California’s stem cell agency invites public to San Diego event April 20 – The San Diego Union-Tribune

Stem cell cures are real, and more are on the way. Thats part of the message Californias stem cell agency will deliver in a special patient advocate event in La Jolla on Thursday, April 20.

To be held from noon to 1 p.m., the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) event will take place at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Its across the street from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Stem cell experts will describe the work done and in progress with the numerous kinds of stem cells, embryonic and non-embryonic, and the public will be able to ask questions.

Those interested in attending can RSVP via the Web at j.mp/cirmsd1.

The event, Stem Cell Therapies and You, is sponsored by CIRM and UC San Diego, which hosts one of CIRMs alpha stem cell clinics.

Four speakers are to present their perspectives on stem cell research:

-- Catriona Jamieson, director of the CIRM UC San Diego Alpha Stem Cell Clinic and an expert on blood cancers

-- Jonathan Thomas, chairman of CIRMs governing board

-- Jennifer Briggs Braswell, executive director of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center

-- David Higgins, patient advocate for Parkinsons on the CIRM board

Click on the video slide show below to hear an interview with Thomas about the event:

No stem cell treatments funded by CIRM have yet been approved for use. But dozens of clinical trials with these experimental therapies are under way, and some patients have already been cured.

Most spectacularly, a number of children born with bubble baby disease, or SCID, have been cured of their immune deficiency by CIRM-funded research. Scientists extracted some of their blood-forming stem cells, repaired the genetic defect and then reinfused them into the children. The stem cells proceeded to build a functional immune system.

CIRM was given $3 billion by the states voters in a $6 billion bond issue in 2004 to develop new disease treatments with stem cells. (The remaining $3 billion represents bond interest). The agency has spent most of that money, and soon voters may be asked whether to appropriate more funding.

Do these results justify the $3 billion allocation? And do they justify more funding, whether by the state, biomedical companies or private philanthropy? Was it wise for CIRM to focus so heavily on research in its first years? (The agency was recently scrutinized by the biomedical publication Stat for funding just a trickle of clinical trials.)

And if CIRM runs out of cash, as is projected to occur by 2020, what happens to the work in progress?

These are some of the questions CIRM faces as its cash winds down over the next few years.

Thomas, the CIRM board chairman, said the event is one of a series in which CIRM presents its evidence not only to patient advocates, but to the taxpayers who fund CIRM.

This will be the first one, Thomas said. Well have one in Los Angeles, and have one in San Francisco, one in Sacramento and maybe the Central Valley.

Well hear the latest with projects that are in clinical trials. We have 30-plus now in clinical trials, Thomas said. A great many of those are being undertaken at our alpha stem cell clinics. A prominent one of course is at UC San Diego.

So well talk about what theyre doing but also about whats happening elsewhere in the network at the other alpha stem cell clinics.

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020

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California's stem cell agency invites public to San Diego event April 20 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Stem Cell Treatment Might Reverse Symptoms Of Multiple Sclerosis … – CBS New York

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Stem Cell Treatment Might Reverse Symptoms Of Multiple Sclerosis ... CBS New York There's potentially exciting news for the two and a half million people around the world struggling with multiple sclerosis. and more »

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Stem Cell Treatment Might Reverse Symptoms Of Multiple Sclerosis ... - CBS New York

NHLBI stem cell consortium provides new insights into genetics of … – National Institutes of Health (press release)

National Institutes of Health (press release)

NHLBI stem cell consortium provides new insights into genetics of ... National Institutes of Health (press release) Largest, most diverse collection of stem cells of its kind could lead to improved diagnoses, treatments. and more »

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NHLBI stem cell consortium provides new insights into genetics of ... - National Institutes of Health (press release)

In four related papers, researchers describe new and improved tools for stem cell research – Phys.Org

April 6, 2017 A false color scanning electron micrograph of cultured human neuron from induced pluripotent stem cell. Credit: Mark Ellisman and Thomas Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, UC San Diego.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), derived from human adult cells and capable of being differentiated to become a variety of cell types, are a powerful tool for studying everything from molecular processes underlying human diseases to elusive genetic variants associated with human phenotypes.

