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The untapped market of cord blood banking – The Malaysian Reserve

By Stem Cell Medicine

The untapped market of cord blood banking Thursday, October 15th, 2020 at , Life & Art

Stem cell therapy could be one of the complementary treatments to alleviate sufferings in Covid-19 patients

By AZALEA AZUAR

Wong says his team aims to do their part in raising awareness about the importance of stem cell banking in Malaysia

ACCORDING to a recent study and clinical trial in China, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy has been shown to alleviate pneumonia and acute respiratory syndrome (ARDS) symptoms through their immunomodulatory activities in Covid-19 patients.

Although more research studies and clinical trial results are needed to demonstrate the use of stem cells in providing relief to Covid-19 patients, the findings have been rather encouraging.

Patients treated with MSCs have somehow regained lung functions and have restored levels of cytokines and trophic factors.

In short, stem cell therapy could be one of the complementary treatments to alleviate sufferings in Covid-19 patients.

While stem cell therapy has been used in different health procedures for various ailments, the rise in the number of Covid-19 patients worldwide is an indication that the potential for companies that promote such treatment is certainly huge.

However, the stem cell banking industry in Malaysia has not been exploited yet as in-depth information about cord blood banking applications and clinical trials is still not widely available to the public.

StemLife Bhd CEO Raymond Wong said there are advertisements about stem cell therapies and supplements that are unproven, which left the public somewhat misinformed.

A study conducted by nurses in Malaysia discovered that 92% of respondents only had moderate knowledge of the technology. In another study, 80% of respondents said their healthcare providers were unable to provide sufficient information regarding stem cells, while 94% wanted their healthcare provider to share the information, he told The Malaysian Reserve in an interview.

Wong said his team aims to do their part in raising awareness about the importance of stem cell banking in Malaysia.

It is a form of insurance for families. Our team sees it as one of the best healthcare investment options because the list of cell-based therapy applications is growing throughout the year and there have been many recent research and medical advances in regard to stem cell therapy, he said.

Wong said banking stem cells would be a long-term investment that families and individuals could live healthier, longer and happier.

At the same time, he said the technology also serves as a sustainable medical solution that is readily available.

For the uninitiated, a stem cell has the unique ability to develop into specialised cell types in the body. In the future, they may be used to replace cells and tissues that have been damaged or lost due to different diseases.

By 2025, the world stem cell market is projected to reach more than US$12.5 billion (RM51.88 billion).

The US is expected to maintain a 9.7% growth momentum, while Germany will bring some US$294.1 million to Europe in the next five to six years.

In Asia, Japans stem cell industry will reach a market size of US$899.5 million and it has the potential to grow at 8.1% over the next couple of years.

Wong said cord blood banking is another service under the stem cell market, where the blood from the umbilical cord is extracted during birth to treat more than 80 genetic diseases since it contains a rich source of stem cells.

One small amount of cord blood is collected and can be stored for future use.

By 2023, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the global cord banking services market in terms of growth rate.

The region is also expected to show a huge growth potential due to the increasing awareness of stem cell banking, as well as vast improvements in healthcare reforms in countries like Indonesia, India, Malaysia and China, although it currently has a minimal share in the global market.

Such a bright outlook in the region also grants better opportunities for companies that offer such solution to grow in a huge and untapped regional market which is currently trailing behind regions like North America and Europe.

The Younger, The Better

The procedure of collecting cord blood and umbilical cord does not harm the baby or the mother

Wong said previously, bone marrow and umbilical cord were popular sources to extract stem cells, but with the advancement in stem cell therapy, researchers have successfully extracted stem cells from other sources too.

The younger the stem cells, the better the regenerative properties. The youngest source of stem cells that we can extract from the human body is from the umbilical cord.

On top of that, the umbilical cord is also the richest source of stem cells with over 20 million cells per cu cm, Wong said.

He said stem cell extraction from the bone marrow is seen more as an invasive procedure, which always carries the risk of complications as it could also result in permanent damage to the site of extraction.

On the contrary, the procedure of collecting cord blood and umbilical cord does not harm the baby or the mother.

In fact, our standard operation of procedure places the highest priority on the safety of the mother and the baby before any collection can be done, he said.

Wong said studies have also proven that transplantation of stem cells from umbilical cord carries lower risk of developing graft versus host complication, as the stem cells in the umbilical cord arent fully developed.

Therefore, he said, the human leukocyte antigen matching of stem cells to the patient is less stringent compared to stem cells from other sources.

Specific Stem Cells

Successes in the clinical application of stem cells serve as graphic illustrations of how it can be translated into useful therapies

Just as there are many ways to extract stem cells, there are also different types of stem cells used to treat different diseases.

One of them is blood-forming cells which can develop into all types of blood cells.

This unique property allows the blood-forming stem cells to be successfully used to treat various blood disorders and blood malignancies like leukaemia and thalassemia, Wong said.

However, he said stem cells are not only limited for blood-related illness treatment as they can also treat other disorders, such as immunodeficiency disorders and certain types of metabolic disorders.

To date, there are about 80 diseases that are recognised by Malaysias Ministry of Health (MoH) as standard care of treatment using blood-forming stem cell therapy.

Moreover, the discovery of tissue- forming stem cells has led to growing interest in the use of these cells as therapeutics, Wong said.

He added that researches about stem cells are now venturing into preclinical and clinical studies to resolve injuries by enhancing endogenous repair programmes.

