Stem Cell Clinic

Opportunities in Human Embryonic Stem Cell (hESC) Products – Trends and Forecasts to 2017

By adminJanuary 27, 2015Stem Cell Medicine

LONDON, Jan. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Stem cells are primitive cells found in all multi-cellular organisms that are characterized by self-renewal and the capacity to differentiate into any mature cell type. Categorized by stage of life, several broad categories of stem cells exist, including:

- Embryonic stem cells, derived from blastocysts - Post-natal stem cells, derived from newborn tissues - Adult stem cells, found in adult tissues including hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells, and more - Induced pluripotent stem cells, reprogrammed from adult cells - Cancer stem cells, which give rise to clonal populations of cells that form tumors or disperse in the body

Embryonic stem cells are stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, which is a stage reached four to five days post-fertilization. They are the most pluripotent of all stem cell types and can develop into over 200 different cell types of the human body. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were first derived from mouse embryos in 1981 by Martin Evans and Matthew Kaufman, and independently by Gail R. Martin. In 1995, the first successful culturing of embryonic stem cells from non-human primates occurred at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Another breakthrough followed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in November 1998 when a group led by Dr. James Thomson developed a technique to isolate and grow hESCs derived from human blastocysts. As such, embryonic stem cells are still a relatively new discovery, as the first mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) were derived from embryos in 1981, but it was not until 1995 that the first successful culturing of embryonic stem cells from non-human primates occurred and not until November 1998 that a technique was developed to isolate and grow embryonic stem cells from human blastocysts.

Market Segments

To facilitate research resulting from these advances, a large and diverse market has emerged for human embryonic stem cell products, platforms, and technologies. In total, the global sales of these items compose the hESC product marketplace. One thriving component of this marketplace is the segment of companies that sell hESC research products to scientists.

Termed "research supply companies" or "research product vendors," large companies selling human embryonic stem cell research products include Life Technologies, BD Biosciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific, EMD Millipore, Sigma Aldrich, Lonza, R&D Systems, and STEMCELL Technologies, as well as more than 60 other suppliers that range in size from multinational corporations to small specialty companies. Together, these research supply companies represent a substantial annual percentage of hESC product sales.

As of 2013, the following product categories accounted for more than 85% of all global hESC research product sales:

- Embryonic stem cell culture products - Embryonic stem cell lines - Antibodies to embryonic stem cell antigens - Bead-based embryonic stem cell separation systems - Embryonic stem cell protein purification and analysis tools - Tools for DNA and RNA-based characterization of embryonic stem cells - Embryonic stem cell specific growth factors and cytokines - Tools for embryonic stem cell gene regulation - Embryonic stem cell services and mechanisms for in vivo and in vitro stem cell tracking - In addition, pharmaceutical companies also have intense interest in human embryonic stem cell product development. Because of their plasticity and unlimited capacity for self-renewal, hESCs have been proposed for use in a wide range of pharmaceutical applications, including: - Drug target validation and testing - Toxicology testing - Tissue engineering - Cellular therapies - Personalized medicine - And more For this reason, development of hESC products by the pharmaceutical sector also represents a thriving segment of the global hESC product marketplace. Of particular interest to this community is the potential for use of hESCs to heal tissues that have a naturally limited capacity for renewal, such as the human heart, liver and brain. Furthermore, within the pharmaceutical sector, development of new drugs is extremely costly and the success rate of bringing new compounds to the market is unpredictable. Therefore, it is crucial that pharmaceutical companies minimize late-stage product failures, such as suboptimal pharmacokinetic properties or unexpected toxicity, that can arise when candidate drugs enter the clinical testing stages.

To achieve this, it would be highly desirable to test candidate drugs using in vitro assays of high human relevance as early as possible. Because hESCs have the potential to differentiate into all of the mature cell types of the human body, they represent an ideal cell type from which to design such drug screening assays.

