the damaged area and over time begin to improve the stability of the tissue and reduce any pain being caused by the damage. Because mesenchymal stem cells work with your immune system to heal, they can also have an effect on inflammation. By reducing and regulating the chronic inflammation responsible for many joint conditions, mesenchymal stem cells deliver patients a rapid decrease in pain. Stem cells have been integral in advancing treatments for degeneration in the bones and joints, damaged cartilage in joints, labral and labrum tears, meniscus tears, osteoarthritis, tendinosis and a wide range of other ailments involving the joints. Both Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Therapy and Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cell Therapy use the natural renewing functions of stem cells in our bodies as a concentrated treatment that can be focused in a targeted area to achieve optimal healing results.

On average, many patients start noticing improvement as soon as four to six weeks from the treatment, and some patients have experienced a noticeable reduction in pain as soon as a few days after treatment. There is no need for time off of work for a lengthy recovery period like with invasive surgery, and many patients return to work on the same day of their procedure. We encourage you to take it easy while your body embarks on its healing process, but normal to moderate activity is okay. As with any medical treatment, not everyone is a candidate for adipose-stem cell therapy or bone marrow stem cell therapy, each patients response will vary so discussing options for your specific needs is key. On your consultation day, all of your questions will be answered, and our medical provider will let you know if you qualify for treatment.

Our purpose at Atlas Medical Center is to get you out of pain, improve mobility, and avoid having unnecessary surgeries. Our unique JointRenew Program is exclusive to the Atlas Medical Center. This advanced regenerative medical procedure uses a combination of two or more of the following: Stem Cell Therapy, Amniotic Cell Therapy, Cord Tissue Cell Therapy, Platelet Rich Plasma therapy, and Advanced Non-invasive laser therapy to optimize healing. Our clinical experience has shown that this combination accelerates healing; by allowing the greatest number of regenerative cells along with non-invasive technology to work together to potentially help regenerate the damaged area.

In addition, all of our medical providers are Board Certified, trained, and highly skilled in stem cell and regenerative cell procedures; and all injections are performed with ultrasound or fluoroscopy (real time x-ray). (This eliminates all guesswork so that the regenerative cells are injected precisely where they need to be.) This ensures that youre always receiving the best possible treatment and gives you the greatest chance for success!

Finally, our providers are currently the ONLY ones in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex using the ONLY FDA cleared device to aspirate bone marrow for stem cell therapy that doesnt require any manipulation. This gives patients confidence in our providers knowing that they are following FDA guidelines.

Amniotic and Cord Cell Regenerative Therapy are alternative regenerative treatment for those who are not candidates for Stem Cell Therapy. Unlike bone marrow or adipose stem cell treatments, amniotic or Cord cell therapy is not health or condition dependent and offers those with arthritic joint conditions and soft tissue problems another treatment option.

For Dallas, Fort Worth or surrounding area patients, were located a short drive away in Irving and are looking forward to consulting with you.

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Stem Cell Therapy in Dallas, TX | Atlas Medical Center

Stem Cell PhD Program | Institute for Stem Cell Biology …

By Uncategorized

In 2011, the Stanford University Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine was the first new School of Medicine doctoral program to be approved by the Faculty Senate in more than 20 years. When chartered, the SCBRM Program also became the first graduate program in the world to offer specialized training at the intersection of basic and clinical science with specific emphasis on Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Typically, this intersection is referred to as pre-clinical or translational science and this unique discipline has become an area of intense interest at medical schools and universities in the US and abroad.

The initial program concept grew out of an increasing recognition that academic and industry positions for scientists, as advertised in the major scientific journals seek to recruit translational scientists with broad cross-disciplinary training. Such openings increasingly target those with demonstrated training and experience in human stem cell biology, regenerative medicine, and translation. Traditionally, doctoral programs in biomedical sciences across the US, including Stanford, have focused on the basic sciences with little interaction with translation and clinical application. The Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Program at Stanford became the first graduate program at Stanford to bridge this gap with specific intent to provide young scientists with expertise in both basic discovery and in the application of discoveries to improve human health and wellbeing.

What's different about the Stanford Stem Cell PhD program?

Our program offers advanced training at the intersection of basic science and clinical application with a specific emphasis on Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. This program is one of the first in the nation and abroad to specifically offer doctoral degrees in the translational sciences.

Traditionally, doctoral programs in biomedical sciences have focused on the basic sciences with emphasis on model systems such as bacteria, yeast, flies, worms, frogs and mice. This educational formula is based on the concept that clinically-relevant discoveries will naturally emerge from the basic sciences, that the human organism is of such complexity that model systems are preferable, and that there will be a growing need for scientists with narrow expertise in the basic sciences. Little emphasis has been placed on clinical translation of the basic science discoveries. However with the introduction of new tools and technologies of the last decade, it is clear that human biology is amenable to rigorous inquiry and that we can expand career opportunities for our graduates by providing them with the skills and knowledge to encompass the continuum of basic, translational and clinical sciences.Human stem cells enable these new lines of enquiry and translation. Tissue-derived and pluripotent stem cells allow investigators to create authentic human biological systems in vitro and in animals. Emerging tools in genetic engineering and in single cell biology allow us to begin targeting disease at the source and to create interventions that are precisely tailored to the mechanisms underlying disease.

Our doctoral program provides exceptional didactic education and research experience in the basic sciences underlying stem cell biology. In addition, program participants will receive specialized training in the development and clinical application of discoveries in the basic sciences to achieve regenerative therapies. Thus, our graduates will be uniquely positioned to develop successful translational careers in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and will emerge prepared to deliver on their passion to improve the human condition.

The Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine

The Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine is home to theCenter for Definitive and Curative Medicine. The effort is led by the Institutes Co-Director, Dr. Maria-Grazia Roncorolo. Clinician investigators and researchers at Stanford have created one of the first dedicated translational medicine centers located on an academic campus. The Center and the Stem Cell PhD program strongly encourage graduate students to consider a research path and dissertation that engages the resources of The Center. The explicit intent of The Center is to enable discoveries to transition to the clinic within a well-integrated and fully self-contained pipeline that spans from the research bench to the first application of cell and gene therapy in humans. Many of the Stem Cell PhD Program faculty participate in clinically-targeted research projects and students in the Stem Cell Program have an unprecedented opportunity to gain experience in the unique science and regulatory environment of first-in-human clinical trials.

Extraordinary Freedom to Design your own Doctoral Research Program and Dissertation.Our commitment is to fully fund any student admitted to the Stem Cell PhD Program for the first 4 years of graduate school. A student no longer needs to ask a prospective faculty member Do you have funding to support a graduate student? The faculty members of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine represent the cutting edge of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and we encourage students to take full advantage of program faculty. However, we also recognize that there are many faculty members on the larger Stanford campus whose groundbreaking advances provide the biological breakthroughs, technologies, and tools for the next generation of treatments and cures. Many Stem Cell PhD students design dissertations that are immersed in the disciplines of physics, photonics, chemistry, materials sciences and engineering, bioengineering, and computational biology. Students in the Stem Cell PhD Program can rotate with any faculty member at Stanford University and, if the faculty member agrees, the student can select a dissertation co-mentor or primary advisor from any department or graduate program.

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Stem Cell PhD Program | Institute for Stem Cell Biology ...

resurrection-clinics.eu

By Gene Therapy Clinics

We are currently witnessing a real breakthrough in immunological and genetic cancer therapies with innovative methods of treatment, which are virtually free of any adverse side effects as compared to chemotherapy.

The auto-vaccine or autologous cancer vaccine is derived from tissue fragments of the patient's own cancer and in the event of positive reaction the immune system becomes stimulated to recognize and destroy cancer cells, or it can significantly decrease the progression of the disease Immunotherapies, which can be used concurrently with the vaccine, are designed to activate lymphocytes in order to recognize cancer cells and to maintain the bodys defence mechanism active for a long time The new method of production of antibodies derived from cancer tissue has been covered by patents globally and it often brings impressive results. The combination gene therapy enables replacement of single sequences of DNA and it can effectively contribute to the cell transformation, its consequent repair and final regeneration. As each of us is an exceptional and orignal individual several main and accompanying therapy concepts have been proposed to treat cancer effectively and quite many of them bring astounding results. Our key objective is to support such efforts based on the continuous progress of research and with regard to promising perspectives in the future.

Link:
resurrection-clinics.eu

Using Cells as Medicine | Harvard Medical School

By Uncategorized

Growing replacement organs? Reengineering a patients own cells to erase disease? Guiding stem cells to replenish injured or aging tissues?

Once a far-off dream, regenerative medicine is rapidly becoming a reality.

Get more HMS news here

On May 31, Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine alumni gathered in the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center to celebrate the communitys latest achievements along the path toward using stem cells to repair tissues and treat disease.

The scientific symposium Discovery at HMS: Regenerative Biology, featuring four keynote speakers, took place duringReunion 2018, a three-day program for visiting HMS/HSDM alumni. A.W. Karchmer, MD 64, chair of Alumni Relations at HMS, moderated the event.

Theres no better time than now to pursue regenerative medicine research; no better city than Boston; and no better dean for HMS than George Q. Daley, said Douglas Melton, the Xander University Professor at Harvard University.

You are at the worlds epicenter of thinking about whether and how to use the power of cells to treat disease, Melton said.

Blood from a petri dish

Daley, MD 91, described the odyssey he and other scientists have undertaken over the past 20 years to engineer human blood stem cells that share all the properties of natural blood stem cells.

Im dean, but Im still masquerading as a scientist, said Daley, also the Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine at HMS.

One of the hardest decisions I had to make in taking on the role was to back away from a decades-long career in science and a decades-long struggle to get to where I will describe today, a place where were tantalizingly close to realizing how to transform the future of bone marrow transplantation, he said.

Daley said he was initially motivated by seeing patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who werent eligible for bone marrow transplantation or did not have matching donors.

I set out with the goal of using stem cell biology to create a universal donor stem cell that would not trigger immune system attacks in patients, he said. The real goal was to make stem cells from every individual who might need it, so we all might become our own donors.

Daley and others in the field have since expanded their efforts into engineering platelets, red and white blood cells, and T and B cells.

The results could help researchers to better model human diseases and could also lead to new treatments for primary immune deficiency, bone marrow failure, hemoglobin disorders such as sickle cell disease, cancer and more, Daley said.

Already, Daley and his collaborators haveused stem cells derived from patients with Diamond-Blackfan anemiato discover potential new drugs for the disease.

We hope that is the first of many successes, Daley said.

As scientists make strides in coaxing induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to differentiate into specialized blood cell types, attention has been turning to lowering costs and scaling up.

Cancer immunotherapies such as CAR-T cell therapies, for example, have been startlingly successful for certain pediatric and adult cancers, but they come with staggering price tags, said Daley. If we could make T cells from stem cells, we could skip the patient-specific approach and drive the price down considerably.

We can harness iPS cells, Daley continued. This is coming down the pike and will revolutionize and ultimately democratize CAR-T cell therapy.

No more injections: Transforming diabetes treatment with cellular therapy

Melton described his laboratorys efforts to turn human stem cells into functional, insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells that could one day be used to treat diabetes.

Such an achievement would provide patients with better blood-sugar control than current glucose monitoring and insulin injection techniques for patients who dont have enough beta cells, such as those with type 1 diabetes or who have had their pancreas removed, Melton said.

Melton described how his group has learned to produce functional beta cells in the lab. He showed video footage of a tray of flasks, each of which brews enough beta cells to treat a person, he said.

The team is now fiddling with the protocol to see if they can better control the cell types they grow and their efficiency. Even at this point, however, Meltons group is confident enough in their findings to move into clinical trials to test whether the cells will function as expected and are not harmful.

