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ReNeuron jumps on stem cell study results

By adminAugust 23, 2014Stem Cell Treatment

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Shares in AIM-listed stem cell business ReNeuron Group rose on Tuesday morning after the group unveiled details of progress with the PISCES clinical trial of its ReN001 stem cell therapy for disabled stroke patients.

The group said that the primary aim of the study was to test the safety and tolerability of the treatment in ascending doses of the ReN001 cells in patients with moderate to severe functional neurological impairments resulting from their stroke.

The secondary aim of the study is to evaluate efficacy measures for the design of future clinical trials with ReN001, including imaging measures as well as a number of tests of sensory, motor and cognitive functions.

Interim data from the first nine patients treated in the PISCES study was being presented by the clinical team from Glasgow's Southern General Hospital at the 22nd European Stroke Conference, taking place in London this week, the group said.

It added that there was no cell-related or immunological adverse events reported in any of the patients treated and sustained reductions in neurological impairment and spasticity were observed in most patients compared with their stable pre-treatment baseline performance.

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ReNeuron jumps on stem cell study results

ViaCyte gets $20M for diabetes therapy trials

By adminAugust 22, 2014Stem Cell Medicine

Human embryonic stem cells were differentiated into cells of the pancreas (blue). These cells give rise to insulin-producing cells (red). When implanted into mice, the stem cell-derived pancreatic cells effectively replace the insulin lost in type 1 diabetes. San Diego-based ViaCyte is developing an implantable artificial pancreas derived from human embryonic stem cells. Its work is funded in part by grants from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

San Diego's ViaCyte has received $20 million from a drug company to advance its stem cell-based therapy for type 1 diabetes into clinical trials.

ViaCyte's agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson & Johnson company, comes days after the company announced receiving the go-ahead from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin clinical trials. The agreement also includes the company's investment fund, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation.

ViaCyte's experimental product, VC-01, is derived from human embryonic stem cells. These cells are matured into cells that regulate blood sugar levels. These includes cells that make insulin, which lowers blood sugar, in addition to cells that make glucagon, which raises blood sugar levels. It's believed that recreating this natural complement of hormones will be more effective than administering insulin alone.

The cells are encapsulated into a semi-permeable pouch that allows the hormones to enter the bloodstream, and nutrients from the bloodstream to enter cells, but keeps out the immune system, which would otherwise attack the cells.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the states stem cell agency, has awarded ViaCyte more than $38 million to help develop the treatment over the past six years.

The money will mostly be used to advance clinical development of the product, ViaCyte said. The agreement also gives Janssen the right to "consider a longer-term transaction" related to the product.

This is excellent news as it demonstrates that pharmaceutical companies are recognizing stem cell therapies hold tremendous promise and need to be part of their development portfolio, CIRM president and CEO C. Randal Mills said in a statement. This kind of serious financial commitment from industry is vital in helping get promising therapies like this through all the phases of clinical trials and, most importantly, to the patients in need.

ViaCyte had also recently received $5.4 million in private equity financing.

These important transactions provide us with the additional resources we need to pursue the further development of the VC-01 product candidate as a potential new treatment option for patients with type 1 diabetes, said Paul Laikind, Ph.D., ViaCyte's president and CEO, in the statement. We are pleased to be extending our relationship with Janssen and JJDC is this area of mutual interest.

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ViaCyte gets $20M for diabetes therapy trials

Ohio diocese discourages ALS Association ice bucket challenge, cites embryonic stem cell funds

By adminAugust 22, 2014Stem Cell Medical Center

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

By: Amanda Lee Myers, The Associated Press

Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014 at 3:23 PM | Comments: 0

Enlarge Image

Major League Baseball Commissioner-elect Rob Manfred participates in the ALS Ice-Bucket Challenge outside the organization's headquarters in New York, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014. Manfred participated with more than 160 other MLB employees to raise more than $16,000 for the ALS Association. (AP Photo/Vanessa A. Alvarez)

CINCINNATI - A Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio is discouraging its 113 schools from participating in the ice bucket challenge to benefit the ALS Association, saying the group's funding of embryonic stem cell research is "in direct conflict with Catholic teaching."