He said there are also tissue-forming cells which have been widely tested in clinical trials of cardiovascular, neurological and immunological diseases with encouraging results.

Pioneering studies that led to successful culturing of human epithelial stem cells opened the door for subsequent clinical applications of epithelial stem cells in regenerative medicine, Wong added.

Such treatments were first applied during the 1980s to treat patients who suffered from burns. Now, it saves the lives of those who have been severely burnt.

Furthermore, developing applications to generate corneal cells for treating certain forms of blindness has garnered the focus of clinical researchers.

More recently, cases of eye damage have been successfully treated by transplanting the corneal epithelial sheets cultured from epithelial stem cells.

Wong added that successes in the clinical application of stem cells serve as graphic illustrations of how exciting advances in the laboratory can be translated into useful therapies.

It encourages the development of other stem cell applications in the regenerative medicine field.

Things to Consider

One can choose to go to either the public or cord blood banking facilities. The public cord blood banking facilities are within the purview of the National Blood Bank which is parked under the MoH, where any mothers can make their donations.

The public also have a choice to do non-directed donations, directed donations (among at-risk families) and directed donations (for low-risk families).

Wong said while private banking is a good choice, many families are concerned that they have to pay a high price for such peace of mind.

In terms of affordability, the costs at private cord blood banks are not as high as some might think. For example, at StemLife, the cost to store cord blood roughly translates to about only 80 sen a day.

In comparison, that is more affordable than your daily morning coffee or tea at a coffee shop or kopitiam, he said.

StemLife also encourages parents to consult their healthcare providers on the benefits of storing in private banks, especially if a family member has a high risk of developing or have been diagnosed with diseases that are treatable with stem cell therapy.

This would ensure the sufficiency of stem cells for future treatments.

Secondly, with the advancement of clinical research in regenerative medicine, its worth considering its future usage.

For example, umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs have proven to be beneficial, exhibiting therapeutic effects in Covid-19 patients with cytokine storm and ARDS, Wong said.

Going Digital

Last year, more than 60,000 mothers registered with StemLife. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, StemLifes business suffered just like any other private healthcare providers in the first half of the year.

This is mainly due to limited outreach to the expectant parents from our customer-facing channels during the pandemic and the safety measures taken by the government, Wong said.

Nevertheless, the number of donors has been picking up steadily under the Recovery Movement Control Order, and StemLife is now keeping a more positive outlook.

Wong said digital engagements would help the company further interact with other potential donors.

The most significant changes will be in the way we introduce our services how we engage with our customers and our utilisation of customer data. These changes will lead to much greater levels of personalisation, Wong said.

Currently, StemLife is looking at adopting the digital-first advice approach among their team members, by engaging customers via video call from the comfort of their homes.

Secondly, we are looking to create a seamless customer purchase process through digitalisation. Thirdly, we aim to keep track of our customers data, while maintaining a high level of privacy to personalise customer experience, Wong commented.

They aim to monitor the three phases of motherhood which is conceiving, expecting and parenthood.

This is to ensure the mothers receive the help they need as they go through the many phases of their journey with their babies.

Secondly, we will be embarking on a digital rebranding exercise to strengthen our competitive position and energising our teams internally. In addition, we will also be ensuring that our remote workplace set-ups are smooth by using collaboration tools embedding these solutions into our operating model and roadmaps, Wong said.

StemLife is also planning to introduce genomic screening tests that can help detect disease risks of newborns through strategic partnerships.

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The untapped market of cord blood banking - The Malaysian Reserve

Singapore invents digitized optimization of culture conditions for cell therapy – BSA bureau

By Stem Cell Medicine

Collaboration by researchers in Singapore and Australia leads to first-of-its-kind computational biology algorithm that could enable more effective cellular therapies against major diseases.

Cellular therapy is a powerful strategy to produce patient-specific, personalized cells to treat many diseases, including heart disease and neurological disorders. But a major challenge for cell therapy applications is keeping cells alive and well in the lab.

Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, and Monash University, Australia, have devised an algorithm that can predict what molecules are needed to keep cells healthy in laboratory cultures. They developed a computational approach called EpiMogrify, that can predict the molecules needed to signal stem cells to change into specific tissue cells, which can help accelerate treatments that require growing patient cells in the lab.

Computational biology is rapidly becoming a key enabler in cell therapy, providing a way to short-circuit otherwise expensive and time-consuming discovery approaches with cleverly designed algorithms, said Assistant Professor Owen Rackham, a computational biologist at Duke-NUS, and a senior and corresponding author of the study, published today in the journal Cell Systems.

In the laboratory, cells are often grown and maintained in cell cultures, formed of a substance, called a medium, which contains nutrients and other molecules. It has been an ongoing challenge to identify the necessary molecules to maintain high-quality cells in culture, as well as finding molecules that can induce stem cells to convert to other cell types.

The research team developed a computer model called EpiMogrify that successfully identified molecules to add to cell culture media to maintain healthy nerve cells, called astrocytes, and heart cells, called cardiomyocytes. They also used their model to successfully predict molecules that trigger stem cells to turn into astrocytes and cardiomyocytes.

Research at Duke-NUS is paving the road for cell therapies and regenerative medicine to enter the clinic in Singapore and worldwide; this study leverages our expertise in computational and systems biology to facilitate the good manufacturing practice (GMP) production of high-quality cells for these much needed therapeutic applications, said Associate Professor Enrico Petretto, who leads the Systems Genetics group at Duke-NUS, and is a senior and corresponding author of the study.

