Mayo Clinic Recommends New Routine Testing for some Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas

Released: 6/26/2014 12:00 PM EDT Source Newsroom: Mayo Clinic Contact Information

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Mayo Clinic Recommends New Routine Testing for some Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas

Newswise ROCHESTER, Minn. A Mayo Clinic-led group of researchers has discovered three subgroups of a single type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that have markedly different survival rates. These subgroups could not be differentiated by routine pathology but only with the aid of novel genetic tests, which the research team recommends giving to all patients with ALK-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). Findings are published in the journal Blood.

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Patients whose lymphomas had TP63 rearrangements had only a 17 percent chance of living five years beyond diagnosis, compared to 90 percent of patients whose tumors had DUSP22 rearrangements. A third group of tumors, those with neither rearrangement, was associated with an intermediate survival rate.

This is the first study to demonstrate unequivocal genetic and clinical heterogeneity among systemic ALK-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphomas, says Andrew L. Feldman, M.D., a Mayo Clinic pathologist and senior author on the multi-institutional study. Most strikingly, patients with DUSP22-rearranged ALCL had excellent overall survival rates, while patients with TP63-rearranged ALCL had dismal outcomes and nearly always failed standard therapy. Dr. Feldman also is a Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator.

ALCL is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but one of the more common subtypes of T-cell lymphoma, according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation. ALCL comprises about three percent of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 10 to 30 percent of all cases in children. Currently, all ALK-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphomas are treated the same, using chemotherapy and, in some institutions, stem cell transplantation. Results from the study make a clear case for additional testing and possible changes standard of care.

This is a great example of where individualized medicine can make a difference, says Dr. Feldman. Patients whose chance of surviving is 1 in 6 are receiving the same therapy as patients whose odds are 9 in 10. Developing tests that identify how tumors are different is a critical step toward being able to tailor therapy to each individual patient.

TP63 and DUSP22 rearrangements are examples of abnormal swapping of DNA that disturbs the way genes are arranged on a tumor cells chromosomes. These abnormalities cannot be seen in the standard microscopic evaluation that pathologists use to diagnose lymphoma, but can be visualized using a genetic test called fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The authors of the study recommend performing FISH in all patients with ALK-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. Learn more about the new tests:

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Mayo Clinic Recommends New Routine Testing for some Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas

Scripps Research Institute Scientists Find Potential New Use for Cancer Drug in Gene Therapy for Blood Disorders

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Newswise LA JOLLA, CA June 26, 2014 Scientists working to make gene therapy a reality have solved a major hurdle: how to bypass a blood stem cells natural defenses and efficiently insert disease-fighting genes into the cells genome.

In a new study led by Associate Professor Bruce Torbett at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), a team of researchers report that the drug rapamycin, which is commonly used to slow cancer growth and prevent organ rejection, enables delivery of a therapeutic dose of genes to blood stem cells while preserving stem cell function.

These findings, published recently online ahead of print by the journal Blood, could lead to more effective and affordable long-term treatments for blood cell disorders in which mutations in the DNA cause abnormal cell functions, such as in leukemia and sickle cell anemia.

Improving Gene Delivery to Blood Stem Cells

Viruses infect the body by inserting their own genetic material into human cells. In gene therapy, however, scientists have developed gutted viruses, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), to produce what are called viral vectors. Viral vectors carry therapeutic genes into cells without causing viral disease. Torbett and other scientists have shown that HIV vectors can deliver genes to blood stem cells.

For a disease such as leukemia or leukodystrophy, where mutations in the DNA cause abnormal cell function, efficiently targeting the stem cells that produce these blood cells could be a successful approach to halting the disease and prompting the body to produce healthy blood cells.

If you produce a genetic modification in your blood stem cells when you are five years old, these changes are lifelong, said Torbett. Furthermore, the gene-modified stem cells can develop into many types of cells that travel throughout the body to provide therapeutic effects.

However, because cells have adapted defense mechanisms to overcome disease-causing viruses, engineered viral vectors can be prevented from efficiently delivering genes. Torbett said that when scientists extract blood stem cells from the body for gene therapy, HIV viral vectors are usually able to deliver genes to only 30 to 40 percent of them. For leukemia, leukodystrophy or genetic diseases where treatment requires a reasonable number of healthy cells coming from stem cells, this number may be too low for therapeutic purposes.