In a new paper published online April 6 in Stem Cell Reports, a large team of researchers led by senior author Kelly Frazer, PhD, professor of pediatrics and director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine describe a new collection of 222 systematically derived and characterized iPSC lines generated as part of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's NextGen consortium.

Dubbed iPSCORE for "iPSC Collection for Omic Research," Frazer said the novel collection addresses several significant issues that currently hamper using iPSCs as a model system for human genetic studies investigating the segregation of traits, such as lack of large numbers of molecularly well-phenotyped lines and representation of ethnic diversity as well as participants from families and genetically unrelated individuals.

"The iPSCORE collection contains 75 lines from people of non-European ancestry, including East Asian, South Asian, African American, Mexican American, and Multiracial. It includes multigenerational families and monozygotic twins," said Frazer. "This collection will enable us to study how genetic variation influences traits, both at a molecular and physiological level, in appropriate human cell types, such as heart muscle cells. It will help researchers investigate not only common but also rare, and even family-specific variations."

The Stem Cell Reports paper is, in fact, one of four related studies just published by different teams of scientists, each with Frazer as senior author. The other three studies all utilize the iPSCORE resource to either address important genetic questions or develop new tools for analyzing iPSC lines:

Explore further: Induced pluripotent stem cells don't increase genetic mutations

More information: "iPSCORE: A Resource of 222 iPSC Lines Enabling Functional Characterization of Genetic Variation Across a Variety of Cell Types," Stem Cell Reports: DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.03.012

"Aberrant iPSC Methylation is Associated with Motif Enrichment and Gene Expression Changes in a Clone-Specific Manner Independent of Genetics," Cell Stem Cell: DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2017.03.010

"Large-Scale Profiling Reveals the Influence of Genetic Variation on Gene Expression in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells," Cell Stem Cell: DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2017.03.009

"High-Throughput and Cost-Effective Characterization of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells," Stem Cell Reports: DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.03.011

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In four related papers, researchers describe new and improved tools for stem cell research - Phys.Org

Frequency Therapeutics to Present at the 14th Stem Cell Research … – Business Wire (press release)

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Frequency Therapeutics, a company spearheading the movement to restore hearing by harnessing the regenerative potential of progenitor cells in the body, today announced that Chris Loose, Ph.D., the Companys Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, will be presenting at the 14th Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine Conference. The presentation titled, Progenitor Cell Activation - an Enabling Technology for In-Situ Tissue Regeneration, will look to explore the companys proprietary Progenitor Cell Activation (PCA) platform, founded on recent discoveries in progenitor cell biology by Bob Langer, Sc.D. at MIT and Jeff Karp, Ph.D., at Harvard. PCA is leading to a new class of drugs that regenerate healthy tissue within the body. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, April 5 at 4:50 p.m. The conference is being held from April 5 to 6 in Boston, MA.

The biology, chemistry and regenerative properties behind our PCA platform is quite exciting and has the potential to yield a whole new category of disease-modifying therapeutics for a wide range of degenerative conditions, said Dr. Loose. Our lead program is focused on the over 360 million people worldwide who suffer from hearing impairment, with no effective therapeutic solutions currently available. By targeting cellular regeneration within the inner ear to restore healthy tissue and reverse hearing loss, we look to develop a direct therapeutic approach through a locally applied drug without the need for surgical interventions.

Chris has provided exceptional leadership in translating the vision of our founders, Bob Langer and Jeff Karp, into a successful product development organization, said David Lucchino, President, Co-founder and CEO of Frequency. This presentation exemplifies the core of the research and development Frequency is performing with our PCA platform, and addresses our intent of advancing a first-in-class therapeutic option for chronic hearing loss.

