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Edu Manzano considering stem-cell treatment for his back problem

By Stem Cell Treatment

Kasalukuyan daw uma-attend si Edu Manzano ng mga seminar tungkol sa stem cell therapy.

Nagbabalak kasi ang TV host na sumailalim sa nasabing treatment.

Subalit hindi 'tulad ng iba, kung saan pag-iwas sa mabilisang pagtanda ang dahilan, gagawin daw ito ni Edu para sa kanyang problema sa likod.

Sa panayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) at ibang reporters kanina, August 7, sinabi ni Edu, In my case, its for my back because of the accidents that Ive suffered during mga stunts in my 30 years in the movie.

Nagbigay rin siya ng ilang patunay na hindi lamang para sa vanity ang stem-cell treatment.

Aniya, Actually, people are talking about stem cells now.

But there are still misconceptions about stem cells.

You know, its not always about youth.

"Ive seen a friend who had a heart attack.

I have a friend who has failing vision, declared legally blind, in-inject talaga sa mata, nakakakita na siya, nagmamaneho na siya.

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Edu Manzano considering stem-cell treatment for his back problem

Edu Manzano sa planong kasalan nina Luis at Angel: 'I dont think they need any pressure'

By Stem Cell Treatment

Subalit hindi 'tulad ng iba, kung saan pag-iwas sa mabilisang pagtanda ang dahilan, gagawin daw ito ni Edu para sa kanyang problema sa likod.

Sa panayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) at ibang reporters nitong Huwebes, August 7, sinabi ni Edu, In my case, its for my back because of the accidents that Ive suffered during mga stunts in my 30 years in the movie.

Nagbigay rin siya ng ilang patunay na hindi lamang para sa vanity ang stem-cell treatment.

Aniya, Actually, people are talking about stem cells now.

But there are still misconceptions about stem cells.

You know, its not always about youth.

"Ive seen a friend who had a heart attack.

I have a friend who has failing vision, declared legally blind, in-inject talaga sa mata, nakakakita na siya, nagmamaneho na siya.

Unlike what people see about stem cell, instead of retaining your youthful look, it actually addresses certain ailments.

Ilan sa mga personalidad na umaming sumailalim na sa stem cell treatment ay ang aktres na si Lorna Tolentino, ang StarTalk host na si Lolit Solis, at si Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. GIVING FREEDOM TO HIS CHILDREN. Samantala, sinabi ni Edu na dahil sa pagbabago niya ng lifestyle, mas kaya na niya ngayong makipagsabayan sa kanyang mga anak na sina Luis, Addie, at Enzo.

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Edu Manzano sa planong kasalan nina Luis at Angel: 'I dont think they need any pressure'

STAP stem cell controversy ends in suicide for Japanese scientist

By Stem Cell Medicine

A Japanese scientist who played an instrumental role in two discredited studies about a new type of stem cells hanged himself at his research institute in Kobe, according to media reports there.

Yoshiki Sasai, a deputy director of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, left behind five apparent suicide notes, Japan Times reported Tuesday.

I am overcome with grief at this terrible news, RIKEN President Ryoji Noyori said in a statement released Tuesday. The scientific world has lost a talented and dedicated researcher, who earned our deep respect for the advanced research he carried out over many years. I would like to express my deepest condolences to Dr. Sasais family and colleagues.

Sasai was a coauthor on two papers published in Nature that purported to offer a quick and simple way of making highly versatile stem cells. Instead of destroying embryos or tinkering with their DNA, the scientists said they produced their flexible cells by stressing them out in an acid bath for 30 minutes and then spinning them in a centrifuge for 5 minutes.

At first, scientists hailed the creation of the so-called stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency, or STAP, stem cells. But within days, serious questions arose about the researchers methods, leading to a RIKEN investigation that found several instances of scientific misconduct on that part of study leader Haruko Obokata, a rising scientist at RIKEN.

Both studies were retracted in July.

Sasai was Obokatas supervisor and was supposed to oversee her writing, Japan Times reported. RIKEN faulted Sasai for failing to check the data used in the study and for providing weak oversight that allowed Obokata to submit a manuscript with manipulated images and other serious problems.

"Research misconduct occurred due to a young researcher's lack of experience and awareness of the importance of research ethics, the lack of leadership among researchers to help her, and a lack of mutual verification among groups," Noyori said when RIKEN announced the results of its investigation in April.

Sasai appeared to take these criticisms to heart. He offered a very contrite statement when the studies were retracted.

As a researcher, I am deeply ashamed of the fact that two papers of which I was an author were found to contain multiple errors and, as a result, had to be retracted, he wrote. I also deeply regret the fact that as a coauthor, I was not able to identify these errors beforehand and to exercise my leadership to prevent this regrettable situation, including misconduct, from occurring. I apologize wholeheartedly for the confusion and disappointment that this situation has caused.

