Stem Cell Clinic

Stem cell therapy could help mend the youngest of broken hearts – Medical Xpress

By Stem Cell Treatment

March 21, 2017 Credit: University of Bristol

Researchers have shown stem cells from the umbilical cord may hold the key to a new generation of graft and could reduce the number of surgeries required to treat young children born with certain types of congenital heart disease.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of birth defect. In the UK alone over 4,000 babies are diagnosed with CHD each year and thanks to advances in treatment and care, more than eight out of ten CHD babies grow up to be adults.

However, the only treatment for these conditions is corrective surgery where a piece of tissue, known as an implant, is used to replace the damaged area. Often surgery has to be repeated several times throughout childhood as the child's heart outgrows the artificial implant used to repair it.

Professors Massimo Caputo and Paolo Madeddu, in the Bristol Heart Institute, a newly created specialist research institute (SRI) at the University of Bristol, have developed cellular grafts using stem cells from the umbilical cord and placenta that are able to grow like living tissue and it is hoped would be able to grow along with a child's heart. These new grafts would mean that instead of having multiple operations to insert bigger grafts as the patient's heart grows only one operation would be needed.

These grafts have been tested in animal models that closely resemble the 'real-world' scenario and tested for their capacity to grow and regenerate the damaged heart. The researchers are also exploring which cells are best suited for the graft so that a wide range of treatment options and solutions could be tailored to the patients' needs. With the first two phases of research completed, the academics are now preparing to start a clinical trial in newborn babies.

Massimo Captuo, Professor of Congenital Heart Surgery from the School of Clinical Sciences, said: "We believe stem cells from the umbilical cord, usually discarded after birth, could hold the key to a new generation of graft. These grafts grow at the same rate as the children they're used to treat and reduce the risk of rejection after transplant as they contain the child's own DNA."

Paolo Madeddu, Professor of Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine from the School of Clinical Sciences, added: "The long-term outcomes for most young children remains poor and significantly affects their quality of life. By developing these new grafts, we hope to reduce the amount of surgeries that a child born with congenital heart disease must go through."

Explore further: Engineered blood vessels grow in lambs

In a hopeful development for children born with congenital heart defects, scientists said Tuesday they had built artificial blood vessels which grew unaided when implanted into lambs, right into adulthood.

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In a first-in-children randomized clinical study, medical researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) and the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute (ISCI) at the University of Miami Miller School ...

Over one million children are born with congenital heart disease (CHD) each year. When children with CHD receive timely treatment, 85% can survive into adulthood to live healthy, productive lives. Sadly, 90% of the children ...

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A small protein that could protect the brain from stroke-induced injury has been discovered by researchers from The University of Queensland and Monash University.

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Stem cell therapy could help mend the youngest of broken hearts - Medical Xpress

A New Form of Stem-Cell Engineering Raises Ethical Questions – New York Times

By Stell Cell Research

New York Times
A New Form of Stem-Cell Engineering Raises Ethical Questions
New York Times
A scan of the surface of a human embryonic stem cell. Credit David Scharf/Science Source. As biological research races forward, ethical quandaries are piling up. In a report published Tuesday in the journal eLife, researchers at Harvard Medical School ...
Harvard Scientists Call For Better Rules To Guide Research On 'Embryoids'NPR

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A New Form of Stem-Cell Engineering Raises Ethical Questions - New York Times

Researchers at UW-Madison discover new ways to grow stem cells – Wisconsin Independent (press release)

By Stem Cell Medical Center

MADISON Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are turning back to the roots in nature to grow human cells that could someday be used on patients with neurological disorders.

UW-Madison professor of bio-medical engineering, Bill Murphy, took his approach to this research straight from plants. Seeing how plants use cells to feed and help organize themselves, Murphy got an idea.

Murphy toldMadison.com,Rather than having to manufacture these devices using high-tech approaches, we could literally pick them off of a tree, said Murphy, co-director of the UW-Madison Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center.

According toMadison.com

The strength, porosity and large surface area of plants could prove superior to making scaffolds using current methods, such as 3-D printing and injection molding, Murphy said.

Plants have a huge capacity to grow cell populations, he said. They can deliver fluids very efficiently to their leaves At the microscale, theyre very well organized.

In addition, there are many plants to chose from. After Murphys inspirational gaze out the window, he and Fontana tested plants as scaffolds for stem cells using varieties they could easily obtain: parsley, spinach, jewelweed, water horsetail, summer lilac and, from the UW Arboretum, soft-stem bulrush.

