Research and Markets: Stem Cell Research in India 2012

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/t2whtl/stem_cell_research) has announced the addition of the "Stem Cell Research in India 2012" report to their offering.

The stem cell research in India is in its nascent stage and is gradually on a growth path of acceptance by people. The market is still in a phase of conducting research to establish itself as one of the best therapies for the widely prevalent incurable lifestyle diseases. Awareness campaigns and doctors are playing a key role educating people and especially would-be parents about the benefits associated with preserving stem cells.

The report begins with the introduction section which offers a brief insight of the concept of stem cell therapy and banking, the conventional sources of stem cells and the current and future therapeutic solutions for the most risky diseases. It then moves to the market overview section which provides an insight of the Indian stem cell therapy market, with highlight on the market size and growth. It also covers the market size and growth prospect of the stem cell banking market in India. In addition to these, the report gives a snapshot of the current and expected stem cell banking customers.

An analysis of the drivers explains the factors for growth of the industry that include favourable regulatory environment, high patient population, stem cell application in drug development, rising consumer awareness, a rise in medical tourism and an increase in research and development expenditure to ensure stem cell therapy as a viable treatment for the numerous diseases. The key challenges include high cost of therapy, capital intensive market and high development costs of stem cell resulting in slow progress of the market.

Companies Mentioned

- Cyrobanks International India Private Limited

- LifeCell International Private Limited

- Pathcare Labs (P) Limited

- Reliance Life Sciences Private Limited

See more here:
Research and Markets: Stem Cell Research in India 2012

FDA approves clinical trials for new stem cell therapy for heart attack patients

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A scientist holds a tray of stem cells.

Federal authorities have given the go-ahead to human trials that will use a new stem cell treatment to repair heart attack damage.

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles led the study into this new stem-cell-based treatment that helps to repair damage that cardiac arrest inflicts on heart muscle.

While preliminary therapies derived from a patients own cells have shown to reduce heart attack scarring, this new therapy would treat victims with human stem cells that are mass-replicated in a lab.

Research into the new therapy was supported by a $5.5 million grant from CIRM the California stem cell agency that was created by voter-approved Proposition 71. This success marks the first time research by a CIRM-funded disease team has resulted in the FDA approving a potential new drug for clinical trials in humans.

Researchers say that, if its ultimately approved by the FDA, the new therapy could help the hundreds of thousands of Americans who each year have heart attacks.

Continue reading here:
FDA approves clinical trials for new stem cell therapy for heart attack patients

Stem Cell Transplant Recipients – Rabbit Antibodies Help Leukemia Patients

Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma Also Included In: Transplants / Organ Donations Article Date: 11 Jul 2012 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Stem Cell Transplant Recipients - Rabbit Antibodies Help Leukemia Patients

During the study, led by Amir Toor, M.D., hematologist-oncologist in the Bone Marrow Transplant Program and member of the Developmental Therapeutics program at VCU Massey Cancer Center, researchers viewed the outcomes of 48 patients who received a transplant of stem cells from a related donor to the outcomes of 50 patients who alternatively received rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) before being given a transplant of stem cells from an unrelated donor.

This study has been published in Bone Marrow Transplantation

The results showed similar outcomes for both groups in terms of relapse, mortality, and development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a common occurrence that can happen when a transplant is inserted and the new material clashes with the recipient's body.

When the patients were followed up at 35 months, 50% of the ATG group and 63% of the no ATG group were still alive. Generally, unrelated stem cell transplants typically have significantly poorer outcomes.

Toor says:

Thus, being able to provide improved outcomes using stem cell transplants from unrelated donors offers many blood cancer patients the chance of longer survival.

The results of this particular study showed no survival differences between the two groups, regardless of diagnosis or age.

Incidences of GVHD and relapse rates were also seen to be similar. Transplants using unrelated stem cell donors are generally considered high-risk treatments because of previous reports of disease relapse and GVHD. Also noticed were the higher rate of infections in patients who received the highest rate of ATG, but that risk disappeared in patients with a lower level of ATG.

Continued here:
Stem Cell Transplant Recipients - Rabbit Antibodies Help Leukemia Patients

Mesoblast Interview: The Best Adult Stem Cell Technology In The World?

