Author Archives: admin


Stem Cell Clinic > Articles by: admin

Human-Eye Precursor Grown from Stem Cell

By Stem Cell Clinic

News | Health

The achievement, with an 'optic cup' that contains multiple layers of photoreceptors, raises hopes for repairs of damaged eyes in the clinic

By David Cyranoski and Nature magazine | June 15, 2012|

The human eye is a complex structure but the cues to build it come from inside the growing cells. Image: Dougal Waters/Getty

From Nature magazine

A stem-cell biologist has had an eye-opening success in his latest effort to mimic mammalian organ development in vitro. Yoshiki Sasai of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CBD) in Kobe, Japan, has grown the precursor of a human eye in the lab.

The structure, called an optic cup, is 550 micrometres in diameter and contains multiple layers of retinal cells including photoreceptors. The achievement has raised hopes that doctors may one day be able to repair damaged eyes in the clinic. But for researchers at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Yokohama, Japan, where Sasai presented the findings this week, the most exciting thing is that the optic cup developed its structure without guidance from Sasai and his team.

The morphology is the truly extraordinary thing, says Austin Smith, director of the Centre for Stem Cell Research at the University of Cambridge, UK.

Until recently, stem-cell biologists had been able to grow embryonic stem-cells only into two-dimensional sheets. But over the past four years, Sasai has used mouse embryonic stem cells to grow well-organized, three-dimensional cerebral-cortex1, pituitary-gland2 and optic-cup3 tissue. His latest result marks the first time that anyone has managed a similar feat using human cells.

Familiar patterns The various parts of the human optic cup grew in mostly the same order as those in the mouse optic cup. This reconfirms a biological lesson: the cues for this complex formation come from inside the cell, rather than relying on external triggers.

Follow this link:
Human-Eye Precursor Grown from Stem Cell

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Announces David Audley, the Founder of International Cellular Medicine Society, Has Joined …

By Uncategorized

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire -06/15/12)- Bio-Matrix Scientific Group (BMSN) (BMSN) announced today the appointment of David Audley to the advisory board of Its Regen BioPharma subsidiary. Mr. Audley will advise Regen BioPharma on strategic leveraging of national and international clinical research resources. Mr. Audley is viewed by the Company as a key component in the commercialization of stem cell intellectual property. Additionally, it is anticipated that he will assist in raising international awareness for the regenerative therapies being developed by the Company.

In his function as executive director and CEO of the International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS), Mr. Audley has spearheaded development and implementation of global guidelines for accreditation of stem cell clinics. Under his leadership, the ICMS has grown from a loose association of a handful of physicians to a major international standards organization with over 3500 members from 36 countries. He is a strong advocate for stem cell therapy development and implementation, and is the chief architect of the ICMS accreditation program that is currently evaluating the practices of nearly 20 facilities in a dozen countries. Mr. Audley also has strong professional relationships with Ministries of Health and governmental agencies in South America, Asia and the Middle East.

"My work at ICMS exposes me to the tremendous ability of stem cell therapeutics to alleviate human suffering. Unfortunately, business models have not caught up with the medical reality. Regen BioPharma is unique in that to my knowledge they are the first group to develop a model that accelerates development of stem cell therapeutics in a win-win situation for investors and patients," said David Audley.

"Mr. Audley has made a substantial impact in the clinical translation of stem cell therapeutics by establishing standards, accreditations, an Institutional Review Board (IRB), and partnerships with major organizations such as the AABB," said Christopher Mizer, President of Regen BioPharma. "We are extremely excited to work side by side with Mr. Audley in accelerating access of new stem cell therapies for patients."

About Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc. and Regen BioPharma, Inc.:

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc. (BMSN) (BMSN) is a biotechnology company focused on the development of regenerative medicine therapies and tools. The Company is focused on human therapies that address unmet medical needs. Specifically, Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc. is looking to increase the quality of life through therapies involving stem cell treatments. These treatments are focused in areas relating to cardiovascular, hematology, oncology and other indications.