For more on Murphy and other researchers at UW-Madison, visitMadison.com.

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Researchers at UW-Madison discover new ways to grow stem cells - Wisconsin Independent (press release)

Electroacupuncture Releases Stem Cells to Relieve Pain and More, Study Finds – National Pain Report

By Stem Cell Medical Center

By Staff

Electroacupuncture triggers a neurological response that releases stem cells that can relieve injury-induced pain, and help promote tissue repair, says a study in the journal Stem Cells led by Indiana University School of Medicine.

The school outlined its findings in a media release:

Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture that uses a small electrical current to augment the ancient Chinese medical practice of inserting fine needles into the skin at pre-determined points throughout the body.

For the study, a team of more than 40 scientists at institutions in the United States and South Korea was led by four senior authors including IU School of Medicines Maria B. Grant, MD, Marilyn Glick Professor of Ophthalmology and co-corresponding author; Mervin C. Yoder, MD, IU Distinguished Professor, Richard and Pauline Klingler Professor of Pediatrics, associate dean for entrepreneurial research at IU School of Medicine, director of the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research and co-corresponding author; and Fletcher A. White, PhD, Vergil K. Stoelting Chair ofAnesthesia, professor of anesthesia, pharmacology and toxicology.

This work is a classic example of the power of team science, where investigators in different institutions with specific expertise worked together to unravel the complexity of how electroacupuncture works to help the body respond to stressors, said Dr. Yoder.

The researchers performed a series of lab tests involving humans, horses and rodents that follow the effects of electroacupuncture from the stimulus of the needle all the way to the brain, resulting in the release of reparative mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the bloodstream.

Depending on the species, electroacupuncture led to activation of the hypothalamusa part of the brain that controls the nervous system and involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate and digestionwithin nine to 22 minutes. The stem cells were mobilized within two hours.

The acupuncture stimulus were giving these animals has a rapid effect on neuroanatomical pathways that connect the stimulus point in the arm to responsive neurons in the spinal cord and into a region in the brain called the hypothalamus. In turn, the hypothalamus directs outgoing signals to stem cell niches resulting in their release, said Dr. White, who is a neuroscientist at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis.

The researchers found electroacupuncture treatments resulted in higher thresholds for injury-induced pain, as well as considerable increases in the presence of a type of collagen that promotes tendon repair and anti-inflammatory cells known to be predictors of faster healing time.

Dr. White said these findings could lead to new strategies for tissue repair and pain management related to injuries.

We could potentially capture the MSCs from an individuals blood following electroacupuncture and save the cells for future re-introduction in the patient post-surgery or to treat chronic pain due to an injury, he said.

The horses used in the study had been injured during training for international dressage competitions, and the six people who took part were healthy volunteers, who still showed activation of their hypothalamus through brain imaging.

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Electroacupuncture Releases Stem Cells to Relieve Pain and More, Study Finds - National Pain Report

Stem Cell Journals | Peer Reviewed | High Impact Articles list

By Embryonic Stem Cells

Index Copernicus Value: 85.83

Cell is the structural and the functional unit of all the organisms on the earth and Cell Science is a scientific discipline that studies the structure and the physiological characters of these cells. Human beings are multi-cellular organisms with an estimated 1014 cells.

The Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy is the best Open Access journal that acts as a forum for translational research into stem cell therapies. Stem cells differ from other types of cells as they are unspecialized cells that are capable of changing themselves into almost any type of specialist cells. Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy is scientific journal that overlays the study of Cancer stem cells, stem cell therapy, stem-cell transplantation, regenerative medicine, human embryonic stem cells, Neural stem cells, Murine Embryonic Stem Cells, Adult stem cell, Pancreatic stem cells, Totipotent Stem Cells, Pluripotent Stem Cells, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs), Multipotent Stem Cells, Myeloid Stem Cells, Fetal Stem Cell Therapy, Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes, Plant Stem Cells, Dental Stem Cells, Stem Cell Preservation, Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis, etc.

Scholarly Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy is using online manuscript submission, review and tracking systems of Editorial Manager for quality and quick review processing. Review processing is performed by the editorial board members of Journal of Stem Cell Research and Therapy or outside experts; at least two independent reviewers approval followed by editor approval is required for acceptance of any citable manuscript.

It is an undifferentiated cell which is capable of transforming into more cells of same type or multiple other types. They are found in multicellular organisms. They can differentiate into cells of blood, skin, heart, muscles, brain etc. In adult human being, they replenish the dead cells of various organs. Stem cells are being used for treatment of various diseases like diabetes, arthritis, few cancers, bone marrow failure etc.

