Stem Cell Clinic

USC, UCLA and UCSF put their heads together to find cures for craniofacial defects

By Stem Cell Medical Center

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

17-Jul-2014

Contact: Cristy Lytal lytal@med.usc.edu 323-442-2172 University of Southern California - Health Sciences

One in every 2,000 babies is born with a skull that can't grow normally. Various sections of these babies' skulls are fused together at joints called sutures, constricting the developing brain and disrupting vision, sleep, eating and IQ. For these young patients, risky skull-expanding surgeries become an almost annual event.

Now, three leading universities for stem cell research the University of Southern California (USC); the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have joined forces to find better solutions for these and other patients with craniofacial defects.

All three institutions have leading stem cell research centers established with support from Eli and Edythe Broad, and all three are home to top scientists and clinicians in the field of craniofacial biology.

"The value of this collaboration is bringing together a bunch of interested scientists from three major institutions in California around really important problems," said Andy McMahon, director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC. "It's really going to take a group of scientists across these different places with different expertise to be able to make progress towards helping these patients."

Mark Urata a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at USC, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center underscores the need to invent less painful, dangerous and disruptive treatments for babies with fused skulls. "The operation we perform is state-of-the-art," he explained. "We're doing this better than most people in the country, and yet it's not good enough."

Yang Chai the George and MaryLou Boone Professor, director of the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology (CCMB) and associate dean of Research at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC sees tremendous value in teaming up with clinicians such as Urata. "Really, our faces are our identities, and the first thing you see when you look at someone is his or her face," said Chai. "And when someone has a craniofacial malformation, it really presents a significant challenge to that individual. By working closely with the clinicians, researchers can do more for these kids."

The group has already convened for two day-long faculty retreats, which have attracted funding from USC's CCMB, the UCSF Program in Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology, and the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Participants included: McMahon, Urata, Chai, Ruchi Bajpai, Gage Crump, Scott Fraser, Robert Maxson, Amy Merrill, Janet Oldak, Pedro Sanchez, Michael Paine, Songtao Shi, Malcolm Snead, Stephen Yen and Jian Xu from USC; Jeffery Bush, Lindsey Criswell, Ophir Klein, Sarah Knox, Margaret Langham, Ralph Marcucio, Sneha Oberoi, Jason Pomerantz, Richard Schneider and Nathan Young from UCSF; and Daniel Cohn, Katrina Dipple, Deborah Krakow, Justine Lee and Kristen Yee from UCLA.

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USC, UCLA and UCSF put their heads together to find cures for craniofacial defects

International Stem Cell Corporation Should Win EU Patent Case

By Stem Cell Medical Center

The European Union Court of Justice will likely agree that stem cells can be patented, setting a new precedent for scientists to use this controversial method for research and development.

This is an extremely important case with industry-wide consequences, Dr. Simon Craw, of the International Stem Cell Corporation, the American biotech company at the center of the case.

The California-based firm applied for two patents on the technology it uses to produce stem cells but was rejected. European Union laws dictate that embryos cannot be patented on ethical grounds, because they can develop into humans.

Technically, embryos are eggs that have been fertilized with human sperm. But ISC Corp. uses chemicals to activate the cells instead, which are then called parthenotes.

EU Advocate General Pedro Cruz Villaln wrote in a Thursday opinion that since these cells cannot possibly develop into humans, they arent subject to the ethical laws that apply to human beings.

Its a great day for scientific rationale with the Judge correctly recognizing the difference between human parthenogenesis and fertilization, Craw said.

Three years ago, the EU court ruled against patents on discoveries that involve the stem cells, saying the use of human cells in this was immoral.

But it all started in 2004 when Greenpeace challenged a patent filed by a German stem cell researcher, which described a method to turn stem cells into nerve cells.

Greenpeace said the work was contrary to public order because the embryos were destroyed, according to a report in the Guardian from the time.

A group of 13 scientists wrote in the journal Nature that year to express profound concern over the recommended ban, which represents a blow to years of effort to derive medical applications from embryonic stem cells.

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International Stem Cell Corporation Should Win EU Patent Case

Immune Cell's Role in Intestinal Movement Could Lead to Better Understanding of IBS

By Uncategorized

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Newswise Learning the role of immune system cells in healthy digestive tracts and how they interact with neighboring nerve cells may lead to new treatments for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine, in collaboration with other scientists, have reported the role of macrophages in regulating the contractions of the colon to push digested material through the digestive tract.

The muscular lining of the intestine contains a distinct kind of macrophage, an immune system cell that helps fight infections. The role of these cells in normal colon function is not known, although they have been linked to inflammation after abdominal surgery.

Very little is known about the function of muscularis macrophages, mainly because these cells are difficult to isolate from intestinal tissue, said Milena Bogunovic, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology.