Mesoblast (MSB.AX) (OTC:MEOBF) CEO Silviu Itesu speaks on his company`s adult stem cell technology, particularly mesenchymal precursor cells, and the low-cost manufacturing capabilities that the technology implies. Itesu discusses development compound Revascor for use in congestive heart failure and details the latest Phase II results. In 60 patients the drug saw no adverse events and a 0% event rate (hospital visits, mortality) compared to 20% in a control group; the company is planning to initiate a 1500-patient Phase III study in the coming few months. The trials are funded entirely by Teva (TEVA), says Itesu, but the company`s financial situation would allow for a few years of `solo` operation.

Itesu briefly compares Mesoblast`s production strategies to those of Dendreon`s (DNDN) Provenge, and explains how Mesoblast`s production will be significantly less expensive. The conversation also covers two more pipeline products, a Type-2 diabetes treatment and an intervertebral disc treatment, both of which have shown promising results in Phase II studies.

Click Here to view our video interview of Mesoblast CEO Silviu Itesu.

About PropThink

PropThink is an intelligence service that delivers long and short trading ideas to investors in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. Our focus is on identifying and analyzing technically-complicated companies and equities that are grossly over or under-valued. We offer daily market coverage, weekly feature stories, and a newsletter to investors who subscribe on PropThink.com. To learn more visit us at http://propthink.com

The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: PropThink via Thomson Reuters ONE HUG#1625942

The rest is here:
Mesoblast Interview: The Best Adult Stem Cell Technology In The World?

First case of alleged stem-cell fraud enters US courts

The days of "stem-cell tourism" could be numbered. Six residents of Los Angeles, California, are suing South Korean company RNL Bio and associates in a Californian court for alleged fraud. They claim the company convinced them to travel to clinics in South Korea, China or Mexico to donate fat tissue and have stem cells from it re-administered to cure diseases and even reverse ageing.

Stem cells hold great medical promise, but only one treatment is licensed in the US and that is for a rare blood disorder. Others are experimental and it is illegal to offer them commercially. Yet some companies still tout stem-cell "cures" that are carried out outside the US. RNL Bio calls its fat-tissue stem cells "safe technologies" for treating various disorders.

There have been protests against these treatments for years, but this is the first civil lawsuit for damages, says Paul Knoepfler of the University of California at Davis. It "serves notice to the purveyors of unproven stem-cell treatments" that they may face litigation if they market in the US, says Bernard Siegel of the Genetics Policy Institute, a stem-cell watchdog in Palm Beach, Florida.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Original post:
First case of alleged stem-cell fraud enters US courts

Arthritis stem cell jab 'could ease pain for millions'

Stem cells taken from stomach fat and used to regenerate knee tissue Charity chief says therapy potentially 'transformational'

By Claire Bates

PUBLISHED: 05:15 EST, 10 July 2012 | UPDATED: 08:23 EST, 10 July 2012

An injection of stem cells taken from body fat could one day help patients recover from crippling osteoarthritis.

The treatment, which has been successfully trialled on animals, helps the body regrow tissue and cartilage that has been damaged by the degenerative condition.

Although still at an experimental stage, experts say the therapy could be 'transformational' for the six million people in the UK who suffer from the condition.

Osteoarthritis occurs when there is damage in and around a joint which the body cannot repair

Early results suggest the treatment, from Australian company Regeneus, could delay the need for joint repair by 10 or 20 years. There is the possibility that it could stop the disease's progression altogether if caught early.

Judith Brodie, chief executive of Arthritis Care, told Mail Online: 'This new stem cell therapy, if the trials continue to show success, could be transformational.

'While the long-term effects are unknown, and there should be caution due to the early stage of development, Arthritis Care welcomes progress in treating this painful condition.'

Continue reading here:
Arthritis stem cell jab 'could ease pain for millions'

Fort Myers doctor reaching settlement with state in stem cell patient's death

K.K.Yankopolus

Photo by Allie Garza

Dr. Zannos Grekos, a cardiologist whose practice is in Bonita Springs, speaks with a seminar attendant after one of his educational seminars about stem cell treatment, using one's own stem cells, for treating heart disease and other medical conditions, on Monday, March 14, 2011, at the Collier County Library. Allie Garza/Staff

FORT MYERS A Fort Myers physician whose license was restricted for his involvement in a controversial stem cell treatment on a patient who died has a settlement in the works with state regulators.

Terms of the deal between Dr. Konstantine Yankopolus and the Florida Department of Health weren't immediately available Monday.

"It's in draft form," said Yankopolus' attorney, Steven Ramunni, of Fort Myers.

Yankopolus said Monday he expects the restriction on his license to be lifted soon.

"I want to stay in the world of service," he said. "Let's move on."