Related Journals of Stem Cell

Insights in Stem Cells, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology,Stem Cells, Cell Stem Cell, Stem Cells and Development, Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, Current Stem Cell Research and Therapy, Stem Cell Research

They can develop into any cell type or organ in the body. A single totipotent stem cell can give rise to an entire organism. Fertilized egg or a zygote is the best example. Zygote divides and produces more totipotent cells. After 4 days the cells lose totipotency and become pluripotent.

Related Journals ofTotipotent Stem Cells

Breast Cancer: Current Research, Cancer Diagnosis, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Stem Cell Research and Therapy, Stem Cells International, Stem cells translational medicine, Current Protocols in Stem Cell Biology

They can differentiate into any cell type in the human body. Embryonic stem cells are mostly pluripotent stem cells. They have the ability to differentiate into any of three germ layers: endoderm, mesoderm, or ectoderm.

Related Journals ofPluripotent Stem Cells

Cancer Science & Therapy, Cervical Cancer: Open Access, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Stem Cell Reports, Hematology/ Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy, Journal of Stem Cells, International Journal of Stem Cells

These are multipotent stem cells normally found in the bone marrow and are derived from mesenchyme. They differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, myocytes and tendon. MSCs can also be extracted from blood, fallopian tube, fetal liver and lungs.

Related Journals ofMesenchymal Stem Cells

Insights in Stem Cells, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Journal of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Cloning: Advances and Applications, International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research

They are the multipotent stem cells derived from mesoderm and located in red bone marrow. They are responsible for production of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. HSCs give rise to myeloid lineage (which forms erythrocytes, eosinophils, basophils, neutrophils, macrophages, mast cells and platelets) and lymphoid lineage (which forms T-lymphocytes, plasma cells and NK cells).

Related Journals ofHematopoietic Stem Cells

Insights in Stem Cells, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research, Open Stem Cell Journal, Stem Cell, Stem Cell Research Journal

They can differentiate into more than one cell type, but only into a limited number of cell types. Hematopoietic stem cells are considered multipotent as they can differentite into red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells but they cannot differentiate into hepatocytes or brain cells.

Related Journals ofMultipotent Stem Cells

Cancer Medicine & Anti Cancer Drugs, Colorectal Cancer: Open Access, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Blood, Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Pediatric Blood and Cancer, Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases, Blood Reviews

Cells with stem cell like abilities have been observed breast cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, melanoma, prostate cancer which can form new cells and lead to tumorigenesis. They cause relapse and metastasis by giving rise to new tumors. Scientists are developing methods to destroy CSCs in place of traditional methods which focus on bulk of cancer cells.

Related Journals ofCancer Stem Cells

Head and Neck Cancer Research, Lung Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Cancer Research, Nature Reviews Cancer, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Clinical Cancer Research, Cancer Cell, Cancer, International Journal of Cancer, British Journal of Cancer

They are derived from Hematopoietic stem cells. They differentiate into Erythrocyte progenitor cell (forms erythrocytes), Thrombocyte progenitor cell (forms platelets) and Granulocyte-Monocyte progenitor cell (forms monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, dendritic cells).

Related Journals ofMyeloid Stem cells

Insights in Stem Cells, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Clinical Medicine Insights: Blood Disorders, Electrolyte and Blood Pressure, Integrated Blood Pressure Control, Indian Journal of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Current Studies in Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Blood Research, High Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Prevention, Blood Cancer Journal, BMC Blood Disorders, Blood Transfusion

They are the self-renewing, multipotent stem cells in the nervous system that differentiate into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. They repair the nervous system after damage or an injury. They have potential clinical use the management of Parkinsons disease, Huntingtons disease and multiple sclerosis.

Related Journals ofNeural Stem Cells

Oncology & Cancer Case Reports, Prostate Cancer, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior, Child's Nervous System, Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry

They are derived from embryo in the blastocyst stage. They are pluripotent stem cells. They give rise to all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: endoderm (stomach, colon, liver, pancreas, intestines etc.), mesoderm (muscle, bone, cartilage, connective tissue, lymphatic system, circulatory system, genitourinary system etc.) and ectoderm (brain, spinal cord, epidermis etc.).

