Saudi- Conference to shed light on latest stem cell applications

(MENAFN - Arab News) The king abdullah international medical research center (kaimrc) recently joined a conference on stem cell research and its application science and medicine the saudi press agency reported.

the conference which was organized by the health affairs at the national guard unveiled the latest discoveries and findings made by researchers at the stem cell and regenerative medicine unit at kaimrc the agency said.

the conference was attended by several experts on stem cell research representing saudi arabia the united states britain france sweden italy australia and new zealand.

ahmed al-askar ceo of kaimrc said stem cell research is a broad topic that sheds light on how to best exploit human cells to treat diseases for certain organs such as the liver kidney or nerves.

he said the current use of stem cells is centered on plantation for the treatment of certain types of leukemia cancer and genetic diseases.

since its inception three years ago the center has transplanted 200 cells following the creation of a program for transplanting stem cells in children and adults he said.

saudi arabia has the sole stem cell donation registry in arab countries compared with 60 cells donation registries globally he said.

'the saudi stem cell donation center is meant to attract potential donors from arab countries" he said. 'we have had 5000 donors so far."

he said some 400 scientists and experts are working at the center while another 40 physicians have been dispatched on scholarships to acquire training and specialization.

al-askar expressed optimism over the future of stem cell use and its contribution to the treatment of a variety of diseases such as diabetes cancer pulmonary and hepatic fibrosis and neurological and cardiovascular disorders.

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Saudi- Conference to shed light on latest stem cell applications

Former Osiris chief to lead Calif. stem cell agency

By Natalie Sherman, The Baltimore Sun

7:30 p.m. EDT, April 30, 2014

A California agency that oversees $3 billion in stem cell research funding Wednesday named former Osiris Therapeutics head C. Randal Mills to replace its outgoing CEO.

Mills, a Bethesda native and Baltimore resident, stepped down in December after almost 10 years at Osiris, citing personal reasons.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine's governing board selected Mills from seven finalists after interviews in April, spokesman Kevin McCormack said. He will make $550,000 in his new position and a start date has not been determined, McCormack said.

The agency noted Mills's leadership of Osiris as it commercialized stem cell drug Prochymal in its announcement of his selection. Mills also served on the agency's grant review board for the past five years.

CIRM's current CEO announced his intention to leave in October.

"It is a tremendous honor to be selected to lead the world's largest stem cell institute during such an exciting and pivotal time for the technology," Mills said in a statement. "We are entering a new phase in regenerative medicine, where an increasing number of therapies are heading into clinical trials. It is our mission to do everything possible to accelerate the development of these treatments for the patients who need them."

nsherman@baltsun.com

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Researchers Create Personalized, Disease-Specific Stem Cells

redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports Your Universe Online

Researchers reported on Monday the creation of the first disease-specific line of embryonic stem cells made with a patients own DNA, a major breakthrough in the field of regenerative medicine.

The achievement marks the first time cloning technologies have been used to generate stem cells that are genetically matched to adult patients.

The independent group of scientists, led by experts at the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute (NYSCF), used somatic cell nuclear transfer to successfully clone a skin cell from a 32-year-old woman with type-1 diabetes. Those cells were then turned into insulin-producing cells resembling the beta cells lost in the disease.

In type-1 diabetes, a patients immune system attacks the bodys insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells, leaving the patient unable to adequately regulate blood sugar levels.

The researchers said the insulin-producing cells created in the current study could someday replace cells damaged by type-1 diabetes, something that could provide better treatment or even a cure for the disease.

I am thrilled to say we have accomplished our goal of creating patient-specific stem cells from diabetic patients using somatic cell nuclear transfer, Susan Solomon, CEO and co-founder of NYSCF, said in a recent statement.

I became involved with medical research when my son was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes, and seeing todays results gives me hope that we will one day have a cure for this debilitating disease.

As reported Monday in the journal Nature, the scientists derived embryonic stem cells by adding the nuclei of adult skin cells to unfertilized donor oocytes using a process known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Embryonic stem cells were created from the adult donor with type-1 diabetes and a healthy control.

In 2011, the team reported creating the first embryonic cell line from human skin using nuclear transfer when they made stem cells and insulin-producing beta cells from patients with type-1 diabetes. However, those stem cells were triploid, meaning they had three sets of chromosomes, and therefore could not be used for new therapies.

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Cloned embryos yield stem cells for diabetes

And now there are three: in the wake of announcements from laboratories in Oregon and California that they had created human embryos by cloning cells of living people, a lab in New York announced on Monday that it had done that and more.