ABOUT PROGENITOR CELL ACTIVATION (PCA) Frequencys precise and controlled approach transiently causes Lgr5+ progenitor cells to divide and differentiate, much like what is seen in naturally regenerating tissues such as the skin and intestine. Frequency activates stemness through mimicking signals provided by neighboring cells (the stem cell niche) with small molecules, and this proprietary approach is known as the Progenitor Cell Activation (PCA) platform. Frequency believes that PCA has the potential to yield a whole new category of disease-modifying therapeutics for a wide range of degenerative conditions. To fuel its drug discovery programs, Frequency is leveraging a PCA screening platform using primary human cells, including cochlear progenitor cells and adult human progenitor cells from the GI tract. Frequencys initial focus is on chronic noise induced hearing loss. Other potential applications include skin disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, and diabetes.

ABOUT FREQUENCY THERAPEUTICS Frequency Therapeutics develops small molecule drugs that activate progenitor cells within the body to restore healthy tissue. Through the transitory activation of these progenitor cells, Frequency enables disease modification without the complexity of genetic engineering. Our lead program re-creates sensory cells in the inner ear to treat chronic noise induced hearing loss, which affects over 30 million people in the U.S. alone. http://www.frequencytx.com.

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Frequency Therapeutics to Present at the 14th Stem Cell Research ... - Business Wire (press release)

UConn professor tackling cell research to treat cancer – UConn Daily Campus

Laijun Lai, an Associate Research Professor at the University of Connecticut is currently doing research to find treatment for cancers, autoimmune deficiencies and genetic diseases through the use of T cells and stem cells.

The first area of his research focuses on gene engineering approaches to treating cancers and autoimmune diseases.

Lais research has resulted in two patents and several grants from NIH, the American Cancer Society and the Connecticut Regenerative Medicine Fund.

We are very excited with our results. We believe that our research will eventually lead to the new approach in the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases or genetic diseases, such as (DGS), Lai said.

The progression of cancerous tumors is accompanied by a very significant suppression of the immune system, which interferes with the bodys ability to send an effective immune response in order to eliminate chemotherapy, Lai said.

In terms of autoimmune disease, disorders develop when the immune system targets and destroys the bodys own tissues, Lai said.

Therefore, the study investigates new approaches to enhance T cell function for use in the treatment of cancer, while also looking for new ways to inhibit T cell function to treat autoimmune disease, Lai said.

Several T cell inhibitor molecules have been identified. Were trying to find a new T cell inhibitor molecule by using the bioinformatic approach to identify several new genes that are related to T cell inhibitor molecules, Lai said.

He then used the gene engineering approach to produce recombinant proteins from these genes. And these preliminary studies have shown that in a dish, the proteins can inhibit T cell function.

By using the gene engineering approach we can enhance the immune function that can fight a lot of diseases, such as cancer and infections, Lai said.

The second area of my research is using stem cell technology to prevent and treat autoimmune disease, Lai said.

The thymus, an organ of the immune system, is the primary organ that naturally produces T cells for the body.

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) mediate T cell selections, generating T cells that are able to react with foreign antigens, such as bacteria and viruses, Lai said.

In the prevention or treatment of autoimmune diseases, it would induce immune tolerance of certain antigens by using the mechanisms that would occur in the thymus under normal circumstances, Lai said.

However, the thymus undergoes age-dependent involution resulting in a serious compromise of T cell function in the elderly, Lai said. Many studies have shown that embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have huge potential to treat many diseases because these cells can change into many types of cells in a dish.

Through the transplantation of ESCs can cause immune tolerance to the disease causative self-antigens and treat or even prevent autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Lai wrote in a research statement.

The third area of my research is using stem cell technology to model and treat genetic diseases such as DiGeorge Syndromealso known as DGS, Lai said.

DGS is one of the most common genetic diseases in humans.

One of the characteristic features of DGS is that the patient has a profound thymic aplasia or hypoplasia that results in T cell immunodeficiency, Lai said, So we are going to determine the ability of ESC-derived TECs to prevent and treat DGS.

