Circuit Court OKs Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research …

Ready for a story in which the part about stem cell research is the least complicated thing happening? The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia today upheld a lower courts decision to toss out a lawsuit that would have prevented the federal government from funding research on embryonic stem cells. The long and the short of that? Federal research dollars from the National Institutes of Health can fund research on embyronic stell cells.

Todays decision puts the Obama administration on the side of the angels on this issue, legally speaking. Shortly after Obamas inauguration, the administration overturned a longstanding restriction on federal funding for stem cell research put in place by George W. Bush in 2001. Lawsuits trying to restrict the funding once more under a provision of the 1996 Dickey-Wicker amendment, which precludes taxpayer funding for research that harms an embryo were filed in short order. Today, it appears those efforts have ended fruitlessly.

Its the second time the three-judge panel has upheld the ruling on the grounds that harvesting stem cells does not harm a viable embryo, and should put the matter to rest permenanently or at least until a new administration rolls into the White House. The judges in the case, it seems, are already tired of hearing the same arguments, with Judge David Sentelle stating thatunless [the plaintiffs] have established some extraordinary circumstance, the law of the case is established and we will not revisit the issue. You can read the courts decision here if you think it will make any sense to you.

This is great news for the field of stem cell research, which could provide cures to a variety of ailments too far-ranging to list here. It is also great news for people who believe that scientific and research funding should be a priority, and one not to be mucked about with by politicians. It is great news for people who like things that could cure cancer. We count ourselves in this last category, because cancer is a dick. It is less great news for people who are against embryonic stem cell research, but hey, not everyone can be a winner, right?

Weve covered the ongoing study of induced pluripotent stem cells here before. IPS cells, which are derived from adult cells reverted back to an embryonic state by genetic tinkering, are great. Just terrific. Cant say enough good things about them. They also come with their own set of risks and drawbacks, from being hard to produce to containing unwanted mutations.

Embryonic stem cells are easier to work with, as they havent been manipulated into behaving like something they really arent, like IPS cells. They also have more promise when it comes to treating maladies like blindness. While embryonic stem cells are harvested from fertilized egg cells created in vitro, those embryos are never destined for implantation these are lumps of cellular tissue that are bound to become bio-waste, not babies. So yes, we could throw them out. Or we could use them for making medicine, curing illness, and saving lives instead. I mean, both are good options, really.

(via The Washington Posto)

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IDIBELL signs agreement with Histocell to use … – Stem Cell Cafe …

Mar 30

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Mar 29 2013

Mar 28

The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) has signed a licensing agreement with the Spanish biotech company Histocell to make use of a patent for the treatment of acute pulmonary diseases with mesenchymal stem cells. These cells, administered intravenously, have the ability to go directly to the damaged lungs, acting as a &smart drug&.

To enhance the effect, researchers have modified this cells by genetic engineering. The studies have been developed by a team led by Josep Maria Aran, researcher at the Human Molecular Genetics group of IDIBELL, in collaboration with researchers of the Pneumology group at Vall d&Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) and the Biomedical Research Network Centre for Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES). The outcomes of the research have supposed an international patent application managed by the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) at IDIBELL.

The researchers use adult mesenchymal stem cells extracted from adipose tissue obtained from liposuction. These cells are capable of enhancing the regeneration of the damaged lung tissue and secrete inflammatory proteins therein when injected into the blood.

Improvements

The novelty patented by IDIBELL and VHIR researchers has been the insertion of improvements through genetic engineering that can significantly enhance the anti-inflammatory and regenerative power of the mesenchymal cells. Specifically, researchers have modified the antagonist to secrete interleukin 33, a regulatory protein (cytokine) that has a fundamental role in the inflammatory process.

The treatment has proven to be very effective given intravenously, although it could be considered the option of administering it by inhalation.

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Stem Cells Show Promise in Heart Failure Patients – Stem Cell Cafe

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

ROCHESTER, Minn. Translating a Mayo Clinic stem-cell discovery, an international team has demonstrated that therapy with cardiopoietic (cardiogenically-instructed) or &smart& stem cells can improve heart health for people suffering from heart failure. This is the first application in patients of lineage-guided stem cells for targeted regeneration of a failing organ, paving the way to development of next generation regenerative medicine solutions. Results of the clinical trial appear online of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

VIDEO ALERT: Audio and video resources are available on the Mayo Clinic News Network.