Digested material is moved through the intestines by the contraction and relaxation of intestinal muscles. The pattern and frequency of these contractions are controlled by the signals from the intestinal nervous system. In patients with diseases like IBS, the signals are overactive and stimulation is exaggerated.

The researchers developed a method to deplete muscularis macrophages in the intestines of mice to determine their function. They report their findings in Cell.

After macrophage depletion, we observed that the normal intestinal movements are irregular, probably because the muscular contractions were poorly coordinated, suggesting that intestinal movements are regulated by macrophages, Bogunovic said.

After confirming the role of the macrophages in the function of the digestive tract, the researchers looked for how the regulation happens. They compared the genetic code of different types of macrophages to find non-immune genes highly active in muscularis macrophages, identifying bone morphogenetic protein 2. BMP2 is one of a family of proteins thought to control organ development.

Blocking the effect of BMP2 mirrored the effects of the macrophage removal, confirming that the protein is used for regulation of intestinal movements. The BMP2 is used by neighboring nerve cells, intestinal neurons, which in turn secrete a protein called colony stimulatory factor 1 (CSF1) that supports macrophages.

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Immune Cell's Role in Intestinal Movement Could Lead to Better Understanding of IBS

Arizona Pet Vet, a Family of Animal Hospitals in Central Arizona, is Hosting Vet-Stem, Inc. for Continued Education …

By Uncategorized

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) July 17, 2014

Arizona Pet Vet Family of Animal Hospitals is hosting San Diego, California based Regenerative Veterinary Medicine company, Vet-Stem, Inc., for a summer session of RACE approved Credentialing Courses and wet-labs on stem cell therapy. AZ Pet Vets Family of 17 Animal Hospitals has been offering Vet-Stems Regenerative Cell Therapy to its small animal patients since 2010, and continuously strives to educate their team members on cutting-edge services like stem cell therapy.

Since Vet-Stems last training session with AZ Pet Vet in the summer of 2013 the number of pets diagnosed with arthritis has increased as much as an estimated 13% say industry sources. As many as 65% of dogs between the ages of 7 and 11 years old will be inflicted with some degree of arthritis. For certain specific breeds the percentage is as high as 70%, with an additional estimated 7% remaining undiagnosed. AZ Pet Vets Family of Animal Hospitals equips their veterinarians with a complete package of services to help diagnose and treat dogs that are suffering pain or inflammation from osteoarthritis or polyarthritis. Stem cell therapy is one of these services, most commonly used to help decrease inflammation, help with the pain of osteo or polyarthritis, as well as other joint or ligament issues, and muscle injuries.

Vet-Stems Corey Orava, DVM will be leading a series of daily training sessions which include a RACE (Registry of Approved Continuing Education from the American Association of Veterinary State Boards) approved credentialing course, and the ability to consult on potential stem cell therapy cases with current patients of AZ Pet Vets Family of Animal Hospitals. Each of these sessions will help veterinarians and their staff to learn the ins and outs of stem cell therapy, as well as benefit from a hands-on experience to bring the best care to their patients and pet owners. Under the mentorship of Dr. Orava all of the 17 AZ Pet Vet Animal Hospitals will have the potential to collect fat and inject stem cells on qualifying pet patients.

AZ Pet Vet is a family of 17 animal hospitals with one vision: to provide the best comprehensive care for their highly valued patients. Whether it be routine wellness, or other type of medical care, AZ Pet Vet provides loving care and treatment for pets. As animal lovers and pet owners, they understand the connection owners have with your pet. The doctors and staff at each hospital strive to build a long term relationship with their client families and their pets, always making recommendations in the pets best health interest. The AZ Pet Vet Family of Animal Hospitals offer complete veterinary care from wellness, to vaccines, spays and neuters, dental, surgical and now regenerative medicine. Their animal hospital locations can be easily found at http://www.arizonapetvet.com/.

Since its formation in 2002, Vet-Stem, Inc. has endeavored to improve the lives of animals through regenerative medicine. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells for horses, dogs, cats, and some exotics. In 2004 the first horse was treated with Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy for a tendon injury that would normally have been career ending. Ten years later Vet-Stem celebrated its 10,000th animal treated, and the success of establishing stem cell therapy as a proven regenerative medicine for certain inflammatory, degenerative, and arthritic diseases. As animal advocates, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and cell biologists, the team at Vet-Stem tasks themselves with the responsibility of discovering, refining, and bringing to market innovative medical therapies that utilize the bodys own healing and regenerative cells. For more information about Vet-Stem and Regenerative Veterinary Medicine, visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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Arizona Pet Vet, a Family of Animal Hospitals in Central Arizona, is Hosting Vet-Stem, Inc. for Continued Education ...

Diabetes stem cell therapy readied

By Stem Cell Treatment

Paul Laikind, CEO of ViaCyte, which is making a treatment for diabetes from human embryonic stem cells.