The researchers added existing information into their model about genes tagged with epigenetic markers whose presence indicates that a gene is important for cell identity. The model then determines which of these genes actually code for proteins necessary for a cells identity.

Additionally, the model incorporates data about proteins that bind to cell receptors to influencetheir activities. Together, this information is used by the computer model to predict specific proteins that will influence different cells identities.

This approach facilitates the identification of the optimum cell culture conditions for converting cells and also for growing the high-quality cells required for cell therapy applications, said ARC Future Fellow Professor Jose Polo, from Monash Universitys Biomedicine Discovery Institute and the Australian Research Medicine Institute, who is also a senior and corresponding author of the study.

The team compared cultures using protein molecules predicted by EpiMogrify to a type of commonly used cell culture that uses a large amount of unknown or undefined complex molecules and chemicals. They found the EpiMogrify-predicted cultures worked as well or even surpassed their effectiveness.

The researchers have filed for a patent on their computational approach and the cell culture factors it predicted for maintaining and controlling cell fate. EpiMogrifys predicted molecules are available for other researchers to explore on a public database: http://epimogrify.ddnetbio.com.

The developed technology can identify cell culture conditions required to manipulate cell fate and this facilitates growing important cells in chemically-defined cultures for cell therapy applications, added Dr Uma S. Kamaraj, lead author of the study and a graduate of Duke-NUS Integrated Biology and Medicine PhD Programme.

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Singapore invents digitized optimization of culture conditions for cell therapy - BSA bureau

Pluristem Announces Clearance to Move Forward with Enrollment for Cohort II in an Investigator-Led Phase I/II Chronic Graft vs Host Disease…

By Stem Cell Medicine

HAIFA, Israel, Oct. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:PSTI) (TASE:PSTI), a leading regenerative medicine company developing a platform of novel biological products, today announced that it has received clearance from the safety committee of an investigator initiated Phase I/II study to move forward with patient enrollment for cohort II. The study will evaluate PLX-PAD cells in the treatment of steroid-refractory chronic graft vs. host disease (GvHD) and is led by Principal Investigator Prof. Ron Ram, Director of the Hematology Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Unit at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Ichilov Hospital, Israel. Prof. Ram and his research staff are responsible for the design and implementation of the study at Sourasky Medical Center.

GvHD is a severe complication in patients who have undergone an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients in which the donated stem cells identify the recipient's body as foreign and attack it. The chronic form of GvHD (cGvHD) usually appears later than 100 days post-transplant.

Cohort I included 6 patients treated with 2 injections of 150 million cells, a week apart. At the 3-month follow up, interim safety results concluded that PLX-PAD cells were safe and that no treatment related side effects were reported. Efficacy results demonstrated that 4 out of the 6 patients reported improvement in symptoms that translated into a reduction in the severity of cGvHD with notable reduction in the required steroid doses for part of the patients. Based on these results, the study was approved to commence enrollment of 14 patients in cohort II to be treated with 4 injections of 150 million cells.

Prof. Ram of Ichilov Hospital commented, From our experience in having treated 6 patients in the study to date, we have so far found no negative side effects from the use of the PLX-PAD cells in the treatment of steroid-refractory cGvHD. Patients with significant GvHD skin disorders previously unresponsive to multiple types of therapy showed remarkable response. Responses were also observed for severe mouth ulcers which prevented patients from eating solid foods. This resulted in a major improvement of quality of life and tapering of steroid doses."

Pluristem is committed to contributing to the wellbeing and quality of life of our patients. cGvHD is an indication where we see a significant need to enhance the current course of treatment for this life-threatening condition among patients undergoing bone marrow transplants. The preliminary results from cohort I of this Phase I/II study, and prior preclinical data, both indicate that PLX-PAD cells may potentially treat cGvHD patients and mitigate symptoms. We are very pleased to cooperate with Prof. Ram and Sourasky Medical Center, and we place a high importance in examining PLX-PAD for this indication, stated Pluristem CEO and President, Yaky Yanay.

About cGvHD Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) remains a common and potentially life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). The 2-year cumulative incidence of chronic GvHD requiring systemic treatment is 30% to 40% by National Institutes of Health criteria1. The hematopoietic stem cell transplants are used to treat bone marrow failure resulting from treatment of some blood or bone marrow cancers as well as other hematologic failures, such as aplastic anemia, which are not related to cancer. The donated cells identify the recipients body as foreign and attack it as a result. While acute GvHD usually appears in the first 100 days after a transplant, and in specific body systems, chronic GvHD can occur at any time (even several years) after a transplant, and may manifest in many parts of the body such as: skin, mouth, eyes, liver, intestines, lungs and joints. Long term immunosuppression is given to try to prevent or treat cGvHD. Since this treatment suppresses the immune system for a very long time, patients are at high risk of infections, and are prescribed multiple medications to try to address this major risk.