Melton said that the lab-grown beta cells promise to solve two challenges posed by islet cell transplantation, an experimental treatment for type 1 diabetes in which patients receive insulin-producing cells from the pancreas of a deceased donor.

First, Melton said, his labs technique should be able to produce enough beta cells to alleviate the global donor shortage. Second, he said, while current islet cell transplants require lifelong immune suppression, a company he founded is working to wrap the lab-grown cells in a permeable material that would let critical hormones such as insulin pass through while shielding the cells from immune detection.

Nothing tells me it wont be possible to conquer the problem of making an unlimited supply of functional human islets, Melton said. Its possible to change the course of diabetes by using cells rather than insulin.

Moving towards the regeneration of joints

April Craft, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at HMS and Boston Childrens Hospital, described her labs and others efforts to engineer stem cells that repair damaged and degenerating cartilage.

Current treatments for cartilage problems often have shortcomings, Craft said, such as reducing pain but not improving function, a lack of certain biochemical and biomechanical properties of normal cartilage, or being able to heal only small injuries. She said she believes stem cell therapies could overcome these constraints.

The journey, however, has not been easy. Craft said some stem cells have made cartilage well in lab dishes, only to turn into bone when tested in mice. Successful stem cell engineering not only must produce the right types of cartilage cells but also needs to integrate well with the existing cartilage in a patients joint, look and function like normal cartilage, avoid immune attack, come from a robust and renewable source and more, she said.

So far researchers, including Craft, have been able to direct stem cells to grow articular cartilage, which makes joints glide smoothly, and growth-plate cartilage, which allows bones to grow longer, in animal models. They are moving into preclinical studies to see whether human clinical trials are feasible.

We know what cartilage cells we have to make, and we know where the stem cells are, so [its a question of] how do we get there, said Craft. For that, we can use developmental biology as a guide.

As they advance regenerative medicine for cartilage, Craft said she hopes that learning more about stem cell differentiation and normal developmental biology will also help the field make strides in generating meniscus, ligament and tendon tissues.

Growing organs on demand

Harald Ott, associate professor of surgery at HMS and a thoracic surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, reviewed his labs progress in regenerating whole organs for transplantation.

Organ failure is a global problem that will affect many of us, he said. Living tissue and organ grafts provide a sustainable solution, and adult-derived stem cells provide an unlimited supply of personalized building blocks for these tissues.

Medicine has evolved to the point where millions of people each year survive heart attacks, strokes and other acute health crises and chronic conditions but now face organ failure and a shortage of donor organs, Ott said.

He and others are tackling the problem by looking at human organs as biologic devices that can be replicated through a combination of regenerative biology, engineering and surgery.

Replacement organs dont even need to be perfect at this stage, Ott said, so long as they perform their basic functions and improve patients quality of life.

Ott described his groups core strategy: build or obtain a scaffold for the organ, seed it with living cells, coax it through a tissue-assembly process to form a 3D structure and transplant it into an organism.

One way to build a scaffold is to use a technique Ott developed called perfusion decellularization, in which an organ from a cadaver or other organism is washed clean of cells and other materials, leaving only the semi-transparent extracellular matrix behind.

Ott also walked the audience through the process needed to direct stem cells to become the appropriate kinds of cells to populate those organ scaffolds.

He then outlined a method called directed morphogenesis, which hastens the generation of the 3D organ structures. The hope, he said, is that it wouldnt take months to grow an organ for a patient whose health is rapidly failing.

In closing, Ott shared recent successes in biofabricating lungs, and parts of lungs, that can perform gas exchange. Tests in animal models have been promising, he said.

Looking to the future, Ott said he envisions even better-performing replacement organs that can grow with young patients and survive challenges such as infection with the flu.

Whereas the first generation of such organs are made of tissue grafts built on natural platforms, the second generation might be more advanced fabrication inspired by nature, he said.

A packed Reunion program

The scientific symposium was held alongside the Class of 1993 25th Reunion Symposium, Medicine 2.0: The Fourth Aim, Finding Joy. That program featured four panels focusing on joy in discovery, teaching and mentorship, healing and caring, and beyond medicine.

Formal Reunion programming continued on June 1 with the Harvard Medical Alumni Association Annual Business Meeting; the HMS Alumni Day Symposium Advances in Medicine: It Takes a Biomedical Village; the HSDM Alumni Day Symposium Oral Health on a Global Scale; and the HMS and HSDM State of the School addresses.

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Using Cells as Medicine | Harvard Medical School

Sickle Cell Disease | Sickle Cell Anemia | MedlinePlus

By Uncategorized

What is sickle cell disease?

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. If you have SCD, there is a problem with your hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. With SCD, the hemoglobin forms into stiff rods within the red blood cells. This changes the shape of the red blood cells. The cells are supposed to be disc-shaped, but this changes them into a crescent, or sickle, shape.

The sickle-shaped cells are not flexible and cannot change shape easily. Many of them burst apart as they move through your blood vessels. The sickle cells usually only last 10 to 20 days, instead of the normal 90 to 120 days. Your body may have trouble making enough new cells to replace the ones that you lost. Because of this, you may not have enough red blood cells. This is a condition called anemia, and it can make you feel tired.

The sickle-shaped cells can also stick to vessel walls, causing a blockage that slows or stops the flow of blood. When this happens, oxygen can't reach nearby tissues. The lack of oxygen can cause attacks of sudden, severe pain, called pain crises. These attacks can occur without warning. If you get one, you might need to go to the hospital for treatment.

The cause of SCD is a defective gene, called a sickle cell gene. People with the disease are born with two sickle cell genes, one from each parent.

If you are born with one sickle cell gene, it's called sickle cell trait. People with sickle cell trait are generally healthy, but they can pass the defective gene on to their children.

In the United States, most of the people with SCD are African Americans:

SCD also affects some people who come from Hispanic, southern European, Middle Eastern, or Asian Indian backgrounds.