Jim Rigg, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, told the schools in a letter Tuesday to "immediately cease" any plans to raise funds for the association and to instead direct donations to another organization that combats ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease that causes paralysis and almost certain death.

The Catholic Church relates the use of embryonic stem cells in research to abortion and says it violates the sanctity of human life. The use of adult stem cells in research is not forbidden by Catholic teaching.

"We certainly appreciate the compassion that has caused people all over the country, certainly including many Catholics, to be interacting and engaging in a fun way to support ALS research," diocese spokesman Dan Adriacco said Thursday. "But it's a well-established moral principle that not only the ends be good, but the means must be good, too."

Carrie Munk, a spokeswoman for the ALS Association, said her group largely funds adult stem cell research but does fund one study involving embryonic stem cells using money from one specific donor.

what is the procedure of stem cell therapy for autism spectrum disorder – Video

By adminAugust 22, 2014Uncategorized

what is the procedure of stem cell therapy for autism spectrum disorder
What is the procedure of stem cell therapy for autism spectrum disorder? In conversation with Dr Alok Sharma (MS, MCh.) Professor of Neurosurgery Head of Department, LTMG Hospital LTM Medical...

By: Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute

The Times Have Published Only Half the Story, Says Specialist Stem Cell Bank BioEden

By adminAugust 22, 2014Stem Cell Treatment

(PRWEB UK) 21 August 2014

The success of stem cell medicine does not depend on funding alone

Funding is of the upmost importance but access to the right material is vital.

Stem Cell Banking of a childs own stem cells for potentially a lifetime of use, is a way of storing their health for their future. So it is vital that the right stem cells are available for treatment when they are needed at any time in their life.

Tony Veverka, Group CEO of specialist stem cell bank BioEden says, "Funding is of the upmost importance so that research can continue, but access to the right material is vital."

Gaining access to the right material for stem cell therapy has dramatically simplified since BioEden pioneered an entirely non-invasive method of taking stem cells from children's baby teeth. No longer is there just the option of stem cells from embryos, bone marrow or cord blood, but the option of taking quality cells from the baby tooth after it has fallen out naturally.

BioEden believes it can cut NHS funding dramatically by individuals banking their own stem cells, and they continue to call for clarity and transparency so that a prolonged and healthier life is accessible to all. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/health/article4181168.ece

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The Times Have Published Only Half the Story, Says Specialist Stem Cell Bank BioEden

VIACYTE CLINICAL TRIAL OKD

By adminAugust 20, 2014Stem Cell Medicine

By Bradley J. Fikes U-T5:06 a.m.Aug. 20, 2014

ViaCyte of San Diego has received permission from the Food and Drug Administration to try its stem cell-based diabetes therapy.

The combination clinical trial phases 1 and 2 will aim to determine the safety level of the therapy and look for early signs of efficacy.

ViaCyte grows replacement insulin-producing cells from human embryonic stem cells, which are placed in a semipermeable pouch. The pouch will be implanted into patients, allowing insulin and other hormones to enter their bloodstream. The pouch and cells are together called VC-01.

The product has the potential to provide a virtual cure for Type 1 diabetes, ViaCyte officials said.

Clinical testing in animals has shown that the replacement cells successfully duplicate the function of insulin-producing beta cells. They secrete not only insulin, which lowers blood sugar, but hormones such as glucagon, which raises it. Providing a range of hormones as in the natural pancreas is expected to provide better control of blood sugar than with insulin alone.

The FDA green light is not only good news for privately held ViaCyte, but also for the states stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The agency, which has granted ViaCyte more than $38 million to research and develop the treatment, has been under pressure in recent years to show that its $3 billion in bond funding is leading to therapies.