The multi-center, randomized Cardiopoietic stem cell therapy in heart failure (C-CURE) trial involved heart failure patients from Belgium, Switzerland and Serbia. Patients in the control group received standard care for heart failure in accordance with established guidelines. Patients in the cell therapy arm received, in addition to standard care, cardiopoietic stem cells a first-in-class biotherapeutic. In this process, bone marrow was harvested from the top of the patient&s hip, and isolated stem cells were treated with a protein cocktail to replicate natural cues of heart development. Derived cardiopoietic stem cells were then injected into the patient&s heart.

&The cells underwent an innovative treatment to optimize their repair capacity,& says Andre Terzic, M.D., Ph.D., study senior author and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. &This study helps us move beyond the science fiction notion of stem cell research, providing clinical evidence for a new approach in cardiovascular regenerative medicine.&

Every patient in the stem cell treatment group improved. Heart pumping function improved in each patient within six months following cardiopoietic stem cell treatment. In addition, patients experienced improved fitness and were able to walk longer distances than before stem cell therapy. &The benefit to patients who received cardiopoietic stem cell therapy was significant,& Dr. Terzic says.

In an accompanying editorial, Charles Murry, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Washington, Seattle, say, &Six months after treatment, the cell therapy group had a 7 percent absolute improvement in EF (ejection fraction) over baseline, versus a non-significant change in the control group. This improvement in EF is dramatic, particularly given the duration between the ischemic injury and cell therapy. It compares favorably with our most potent therapies in heart failure.&

The science supporting this trial is a product of a decade-long journey in decoding principles of stem cell-based heart repair. &Discovery of rare stem cells that could inherently promote heart regeneration provided a critical clue. In following this natural blueprint, we further developed the know-how needed to convert patient-derived stem cells into cells that can reliably repair a failing heart,& says Dr. Terzic, underscoring the team effort in this endeavor.

Initial discovery led to the identification of hundreds of proteins involved in cardiogenesis, or the heart development process. The research team then identified which proteins are necessary in helping a stem cell become a reparative cell type, leading to development of a protein cocktail-based procedure that orients stem cells for heart repair. Such upgraded stem cells are called cardiopoietic or heart creative.

Mayo Clinic partnered with Cardio3 Biosciences, a bioscience company in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, for advanced product development, manufacturing scale-up, and clinical trial execution.

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First-in-humans study introduces next generation … – Stem Cell Cafe

Apr 12

Translating a Mayo Clinic stem-cell discovery, an international team has demonstrated that therapy with cardiopoietic (cardiogenically-instructed) or &smart& stem cells can improve heart health for people suffering from heart failure. This is the first application in patients of lineage-guided stem cells for targeted regeneration of a failing organ, paving the way to development of next generation regenerative medicine solutions. Results of the clinical trial appear online of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The multi-center, randomized Cardiopoietic stem cell therapy in heart failure (C-CURE) trial involved heart failure patients from Belgium, Switzerland and Serbia. Patients in the control group received standard care for heart failure in accordance with established guidelines. Patients in the cell therapy arm received, in addition to standard care, cardiopoietic stem cells & a first-in-class biotherapeutic. In this process, bone marrow was harvested from the top of the patient&s hip, and isolated stem cells were treated with a protein cocktail to replicate natural cues of heart development. Derived cardiopoietic stem cells were then injected into the patient&s heart.

&The cells underwent an innovative treatment to optimize their repair capacity,& says Andre Terzic, M.D., Ph.D., study senior author and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. &This study helps us move beyond the science fiction notion of stem cell research, providing clinical evidence for a new approach in cardiovascular regenerative medicine.&

Every patient in the stem cell treatment group improved. Heart pumping function improved in each patient within six months following cardiopoietic stem cell treatment. In addition, patients experienced improved fitness and were able to walk longer distances than before stem cell therapy. &The benefit to patients who received cardiopoietic stem cell therapy was significant,& Dr. Terzic says.

