Fighting fat with fat: Stem cell discovery identifies potential obesity treatment

Public release date: 5-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Paddy Moore padmoore@ohri.ca 613-737-8899 x73687 Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

February 5, 2013OttawaOttawa scientists have discovered a trigger that turns muscle stem cells into brown fat, a form of good fat that could play a critical role in the fight against obesity. The findings from Dr. Michael Rudnicki's lab, based at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, were published today in the prestigious journal Cell Metabolism.

"This discovery significantly advances our ability to harness this good fat in the battle against bad fat and all the associated health risks that come with being overweight and obese," says Dr. Rudnicki, a senior scientist and director for the Regenerative Medicine Program and Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He is also a Canada Research Chair in Molecular Genetics and professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.

Globally, obesity is the fifth leading risk for death, with an estimated 2.8 million people dying every year from the effects of being overweight or obese, according to the World Health Organization. The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that 25% of Canadian adults are obese.

In 2007, Dr. Rudnicki led a team that was the first to prove the existence of adult skeletal muscle stem cells. In the paper published today, Dr. Rudnicki now shows (again for the first time) that these adult muscle stem cells not only have the ability to produce muscle fibres, but also to become brown fat. Brown fat is an energy-burning tissue that is important to the body's ability to keep warm and regulate temperature. In addition, more brown fat is associated with less obesity.

Perhaps more importantly, the paper identifies how adult muscle stem cells become brown fat. The key is a small gene regulator called microRNA-133, or miR-133. When miR-133 is present, the stem cells turn into muscle fibre; when reduced, the stem cells become brown fat.

Dr. Rudnicki's lab showed that adult mice injected with an agent to reduce miR-133, called an antisense oligonucleotide or ASO, produced more brown fat, were protected from obesity and had an improved ability to process glucose. In addition, the local injection into the hind leg muscle led to increased energy production throughout the bodyan effect observed after four months.

Using an ASO to treat disease by reducing the levels of specific microRNAs is a method that is already in human clinical trials. However, a potential treatment using miR-133 to combat obesity is still years away.

"While we are very excited by this breakthrough, we acknowledge that it's a first step," says Dr. Rudnicki. "There are still many questions to be answered, such as: Will it help adults who are already obese to lose weight? How should it be administered? How long do the effects last? Are there adverse effects we have not observed yet?"

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Fighting fat with fat: Stem cell discovery identifies potential obesity treatment

YaFarm Technologies, Inc. Announces It Has Signed a Definitive Agreement With The Integrative Stem Cell Institute

PITTSTON, ME--(Marketwire - Feb 5, 2013) - YaFarm Technologies, Inc. ( PINKSHEETS : YFRM ) (YaFarm, or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Integrative Stem Cell Institute (the ISCI). The ISCI is a pioneer in the field of cell-based regenerative medicine. Combining a world-class medical facility with a state-of-the-art laboratory, the ISCI provides investigational treatments to patients as part of clinical studies, while providing long-term follow up to advance these promising therapies. The acquisition of the ISCI provides the Company with an entry into stem cell research and treatment. With the advent of regenerative medicine, clinics such as the ISCI have taken the years of scientific research and started to apply them to treatment of patients.

YaFarm Technologies President Brian Hermenze stated, "Since the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka for their work in stem cell research, we are very excited about the synergies this acquisition will bring to the Company. The ISCI has been providing point-of-care therapies to patients for over a year and operates at an internationally recognized medical facility accredited by both the Joint Commission and Accreditation Canada International. With a seasoned and successful management team in place, we believe we are creating an organization that has the capabilities to understand and support the many facets of the stem cell industry. We believe that there will be significant growth opportunities in stem cell research and treatment in the near future, and it is our intent to capitalize on them."

