Stem Cell Clinic

$5 billion initiative proposed for stem cell research

By Uncategorized

Supporters of Californias multibillion-dollar stem cell program plan to ask for $5 billion more to bring the fruits of research to patients.

Robert Klein, a leader of the 2004 initiative campaign that established the program, said Thursday hes going to be talking with California voters about the proposal. If the public seems receptive, backers will work to get an initiative on the 2016 ballot to extend funding for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Klein outlined the proposal Thursday at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, during a symposium on how to speed research to patient care.

Since cancer cells and stem cells share some underlying characteristics, CIRM has funded research into those similarities, including the work of Moores Cancer Center researchers David Cheresh and Catriona Jamieson.

Klein said supporters, including researchers, patients and patient advocates need to educate the public about the benefits of funding stem cell research, and the results to date. A former chairman of CIRM, Klein is no longer formally affiliated with the agency but continues to support its work.

No stem cell treatments funded by CIRM have been approved, but patients have benefited in other ways. CIRM-funded research into cancer stem cells led to a clinical trial of a drug that caused remission of a bone marrow cancer in Sandra Dillon, a patient of Jamiesons. Moreover, California has vaulted into prominence in regenerative medicine, and the field has also provided a new growth engine for the states large biotech industry.

Though CIRM has been praised for advancing quality research, it has been criticized for being slow to fund commercialization by life science companies.

In addition, CIRM has been criticized for a lack of transparency and conflicts of interest in how it awards grants. The agency revamped its policies last year to forbid members of its governing oversight committee from voting on proposals to fund research at their own institutions.

California voters set aside $3 billion in bond money for CIRM in 2004 under Proposition 71. The money is expected to run out around 2017, so Klein and other supporters have been preparing to go back to the public. The amount paid back will be $6 billion, including interest over the life of the bonds, Klein noted. So the $5 billion for CIRM would require a $10 billion bond measure.

Can it be done again? Klein asked. If we continue to have the extraordinary results the scientists and research institutes are presenting, as well as the biotech sector.

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$5 billion initiative proposed for stem cell research

Okyanos Heart Institute CEO Matt Feshbach to Speak on Panel at International Stem Cell Society Global Conference

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Freeport, The Bahamas (PRWEB) February 21, 2014

Okyanos Heart Institute, whose mission it is to bring a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease using adult stem cell therapy, announces CEO Matt Feshbach will present at the STEMSO Conference. He will join a panel to discuss the opportunities available through the new stem cell research and Therapy Act. The conference will be held at the Grand Lucayan Resort in Freeport, Grand Bahamas, February 19-22, 2014. The panel discussion will be Friday, February 21 from 8:45 9:45 a.m.

The conference, titled Bridging the Gap: Research to Point of Care, brings together medical scientists, clinicians, regulatory experts, and investors to discuss progress in the field of research and clinical protocols and the process of taking promising therapies to fight chronic disease to market in a responsible manner.

Friday opening remarks will be delivered by Ian Rolle, President of Grand Bahama Port Authority from 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. followed by the panel presentation until 9:45 a.m. which, in addition to Rolle will include Feshbach, Mitchell Fuerst, Esq., managing partner, Fuerst, Ittleman, David and Joseph. The panel will be moderated by Arthur K. Parris, Jr. of Parris Whittaker.

"With the passing of the Bahamas Stem Cell Research and Therapy Act, which requires high standards of patient safety and care, we believe the Bahamas is an ideal location to bring internationally-approved, adult stem cell technology to patients with unmet medical needs such as chronic coronary artery disease (CAD), says Feshbach. I am pleased to discuss the opportunities available in the Bahamas with investors, doctors and other stakeholders interested in making the Bahamas a world-class destination for adult stem cell therapy."

The STEMSO 2014 Conference in Freeport, Grand Bahama poses a unique opportunity for medical organizations which focus on adult stem cell-based medical treatments, states Douglas Hammond, president of STEMSO. This conference will provide companies looking to expand their research or clinical practices to offshore locations many good reasons to choose the Bahamas. Those attending will be able to network and view the most advanced research and clinical protocols utilizing autologous and allogeneic stem cells in the world today.

The complete agenda can be found on the organizations website at http://www.stemso.org. Other speakers include stem cell researchers, scientists and practitioners from around the world with leading discoveries in the field, and investors in the healthcare space.

Registration is open for attending and exhibiting on STEMSOs website.