About Pluristem Therapeutics Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. is a leading regenerative medicine company developing novel placenta-based cell therapy product candidates. The Company has reported robust clinical trial data in multiple indications for its patented PLX cell product candidates and is currently conducting late stage clinical trials in several indications. PLX cell product candidates are believed to release a range of therapeutic proteins in response to inflammation, ischemia, muscle trauma, hematological disorders and radiation damage. The cells are grown using the Company's proprietary three-dimensional expansion technology and can be administered to patients off-the-shelf, without tissue matching. Pluristem has a strong intellectual property position; a Company-owned and operated GMP-certified manufacturing and research facility; strategic relationships with major research institutions; and a seasoned management team.

Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other U.S. Federal securities laws. For example, Pluristem is using forward-looking statements when it discusses the patient enrollment for cohort II for its Phase I/II study of its PLX-PAD cells, the implication from the results of the first patient cohort in the study, the belief that GvHD is an indication that has a significant need for enhanced treatments among patients undergoing bone marrow transplants and that the preliminary results from cohort I of the study, and the prior preclinical data, indicate that PLX-PAD cells may potentially treat chronic GvHD patients and mitigate symptoms. These forward-looking statements and their implications are based on the current expectations of the management of Pluristem only, and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in technology and market requirements; Pluristem may encounter delays or obstacles in launching and/or successfully completing its clinical trials; Pluristems products may not be approved by regulatory agencies, Pluristems technology may not be validated as it progresses further and its methods may not be accepted by the scientific community; Pluristem may be unable to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of its products; unforeseen scientific difficulties may develop with Pluristems process; Pluristems products may wind up being more expensive than it anticipates; results in the laboratory may not translate to equally good results in real clinical settings; results of preclinical studies may not correlate with the results of human clinical trials; Pluristems patents may not be sufficient; Pluristems products may harm recipients; changes in legislation may adversely impact Pluristem; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition, which could cause the actual results or performance of Pluristem to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, Pluristem undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Pluristem, reference is made to Pluristem's reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:

Dana Rubin Director of Investor Relations 972-74-7107194 danar@pluristem.com

_________________________________

1 Flowers ME, Martin PJ. How we treat chronic graft-versus-host disease. Blood. 2015 Jan 22;125(4):606-15. doi: 10.1182/blood-2014-08-551994. Epub 2014 Nov 14. PMID: 25398933; PMCID: PMC4304105., https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25398933/

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Pluristem Announces Clearance to Move Forward with Enrollment for Cohort II in an Investigator-Led Phase I/II Chronic Graft vs Host Disease...

Prop. 14: In the COVID age, can California still afford its stem cell research program? – CALmatters

By Stell Cell Research

In summary

Proposition 14 asks voters to spend nearly $8 billion to continue the stem cell research program at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has decimated the state budget.

For the second time in 16 years, California voters will decide the fate of the states multi-billion dollar stem cell research program that established the state as a worldwide leader.

How the times have changed.

In November, as the pandemic drags on, Proposition 14 asks voters to spend nearly $8 billion to continue the program during a period when the research environment has significantly evolved and coronavirus has battered the states budget.

The bond measure would approve $5.5 billion in bonds to keep the states stem cell research agency running and grants flowing to California universities and companies.

At least $1.5 billion would be earmarked for brain and central nervous system diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons. The overall cost of the bonds and their interest totals about $7.8 billion, according to the state legislative analyst. The state would pay about $260 million annually for 30 years, or about 1 percent of Californias annual budget.

Proposition 14 is essentially a repeat with a bigger price tag and a few tweaks of Proposition 71, which California voters approved in 2004 after then-President George W. Bush prohibited, on religious grounds, all federal funding of any stem cell research using human embryos.

The bond measure would approve $5.5 billion in bonds to keep the states stem cell research agency running and grants flowing to California universities and companies.

That groundbreaking measure authorized $3 billion in state bonds to create the states stem cell research agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and fund grants for research into treatments for Alzheimers disease, cancer, spinal cord injuries and other diseases.

The institute has nearly used up its original funding, so Prop. 71s author, real estate investor and attorney Robert N. Klein II, led a new effort to get Prop. 14 on the November ballot.

This time, embryonic stem cell research is in a much different place, with federal funding no longer blocked and more funding from the biotech industry.

Voters will want to consider what Californias previous investment in stem cell research has accomplished. Its a nuanced track record.

While many scientific experts agree that Prop 71 was a bold social innovation that successfully bolstered emerging stem cell research, some critics argue that the institutes grantmaking was plagued by conflicts of interest and did not live up to the promises of miracle cures that Prop. 71s supporters made years ago. Although the agency is funded with state money, its overseen by its own board and not by the California governor or lawmakers.

The agency had done a very good job of setting priorities for stem cell research, including research using human embryos, and doling out $300 million annually to build up California as a regenerative medicine powerhouse, according to a 2013 evaluation by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

But the report also found that because the institutes board is made up of scientists from universities and biotech firms likely to apply for grants, board members had almost unavoidable conflicts of interest.

Keep tabs on the latest California policy and politics news

Because human stem cells can develop into many types of cells, including blood, brain, nerve and muscle cells, scientists have long looked to them for potential treatments for currently incurable diseases and injuries. Researchers use two types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, derived from unused human embryos created through in vitro fertilization, and adult stem cells, which are harder to work with but in some cases can be coaxed in a lab into behaving more like embryonic stem cells.

From the start, stem cell research has been ethically charged and politically controversial because human embryos are destroyed in some types of studies. Federal restrictions on the research have waxed and waned, depending on which political party holds power. While former President Bush restricted federal money for embryonic stem cell research, former President Obama removed those restrictions.

