Stem Cell Clinic

Scientists grow human intestine giving hope to people with gut problems and cancer patients

By Stem Cell Doctors

Tissue fragments called organoids were transplanted into mice and matured Mice produced 'significantamounts of fully-functioning human tissue Study gives experts new way to study conditions causing intestinal failure Step towards growing tissues that could replace damaged human intestine

By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline

Published: 07:24 EST, 20 October 2014 | Updated: 08:07 EST, 20 October 2014

141 shares

12

View comments

Scientists have managed to grow a piece of human intestine in the laboratory,paving the way for new treatments for gut disorders such as Crohn's disease and even cancer.

The breakthrough was made using adult stem cells, which the researchers used to growtissue fragments called organoids.

These are three-dimensional organ 'buds' with the potential to develop into tissues with certain functions.

Breakthrough:Functioning human intestine has been grown from stem cells in the laboratory, paving the way to new treatments for gut disorders. A stock image showing the transfer of fluid into a petri dish containing stem cells for medical image is pictured

Excerpt from:
Scientists grow human intestine giving hope to people with gut problems and cancer patients

Progeny 'mega cells' pivotal in adult stem cell transplant

By Stem Cell Medicine

A new research has identified that 'megakaryocytes' or 'megacells' are responsible for playing a critical role in adult stem cell transplant.

Hematopoietic stem cells differentiate to generate megakaryocytes in bone marrow and the study has shown that the hematopoietic stem cells (the parent cells) could be directly controlled by their own progeny (megakaryocytes).

The results had suggested that megakaryocytes might be used clinically to facilitate adult stem cell regeneration and to expand cultured cells for adult stem cell transplants.

Researchers at Stowers Institute for Medical Research had discovered that megakaryocytes had directly regulated the function of murine hematopoietic stem cellsadult stem cells that had formed the blood and immune cells and that had constantly renewed the body's blood supply. These cells could also develop into all types of blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

Because of their remarkable ability to renew themselves and differentiate into other cells, hematopoietic stems cells have been used to treat many diseases and conditions. The transplantation of isolated human hematopoietic stem cells has been used in the treatment of anemia, immune deficiencies and other diseases, including cancer.

The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.

(Posted on 20-10-2014)

Post your comments

Information on States of India:

Read the rest here:
Progeny 'mega cells' pivotal in adult stem cell transplant

UC San Diego Health System announces human testing of stem cell therapies

By Stem Cell Medical Center

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - UC San Diego Health System announced Monday that human testing of injected neural stem cell therapies are underway at its Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center.

Researchers are conducting three different trials -- one on a 26-year-old woman paralyzed after a traffic crash, and others on diabetes and leukemia patients.

"What we are seeing after years of work is the rubber hitting the road," said Lawrence Goldstein, director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell program and Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center.

"These are three very ambitious and innovative trials," he said. "Each followed a different development path -- each addresses a very different disease or condition. It speaks to the maturation of stem cell science that we've gotten to the point of testing these very real medical applications in people."

The first tests are being made with low doses in order to ensure the safety of the patients, Goldstein said.

Working with Maryland-based Neuralstem Inc., neural stem cells were injected into the site of the paralyzed woman's spinal cord injury on Sept. 30, and she is recovering at home without complications or adverse effects, said Dr. Joseph Ciacci, a neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health System. Her name was not released.

The researchers hope that the transplanted cells will develop into neurons that bridge the gap created by the injury, replace severed or lost nerve connections and restore at least some motor and sensory function. According to UCSD, testing in laboratory rats with spinal cord injuries were promising.

A two-year trial on about 40 Type 1 diabetes patients will involve implanting cells under the skin that were derived from embryonic stem cells, with the hope they will safely mature into pancreatic beta and other cells able to produce a continuous supply of needed insulin and other substances, according to the researchers. The first procedure is expected to take place sometime this month, according to UCSD.

Type 1 diabetes, which usually onsets during childhood and has no cure, causes the pancreas to produce little or no insulin. Patients have to inject insulin daily and rigorously manage their diet and lifestyle.

The third trial will involve a potential drug to fight chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of blood cancer in adults. Patients in the test will receive the drug via an intravenous infusion every 14 days at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center.

See the original post:
UC San Diego Health System announces human testing of stem cell therapies

UCSD Stem Cell program begins human testing

By Stem Cell Medical Center

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - UC San Diego Health System announced Monday that human testing of injected neural stem cell therapies are underway at its Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center.

Researchers are conducting three different trials -- one on a 26-year-old woman paralyzed after a traffic crash, and others on diabetes and leukemia patients.

"What we are seeing after years of work is the rubber hitting the road," said Lawrence Goldstein, director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell program and Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center.

"These are three very ambitious and innovative trials," he said. "Each followed a different development path -- each addresses a very different disease or condition. It speaks to the maturation of stem cell science that we've gotten to the point of testing these very real medical applications in people."

The first tests are being made with low doses in order to ensure the safety of the patients, Goldstein said.