ABOUT OKYANOS HEART INSTITUTE: (Oh key AH nos) Based in Freeport, The Bahamas, Okyanos Heart Institutes mission is to bring a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease using cardiac stem cell therapy. Okyanos adheres to U.S. surgical center standards and is led by Chief Medical Officer Howard T. Walpole Jr., M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I. Okyanos Treatment utilizes a unique blend of stem and regenerative cells derived from ones own adipose (fat) tissue. The cells, when placed into the heart via a minimally-invasive procedure, can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis facilitates blood flow in the heart, which supports intake and use of oxygen (as demonstrated in rigorous clinical trials such as the PRECISE trial). The literary name Okyanos, the Greek god of rivers, symbolizes restoration of blood flow. For more information, go to http://www.okyanos.com/.

NEW MEDIA CONTENT: Okyanos LinkedIn Page: http://www.linkedin.com/company/okyanos-heart-institute Okyanos Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OKYANOS Okyanos Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/#!/OkyanosHeart Okyanos Google+ Page: https://plus.google.com/+Okyanos/posts Okyanos You Tube Physician Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/okyanosforphysicians

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Okyanos Heart Institute CEO Matt Feshbach to Speak on Panel at International Stem Cell Society Global Conference

Stem Cells Being Used To Treat Knee, Joint Pain

By Stem Cell Doctors

CBS Pittsburgh (con't)

Affordable Care Act Updates: CBSPittsburgh.com/ACA

Health News & Information: CBSPittsburgh.com/Health

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) After injuries from gymnastics and dance when she was younger, Linda Morning-Starpoole was having terrible knee pain.

Sitting and standing up and getting up and moving, Linda said.

The news from her orthopedic surgeon was not encouraging.

I was sent off with a prescription, and basically said, take this, and when it gets so bad, well take out your knees. And that was really upsetting to me. It was such an ugly picture that was painted for my future, Linda said.

Traditional treatment might involve steroid injections, physical therapy, and joint replacement.

But Linda wanted an alternative. When she first heard about using stem cell injections, she was very intrigued.

The thought of me healing me with my own self is what sold me on the procedure, Linda said.

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Stem Cells Being Used To Treat Knee, Joint Pain

Duke Health System CEO appointed to head Institute of Medicine

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Duke University Health SystemDr. Victor J. Dzau, the current president and CEO of Duke University Health System

Dr. Victor J. Dzau, the current president and CEO of Duke University Health System and chancellor for health affairs at Duke University, has been appointed to a six-year term as the next president of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), effective July 1, 2014. Dr. Dzau will take over the lead role from Dr. Harvey Fineberg, who served in the position for twelve years.

Dr. Dzau began his career in medicine as a cardiologist, having previously taught at Harvard Medical School and served as chair of the department of medicine. He also worked at Brigham and Womens Hospital as the director of research. His ongoing award-winning research has been key in the development of cardiovascular drugs, as well as techniques to repair tissue damage from heart attacks and heart disease using stem cell therapies.

Dr. Eugene Braunwald, often called the father of modern cardiology and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, has known Dr. Dzau for more than 40 years and worked with him at many different stages of his career at Brigham and Womens Hospital and Partners Healthcare. In an interview Wednesday he called the upcoming IOM president a force of nature.

He is what I would call a talented, quadruple threat. A great physician, inspiring teacher, and a very creative scientist, said Dr. Braunwald, who trained Dzau when he was a resident at Brigham and Womens and continued to work with him on cardiovascular research when Dr. Dzau became chief resident, and then faculty at Harvard Medical School. The quadruple threat is that he also sees the larger picture. Hes interested in areas of medicine that most academic physicians have stayed away from. His work and ideas in global and community-based medicine have left an important heritage at each institution where hes worked.

After nearly a decade at Duke, Dr. Dzaus leadership has been credited with the launch of a number of innovative and global-focused medical institutions, including the Duke-National University of Signapore Graduate Medical School, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke Institute for Health Innovation, Duke Cancer Institute, as well as the Duke Translational Medicine Institute.

Im deeply honored to become the next president of the IOM and recognize the critically important role that the IOM will have in improving the health of the nation at a time of extraordinary evolution in biomedical research and health care delivery, Dzau said in a press release from Duke University Health System. The explosion of new data resources, novel technologies and breathtaking research advances make this the most promising time in history for driving innovations that will improve health care delivery, outcomes and quality.

As the health sciences extension of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine is known for its leadership in advancing health sciences and objective medical research nationally as a nonprofit academic research organization. The outgoing IOM president, Dr. Harvey Fineberg (previously Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health) has lead the nonprofit for twelve years. His focus and research have centered around public health policy and an improvement in informed medical decision making.