The Trump administration has restricted government research involving fetal tissue but not embryonic stem cells. However, anti-abortion lawmakers have called on the President to once again end federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

California-funded research has led to one stem cell treatment for a form of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency known as the bubble baby disease. Children with the rare disease dont make enough of a key enzyme needed for a normal immune system. Without treatment, they can die from the disease if not kept in a protective environment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is now reviewing the treatment but has not yet approved it for widespread use.

Although many of the agencys early grants were for basic science, the institute also has supported 64 clinical trials of treatments for many types of cancer, sickle cell disease, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, kidney disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonlyknown as Lou Gehrigs disease.

A June 2020 analysis by University of Southern California health policy researchers estimated that taxpayers initial $3 billion investment in the research institute helped create more than 50,000 jobs and generated $10 billion for the states economy.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has endorsed Proposition 14, and other supporters include the Regents of the University of California, the California Democratic Party, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, patient advocacy groups like the March of Dimes, and some local politicians and chambers of commerce.

Supporters have raised more than $8.5 million, including about $2 million from billionaire Dagmar Dolby, to pass the measure, according to California Secretary of State campaign finance reports.

The passage of Proposition 71 helped save my life, Sandra Dillon, a blood cancer patient, wrote in a San Diego Union-Tribune commentary supporting Proposition 14. She wrote that she had benefited from a drug developed with Institute-funded research that has been designated by the FDA as a breakthrough therapy.

It is unimaginable to think that Californians would vote to discontinue this amazing effort I dont know where I would be or what condition I would be in if it wasnt for the investment Californians made nearly two decades ago.

I think the agencys done good work, but this was never planned to be funded forever with debt.

Lawrence Goldstein, a UC San Diego professor of cellular and molecular medicine and stem cell researcher, said the grants were instrumental in furthering his research on treatments for Alzheimers disease and that Prop. 14 will help create new jobs. The agency has funded a great deal of very important stem cell medical research thats already produced terrific results and has the prospect of saving many more lives in the decade to come, he said.

Opponents include one member of the institutes board and a nonprofit that advocates for privacy in genetic research. They contend that the proposition seeks too much money and does not sufficiently address the conflicts of interest that cropped up after Prop. 71 was passed. They also note that private funding, including venture capital, for stem cell research has grown in recent years. Opponents had raised only $250 by late September, from a single contribution by the California Pro Life Council.

The editorial boards of some of Californias biggest newspapers also have opposed the measure, including the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register, the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News/East Bay Times. The Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, and San Luis Obispo Tribune newspaper editorial boards support Prop 14.

Jeff Sheehy, the only institute board member not to support Proposition 14, told CalMatters that the research environment has changed since voters initially approved state funding for stem cell research in 2004 and that California should prioritize other needs like education, health care, and housing.

I think the agencys done good work, but this was never planned to be funded forever with debt, Sheehy said. At this point the state cant afford it; were looking at a huge deficit.

As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on the generosity of Californians like you to cover the issues that matter. If you value our reporting, support our journalism with a donation.

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Prop. 14: In the COVID age, can California still afford its stem cell research program? - CALmatters

California Bail Referendum-Prop 25, Stem Cell Research-Prop 14 & Affirmative Action-Prop 16 – KALW

By Stell Cell Research

Listen

Listening...

51:59

On this edition of Your Calls special election series, we are discussing California Propositions 25, 14 and 16.

Proposition 25 would transform how people get out of jail while awaiting trial. Proposition 14 would provide $5.5 billion in general obligation bonds for the state's stem cell research institute and make changes to the institute's governance structure and programs. Proposition 16 would restore affirmative action in public schools and government offices.

Guests:

Bob Egelko, staff writer at the San Francisco Chronicle

Danielle Venton, reporter for KQED Science

Alexander Nieves, cannabis and policy reporter for Politico California

Web Resources:

San Francisco Chronicle: California bail industry makes itself invisible opposing Prop. 25, ending cash bail

KQED: What You Need to Know About Prop 14, The Stem Cell Research Bond

Politico: California poised to reject affirmative action measure despite summer of activism

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California Bail Referendum-Prop 25, Stem Cell Research-Prop 14 & Affirmative Action-Prop 16 - KALW

Vanderbilt researchers make counterintuitive discoveries about immune-like characteristics of cells, chemotherapys impact on tissue growth -…

By Stell Cell Research

Vanderbilt University researchers have reported the counterintuitive discovery that certain chemotherapeutic agents used to treat tumors can have the opposite effect of tissue overgrowth in normal, intact mammary glands, epidermis and hair follicles. The researchers also are the first to report the discovery of an innate immune signaling pathway in fibroblaststhe spindle-shaped cells responsible for wound healing and collagen productionthat causes cells to proliferate. Such signaling pathways previously were attributed only to immune cells.

The article describing the research, DNA Damage Promotes Epithelial Hyperplasia and Fate Mis-specification via Fibroblast Inflammasome Activation, was published in the journal Developmental Cell on Oct. 13.

The findings of this work, led by postdoctoral fellow Lindsey Seldin and Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology Ian Macara, have broad implications for diseases associated with the immune system like psoriasis, as well as cancer and stem cell research.

Understanding the functionality of stem cells and the way that their behavior is regulated has been a longstanding research interest for Seldin. Normal stem cells have an amazing ability to continuously divide to maintain tissue function without forming tumors, she explained. We wanted to understand what happens to these cells in their native environment when subjected to damage, and if the response was connected to a specific tissue.