Through Its wholly owned subsidiary, Regen BioPharma, it is the Company's goal to develop translational medicine platforms for the rapid commercialization of stem cell therapies. The Company is looking to use these translational medicine platforms to advance intellectual property licensed from entities, institutions and universities that show promise towards fulfilling the Company's goal of increased quality of life. To follow our development, visit us at http://www.regenbiopharma.com.

Disclaimer

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties to which forward-looking statements are subject include, but are not limited to, the effect of government regulation, competition and other material risks.

The rest is here:
Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Announces David Audley, the Founder of International Cellular Medicine Society, Has Joined ...

ViaCyte Appoints Dr. Paul Laikind Chief Executive Officer

By Uncategorized

SAN DIEGO, June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --ViaCyte, Inc. today announced the appointment of seasoned entrepreneur, Paul Laikind, Ph.D., as President & Chief Executive Officer. Allan Robins, Ph.D., who was serving as Acting CEO, will continue in his role as Vice President & Chief Technology Officer. ViaCyte is a leading pre-clinical company developing a novel cell therapy product for the treatment of insulin dependent diabetes.

Dr. Laikind brings over 25 years of leadership experience in the biotechnology and life sciences industry to ViaCyte. He is a serial entrepreneur, who co-founded three San Diego companies, Gensia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Viagene Inc., and Metabasis Therapeutics Inc., serving in various executive positions including President and CEO. All three companies went public and were eventually acquired. Most recently, he served as Chief Business Officer and Senior Vice President of Business Development at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.

"Paul brings to ViaCyte a wealth of experience in managing new businesses based on highly innovative life sciences technologies," said Fred Middleton, Chairman of ViaCyte. "We are pleased to have him join to lead ViaCyte through our next phase of development in bringing our transformative stem cell therapy to patients with diabetes. We believe Paul's leadership and business development skills will greatly assist us in our strategy to be a leader in regenerative medicine therapy and to capitalize on our current technology leadership position in the development of stem cell therapy."

As Sanford-Burnham's first Chief Business Officer, Dr. Laikind set a new direction for the Institute's business development activity through a combination of licensing and strategic partnerships with large pharmaceutical organizations, including collaborations with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson, and Takeda Pharmaceutical. Working with the Institute's leadership team he helped establish a sophisticated infrastructure for advanced drug discovery and development at Sanford-Burnham.

Prior to Sanford-Burnham, Dr. Laikind served as President & CEO from 1999-2008 for Metabasis Therapeutics, which developed new therapies for metabolic and liver diseases. Dr. Laikind co-founded Gensia Pharmaceuticals in 1986, was a board member of the company and held various executive leadership positions. While at Gensia he was responsible for establishing a number of important strategic partnerships. In 1997, he was part of a team that restructured Gensia to focus on specialty pharmaceuticals. The restructured company was renamed Gensia Sicor and went on to be acquired for over $3 billion by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in 2004. Soon after founding Gensia, he was co-founder of Viagene, a gene therapy company. Viagene completed an initial public offering in 1993 and was acquired in 1995 by Chiron Inc., now a subsidiary of Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics.

Dr. Laikind earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego and is the inventor on a number of key patents.

"ViaCyte addresses one of the largest commercial and medical opportunities in stem-cell-derived therapeutics, and its team is internationally recognized for its scientific leadership," said Dr. Laikind. "I look forward to working with ViaCyte through clinical development and market launch of its first important product that promises to change the way we treat insulin dependent diabetes."

About ViaCyte

ViaCyte is a preclinical cell therapy company focused on diabetes. The Company's technology is based on pancreatic beta cell progenitors derived from human pluripotent stem cells. These cells are implanted using a durable and retrievable encapsulation device. Once implanted and matured, these cells secrete insulin in response to blood glucose levels. ViaCyte's goal is long term insulin independence without immune suppression, and without hypoglycemia and other diabetes-related complications.