In an historic announcement for the stem cell field, San Diego's ViaCyte said Thursday it has applied to start human clinical trials of its treatment for Type 1 diabetes.

ViaCyte grows replacement insulin-producing cells from human embryonic stem cells. The cells are packaged while maturing in a semi-permeable device and implanted. In animal trials, the cells produce insulin, relieving diabetes.

Now the company proposes to take what could be a cure for diabetes into people. ViaCyte has asked to begin a Phase 1/2 clinical trial, which would assess both safety and efficacy of its product. ViaCyte is targeting Type 1 diabetes, in which the insulin-producing cells are destroyed. Patients require multiple injections of insulin daily to survive.

The announcement is good news for California's stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The agency has awarded nearly $39 million to ViaCyte to ready its device for human use.

Paul Laikind, ViaCytes chief executive, said if all goes smoothly, the first patients will be treated in August or September. Based on animal studies, it will take a few months to see results, and just a few patients will be treated at first.

CIRM itself, funded with $3 billion in state bond funds, has come under pressure to show results from its work. The money is projected to run out in 2017. Some supporters of the agency have proposed launching a new initiative to continue funding.

"This is a great example of how the investment that the voters made in creating CIRM is beginning to move from labs to patients," said Joe Panetta, a member of CIRM's governing board and chief executive of Biocom, the San Diego-based life science trade group. ""There are at least a dozen other clinical trials in progress. This is good for CIRM and San Diego."

Jonathan Thomas, chairman of CIRM's governing board, called the filing "a big step in developing therapies for Type 1 diabetes."

"The project is one that has been front and center for us for six years," Thomas said. "As a principal funder of Viacyte since 2008, we are delighted that they have taken this major step towards getting a Type 1 Diabetes therapy to patients."

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Diabetes stem cell therapy readied

Case Study: Stem Cells vs Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in a Patient with Multi-Vessel Disease 6 Year Follow Up

By Stem Cell Treatment

Case Study: Stem Cells vs Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in a Patient with Multi-Vessel Disease 6 Year Follow Up

Stem cells outperform heart bypass surgery. A heart patient treated with his own stem cells instead of undergoing coronary bypass surgery is exceeding all expectations 6 years after his adult stem cell treatment.

In 2008, Howie Lindeman, then 58 years old, was facing open heart bypass surgery for three blocked coronary arteries. Lindeman, now 64, had his first heart attack at age 39 that severely damaged his heart. He went through multiple procedures over the last several years including having several stents placed in his blocked arteries. When he developed almost constant chest pain and struggled to walk just 25 feet his doctors decided to perform another heart catheterization. They found severe disease; two arteries were 100% blocked and the remaining one was at 80%. Cardiac bypass surgery was immediately recommended.

Lindeman was not quite ready to have his chest cracked open, so he sought alternative options. He was aware of successful treatments for single blocked arteries with stem cells. Determined to avoid surgery he inquired as to the possibility of stem cell treatment for his condition. Dr. Zannos Grekos, a cardiologist with Regenocyte, agreed to treat him as a case study with the understanding that if the treatment was not successful bypass surgery was his only option. Lindeman was treated with his own stem cells in March of 2008. Within one week of the stem cell procedure Lindeman was feeling much better and returned to fulltime work. His subsequent cardiac testing showed continued improvement up to one year later and now 6 years after his procedure he has had no further cardiac events, his heart tests have remained stable and he continues to work fulltime as a sound engineer touring the world.

I have a high stress, high energy job that I absolutely love, says Lindeman. The treatment has allowed me to continue my career and enjoy the active lifestyle I thought I had lost for good. Im a new person and I continue to feel better every day. Click here to see a video of Howie Lindeman.

The Regenocyte treatment is an outpatient procedure and after a period of observation, the patients then are typically discharged from the hospital. The patient is followed up regularly with testing to monitor their progress and measure their results. Lindemans follow up nuclear cardiac stress testing show a greater than 100% improvement in exercise capacity and improved myocardial perfusion. A heart catheterization performed a year after treatment showed a significant increase in heart function and new blood vessels. Lindemans progress was last reported in December 2011.

Dr. Grekos describes how stem cells are extracted from the patient and then processed in a laboratory. The stem cells are then activated and educated to heal the damaged heart. The lab process provides a key step in Regenocytes treatment success, Dr. Grekos explained. The lab extracts the stem cells from the sample and activates them into over a billion cells while educating them to assist the area of the body that needs treatment. These activated stem cells are known as Regenocytes (regenerative cells). The whole process takes about 3 days.

In this ground-breaking treatment, Dr. Zannos Grekos, an interventional cardiologist, inserted a catheter into Lindemans heart. Over the next 20 minutes, adult stem cells were introduced into the damaged part of his heart. The process of tissue repair begins almost immediately.