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Opportunities in Human Embryonic Stem Cell (hESC) Products - Trends and Forecasts to 2017

Researchers advance the science behind treating patients with corneal blindness

By adminJanuary 27, 2015Stem Cell Medical Center

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 27, 2015) - Researchers in the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute have devised a novel way to generate transplantable corneal stem cells that may eventually benefit patients suffering from life-altering forms of blindness.

Scientists used human corneal cells to generate pluripotent stem cells that have a capacity to become virtually any body cell. Then, putting these cells on natural scaffolds, researcher's facilitated differentiation of these stem cells back to corneal cells.

"Our research shows that cells derived from corneal stem cells are attractive candidates for generating corneal cells in the laboratory," said Alexander Ljubimov, PhD, director of the Eye Program at the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and principal investigator on this research study.

This research, published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, marks an important first step toward creating a bank of corneal stem cells that may potentially benefit patients who suffer from many forms of corneal blindness. The group is now working to optimize the process with National Institutes of Health funding.

Corneal deficiencies may have genetic or inflammatory roots or be caused by injuries, like burns to the skin in occupational accidents. They result in damage or death of stem cells that renew the outermost part of the cornea. If left untreated, they often cause compromised vision or blindness.

Over 150,000 Americans and more than 3 million individuals worldwide are affected by corneal blindness.

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Study collaborators include Clive Svendsen, PhD, director of the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and professor of biomedical sciences and medicine; Dhruv Sareen, PhD, director of the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Core and assistant professor of biomedical sciences; Mehrnoosh Saghizadeh, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical sciences; Yaron Rabinowitz, MD, director of the Division of Ophthalmology Research; and Vincent A. Funari, PhD, director of the Genomics Core and assistant professor of pediatrics.

Citation: Sareen D, Saghizadeh M, Ornelas L, et al. Differentiation of human limbal-derived induced pluripotent stem cells into limbal-like epithelium. Stem Cells Transl Med. 2014; 3(9):1002-12.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Researchers advance the science behind treating patients with corneal blindness

ESI BIO A Division of BioTime, Inc. Announces New UK Distribution Agreement with 2BScientific

By adminJanuary 27, 2015Stem Cell Clinic

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ESI BIO, the stem cell products division of BioTime, Inc., announces that its cGMP and research grade stem cell lines, reagents and cell matrix products are now available in the UK and Ireland through 2BScientific Ltd.

ESI BIOs (esibio.com) research products are used by stem cell researchers around the world and include clinical and research grade human embryonic stem cells from ES Cell International (ESI) and HyStem hyaluronan-based hydrogel extracellular matrices. ESI BIO also provides unique PureStem Embryonic Progenitors, antibodies and small molecules for stem cell differentiation and reprogramming.

Jeffrey Janus, CEO at ESI BIO commented, "We are pleased to hear that 2BScientific would like to be our distributor in the UK market and we expect that we can build a strong partnership in the future." James Bernard, CEO of 2BScientific added, "2BScientific is excited to have signed a distribution agreement with ESI BIO to sell all of their stem cell products and services in the United Kingdom and Ireland. We are excited to offer their cell lines and supporting products for stem cell researchers."

About ESI BIO

ESI BIO - A Division of BioTime, Inc., markets and distributes stem cell related research products provided by BioTime and its subsidiary companies. Many of these products can be provided as a research grade or clinical grade, including ES Cell Internationals human embryonic stem cell lines and HyStem hyaluronan-based hydrogels produced under conditions designed to be compliant with principles of current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), making them suitable for use in clinical research and regenerative medicine. ESI BIO's portfolio includes PureStem human embryonic progenitors, antibodies, and small molecules for stem cell differentiation and reprogramming. ESI BIO's mission is to develop innovative research products that help translate scientific discoveries to the clinic. ESI BIO facilities are located in La Jolla and Alameda, California. Learn more at http://www.esibio.com.

About 2B Scientific

2B Scientific is a specialist distributor of immunological reagents to the UK life science market. 2B Scientific takes a novel approach to life science reagents distribution and provides a wide range of products including antibodies, PCR and flow cytometry reagents, apoptosis assays, proteins and life science consumables. Learn more at http://www.2BScientific.com.

