Stem Cell Clinic

In four related papers, researchers describe new and improved tools for stem cell research – Phys.Org

By Stell Cell Research

April 6, 2017 A false color scanning electron micrograph of cultured human neuron from induced pluripotent stem cell. Credit: Mark Ellisman and Thomas Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, UC San Diego.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), derived from human adult cells and capable of being differentiated to become a variety of cell types, are a powerful tool for studying everything from molecular processes underlying human diseases to elusive genetic variants associated with human phenotypes.

In a new paper published online April 6 in Stem Cell Reports, a large team of researchers led by senior author Kelly Frazer, PhD, professor of pediatrics and director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine describe a new collection of 222 systematically derived and characterized iPSC lines generated as part of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's NextGen consortium.

Dubbed iPSCORE for "iPSC Collection for Omic Research," Frazer said the novel collection addresses several significant issues that currently hamper using iPSCs as a model system for human genetic studies investigating the segregation of traits, such as lack of large numbers of molecularly well-phenotyped lines and representation of ethnic diversity as well as participants from families and genetically unrelated individuals.

"The iPSCORE collection contains 75 lines from people of non-European ancestry, including East Asian, South Asian, African American, Mexican American, and Multiracial. It includes multigenerational families and monozygotic twins," said Frazer. "This collection will enable us to study how genetic variation influences traits, both at a molecular and physiological level, in appropriate human cell types, such as heart muscle cells. It will help researchers investigate not only common but also rare, and even family-specific variations."

The Stem Cell Reports paper is, in fact, one of four related studies just published by different teams of scientists, each with Frazer as senior author. The other three studies all utilize the iPSCORE resource to either address important genetic questions or develop new tools for analyzing iPSC lines:

Explore further: Induced pluripotent stem cells don't increase genetic mutations

More information: "iPSCORE: A Resource of 222 iPSC Lines Enabling Functional Characterization of Genetic Variation Across a Variety of Cell Types," Stem Cell Reports: DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.03.012

"Aberrant iPSC Methylation is Associated with Motif Enrichment and Gene Expression Changes in a Clone-Specific Manner Independent of Genetics," Cell Stem Cell: DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2017.03.010

"Large-Scale Profiling Reveals the Influence of Genetic Variation on Gene Expression in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells," Cell Stem Cell: DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2017.03.009

"High-Throughput and Cost-Effective Characterization of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells," Stem Cell Reports: DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.03.011

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In four related papers, researchers describe new and improved tools for stem cell research - Phys.Org

UConn professor tackling cell research to treat cancer – UConn Daily Campus

By Stell Cell Research

Laijun Lai, an Associate Research Professor at the University of Connecticut is currently doing research to find treatment for cancers, autoimmune deficiencies and genetic diseases through the use of T cells and stem cells.

The first area of his research focuses on gene engineering approaches to treating cancers and autoimmune diseases.

Lais research has resulted in two patents and several grants from NIH, the American Cancer Society and the Connecticut Regenerative Medicine Fund.

We are very excited with our results. We believe that our research will eventually lead to the new approach in the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases or genetic diseases, such as (DGS), Lai said.

The progression of cancerous tumors is accompanied by a very significant suppression of the immune system, which interferes with the bodys ability to send an effective immune response in order to eliminate chemotherapy, Lai said.

In terms of autoimmune disease, disorders develop when the immune system targets and destroys the bodys own tissues, Lai said.

Therefore, the study investigates new approaches to enhance T cell function for use in the treatment of cancer, while also looking for new ways to inhibit T cell function to treat autoimmune disease, Lai said.

Several T cell inhibitor molecules have been identified. Were trying to find a new T cell inhibitor molecule by using the bioinformatic approach to identify several new genes that are related to T cell inhibitor molecules, Lai said.

He then used the gene engineering approach to produce recombinant proteins from these genes. And these preliminary studies have shown that in a dish, the proteins can inhibit T cell function.

By using the gene engineering approach we can enhance the immune function that can fight a lot of diseases, such as cancer and infections, Lai said.

The second area of my research is using stem cell technology to prevent and treat autoimmune disease, Lai said.