(The institute) was created to help develop stem cell treatments for diseases that are currently incurable with traditional approaches, C. Randal Mills, president and CEO of the agency, said in a statement. Anytime a product, particularly one as innovative as this one, progresses from the lab and into clinical trials, its very encouraging news.

Inadequate control of blood sugar increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other complications from diabetes.

The ViaCyte product contains immature beta cells grown from embryonic stem cells. After implantation, the cells mature and begin to release the appropriate hormones in response to blood sugar levels.

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VIACYTE CLINICAL TRIAL OKD

Adler Footcare Recognized as New York Center of Excellence for HyProCure Foot Treatment

By adminAugust 20, 2014Stem Cell Medical Center

New York, New York (PRWEB) August 20, 2014

Dr. Jeffrey Adler, Dr. Darline Kulhan and Dr. Alex Tievsky, accomplished podiatric surgeons with Adler Footcare, have been recognized as the first HyProCure Center of Excellence in New York. The group is one of less than 20 nationwide to receive the designation from GraMedica, a global orthopedic medical device company headquartered in Macomb, Michigan. The Center of Excellence designation reflects superior quality of care, education and experience as related to the HyProCure medical procedure.

HyProCure is an innovative solution to the devastating effects of partial talotarsal dislocation, a foot imbalance that throws the foot and the entire body out of alignment. Two common symptoms of this condition are hyperprontation (where the feet roll inwards) and fallen arches. Conservative estimates indicate that up to 40% of people of all ages suffer from this painful misalignment and related secondary conditions, such as: bunions, heel pain, knee pain, hip and back pain. HyProCure is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that preserves full foot motion and permanently corrects talotarsal displacement, realigning both the foot and the entire body.

Dr. Adler, Medical/Surgical Director and owner of Adler Footcare, has been in practice for 35 years and has performed thousands of foot surgeries. He is Board Certified in Podiatric Surgery and Primary Podiatric Medicine and is also a Professor of Minimally Invasive Surgery for the Academy of Ambulatory Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Dr. Kulhan has 35 years of medical and surgical experience in podiatry, sports medicine, geriatrics and podopediatrics. She also provides cutting-edge expertise in cosmetic treatments for varied foot problems.

Dr. Tievsky is well-versed in all aspects of foot and ankle surgery. His residency included a specialization in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery and he has extensive expertise in wound care.

At Adler Footcare, Dr. Adler and his colleagues are committed to exceptional care supported by advanced technology and technique. They specialize in minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery, pain management, stem cell therapy and the treatment of common foot problems. Visit them at either of two convenient locations in Manhattan and White Plains; the Manhattan office features a state-of-the-art, accredited Podiatric Operating Suite.

To learn more about how Adler Footcare can help resolve your foot and ankle problems, please contact either the Manhattan office at (646) 783-1477, the White Plains office at (914) 712-6365 or visit http://www.mynycpodiatrist.com/.

For more information about the HyProCure procedure, please visit http://Alignmyfeet.com.

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Adler Footcare Recognized as New York Center of Excellence for HyProCure Foot Treatment

Coronary arteries hold heart-regenerating cells

By adminAugust 20, 2014Stem Cell Clinic

Endothelial cells residing in the coronary arteries can function as cardiac stem cells to produce new heart muscle tissue, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered.

The findings, published recently in Cell Reports, offer insights into how the heart maintains itself and could lead to new strategies for repairing the heart when it fails after a heart attack.

The heart has long been considered to be an organ without regenerative potential, said Antonis Hatzopoulos, Ph.D., associate professor of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology.

"People thought that the same heart you had as a young child, you had as an old man or woman as well," he said.

Recent findings, however, have demonstrated that new heart muscle cells are generated at a low rate, suggesting the presence of cardiac stem cells. The source of these cells was unknown.

Hatzopoulos and colleagues postulated that the endothelial cells that line blood vessels might have the potential to generate new heart cells. They knew that endothelial cells give rise to other cell types, including blood cells, during development.