In addition to cloning the cells of a woman with diabetes, producing embryos and stem cells that are her perfect genetic matches, scientists got the stem cells to differentiate into cells able to secrete insulin.

That raised hopes for realizing a long-held dream of stem cell research, namely, creating patient-specific replacement cells for people with diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart failure and other devastating conditions. But it also suggested that what the Catholic Church and other right-to-life advocates have long warned of - scientists creating human embryos to order - could be imminent.

The trio of successes "increases the likelihood that human embryos will be produced to generate therapy for a specific individual," said bioethicist Insoo Hyun of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. And "the creation of more human embryos for scientific experiments is certain."

The accelerating progress in embryonic stem cell research began last May. Scientists, led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health & Science University, reported they had created healthy, early-stage human embryos - hollow balls of about 150 cells - by fusing ova with cells from a fetus, in one experiment, and an infant in another.

Earlier this month, scientists at the CHA Stem Cell Institute in Seoul, South Korea, announced they had managed the same feat with skin cells from two adult men.

In each case, scientists used a version of the technique that created the sheep Dolly in 1996, the first clone of an adult mammal. Called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the recipe calls for removing the nuclear DNA from an ovum, fusing it with a cell from a living person, and stimulating each ovum to begin dividing and multiplying. The resulting embryo includes stem cells that can differentiate into any human cell type.

While that sounds simple enough, immense technical hurdles kept scientists from achieving human SCNT over more than a decade of attempts. Now that they have a reliable recipe, including the right nutrients to sustain the eggs and the right timing to start it dividing, they have "a reproducible, reliable way to create patient-specific stem cells" via cloning, said Dr. Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer of Advanced Cell Technology and co-author of the CHA paper.

INCURABLE DISEASE

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Vet-Stem, Inc. Licenses Its New Patent to Human Stem Cell Company

Poway, California (PRWEB) April 24, 2014

Vet-Stem, Inc., announced that a non-exclusive European license agreement has been signed with a global human stem cell company. This license provides access to the newly issued Vet-Stem patent for the extraction methods and the use of adipose-derived stem cells in prevention and treatment of diseases in the human. Vet-Stem retains all rights outside of the human field.

As the first and largest company in the world to offer fat-derived stem cell services for veterinary use, Vet-Stem has rapidly developed the market, treating over 10,000 horses and dogs. In its veterinary development, Vet-Stem has collaborated closely with leading companies and academic institutions worldwide involved in bringing this technology to the human markets. Vet-Stems patent covers both veterinary and human applications and it seeks to license the human applications to additional interested companies.

Intellectual property rights can be confusing in a rapidly developing market with evolving technology, said Bob Harman, DVM, MPVM, CEO of Vet-Stem. We have in-licensed the strongest patents in the world to protect the market that we are creating in regenerative veterinary medicine and to ensure that the value of the company is optimized. Now with this additional patent issued directly to Vet-Stem, we can collaborate directly with companies developing human therapeutics in the cell therapy space.

Vet-Stem currently offers stem cell services to veterinarians for treatment of lameness in horses and for arthritis in dogs and cats. New uses of regenerative cells are in development for diseases in dogs, cats and horses that often times have few other treatment options.

About Vet-Stem, Inc. Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem, Inc. pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine. The company holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells. In the last decade over 10,000 animals have been treated using Vet-Stem, Inc.s services, and Vet-Stem is actively investigating stem cell therapy for immune-mediated and inflammatory disease, as well as organ disease and failure. For more on Vet-Stem, Inc. and Veterinary Regenerative Medicine visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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Vet-Stem, Inc. Licenses Its New Patent to Human Stem Cell Company

Stem cells in circulating blood affect cardiovascular health, study finds

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

23-Apr-2014

Contact: Nicanor Moldovan Moldovan.6@osu.edu 614-247-7801 Ohio State University

COLUMBUS, Ohio New research suggests that attempts to isolate an elusive adult stem cell from blood to understand and potentially improve cardiovascular health a task considered possible but very difficult might not be necessary.

Instead, scientists have found that multiple types of cells with primitive characteristics circulating in the blood appear to provide the same benefits expected from a stem cell, including the endothelial progenitor cell that is the subject of hot pursuit.

"There are people who still dream that the prototypical progenitors for several components of the cardiovascular tree will be found and isolated. I decided to focus the analysis on the whole nonpurified cell population the blood as it is," said Nicanor Moldovan, senior author of the study and a research associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at The Ohio State University.