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UConn professor tackling cell research to treat cancer - UConn Daily Campus

NORTH AMERICA STEM CELL ASSAY MARKET FORECAST 2017-2025 – PR Newswire (press release)

LONDON, April 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- KEY FINDINGS The North America stem cell assay market is expected to grow $1082 million by 2025. The market growth is expected at the CAGR of 21.69% in the forecast period. The base year considered for the market study is 2016. Rise in the adoption of stem cell assay, the evolvement of technology and increase spending in the stem cell assay market are the key drivers in the North America stem cell assay market. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4807895/

MARKET INSIGHTS The North America stem cell assay market is segmented on the basis of types of assay, product, kits, application, end-user and geography. The North America stem cell assay market by type is segmented into cell viability and toxicity assays, isolation and purification assays, cell identification assays, cell differentiation assays, cell function assays and cell apoptosis assays. The product of North America stem cell assay market is segmented into instruments and detection kits.

The kits of stem cell assay market are further segmented into adult stem cell kits, human embryonic stem cell kit. The stem cell market by application is further bifurcated into regenerative medicine and therapy development, drug discovery and development and clinical research market. The end-user of stem cell market is segmented into research institutes and industry research. The North America stem cell assay market by geography is segmented into US, Canada, and rest of North America. Increasing Adoption of Stem Cell Assay, improvement in the Technology, high expense in Stem Cell Research are the major drivers for the market growth in North America region. The rise in the adoption of stem cell assay for drug screening & testing is one of the major reasons driving the industry research Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4807895/

About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: query@reportbuyer.com Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: http://www.reportbuyer.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-america-stem-cell-assay-market-forecast-2017-2025-300436349.html

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NORTH AMERICA STEM CELL ASSAY MARKET FORECAST 2017-2025 - PR Newswire (press release)

Organogenesis Shares Successes and Best Practices for Cell-Based Product Manufacturing at the 6th Stem Cell … – PR Newswire (press release)

Apligraf (manufactured near the conference, in Canton, MA), and Dermagraft (manufactured in San Diego, CA), are FDA-approved Class III medical devices indicated for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Apligraf is also indicated for the treatment of venous leg ulcers. More than 1 million units of the products have been shipped to date.

"One of the challenges we see with cell-based manufacturing is the transition from pilot to commercial scale production and the ability to perform large scale manufacturing at a low cost," said Dr. Pitkin. "At Organogenesis, we've achieved this successfully through process optimization and product consistency that includes multiple levels of quality control and safety."

In Apligraf, keratinocyte stem cells are required to form the product's differentiated epidermis and provide increased levels of growth factors and cytokines, so it is vital that these cells are preserved through the manufacturing, shipping and distribution process. Through a scale-up manufacturing process that creates a three-dimensional bi-layered construct, Organogenesis is able to produce a bioengineered product with living cells on a consistent basis that delivers a therapeutic benefit to patients with hard-to-heal wounds.

"With five million Americans affected by diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers, it's crucial that we consistently produce and manufacture safe, reliable products that promote healing," added Dr. Pitkin. "Organogenesis is at the forefront of this effort, having developed a successful and reliable manufacturing process."

The 6th Stem Cell Product Development and Commercialization Conference presents information regarding cutting-edge developments in all areas of stem cell research, including the biology, medicine, applications and regulation of stem cells. Topics of discussion include recent developments in pre-clinical and clinical trials of stem cell therapy, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, cancer stem cells, immunotherapy, stem cell reprogramming, and regulatory policies regarding stem cell research.

About Organogenesis Inc.Headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts, Organogenesis Inc. is a global leader in regenerative medicine, offering a portfolio of bioactive and acellular biomaterials products in advanced wound care and surgical biologics, including orthopedics and spine. Organogenesis' versatile portfolio is designed to treat a variety of patients with repair and regenerative needs. For more information, visit http://www.organogenesis.com.

