Author Archives: admin


Stem Cell Clinic > Articles by: admin

Stem cell donor sought for 4-year-old cancer patient

By Stem Cell Treatment

A stem cell donor clinic for four-year-old Katie Herron will be held Feb. 22, 2014 at the Cambridge Sports Centre. FACEBOOK/Katie's Kure

Four-year-old Katie Herron needs a stem cell donation to save her life. Her family hopes to find that donor at a clinic being held this Saturday.

Katie is battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia and no one in her family or the national stem cell registry has been a match so far.

Her parents Anne Hodgkinson and Paul Herron, along with an army of volunteers, are hosting a donor clinic at the Cambridge Sports Park, located at 1001 Franklin Blvd., from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday.

Click here for the Facebook page with more information.

Men and women between the ages of 17-35 can qualify to donate stem cells. The test is a simple cheek swab, and, if its a match, a blood or bone marrow sample will later be extracted.

Anyone over 35 wishing to contribute is encouraged to donate blood, as patients waiting for transplants require frequent blood transfusions, according to the events Facebook page.

This is the little girls second time dealing with a battery of tests, treatments and hospital stays. She was first diagnosed at fifteen months, but Katie fought the cancer into remission.

Then last November, just after starting junior kindergarten, the cancer returned.

Though the type of cancer young Katie is facing often responds well to standard treatment, Katie is one of the unlucky children for whom that is not the case.

The rest is here:
Stem cell donor sought for 4-year-old cancer patient

$5B initiative proposed for stem cell research

By Stem Cell Medicine

Supporters of Californias multibillion-dollar stem cell program plan to ask for $5 billion more to bring the fruits of research to patients.

Robert Klein, a leader of the 2004 initiative campaign that established the program, said Thursday hes going to be talking with California voters about the proposal. If the public seems receptive, backers will work to get an initiative on the 2016 ballot to extend funding for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Klein outlined the proposal Thursday at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, during a symposium on how to speed research to patient care.

Since cancer cells and stem cells share some underlying characteristics, CIRM has funded research into those similarities, including the work of Moores Cancer Center researchers David Cheresh and Catriona Jamieson.

Klein said supporters, including researchers, patients and patient advocates need to educate the public about the benefits of funding stem cell research, and the results to date. A former chairman of CIRM, Klein is no longer formally affiliated with the agency but continues to support its work.

No stem cell treatments funded by CIRM have been approved, but patients have benefited in other ways. CIRM-funded research into cancer stem cells led to a clinical trial of a drug that caused remission of a bone marrow cancer in Sandra Dillon, a patient of Jamiesons. Moreover, California has vaulted into prominence in regenerative medicine, and the field has also provided a new growth engine for the states large biotech industry.

Though CIRM has been praised for advancing quality research, it has been criticized for being slow to fund commercialization by life science companies.

In addition, CIRM has been criticized for a lack of transparency and conflicts of interest in how it awards grants. The agency revamped its policies last year to forbid members of its governing oversight committee from voting on proposals to fund research at their own institutions.

California voters set aside $3 billion in bond money for CIRM in 2004 under Proposition 71. The money is expected to run out around 2017, so Klein and other supporters have been preparing to go back to the public. The amount paid back will be $6 billion, including interest over the life of the bonds, Klein noted. So the $5 billion for CIRM would require a $10 billion bond measure.

Can it be done again? Klein asked. If we continue to have the extraordinary results the scientists and research institutes are presenting, as well as the biotech sector.

Read the rest here:
$5B initiative proposed for stem cell research

Feb. Medical Tipsheet from Cedars-Sinai: MS and Depression, Kidney Cancer Immunotherapy, More

By Stem Cell Medical Center

Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise Following is a tipsheet of story ideas from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. To arrange interviews, please contact the individual listed.