"Our method determines the contributions of all blood cells that serve the same function that an endothelial progenitor cell is supposed to. We can detect the presence of those cells and their signatures in a clinical sample without the need to isolate them."

The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Stem cells, including the still poorly understood endothelial progenitor cells, are sought-after because they have the potential to transform into many kinds of cells, suggesting that they could be used to replace damaged or missing cells as a treatment for multiple diseases.

By looking at gene activity patterns in blood, Moldovan and colleagues concluded that many cell types circulating throughout the body may protect and repair blood vessels a key to keeping the heart healthy.

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Stem cells in circulating blood affect cardiovascular health, study finds

Stem Cells in Circulating Blood Affect Cardiovascular Health

Released: 4/21/2014 8:55 AM EDT Embargo expired: 4/23/2014 5:00 PM EDT Source Newsroom: Ohio State University Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise COLUMBUS, Ohio New research suggests that attempts to isolate an elusive adult stem cell from blood to understand and potentially improve cardiovascular health a task considered possible but very difficult might not be necessary.

Instead, scientists have found that multiple types of cells with primitive characteristics circulating in the blood appear to provide the same benefits expected from a stem cell, including the endothelial progenitor cell that is the subject of hot pursuit.

There are people who still dream that the prototypical progenitors for several components of the cardiovascular tree will be found and isolated. I decided to focus the analysis on the whole nonpurified cell population the blood as it is, said Nicanor Moldovan, senior author of the study and a research associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at The Ohio State University.

Our method determines the contributions of all blood cells that serve the same function that an endothelial progenitor cell is supposed to. We can detect the presence of those cells and their signatures in a clinical sample without the need to isolate them.

The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Stem cells, including the still poorly understood endothelial progenitor cells, are sought-after because they have the potential to transform into many kinds of cells, suggesting that they could be used to replace damaged or missing cells as a treatment for multiple diseases.

By looking at gene activity patterns in blood, Moldovan and colleagues concluded that many cell types circulating throughout the body may protect and repair blood vessels a key to keeping the heart healthy.

The scientists also found that several types of blood cells retain so-called primitive properties. In this context, primitive is positive because these cells are the first line of defense against an injury and provide a continuous supply of repair tissue either directly or by telling local cells what to do.

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Stem Cells in Circulating Blood Affect Cardiovascular Health

Stem Cell Research – Stem Cell Treatments – Treatments …

COMPARE CORD BLOOD BANKS

Choosing the right stem cell bank for your family is rarely a quick decision. But when you review the facts, you may find it much easier than you expected. Keep Reading >

1. The collection of cord blood can only take place at the time of delivery, and advanced arrangements must be made.

Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord immediately after a babys birth, but generally before the placenta has been delivered. The moment of delivery is the only opportunity to harvest a newborns stem cells.

2. There is no risk and no pain for the mother or the baby.

The cord blood is taken from the cord once it has been clamped and cut. Collection is safe for both vaginal and cesarean deliveries. 3. The body often accepts cord blood stem cells better than those from bone marrow.

Cord blood stem cells have a high rate of engraftment, are more tolerant of HLA mismatches, result in a reduced rate of graft-versus-host disease, and are rarely contaminated with latent viruses.

4. Banked cord blood is readily accessible, and there when you need it.

Matched stem cells, which are necessary for transplant, are difficult to obtain due to strict matching requirements. If your childs cord blood is banked, no time is wasted in the search and matching process required when a transplant is needed. 5. Cells taken from your newborn are collected just once, and last for his or her lifetime.

For example, in the event your child contracts a disease, which must be treated with chemotherapy or radiation, there is a probability of a negative impact on the immune system. While an autologous (self) transplant may not be appropriate for every disease, there could be a benefit in using the preserved stem cells to bolster and repopulate your childs blood and immune system as a result of complications from other treatments.

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Stem Cell Research - Stem Cell Treatments - Treatments ...

A protein required for integrity of induced pluripotent stem cells

Cell reprogramming converts specialised cells such as nerve cells or skin cells towards an embryonic stem cell state. This reversal in the evolutionary development of cells also requires a reversal in the biology of telomeres, the structures that protect the ends of chromosomes; whilst under normal conditions telomeres shorten over time, during cell reprogramming they follow the opposite strategy and increase in length.