CONTACT:Angelyn Lowe (781) 830-2353 alowe@organo.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/organogenesis-shares-successes-and-best-practices-for-cell-based-product-manufacturing-at-the-6th-stem-cell-product-development-and-commercialization-conference-300436140.html

SOURCE Organogenesis Inc.

http://organogenesis.com/

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Organogenesis Shares Successes and Best Practices for Cell-Based Product Manufacturing at the 6th Stem Cell ... - PR Newswire (press release)

Frequency Therapeutics to Present at the 14th Stem Cell Research … – Yahoo Finance

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Frequency Therapeutics, a company spearheading the movement to restore hearing by harnessing the regenerative potential of progenitor cells in the body, today announced that Chris Loose, Ph.D., the Companys Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, will be presenting at the 14th Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine Conference. The presentation titled, Progenitor Cell Activation - an Enabling Technology for In-Situ Tissue Regeneration, will look to explore the companys proprietary Progenitor Cell Activation (PCA) platform, founded on recent discoveries in progenitor cell biology by Bob Langer, Sc.D. at MIT and Jeff Karp, Ph.D., at Harvard. PCA is leading to a new class of drugs that regenerate healthy tissue within the body. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, April 5 at 4:50 p.m. The conference is being held from April 5 to 6 in Boston, MA.

The biology, chemistry and regenerative properties behind our PCA platform is quite exciting and has the potential to yield a whole new category of disease-modifying therapeutics for a wide range of degenerative conditions, said Dr. Loose. Our lead program is focused on the over 360 million people worldwide who suffer from hearing impairment, with no effective therapeutic solutions currently available. By targeting cellular regeneration within the inner ear to restore healthy tissue and reverse hearing loss, we look to develop a direct therapeutic approach through a locally applied drug without the need for surgical interventions.

Chris has provided exceptional leadership in translating the vision of our founders, Bob Langer and Jeff Karp, into a successful product development organization, said David Lucchino, President, Co-founder and CEO of Frequency. This presentation exemplifies the core of the research and development Frequency is performing with our PCA platform, and addresses our intent of advancing a first-in-class therapeutic option for chronic hearing loss.

ABOUT PROGENITOR CELL ACTIVATION (PCA) Frequencys precise and controlled approach transiently causes Lgr5+ progenitor cells to divide and differentiate, much like what is seen in naturally regenerating tissues such as the skin and intestine. Frequency activates stemness through mimicking signals provided by neighboring cells (the stem cell niche) with small molecules, and this proprietary approach is known as the Progenitor Cell Activation (PCA) platform. Frequency believes that PCA has the potential to yield a whole new category of disease-modifying therapeutics for a wide range of degenerative conditions. To fuel its drug discovery programs, Frequency is leveraging a PCA screening platform using primary human cells, including cochlear progenitor cells and adult human progenitor cells from the GI tract. Frequencys initial focus is on chronic noise induced hearing loss. Other potential applications include skin disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, and diabetes.

ABOUT FREQUENCY THERAPEUTICS Frequency Therapeutics develops small molecule drugs that activate progenitor cells within the body to restore healthy tissue. Through the transitory activation of these progenitor cells, Frequency enables disease modification without the complexity of genetic engineering. Our lead program re-creates sensory cells in the inner ear to treat chronic noise induced hearing loss, which affects over 30 million people in the U.S. alone. http://www.frequencytx.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170405005401/en/

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Frequency Therapeutics to Present at the 14th Stem Cell Research ... - Yahoo Finance

Recent Study Shows Stem Cell Research Helping Children Deal … – NBC 6 South Florida

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NBC 6's Julia Bagg tells us about the Duke University study showing stem cell research playing a role in possibly helping those kids. (Published 5 hours ago)

A first of its kind study from Duke University is targeting autism with the goal being to see if stem cells could be used to help treat children dealing with the disorder.

Researchers used umbilical cord blood infusions to help ease autism symptoms in children. They found that using the youngsters own rare stem cells resulted in significant improvements in their behavior.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as one in 45 American children has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Symptoms vary from mild social awkwardness to serious mental handicap, debilitating repetitive behaviors, and an inability to communicate.

Theres no cure, but researchers hope their findings could lead to long-term treatment. Skeptics point out there are many unanswered questions in this study, but now a second trial is underway.

Published 5 hours ago | Updated 4 hours ago

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Recent Study Shows Stem Cell Research Helping Children Deal ... - NBC 6 South Florida