Continue reading here: First-in-humans study introduces next generation cell therapy for heart failure patients

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First-in-humans study introduces next generation ... - Stem Cell Cafe

‘Smart’ stem cells repair damage from heart failure – Stem Cell Cafe

Apr 12

Washington, April 11 : Researchers have found that therapy with cardiopoietic (cardiogenically-instructed) or &smart& stem cells can improve heart health for people suffering from heart failure.

This is the first application in patients of lineage-guided stem cells for targeted regeneration of a failing organ, paving the way to development of next generation regenerative medicine solutions.

The multi-center, randomized Cardiopoietic stem cell therapy in heart failure (C-CURE) trial involved heart failure patients from Belgium, Switzerland and Serbia.

Patients in the control group received standard care for heart failure in accordance with established guidelines. Patients in the cell therapy arm received, in addition to standard care, cardiopoietic stem cells & a first-in-class biotherapeutic. In this process, bone marrow was harvested from the top of the patient&s hip, and isolated stem cells were treated with a protein cocktail to replicate natural cues of heart development.

Derived cardiopoietic stem cells were then injected into the patient&s heart.

&The cells underwent an innovative treatment to optimize their repair capacity,& said Andre Terzic, M.D., Ph.D., study senior author and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine.

&This study helps us move beyond the science fiction notion of stem cell research, providing clinical evidence for a new approach in cardiovascular regenerative medicine,& the researcher stated.

Every patient in the stem cell treatment group improved. Heart pumping function improved in each patient within six months following cardiopoietic stem cell treatment. In addition, patients experienced improved fitness and were able to walk longer distances than before stem cell therapy.

&The benefit to patients who received cardiopoietic stem cell therapy was significant,& Dr. Terzic said.

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'Smart' stem cells repair damage from heart failure – Stem Cell Cafe

StemCells, Inc. Enters Agreement to Receive $19.3 … – Stem Cell Cafe

NEWARK, Calif., April 11, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) & StemCells, Inc. (STEM) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) under which CIRM will provide approximately $19.3 million to help fund preclinical development and IND-enabling activities of the Company&s proprietary HuCNS-SC(R) product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) for Alzheimer&s disease. The funding, which will be in the form of a forgivable loan, was awarded under CIRM&s Disease Team Therapy Development Award program (RFA 10-05) in September 2012. The goal of the research will be to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration within four years.

&With CIRM&s support, we are now able to lay the groundwork that could result in the world&s first neural stem cell trial in Alzheimer&s patients,& commented Martin McGlynn, President and CEO of StemCells, Inc. &Currently, there are no good treatment options for Alzheimer&s patients, and there aren&t any on the horizon, so it is clear that the field could benefit from creative approaches to this devastating and challenging disease. Our collaborators at UC Irvine have provided a compelling preclinical rationale to test the utility of our cells to restore memory in patients afflicted with this deadly condition.&

StemCells, Inc. will evaluate its HuCNS-SC cells as a potential therapeutic in Alzheimer&s disease in collaboration with researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) led by Frank LaFerla, Ph.D., a world-renowned researcher in the field, and Matthew Blurton-Jones, Ph.D. Dr. LaFerla is Director of the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), and Chancellor&s Professor, Neurobiology and Behavior. Dr. Blurton-Jones is Assistant Professor, Neurobiology and Behavior, at UCI.

In July 2012, Dr. Blurton-Jones presented data at the Alzheimer&s Association Annual Meeting demonstrating that the Company&s neural stem cells restored memory and significantly enhanced synaptic function in two animal models relevant to Alzheimer&s disease. Importantly, these results did not require reduction in beta amyloid or tau that accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer&s disease and account for the pathological hallmarks of the disease.

Terms and Conditions of the Loan

Loan funds are expected to be disbursed periodically over the four-year project period, with disbursements subject to a number of preconditions, including the achievement of certain progress milestones and compliance with certain financial covenants. The term of the loan is ten years, but may be extended under certain circumstances. The loan is unsecured and will bear interest at the one year LIBOR rate plus two however, the interest rate will increase by one percent each year after year five. The loan is forgivable, such that the Company&s obligation to repay the loan will be contingent upon the success of HuCNS-SC cells in Alzheimer&s disease. No warrants will be issued in connection with the loan, but the Company will owe various success milestone payments in the event of the product&s commercial success.