Juan Castillo, MD, founder of the ISCI, said, "Physicians from around the world have shown that cells may have a tremendous impact on such chronic and debilitating diseases as diabetes, Parkinson's disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)." Dr. Castillo continued, "The ISCI provides quality patient care and a uniquely integrated medical community. Our patients, physicians and researchers work together to provide access to innovative, point-of-care, cell-based therapies, while evidencing the regenerative capabilities of cell medicine, and delivering on the promise of adult stem cell therapies."

In addition, the Company has received final approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for a 4 for 1 forward stock split.To receive the dividend the investor must be a registered shareholder of record on the Company's books on or before the record date of January 18, 2013. Shareholders who were not registered as of this date will not receive the dividend. Shares of YaFarm began trading ex-dividend on January 22, 2013.

YaFarm Technologies currently has 49,857,368 shares issued and outstanding. Of the issued and outstanding, the current public float is 17,908,975 and 31,948,393 shares are restricted.

About The Integrative Stem Cell Institute (ISCI)

The Integrative Stem Cell Institute (ISCI) is a premier provider of point-of-care, stem cell-based therapies for patients from around the world. With a state of the art laboratory housed within the Hospital Galenia in Cancun, Mexico, the ISCI combines the most advanced scientific application of stem cells with second to none medical care within the structure of adaptive clinical trials to effectively track long term outcomes and assure patient safety.

More information on The Integrative Stem Cell Institute is available on the company's website at http://www.iscelli.com

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections.Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified.This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties to which forward looking statements are subject include, but are not limited to, the effect of government regulation, competition, adequate financing, and other material risks. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the statements made herein.

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YaFarm Technologies, Inc. Announces It Has Signed a Definitive Agreement With The Integrative Stem Cell Institute

YaFarm Technologies, Inc. Announces a Definitive Agreement With The Integrative Stem Cell Institute

PITTSTON, ME--(Marketwire - Feb 5, 2013) - YaFarm Technologies, Inc. ( PINKSHEETS : YFRM ) (YaFarm, or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Integrative Stem Cell Institute (the ISCI). The ISCI is a pioneer in the field of cell-based regenerative medicine. Combining a world-class medical facility with a state-of-the-art laboratory, the ISCI provides investigational treatments to patients as part of clinical studies, while providing long-term follow up to advance these promising therapies. The acquisition of the ISCI provides the Company with an entre into stem cell research and treatment. With the advent of regenerative medicine, clinics such as the ISCI have taken the years of scientific research and started to apply them to treatment of patients.

YaFarm Technologies CEO Brian Hermenze stated, "Since the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka for their work in stem cell research, we are very excited about the synergies this acquisition will bring to the Company. The ISCI has been providing point-of-care therapies to patients for over a year and operates at an internationally recognized medical facility accredited by both the Joint Commission and Accreditation Canada International. With a seasoned and successful management team in place, we believe we are creating an organization that has the capabilities to understand and support the many facets of the stem cell industry. We believe that there will be significant growth opportunities in stem cell research and treatment in the near future, and it is our intent to capitalize on them."

Juan Castillo, MD, founder of the ISCI said, "Physicians from around the world have shown that cells may have a tremendous impact on such chronic and debilitating diseases as diabetes, Parkinson's disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)." Dr. Castillo continued, "The ISCI provides quality patient care and a uniquely integrated medical community. Our patients, physicians and researchers work together to provide access to innovative, point-of-care, cell-based therapies, while evidencing the regenerative capabilities of cell medicine, and delivering on the promise of adult stem cell therapies."

In addition, the Company has received final approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for a 4 for 1 forward stock split.To receive the dividend the investor must be a registered shareholder of record on the Company's books on or before the record date of January 18, 2013. Shareholders who were not registered as of this date will not receive the dividend. Shares of YaFarm began trading ex-dividend on January 22, 2013.

YaFarm Technologies currently has 49,857,368 shares issued and outstanding. Of the issued and outstanding, the current public float is 17,908,975 and 31,948,393 shares are restricted.