The thymus, an organ of the immune system, is the primary organ that naturally produces T cells for the body.

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) mediate T cell selections, generating T cells that are able to react with foreign antigens, such as bacteria and viruses, Lai said.

In the prevention or treatment of autoimmune diseases, it would induce immune tolerance of certain antigens by using the mechanisms that would occur in the thymus under normal circumstances, Lai said.

However, the thymus undergoes age-dependent involution resulting in a serious compromise of T cell function in the elderly, Lai said. Many studies have shown that embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have huge potential to treat many diseases because these cells can change into many types of cells in a dish.

Through the transplantation of ESCs can cause immune tolerance to the disease causative self-antigens and treat or even prevent autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Lai wrote in a research statement.

The third area of my research is using stem cell technology to model and treat genetic diseases such as DiGeorge Syndromealso known as DGS, Lai said.

DGS is one of the most common genetic diseases in humans.

One of the characteristic features of DGS is that the patient has a profound thymic aplasia or hypoplasia that results in T cell immunodeficiency, Lai said, So we are going to determine the ability of ESC-derived TECs to prevent and treat DGS.

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UConn professor tackling cell research to treat cancer - UConn Daily Campus

Frequency Therapeutics to Present at the 14th Stem Cell Research … – Business Wire (press release)

By Stell Cell Research

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Frequency Therapeutics, a company spearheading the movement to restore hearing by harnessing the regenerative potential of progenitor cells in the body, today announced that Chris Loose, Ph.D., the Companys Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, will be presenting at the 14th Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine Conference. The presentation titled, Progenitor Cell Activation - an Enabling Technology for In-Situ Tissue Regeneration, will look to explore the companys proprietary Progenitor Cell Activation (PCA) platform, founded on recent discoveries in progenitor cell biology by Bob Langer, Sc.D. at MIT and Jeff Karp, Ph.D., at Harvard. PCA is leading to a new class of drugs that regenerate healthy tissue within the body. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, April 5 at 4:50 p.m. The conference is being held from April 5 to 6 in Boston, MA.

The biology, chemistry and regenerative properties behind our PCA platform is quite exciting and has the potential to yield a whole new category of disease-modifying therapeutics for a wide range of degenerative conditions, said Dr. Loose. Our lead program is focused on the over 360 million people worldwide who suffer from hearing impairment, with no effective therapeutic solutions currently available. By targeting cellular regeneration within the inner ear to restore healthy tissue and reverse hearing loss, we look to develop a direct therapeutic approach through a locally applied drug without the need for surgical interventions.

Chris has provided exceptional leadership in translating the vision of our founders, Bob Langer and Jeff Karp, into a successful product development organization, said David Lucchino, President, Co-founder and CEO of Frequency. This presentation exemplifies the core of the research and development Frequency is performing with our PCA platform, and addresses our intent of advancing a first-in-class therapeutic option for chronic hearing loss.

ABOUT PROGENITOR CELL ACTIVATION (PCA) Frequencys precise and controlled approach transiently causes Lgr5+ progenitor cells to divide and differentiate, much like what is seen in naturally regenerating tissues such as the skin and intestine. Frequency activates stemness through mimicking signals provided by neighboring cells (the stem cell niche) with small molecules, and this proprietary approach is known as the Progenitor Cell Activation (PCA) platform. Frequency believes that PCA has the potential to yield a whole new category of disease-modifying therapeutics for a wide range of degenerative conditions. To fuel its drug discovery programs, Frequency is leveraging a PCA screening platform using primary human cells, including cochlear progenitor cells and adult human progenitor cells from the GI tract. Frequencys initial focus is on chronic noise induced hearing loss. Other potential applications include skin disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, and diabetes.

ABOUT FREQUENCY THERAPEUTICS Frequency Therapeutics develops small molecule drugs that activate progenitor cells within the body to restore healthy tissue. Through the transitory activation of these progenitor cells, Frequency enables disease modification without the complexity of genetic engineering. Our lead program re-creates sensory cells in the inner ear to treat chronic noise induced hearing loss, which affects over 30 million people in the U.S. alone. http://www.frequencytx.com.