About Alzheimer&s Disease

Alzheimer&s disease is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder that results in loss of memory and cognitive function. Today there is no cure or effective treatment option for patients afflicted by Alzheimer&s disease. According to the Alzheimer&s Association, approximately 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer&s disease, including nearly half of people aged 85 and older. The prevalence of Alzheimer&s disease is expected to increase rapidly as a result of the country&s aging population.

About CIRM

CIRM was established in November 2004 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act. The statewide ballot measure, which provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was overwhelmingly approved by voters, and called for the establishment of an entity to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities, and other vital research opportunities. A list of grants and loans awarded to date may be seen here: http://www.cirm.ca.gov/for-researchers/researchfunding.

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Pro-lifers eye Kansas for top study of stem cells; no embryo use at …

Long clouded by ethical concerns, medical treatments and research based on stem cells taken from adults or the umbilical cords of newborns but not human embryos are getting renewed support from lawmakers and religious leaders.

In the deep-red state of Kansas, lawmakers are waiting to see whether Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, will sign a bill making the University of Kansas Medical Center a hub for adult stem cell research and therapies in the region.

Mr. Brownback, a social conservative who promised to build a culture of life in the state, has signaled support for such a center. The bill passed the Legislature on Friday but has not reached his office, an aide said Wednesday.

If enacted, the new Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center would focus on research and therapies exclusively using stem cells from human adults and cord blood and tissue. Stem cells harvested from human embryos or tissues from aborted fetuses would be specifically prohibited.

Treatments exploiting the unique qualities of stem cells biological cells with the ability to reproduce and develop into specialized cells used throughout the body have been used for decades to cure some diseases, and researchers say the approach has exciting potential to treat or cure maladies such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, spinal cord injuries, Parkinsons disease and autoimmune diseases.

However, political, legal and cultural battles have abounded since scientists discovered in the 1990s that they could use human embryos as sources for harvesting stem cells. Pro-life and Catholic groups denounced the process because it destroys the embryos, but scientists said such research can be carried out ethically, especially when the benefits are so promising.

The center is being proposed after seven years of efforts to create partnerships around the adult stem cell approach, said Kathy Ostrowski, legislative director of Kansans for Life, sidestepping the moral minefield that has held back research in the United States.

The University of Kansas Medical Center is active in adult stem cell clinical trials and research, and this first-of-its-kind center would be an economic engine in this strategic field as well as a gold mine for treatments and cures, Ms. Ostrowski said.

The proposed Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center which would partner with the Blood and Marrow Transplant Center of Kansas would produce clinical-grade stem cells and conduct clinical trials with adult stem cell therapies, creating opportunities for people with diseases or injuries to participate in such trials.

During legislative hearings on the proposed stem cell center, no one testified against the idea. However, critics noted that while Kansas lawmakers established a way for donations to come to the new center, they didnt authorize any state money for it.

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Embryonic-like stem cells collected from adults to grow bone – Stem …

Washington, April 7 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and New York-based NeoStem Inc. are all set for the first known human trial to use embryonic-like stem cells collected from adult cells to grow bone.

The cells technology, called VSEL stem cells, or very small embryonic-like stem cells, are derived from adults-not fetuses. This eliminates ethical arguments and potential side effects associated with using actual embryonic stem cells derived from a fetus, according to researchers at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and New York-based NeoStem Inc.

The research partners hypothesize that the VSEL stem cells, which mimic properties of embryonic stem cells, can provide a minimally invasive way to speed painful bone regeneration for dental patients and others with bone trauma.

U-M&s role in the study involves design, patient care and data analysis, while NeoStem provides the cells and patented technology to purify the special stem cells.

Study leaders include Russell Taichman, U-M professor of Laurie McCauley, professor and newly named dean of the U-M Dental and Denis Rodgerson, director of grants and academic liaisons for NeoStem. U-M&s work will take place at the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research and the U-M Health System.