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STAP stem cell controversy ends in suicide for Japanese scientist

Single-Cell Analysis Holds Promise for Stem Cell and Cancer Research

By Uncategorized

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Newswise UC San Francisco researchers have identified cells unique features within the developing human brain, using the latest technologies for analyzing gene activity in individual cells, and have demonstrated that large-scale cell surveys can be done much more efficiently and cheaply than was previously thought possible.

We have identified novel molecular features in diverse cell types using a new strategy of analyzing hundreds of cells individually, said Arnold Kriegstein, MD, PhD, director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF. We expect to use this approach to help us better understand how the complexity of the human cortex arises from cells that are spun off through cell division from stem cells in the germinal region of the brain.

The research team used technology focused on a microfluidic device in which individual cells are captured and flow into nano-scale chambers, where they efficiently and accurately undergo the chemical reactions needed for DNA sequencing. The research showed that the number of reading steps needed to identify and spell out unique sequences and to successfully identify cell types is 100 times fewer than had previously been assumed. The technology, developed by Fluidigm Corporation, can be used to individually process 96 cells simultaneously.

The routine capture of single cells and accurate sampling of their molecular features now is possible, said Alex Pollen, PhD, who along with fellow Kriegstein-lab postdoctoral fellow Tomasz Nowakowski, PhD, conducted the key experiments, in which they analyzed the activation of genes in 301 cells from across the developing human brain. Their results were published online August 3 in Nature Biotechnology.

Kriegstein said the identification of hundreds of novel biomarkers for diverse cell types will improve scientists understanding of the emergence of specialized neuronal subtypes. Ultimately, the combination of this new method of focusing on gene activity in single cells with other single-cell techniques involving microscopic imaging is likely to reveal the origins of developmental disorders of the brain, he added.

The process could shed light on several brain disorders, including lissencephaly, in which the folds in the brains cortex fail to develop, as well as maladies diagnosed later in development, such as autism and schizophrenia, Kriegstein said.

According to the Nature Biotechnology study co-authors, this strategy of analyzing molecules in single cells is likely to find favor not only among researchers who explore how specialized cells arise at specific times and locations within the developing organism, but also among those who monitor cell characteristics in stem cells engineered for tissue replacement, and those who probe the diversity of cells within tumors to identify those responsible for survival and spread of cancerous cells.

No matter how pure, in any unprocessed biological sample there are a variety of cells representing various tissue types. Researchers have been sequencing the combined genetic material within these samples. To study which genes are active and which are dormant, they use the brute repetition of sequencing steps to capture an adequate number of messenger RNA sequences, which are transcribed from switched-on genes. However, it is difficult to conclude from mixed tissue samples which genes are expressed by particular cell types.

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Single-Cell Analysis Holds Promise for Stem Cell and Cancer Research

Researchers seek 'safety lock' against tumor growth after stem cell transplantation

By Uncategorized

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

6-Aug-2014

Contact: Robert Miranda cogcomm@aol.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair

Putnam Valley, NY. (Aug. 6, 2014) Recent studies have shown that transplanting induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cells (iPS-NSCs) can promote functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rodents and non-human primates. However, a serious drawback to the transplantation of iPS-NSCs is the potential for tumor growth, or tumorogenesis, post-transplantation.

In an effort to better understand this risk and find ways to prevent it, a team of Japanese researchers has completed a study in which they transplanted a human glioblastoma cell line into the intact spinal columns of laboratory mice that were either immunodeficient or immunocompetent and treated with or without immunosuppresant drugs. Bioluminescent imaging was used to track the transplanted cells as they were manipulated by immunorejection.

The researchers found that the withdrawal of immunosuppressant drugs eliminated tumor growth and, in effect, created a 'safety lock' against tumor formation as an adverse outcome of cell transplantation. They also confirmed that withdrawal of immunosuppression led to rejection of tumors formed by transplantation of induced pluripotent stem cell derived neural stem/progenitor cells (iPS-NP/SCs).

Although the central nervous system has shown difficulty in regenerating after damage, transplanting neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs) has shown promise. Yet the problem of tumorogenesis, and increases in teratomas and gliomas after transplantation has been a serious problem. However, this study provides a provisional link to immune therapy that accompanies cell transplantation and the possibility that inducing immunorejection may work to reduce the likelihood of tumorogenesis occurring.

"Our findings suggest that it is possible to induce immunorejection of any type of foreign-grafted tumor cells by immunomodulation," said study co-author Dr. Masaya Nakamura of the Keio University School of Medicine. "However, the tumorogenic mechanisms of induced pluripotent neural stem/progenitor cells (iPS-NS/PCs) are still to be elucidated, and there may be differences between iPS-NS/PCs derived tumors and glioblastoma arising from genetic mutations, abnormal epigenetic modifications and altered cell metabolisms."