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Frequency Therapeutics to Present at the 14th Stem Cell Research ... - Business Wire (press release)

NORTH AMERICA STEM CELL ASSAY MARKET FORECAST 2017-2025 – PR Newswire (press release)

By Stell Cell Research

LONDON, April 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- KEY FINDINGS The North America stem cell assay market is expected to grow $1082 million by 2025. The market growth is expected at the CAGR of 21.69% in the forecast period. The base year considered for the market study is 2016. Rise in the adoption of stem cell assay, the evolvement of technology and increase spending in the stem cell assay market are the key drivers in the North America stem cell assay market. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4807895/

MARKET INSIGHTS The North America stem cell assay market is segmented on the basis of types of assay, product, kits, application, end-user and geography. The North America stem cell assay market by type is segmented into cell viability and toxicity assays, isolation and purification assays, cell identification assays, cell differentiation assays, cell function assays and cell apoptosis assays. The product of North America stem cell assay market is segmented into instruments and detection kits.

The kits of stem cell assay market are further segmented into adult stem cell kits, human embryonic stem cell kit. The stem cell market by application is further bifurcated into regenerative medicine and therapy development, drug discovery and development and clinical research market. The end-user of stem cell market is segmented into research institutes and industry research. The North America stem cell assay market by geography is segmented into US, Canada, and rest of North America. Increasing Adoption of Stem Cell Assay, improvement in the Technology, high expense in Stem Cell Research are the major drivers for the market growth in North America region. The rise in the adoption of stem cell assay for drug screening & testing is one of the major reasons driving the industry research Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4807895/

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NORTH AMERICA STEM CELL ASSAY MARKET FORECAST 2017-2025 - PR Newswire (press release)

Organogenesis Shares Successes and Best Practices for Cell-Based Product Manufacturing at the 6th Stem Cell … – PR Newswire (press release)

By Stell Cell Research

Apligraf (manufactured near the conference, in Canton, MA), and Dermagraft (manufactured in San Diego, CA), are FDA-approved Class III medical devices indicated for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Apligraf is also indicated for the treatment of venous leg ulcers. More than 1 million units of the products have been shipped to date.

"One of the challenges we see with cell-based manufacturing is the transition from pilot to commercial scale production and the ability to perform large scale manufacturing at a low cost," said Dr. Pitkin. "At Organogenesis, we've achieved this successfully through process optimization and product consistency that includes multiple levels of quality control and safety."

In Apligraf, keratinocyte stem cells are required to form the product's differentiated epidermis and provide increased levels of growth factors and cytokines, so it is vital that these cells are preserved through the manufacturing, shipping and distribution process. Through a scale-up manufacturing process that creates a three-dimensional bi-layered construct, Organogenesis is able to produce a bioengineered product with living cells on a consistent basis that delivers a therapeutic benefit to patients with hard-to-heal wounds.

"With five million Americans affected by diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers, it's crucial that we consistently produce and manufacture safe, reliable products that promote healing," added Dr. Pitkin. "Organogenesis is at the forefront of this effort, having developed a successful and reliable manufacturing process."

The 6th Stem Cell Product Development and Commercialization Conference presents information regarding cutting-edge developments in all areas of stem cell research, including the biology, medicine, applications and regulation of stem cells. Topics of discussion include recent developments in pre-clinical and clinical trials of stem cell therapy, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, cancer stem cells, immunotherapy, stem cell reprogramming, and regulatory policies regarding stem cell research.

About Organogenesis Inc.Headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts, Organogenesis Inc. is a global leader in regenerative medicine, offering a portfolio of bioactive and acellular biomaterials products in advanced wound care and surgical biologics, including orthopedics and spine. Organogenesis' versatile portfolio is designed to treat a variety of patients with repair and regenerative needs. For more information, visit http://www.organogenesis.com.