Working with Maryland-based Neuralstem Inc., neural stem cells were injected into the site of the paralyzed woman's spinal cord injury on Sept. 30, and she is recovering at home without complications or adverse effects, said Dr. Joseph Ciacci, a neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health System. Her name was not released.

The researchers hope that the transplanted cells will develop into neurons that bridge the gap created by the injury, replace severed or lost nerve connections and restore at least some motor and sensory function. According to UCSD, testing in laboratory rats with spinal cord injuries were promising.

A two-year trial on about 40 Type 1 diabetes patients will involve implanting cells under the skin that were derived from embryonic stem cells, with the hope they will safely mature into pancreatic beta and other cells able to produce a continuous supply of needed insulin and other substances, according to the researchers. The first procedure is expected to take place sometime this month, according to UCSD.

Type 1 diabetes, which usually onsets during childhood and has no cure, causes the pancreas to produce little or no insulin. Patients have to inject insulin daily and rigorously manage their diet and lifestyle.

The third trial will involve a potential drug to fight chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of blood cancer in adults. Patients in the test will receive the drug via an intravenous infusion every 14 days at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center.

Here is the original post:
UCSD Stem Cell program begins human testing

Scientists Grow, Implant Human Intestinal Tissue in Mice

By Stem Cell Medical Center

SUNDAY, Oct. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New stem cell-based research could improve understanding of intestinal diseases and eventually lead to new treatments, a new study suggests.

Scientists used stem cells to grow "organoids" of functioning human intestinal tissue in a lab dish. They then transplanted the organoids into mice, creating a new model for studying intestinal disorders, according to the researchers.

"This provides a new way to study the many diseases and conditions that can cause intestinal failure, from genetic disorders appearing at birth to conditions that strike later in life, such as cancer and Crohn's disease," lead investigator Dr. Michael Helmrath, surgical director of the Intestinal Rehabilitation Program at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said in a center news release.

"These studies also advance the longer-term goal of growing tissues that can replace damaged human intestine," he added.

Further research could eventually lead to the ability to create personalized human intestinal tissue to treat gastrointestinal diseases, according to the researchers.

"These studies support the concept that patient-specific cells can be used to grow intestine," Helmrath explained.

The research was published online Oct. 19 in the journal Nature Medicine.

The intestinal organoids were created using so-called pluripotent stem cells, which can become any type of tissue in the body. The scientists created these "blank" stem cells by reprogramming adult cells taken from skin and blood samples.

The stem cells were placed in lab dishes with a specific molecular mixture that prompted the cells to grow into intestinal organoids, which developed into fully mature, functioning human intestinal tissue after being transplanted into mice.

The mice were genetically engineered so that their immune systems would not reject the human tissue, the study authors noted.

Read more here:
Scientists Grow, Implant Human Intestinal Tissue in Mice

UCSD Announces Human Testing Of Stem Cell Treatment Is Underway

By Stem Cell Treatment

UC San Diego Health System announced Monday that human testing of injected neural stem cell therapies are underway at its Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center.

Researchers are conducting three different trials one on a 26-year-old woman paralyzed after a traffic crash, and others on diabetes and leukemia patients.

"What we are seeing after years of work is the rubber hitting the road," said Lawrence Goldstein, director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell program and Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center.

"These are three very ambitious and innovative trials," he said. "Each followed a different development path each addresses a very different disease or condition. It speaks to the maturation of stem cell science that we've gotten to the point of testing these very real medical applications in people."

The first tests are being made with low doses in order to ensure the safety of the patients, Goldstein said.

Working with Maryland-based Neuralstem Inc., neural stem cells were injected into the site of the paralyzed woman's spinal cord injury on Sept. 30, and she is recovering at home without complications or adverse effects, said Dr. Joseph Ciacci, a neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health System. Her name was not released.

The researchers hope that the transplanted cells will develop into neurons that bridge the gap created by the injury, replace severed or lost nerve connections and restore at least some motor and sensory function. According to UCSD, testing in laboratory rats with spinal cord injuries were promising.

A two-year trial on about 40 Type 1 diabetes patients will involve implanting cells under the skin that were derived from embryonic stem cells, with the hope they will safely mature into pancreatic beta and other cells able to produce a continuous supply of needed insulin and other substances, according to the researchers. The first procedure is expected to take place sometime this month, according to UCSD.

Type 1 diabetes, which usually onsets during childhood and has no cure, causes the pancreas to produce little or no insulin. Patients have to inject insulin daily and rigorously manage their diet and lifestyle.

The third trial will involve a potential drug to fight chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of blood cancer in adults. Patients in the test will receive the drug via an intravenous infusion every 14 days at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center.

View original post here:
UCSD Announces Human Testing Of Stem Cell Treatment Is Underway

Promise Put to the Test

By Stem Cell Treatment

Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise A 26-year-old woman paralyzed after a motor vehicle accident a year ago has successfully undergone a first-in-human experimental procedure to test whether neural stem cells injected at the site of a spinal cord injury is safe and could be an effective treatment.