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Scripps Research Institute Scientists Find Potential New Use for Cancer Drug in Gene Therapy for Blood Disorders

2014 World Stem Cell Summit presented by GPI, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc, and GEN

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

25-Jun-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 x2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, June 25, 2014Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website and Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) are proud to announce that they will again serve as joint platinum media sponsors of the Genetics Policy Institute 2014 World Stem Cell Summit that will take place at the Marriott River Center, December 4-6, 2014 in San Antonio, Texas.

In a new collaborative effort in 2014, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. will also organize a World Stem Cell Summit panel, comprised of leading editors from their peer-reviewed journals intersecting the field to predict the most innovative translational research that will impact regenerative medicine in the next five years.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. will also publish the 2014 World Stem Cell Report as a special supplement to the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells and Development. Dr. Graham Parker, Editor-in-Chief of Stem Cells and Development, and Bernard Siegel, Executive Director of Genetics Policy Institute (GPI), will serve as Co-Editors-in-Chief of the Report, joined by Rosario Isasi (McGill University) as Managing Editor. The World Stem Cell Report will be made available to all subscribers of Stem Cells and Development and attendees of the World Stem Cell Summit. It will also be available free online in 106 developing countries, courtesy of the Publisher, to facilitate global stem cell research.

"We are very pleased to expand our collaboration with Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., and GEN," says Bernard Siegel, Founder and Co-chair of the Summit. "The commitment by those prestigious publishers to journalistic integrity and scientific knowledge and education matches our enthusiasm to advance the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine for the betterment of humanity. We look forward to working with Graham Parker and the skilled editorial team at Stem Cells and Development to publish our annual Report. We are especially excited to have the expertise of the Liebert editors engaged on the program at the World Stem Cell Summit."

"The World Stem Cell Summit is unequivocally a paramount meeting that brings together the leaders in the field from academia, industry, and business, thereby ensuring the advancement of collaborative opportunities," says Mary Ann Liebert, publisher & CEO of both Stem Cells and Development and GEN. "Bernie Siegel and GPI also recognize the importance of public advocacy at this most important international conference. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is delighted to expand our own collaboration with Bernie Siegel and GPI and to publish the 2014 Report.

GEN Editor-in-Chief John Sterling stated, "The World Stem Cell Summit is the critical global meeting, providing the best opportunity for the GEN community to participate in the world of regenerative medicine. Our platinum media sponsorship allows GEN readers and advertisers to have a front row seat to listen and learn from the top experts on the very dynamic and expertly conceptualized Summit platform."

The Summit program delivers on the "big picture," featuring over 200 prominent scientists, business leaders, regulators, policy-makers, advocates, economic development officers, experts in law and ethics, and visionary gurus who will discuss the latest scientific discoveries, business models, legal and regulatory solutions, and best practices. The Summit is expected to attract attendees from more than 40 nations.

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2014 World Stem Cell Summit presented by GPI, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc, and GEN

Stem-cell advances may quell ethics debate

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Robert Waddell says he's glad the stem cells that healed him came from "a guy who was 50 years old" and not a human embryo.

As a Catholic, Waddell opposes the destruction of embryos and didn't want to rely on embryonic stem cells to cure his kidney disease. But he avoided this moral dilemma by getting bone marrow stem cells from a friend who donated a kidney as part of a University of Louisville study.

"It has nothing to do with embryonic stem cells," said Waddell, a 47-year-old father of four. "That made it a lot easier."

Recent strides in stem-cell research show adult stem cells to be ever-more-promising, many scientists say, quelling the controversy steeped in faith and science that has long surrounded embryonic stem cells.

In fact, University of Louisville researcher Scott Whittemore said the debate is almost moot.

"Realistically, (many scientists don't use) the types of stem cells that are so problematic anymore," he said, adding that adult stem cells can now be reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells. "The field has moved so fast."

In addition to these genetically reprogrammed adult cells - known as induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells - scientists are on the cusp of being able to turn one type of cell into another in the body without using stem cells at all. They shared some of the latest research last week at the annual International Society for Stem Cell Research in Vancouver.