People with SCD start to have signs of the disease during the first year of life, usually around 5 months of age. Early symptoms of SCD may include

The effects of SCD vary from person to person and can change over time. Most of the signs and symptoms of SCD are related to complications of the disease. They may include severe pain, anemia, organ damage, and infections.

A blood test can show if you have SCD or sickle cell trait. All states now test newborns as part of their screening programs, so treatment can begin early.

People who are thinking about having children can have the test to find out how likely it is that their children will have SCD.

Doctors can also diagnose SCD before a baby is born. That test uses a sample of amniotic fluid (the liquid in the sac surrounding the baby) or tissue taken from the placenta (the organ that brings oxygen and nutrients to the baby).

The only cure for SCD is bone marrow or stem cell transplantation. Because these transplants are risky and can have serious side effects, they are usually only used in children with severe SCD. For the transplant to work, the bone marrow must be a close match. Usually, the best donor is a brother or sister.

There are treatments that can help relieve symptoms, lessen complications, and prolong life:

There are other treatments for specific complications.

To stay as healthy as possible, make sure that you get regular medical care, live a healthy lifestyle, and avoid situations that may set off a pain crisis.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Read more from the original source:
Sickle Cell Disease | Sickle Cell Anemia | MedlinePlus

What Are Induced Pluripotent Cells? – Stem Cell Centers …

By Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

In 2006, researchers at Kyoto University in Japan established conditions that resulted in specialized adult cells that could be genetically reprogrammed to assume a stem cell-like state. These adult cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), were successfully reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state. This was achieved by introducing genes important for maintaining the essential properties of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Since then, scientists have greatly improved the techniques to engineer iPSCs, creating a powerful new way to de-differentiate cells. iPSCs give scientists an alternative, pluripotent cell to human embryonic which could help with some of the ethical concerns surrounding ESCs.

Induced pluripotent cells provide scientists and doctors tools for drug development, modeling disease, and improving transplantation medicine. Induced pluripotent cells also offer potential resources for cell-replacement therapies and regenerative medicine. One of the challenges with stem cell therapy progress has been with immune rejection the patients body attacks the injected stem cells because it doesnt view them as belonging there. But, with induced pluripotent cells, the source cells are derived from the patient so immune rejection would be much less common.

A field that has greatly prospered since the introduction of iPS cell technology is that of drug testing and development. Scientists can buy different human cells types derived from human iPS cells to test the efficacy or toxicity of new drugs. In the past, scientists used engineered cell lines or rats/mice to model human disease. The opportunity for scientists to use human iPS cells to study human diseases in corresponding human cell types has helped boost the efficacy and process of drug discovery.

The ability to reprogram cell types opens doors for treating numerous diseases including: Parkinsons disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers disease and others. In the case of Alzheimers disease, scientists can take a patients skin or blood cells who is afflicted with Alzheimers, and reprogram the cells to produce iPS cells. Then, these iPS cells can be differentiated into numerous cell types found in our brains. These differentiated cells can provide information about what is different between these cells compared to someone who is not afflicted with Alzheimers disease. Understanding the disease better is one of the biggest steps forward to finding effective treatments and prevention methods.

Many diseases stem from genetic defects. Scientists are working to understand the link between disease and genotype. CRISPR is a gene editing technology which helps with understanding this link better. CRISPR is an acronym forClustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat. The name refers to the unique organization of short, partially palindromic repeated DNA sequences found in the genomes of bacteria and other microorganisms (Harvard, 2014). With CRISPR, a genetic defect from a patient-derived iPS cell can be corrected and then correlated with the original to assist scientists with identifying which genetic elements trigger disease progression.

Despite some of the setbacks and slow-downs of induced pluripotent cell science, the October issue of The Scientist stated that stem-cell based regenerative medicine is getting closer to clinical application. Scientists around the world are employing pluripotent cells to create various therapeutic cell types for diabetes and Parkinsons disease. In 2010, the Geron Corporation began the first FDA-approved clinical trial using human ESCs to treat spinal cord injury. Costs associated with clinical trials continues to be an obstacle for both patients and scientists. The Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (formerly Advanced Cell Technology) is pursuing an embryonic stem cell treatment for macular degeneration, and launched a Phase 2 clinical trial last year.

The May 2017 edition of Science Daily reported that researchers have learned more about how stem cells develop into organs. These scientists were able to grow and purify the earliest lung progenitors that emerge from human stem cells, and then differentiate these cells into tiny bronchospheres that model cystic fibrosis. Scientists are hopeful that these findings will reveal, personalized medicine methods for treating lung disease.

Since their introduction in 2006, induced pluripotent stem cells have created quite a stir. Although their potential has yet to be realized, in time, they will take medicine places that are exciting and promising for those who suffer from disease and life-altering conditions.

Excerpt from:
What Are Induced Pluripotent Cells? - Stem Cell Centers ...

What is Stem Cell Research? (with pictures) – wisegeek.com

By Stell Cell Research

anon950526 Post 156

Is there any impact due to this?

Obviously, some of you dont have kids. The life of a child is worth so much more than any adult. You got to live. What if that embryo happened to be you? Would you then feel that it is OK to conduct this research?

I am a mother of two, soon to be three. I don't care about any of that just long as my kids at least get a chance at living and there is a God. I had a 50 percent chance of having babies because of a huge benign tumor that grew on my left ovary and killed my left fallopian tube.

I prayed for my babies and got them every time. Besides that, everybody has their

I watched this gruesome abortion video and the lady was 12 weeks along. You could see the child trying to fight for its life. Murder is murder. Helping to save other people or not -- that's like you seeing a man trying to rape a woman and you shoot him dead. It's the same if you were trying to save her life but you get persecuted and convicted for taking matters into your own hands. I am sorry for those people who are sick and have sick babies. I know what it is like to lose loved ones over untreatable diseases. Im against embryo research and I'm not thinking about me. It is about a baby. Sure, it isnt completely formed, but it's still a child, or at least will grow into one, I wish harm on nobody. There is no harm meant and Im not trying to make someone mad. Im just trying to throw some new views into the situation.