ViaCyte is a private company headquartered in San Diego, California with additional operations in Athens, Georgia. The Company is funded in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

View original post here:
ViaCyte Appoints Dr. Paul Laikind Chief Executive Officer

Researchers urge EU not to cut stem cell funding

By Stem Cell Treatment

* European Parliament debating funding for 2014 to 2020

* Scientists fear cuts to embryonic stem cell research

* Experts say cutting funds would hold back entire field

LONDON, June 15 (Reuters) - Leading scientists, biomedical research bodies and patient groups urged the European Parliament on Friday to maintain vital European Union funding for studies using embryonic stem cells.

Hailing the field as "one of the most exciting and promising" in modern biomedical research, the group said they feared research grants currently under review may be under threat from pro-life European parliamentarians who say public funds should not be spent on embryonic stem cell work.

"(EU) Commission funding must be available to continue to support scientists investigating all types of stem cells - including human embryonic stem cells - with potential to make advances in regenerative medicine," they wrote in an open letter released by the Wellcome Trust, a charitable health foundation.

The European Parliament is currently debating the future outline of Horizon (Euronext: HOR.NX - news) 2020, the EU's programme for research and innovation which will run from 2014 to 2020.

Draft rules provide for stem cell research funding, including embryonic stem cells but some member states have been lobbying for embryonic stem cell research to be excluded.

Many scientists believe stem cell research has the potential to lead to the development of treatments for a whole host of diseases including incurable neurodegenerative illnesses such as Parkinson's, motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis, as well as type 1 diabetes, various serious heart conditions, liver damage, spinal cord damage and blindness.

Europe (Chicago Options: ^REURUSD - news) , and particularly Britain, is considered a world leader in stem cell research. The experts, from charities, funding bodies and patient groups, said if Europe is to hold on to this competitive edge, it is crucial to maintain funding for all stem cell research.

Read the original here:
Researchers urge EU not to cut stem cell funding

Lab-grown vein transplant is new milestone in stem cell research

By Stem Cell Doctors

In a first, doctors in Sweden have transplanted into the body of 10-year-old girl a vein grown in the laboratory from her own stem cells.

The core team that performed the procedure was led by Dr Suchitra Holgersson, a transplant medicine specialist originally from Mumbai, and included four other doctors from India. The landmark transplant was published in the British medical journal The Lancet on Thursday.

The procedure could offer a potential new way for patients lacking healthy veins to undergo dialysis or heart bypass surgery without the problems of synthetic grafts or the need for lifelong immunosuppressive drugs, The Lancet said.

The child had a blockage in her extrahepatic portal vein, which was obstructing blood supply to her liver. Options available to doctors included a liver transplant or taking a vein graft from the umbilical cord of a donor, which would have led to permanent dependence on immunosuppressants.

A third alternative was to graft another vein usually from the leg or neck on to the liver vein. But this procedure is associated with risks of lower limb disorders, and was not considered a viable option due to the girls young age.

Speaking to The Indian Express by phone, Dr Holgersson, a professor in the department of transplant and regenerative medicine at Sahlgrenska Science Park in Gothenburg University, explained the breakthrough procedure:

We took a 9-centimetre graft from a deceased donor and removed all its original cells, leaving a hollow piece of vein. We then extracted stem cells of two kinds from the bone marrow endothelial and smooth muscle cells of the little girl, gave it necessary growth factors, and let it incubate for two weeks.

... contd.

Original post:
Lab-grown vein transplant is new milestone in stem cell research

SCIENCE: Texas Gov. Rick Perry, stem cell advocates, find common ground at San Diego meeting

By Stem Cell Medicine

Texas Gov. and former GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry met with stem cell scientists and patients in San Diego on Monday. Their goal: to work out a strategy they can agree on to bring the benefits of stem cell research to those in need.

Human embryonic stem cell research is controversial ---- Perry is against it. But all those at the meeting support nonembryonic stem cell research. Perry himself received a transplant of his own stem cells last year after undergoing spinal fusion surgery.

"This meeting exemplified the good things that can happen when we start building bridges between a diversity of people," wrote stem cell researcher Paul Knoepfler ofUC Davis School of Medicine, who took part in the meeting and blogged about it.

The meeting was hosted by Jerry Henberger of the Parkinsons Association of San Diego, at The Scripps Research Institute, Knoepfler wrote.