Related Journals ofEmbryonic Stem Cells

Human Genetics & Embryology, Breast Cancer: Current Research, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Birth Defects Research Part C - Embryo Today: Reviews, Advances in Anatomy Embryology and Cell Biology, Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series C: Anatomia Histologia Embryologia, Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology, Romanian Journal of Morphology and Embryology, Neuroembryology, Neuroembryology and Aging

Embryonic stem cells are derived from the fetus are used in treatment of various diseases. As ESCs are pluripotent, they can differentiate into any cell type. Researchers are able to grow ESC s into complex cells types like pancreatic -cells and cardiocytes. Fetal cell therapy is generating lot of controversy from religious groups and ethics committees.

Related Journals ofFetal Stem Cell Therapy

Insights in Stem Cells, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Journal of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Fetal and Pediatric Pathology, Fetal and Maternal Medicine Review, Journal of Maternal-Fetal Investigation, International Journal of Infertility and Fetal Medicine

Research is being done to use stem cells for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Human embryonic stem cells may be grown in vivo and stimulated to produce pancreatic -cells and later transplanted to the patient. Its success depends on response of the patients immune system and ability of the transplanted cells to proliferate, differentiate and integrate with the target tissue.

Related Journals of Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes

Endocrinology & Diabetes Research, Diabetes & Metabolism, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Diabetes Care, Diabetes, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, Endocrine-Related Cancer, Best Practice and Research in Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Endocrinology

The procedure to replace damaged cells (in cancers, aplastic anemia etc.) with healthy stem cells of the same person or in another compatible person to restore the normal production of cells. It can either be autologous or allogeneic. Bone marrow HSCs are generally used for the transplantation.

Related Journals of Stem Cell Transplant

Cancer Diagnosis, Cancer Science & Therapy, Cervical Cancer: Open Access, Gastrointestinal Cancer and Stromal Tumors, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Cell Transplantation, Journal of Cell Biology, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Molecular Cell, Nature Cell Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cancer Cell, Current Opinion in Cell Biology

They are the totipotent, undifferentiated cells present in the meristems (shoot and root apices) of a plant. They never undergo aging process and can grow into any cell in the plant throughout its lifetime. They have numerous applications in production of cosmetics, perfumes, pigments, insecticides and antimicrobials.

Related Journals ofPlant Stem Cells

Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Plant Biochemistry & Physiology, Plant Physiology & Pathology, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Plant Cell, Plant Physiology, Plant Journal, Trends in Plant Science, Current Opinion in Plant Biology, Plant, Cell and Environment, American Journal of Transplantation, Plant Molecular Biology

Several types of dental stem cells have been isolated from mature and immature teeth, exfoliated deciduous teeth and apical papilla, MSCS from tooth germs and from human periodontal ligament. They are found to be multipotent and can give rise to osteogenic, adipogenic, myogenic and neurogenic cell lineages.

Related Journals of Dental Stem Cells

Oral Health and Dental Management, Research & Reviews: Journal of Dental Sciences, Dental Implants and Dentures: open access, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, International Endodontic Journal, Dental Materials, Journal of Dental Research, Caries Research, Journal of Endodontics, Monographs in Oral Science, Molecular Oral Microbiology, Journal of Dentistry,International journal of oral science

Adipose tissue is a huge source of mesenchymal stem cells which differentiate into various cell types. They can be easily extracted in large numbers by a simple lipo-aspiration. They have good application potential in regenerative medicine. ASCs are found to have the ability to differentiate into bone cells, cartilage cells, nerve cells, adipocytes etc.

Related Journals of Adipose Derived Stem Cells

Childhood Obesity, Obesity and Eating Disorders, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, International Journal of Obesity, Obesity, Obesity Surgery, Obesity Reviews, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, Pediatric obesity

Preservation of stem cells is critical for both research and clinical application of stem-cell based therapies. Properly preserved stem cells can be later used in the field of regenerative medicine for treating congenital disorders, heart defects etc. Currently there is no universal method for preserving stem cells and the existing methods are expensive.

Related Journals ofStem Cell Preservation

Oncology & Cancer Case Reports, Prostate Cancer, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Journal of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Cloning: Advances and Applications, International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research, Open Stem Cell Journal, Stem Cell, Stem Cell Research Journal

MSCs can be applied in osteoarthritis treatment through implantation and microfracture as well as intra-articular injections. Single injection studies have showed improvement from pain which decreased overtime. Multiple, regular MSC injections into joints may be necessary.