Cedars-Sinai Clinical Trial Studies Vaccine Targeting Cancer Stem Cells in Brain Cancers An early-phase clinical trial of an experimental vaccine that targets cancer stem cells in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor, has been launched by researchers at Cedars-Sinai. Like normal stem cells, cancer stem cells have the ability to self-renew and generate new cells, but instead of producing healthy cells, they create cancer cells. In theory, if the cancer stem cells can be destroyed, a tumor may not be able to sustain itself, but if the cancer originators are not removed or destroyed, a tumor will continue to return despite the use of existing cancer-killing therapies. CONTACT: Sandy Van, 808-526-1708; Email sandy@prpacific.com

Dormant Prostate Cancer Cells May be Reawakened by Factors Commonly Produced in Inflammatory Cells Researchers in the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute discovered in pre-clinical models that dormant prostate cancer cells found in bone tissue can be reawakened, causing metastasis to other parts of the body. Understanding this mechanism of action may allow researchers to intervene prior to disease progression. CONTACT: Cara Martinez, 310-423-7798; Email cara.martinez@cshs.org

Can a Protein Controlling Blood Pressure Enhance Immune Responses and Prevent Alzheimers? Many people with high blood pressure are familiar with ACE inhibitors, drugs that widen blood vessels by limiting activity of ACE angiotensin-converting enzyme a naturally occurring protein found in tissues throughout the body. But high activity of the enzyme in the right context, place and time may be a good thing. A study conducted by Cedars-Sinai scientists found that genetically targeting certain immune blood cells to overproduce the enzyme broke down defective proteins in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease and prevented cognitive decline in laboratory mice bred to model the disease. CONTACT: Sandy Van, 808-526-1708; Email sandy@prpacific.com

Cedars-Sinai Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion Awarded LEED Gold Certification The new home of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, neurosciences programs and stem cell research, the Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion, has been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, established by the U.S. Green Building Council, for its highly sustainable, energy-efficient design, construction and operation. The building, which opened in the summer of 2013, is one of only a handful of healthcare facilities nationwide to receive the LEED Gold level of certification. It was achieved by meeting or exceeding five strategic elements of sustainability, including energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, water efficiency, indoor environment quality and overall sustainability that minimizes the impact on ecosystems and natural resources. CONTACT: Sally Stewart, 310-248-6566; Email sally.stewart@cshs.org

Grant Supports Cedars-Sinai Study of Possible Links Between Air Pollution and Brain Cancer Researchers at the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai will conduct a study to determine if several potentially toxic compounds that exist in polluted air are capable of entering the brain from the bloodstream and causing brain cancer. The research is funded by a $1 million grant from the Brain & Lung Tumor and Air Pollution Foundation for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. CONTACT: Sandy Van, 808-526-1708; Email sandy@prpacific.com

Kidney Cancer Care Improves With Vaccine-Based Approach The Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute has opened a novel Phase III, vaccine-based clinical trial aimed at providing kidney cancer patients long-term control of their disease. Survival outcomes for patients with renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer, have improved significantly over the past decade due to research advances in personalized or targeted therapies designed to target an individuals genetic makeup. To expedite these benefits, investigators are now looking to couple targeted therapies with vaccine-based approaches, which use a patients own immune system to fight disease and may have the potential to improve survival outcomes and overall quality of life. CONTACT: Cara Martinez, 310-423-7798; Email cara.martinez@cshs.org

Director of Womens Guild Lung Institute Awarded Stem Cell Grant to Study Treatment for Lung Disease A Cedars-Sinai research team led by Paul W. Noble, MD, has been awarded $628,816 by Californias stem cell agency to develop a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a deadly disease that destroys the lungs and damages other vital organs. The illness, which has no cure and few effective treatments, thickens and hardens lung tissue, leaving the organs badly scarred. Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have great difficulty breathing and the chronic reduction in oxygen damages vital organs. The cause of the disease is not clearly understood and many people live only three to five years after diagnosis. CONTACT: Laura Coverson, 310-423-5215; Email laura.coverson@cshs.org

View original post here:
Feb. Medical Tipsheet from Cedars-Sinai: MS and Depression, Kidney Cancer Immunotherapy, More

Study Finds Biosimilar Compounds Safe and Effective for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, According to the Non-Hodgkins …

By Stem Cell Medical Center

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) February 20, 2014

A study published in the journal Theranostics and reported by the Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Center finds that a class of drugs that stimulate stem cell production in patients and donors is safe to use.