The researchers concluded that their model might be a reliable tool to target human spinal cord tumors in preclinical studies and also useful for studying the therapeutic effect of anticancer drugs against malignant tumors.

"This study provides evidence that the use of, and subsequent removal of, immunosuppression can be used to modulate cell survival and potentially remove tumor formation by transplanted glioma cells and provides preliminary data that the same is true for iPS-NS/PCs." said Dr. Paul Sanberg, distinguished professor at the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, University of South Florida. "Further study is required to determine if this technique could be used under all circumstances where transplantation of cells can result in tumor formation and its reliability in other organisms and paradigms."

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Researchers seek 'safety lock' against tumor growth after stem cell transplantation

Star Scientist Embroiled in Controversy Found Dead in Apparent Suicide

By Uncategorized

The stem-cell research community reels after Yoshiki Sasai, a famous name in regenerative medicine, is found dead on August 5

Yoshiki Sasai. Credit: Nick Higgins

Scientists around the world are struggling to get to grips with the loss of one of the brightest stars in stem-cell science. Yoshiki Sasai of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB) in Kobe brought excitement and rigour to the field but died yesteday, August 5, aged 52. The reasons for Sasais apparent suicide are still not clear but a scandal swirling about two stem-cell papers published inNaturein January had wreaked havoc on his career.

Dr. Sasai was a rigorous and innovative scientist and his loss will be deeply felt, saysJanet Rossantat the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, a former head of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. His most important contributions to the stem-cell field came from his background in developmental biology.

Sasais research spanned developmental biology, stem cells, organogenesis and tissue engineering. His success was built on his painstaking efforts to understand exactly which factors needed to be added or removed to cell cultures to guide embryonic stem cells as they differentiated to mature cell types,especially neuronal cells.

He sees things that others dont see,Eddy De Robertistold Naturein a 2012 interview. De Robertis, a developmental biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who supervised Sasais postdoctoral work in the mid 1990s, recalled Sasai once retyping a manuscript lost in a computer from memory with word-for-word perfection. Id never seen anything like that, he said.

Lab-grown cortex One of Sasais innovations was thediscovery in 2007of a pharmacological compound that kept embryonic stem cells from dying when separated from each other. Previously, embryonic stem cells had to be manually cut with a cumbersome method and transferred as partial colonies, which resulted in experimental variation. His paper solved that overnight, saysLuc Leynsof the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels.

But Sasai's show-stoppers came shortly after that. Based on his success in differentiating neurons, Sasai started mimicking embryonic development with such fidelity that his cells would organize themselves into three-dimensional structures, including agoblet-shaped clump of retinal tissue known as an optic cupandintricate layers of tissue that resembled a cerebral cortex.

Both these discoveriesopened the field ofin vitrobrain organogenesis. Finally, we have easy access to the developing brain without having to micro dissect embryos, says Leyns. Leyns says he uses Sasais papers to show masters students how a modern scientific discovery is made and progressively built-up to a climax.

Sasais work was inspirational, says Pete Coffey of University College London, where Sasai presented the optical cup research last November. The clarity of his presentation, the excitement and post lecture discussions with fellows and students are still discussed today. He had a major impact on my group, says Coffey. Sasais research will probably contribute to treatments for various disorders, such as macular degeneration. His findings galvanized the ophthalmology community in truly developing a cell therapy for blinding disorders, says Coffey.

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Star Scientist Embroiled in Controversy Found Dead in Apparent Suicide

Yoshiki Sasai Suicide: Japanese Stem Cell Scientist Found Dead In Kobe Facility

By Stem Cell Treatment

A Japanese scientist who was among a team of researchers accused of falsifying the results of two stem cell studies committed suicide Tuesday at a government science institute in western Japan. Yoshiki Sasai, deputy director of the Riken Center for Developmental Biology, was found by a security guard at the Kobe facility with a rope around his neck, the Associated Press reports. Authorities said he had suffered from cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead two hours later.

Sasai, 52, was considered an expert in embryonic stem cell research and co-authored two research papers published in January in the journal Nature that detailed a seemingly groundbreaking method of harvesting stem cells to grow new human tissue. Sasai and lead author Haruko Obokata reported having successfully altered ordinary mouse cells into versatile stem cells by immersing them in a mildly acidic solution. The resulting cells were named stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP) cells.

The studies were initially praised as being on the cutting edge of stem cell treatment, but were quickly disputed when other scientists could not replicate the experimental procedure. The papers were retracted six months later after the journal found they contained erroneous data, among other flaws.

Scientists at RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe are deeply concerned about the allegations regarding the recently reported STAP cells, the center said in a statement released in March. We wish to express our strong commitment to maintaining the highest level of scientific integrity to the public and the scientific community. We are fully aware that trust from the society is crucial for research activities carried out in RIKEN.