About Integrative Stem Cell Institute (ISCI)The Integrative Stem Cell Institute (ISCI) is a premier provider of point-of-care, stem cell-based therapies for patients from around the world. With a state of the art laboratory housed within the Hospital Galenia in Cancun, Mexico, the ISCI combines the most advanced scientific application of stem cells with second to none medical care within the structure of adaptive clinical trials to effectively track long term outcomes and assure patient safety.

More information on The Integrative Stem Cell Institute is available on the company's website atwww.iscelli.com.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections.Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified.This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties to which forward looking statements are subject include, but are not limited to, the effect of government regulation, competition, adequate financing, and other material risks. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the statements made herein.

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YaFarm Technologies, Inc. Announces a Definitive Agreement With The Integrative Stem Cell Institute

Febe, a Scleroderma Patient, Starts New Life After Receiving a Stem Cell Treatment at World Stem Cells Clinic in Cancun

Febe's family was told by doctors there was nothing they could do and to take her home to die, says her emotional son as he relates her story. That all changed when they met Dr. Sylvia Abblitt at World Stem Cells Clinic and received a stem cell treatment.

Lutz, FL (PRWEB) February 02, 2013

In the case of Febe, she and her son related the story that Febe was near death with her only option being a feeding tube and oxygen and a slow deteriorate and then a painful death. She was isolated from her family and unable to join in family functions and events then Febe and son said they met an angel named Dr. Sylvia Abblitt at World Stem Cells Clinic and that was the start of a new life for Febe and her family. After the treatment she began to get stronger, had more energy, better skin texture, able to eat food, and her breathing became normal. Not only did it change her interactions with the family but she began to work full time and ran for Mexican congress and her son says she has more energy and act younger than him as he smiles at her. She now live a normal life working every day to meet or exceed her goals and the painful and tragic past is fading but is always present driving her to more accomplishments and understand of lifes value.

Scleroderma http://worldstemcells.com/stem-cell-therapy-scleroderma.html is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease (primarily of the skin -"derma") characterized by fibrosis (or hardening -"sclero"), vascular alterations, and auto antibodies. Scleroderma is a connective tissue disease that involves changes in the skin, blood vessels, muscles, and internal organs. It is a type of autoimmune disorder, a condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue.

Although World Stems Clinic in Cancun has had great success in stem cell treatments of Scleroderma with their approach, which includes stimulation prior to collection, processing and expansion of the cell along with the use of growth factors together with an integrated medical approach to maximize the implantation potentials and optimize the potentials of making changes in the patients disease. Not all patients receive the dramatic life altering rejuvenation and outcome of Febe but may receive benefits that can increase their quality of life.

Our clinic and laboratory were designed, built and are operated under the stringent guidelines as established by The International Cellular Medical Society (ICMS) and the US Federal Drug Administrations Good Tissue Practice (cGTP)regulations for pharmaceutical, biologics and clinical laboratories. Our strict adherence to these established guidelines and policies guarantees the highest quality of clinical care and stem cell treatment safety for you.

At World Stem Cells Clinic we continually try to improve our patients outcomes with research and by creating new cells and protocols.

Colleen Powers World Stem Cells, LLC (800)234-1693 Email Information

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Febe, a Scleroderma Patient, Starts New Life After Receiving a Stem Cell Treatment at World Stem Cells Clinic in Cancun

CellTex Says It's Moving Its Stem Cell Business to Mexico

CellTex Therapeutics, the Houston company that opened one of the first commercial stem-cell labs in the country in 2011, then closed it after a warning from regulators last fall, issued surprising news this week. The company sent its patients a cheery e-mail saying that it is going to be working with doctors in Mexicoinstead of the U.S.to provide its unapproved treatment.

We are happy to report we are bringing this technology to Mexico, CellTex wrote in its note. We anticipate that we will be able to offer our stem cell therapy services to physicians in Mexico starting very soon! These winter-time trips to beautiful, sunny locations in Mexico to build these relationships have been an added benefit! The company declined to comment further.