Gordie Howes health improved dramatically after stem cell treatment

By adminJanuary 27, 2015Stem Cell Treatment

CALGARY They call it the miracle of stem cells and it was nothing less than a miracle says Marty Howe about his dad Gordies recovery.

Ata press conference Tuesday in Calgary for the Gordie Howe C.A.R.E.S annual hockey Pro-AM, Marty Howe talked about how the stem cell treatment saved Gordie Howes life after suffering two strokes.

He probably had a month to live the way he was going, he was deteriorating pretty fast. To have him now back and be able to relate to everybody really helps, Marty Howe said.

The Howe family remains positive and believes Gordie might be able to travel again and attend events soon. Marty Howe said his dad is already planning to attend an event in Saskatoon next month.

He can walk, hes got a sense of freedom now. He can play with the grand kids. He still needs to work with his speech, he cant sign yet but hopefully in the future he will be able to, Howe said.

Its a joy to have him with us still. Its nothing more of a gift. Hes down in Texas with my sister and we have caregivers that have been coming in for the past two and a half years too.

Gordie Howe has aform of dementia and the 86-year-old suffered hismost recent stroke just before Christmas last year due to dehydration.

A group of doctors, who happened to be named Howe, contacted the family and told them about a stem cell treatment they could offer for Gordie Howe. So the family went down to Mexico to give it a try.

Gordies health improved dramatically. Soon after, hewas able to walk and speak again. The family says Gordie plans to do asecond treatment in two months.

Known as Mr. Hockey, Howe was the NHLs Most Valuable Player six times. He played on four Stanley Cup championship teams in Detroit during a 25-year stint that began in 1946. The league scoring records he set stood until Wayne Gretzky broke them.

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Gordie Howes health improved dramatically after stem cell treatment

Keeping the Kraken asleep

By adminJanuary 27, 2015Stem Cell Treatment

IMAGE:CDK6 is needed for leukemic stem cell activation (left). When CDK6 is absent, the LSC remains in a quiescent state and leukemia formation is prohibited (right). view more

Credit: Angelika Berger / Vetmeduni Vienna

Despite enormous progress in cancer therapy, many patients still relapse because their treatment addresses the symptoms of the disease rather than the cause, the so-called stem cells. Work in the group of Veronika Sexl at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna has given a tantalizing clue to a solution. In the current issue of Blood, the scientists report that the cell-cycle kinase CDK6 is required for activation of the stem cells responsible for causing leukemia.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are normally inactive, i.e. quiescent. When new blood cells are needed, for example to replace blood that has been lost, HSCs start to multiply and develop into mature blood cells. If the process is initiated at an inappropriate time, hematopoietic diseases such as leukemia may result and leukemic stem cells may develop. These represent a major challenge to leukemia therapy: they are quiescent and thus protected from elimination by the immune system and from treatment such as chemotherapy. Leukemic stem cells frequently cause relapse in cancer patients, often years or even decades after an apparently successful treatment.

Working with stem cells isolated from mice, Ruth Scheicher and colleagues at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have investigated possible differences between leukemic stem cells and the healthy stem cells in the body. They looked in particular at the function of the CDK6 protein, which is known to be involved in controlling the cell cycle. Surprisingly, CDK6 was also found to regulate the activation of hematopoietic and leukemic stem cells, which it does by inhibiting the transcription factor Egr1. Upon loss of CDK6, Egr1 becomes active and prevents stem cells from dividing. In a further twist to the tale, the mechanism operates only when hematopoietic stem cells are stressed, e.g. in leukemia, and not in the normal physiological situation.

Scheicher is quick to note the significance of her finding. "CDK6 is absolutely necessary for leukemic stem cells to induce disease but plays no part in normal hematopoiesis. We thus have a novel opportunity to target leukemia at its origin. Inhibiting CDK6 should attack leukemic stem cells while leaving healthy HSCs unaffected".