Stem cell research can only benefit society and advance us as a species. If your argument is religious, the you are not thinking. You are letting your emotions and beliefs speak for you, not your logic or common sense. A bunch of cells is not a baby, and helping the living is not against "God's will". This is a good thing and it will continue regardless of religious views, because it makes sense.

I'm still kind of learning about this topic, but abortion is something I feel strongly against, but if a baby was taken from it's mother with the mother's okay and they were trying to save people's lives, I would be completely okay with that.

I believe that God does not exist, and that stem cell research is truly phenomenal. This research should not be controversial, nor should it be banned; it is helping the living.

Most of the people who say that stem cell research is bad are religious, but people living in the real world and believe in this thing called 'science' actually make a difference. Religion has only held back society and science. I wonder how many religious people would get angry if they knew that I was a homosexual, atheist physicist who believes in evolution and the big bang theory.

I am writing a persuasive essay on whether stem cell research should be legal or not (even though it already is in the U.S.). I was never a really religious person and stuck mainly to things that I knew for sure were happening. The thing is, most of the stem cells they are using for research are going to be discarded anyway. No one is claiming them, no one is caring about them, and they are just going to be thrown away. It is better for them to be used for a greater cause than just being thrown away and losing the chance to create treatments and cures for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Without trying to offend anyone, please don't

bring God into this, like if you're going to simply take the stem cells and create babies with them. The cells could be considered early life, but you lose cells every day and no one gives it a second thought. I am thirteen years old and sorry if you believe that I am wrong.

This is a terrible thing. Stem cell research is just an excuse for making us Americans pay for other peoples' abortions. This stem cell research crap may have fooled my friends who claim abortion is when the baby isn't fully developed and that it's murder to kill a baby after it's born. What's the difference? Abortion is murder.

This country is so corrupt it will probably start killing the elderly and calling it abortion, or calling every day murder of people abortion. Well, I have had enough of this crap Obama is trying to trick us with. God says life is precious and an undeveloped baby is made of many cells and cells are alive. Think about that, America. Not only that, but abortion is unnecessary. If a girl gets raped, she can put the baby up for adoption instead of murdering the baby. Studies show many women who had abortions regret it.

So what you are all arguing about is if god exists and whats his plan for us, and why or why should we not use pre-embryo stem cells. It's completely your own opinion, but when does life start for a baby -- when the sperm reaches the egg or when you hear his heartbeat?

I, for one, say we should not use embryo stem cells because they are a living being. Also for all of you who say its gods plan for us, who created god? He could not just have created himself out of nowhere. These are just my thoughts. But these are all still questions we do not know the answer to.

I've been researching this Stem Cell subject for a long time, and I'm so amazed at everyone's stories from the news and sites on how stem cells has helped them recover from so many types of sicknesses and diseases. Even cancer can be cured by this type of treatment.

One big factor is that it's not a drug but it will just treat your body in a nice and natural way. Stem cell therapy is nice but I found this Laminine on the market. People keep on talking about it, saying it's the new science breakthrough and that I should give a try. It's not a literal stem cell but it is a stem cell enhancer, and safer than the usual way of Stem Cell Therapy.

I gave it a try and in just a few weeks I felt its proven power that I also recommend it to everyone out there.

How is that clump of cells considered a newborn? Those cells aren't a newborn because there's still a chance that once you implant those embryos they don't hold, so it's not a child. They don't take these people's cells then say, nope you can't have your child -- we're going to use them for someone else. They're leftovers. No one is going to use them and they are going to get discarded. If you consider it a human how is it humane to let it sit there frozen forever, discarded and unloved? People throwing god around are ignorant. Not everyone believes in your "creator" and don't throw it in my face. Believe in your beliefs, but don't force mine.

@post 52: If there is no God, who do you think made the universe? Your dad didn't make it, I didn't make, you didn't make, nor did any person. Only an eternal being must have made the universe.

Look. What none of you guys are realizing is that embryonic stem cell research doesn't focus solely on embryos.

I'm a student getting my masters degree in pediatric nursing, so you guys can't say I don't know this. But maybe if you did some research instead of arguing that everyone except yourself is wrong, you would realize there are valid points to both sides.

Embryonic stem cell research also focuses on umbilical cords and placentas, which does no harm to the baby whatsoever. Now none of you can say that's "murder" or against your religion because I'm Roman Catholic, which is one of the main religions against stem cell research and I am personally all for it.

Now if embryos

Enough about manipulating death and being religiously wrong. Enough said, simple as that.

A novel called "Living Proof" just came out in stores this week that explores the life and death issue of embryonic stem cell research for the first time as a story. It's getting a lot of buzz online and pertains directly to this discussion.

Most say stem cell research is bad because scientists are trying to pay God, but that's a bunch of crap. Like what others have said, God created us, knowing that one day we would come up with this knowledge to maybe find cures. Somebody else stated that we are ungrateful because we want to use this research, but that's not entirely true, because we are grateful for this new research to cure people like me. Yes I said me. I'm a 16 year old diabetic. I may not suffer as much as others with other diseases, but I have.

Also, this same person said that we should be the ones serving overseas. Well, if you've paid attention, we can't because

Anyway, most don't know what it's like to stick a big needle into their own skin every day, but I do. They also don't know what its like to wake up very weak due to a low blood sugar, or to throw up because you get ketones due to not having any more insulin going through their body.

Lastly, most of you probably aren't scared to go to bed, knowing that you might not wake up because you went low, with no one knowing and died. Yes, I know diabetes isn't the worse disease out there, but it's not easy either. I don't really like abortion, but at least the fetus could help cure many people, and not just get thrown away.

In a way, the government not allowing stem cell research, and the people against it can be considered murderers too, because they are standing in the way of curing people, which could save their lives. This is how our country is going downhill, not the other way around.