CONTACT:Angelyn Lowe (781) 830-2353 alowe@organo.com

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Organogenesis Shares Successes and Best Practices for Cell-Based Product Manufacturing at the 6th Stem Cell ... - PR Newswire (press release)

Stem Cell – Dr. Humeira Badsha Medical Center

By Stem Cell Medical Center

What is so neat about PRP is how it works. Years ago, scientists unraveled some of the action mechanisms in the lab, and what was found is that the PDGF (platelet derived growth factor) activates pericytes. Later it was discovered that these pericytes were unactivated mesenchymal stem cells. Once these cells become activated, they act as general directors of healing and regeneration and release a myriad of cytokines and other factors that have trophic, anti-inflammatory, mitogenic, anti-scarring, and anti-infection attributes. In the case of the dental implants, osteoblasts were activated by the pericytes to realize improved bony in-growth of the implants. This action has been confirmed by laboratory investigations. In the case of osteoarthritis of the knee, the cartilage that is lost as an after-effect of the normal ageing process is not regrown but the environment is altered so that there is less pain, and less further loss of the knee cartilages. In many respects it alters the progression or worsening of the disease, and it is hoped by many that surgeries, such as knee replacements, are delayed or avoided all together. Today, PRP is used in many areas of medicine in the US and Europe for treating musculoskeletal problems, plastics, aesthetics, dermatology, general surgery, ENT, rheumatology, primary care, pain management, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Negative side effects and complications are uncommon as with many current treatments and medications in use today.

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Stem Cell - Dr. Humeira Badsha Medical Center

Stem Cell Transplant Making Rapid Progress – Financial Tribune

By Stem Cell Medical Center

Around 6,000 hematopoietic stem cell transplantations are carried out annually in Iran using the patients own cells, and a far higher number are performed using cells from donors who are often close relatives of the patient, according to the Hematology-Oncology Research Center and Stem Cell Transplantation (HORCSCT) affiliated to the Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Ardeshir Qavamzadeh, head of the center, said the number of stem cell transplants is on par with developed countries. The success rate in the treatment of diseases requiring transplant is 67% at HORCSCT, ISNA quoted him as saying. Referring to the fast and progressive development of stem cell discipline in Iran, he said since 1983, when the adult leukemia specialty was initiated in the country, nearly 300 specialists have been trained in the field and there is at least one specialist in each province now. Today, one cannot find a treatment method of stem cell transplant in the worlds advanced research centers that is not available or practiced in Iran. We have reached a level where we can compete with the developed nations. HSCT Hubs There are 10 hubs for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in the country. Each includes medical universities from the provinces with one as the focal point. Medical universities of Zanjan, Qazvin, Alborz and Qom comprise one of the hubs with Zanjan as the center, said Mehdi Eskandari, education deputy at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. HSCT is the transplantation of multi-potent hematopoietic stem cells, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood. It may be autologous (when the patients own stem cells are used) or allogeneic (stem cells from a donor). It is a medical procedure in the field of hematology, most often performed for patients with certain cancers of the blood or bone marrow, such as multiple myeloma or leukemia. Since HSCT is a relatively risky procedure with many possible complications, it is reserved for patients with life-threatening diseases. However, as the survival rate following the procedure has increased, its use has expanded beyond cancer, including in autoimmune diseases, blood diseases like thalassaemia major, metabolic disorders, alcoholic liver, and even rheumatism.

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Stem Cell Transplant Making Rapid Progress - Financial Tribune

GLOBAL STEM CELL MARKET FORECAST 2017-2025 – PR Newswire (press release)

By Embryonic Stem Cells

LONDON, April 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- KEY FINDINGS

The global market for stem cell is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 25.76% during the forecast period of 2017-2025. The rise in neurodegenerative diseases is the primary factor for the growth of the stem cell market.