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Service: The article 'CDK6 as a key regulator of hematopoietic and leukemic stem cell activation' by Scheicher R, Hoelbl-Kovacic A, Bellutti F, Tigan AS, Prchal-Murphy M, Heller G, Schneckenleithner C, Salazar-Roa M, Zchbauer-Mller S, Zuber J, Malumbres M, Kollmann K and Sexl V. was published in the journal Blood. http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/125/1/90.long?sso-checked=true

About the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna

The University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna in Austria is one of the leading academic and research institutions in the field of Veterinary Sciences in Europe. About 1,300 employees and 2,300 students work on the campus in the north of Vienna which also houses five university clinics and various research sites. Outside of Vienna the university operates Teaching and Research Farms. http://www.vetmeduni.ac.at

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Keeping the Kraken asleep

Sask. man off to Malaysia for stem cell treatment

By adminJanuary 27, 2015Stem Cell Treatment

A 28-year-old North Battleford man plans to head to Malaysia next month for a stem cell treatment he hopes will cure his debilitating liver disease.

Kyle Allan is able to pay for the trip thanks to the success of a gofundme.com campaign, which rocketed past its $25,000 goal in just one week.

As of Monday, he'd raised $61,425.

"It was mind blowing," Allan said.

His girlfriend, Valerie Blais, who set up the campaign, had no idea it would do so well and had even expected to do additional fundraising.

"It's completely overwhelming. It shows so much love and support from people in our lives and the community," she said.

When Allan was about three years old, he repeatedly contracted pneumonia and other infections, and was diagnosed with Common Variable Immunodefiency, for which no cure has been identified.

He previously received an IV treatment once a month, which has now increased to once per day. Growing up, he was often tired and didn't have as much energy as other children, but as he got into his teens he improved.

"I was pretty much a normal kid," he said.

He became a welder and worked in Fort McMurray, then got his journeyman qualifications at SIAST. He was about to head back north when, on Aug. 18, 2008, he couldn't get out of bed.

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Sask. man off to Malaysia for stem cell treatment

Using stem cells to grow new hair

By adminJanuary 27, 2015Stem Cell Treatment

In a new study from Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), researchers have used human pluripotent stem cells to generate new hair. The study represents the first step toward the development of a cell-based treatment for people with hair loss. In the United States alone, more than 40 million men and 21 million women are affected by hair loss. The research was published online in PLOS One yesterday.

"We have developed a method using human pluripotent stem cells to create new cells capable of initiating human hair growth. The method is a marked improvement over current methods that rely on transplanting existing hair follicles from one part of the head to another," said Alexey Terskikh, Ph.D., associate professor in the Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program at Sanford-Burnham. "Our stem cell method provides an unlimited source of cells from the patient for transplantation and isn't limited by the availability of existing hair follicles."

The research team developed a protocol that coaxed human pluripotent stem cells to become dermal papilla cells. They are a unique population of cells that regulate hair-follicle formation and growth cycle. Human dermal papilla cells on their own are not suitable for hair transplants because they cannot be obtained in necessary amounts and rapidly lose their ability to induce hair-follicle formation in culture.

"In adults, dermal papilla cells cannot be readily amplified outside of the body and they quickly lose their hair-inducing properties," said Terskikh. "We developed a protocol to drive human pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into dermal papilla cells and confirmed their ability to induce hair growth when transplanted into mice."

"Our next step is to transplant human dermal papilla cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells back into human subjects," said Terskikh. "We are currently seeking partnerships to implement this final step."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Using stem cells to grow new hair