&Within a year, researchers hope to begin recruiting roughly 50 patients who need a tooth extraction and a dental implant,& Taichman said.

Before extracting the tooth, U-M researchers harvest the patient&s cells, and then NeoStem&s VSEL technology is used to purify and isolate those VSEL stem cells from the patient&s other cells.

This allows U-M researchers to implant pure populations of the VSEL stem cells back into test patients. Control patients receive their own cells, not the VSELs. After the new bone grows, researchers remove a small portion of it to analyze, and replace it with an implant.

&We&re taking advantage of the time between extraction and implant to see if these cells will expedite healing time and produce better quality bone,& Taichman said.

&They are natural cells that are already in your body, but NeoStem&s technology concentrates them so that we can place a higher quantity of them onto the wound site,& he added.

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Adhesive force differences enable separation of stem cells to …

Image shows adult human fibroblast cells with intracellular proteins involved in adhesion of these cells to an extracellular matrix. These fibroblasts are converted to human induced pluripotent stem cells through a reprogramming process during which restructuring of the adhesion proteins takes place. Credit: Ankur Singh

A new separation process that depends on an easily-distinguished physical difference in adhesive forces among cells could help expand production of stem cells generated through cell reprogramming. By facilitating new research, the separation process could also lead to improvements in the reprogramming technique itself and help scientists model certain disease processes.

The reprogramming technique allows a small percentage of cells often taken from the skin or blood to become human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) capable of producing a wide range of other cell types. Using cells taken from a patient&s own body, the reprogramming technique might one day enable regenerative therapies that could, for example, provide new heart cells for treating cardiovascular disorders or new neurons for treating Alzheimer&s disease or Parkinson&s disease.

But the cell reprogramming technique is inefficient, generating mixtures in which the cells of interest make up just a small percentage of the total volume. Separating out the pluripotent stem cells is now time-consuming and requires a level of skill that could limit use of the technique and hold back the potential therapies.

To address the problem, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated a tunable process that separates cells according to the degree to which they adhere to a substrate inside a tiny microfluidic device. The adhesion properties of the hiPSCs differ significantly from those of the cells with which they are mixed, allowing the potentially-therapeutic cells to be separated to as much as 99 percent purity.

The high-throughput separation process, which takes less than 10 minutes to perform, does not rely on labeling technologies such as antibodies. Because it allows separation of intact cell colonies, it avoids damaging the cells, allowing a cell survival rate greater than 80 percent. The resulting cells retain normal transcriptional profiles, differentiation potential and karyotype.

&The principle of the separation is based on the physical phenomenon of adhesion strength, which is controlled by the underlying biology,& said Andrs Garca, the study&s principal investigator and a professor in Georgia Tech&s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. &This is a very powerful platform technology because it is easy to implement and easy to scale up.&

The separation process will be described April 7 in the advance online publication of the journal Nature Methods. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), supplemented by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

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Image shows a close-up view of a microfluidic device that exploits the differences in adhesion strength between derived stem cells and contaminating cell types in a heterogeneous culture to selectively isolate cells of interest using fluid shear forces. Credit: Gary Meek

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"Nanokicking" Stem Cells Offers Cheaper And Easier Way To Grow …

Apr 06

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Stem Cell Research Also Included In: Bones / Orthopedics Article Date: 05 Apr 2013 & 12:00 PDT

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Matt Dalby from the Centre for Cell Engineering at the University of Glasgow, and colleagues, write about their work in a study that was published recently in the journal ACS Nano.

In a statement released this week, Dalby says their new method offers a simple way of &converting adult stem cells from the bone marrow into bone-making cells on a large scale without the use of cocktails of chemicals or recourse to challenging and complex engineering&.

Scientists have found it is possible to grow these tissue types in the lab by isolating MSCs and culturing them in an environment that simulates that which occurs naturally in the human body.

But current methods of coaxing the stem cells to differentiate are notoriously problematic and require expensive and highly engineered materials or complex chemical cocktails.

Nanokicking replicates a vibration that occurs in the membranes of bone cells when they stick together to form new bone naturally in the body.

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"Nanokicking" Stem Cells Offers Cheaper And Easier Way To Grow ...