Finally, you say how a human life is so important, and yes it is, but who's to say that an animal's life isn't? People abuse animals, use them to test new products, that most people use, but I don't see you caring about that. Yes, some people do, but most don't give a crap. And I mean, didn't God create animals too, so shouldn't they be just as important as humans?

Yeah, so that's all I have to say. Hopefully this will make people use their brains a little more, because the people who are against it only really seem to care about themselves, not the people who are actually suffering!

The controversy surrounding the morality of stem cell research is centered around the creation, usage, and destruction of the human embryos. Currently, the limits of technological advancement require the destruction of the human embryo in creating the human embryonic stem cell. Various groups view an embryo as an early-aged human life. As a result, they are concerned with the rights and status of the embryo, and often go so far as to equate such research with murder because of the embryos destruction. However, despite scientific evidence suggesting that the early-stage embryos being used are not early-aged human life, the importance of these embryonic stem cells and their contribution to scientific advancement is tremendous.

Stem cells are cells in the human

John Stuart Mills principle of Utilitarianism also supports the morality of stem cell research. Utilitarianism states that an actions moral worth is determined solely by its contribution to the happiness of all parties involved. The phrase the greatest good for the greatest number of people is often used to describe this principle. But more precisely, the true morality of such research is exhibited in the concept of Negative Utilitarianism. Negative Utilitarianism requires us to promote the least amount of harm, or prevent the greatest amount of suffering for the greatest number of people.

Since science has established that are embryos not yet human, any harm inflicted on them does not weigh in on the moral worth of the action. However, the development of treatments that could potentially cure conditions such as Parkinsons disease and Alzheimers would weigh in on its moral worth. As a result, the prevention of suffering made possible by stem cell research and its potential medical advancements far outweigh any harm inflicted on the embryos, even if the embryos were given moral standing. Thus, by means of Negative Utilitarianism, the morality of stem cell research cannot be called into question.

This is modern day fascism. You shouldn't choose what life has more importance. Speaking as a veteran, people like this make me regret serving an ungrateful country, full of morally degraded people. These people who believe in this should have been the ones overseas. Then tell me how easy it is to choose one life over the other. Those people make me sick, and will be the downfall of this country.

Fundamentalists never fail to amaze me with their ability to only read half the story. The embryos used in stem cell research would be discarded anyway - stem cell research isn't denying them a chance at life, they had no chance at life in the first place. It isn't the same thing as abortion.

And I hope the fundies who are making comments along the lines of "We suffer because God wills it" never take antibiotics when they are sick - surely that would be messing with God's plan for you to die from a disease that modern science can easily cure?

Any opponent to stem cell research on the grounds of all this embryo is a human life crap is nothing but a ignorant idiotic hypocrite and the same goes for anti abortionists.

Why claim to give a crap at all about so called life when none of you seem to give a crap about the starving millions in underdeveloped countries, the starving on the street, those on death row etc.? What about those lives? Aren't they more convincing examples of 'life' than a pile of embryonic goo? Are they not deserving of all the fuss you make over the value of human life?

You people seem more concerned with spouting your ignorant, selfish beliefs and halting progress that could one

Is there any difference between you people in regards to this and those that shared the same beliefs that used to carry out witch hunts all those many years ago? one has to wonder.

i think that stem cell affords advancements to the medical industry. people should stop trying to use the phrase "who are we to play god". if that is the case then don't take medication to relieve pain because under those conditions would that also be playing god?

Remember that some stem cells are taken from the umbilical cord and adult tissue, not just embryos. You wouldn't call it murder if the cells were taken from an inanimate piece of flesh, would you?

I have been reading comments and "playing god" is stupid. Getting and giving shots are playing god implants and anything like that is playing god. you're not letting what happens happen. I read about a wife with four kids with Cystic Fibrosis. finding a cure for that would be playing god. That would be taking his power to save a child.

I think it's all right. People are going to abort fetuses no matter what you say or how you feel. You can say it's wrong and waste it or you can use it to support something new and know you helped to save a life. Would you honestly say that because of what you think you should throw away something that could help people just because its from something not even alive yet?

O.K. so it might be alive, but at an older age in the pregnancy. And people are right: if someone you love was dying, you would not just sit there and watch and say, oh well, too bad for you. You would try to help no matter what the cost.

I don't know what is so bad about trying to save life. Stem cell research has advanced into the stages of using actual cells from adults, (Somatic cells) and this is pushing research today. Take some time and do the "current" research about stem cells and educate yourselves.

As far as the religious perspective goes I am a Christian and "God" gave me the cells in my body and if those cells that "God" gave have a way of saving my life, then that is his will. Helping your body heal is not playing God, it is using what God gave you!

I'm curious; What defines something as "live"? When does life begin? Well, does it not begin at fertilization when the cells go through meiosis? And the DNA is replicated? Well here's what I have to say.

Again, what defines something as a "Live" human? Is it size? Level of development? Environment?

Degree of dependency?

If it's based on size, then isn't that size-ism? Does that mean our society is saying that the unborn aren't human because they aren't as big as us? Yes, an unborn baby isn't as big as a toddler, but a toddler isn't as big as a full grown adult. So does that mean that they toddler isn't human either? Or in any way less human

Level of development: Some argue that since the unborn aren't fully developed yet, they aren't human. I'm 15 and I'm not fully developed; does that mean I'm not human? No. I'm still growing. Development doesn't stop at birth. It starts at conception.

The most common argument in this category is the baby can't think, or feel pain, or even know that they exist. I beg to differ. There was an article published in a newspaper that said a doctor was performing an abortion, and on the screen, you could see the baby trying to get away from the tool trying to pull it out. In another, there was a case where the baby stuck its hand out and held onto the doctor's finger. Look it up.

We say that they can't feel pain, so they aren't human. But what about those with Sepa disease? They are born unable to feel pain; can we go and kill them too? They can't feel pain so they aren't human, so it's okay, right? Wrong.