The drugs are biologically similar to granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), a human glycoprotein that stimulates the bone marrow to produce granulocytes (a type of white blood cell) and stem cells and release them into the bloodstream. The drugs can be given to patients with diseases like Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma to stimulate the release of their own stem cells, or to donors for transplantation into sick patients.

Since the patent on G-CSF expired, several companies have begun producing these drugs. Referred to as biosimilars in Europe and follow-on biologics in the US, several have been approved for use, although their safety and efficacy is still being debated.

The new study examines published reports on more than 900 patients with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma or another blood cancer and healthy stem cell donors treated with the G-CSF biosimilar compounds Ratiograstim, Tevagrastim or Zarzio. The researchers report that the drugs produced good mobilization of CD34+ stem cells and produced side effects similar to the original G-CSF. Once the collected stem cells were grafted into a new host, they behaved comparably to stem cells stimulated by G-CSF.

In summary, the efficacy of biosimilar G-CSFs in terms of peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell yield as well as their toxicity profile are equivalent to historical data with reference to G-CSF, the researchers write in the European medical journal Theranostics. (Schmitt, M, et al, Biosimilar G-CSF Based Mobilization of Peripheral Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cells for Autologous and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation, January 23, 2014, Theranostics, pp. 280-289. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24505236)

Non-Hodgkins Lymphomas include cancers that involve the lymphocytes or white blood cells. They account for about 4 percent of all new cancer cases in the U.S. The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 500,000 Americans are currently living with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Today, there is more interest on the causes of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

The Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Center is part of the Cancer Monthly organization. The Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Center has been established by Cancer Monthly to provide more comprehensive information on the causes, diagnosis, and treatments for the many different subtypes of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. For over ten years, Cancer Monthly has been the only centralized source of cancer treatment results. Patients can see the actual survival rate, quality-of-life indicators, and other key data for approximately 1,500 different cancer treatments. Cancer Monthly provides timely and ground-breaking news on the causes, diagnoses and treatments of the most common cancers including Bladder, Brain, Breast, Colon, Kidney (Renal), Liver, Lung (NSCLC), Ovarian, Prostate, and Rectal Cancers, Melanoma, Mesothelioma, and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Written for patients and their loved ones, Cancer Monthly helps families make more informed treatment decisions.

Read more here:
Study Finds Biosimilar Compounds Safe and Effective for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, According to the Non-Hodgkins ...

$5 billion initiative proposed for stem cell research

By Uncategorized

Supporters of Californias multibillion-dollar stem cell program plan to ask for $5 billion more to bring the fruits of research to patients.

Robert Klein, a leader of the 2004 initiative campaign that established the program, said Thursday hes going to be talking with California voters about the proposal. If the public seems receptive, backers will work to get an initiative on the 2016 ballot to extend funding for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Klein outlined the proposal Thursday at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, during a symposium on how to speed research to patient care.

Since cancer cells and stem cells share some underlying characteristics, CIRM has funded research into those similarities, including the work of Moores Cancer Center researchers David Cheresh and Catriona Jamieson.

Klein said supporters, including researchers, patients and patient advocates need to educate the public about the benefits of funding stem cell research, and the results to date. A former chairman of CIRM, Klein is no longer formally affiliated with the agency but continues to support its work.

No stem cell treatments funded by CIRM have been approved, but patients have benefited in other ways. CIRM-funded research into cancer stem cells led to a clinical trial of a drug that caused remission of a bone marrow cancer in Sandra Dillon, a patient of Jamiesons. Moreover, California has vaulted into prominence in regenerative medicine, and the field has also provided a new growth engine for the states large biotech industry.

Though CIRM has been praised for advancing quality research, it has been criticized for being slow to fund commercialization by life science companies.

In addition, CIRM has been criticized for a lack of transparency and conflicts of interest in how it awards grants. The agency revamped its policies last year to forbid members of its governing oversight committee from voting on proposals to fund research at their own institutions.