By testing perturbations to the epidermis, mammary gland and hair follicles vis--vis mechanical damage or DNA damage through chemotherapeutic agents, the researchers saw a paradoxical response: Stem cells, which otherwise would divide slowly, instead divided rapidly, promoting tissue overgrowth.

When the tissues were subjected to DNA damage, their stem cells overly proliferated, giving rise to different cells than they normally would. This was a very perplexing result, said Seldin, the papers lead author. We were determined to figure out if this was a direct response by the stem cells themselves or by inductive signals within their environment. The key clue was that stem cells isolated from the body did not behave the same way as in intact tissuean indication that the response must be provoked from signals being sent to the stem cells from other surrounding cell types.

The investigators turned their attention to fibroblasts, the predominant component of the tissue microenvironment. When fibroblasts in the epidermis were removed, the stem cell responsiveness to DNA damage was diminished, indicating that they played an important role. RNA sequencing revealed that fibroblasts can signal by way of inflammasomescomplexes within cells that help tissues respond to stress by clearing damaged cells or pathogens, which also in this case caused stem cells to divide. This is an astounding discovery, said Macara. Inflammasome signaling has previously been attributed only to immune cells, but now it seems that fibroblasts can assume an immune-like nature.

Seldin intends to replicate this work in the mammary gland to determine whether fibroblasts initiate the same innate immune response as in the epidermis, and more broadly how fibroblasts contribute to the development of cancer and other diseases associated with the immune system.

This work was supported by NCI/NIH grants R35CA132898, F32CA213794 and T32CA119925, as well as American Cancer Society grant PF-18-007-01-CCG.

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Vanderbilt researchers make counterintuitive discoveries about immune-like characteristics of cells, chemotherapys impact on tissue growth -...

Biomedical Engineering Team Contributes to High-impact Study on Metabolism – University of Arkansas Newswire

By Stell Cell Research

Photo Submitted

An international team of researchers has published a study showing how the control of stem cell metabolism is critical to maintaining hair follicles. The study appeared in the high-impact journal Cell Metabolism.

University of Arkansas researchers included Kyle Quinn, associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Olivia Kolenc, a graduate student in Quinn's lab. The project was led by Sara Wickstrm, associate professor at the University of Helsinki, and included researchers from the research groups of Professor Sabine Eming at the University of Cologne and Martin Denzel at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Germany.

The team studied how the metabolism of stem cells in hair follicles is critical to the growth and long-term maintenance of hair. The follicles are unique in mammals because unlike most organs or tissues, they naturally regenerate and cycle through phases of rest, growth and degeneration. Those cycles are maintained by stem cells. Kolenc used advanced non-invasive skin imaging to monitor hair follicle metabolism in live mice.

Kolenc's work showed how the metabolism of stem cells changes as the follicle transitions to a growth phase, which provided a critical foundation to the study's larger goal of discovering the cell signaling pathways associated with the metabolic control of stem cell fate and hair follicle cycles.

The study provides insight into how our organs are maintained by stem cells and how aging can result in conditions such as hair loss. Kolenc said hair follicle stem cells aren't like some stem cells, which can transform into a wide variety of different cell types. Instead, she said, they can transform to match the surrounding area in the skin tissue.

"Hair follicle stem cells are able to differentiate into a subset of what's in their surrounding area," she said. "They can't just create any other cell, but they can contribute to regeneration and increasing the number of cells within the skin tissue."

Kolenc said hair follicle stem cells are unique among the cells in our skin because they can contribute to repair and regeneration of the skin.

"There are few populations of stem cells known to exist within the skin, so this is really a big target to help skin wound healing," she said.

Kolenc said the opportunity to contribute to such a large-scale project was special.

"It's a bit humbling," she said. "I contributed a small part to a large project that was conducted over many years. It's a cool feeling to see something like that with my name on it."

"Olivia played an important role in this study by monitoring hair follicle stem cells within their natural environment in live skin," Quinn said. "The insights she gained during this work will be very helpful as she continues studying how our metabolic imaging techniques can be applied to aging and wound healing research."

Read more from the original source:
Biomedical Engineering Team Contributes to High-impact Study on Metabolism - University of Arkansas Newswire

Letters: Yes on Prop. 14 | Walnut Creek mayor | Pleasanton mayor | Dismissing DUIs | Disrespecting Feinstein – East Bay Times

By Stell Cell Research

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.

Re. More Funds sought for stem-cell research, Oct. 11 :

California will lose a great deal if we do not approve Proposition 14, to renew the California stem cell program.

Five billion is a lot, no question.

But consider the astonishing cost of chronic disease, roughly $3 trillion dollars annually, according to the CDC. Diabetes alone cost America $249 billion last year 50 times the cost of the stem cell program and that is just one year!

My bout with cancer would have cost me $990,000 had I not had excellent insurance. We need to cure disease, not endlessly endure it.

More important than cash, of course, is the fight to save lives. My wife died of pancreatic cancer one of the diseases the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is trying to cure.

Do you (or does someone you love) have one or more chronic diseases? If so (and roughly 50% of Americans do) do you want to cut off Californias research for a cure?

Don ReedFremont

I have known Kurtis Reese and his family for almost 15 years. Kurtis is intelligent, honest and a dedicated family man.