Related Journals ofStem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis

Osteoporosis and Physical Activity, Osteoarthritis, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Arthritis and Rheumatism, Arthritis Care and Research, Arthritis Research and Therapy, Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism

OMICS International through its Open Access Initiative is committed to make genuine and reliable contributions to the scientific community. OMICS International hosts over 700 leading-edge peer reviewed Open Access Journals and organizes over 1000 International Conferences annually all over the world. OMICS Publishing Group journals have over 10 million readers and the fame and success of the same can be attributed to the strong editorial board which contains over 50000 eminent personalities that ensure a rapid, quality and quick review process. OMICS International signed an agreement with more than 1000 International Societies to make healthcare information Open Access. OMICS International Conferences make the perfect platform for global networking as it brings together renowned speakers and scientists across the globe to a most exciting and memorable scientific event filled with much enlightening interactive sessions, world class exhibitions and poster presentations.

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Stem Cell Journals | Peer Reviewed | High Impact Articles list

History | Boston Childrens Hospital Stem Cell Research

By Embryonic Stem Cells

Since the 19th century, scientists from all over the world have studied stem cells, from plants, to mice, to patients in search of a cure for their diseases.

1868 The term stem cell appears in scientific literature, when German biologist Ernst Haeckel uses the phrase stem cell to describe the fertilized egg that becomes an organism, and also to describe the single-celled organism that acted as the ancestor cell to all living things in history. Read more.

1886 William Sedgwick uses the term stem cells to describe the parts of a plant that grow and regenerate.

June 1, 1909 Russian academic Alexander Maximow lectures at the Berlin Hematological Society on a theory that all blood cells come from the same ancestor cell. This introduces the idea of blood stem cells that are multi-potent, or have the ability to differentiate into several types of cells. Read more.

1953 Leroy Stevens, a Maine scientist performing cancer research in mice, finds large tumors in their scrotums. These tumors, known as teratomas, contained mixtures of differentiated and undifferentiated cells, including hair, bone, intestinal and blood tissue. Researchers concluded the cells were pluripotent, meaning they can differentiate into any cell found in a fully grown animal. Read more.

1957 E. Donnall Thomas, a physician-scientist working in Seattle, attempts the first human bone marrow transplantation. (He later wins the Nobel Prize for this work in 1990).

February 2, 1963 Canadian scientists Ernest McCulloch and James Till perform experiments on the bone marrow of mice and observe that different blood cells come from a special class of cells. This is one of the first pieces of evidence of blood stem cells.

1968 Robert A. Good of the University of Minnesota performs the first successful bone marrow transplant on a child patient suffering from an immune deficiency that killed others in his family. The boy received bone marrow from his sister, and he grew into healthy adulthood.

1981 Two scientists, Martin Evans of the University of Cambridge and Gail Martin of the University of California, San Francisco, conduct separate studies and derive pluripotent stem cells from the embryos of mice. These early cells are the first embryonic stem cells ever to be isolated.

Dec. 5, 1986 Andrew Lassar and Harold Weintraub of Seattle, Washington, report results from an experiment in which they converted rodent fibroblasts (a type of connective tissue) directly into myoblasts (which generate muscle cells), using a single gene (MyoD). Being able to convert one type of adult cell into another may be important for regenerative medicine.

1989 Research from scientists Mario Capecchi, Martin Evans and Oliver Smithies comes together, creating the first knockout mice, which are mice specially bred in the laboratory to be missing specific genes. These mice are created using embryonic stem cells and homologous recombination, a process in which similar strands of DNA switch genes. Since scientists bred the first knockout mice, there have been more than 500 different mouse models of human disease. In 2007, the Nobel Assembly recognized these three scientists for their research, which has proven to be invaluable in understanding how various human diseases, including diabetes and cancer, develop.

1997 Dominique Bonnet and John Dick of Canada discover that leukemia comes from the same stem cells that make our blood cells. This is one of the first major studies to say that cancer grows out of stem cells gone off course, supporting the concept of cancer stem cells.

Nov. 6, 1998 A team at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, led by James Thomson and Jeffrey Jones, reports the creation of the first batch of human embryonic stem cells, which they derived from early embryos. After finding the cells were pluripotent, the team sees the potential the cells have for drug discovery and transplantation medicine.

Aug. 9, 2001 President George W. Bush signs an order authorizing the use of federal funds for research on a limited number of existing human embryonic stem cell lines. (Click here for the Presidents remarks.) Scientists fear several of these available lines are now too old for research.

April 5, 2002 A Whitehead Institute team that includes future Childrens Hospital Boston stem cell researcher George Q. Daley, MD PhD reports combining the use of gene and cell-based therapy to treat a mouse model of immune deficiency. Read more.