A study published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports, from the Cell Publishing Group, reveals that the SIRT1 protein is needed to lengthen and maintain telomeres during cell reprogramming. SIRT1 also guarantees the integrity of the genome of stem cells that come out of the cell reprogramming process; these cells are known as iPS cells (induced Pluripotent Stem cells).

The study has been carried out by the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre's Telomeres and Telomerase Group, in collaboration with the CNIO's Transgenic Mice Core Unit.

Since the Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka first obtained iPS cells from adult tissue in 2006, regenerative medicine has become one of the most exciting and rapidly developing fields in biomedicine. There is a very ambitious aim, given the ability to differentiate iPS cells into any type of cell; this would allow for the regeneration of organs damaged by diseases such as Alzheimer, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.

The nature of iPS cells however is causing intense debate. The latest research shows that chromosome aberrations and DNA damage can accumulate in these cells. "The problem is that we don't know if these cells are really safe," says Mara Luigia De Bonis, a postdoctoral researcher of the Telomeres and Telomerase Group who has done a large part of the work.

In 2009, the same CNIO laboratory discovered that telomeres increase in length during cell reprogramming (Marion et al., Cell Stem Cell, 2009); this increase is important as it allows stem cells to acquire the immortality that characterises them.

One year later, it was demonstrated that the levels of SIRT1 -- a protein belonging to the sirtuin family and that is involved in the maintenance of telomeres, genomic stability and DNA damage response -- are increased in embryonic stem cells. The question CNIO researchers asked was: is SIRT1 involved in cell reprogramming?

SAFER STEM CELLS

Employing mouse models and cell cultures as research tools in which SIRT1 had been removed, the team has discovered that this protein is necessary for reprogramming to occur correctly and safely."We observed cell reprogramming in the absence of SIRT1, but over time the produced iPS cells lengthen telomeres less efficiently and suffer from chromosome aberrations and DNA damage," says De Bonis. "SIRT1 helps iPS cells to remain healthy," she concludes.

The authors describe how this protective effect on iPS cells is, in part, mediated by the cMYC regulator. SIRT1 slows the degradationof cMYC, which results in an increase in telomerase (the enzyme that increases telomere length) in cells.

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A protein required for integrity of induced pluripotent stem cells

Stem Cells: Get Facts on Uses, Types, and Therapies

Stem cell facts Stem cells are primitive cells that have the potential to differentiate, or develop into, a variety of specific cell types. There are different types of stem cells based upon their origin and ability to differentiate. Bone marrow transplantation is an example of a stem cell therapy that is in widespread use. Research is underway to determine whether stem cell therapy may be useful in treating a wide variety of conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injury. What are stem cells?

Stem cells are cells that have the potential to develop into many different or specialized cell types. Stem cells can be thought of as primitive, "unspecialized" cells that are able to divide and become specialized cells of the body such as liver cells, muscle cells, blood cells, and other cells with specific functions. Stem cells are referred to as "undifferentiated" cells because they have not yet committed to a developmental path that will form a specific tissue or organ. The process of changing into a specific cell type is known as differentiation. In some areas of the body, stem cells divide regularly to renew and repair the existing tissue. The bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract are examples areas in which stem cells function to renew and repair tissue.

The best and most readily understood example of a stem cell in humans is that of the fertilized egg, or zygote. A zygote is a single cell that is formed by the union of a sperm and ovum. The sperm and the ovum each carry half of the genetic material required to form a new individual. Once that single cell or zygote starts dividing, it is known as an embryo. One cell becomes two, two become four, four become eight, eight to sixteen, and so on; doubling rapidly until it ultimately creates the entire sophisticated organism. That organism, a person, is an immensely complicated structure consisting of many, many, billions of cells with functions as diverse as those of your eyes, your heart, your immune system, the color of your skin, your brain, etc. All of the specialized cells that make up these body systems are descendants of the original zygote, a stem cell with the potential to ultimately develop into all kinds of body cells. The cells of a zygote are totipotent, meaning that they have the capacity to develop into any type of cell in the body.

The process by which stem cells commit to become differentiated, or specialized, cells is complex and involves the regulation of gene expression. Research is ongoing to further understand the molecular events and controls necessary for stem cells to become specialized cell types.

Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 1/23/2014

Stem Cells - Experience Question: Please describe your experience with stem cells.

Stem Cells - Umbilical Cord Question: Have you had your child's umbilical cord blood banked? Please share your experience.

Stem Cells - Available Therapies Question: Did you or someone you know have stem cell therapy? Please discuss your experience.

Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Stem Cells: Get Facts on Uses, Types, and Therapies