Stamina doctor Davide Vannoni in 22-month plea bargain

By adminJanuary 27, 2015Stem Cell Treatment

Psychologist on trial for criminal association, fraud

(ANSA) - Turin, January 27 - A psychologist who developed the now-banned Stamina stem-cell treatment for terminal nerve disease patients entered a formal request for a plea bargain in a trial against him during a preliminary hearing on Tuesday. Davide Vannoni requested a plea deal of one year and 10 months. In Italy, custodial sentences of under three years are usually suspended. Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello backed the request, saying the withdrawal by Vannoni of an appeal to the Lazio administrative court against a provision rejecting the controversial therapy eliminated all doubt concerning the possible reiteration of the crime. Vannoni is on trial with 13 others on charges including aggravated criminal association with intent to commit fraud in connection with the therapy, which he used on terminally ill degenerative nerve disease patients. The health ministry last November decreed the end of experimentation with the controversial Stamina treatment, which supporters say could help cure degenerative nerve diseases but which experts say lacks a scientific basis. The credibility of the Stamina treatment, which involves extracting bone-marrow stem cells from a patient, supposedly turning them into neurons by exposing them to retinoic acid for two hours, and injecting them back into the patient, has long been suspect. The health ministry in late 2013 ruled that the Stamina Foundation would no longer be allowed to test the treatment on humans, and it was stripped of its non-profit status. A panel of government-appointed experts said last year it found the therapy seriously lacking in both premise and practice. Their report cited "serious imperfections and omissions in the Stamina protocol, including conceptual errors and an apparent ignorance of stem-cell biology". Vannoni told Nature magazine in a 2013 interview that he developed the therapy after receiving what he said was stem-cell treatment for a virus-induced facial paralysis in Russia in 2004.

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Stamina doctor Davide Vannoni in 22-month plea bargain

Integrins are essential in stem cell binding to defective cartilage for joint regeneration

By adminJanuary 26, 2015Stem Cell Medical Center

IMAGE:BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal led by Editor-in-Chief Robert Lanza, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. and Editor Jane Taylor, PhD.... view more

Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, January 26, 2015--The promise for using mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to repair cartilage damage caused by osteoarthritis depends on the MSC being able to attach efficiently to the defective cartilage. A novel laboratory model in which artificially created cartilage lesions and labeled MSC were used to test factors that might improve MSC binding and the effectiveness of future MSC-based therapies is described in BioResearch Open Access, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the BioResearch Open Access website.

In the article "1 Integrins Mediate Attachment of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Cartilage Lesions," D. Zwolanek, PhD, and coauthors, University of Veterinary Medicine (Vienna, Austria), University of Cologne Medical Faculty (Germany), University Medical Center Rotterdam (The Netherlands) present the results of experiments using a combination of ex vivo and in vivo model systems of defective cartilage. They studied the effects of serum, plasma hyaluronic acid, and various cell adhesion-related proteins such as integrins on the attachment of MSC to the extracellular matrix of the cartilage.

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About the Journal

BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal led by Editor-in-Chief Robert Lanza, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. and Editor Jane Taylor, PhD. The Journal provides a new rapid-publication forum for a broad range of scientific topics including molecular and cellular biology, tissue engineering and biomaterials, bioengineering, regenerative medicine, stem cells, gene therapy, systems biology, genetics, biochemistry, virology, microbiology, and neuroscience. All articles are published within 4 weeks of acceptance and are fully open access and posted on PubMed Central. All journal content is available on the BioResearch Open Access website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many areas of science and biomedical research, including DNA and Cell Biology, Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, Human Gene Therapy, HGT Methods, and HGT Clinical Development, and AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

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Integrins are essential in stem cell binding to defective cartilage for joint regeneration

BioTime Announces Issuance of 14 New Patents in the Fields of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Technology, and Cancer …

By adminJanuary 26, 2015Uncategorized

Pluripotent stem cells are cells capable of indefinite expansion and then differentiation into any and all of the cell types of the human body. Examples of pluripotent stem cells are human embryonic stem cells (hES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. These stem cells potentially offer a new technology platform for the manufacture of a wide array of cell types designed to be transplanted into the body to restore healthy tissue function.

BioTime and its subsidiaries are focused on developing and commercializing a broad portfolio of innovative cellular therapeutics and diagnostic products, while also continuing to build value in other ways, such as through the addition of new patents to our industry-leading intellectual property estate, said Dr. Michael D. West, Ph.D., BioTimes Chief Executive Officer. We are making significant strides in patenting our core platform of pluripotent stem cell technology and strengthening our competitive position in regenerative medicine. For the first time in history, pluripotent stem cells offer a means of manufacturing previously rare and valuable human cell types in a cost-effective manner and on an industrial scale. We plan to utilize our strengthened patent position to drive value for our shareholders as the field of regenerative medicine begins to address the large and growing markets associated with chronic and age-related degenerative disease.