Dec. 10, 2003 George Q. Daley and his team publish findings on converting stem cells from mice into germ cells and, eventually, primitive sperm cells that are able to fertilize egg cells. These embryonic germ cells give scientists a chance to study different processes, including cancer growth and the development of sperm cells.

May 19, 2005 South Korean scientists under the direction of Woo-Suk Hwang announce that theyve used therapeutic cloning to create 11 stem cell liness that match their donors, one year after reporting the creation of the first human stem cells with this method. The report excites the scientific community, since the immune systems of patients receiving their own stem cells are unlikely to reject the transplants, a common problem for donated organ transplants. However, the journal Science later retracts the Hwang paper, when it is revealed that the Korean scientists falsified their results. Researchers at Childrens show that one of the lines was actually created through parthenogenesis, a process in which a single egg cell is stimulated to divide without a sperm cell.

Dec. 15, 2005 Yuan Wang, George Q. Daley, and other researchers at Childrens publish findings in which they dramatically improved the process of converting embryonic stem cells from mice into blood stem cells for transplantation.

Aug. 25, 2006 Japanese scientists Shinya Yamanaka and Kazutoshi Takahashi announce the creation of rodent induced pluripotent cells (iPS cells). iPS cells are adult cells reprogrammed to look and function like embryonic stem cells, which makes them another valuable resource for stem cell research and eventual cellular therapeutics.

Dec. 14, 2006 George Q. Daley and colleagues at Childrens report the creation of donor-matched embryonic stem cells in mice through parthenogenesis. (Read Childrens press release.) Parthenogenesis may prove to be an alternative to embryonic stem cells or therapeutic cloning. The team hopes to one day use patient-specific, parthenogenetic stem cells for therapies in their female donors, whose immune systems are unlikely to reject the cells.

November/December, 2007 Three independent teams in Japan, Wisconsin and Boston, led by Shinya Yamanaka, James Thomson, and George Q. Daley, respectively, announce that they have created human iPS cells. The study in the Daley Lab at Childrens is the first iPS project to begin with a donor walking in and having a sample taken, rather than being generated from a frozen sample. Genetically matched to their donor, iPS cells would theoretically not be rejected by the immune system, an important advantage in transplantation medicine.

Aug. 6, 2008 The Stem Cell Program at Boston Childrens Hospital announces the creation of 10 disease-specific lines of iPS cells. These cells provide scientists with laboratory models of diseases such as Down syndrome and muscular dystrophy, and will help them find innovative ways to understand, prevent and treat such diseases. (Read Childrens press release.) This work was recognized at the end of 2008 as contributing to the Breakthrough of the Year in Science magazine.

In the video above, George Daley is interviewed for a Science magazine video introducing cell reprogramming as its 2008 Breakthrough of the Year.

Aug. 27, 2008 A team of scientists from Harvard and Childrens publish an experiment in which they turn a rodent pancreatic exocrine cell into an insulin-producing cell. Similar to the pioneering work of Andrew Lassar and Harold Weintraub from 1986, this experiment shows it is possible to reprogram one type of adult cell into another type of adult cell, skipping the intermediary step of creating iPS cells.

Jan. 23, 2009 Geron Corporation announces the FDAs approval for a limited phase I trial of Gerons new treatment for spinal cord injuries. This was the first FDA approval of a clinical trial for a therapy based on human embryonic stem cells.

March 1, 2009 Scientists in Toronto report the creation of iPS cells in their lab in a manner that is safer than previously used methods. These researchers are able to remove the genes necessary to reprogram an adult cell into a stem cell after the reprogramming step is complete.

March 9, 2009 President Barack Obama signs Executive Order 13505 to repeal some of the restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research funds placed by the previous administration. The order requires the National Institutes of Health to draft new guidelines for federal funding policies within 120 days.

July 7, 2009 The NIH issues the revised guidelines on federal funding for stem cell research. Included are strict provisions for informed donor consent and the ethical procurement of leftover embryos from in vitro fertilization.

May 2009 Phase I clinical trials begin for PGE2, a known drug that Childrens researcher Leonard Zon discovered can increase production of blood stem cells. These trials are being conducted in leukemia and lymphoma patients who have been implanted with blood stem cells from donated umbilical cords. If the trials are successful, single doses of umbilical cord blood stem cells, combined with PGE2, may be a viable source for blood stem cells for adult patients who cannot receive a bone marrow transplant. Read more.