Go here to read the rest:
SCIENCE: Texas Gov. Rick Perry, stem cell advocates, find common ground at San Diego meeting

Cellerant Appoints Gisela Schwab, M.D., to Its Board of Directors and Names Lowell Sears as Chairman of the Board

By Stem Cell Medical Center

SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cellerant Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel hematopoietic stem cell-based cellular and antibody therapies for blood disorders and cancer, announced today the appointment of Gisela Schwab, M.D. to its Board of Directors and the appointment of Lowell Sears as Chairman of the Board. Richard Rathmann, Cellerants former Chairman of the Board, will remain a director on the Board.

Dr. Schwab joins Cellerants Board with more than 20 years of experience in the development of oncology therapeutics. She currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Exelixis. Previously, she held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Abgenix, Inc., a human antibody-based drug development company. Prior to Abgenix, Dr. Schwab held positions of increasing responsibility at Amgen Inc., most recently as Director of Clinical Research and Hematology/Oncology Therapeutic Area Team Leader. Dr. Schwab also serves as a member of the board of directors of Topotarget A/S, a publicly-held biopharmaceutical company. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Heidelberg, trained at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the National Cancer Institute and is board certified in internal medicine and hematology and oncology.

Dr. Schwab is an accomplished leader in the development of oncology therapeutics. I am pleased to welcome her to our board, said Ram Mandalam, President and CEO of Cellerant. Her extensive experience in hematology-oncology indications will significantly benefit Cellerant in the development of CLT-008 and our cancer stem cell programs.

I am very excited to join the Cellerant Board and about the opportunity to work with such an accomplished group of people on the board and in management on the development of a novel, cell-based approach to the treatment for chemotherapy- and radiation-induced neutropenia and on novel therapeutic antibodies aimed at cancer stem cells, said Dr. Schwab.

Mr. Sears joined Cellerants Board in February, 2012. He is currently Chairman and CEO of Sears Capital Management, a venture investment and portfolio management firm specializing in life sciences. He has been an active life science venture investor since 1994, helping to found and fund over forty companies. From 1986 until 1994, Mr. Sears was a part of the senior management team of Amgen, Inc., where he held positions of Chief Financial Officer as well as Senior Vice President responsible for the Asia Pacific Region.

Lowell's vast operational and governance experience has already proven a great benefit to Cellerant since his joining the board earlier this year, said Richard Rathmann, Cellerants former Chairman. I could not be more pleased this recognized leader in biotechnology has agreed to increase his stewardship role in the exciting opportunities ahead for this promising company.

I want to thank Richard for his outstanding leadership and vision in governance of the Company during his five year tenure as Chairman, said Mr. Sears. I look forward to working with the board and management of Cellerant as the Company drives forward its leading edge product portfolio for the benefit of cancer patients worldwide.

About Cellerant Therapeutics

Cellerant Therapeutics is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the regulation of the hematopoietic (blood-forming) system. The Company is developing human stem cell and antibody therapies for oncology applications and blood-related disorders. Cellerants lead product, CLT-008, is currently in two Phase 1 clinical trials in patients with hematological malignancies. The Company also has a cancer stem cell (CSC) antibody discovery program focused on therapies for acute myelogenous leukemia, multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Read the original:
Cellerant Appoints Gisela Schwab, M.D., to Its Board of Directors and Names Lowell Sears as Chairman of the Board

Six New UM Stem Cell Lines Now Publicly Available

By Stem Cell Medical Center

ANN ARBOR Six new human embryonic stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan have just been placed on the National Institutes of Healths registry, making the cells available for federally funded research.

UM now has a total of eight cell lines on the registry, including five that carry genetic mutations for serious diseases such as the severe bleeding disorder hemophilia B, the fatal brain disorder Huntingtons disease and the heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes sudden death in athletes and others.

Researchers at UM and around the country can now begin using the stem cell lines to study the origins of these diseases and potential treatments. Two of the cell lines are believed to be the first in the world bearing that particular disease gene.

The three UM stem cell lines now in the registry that do not carry disease genes are also useful for general studies and as comparisons for stem cells with disease genes. In all, there are 163 stem cell lines in the federal registry, most of them without major disease genes.