CellTex, whose adventures I chronicled early in January, also said it is opening a new research lab in Houston (its original lab had been cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for having major manufacturing problems) and hoped to begin clinical trials under FDA supervision. Looks like the showdown with the feds is over for now.

CellTex had been charging patients up to $30,000 for its treatments. First, a doctor would remove two teaspoons of fat from a patients abdomen. Then lab technicians would extract about 250,000 adult stem cells, multiply them in a medium, and freeze and store them in vials. Some time later a doctor would give the stem cells to the patient intravenously200 million stem cells a week for three weeks. Theres no word as to how much money new patients will have to pay to be treated in those beautiful sunny locations in Mexico.

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CellTex Says It's Moving Its Stem Cell Business to Mexico

FDA Challenges Stem Cell Companies As Patients Run Out Of Time

Scientists have seen promise in the potential of stem cells, but not everyone agrees stem cell replacement therapy is ready for prime time.

Americans seeking stem cell replacement therapy hope the process can heal them of myriad diseases, and a 2011 report by the Baker Institute estimated the industry could bring in $16 billion in revenue by 2020.

But the Food and Drug Administration has expressed concerns. The agency sued to stop treatments at a Regenerative Sciences clinic in Colorado and closed the lab of another company, Celltex Therapeutics, in Texas.

While patients in dire situations are willing to try the therapy (and pay the hefty costs), there's concern the research doesn't support broad practice just yet.

Running Out Of Options

SammyJo Wilkinson remembers the day 18 years ago when she suddenly couldn't stand. She was a young, ambitious computer programmer, launching an Internet startup.

Her doctor told her it was secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Now, at 48, Wilkinson is in a wheelchair. She's tried every available FDA-approved drug and two experimental therapies, including a two-year course of chemotherapy. Nothing worked.

Over time, she started researching adult stem cell replacement, but it was available only abroad. The U.S. opened its doors to the treatment two years ago.

Wilkinson had to see a doctor first, but then she paid Celltex $28,000 for stem cell replacement. In a nutshell, the company promises to remove good, healthy stem cells; store them; make more; and put them back into her body where they can help her heal.

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FDA Challenges Stem Cell Companies As Patients Run Out Of Time

Beauty Innovation: Young-looking skin with stem cell therapy

Admit it or not, as you age your skin starts showing signs that you would rather hide. Spots, wrinkles, and even crow's feet are just some of those signs that you would camouflage with makeup and skin creams to make them disappear-temporarily. But fear not, for beauty experts have discovered that stem cell treatment can also help in maintaining youthful skin.

According to Ma Fe Doria, a skin care expert, stem cell therapy is an intervention strategy that introduces new adult stem cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury. As many may be aware, the most popular stem cell treatment is in Germany, where lots of celebrities and personalities (i.e. politicians) have flown to have stem cell injections for their ailments, using cells mostly harvested from the sheep. According to those who have undergone the procedure, the treatments have improved their body and the pains they've experienced have disappeared.

Today, many medical researchers continue to do experiments to determine if stem cell can help in curing various types of ailments from cancer to diabetes, which doctors have said may not be far behind. Aside from its healing benefits, stem cell is now being used by the beauty industry. Many cosmetic and beauty centers have started offering stem cell injections for the face, which is said to regenerate the skin where the cells are injected. While some continue to use sheep cells, plant and fat stem cells are now becoming the popular alternatives, with the fat stem cells being used to heal wounds, improve scars, and rejuvenate the skin.

But stem cell treatment is not cheap. Those who can afford it need to fly out of the country to avail of the treatment. Realizing the need in the market, Flawless Facial Center partnered with a local industry leader to produce Flawless' Stem Cell line, which uses the potent power of plant stem cells. Dubbed as the "superfood for the skin," Flawless' Stem Cell line is the epitome of skin nutrition.

"This new range of products allowed us to mark several milestones not just for Flawless but for the local beauty industry. Once again, we have taken something that, for the longest time, has remained exclusive to celebrities and other influential people, and made it affordable for the regular Juan and Juana," says Flawless ceo Ruby Sy.