Dec. 2, 2009 The NIH deems 13 lines of human embryonic stem cells, the first under the new administrations guidelines, eligible for research funding. Eleven of these 13 lines were created at Boston Childrens Hospital. Any scientist wanting to conduct research on any of these cell lines can now apply for federal funding. Read more in this blog post.

Stem cells hold great promise and potential in the field of medicine, whether doctors inject them into patients to replace diseased bone marrow, or lab scientists scrutinize them under a microscope to see how lung cancer develops. The road to innovation is long and full of obstacles, and there are plenty of questions left unanswered. But progress is ongoing and in many cases startling. At Childrens Hospital Boston, researchers continue the journey to bring these advances to the clinic, ethically and safely.

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History | Boston Childrens Hospital Stem Cell Research

Stem cell procedure could be next wave in sports medicine – The Boston Globe

By Uncategorized

The Boston Globe
Stem cell procedure could be next wave in sports medicine
The Boston Globe
FORT MYERS, Fla. With a painful shot in October that left him unable to bend his prized arm for days, Red Sox lefthander Drew Pomeranz joined what he and others hope is a transformative development in sports medicine. At the conclusion of the 2016 ...

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Stem cell procedure could be next wave in sports medicine - The Boston Globe

Stem cells seem speedier in space – Phys.Org

By Uncategorized

March 20, 2017 by Melissa Gaskill Cultured stem cells. Credit: BioServe Inc., University of Colorado

Growing significant numbers of human stem cells in a short time could lead to new treatments for stroke and other diseases. Scientists are sending stem cells to the International Space Station to test whether these cells proliferate faster in microgravity without suffering any side effects.

Therapeutic uses require hundreds of millions of stem cells and currently no efficient way exists to produce such quantities. Previous research suggests that microgravity could help, and the space station is home to the nation's only national lab in microgravity.

Some types of stem cells grow faster in simulated microgravity, according to Abba Zubair, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Zubair is principal investigator for the Microgravity Expanded Stem Cells investigation, which is cultivating human stem cells aboard the space station for use in clinical trials back on Earth. He holds a doctor of medicine degree in transfusion medicine and cell therapy and a doctorate of philosophy in tumor immunology.

Human stem cells are cells that have not yet specialized in function and can divide into a spectrum of cell types, rejuvenating and repairing tissue throughout a person's lifetime. Stem cells in every organ of the body, including skin and bones, maintain those organs and repair tissue by dividing and differentiating into specialized cells.

Harvesting a person's stem cells and growing enough of them for use in therapies has proven difficult, though. Researchers have successfully grown mesenchymal stem cells, found in bone marrow, but growing sufficient quantities takes weeks. That could be too late for treatment of some conditions.

"Stem cells are inherently designed to remain at a constant number," Zubair explains. "We need to grow them faster, but without changing their characteristics."

The first phase of the investigation, he adds, is answering the question: "Do stem cells grow faster in space and can we grow them in such a manner that they are safe to use in patients?"

Investigators will examine the space-grown cells in an effort to understand the mechanism behind microgravity's effects on them. The long-term goal is to learn how to mimic those effects and develop a safe and reliable way to produce stem cells in the quantities needed.

The second phase will involve testing clinical application of the cells in patients. Zubair has been studying treatment of stroke patients with lab-grown stem cells and plans to compare those results with use of the space-grown stem cells.

"What is unique about this investigation is that we are not only looking at the biology of the cells and how they grow, but focusing on application, how we can use them to treat patients," he says.

The investigation expands existing knowledge of how microgravity affects stem cell growth and differentiation as well as advances future studies on how to produce large numbers of stem cells for treating stroke and other conditions.

The faster that happens, the better for those who could benefit from stem cell therapies.

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Stem cells seem speedier in space - Phys.Org

Parsley and other plants lend form to human stem cell scaffolds – Phys.Org

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March 20, 2017 by Terry Devitt Human fibroblast cells, common connective tissue cells, growing on decellularized parsley. A team of UW-Madison researchers from the lab of bioengineering Professor William Murphy is exploring the use of plants to make the three-dimensional structures that may one day be used to repair bone and tissue. Credit: Gianluca Fontana/UW-Madison

Borrowing from nature is an age-old theme in science. Form and function go hand-in-hand in the natural world and the structures created by plants and animals are only rarely improved on by humans.