Now, using sophisticated technologies to "track" cells in a mouse model, they have demonstrated that endothelial cells in the coronary arteries generate new cardiac muscle cells in healthy hearts. They found two populations of cardiac stem cells in the coronary arteries -- a quiescent population in the media layer and a proliferative population in the adventitia (outer) layer.

The finding that coronary arteries house a cardiac stem cell "niche" has interesting implications, Hatzopoulos said. Coronary artery disease -- the No. 1 killer in the United States -- would impact this niche.

"Our study suggests that coronary artery disease could lead to heart failure not only by blocking the arteries and causing heart attacks, but also by affecting the way the heart is maintained and regenerated," he said.

The current research follows a previous study in which Hatzopoulos and colleagues demonstrated that after a heart attack, endothelial cells give rise to the fibroblasts that generate scar tissue.

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Coronary arteries hold heart-regenerating cells

Vanderbilt researchers find that coronary arteries hold heart-regenerating cells

By adminAugust 20, 2014Stem Cell Clinic

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

20-Aug-2014

Contact: Craig Boerner craig.boerner@vanderbilt.edu 615-322-4747 Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Endothelial cells residing in the coronary arteries can function as cardiac stem cells to produce new heart muscle tissue, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered.

The findings, published recently in Cell Reports, offer insights into how the heart maintains itself and could lead to new strategies for repairing the heart when it fails after a heart attack.

The heart has long been considered to be an organ without regenerative potential, said Antonis Hatzopoulos, Ph.D., associate professor of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology.

"People thought that the same heart you had as a young child, you had as an old man or woman as well," he said.

Recent findings, however, have demonstrated that new heart muscle cells are generated at a low rate, suggesting the presence of cardiac stem cells. The source of these cells was unknown.

Now, using sophisticated technologies to "track" cells in a mouse model, they have demonstrated that endothelial cells in the coronary arteries generate new cardiac muscle cells in healthy hearts. They found two populations of cardiac stem cells in the coronary arteries a quiescent population in the media layer and a proliferative population in the adventitia (outer) layer.

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Vanderbilt researchers find that coronary arteries hold heart-regenerating cells

Novartis to Invest $35M in Gamida Cell for 15% Equity – Analyst Blog

By adminAugust 20, 2014Uncategorized

Novartis ( NVS ) recently entered into an investment and option agreement with Israel-based Gamida Cell, a company which focuses on stem cell expansion technologies and therapeutic products.

As per the terms of the agreement, Novartis will invest $35 million in Gamida Cell. In exchange, Novartis will receive a 15% stake in Gamida Cell and an option to fully acquire the company.

The option for full acquisition is exercisable for a limited period of time following achievement of certain milestones in connection with the development of pipeline candidate, NiCord. These milestones are expected to be achieved during 2015. Novartis will also be required to pay the other shareholders in Gamida Cell approximately $165 million upon exercising the option along with potential milestone payments of $435 million.

We note that Gamida Cell is developing stem cell therapy for the potential treatment of blood cancers, solid tumors, non-malignant hematological diseases such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia, neutropenia and acute radiation syndrome, autoimmune diseases and genetic metabolic diseases as well as conditions that can be helped by regenerative medicine.

The company is currently evaluating NiCord for the potential treatment of hematological malignancies such as leukemia and lymphoma in a phase I/II study using its proprietary NAM technology.

Meanwhile, enrolment is on for the company's phase I/II study on NiCord for pediatric sickle cell disease.

We remind investors that Novartis has been taking strategic steps to realign its portfolio in order to focus on its core portfolio of pharmaceuticals, eye care and generics. Novartis' recent deal to acquire oncology products from GlaxoSmithKline ( GSK ) and the divestiture of the Vaccines business is a step in the right direction.

Novartis, a large-cap pharma, currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Right now, Allergan ( AGN ) and AbbVie ( ABBV ) look well positioned among the large-cap pharmas. While Allergan carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), AbbVie is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock.

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Novartis to Invest $35M in Gamida Cell for 15% Equity - Analyst Blog