Environment: Most common argument: The unborn baby isn't in the world yet, it's in the mother's body, and it doesn't even breathe air. This argument seems to be saying that the unborn child isn't human because it's in a different environment then we are. But, since when does where we are, determine who we are? In our day to day lives, we change our environment multiple times. But it doesn't change who we are as a person, unless you have a multiple personality disorder.

So here's a question; How does the eight-inch trip down the birth canal change who you are as a blob of tissue, into a valued human being with rights? Truth be told, it doesn't. Another argument is the unborn baby is in the mother's body, which is her body, so the mother should be able to do what ever she wants with that baby. So what's the difference between a baby the day before it's born, and one day after?

A day before: Not fully developed; dependent on the mother; in the mother's body -- her property.

A day after: Not fully developed; dependent on the mother; in the mother's house -- her property

What makes it okay to kill the one but not the other?

There was a case where a man went and murdered a pregnant woman and was charged with double murder. In that case, the government and court are considering that fetus is a life with value. However, in the same time, something like 32 abortions were performed under the protection of the law. How come those babies don't get the same justification? Is it because they aren't wanted? If an orphan was murdered, would no one care because they weren't wanted? Of course not. It's absurd to me the double standard in our society.

Degree of Dependency: Arguments are that if the unborn baby is still dependent on the mother, and can't survive on their own yet, they aren't human. Even a one week old baby is still dependent on the mother. It will be for a while.

Once again, I'm 15 and I can't survive on my own. I depend on my parents. I depend on my government and school system, I depend on my friends. I'm dependent. But do I not have value and rights?

What about those who depend on medical instruments? And life support?

Parents depend on others to provide them with jobs, food and money, with places for their children to go to get an education. Our classrooms are getting smaller and smaller due to the number of abortions each year. But again, does this affect a person's humanity in some way because they depend on someone? You're going through a divorce and you need someone to lean on; you're depending on them. Oh, yeah, sorry for the bad timing, but oh geez this is tough, you're not human, so we're going to have to kill you. No, I don't think so.

What about those on welfare? Can we kill them too because they depend on the government to provide them with money? I don't think so. We are all dependent on someone to a degree. But who goes around saying that those who depend on someone are less human or not human at all? No one. Why? Because it's hypocritical and illogical. But somehow, our society is able to accept this argument when it comes to unborn children. The faces of tomorrow. We are the people are today, and we're killing tomorrow's people.

So if we use these arguments to allow the killing of the unborn, then we should be allowed to kill: Any child; those on welfare; those with medical tools and medications; those with mental disabilities. They aren't what people consider "the norm"- are very dependent, usually have a difference in size, aren't developed as much as those who are not disabled, and depending on the case, their environment may be different then ours. And so on and so forth.

Of course not. We would never dream of doing that. It upsets many many people even using those cases as examples. So it should be clear that the unborn are human, as well as those with developmental disabilities, differences, different circumstances- welfare, etc., and the sick.

For people who don't understand, here is what I'm saying. I am pro choice- that women should have choices to do what they want in life from the unimportant (what flavor of ice cream I want) to the extremely important (what career I want to pursue) but should not have the "right" to make a choice about another person's life. You don't get to decide who lives or dies.

I do not believe we should use stem cells. If we can cure all diseases and grow back body parts then we will evidently live a very, very, very long time. This could potentially result in an overpopulation problem which we are currently starting to experience.

Humans were not meant to live forever, and maybe you should ask yourself: do you really want to live forever?

To those people who say that it's okay for scientists to do stem cell research, yes it's okay for them to do research to improve other people's lives without using stupid, dangerous chemicals on the cells. Some aspects of stem cell research, is not just against religious values, but also against our morals in general.

Thank you anon332, for trying to knock some sense into these people, who think that science always does good things. Wake up!

Religion is a vessel of our hopes, fears and a face of the unexplained. Without religion, science would grow like a cancer, and without science the other way around. Balance is what is needed.

For those who believe in God, it would not be that with stem cells we are playing God. The man or woman will live because God had willed it.

For those who don't, embryos are lives. A full life. Of course, this is only my opinion.

The world makes us what we are. It influences our choices and our minds. Everything around us at every moment is changing us.

In short, the world makes us what we are, but we make the world as how it is.

Science without religion is blasphemous. Religion without science is idiocy.

I believe stem cell research is definitely a good thing for people that are sick. I don't think people should be allowed to use a fetus for the research, but embryonic research is ethical. The embryo isn't yet developing human characteristics the way a fetus is.

I will begin by saying that I am a 14 year old girl of undecided religious beliefs. I have read many of these comments, and I have a few ideas which may help/clear up some misconceptions.

As of now, I do not officially believe in God. I do, however, understand many religions and I have accepted religious beliefs and ideas, especially those pertaining to abortion and stem cell research. Here are some of my views on the subject. I have tried to incorporate all the different positions on the subject:

1. Embryos are not fetuses and stem cell research is not the same as abortion. Fetuses are developed forms in which the cells have begun to specialize. Embryos are clusters

2. If an embryo is not used, it can be donated, either to research or to another parent, or it can be thrown away. Based on the dilemmas that seem to be arising, i am assuming that no one is of the belief that throwing away the embryos is in the best interest of anyone. That leaves donation to a parent or donation to research. If the decision is made to donate to another parent, then I think that is fine. If that idea is declined, then I don't see why a group of cells shouldn't be used to potentially help others. If a leftover embryo is just going to be thrown away, then why would the people throwing it away care if it were used. Remember, an embryo does not have even the most remote form of a brain or a heart.

3. If the argument is about whether or not the embryo has a soul, I cannot help. I do not believe that a random grouping of cells has a soul. I do not even necessarily believe in souls.