The scandal apparently affected Sasais health. Following the initial revelation that the research he was involved in may have been flubbed, he was hospitalized in March for stress, according to Riken spokesman Satoru Kagaya, who told reporters during a televised news conference on Tuesday that Sasai "seemed completely exhausted" when they talked over the phone in May.

Several suicide notes were found on Sasais secretarys desk, according to the Wall Street Journal. The content of the notes has not been made public, but officials said two of the notes were addressed to Riken officials, one of whom was Obokata.

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Yoshiki Sasai Suicide: Japanese Stem Cell Scientist Found Dead In Kobe Facility

Embryonic Stem-Cell Research: Experts Debate Pros and Cons

By Stem Cell Doctors

Experts debate embryonic stem-cell research. What are the pros and cons? Is it necessary? Is it ethical? Get the facts and learn the issues from the experts themselves.

The positions couldnt be more polar.

Some say it could save lives. Others say it kills them. And the embryonic stem-cell research debate shows no signs of dying down any time soon.

We invited each participant to write an argument, then read the opponents argument and write a rebuttal. Neither was allowed to read the others initial argument before writing his own, and neither could read the others response before rebutting.

Opponents point out that research on adult stem cells has yielded more practical results so farfor example, bone marrow transplants. But proponents believe embryonic stem cells hold more promise. Besides, they say, research on adult stem cells has been going on longer than on embryonic ones.

In the end, whatever such cells may or may not be able to give us, the question comes down to: Is embryonic stem-cell research ethical? And thats what we asked our experts to debate.

Share your opinions in the comments section at the end of the article.

Human embryonic stem-cell research is not only ethical, it is an essential field to pursue to make key advances in biomedical research to treat diseases effectively where there are currently no curesincluding, but not limited to, paralysis from spinal cord injury, diabetes, Parkinsons disease and cancer.

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Embryonic Stem-Cell Research: Experts Debate Pros and Cons

Quebec womans leukemia battle highlights need for minority bone marrow and stem cell donors

By Stem Cell Doctors

MONTREALA Quebec womans desperate online plea for a compatible stem-cell donor in her bid to fight cancer a second time is shedding light on the lack of minorities on official lists in Canada and abroad.

Mai Duong finds herself battling leukemia again and doctors say they would like to proceed with a transplant of bone marrow or cord blood stem cells within a month.

But Duong, 34, has discovered that locating the right person can be a needle-in-a-haystack challenge, particularly for those who are from a non-Caucasian background.

This is a global problem, Duong, who is of Vietnamese origin, said in an interview from her room at Montreals Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital.

We cant do a scavenger hunt every time someone has this type of problem.

Duong, who returned home a few days after being interviewed, said a recent bone marrow biopsy showed no signs of cancer. She will now begin four weeks of maintenance chemotherapy, which is given in lower doses to assist in prolonging a remission.

The mother of a 4-year-old girl, Duong successfully fought off acute leukemia in 2013 with chemotherapy. She had to terminate a 15-week pregnancy to undergo the treatment. Duong was in remission until a blood test revealed leukemia had returned this past May.

Seventy per cent of people who had that type of leukemia were just cured with chemotherapy, and unfortunately Im in the 30 per cent, she said.

The diagnosis and a lack of a match in her family have touched off a mad scramble to find a fellow Vietnamese donor. An online campaign has taken that hunt global.

I have cancer, I had a relapse, I dont have a bone marrow (donor) these are things I cannot change, Duong said. So I said, what can I do about it?

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Quebec womans leukemia battle highlights need for minority bone marrow and stem cell donors

Disgraced Japanese stem cell scientist found dead

By Stem Cell Medicine

Suspected suicide: Yoshiki Sasai in April. Photo: AFP

Tokyo: A renowned Japanese stem cell scientist who co-wrote research that was later retracted in an embarrassing scandal has been found dead, police say.

The body of Yoshiki Sasai, 52, was discovered hanging inside the stairwell of a building that houses the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology, one of the country's most prestigious scientific research institutions.

The office is in the western city of Kobe.

Haruko Obokata, who was mentored by Yoshiki Sasai. Dr Obokata's research on stem cells published in Nature was found to have been falsified. Photo: AP/Kyodo News

"Yoshiki Sasai was discovered hanging on Tuesday morning inside one of Riken's research buildings and, after being sent to hospital, he was confirmed dead at 11.03am," a spokesman for the Hyogo Prefectural police said.

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"Police are investigating the case as a suspected suicide."

He added that authorities discovered "farewell notes" that Dr Sasai had left behind, with public broadcaster NHK reporting that one was left for Haruko Obokata.

Dr Sasai mentored Dr Obokata, whose study earlier this year was hailed as a "game-changer" in the quest to grow transplant tissue in the laboratory.

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Disgraced Japanese stem cell scientist found dead

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