"IPS cells overcame the main ethical issues," namely the use of embryos some Americans consider sacred human life, said Brett Spear, a professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the University of Kentucky who uses iPS cells to model liver disease.

But other scientists argue that embryonic stem cell research remains important.

Dr. George Daley, director of the stem cell transplant program at Boston Children's Hospital and past president of the research society, said embryonic cells are a tool in the search for cures.

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Stem-cell advances may quell ethics debate

Growing Stem Cells in Space: Medicine's Next Big Thing?

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) --

It's something Jon Galvan experienced five years ago after he almost died from a hemorrhagic stroke while atSubmit work.

"I was typing away and I felt a pop in my head," Galvan told Ivanhoe.

He was able to recover, but Abba Zubair, MD, PhD, Medical Director of Transfusion Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy at Mayo Clinic, Florida says not everyone is as fortunate.

"If it happens, you either recover completely or die," Dr. Zubair told Ivanhoe. "That's what killed my mother."

SubmitDr. Zubair wants to send bone marrow derived stem cells to the international space station.

"Based on our experience with bone marrow transplant you need about 200 to 500 million cells," Dr. Zubair said.

But conventionally grown stem cells take a month. Experiments on earth have shown that stem cells will grow faster in less gravity.

"Five to ten times faster, but it could be more," Dr. Zubair said.

Specifically he hopes to expand the number of stem cells that will help regeneration of neurons and blood vessels in hemorrhagic stroke patients.

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Growing Stem Cells in Space: Medicine's Next Big Thing?

BioTime Subsidiary Asterias Biotherapeutics Appoints Former Pfizer Senior Executive Pedro Lichtinger as President and …

Asterias was created by BioTime to acquire Geron Corporations clinical-stage stem cell therapeutic assets. The companys work centers on the development of therapeutics derived from stem cells capable of becoming all of the cell types in the human body to fight disease, a process known as pluripotency. Together, Asterias and BioTime have the largest intellectual property portfolio of any company in the pluripotent stem cell field with over 600 patents and patent applications worldwide covering key therapeutic targets derived from each of the three primary germ layers that give rise to all cells in the human body. Asterias lead clinical programs are its AST-OPC1 cell therapeutic for spinal cord injury, which recently received clinical trial funding support through an award of $14.3 million by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), and its AST-VAC2 allogeneic dendritic cell cancer immunotherapy platform.

"Pedro has the ideal mix of skills to lead Asterias in the next stage of its growth," said Michael D. West, Ph.D., BioTimes CEO. "His experience in shepherding medicines through clinical and regulatory processes to commercialization will be invaluable as Asterias moves forward with its plans to bring two of its product candidates into clinical trials. Pedro is also a seasoned business leader and manager whose long track record in building businesses and business alliances speaks for itself.

I am excited to be working with Asterias talented employees, whose hard work and incredible talent have been responsible for the rapid advancement of a number of promising treatments, said Mr. Lichtinger. The pluripotent stem cell technology platform is rapidly emerging into the clinic with a focus on major unmet medical needs that have limited or no cures available. Asterias two most advanced clinical programs have the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes and I am delighted to be a part of this effort.

Mr. Lichtinger has served as a director of BioTime since August 2009, during which time he has helped to guide its development as a leader in the field of regenerative medicine. Reflecting his new role at Asterias, Mr. Lichtinger has been nominated for election to the Asterias Board of Directors at the companys upcoming annual meeting, and will not stand for reelection to the BioTime Board of Directors at BioTimes upcoming annual meeting.

Since April, Dr. West, BioTimes longtime CEO, has also served as President and CEO of Asterias. With the appointment of Mr. Lichtinger as CEO, Dr. West will continue to be a member of the Board of Asterias and will resume his position as Vice President Technology Integration at Asterias, while continuing as BioTimes CEO.

Mr. Lichtinger has some 35 years of executive leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, he was president and CEO of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, a role that he held from May 2010 to February 2013. There, he led the successful registration and commercialization of DIFICID (fidaxomicin). Before joining Optimer, Mr. Lichtinger held a series of top management positions at Pfizer over a 25-year career, including serving as president of Pfizers Global Primary Care Unit, where he oversaw $23 billion in revenue and was responsible for a development budget in excess of $800 million including a portfolio of 66 projects. He also led Pfizers European operations as president of that group encompassing 27 countries and all Pfizer medicines, and previously headed Pfizers Global Animal Health business. In these roles, Mr. Lichtinger oversaw the successful development, commercialization, and alliances of numerous drugs.