Taking that lesson to heart, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are using the decellularized husks of plants such as parsley, vanilla and orchids to form three-dimensional scaffolds that can then be primed and seeded with human stem cells to optimize their growth in the lab dish and, ultimately, create novel biomedical implants.

Writing March 20 in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials, a team led by William Murphy, a professor of biomedical engineering and co-director of the UW-Madison Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, describes the use of a variety of plants to create an efficient, inexpensive and scalable technology for making tiny structures that could one day be used to repair muscle, organs and bone using stem cells.

"Nature provides us with a tremendous reservoir of structures in plants," explains Gianluca Fontana, the lead author of the new study and a UW-Madison postdoctoral fellow. "You can pick the structure you want."

The new technology capitalizes on the elegant, efficient structural qualities of plants: strength, rigidity, porosity, low mass and, importantly, surface area. It may help overcome the limitations of current methods such as 3-D printing and injection molding to create feedstock structures for biomedical applications.

"Plants are really special materials as they have a very high surface area to volume ratio, and their pore structure is uniquely well-designed for fluid transport," says Murphy.

The UW-Madison team collaborated with Madison's Olbrich Botanical Gardens and curator John Wirth to identify plant species that could potentially be transformed into the miniature structures useful for biomedical applications. In addition to plants like parsley and orchid, Wirth and colleagues at Olbrich identified bamboo, elephant ear plants and wasabi as plants whose structural qualities may be amenable to creating scaffolds with properties and shapes useful in bioengineering. The team also collected plants such as the wetland-loving bulrush from the UW Arboretum.

"The vast diversity in the plant kingdom provides virtually any size and shape of interest," notes Murphy, who was prompted to explore the plant world after gazing from his office window onto UW-Madison's Lakeshore Nature Preserve. "It really seemed obvious. Plants are extraordinarily good at cultivating new tissues and organs, and there are thousands of different plant species readily available. They represent a tremendous feedstock of new materials for tissue engineering applications."

The new approach to making scaffolds for tissue engineering depends on cellulose, the primary constituent of the cell walls of green plants. The Wisconsin team found that stripping away all of the other cells that make up the plant, and treating the leftover husks of cellulose with chemicals, entices human stem cells such as fibroblastscommon connective tissue cells generated from stem cellsto attach to and grow on the miniature structures.

Stem cells seeded into the scaffolds, according to Fontana, tend to align themselves along the pattern of the scaffold's structure. "Stem cells are sensitive to topography. It influences how cells grow and how well they grow."

That ability to align cells according to the structure of the plant scaffold, adds Murphy, suggests it might be possible to use the materials to control structure and alignment of developing human tissues, a feature critical for nerve and muscle tissues, which require alignment and patterning for their function.

Another critical advantage of the plant scaffolds, notes Murphy, is the apparent ease with which they can be made and manipulated. "They are quite pliable. They can be easily cut, fashioned, rolled or stacked to form a range of different sizes and shapes."

They are also renewable, easy to mass produce and inexpensive.

The scaffolds have yet to be tested in an animal model, but plans are underway to conduct such studies in the near future.

"Toxicity is unlikely, but there is potential for immune responses if these plant scaffolds are implanted into a mammal," says Murphy. "Significant immune responses are less likely in our approach because the plant cells are removed from the scaffolds."

Explore further: New study compares bone-inducing properties of 3-D-printed mineralized scaffolds

More information: Gianluca Fontana et al. Biofunctionalized Plants as Diverse Biomaterials for Human Cell Culture, Advanced Healthcare Materials (2017). DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201601225

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Parsley and other plants lend form to human stem cell scaffolds - Phys.Org

Cell Therapy — Achieving Success on the Road to … – Marketwired – Marketwired (press release)

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TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - March 20, 2017) - During an informative session on Wednesday, April 5, 2016, industry experts from Fisher BioServices, Kristen Franklin, Client Services Manager and Amy Hendricks, Project Manager will review some of the key components to consider when developing a strategy to minimize risk, manage cost, and ultimately deliver a product to market.

The success of developing a cellular therapy rests on the ability to deliver a viable, potent product. This positive end-result is directly attributable to the strategy in place and the supporting processes. A reliable cell therapy development strategy is imperative to ensuring your therapeutic materials remain viable from the point of collection, through manufacture, to the final clinical site delivery.

Key Learning Objectives:

For more information or to register for this complimentary event, visit: Cell Therapy - Achieving Success on the Road to Commercialization

Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global Life Sciences community. Every year thousands of industry practitioners (from pharmaceutical & biotech companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.

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