An obstetrician for years before switching to a general practice, Yankopolus assisted Dr. Zannos Grekos, a Bonita Springs cardiologist, on March 2 in a stem cell procedure on a 77-year-old Indiana man. The patient, Richard Poling, came to Grekos for stem cell treatment against his pulmonary hypertension.

Grekos accepted the patient even though he was under a 2011 state order not to do anything with stem cells or bone marrow aspirate in his Bonita Springs practice. The order came after the death of a breast cancer patient treated by Grekos, who had developed a following for sending patients to the Dominican Republic for stem cell procedures for their chronic medical conditions.

More here:
Fort Myers doctor reaching settlement with state in stem cell patient's death

Capricor Announces FDA Approval To Initiate ALLSTAR Trial of Allogeneic Stem Cell Therapy In Patients Following Heart …

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Capricor, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company focused on regenerative medicine, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved initiation of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for the ALLSTAR study, which will use allogeneic cardiac-derived stem cells (CDCs) to treat patients following large myocardial infarctions (MI).

ALLSTAR will study the use of CAP-1002 delivered directly into a coronary artery from thirty days to one year following a heart attack. The trial will have a 14 patient lead in phase and is planned as a 260 patient, twenty center randomized controlled trial. ALLSTAR will study a variety of safety and effectiveness endpoints with the goal of demonstrating sufficiently strong data to permit an eventual Phase III trial as a path to commercialization of CAP-1002.

ALLSTAR is predicated on the positive results of the landmark CADUCEUS trial that showed approximately 50 percent reduction of scar size and 50 percent more viable muscle in the infarction zones of patients studied one year after a heart attack. ALLSTAR will use donor cells whereas CADUCEUS used each patients own CDCs. The shift from autologous to allogeneic cells is supported by extensive pre-clinical evidence of safety and effectiveness and is expected to expand the market opportunity as well as to reduce the costs for treatment.

"IND approval for ALLSTAR is another major milestone for Capricor as we continue to develop cardiac-derived stem cells for the treatment of heart disease," said Linda Marbn, Ph.D., CEO of Capricor. "There are greater than 6 million people in the US living with heart failure, and that number continues to rise as heart disease remains the number one killer. Capricors CDCs represent a novel treatment to repair the heart after muscle loss following large heart attacks through the regeneration of heart muscle and the shrinking of scar tissue. Our ultimate goal will be to demonstrate that muscle regeneration in these patients will result in clinically meaningful improvements to their lives."

"This is terrific news, says Ellen Feigal, M.D., Senior Vice President for Research and Development at Californias stem cell agency, CIRM. This is the first time a Disease Team funded by CIRM has been given an Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from the FDA, a critical step in testing promising therapies in patients. Its a reflection of the progress being made in turning promising therapies into real-world treatments.

Capricor has asked CIRM to assist in the funding of a portion of ALLSTAR. Capricor was founded Baltimore and moved to California almost five years ago in part because of the environment that CIRM has created to foster stem cell research in this state. We are grateful to have received the seed support from CIRM that has funded a portion of our research. Our mission is to develop meaningful treatments for patients suffering from heart disease and to grow Capricor into a major California biotechnology company, said Linda Marbn.

About CAP-1002

CAP-1002, Capricor's lead candidate, is a proprietary allogeneic adult stem cell product for the treatment of myocardial infarction. The product contains multiple progenitor cells and is derived from donor heart tissue. The cells are multiplied in the laboratory using a specialized process, and then introduced directly into a patients heart via infusion in a coronary artery at the time of standard cardiac catherization.

About Capricor, Inc.

See the original post:
Capricor Announces FDA Approval To Initiate ALLSTAR Trial of Allogeneic Stem Cell Therapy In Patients Following Heart ...

UCLA researcher discovers epigenetic links in cell-fate decisions of adult stem cells

Public release date: 6-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Brianna Deane bdeane@dentistry.ucla.edu 310-206-0835 University of California - Los Angeles

The ability to control whether certain stem cells ultimately become bone cells holds great promise for regenerative medicine and potential therapies aimed at treating metabolic bone diseases.

Now, UCLA School of Dentistry professor and leading cancer scientist Dr. Cun-Yu Wang and his research team have made a significant breakthrough in that direction. The scientists have discovered two key epigenetic regulating genes that govern the cell-fate determination of human bone marrow stem cells.