Kurtis has chosen to run for a position on the Walnut Creek City Council not because he has political aspirations, but rather to make a difference in our city, to give a much needed fresh perspective and to confront the systemic bias in our city.

Now more than ever our citys decision-makers need to include members with different experiences and perspectives. Kurtis brings a unique viewpoint that the other candidates cant. Kurtis listens and learns and is respectful of all viewpoints.

Kurtis is the leader and the change we need in Walnut Creek and that is why I am voting for him for Walnut Creek City Council.

Jenny CrepeauWalnut Creek

Other mayoral candidates may claim to be against rampant growth but the voting record against slow and smart growth speaks for itself.

Over the past 8 years as a council member or vice mayor of Pleasanton, Karla Brown has been waiting on the planning of the East Side until accurate regional housing numbers come forward. This is the most prudent and thoughtful approach. Approving a large-scale development of million-dollar-plus homes is not a realistic solution for creating state-mandated affordable housing in Pleasanton.

Karlas record on slow and smart growth planning is a testament to her commitment to preserving our quality of life. In short, Karla is the best candidate to protect our town from sprawl.

Find out the facts, follow the campaign funding and ignore the spin. Karla has demonstrated that she has a proven record of voting for slow and smart growth. She is the real deal.

Brian PullenPleasanton

I am addressing the appalling statements attributed to San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Canepa (ICE arrests in Los Angeles, Bay Area anger local officials, Oct. 9). A Guatemalan man was arrested in Canepas district and slated for deportation. He had been arrested for numerous drunk driving convictions. Canepa questioned whether his transgressions were dangerous to the public. Canepa stated, Last I heard, a DUI was a misdemeanor in California. This gentleman was not a hardened criminal but yet faces deportation now for traffic offenses. Thats just plain wrong and not the America I want to live in.

Apparently, Canepa has never had someone he loved or knew killed or injured by a drunken driver. Otherwsie, I would assume he would never say something so dismissive and insensitive.

The America I want to live in is one where numerous drunken driving charges are not thought of as traffic offenses but taken seriously as a danger to the public.

Anne WilsonMartinez

Re. Feinstein a concern ahead of court fight, Oct. 11:

I dont know with whom I am more upset the New York Times or the East Bay Times.

This isnt news, it is character assassination. I can believe this article was in the ultra-liberal NYT as another news article based on anonymous sources, who supposedly out of respect would not give their names right. By placing this article on your front page, the East Bay Times has elevated its content past opinion to news; shame on you!

Sen. Feinstein has been an honorable representative from the Bay Area for decades and when she refuses to sink to the knife fight tactics of the modern Democratic Party, you say shes too old and want to cast her away.

What irony: Feinstein is senile but Biden is capable of being president. Novel approach. Try putting forth convincing arguments. The Senate is a deliberative body, not an mixed martial arts arena.

Lorraine HumesSan Pablo

Read the original post:
Letters: Yes on Prop. 14 | Walnut Creek mayor | Pleasanton mayor | Dismissing DUIs | Disrespecting Feinstein - East Bay Times

Banking wisdom: Teen saving stem cells in hopes of future treatment – LubbockOnline.com

By Stem Cell Doctors

Staff Writer | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

By Elizabeth Herbert

A-J Media

A 16-year-old Lubbockite with rheumatoid arthritis recently banked her wisdom teeth for their high concentration of stem cells in the hope of using them in a future procedure.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells, meaning they can become almost any specialized cell; researchers have been studying these cells to learn more about using them to treat ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis.

The oral and facial surgeon who removed the patients teeth, Dr. Robert Ioppolo, said there was virtually no downside to storing the teeth and cells because the procedure, which is necessary for most, is the same for the patient regardless.

Instead of putting (wisdom teeth) in a baggie, we put them in a vial; we put them in a little freezer-type cryopreservation box and off they go to the processing center, he said, so its very straightforward from our perspective, and it just provides an additional service to patients that we didnt have access to a few years ago.

Once the teeth have been sent to process at the Stemodontics lab, Ioppolo said specialists open the teeth and extrapolate the nerve tissue to obtain the stem cells.

The cool thing is that the stem cell population inside of wisdom teeth, especially in somebody thats young and healthy, is at its peak as far as the amount of cells, so the quantity, and also the quality of those cells, he said, so this is kind of a one-time opportunity that folks have to bank the best stem cells that they possibly can from their wisdom teeth.

Rheumatoid arthritis typically impacts adults. The Centers for Disease Control states 7.1% of people aged 18-44 years old report being diagnosed with arthritis; younger groups are not listed on the main, arthritis-related page.

Jamie Fields, the patients mother, said her daughter has undergone knee surgeries and is on medications but has not seen strong improvements in the seven months she has been receiving treatment.

Doctors tried a technique called microfracture in which tiny holes are drilled into the knee to produce new tissue, but this results in fibrocartilage and is more like scar tissue and less like the cushiony cartilage that joints need to function properly, according to an article from the Stanford Medicine News Center.

Preserving her daughters wisdom teeth and stem cells will cost Fields $2,000, but she said her alternative is to grow cells from the cartilage taken from a previous surgery which would cost about $46,000 for the graft alone and does not account for an accompanying procedure.

When I hear about these stem cells, Im like, Well, what if this would work, she said. If thats the route we have to take, then why not try this first?