New Patents Owned by BioTime or one of its subsidiaries:

European patent 1809739 This issued patent claims cell culture media for the proliferation and scale-up of hES cells. The patent issuing in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and Sweden provides a propagation medium for culturing hES cells in the laboratory such that the cells proliferate without differentiating as defined in the claims. The technology allows the user to rapidly produce high-quality embryonic stem cells for use in therapy and drug discovery, in a cost-effective and controlled manner, from defined or commercially available reagents. The patent is therefore useful for manufacturing products from hES cells. Patents in the same family have previously issued in the United States, Australia, UK, Israel, Singapore and Hong Kong, with additional applications pending.

Canada patent 2559854 and China patent ZL200580008779.0 These patents claim a differentiation method for making high purity heart muscle preparations from pluripotent stem cells such as hES cells suitable for use in regenerative medicine. The issued claims cover methods wherein the pluripotent stem cells are treated with specific growth factors and differentiation conditions to manufacture beating heart muscle cells. The patents are therefore useful in the manufacture and commercialization of heart muscle cells for research, for the testing of drugs on the heart, and potentially for regenerating heart muscle following a heart attack or heart failure. Patents in the same family have previously issued in the United States, Australia, UK, Israel, Japan and Singapore, with additional applications pending.

South Korea patent1543500B The patent titled, Hematopoietic Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells, claims methods for using pluripotent stem cell technology for inducing immune tolerance of cells transplanted into a patient (that is, in helping to prevent the rejection of transplanted cells). As such, the patent claims may be useful in commercializing diverse types of transplantable cells. Patents in the same family have previously issued in Australia, UK, Israel, Japan and Singapore, with additional applications pending.

Canada patent 2468335 The patent describes cartilage-forming cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells such as hES cells. The claims in the patent relate to a system of making the cartilage-forming cells using factors of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) family, of immortalizing the cells with the human telomerase gene, pharmaceutical formulations of the cells for therapeutic use in arthritis, as well as other claims. The patent is therefore useful for the manufacture of such cells for use in research and potentially in therapy for a number of applications in orthopedic medicine. Patents in the same family have previously issued in the United States, Australia, Singapore, Israel and South Korea, with additional applications pending.

Israel patent208116 The patent titled, Differentiation of Primate Pluripotent Stem Cells to Hematopoietic Lineage Cells, claims methods for the manufacture of dendritic cells from primate pluripotent stem cells. Dendritic cells are cells that trigger an immune response to a particular molecule. Often their role is to stimulate the immune system to attack microorganisms such as bacteria. BioTimes subsidiary Asterias Biotherapeutics is developing hES cell-derived dendritic cells modified to trigger an immune response to specific antigens related to cancer. A patent in the same family has previously issued in the United States, with additional applications pending.

Singapore patent 188098 The patent titled, Synthetic Surfaces for Culturing Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes, claims certain polymers upon which heart muscle cells derived from pluripotent stem cells may be cultured. The patent is potentially useful for the manufacture of human heart muscle cells for drug screening and toxicity testing and for use in the manufacture of such cells for transplantation into human subjects for the treatment of heart disease. A patent in the same family has previously issued in the United States, with additional applications pending.

Singapore patent 176957 The patent titled, Differentiated Pluripotent Stem Cell Progeny Depleted of Extraneous Phenotypes, claims methods for the purification of pluripotent stem cell-derived oligodendrocytes by the removal of contaminating cells that display an antigen called epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). This method is potentially useful in the purification of such oligodendrocytes prior to their use in research or human therapy. Patents in the same family have previously issued in the United States and China, with additional applications pending.

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BioTime Announces Issuance of 14 New Patents in the Fields of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Technology, and Cancer ...