California voters set aside $3 billion in bond money for CIRM in 2004 under Proposition 71. The money is expected to run out around 2017, so Klein and other supporters have been preparing to go back to the public. The amount paid back will be $6 billion, including interest over the life of the bonds, Klein noted. So the $5 billion for CIRM would require a $10 billion bond measure.

Can it be done again? Klein asked. If we continue to have the extraordinary results the scientists and research institutes are presenting, as well as the biotech sector.

See more here:
$5 billion initiative proposed for stem cell research

Okyanos Heart Institute CEO Matt Feshbach to Speak on Panel at International Stem Cell Society Global Conference

By Uncategorized

Freeport, The Bahamas (PRWEB) February 21, 2014

Okyanos Heart Institute, whose mission it is to bring a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease using adult stem cell therapy, announces CEO Matt Feshbach will present at the STEMSO Conference. He will join a panel to discuss the opportunities available through the new stem cell research and Therapy Act. The conference will be held at the Grand Lucayan Resort in Freeport, Grand Bahamas, February 19-22, 2014. The panel discussion will be Friday, February 21 from 8:45 9:45 a.m.

The conference, titled Bridging the Gap: Research to Point of Care, brings together medical scientists, clinicians, regulatory experts, and investors to discuss progress in the field of research and clinical protocols and the process of taking promising therapies to fight chronic disease to market in a responsible manner.

Friday opening remarks will be delivered by Ian Rolle, President of Grand Bahama Port Authority from 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. followed by the panel presentation until 9:45 a.m. which, in addition to Rolle will include Feshbach, Mitchell Fuerst, Esq., managing partner, Fuerst, Ittleman, David and Joseph. The panel will be moderated by Arthur K. Parris, Jr. of Parris Whittaker.

"With the passing of the Bahamas Stem Cell Research and Therapy Act, which requires high standards of patient safety and care, we believe the Bahamas is an ideal location to bring internationally-approved, adult stem cell technology to patients with unmet medical needs such as chronic coronary artery disease (CAD), says Feshbach. I am pleased to discuss the opportunities available in the Bahamas with investors, doctors and other stakeholders interested in making the Bahamas a world-class destination for adult stem cell therapy."

The STEMSO 2014 Conference in Freeport, Grand Bahama poses a unique opportunity for medical organizations which focus on adult stem cell-based medical treatments, states Douglas Hammond, president of STEMSO. This conference will provide companies looking to expand their research or clinical practices to offshore locations many good reasons to choose the Bahamas. Those attending will be able to network and view the most advanced research and clinical protocols utilizing autologous and allogeneic stem cells in the world today.

The complete agenda can be found on the organizations website at http://www.stemso.org. Other speakers include stem cell researchers, scientists and practitioners from around the world with leading discoveries in the field, and investors in the healthcare space.

Registration is open for attending and exhibiting on STEMSOs website.

ABOUT OKYANOS HEART INSTITUTE: (Oh key AH nos) Based in Freeport, The Bahamas, Okyanos Heart Institutes mission is to bring a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease using cardiac stem cell therapy. Okyanos adheres to U.S. surgical center standards and is led by Chief Medical Officer Howard T. Walpole Jr., M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I. Okyanos Treatment utilizes a unique blend of stem and regenerative cells derived from ones own adipose (fat) tissue. The cells, when placed into the heart via a minimally-invasive procedure, can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis facilitates blood flow in the heart, which supports intake and use of oxygen (as demonstrated in rigorous clinical trials such as the PRECISE trial). The literary name Okyanos, the Greek god of rivers, symbolizes restoration of blood flow. For more information, go to http://www.okyanos.com/.

NEW MEDIA CONTENT: Okyanos LinkedIn Page: http://www.linkedin.com/company/okyanos-heart-institute Okyanos Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OKYANOS Okyanos Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/#!/OkyanosHeart Okyanos Google+ Page: https://plus.google.com/+Okyanos/posts Okyanos You Tube Physician Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/okyanosforphysicians

Visit link:
Okyanos Heart Institute CEO Matt Feshbach to Speak on Panel at International Stem Cell Society Global Conference

Stem Cells Being Used To Treat Knee, Joint Pain

By Stem Cell Doctors

CBS Pittsburgh (con't)

Affordable Care Act Updates: CBSPittsburgh.com/ACA

Health News & Information: CBSPittsburgh.com/Health

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) After injuries from gymnastics and dance when she was younger, Linda Morning-Starpoole was having terrible knee pain.