The procedure, conducted on Sept. 30 under the auspices of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center at UC San Diego Health System and in collaboration with Neuralstem, Inc., a Maryland-based biotechnology firm, is the first of four in the Phase I clinical trial. Post safety testing, its hoped that the transplanted neural stem cells will develop into new neurons that bridge the gap created by the injury, replace severed or lost nerve connections and restore at least some motor and sensory function.

The patient, whose identity remains confidential for privacy reasons, has been discharged and is recovering without complication or adverse effects at home, said Joseph Ciacci, MD, principal investigator and neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health System.

The spinal cord injury trial is one of three recent ground-breaking stem cell efforts at UC San Diego, supported by the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center, to make the significant leap from laboratory to first-in-human clinical trials.

Last month, researchers at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center launched a novel Phase I trial to assess the safety of a monoclonal antibody treatment that targets cancer stem cells in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of blood cancer.

And later this month, the first patient is scheduled to receive an unprecedented stem cell-based therapy designed to treat type 1diabetes in another Phase I clinical trial at UC San Diego.

What we are seeing after years of work is the rubber hitting the road, said Lawrence Goldstein, PhD, director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell program and Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center at UC San Diego Health System. These are three very ambitious and innovative trials. Each followed a different development path; each addresses a very different disease or condition. It speaks to the maturation of stem cell science that weve gotten to the point of testing these very real medical applications in people.

To be sure, Goldstein said, the number of patients involved in these first trials is small. The initial focus is upon treatment with low doses to assess safety, but also with hope of patient benefit. As these trials progress and additional trials are launched Goldstein predicts greater numbers of patients will be enrolled at UC San Diego and the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center and elsewhere.

Continue reading here:
Promise Put to the Test

Margot Martini's family launch awareness day

By Stem Cell Treatment

The family of little Margot Martini has announced the launch of a day to promote the need for potential stem cell donors to join UK and worldwide registries.

A year ago today the brave youngster was diagnosed with both acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). She was just 14 months old at the time.

A worldwide hunt was launched to find a perfect stem cell match, leading to more than 50,000 people coming forward to be tested under the Swab4Margot campaign.

Finally in February a suitable donor was found and she underwent a bone marrow transplant. The following month doctors declared she was 99 per cent certain to be disease free, but tests in June revealed a small amount of ALL had returned.

Margot's parents Yaser and Vicki made the difficult decision in July to stop her treatment after medical experts told them her chances of being able to live a normal life after further treatment were slim.

Now two-year-old, Margot is living out the rest of her days at home with her loving family, but throughout her brave fight Team Margot - the group formed to support her battle - has remained committed to promoting awareness around the need for more potential stem cell donors to come forward. As a result of the group's efforts in the UK, more than 500 people will now receive potentially life saving bone marrow transplants.

Booked to take place on October 7, 2015, the inaugural Team Margot Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Awareness Day will give particular encouragement to those of mixed race to register, as this is an under-represented stem bank.

There are 37,000 people worldwide who are desperately seeking a stem cell match and only 60 per cent of transplant recipients currently find a perfect donor.

Of those from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background, a little more than 20 per cent of transplant recipients ever find their perfect match.

Yaser Martini said: "Team Margot is committed to raising global awareness around the need for more stem cell donor recruits, hence the launch of this annual international awareness day to help promote greater understanding and to encourage more people to register as potential stem cell /bone marrow donors.

Read more here:
Margot Martini's family launch awareness day

My stem cells could help save the life of man Ive never met

By Stem Cell Treatment

A HEALTHCARE worker at Royal Bournemouth Hospital has donated stem cells in a bid to save the life of an unknown man.

Claire Waugh, pictured, who has always been a regular blood donor, decided to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register after her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago.

The healthcare assistant co-ordinator was later identified as a possible match for a man needing life-saving treatment.

Following rigorous testing Claire was visited by nurses from the blood cancer charity, who gave her three injections every day for three days to stimulate her bone marrow to produce stem cells.

On the fourth day she travelled to Kings College Hospital in London to receive a final set of injections and undergo a stem cell collection in a simple five-hour outpatient procedure, which is similar to giving blood.

Claire said: I couldnt move or bend my arm due to the fairly heavy duty needle, but I was looked after really well so in the end the time went very quickly.

After donating, Claires stem cells were rushed to the recipient within the required 72 hours. A volunteer from Anthony Nolan told me that if he doesnt survive, there is nothing else on this earth that would have cured him, so this was this persons last chance, added Claire.

When my dad was poorly it made me think that if he needed this kind of help, I would be praying every night that someone would help him.

By doing this, it meant that I could give that chance to someone else and their family.

Royal Bournemouth Hospital granted special leave to Claire for the donation with the charity covering all of her and her husbands travel expenses.

Originally posted here:
My stem cells could help save the life of man Ive never met

→←