Wang's new research is featured on the cover of the July 6 issue of Cell Stem Cell, the affiliated journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

The groundbreaking study grew out of Wang's desire to better understand the epigenetic regulation of stem cell differentiation, in which the structure of genes is modified while the sequence of the DNA is not. He and his team found that KDM4B and KDM6B, two gene-activating enzymes, can promote stem cells' differentiation into bone cells by removing methyl markers from histone proteins. This process occurs through the activation of certain genes favoring a commitment to one lineage and the concurrent deactivation of genes favoring other lineages.

The findings imply that chemical manipulation of these gene-activating enzymes may allow stem cells to differentiate specifically into bone cells, while inhibiting their differentiation into fat cells. The group's research could pave the way toward identifying potential therapeutic targets for stem cellmediated regenerative medicine, as well as the treatment of bone disorders like osteoporosis, the most common type of metabolic bone disease.

"Through our recent discoveries on the lineage decisions of human bone marrow stem cells, we may be more effective in utilizing these stem cells for regenerative medicine for bone diseases such as osteoporosis, as well as for bone reconstruction," Wang said. "However, while we know certain genes must be turned on in order for the cells to become bone-forming cells, as opposed to fat cells, we have only a few clues as to how those genes are switched on."

The research group, through its study of aging mice, found that the two enzymes KDM4B and KDM6B could specifically activate genes that promote stem cell differentiation toward bone, while blocking the route toward fat.

"Interestingly, in our aged mice, as well as osteoporotic mice, we observed a higher amount of silencing histone methyl groups which were normally removed by the enzymes KDM4B and KDM6B in young and healthier mice," Wang said. "And since these enzymes can be easily modified chemically, they may become potential therapeutic targets in tissue regeneration and treatment for osteoporosis."

Read the original:
UCLA researcher discovers epigenetic links in cell-fate decisions of adult stem cells

Discovery of epigenetic links in cell-fate decisions of adult stem cells paves way for new osteoporosis treatments

ScienceDaily (July 9, 2012) The ability to control whether certain stem cells ultimately become bone cells holds great promise for regenerative medicine and potential therapies aimed at treating metabolic bone diseases.

Now, UCLA School of Dentistry professor and leading cancer scientist Dr. Cun-Yu Wang and his research team have made a significant breakthrough in that direction. The scientists have discovered two key epigenetic regulating genes that govern the cell-fate determination of human bone marrow stem cells.

Wang's new research is featured on the cover of the July 6 issue of Cell Stem Cell, the affiliated journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

The groundbreaking study grew out of Wang's desire to better understand the epigenetic regulation of stem cell differentiation, in which the structure of genes is modified while the sequence of the DNA is not. He and his team found that KDM4B and KDM6B, two gene-activating enzymes, can promote stem cells' differentiation into bone cells by removing methyl markers from histone proteins. This process occurs through the activation of certain genes favoring a commitment to one lineage and the concurrent deactivation of genes favoring other lineages.

The findings imply that chemical manipulation of these gene-activating enzymes may allow stem cells to differentiate specifically into bone cells, while inhibiting their differentiation into fat cells. The group's research could pave the way toward identifying potential therapeutic targets for stem cell-mediated regenerative medicine, as well as the treatment of bone disorders like osteoporosis, the most common type of metabolic bone disease.

"Through our recent discoveries on the lineage decisions of human bone marrow stem cells, we may be more effective in utilizing these stem cells for regenerative medicine for bone diseases such as osteoporosis, as well as for bone reconstruction," Wang said. "However, while we know certain genes must be turned on in order for the cells to become bone-forming cells, as opposed to fat cells, we have only a few clues as to how those genes are switched on."

The research group, through its study of aging mice, found that the two enzymes KDM4B and KDM6B could specifically activate genes that promote stem cell differentiation toward bone, while blocking the route toward fat.

"Interestingly, in our aged mice, as well as osteoporotic mice, we observed a higher amount of silencing histone methyl groups which were normally removed by the enzymes KDM4B and KDM6B in young and healthier mice," Wang said. "And since these enzymes can be easily modified chemically, they may become potential therapeutic targets in tissue regeneration and treatment for osteoporosis."

"The discovery that Dr. Wang and his team have made has considerable implications for craniofacial bone regeneration and treatment for osteoporosis," said Dr. No-Hee Park, dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry. "As a large portion of our population reaches an age where osteoporosis and gum disease could be major health problems, advancements in aging-related treatment are very valuable."

Professor Wang holds the No-Hee Park Endowed Chair in Dentistry at the UCLA School of Dentistry, where he is also chair of the division of oral biology and medicine and the associate dean for graduate studies.

View original post here:
Discovery of epigenetic links in cell-fate decisions of adult stem cells paves way for new osteoporosis treatments