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MARKET INSIGHTS The global stem cell market is segmented on the basis of product, technology, application, and geography. The stem cell market of the product is segmented into adult stem cell, embryonic stem cell, induced pluripotent stem cell market and rat neutral stem cell market. The stem cell market of technology is segmented into stem cell acquisition market, stem cell production market, stem cell cryopreservation market and stem cells expansion and sub-culture market. the application of the stem cell market is segmented into stem cells regenerative medicine market and drug discovery and development market. The stem cell market geography is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and rest of the world. the upsurge in neurodegenerative ailments, growing investments in R&D, government subsidy and sustenance, advancements in the applications of stem cell, significant growth in medical tourism, swelling stem cell banking are the major drivers for the stem cell market.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS The Stem Cell market in North America is expected to hold the largest share by 2025. Increased investments in research and development activities for the stem cell market and the presence of popular pharmaceutical market have contributed to the growth of the US market in the North American region. Asia- Pacific is anticipated to grow at CAGR of 26.23%, the fastest growing region among others. The growth of Asia-Pacific region is primarily driven due to growing incidences of chronic lifestyle diseases and government supports and their initiatives. Europe has generated revenue of $13556 million in 2016 which is set to increase by 2025. The Europe stem cell analysis market is primarily driven by the rising prevalence of chronic disorders such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders.

COMPETITIVE INSIGHTS The market players in the stem cell market are Cytori therapeutics Inc., Fibrocell science, Cellartis AB (acquired by Takara holdings Inc.), Biotime Inc., GE Healthcare, Thermo fisher scientific Pvt Ltd, Stem cell technologies, Cellular dynamics international (holding company Fujifilm), Vericel corporation (Aastrom bioscience), Brainstorm cell therapeutics, California stem cell Inc. (Holding company Caladrius biosciences, Inc. ), Beckton Dickinson and company, Stryker corporation, Celgene corporation. Some major companies involved in stem cell are; GE Healthcare, Stem cell technology, Thermo Fisher, Becton, Corning and many others.

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GLOBAL STEM CELL MARKET FORECAST 2017-2025 - PR Newswire (press release)

Ovarian cancer: Effective immunotherapy steps closer with new T cell study – Medical News Today

By Uncategorized

At a scientific meeting this week, researchers report some progress in developing an immunotherapy for ovarian cancer. However, they also outline the considerable challenges that remain before the treatment can be made effective for this and other cancers that have solid tumors.

The researchers - from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Fred Hutch) in Seattle, WA - presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in Washington, D.C.

Estimates from the American Cancer Society suggest that, in the United States, around 22,440 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and approximately 14,000 will die from the disease during 2017.

The cancer begins in cells of the ovaries - reproductive glands found only in women. Each woman normally has two ovaries, situated on each side of the uterus inside the pelvis. The ovaries produce eggs that travel to the uterus through the fallopian tubes. If an egg is fertilized by male sperm, it develops into a fetus.

Dr. Kristin Anderson, an immunotherapy researcher at Fred Hutch who presented the findings at the meeting, says that while ovarian cancer is not as common in the U.S. as other cancers with solid tumors, it has a low rate of survival and a high rate of relapse. The main reason is that the cancer does not cause obvious symptoms and is often advanced by the time it is diagnosed.

Immunotherapy is a relatively new area of medicine that is showing promising results in the treatment of cancer. The approach uses the patient's own immune system to fight disease.

The new study concerns a method called adoptive T cell transfer. In this approach, immune cells called T cells are taken from the patient's own blood and trained to target and destroy cancer cells. Then, after multiplying in the laboratory, the primed cells are returned to the patient's body. Sometimes donor cells are used instead.

Fast facts about ovarian cancer

Learn more about ovarian cancer

Fred Hutch have a number of teams researching immunotherapy cancer treatments. In particular, Dr. Anderson and colleagues have reported success in using adoptive T cell transfer to treat blood cancers.

In her meeting presentation, Dr. Anderson reported progress on applying lessons learned from that work to the treatment of solid tumors.

The researchers found that ovarian cancer cells overproduce two proteins - WT1 and mesothelin - and showed that T cells engineered to target them can kill mouse and human ovarian cancer cells in the laboratory.

They also found that the engineered T cells significantly increased survival in a mouse model of ovarian cancer.

However, Dr. Anderson cautions that there is still some way to go before adoptive T cell transfer is ready for clinical trials in human patients.

The team discovered that, compared with treating blood cancers, it is much harder to apply T cell therapy to solid tumors like breast, ovarian, lung, and pancreatic cancers.