For P2,500, the line includes a cleanser, day cream, and night serum. Flawless' Stem Cell line utilizes the plant stem cell technology to achieve the skin's youthful appearance by protecting it against oxidative stress and boosting the skin's repair and rejuvenation systems. "Times have really changed. No thanks to free radicals that are present in almost everything around us-from the food we eat to the air we breathe-people today age so much faster. This is especially true for people who like to spend late nights partying or spend too much time in front of the [TV/computer] monitor. Various studies have proven time and again the harmful effects such activities have on our skin," Sy said.

But with Flawless' latest baby, you can say goodbye to those ugly marks on your face. The Stem Cell line promises to solve all these, and more, by providing your skin with the right amount of nutrition and protection. Indeed, youthful glow is not only safe and available in a bottle, it's also now within reach of your pocket.

Go to http://www.flawless.com.ph for

store locations

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Beauty Innovation: Young-looking skin with stem cell therapy

Kan. kangaroo gets stem cell treatment

SALINA, Kan. (AP) - A kangaroo at a central Kansas wildlife refuge has undergone a stem cell treatment to repair an injured leg.

The Salina Journal reports (http://bit.ly/WDe3ar ) that vets at Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure performed the procedure Wednesday on the 6-year-old female red kangaroo.

The operation was performed by Dr. Danelle Okeson, the zoo's veterinarian, and Dr. Larry Snyder, veterinarian from the University Bird and Small Animal Clinic in Topeka.

The procedure was intended to regenerate a damaged joint that was causing the kangaroo to hobble around on one leg and her tail.

Snyder says stem cell therapy has been a viable treatment for humans for decades but has only recently been used on animals, mostly house pets and horses.

A refuge official says it may take days for zoo officials to notice any improvement.

Information from: The Salina (Kan.) Journal, http://www.salina.com

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Kan. kangaroo gets stem cell treatment

Health Canada Approves ADCETRIS® (Brentuximab Vedotin) for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma …

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (SGEN) today announced that Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance with conditions (NOC/c), authorizing marketing of ADCETRIS for two lymphoma indications: (1) the treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after failure of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or after failure of at least two multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates, and (2) the treatment of patients with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) after failure of at least one multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. The indications for ADCETRIS were authorized based on promising response rates demonstrated in single-arm trials. No data demonstrate increased survival with ADCETRIS.

We are focused on making ADCETRIS available globally to all eligible patients with relapsed HL and sALCL. The approval of ADCETRIS in Canada, as well as the recent approval in the European Union, are important milestones to accomplish this goal, said Clay B. Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. Now that Health Canada has approved ADCETRIS, we are committed to working closely with public and private insurers to secure reimbursement coverage for patients in Canada.

The approval of ADCETRIS in Canada marks a significant milestone for patients with relapsed HL or sALCL who have had few new treatment options in several decades, Joseph M. Connors, M.D., FRCPC, Clinical Director, Center for Lymphoid Cancer at BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver, Canada.

Health Canada grants NOC/c, a form of market approval, on the basis of promising evidence of clinical effectiveness, for products intended for the treatment of serious, life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses that meet a serious unmet medical need or demonstrate a significant improvement in the benefit/risk profile over existing therapies. Conditions associated with market authorization under the NOC/c policy include a requirement that Seattle Genetics conduct clinical trials designed to confirm the anticipated clinical benefit of ADCETRIS in these patients. Two confirmatory phase III clinical trials evaluating ADCETRIS in the front-line treatment setting of HL and mature T-cell lymphoma (MTCL), including sALCL, are currently underway and enrolling patients.

ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) was issued marketing authorization under the NOC/c policy based on results from a single-arm, phase II pivotal trial in HL patients with relapsed or refractory disease following an ASCT and a single-arm, phase II pivotal trial in relapsed or refractory sALCL patients. ADCETRIS is administered in hospitals through IV infusion over 30 minutes every three weeks and patients who achieve stable disease or better should receive a minimum of 8 cycles and up to a maximum of 16 cycles (approximately one year).