Aside from surgeries, Fields said her daughters doctor prescribed medications to help slow or stop the dying cartilage behind her knee. There are many options, but medicines tend to have side effects and Fields said she does not want her daughter to have to use multiple, strong pharmaceuticals long-term.

He has a list, and he started her at the bottom of the list on the medications, and then he said we would just go up from there, but that way we dont do anything too harsh thats not needed, she said.

Rheumatoid arthritis tends to worsen with age, and Fields said her daughter, who already has a history of broken bones and surgeries, is impacted by her rheumatoid arthritis to the extent that she cannot participate in gymnastics, cheerleading or other fun activities she has enjoyed.

Fields could keep working down the line of medications most 16 year olds cannot pronounce, or she said she could save her daughters stem cells and wait for orthopedists to create a procedure that would use her daughters cells to help rejuvenate damaged areas.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime (opportunity), Fields said. If we dont do this now, where is she gonna get them from later, of her own?

Michael Longaker, Deane P. and Louise Mitchell Professor for the Department of Surgery and Co-Director for the Institute of Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University, said using stem cells could help a number of issues due to the cells ability to change.

While we do some things really well, like cardiac bypass surgery or hip replacement et cetera, et cetera, itd be great if we could unlock the power of cells that can become other types of cells so that we could regenerate each of these things before they get to the point where they need a major operation, he said.

Stem cells can be found throughout the body, and removing wisdom teeth is a fairly routine procedure; the WebMD website states over 10 million wisdom teeth are removed annually.

Many of these teeth are disposed of, but Longaker pointed out that stem cells in wisdom teeth are unique to the individual and are great sources of stem cells.

In the soft part, the pulp, of those teeth are stem cells that - God forbid - that healthy, young patient whos having them removed, God forbid anything happens to them and they need something or they have a family history of disease - theyre all set and ready to go, he said.

Longakers teams research began with mice and found skeletal stem cells can be manipulated to become cartilage.

They used two major molecules, bone morphogenetic protein 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor, to help the cells start bone formation after microfracture yet stop the process halfway to create cartilage. Longaker said the next step in the research is to focus on larger animals; then human clinical trials can begin.

Stem cells from wisdom teeth would work best for things in the mouth such as bone and cartilage, but Longaker said the cells can be backed up, de-differentiated and guided in a dish to the point where the cell can become almost anything; once the cell is fully differentiated, or has changed into a specific type of cell the specialist intended, it can be implanted.

You take the stem cells from teeth and back them up, so to speak, so they can become almost any type of cell, and then you would guide them down the exit ramp, so to speak, to where you want them to go, he said.

It may be years before orthopedists use stem cells to improve arthritic conditions, but Longaker, who banked his own sons wisdom teeth, said advances happen regularly and that one never knows when their stem cells will be useful.

As a stem cell biologist, having someone already store stem cells that I could guide to become something else, God forbid they need it, that really makes sense to me, he said. I dont see a reason not to do it if a parent or patient wants to do it.

Although banking her daughters wisdom teeth will not yield immediate results, Fields said she believes god guided her on this path and that she has more to gain than to lose.

Our faith is really strong, and I believe that God has led us on this path to hopefully find something that we can do to help her because weve been on this path for so long and with no answers, she said.

More here:
Banking wisdom: Teen saving stem cells in hopes of future treatment - LubbockOnline.com

Mohammed Hussain Alqahtani Discusses the Future of Plastic Surgery – The Jerusalem Post

By Stem Cell Doctors

Dr. Mohammed Hussain Alqahtani has a rich insight into the world of cosmetic developments. In his expansive career, he has dealt with several surgical as well as non-surgical procedures. Plastic Surgery, or at least the cosmetic kind, has always been quite the trend. However, it was not always absolutely safe or, to say, readily affordable. Dr. Alqahtani educates us on how there has been a monumental shift in the industry, while also enlightening us about how safe and approachable the procedures are currently.

Dr. Alqahtani has shared his expertise on several forums and interviews. He champions the positivity cosmetic surgery brings in the life of a person. To begin with, he says, "It's not always about beautifying a certain part. In fact, it could also be a genuine necessity." He says people falsely associate cosmetic procedures with being limited to getting a fuller lip or breast augmentation. The truth is cosmetic treatments aren't gender-biased. They are safe procedures conducted by trained doctors adhering to the highest health and hygiene protocol.

The situation with plastic surgery earlier was different and has now undergone a sea change. The treatments and procedures have been standardized, ensuring patient safety. There is no longer fear of any contamination or hygiene issues. The surgery procedures are now assisted by highly efficient software and AI machines that bring in precision. The treatments are supervised by highly skilled doctors who recommend procedures only after considering your medical history.

Dr. Alqahtani says the most significant victory lies in the fact that plastic surgeries now can give burn patients, acid-attack victims, etc. a new lease of life. Victims can undergo a safe and secure treatment, which can help them forget their trauma. People should be able to opt for a cosmetic procedure if they wish to. The enhancement of facial features often adds to the self-confidence of a person.

The future will also have Integrated Stem Cell technology that will help regenerate new cells. Besides these, several ongoing medical experiments will bring about contributory changes in the future. For now, Dr. Alqahtani assures that plastic surgery is no longer a stigma but a new way of looking at your own life.

See more here:
Mohammed Hussain Alqahtani Discusses the Future of Plastic Surgery - The Jerusalem Post

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