Each of the lines was derived from a cluster of about 30 cells removed from a donated five-day-old embryo roughly the size of the period at the end of this sentence. The embryos carrying disease genes were created for reproductive purposes, tested and found to be affected with a genetic disorder, deemed not suitable for implantation and would have otherwise been discarded if not donated by the couples who donated them.

Some came from couples having fertility treatment at UMs Center for Reproductive Medicine, others from as far away as Portland, Ore. Some were never frozen, which may mean that the stem cells will have unique characteristics and utilities.

The full list of UM-derived stem cell lines accepted to the NIH registry includes:

UM9-1PGD Hemophilia B

UM17-1PGD Huntingtons disease

UM38-2PGD- HypertrophicCardiomyopathy (MYBPC3)

See original here:
Six New UM Stem Cell Lines Now Publicly Available

Six new U-M stem cell lines now publicly available to help researchers find treatments for disease

By Stem Cell Treatment

Lines in US registry will help studies on Huntington's disease, hemophilia & more

ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Six new human embryonic stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan have just been placed on the U.S. National Institutes of Health's registry, making the cells available for federally-funded research.

U-M now has a total of eight cell lines on the registry, including five that carry genetic mutations for serious diseases such as the severe bleeding disorder hemophilia B, the fatal brain disorder Huntington's disease and the heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes sudden death in athletes and others.

Researchers at U-M and around the country can now begin using the stem cell lines to study the origins of these diseases and potential treatments. Two of the cell lines are believed to be the first in the world bearing that particular disease gene.

The three U-M stem cell lines now in the registry that do not carry disease genes are also useful for general studies and as comparisons for stem cells with disease genes. In all, there are 163 stem cell lines in the federal registry, most of them without major disease genes.

Each of the lines was derived from a cluster of about 30 cells removed from a donated five-day-old embryo roughly the size of the period at the end of this sentence. The embryos carrying disease genes were created for reproductive purposes, tested and found to be affected with a genetic disorder, deemed not suitable for implantation and would have otherwise been discarded if not donated by the couples who donated them.

Some came from couples having fertility treatment at U-M's Center for Reproductive Medicine, others from as far away as Portland, OR. Some were never frozen, which may mean that the stem cells will have unique characteristics and utilities.

The full list of U-M-derived stem cell lines accepted to the NIH registry includes:

More:
Six new U-M stem cell lines now publicly available to help researchers find treatments for disease

Gazette.Net: Osiris scores approval down under for stem cell drug

By Stem Cell Treatment

Osiris Therapeutics has won a second nations imprimatur for its stem cell treatment for a deadly complication of bone marrow transplants in children.

Following Canada's lead last month, New Zealand this week gave the Columbia company marketing approval for Prochymal to treat pediatric graft-vs.-host disease, Osiris reported. Canada was the first internationally recognized regulatory body to approve a stem cell drug.

The disease kills up to 80 percent of children who contract it, many within weeks of diagnosis.

"With each of our approvals it becomes clearer that the time for life-saving stem cell therapies in the practice of medicine has arrived, and we are humbled to have a leading role, CEO C. Randal Mills said in a company statement.

More cases of the disease are expected "as the demographic profile of our transplant population evolves," Hans Klingemann, professor of medicine and director of the Bone Marrow & Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Program at Tufts University School of Medicine, said in the statement. "Effective strategies to manage the often lethal consequences of [graft-vs.-host disease] reduce the overall risk to transplantation ..."

Osiris applied for marketing approval in New Zealand in May 2011 and was given priority review the following month.

Besides Canada and New Zealand, Prochymal is available in the U.S. and several other nations under special patient circumstances.

The company also is testing the drug as a treatment for Crohns disease, heart attacks and type 1 diabetes.

In other Maryland bioscience industry news:

Sanaria, working with University of Maryland researchers, has won a three-year federal grant worth almost $3 million to genetically engineer mosquitoes for the Rockville biotech's malaria vaccine manufacturing program.

View original post here:
Gazette.Net: Osiris scores approval down under for stem cell drug

→←