Before joining Pfizer, Mr. Lichtinger was an executive at Smith Kline Beecham, where he was senior vice president of the companys European animal health unit and previously held multiple other executive roles.

Mr. Lichtinger serves on the Board of Directors of Laboratorios Sanfer, SA de CV, the largest Mexican pharmaceutical company, which is partly owned by General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity investment firm. Mr. Lichtinger, an American born in Mexico, speaks four languages. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and an engineering degree from the National University of Mexico. He and his wife, Iracilda, passionately support the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Brazil Foundation.

About Asterias

Asterias Biotherapeutics (Asterias) is a biotechnology company focused on the emerging field of regenerative medicine. Asterias core technologies center on stem cells capable of becoming all of the cell types in the human body, a property called pluripotency. Asterias plans to develop therapies based on pluripotent stem cells to treat diseases or injuries in a variety of medical fields, with an initial focus on the therapeutic applications of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (AST-OPC1) and antigen-presenting dendritic cells (AST-VAC1 and AST-VAC2) for the fields of neurology and oncology respectively. AST-OPC1 was tested for treatment of spinal cord injury in the worlds first Phase 1 clinical trial using human embryonic stem cell-derived cells. Asterias plans to seek FDA clearance to reinitiate clinical testing of AST-OPC1 in spinal cord injury this year, and is also evaluating its function in nonclinical models of multiple sclerosis and stroke. AST-VAC1 and AST-VAC2 are dendritic cell-based vaccines designed to immunize cancer patients against telomerase, a protein abnormally expressed in over 95% of human cancer types. AST-VAC2 differs from AST-VAC1 in that the dendritic cells presenting telomerase to the immune system are produced from human embryonic stem cells instead of being derived from human blood.

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BioTime Subsidiary Asterias Biotherapeutics Appoints Former Pfizer Senior Executive Pedro Lichtinger as President and ...

Saved by his cat, heart attack survivor is first Toronto patient in a groundbreaking cell therapy trial

Nurses called him a celebrity, but Robert Clark said, Nah. He wasnt interested in fame or anticipating fortune, but he gladly took the free cab ride home from the hospital.

After a severe heart attack five weeks ago, the 67-year-old has become the first Toronto patient to enter a groundbreaking cell therapy trial led by researchers at St. Michaels Hospital and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

In a world first, the Canadian study uses genetically enhanced stem cells to repair damaged muscle in heart attack survivors. The souped-up cells are the patients own, made young and healthy again fountain-of-youth style in a laboratory. Cell therapy researchers across the globe are monitoring the study, cautiously optimistic that it could lead to a breakthrough the field has long been waiting for.

We all have, circulating in our blood, stem cells that have the potential to repair and regenerate damaged tissues. In people with risk factors for heart disease or in patients who have suffered a heart attack, these cells dont have the same healing capacity, says Dr. Michael Kutryk, a cardiologist at St. Michaels and principal investigator on the study.

The strategy we are using is to restore the bodys own mechanisms to help fix the heart.

The trials first Toronto patient was having a little rest on his couch on April 28 when he started to feel funny.

OK, so I was petting my cat, Clark recalls, and all of a sudden she went meow, meow, meow, and jumped right on my chest, right?

As he tells the story in his 5th-floor Upper Beach apartment, Clark gets down on his hands and knees and yanks Geisha the cat out from under a small cot. Shes a beautiful tabby with saucer eyes as bright and clear a shade of green as her owners are blue.

Clark is not saying the cat gave him a heart attack. Quite the opposite, actually.

She was warning me that something was wrong, he says solemnly, cradling Geisha in his skinny, tattoo-covered arms. (These are older than you are, he says of the faded green ink blots, and its true.)