We continue to see remarkable results from adult stem cell treatment, said Grekos. Successes like those weve seen with Howie are common and show significant promise for diseases in other organs.

Dr. Grekos and the Regenocyte medical team continue to research the impact of adult stem cell therapy on heart disease. For more information on Regenocyte Adult Stem Cell procedures, upcoming seminars, and to see videos featuring Lindeman, visit http://www.regenocyte.com.

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Case Study: Stem Cells vs Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in a Patient with Multi-Vessel Disease 6 Year Follow Up

Durham family of 11-year-old leukemia patient getting help with medical bills

By Stem Cell Treatment

DURHAM, N.C. -

A lifesaving stem cell transplant for a little boy in Durham was a success but now the family of Nasir Holman is stuck with massive medical bills.

The Holmans teamed up with a national non-profit to raise money for the treatment and to help other transplant patients.

Duke Hospital has become a second home to Tameka Holman and 11-year-old Nasir. The young boy is battling leukemia for the second time in his short life.

"He has been through so much and when you see him, he has a smile that will throw you back," said Tameka Holman. She said his treatment is going well, but it's been a long journey for his family.

"It had got to one point, I prayed that it it would be taken from him and given it to me," she said. "But I had to accept that it's there and I have to roll with the punches."

Doctors performed a stem cell transplant in April, but the family is having a hard time paying the medical bills. Doctors told the Holman family about the Children's Organ Transplant Association, also known as COTA. The nonprofit raises money for transplant related expenses. It hopes to raise $40,000 for the Holmans.

"I was told his treatment is going to be very expensive and the doctor was telling me that I would need support," said Tameka. "Speaking with them it gave me a lot of hope, not to be too worried or too stressed out about trying to pay his hospital bills."

Nasir and his mom have a long way to go before they reach their goal. But they have faith he'll soon be able to leave the hospital and return home.

Visit their website for more information.

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Durham family of 11-year-old leukemia patient getting help with medical bills

Gene Profiling Technique to Accelerate Stem Cell Therapies for Eye Diseases

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Newswise Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have developed a technique that will speed up the production of stem-cell derived tissues. The method simultaneously measures the expression of multiple genes, allowing scientists to quickly characterize cells according to their function and stage of development. The technique will help the researchers in their efforts to use patients skin cells to regenerate retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)a tissue in the back of the eye that is affected in several blinding eye diseases. It will also help the scientists search for drugs for personalized treatments.

Progress in stem cell-based therapies has been limited by our capacity to authenticate cells and tissues, said Kapil Bharti, Ph.D., a Stadtman Investigator in the Unit on Ocular and Stem Cell Translational Research at the National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of NIH. This assay expands that capacity and streamlines the process.

The assay was described in a recent issue of Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

The RPE is a single layer of cells that lies adjacent to the retina, where the light-sensitive photoreceptors commonly called rods and cones are located. The RPE supports photoreceptor function. Several diseases cause the RPE to break down, which in turn leads to the loss of photoreceptors and vision.

The stem cells Dr. Bharti is using to make RPE are induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cells, which are produced by reverting mature cells to an immature state, akin to embryonic stem cells. iPS cells can be derived from a patients skin or blood cells, coaxed into other cell types (such as neurons or muscle), and in theory, re-implanted without causing immune rejection.

To verify the identity of RPE made from iPS cells, scientists use microscopy to ensure the tissue looks like RPE and physiological assays to ensure the tissue behaves like RPE. They also use a technique called quantitative RT-PCR to measure the expression of genes that indicate ongoing cell development and function. For example, expression of the gene SOX2 is much higher in iPS cells than mature RPE.

But quantitative RT-PCR only permits the simultaneous measurement of a few genes per sample. Dr. Bharti teamed up with Marc Ferrer, Ph.D., of NIHs National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) to develop a multiplex assaya method for simultaneously measuring multiple genes per RPE sample in a highly automated fashion. The assay is based on a commercially available platform from the biotech company Affymetrix. In the assay, tiny snippets of DNA tethered to beads are used to capture RNA moleculescreated when genes are expressed by cells in the RPE sample. Once captured, the RNA from distinct genes is labeled with a fluorescent tag.

Starting with cells from a skin biopsy, the researchers generated iPS-derived RPE and then measured the expression of eight genes that are markers of development, function, and disease. They measured RNA levels of each gene one at a time using quantitative RT-PCR and then all genes simultaneously using the multiplex assay. When compared, the results correlated.

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Gene Profiling Technique to Accelerate Stem Cell Therapies for Eye Diseases

PCP questions use of DAP funds in stem cell research

By Stem Cell Treatment

NewsLife: PCP pushes for more studies on stem cell therapy

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PCP questions use of DAP funds in stem cell research

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