Sitting and standing up and getting up and moving, Linda said.

The news from her orthopedic surgeon was not encouraging.

I was sent off with a prescription, and basically said, take this, and when it gets so bad, well take out your knees. And that was really upsetting to me. It was such an ugly picture that was painted for my future, Linda said.

Traditional treatment might involve steroid injections, physical therapy, and joint replacement.

But Linda wanted an alternative. When she first heard about using stem cell injections, she was very intrigued.

The thought of me healing me with my own self is what sold me on the procedure, Linda said.

Originally posted here:
Stem Cells Being Used To Treat Knee, Joint Pain

Duke Health System CEO appointed to head Institute of Medicine

By Uncategorized

Duke University Health SystemDr. Victor J. Dzau, the current president and CEO of Duke University Health System

Dr. Victor J. Dzau, the current president and CEO of Duke University Health System and chancellor for health affairs at Duke University, has been appointed to a six-year term as the next president of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), effective July 1, 2014. Dr. Dzau will take over the lead role from Dr. Harvey Fineberg, who served in the position for twelve years.

Dr. Dzau began his career in medicine as a cardiologist, having previously taught at Harvard Medical School and served as chair of the department of medicine. He also worked at Brigham and Womens Hospital as the director of research. His ongoing award-winning research has been key in the development of cardiovascular drugs, as well as techniques to repair tissue damage from heart attacks and heart disease using stem cell therapies.

Dr. Eugene Braunwald, often called the father of modern cardiology and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, has known Dr. Dzau for more than 40 years and worked with him at many different stages of his career at Brigham and Womens Hospital and Partners Healthcare. In an interview Wednesday he called the upcoming IOM president a force of nature.

He is what I would call a talented, quadruple threat. A great physician, inspiring teacher, and a very creative scientist, said Dr. Braunwald, who trained Dzau when he was a resident at Brigham and Womens and continued to work with him on cardiovascular research when Dr. Dzau became chief resident, and then faculty at Harvard Medical School. The quadruple threat is that he also sees the larger picture. Hes interested in areas of medicine that most academic physicians have stayed away from. His work and ideas in global and community-based medicine have left an important heritage at each institution where hes worked.

After nearly a decade at Duke, Dr. Dzaus leadership has been credited with the launch of a number of innovative and global-focused medical institutions, including the Duke-National University of Signapore Graduate Medical School, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke Institute for Health Innovation, Duke Cancer Institute, as well as the Duke Translational Medicine Institute.

Im deeply honored to become the next president of the IOM and recognize the critically important role that the IOM will have in improving the health of the nation at a time of extraordinary evolution in biomedical research and health care delivery, Dzau said in a press release from Duke University Health System. The explosion of new data resources, novel technologies and breathtaking research advances make this the most promising time in history for driving innovations that will improve health care delivery, outcomes and quality.

As the health sciences extension of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine is known for its leadership in advancing health sciences and objective medical research nationally as a nonprofit academic research organization. The outgoing IOM president, Dr. Harvey Fineberg (previously Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health) has lead the nonprofit for twelve years. His focus and research have centered around public health policy and an improvement in informed medical decision making.

This leaves the medical community wondering what Dr. Dzau will bring to the Institute.

As a former chairman of the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC), Dr. Dzau advocated for the innovative transition of academic medical and health centers into institutions that can survive the rapid transitions in the health care industry. In a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Dzau discusses the uncertain future of academic medical centers. He argues that industry pressures and cost restraints from the Affordable Care Act limit the research and education-based missions of teaching hospitals.

Link:
Duke Health System CEO appointed to head Institute of Medicine

Stem Cell Doctors, Phoenix Stem Cell Treatment Center Network

By Stem Cell Doctors

Hover over a state and doctor for more information.