In leukemia and lymphoma, the engineered T cells can be infused directly into the bloodstream to target the blood cancer. However, access to solid tumors that are tucked away inside the body poses some major challenges. Among these are issues concerning the tumor microenvironment - a mixture of noncancerous cells, molecules, and extracellular matrix in and around the tumor.

Dr. Anderson outlines three particular challenges posed by the tumor microenvironment that they are working on. One is the fact that there are cells and proteins in the tumor microenvironment that send signals to the T cells that tell them to shut down or simply ignore the tumor cells.

The team suggests that there are some existing drugs called checkpoint inhibitors that they could explore to tackle this problem. Another approach could be to engineer the T cells to block these particular signals.

The second challenge is that ovarian tumor cells and neighboring blood vessels send self-destruct signals to the T cells, causing them to commit suicide before they can attack cancer cells.

The Fred Hutch team is already working on a solution to this second challenge in the form of a fusion protein that boosts the T cells' anticancer activity when they receive these self-destruct signals.

The third challenge that the researchers have identified in the solid tumor microenvironment is the problem of low sugar. To grow as rapidly as they do, ovarian cancer cells devour sugar, which they get from their environment.

However, the engineered T cells also need this sugar to fuel their journey to, and attack on, the cancer cells. The researchers at Fred Hutch are looking for a way to engineer the T cells so that they use a different source of energy.

Dr. Anderson says that while they are currently focusing on ovarian cancer, they believe that these solutions will also help to make progress on using adoptive T cell transfer with other solid tumors.

"If we can solve some of the issues that really plague us with these hard ones, then we can more readily apply [the solutions] to cancers that have fewer of these hurdles," she explains, as she concludes:

"Tumor microenvironment issues come hand-in-hand with working on solid tumors."

The team hopes to start a human clinical trial of adoptive T cell transfer for ovarian cancer in the next few years.

Learn about 12 newly discovered genetic variants that raise the risk of ovarian cancer.

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Ovarian cancer: Effective immunotherapy steps closer with new T cell study - Medical News Today

Man Receives Reprogrammed" Stem Cells From Donor In Medical … – IFLScience

By Uncategorized

Last week, a patient with blurry vision in his right eye walked into a doctors office and became the first person to receive reprogrammed stem cells from a donor to treat his age-related macular degeneration.

The patient a Japanese man in his 60s is not alone, as four other patients have been approved for the procedure by Japan's health ministry. The first medical case was reported on March 28 by Nature.

In a one-hour operation by surgeon Yasuo Kurimoto, the patient received skin cells from a human donor at Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital. The donors skin cells were reverse engineered into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. These cells are often seen as a game-changer in the world of regenerative medicine as they have the ability to become almost any type of cell in the body.

In this case, the iPS cells were turned into retinal cells, which were then implanted into the retina of the patient, who has age-related macular degeneration. It is hoped the procedure will stop the progression of the disease, which can lead to blindness. The transplantis not being touted as a cure for the condition, merely a prevention methodfrom further damage.

During the procedure, the surgical team injected 50 microliters of liquid containing 250,000 retinal cells into the patients eye, according to the Japan Times. The real test, however, will be the next phase of monitoring.

What sets this transplant apart is also what makes the recovery process precarious. Doctors will need to keep a careful watch on the patient, as iPS cells from a donor are not a genetic match and could cause an immune rejection.

At this point, you might remember a similar case in 2014 with a Japanese woman at the same hospital. She also received retinal cells derived from iPS cells, however hers were taken from her own skin, not a donor's.

"A key challenge in this case is to control rejection," said Riken researcher Masayo Takahashi to the Japan Times. "We need to carefully continue treatment."

In an update, the team said the Japanese woman was doing well and her vision had not declined. They decided to change track and use donor cells for this study because it holds a more viable future for such transplants.

It's hoped, if all goes well here, that researchers can create a bank of donor stem cells. Such a future would cut down on costs and reduce wait times, as cultivating ones own cells can take several months. However, there's stillmuch to be done.

After the procedure, Takahashi told a press conference that the surgery went well. They will continue to monitor the situation and provide further updates in the future.

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