4. In this article, it says that the most common argument against stem cells is the belief in man not manipulating human life. I cannot say whether or not this is actually the big argument, but for those people who do believe that i will ask, "Have you been vaccinated? Have you ever taken any medicine for an illness? Is this not manipulating life?". If one believes that Man should not be allowed to manipulate life, then they should also believe that medicines and known cures should not be used. if a person gets pneumonia, should the doctors just let them die because they don't believe in manipulating life? Isn't that murder?

As for manipulating the embryo, I can only repeat that I do not personally believe that a group of unspecialized cells should be treated as humans.

5. I do not believe that stem cell research should be used for cloning. As for "creating another you" in case you get diseases later in life, watch or read "My Sister's Keeper".

6. As for the ethics, there are generally five ethical approaches: utilitarian-whatever does the most good and the least harm, Rights-whatever considers the rights of everyone involved, Fairness of Justice-treats all equally and proportionally, Common good-the values of Confucianism or putting the group before the individual, and Virtue-what will make me more of the person i want to be? If using an organism that is displaying the characteristics of life, but that is not developed into a fetus will help others, I don't see how it contradicts any of the ethical approaches.

6. If I decidedly believed in God, I would say, "God made us. I believe he made us for a reason. He gave us prayer and life. He also gave us doctors and medicine. we should use them".

7. For those who say "if your loved one was dying, then your view would change" you are correct. Their view would change, but do we really want a society where people make official decisions based on the health status of their loved ones, when they are stressed and not thinking clearly?

These are the things I have come up with. I didn't mean to offend anyone with my statements, and if I did, I am sorry.

Yeah, they are not using a fetus. they are using an embryo, which there is a huge difference.

Number one, they are not using a fetus; which i agree is human. The embryos used for stem cell research are four to five days old and have no specialized tissues, no nervous system, or heart. Each embryo contains about one-hundred cells, the cells of which are still undifferentiated (meaning that the cell has not decided what it is going to be).

For those of you saying that we are playing god. Is not God's greatest gift the gift of life? After IVF a woman has limited choices what to do with her leftover embryos. She may donate to another couple, donate to research, keep the embryos for maybe future implantation, or she may discard them.

Originally posted here:
What is Stem Cell Research? (with pictures) - wisegeek.com

About Stem Cell Therapy in Scottsdale, Phoenix, AZ

By Stem Cell Doctors

Home About Stem Cell Therapy

The Scottsdale Stem Cell Treatment Center provides stem cell therapy for residents of Scottsdale, Phoenix and the surrounding Arizona communities.

Stem-cell therapy is an intervention strategy that introduces new adult stem cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury. Many medical researchers believe that stem-cell treatments have the potential to change the face of human disease and alleviate suffering. The ability of stem cells to self-renew and give rise to subsequent generations with variable degrees of differentiation capacities offers significant potential for generation of tissues that can potentially replace diseased and damaged areas in the body, with minimal risk of rejection and side effects.

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The Cell Surgical Network and its affiliate treatment centers are not offering stem cell therapy as a cure for any condition, disease, or injury. No statements or implied treatments on this website have been evaluated or approved by the FDA. This website contains no medical advice. All statements and opinions provided by this website are provided for educational and informational purposes only and we do not diagnose or treat via this website or via telephone. The Cell Surgical Network and its affiliate treatment centers are offering patient funded research to provide individual patients with Stromal Vascular Fraction that contains their own autologous stem cells and growth factors and the treatment centers provide surgical procedures only and are not involved in the use or manufacture of any investigational drugs.

The Cell Surgical network does not claim that any applications, or potential applications, using autologous stem cells are approved by the FDA, or are even effective. We do not claim that these treatments work for any listed nor unlisted condition, intended or implied. Its important for potential patients to do their own research based on the options that we present so that one can make an informed decision. Any decision to participate in our patient funded experimental protocols is completely voluntary.

ATTENTION: If you have ANY concern with stromal vascular fraction, any of our products, methods, website, or technique and think we may be violating any U.S. law, pleasecontact usso that we can investigate the matter or concern immediately.

The Scottsdale Stem Cell Treatment Center provides cutting-edge care for patients in Scottsdale, Phoenix and the surrounding Arizona communities with a wide variety of degenerative disorders using adult stem cell regenerative therapy.

We are focused on providing you with the most innovative techniques and advanced procedures for harvesting and deploying adult stem cells from your own fat.

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About Stem Cell Therapy in Scottsdale, Phoenix, AZ

Stem Cell Research Hino Medical Center

By Stem Cell Medical Center

Bone Marrow treatments use a patients own cells, which removes concerns about grafts versus host complications. Bone Marrow procedures have been used with irradiation, chemotherapy and chronic immune suppression. Bone marrow procedures are potentially much safer and more effective for regeneration and anti-aging in cases where irradiation, chemotherapy and immune suppression are not required. The bone marrow contains mononuclear cells, hematopoietic stem cells, endothelial and precursor progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells, all of which, in healthy patients, assist in cell repair. Bone marrow blood is extracted, which is rich in hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, from various locations in the body and then transfused back into the patient. A standard bone marrow transfusion filter is used to prevent bone marrow debris from entering the patient. It is generally considered pain free with a quick recovery. Anywhere from 100 300 cc of bone marrow blood is extracted. This includes about 2 5 million CD34+ stem cells and about 100,000 to 500,000 mesenchymal stem cells. The blood also includes growth factors and multipotent progenitor cells. CD34+ stem cells are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into various cell lineages, including immune and haematopoietic progenitors. Mesenchymal stem cells are also multipotent. They are able to differentiate into adipocytes, condrocytes, osteocytes and neuronal/glial cells when specific growth factors are used. Mesenchymal stem cells can contribute to neurological repair by migrating to an injury, replacing degenerated neural cells, integrating into the neural network and leading to functional improvement. These same stem cells deliver tropical factors that support neuronal cell survival and induce endogenous cell growth and proliferation and inhibiting neuroinflammation. Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells show great promise for autoimmune as well as heart and neurological disorders.

Bone Marrow Stem Cell have been shown to help:

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Stem Cell Research Hino Medical Center

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