ADCETRIS is the first in a new class of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to be approved in Canada. Using Seattle Genetics proprietary technology, the ADC consists of a monoclonal antibody directed to an antigen called CD30. The monoclonal antibody is connected to a cell-killing agent by a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release the cell-killing agent into CD30-expressing cells, resulting in target cell death. The CD30 antigen is known to be expressed on the Reed-Sternberg cells of HL and on sALCL, an aggressive type of T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Health Canadas approval of ADCETRIS is the first step in getting patients access to this important therapy, said Sue Robson, Executive Director of Lymphoma Foundation Canada. The Lymphoma Foundation is committed to working with Canada provincial governments to ensure that appropriate patients have access to this new therapy.

About Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. There are two major categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hodgkin lymphoma is distinguished from other types of lymphoma by the presence of one characteristic type of cell, known as the Reed-Sternberg cell. The Reed-Sternberg cell generally expresses CD30. Systemic ALCL is an aggressive type of T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that also expresses CD30.

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Health Canada Approves ADCETRIS® (Brentuximab Vedotin) for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma ...

Controversial Stem-Cell Company Moves Treatment out of U.S.

Celltex Therapeutics of Houston ceased treatment patients in the U.S. last year after a warning from regulators, and will now send patients for treatments to Mexico

By David Cyranoski and Nature magazine

Relations have soured between Celltex and RNL Bio since December 2011 when they launched their stem-cell bank in Sugar Land, Texas. Pictured: human neural stem cells from fetal cortex. Image: Flickr/GE Healthcare

US citizens who had pinned their hopes on a company being able to offer stem-cell treatments close to home will now need to travel a little farther. Celltex Therapeutics of Houston, Texas, stopped treating patients in the United States last year following a warning from regulators. A 25 January e-mail to Celltex customers indicates that the firm will now follow in the footsteps of many other companies offering unproven stem-cell therapies and send its patients abroad for treatment but only to Mexico.

The stem-cell treatments offered by Celltex involved extracting adult stem cells from a patient, culturing them and then reinjecting them in a bid to replenish damaged tissue. It had been offering the treatment for more than a year with one of its high-profile customers being Texas governor, Rick Perry when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wrote to the company on 24 September 2012 advising it that the stem cells it harvested and grew were more than minimally manipulated during Celltex's procedures. As such, the FDA regarded the cells as drugs, which would require the agency's approval to be used in treatments. The FDA also warned that Celltex had failed to address problems in its cell processing that inspectors from the agency had identified in an April 2012 inspection of its cell bank in Sugar Land, Texas. Shortly after it received the letter, Celltex stopped injecting stem cells into patients.

For customers who still had cells banked at Celltex and were wondering how to get them out, things became more chaotic when Celltex and RNL Bio, a company based in Seoul, South Korea, which operated the processing center and bank in Sugar Land, sued each other over financial disagreements. Celltex had to issue a restraining order just to gain access to the cells.

The January e-mail from Celltex reassures customers that their cells are safely stored in a facility in Houston and adds: We anticipate that we will be able to offer our stem cell therapy services to physicians in Mexico starting very soon! The e-mail also says that the company is building a new laboratory in Houston, to be opened in March.

Celltex adds that it will carry out an FDA-approved clinical trial, to start shortly after a March meeting with the FDA, pending a positive review from the regulator. However, the company had said in a 25 October e-mail to patients that it would start such a trial within two months and that patient enrolment could begin in late November.

Leigh Turner, a bioethicist at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, says that the move to Mexico is "not surprising", given the companys difficulties in the United States.

As Celltex's stem culturing and banking technology was licensed from RNL Bio, it is also not clear whether it has the expertise needed to launch a clinical trial on its own, says Turner. "It would have to build a stem-cell company from the ground floor up. I wouldnt say it is anywhere near the starting line."

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Controversial Stem-Cell Company Moves Treatment out of U.S.