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Saved by his cat, heart attack survivor is first Toronto patient in a groundbreaking cell therapy trial

Colorado Clinic Now Offering Over 25 Treatment Options to Help Patients Avoid Joint Replacement

Boulder, Colorado (PRWEB) June 09, 2014

The top Northern Colorado pain management centers, Colorado Clinic, are now offering over 25 treatment options to help patients avoid the need for joint replacement. The recently added newest options consist of regenerative medicine stem cell injections along with convention medical and interventional treatments. Call (303) 444-4141 for more information and scheduling.

Over a million joint replacements are performed in the US annually. While joint replacement for the hip, knee and shoulder are generally successful, they are considered a last resort option. All conservative options should be attempted first.

At Colorado Clinic, extensive conservative relief options are offered by Board Certified Boulder pain management doctors with additional pain clinics in Greeley CO and Loveland. Medication management consists of oral and topical NSAIDS along with short term opiates when indicated.

Bracing is offered as well, which can unload the painful areas of the arthritic knee. Interventional treatments consist of steroid, hyaluronic acid injections and regenerative medicine therapies. The regenerative treatments consist of amniotic and bone marrow derived stem cell procedures, which have been shown in initial studies to provide excellent relief for joint arthritis.

With three locations in Northern Colorado, Colorado Clinic serves a broad area and accepts most insurance. Success rates are tremendous for pain relief from arthritis, with the majority of patients being able to avoid or delay the need for surgery.

For more information and scheduling arthritis treatment in Colorado, call (303) 444-4141.

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Colorado Clinic Now Offering Over 25 Treatment Options to Help Patients Avoid Joint Replacement

BrainStorm launches efficacy study of stem cell therapy for ALS

US BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics (OTCBB:BCLI), a developer of adult stem cell technologies for neurodegenerative diseases, said Friday that the first participants had been recruited in a Phase II study of NurOwn in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-centre trial aims to examine the safety and efficacy of transplantation of Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secreting Neurotrophic Factors (MSC-NTF or NurOwn) in 48 patients with ALS. The study is being carried out at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, the University of Massachusetts Memorial (UMass) Hospital in Worcester and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

NurOwn is BrainStorm's autologous, adult stem cell therapy technology that differentiates bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) into MSC-NTF cells, which secrete neurotrophic, or nerve- growth, factors for protection of existing motor neurons, motor neuron growth promotion, and re-establishment of nerve-muscle interaction. BrainStorm holds the rights to develop and commercialise the technology through an exclusive, worldwide licensing deal with Israeli Tel Aviv University's technology transfer company Ramot.

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BrainStorm launches efficacy study of stem cell therapy for ALS

Benefit planned to help firefighter

SHOREWOOD Derek Hogg has spent his life helping others. Hes not completely comfortable having that situation reversed.

Its very humbling to see all this support, but its hard for me to ask for help when I dont think a thank you will cut it. I owe something to everybody, so the best I can do is give 110 percent to my [recovery], he said.

Hogg, 31, is a Joliet West High School graduate who has worked full-time on the Kankakee Fire Department and part-time on the Wilmington Fire Department for the past six years.

When Hogg first noticed a muscle twitch last year, he didnt believe it was a big deal, but saw a Joliet neurologist at his fathers urging. Further tests in Chicago and at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota indicated Hogg has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease.

Every doctor I saw said people live an average of 3 to 5 years, but I have young sons. I cant accept that. I have to do something, Hogg said. He and his wife, Holly, are the parents of Paxton, 2, and 4-month-old Hayden.

Hoggs research found a doctor in California who is optimistic that stem cell therapy could slow the progression of Hoggs disease, he said. Stem cell treatment, which is not covered by insurance, costs $25,000.

James and Tina Kilgore are holding a benefit Saturday at the Moose Lodge to cover the cost of their brother-in-laws treatment.

Dereks just such a good guy whos spent his whole life helping others. I think a lot of people want to help him fight this battle, Tina Kilgore said.

The $25 tickets include hamburgers and hot dogs, and an entry for the big-screen television set being offered as a door prize. Musicians You Beside Me will perform at 2 p.m. and Alex Hoffer will play at 3 p.m. The Joliet Police Pipes and Drums will play at 5 p.m. and a DJ will play music until 8 p.m.

A petting zoo and face-painting will be on hand for kids, along with police and fire vehicles at 3 p.m. and a ventriloquist at 4 p.m.

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Benefit planned to help firefighter