Dr. Robert Dryden has three loves: his family; the practice of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery; and the showing, breeding, and riding of Arabian horses. He lives on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona, at the base of the Rincon mountains and near the Sahuaro National Park where he loves to ride his beautiful horses with his family and friends.

PHOENIX STEM CELL TREATMENT CENTER TEAM

Steven M. Gitt, M.D., F.A.C.S. specializes in cosmetic surgery, offering the latest and most innovative techniques in: facial rejuvenation, breast augmentation, laser surgery, liposuction and body contouring and all facets of cosmetic surgery. His patients describe him as caring, compassionate, and understanding and as an excellent listener and communicator.

As the founder and medical director of North Valley Plastic Surgery, established in 1993, Dr. Gitt graduated college with distinction from UCLA in 1982 and from medical school with distinction from Wayne State University in 1986. Dr. Gitt was elected to membership in the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) national medical honor society in 1985.

Following completion of training in General Surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, and Plastic Surgery training at the renowned University of Michigan medical center, Dr. Gitt obtained certifications from the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Gitt also holds the prestigious Certificate of Advanced Education in Cosmetic Surgery. He was the founder and original medical director of the Comprehensive Wound Healing Center at Paradise Valley Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Gitt is a board certified plastic surgeon. He is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Always on the leading edge of technology, Dr. Gitt has offered endoscopic procedures such as brow and face lifting, abdominoplasty, and breast augmentation since 1994, carbon dioxide laser resurfacing since 1995, and Photoderm-Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL) since 1996. He has also accumulated extraordinary experience in Fotofacial and Fotofacial-plusT IPL treatments.

Ryan B. Tsujimura, M.D. graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington in Seattle with a B.S. in Biology. He remained in Seattle where he graduated at the top of his class and earned his Medical Degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. Tsujimura initiated his postgraduate training at the Oregon Health Sciences University (University of Oregon) in Portland, Oregon where he did his internship in General Surgery. He then moved to Phoenix where he finished his residency in General Surgery. During this time he became Chief Resident of the Burn Unit and then Chief Resident of Surgery in his last year of training.

Originally posted here:
Stem Cell Doctors, Phoenix Stem Cell Treatment Center Network

Biologists Create Embryonic-Type Stem Cells Without Embryos

By Stem Cell Medical Center

By Liisa Vexler

A new age in biology and biotechnology may be upon us as scientists in London, England have successfully created embryonic-type stem cells without the use of actual embryos. By re-engineering mature cells, scientists may be close to overcoming one of the largest ethical debates in stem cell research, the use of human embryos. Though the initial research was conducted with cells from mice, scientists believe the technique could be successful in humans.

Researchers at the University College London were able to generate pluripotent cells from fully developed, or mature cells. Chris Mason, Chair of Regenerative Medicine Bioprocessing at the institution described the process as the most simple, lowest-cost and quickest method to-date. These pluripotent cells have unlimited therapeutic potential as they are able to develop into different cell types.

Mason explained to Reuters, If it works in man, this could be the game changer that ultimately makes a wide range of cell therapies available using the patients own cells as starting material.

Researchers from other institutions including Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the RIKENCenter for Developmental Biology in Japan took part in this study.

Scientists performed the experiment by allowing mature cells to multiply and then, using a number of methods, stressing them almost to the point of death. According to the researchers, the cells were able to survive and recover by returning to a state similar to that of an embryonic stem cell.

Stem Cells Defined

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to differentiate into specialized types of cells that the body needs. There are two types of stem cells, embryonic stem cells found in embryos, and adult or IPS stem cells, which are harvested from the blood or skin and genetically reprogrammed into stem cells.

According to scientists, the stem cells ability to regenerate tissue makes them valuable in the fight against degenerative diseases including Parkinsons and cardiovascular disease.

Source: http://www.euronews.com/2014/01/29/stem-cells-produced-without-embryo-in-major-scientific-breakthrough/

See the rest here:
Biologists Create Embryonic-Type Stem Cells Without Embryos

→←