This leaves the medical community wondering what Dr. Dzau will bring to the Institute.

As a former chairman of the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC), Dr. Dzau advocated for the innovative transition of academic medical and health centers into institutions that can survive the rapid transitions in the health care industry. In a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Dzau discusses the uncertain future of academic medical centers. He argues that industry pressures and cost restraints from the Affordable Care Act limit the research and education-based missions of teaching hospitals.

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Duke Health System CEO appointed to head Institute of Medicine

Stem Cell Doctors, Phoenix Stem Cell Treatment Center Network

By Stem Cell Doctors

Hover over a state and doctor for more information.

Dr. Robert Dryden has three loves: his family; the practice of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery; and the showing, breeding, and riding of Arabian horses. He lives on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona, at the base of the Rincon mountains and near the Sahuaro National Park where he loves to ride his beautiful horses with his family and friends.

PHOENIX STEM CELL TREATMENT CENTER TEAM

Steven M. Gitt, M.D., F.A.C.S. specializes in cosmetic surgery, offering the latest and most innovative techniques in: facial rejuvenation, breast augmentation, laser surgery, liposuction and body contouring and all facets of cosmetic surgery. His patients describe him as caring, compassionate, and understanding and as an excellent listener and communicator.

As the founder and medical director of North Valley Plastic Surgery, established in 1993, Dr. Gitt graduated college with distinction from UCLA in 1982 and from medical school with distinction from Wayne State University in 1986. Dr. Gitt was elected to membership in the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) national medical honor society in 1985.

Following completion of training in General Surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, and Plastic Surgery training at the renowned University of Michigan medical center, Dr. Gitt obtained certifications from the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Gitt also holds the prestigious Certificate of Advanced Education in Cosmetic Surgery. He was the founder and original medical director of the Comprehensive Wound Healing Center at Paradise Valley Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Gitt is a board certified plastic surgeon. He is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Always on the leading edge of technology, Dr. Gitt has offered endoscopic procedures such as brow and face lifting, abdominoplasty, and breast augmentation since 1994, carbon dioxide laser resurfacing since 1995, and Photoderm-Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL) since 1996. He has also accumulated extraordinary experience in Fotofacial and Fotofacial-plusT IPL treatments.

Ryan B. Tsujimura, M.D. graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington in Seattle with a B.S. in Biology. He remained in Seattle where he graduated at the top of his class and earned his Medical Degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. Tsujimura initiated his postgraduate training at the Oregon Health Sciences University (University of Oregon) in Portland, Oregon where he did his internship in General Surgery. He then moved to Phoenix where he finished his residency in General Surgery. During this time he became Chief Resident of the Burn Unit and then Chief Resident of Surgery in his last year of training.

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Stem Cell Doctors, Phoenix Stem Cell Treatment Center Network

Biologists Create Embryonic-Type Stem Cells Without Embryos

By Stem Cell Medical Center

By Liisa Vexler

A new age in biology and biotechnology may be upon us as scientists in London, England have successfully created embryonic-type stem cells without the use of actual embryos. By re-engineering mature cells, scientists may be close to overcoming one of the largest ethical debates in stem cell research, the use of human embryos. Though the initial research was conducted with cells from mice, scientists believe the technique could be successful in humans.

Researchers at the University College London were able to generate pluripotent cells from fully developed, or mature cells. Chris Mason, Chair of Regenerative Medicine Bioprocessing at the institution described the process as the most simple, lowest-cost and quickest method to-date. These pluripotent cells have unlimited therapeutic potential as they are able to develop into different cell types.

Mason explained to Reuters, If it works in man, this could be the game changer that ultimately makes a wide range of cell therapies available using the patients own cells as starting material.

Researchers from other institutions including Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the RIKENCenter for Developmental Biology in Japan took part in this study.

Scientists performed the experiment by allowing mature cells to multiply and then, using a number of methods, stressing them almost to the point of death. According to the researchers, the cells were able to survive and recover by returning to a state similar to that of an embryonic stem cell.

Stem Cells Defined

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to differentiate into specialized types of cells that the body needs. There are two types of stem cells, embryonic stem cells found in embryos, and adult or IPS stem cells, which are harvested from the blood or skin and genetically reprogrammed into stem cells.

According to scientists, the stem cells ability to regenerate tissue makes them valuable in the fight against degenerative diseases including Parkinsons and cardiovascular disease.

Source: http://www.euronews.com/2014/01/29/stem-cells-produced-without-embryo-in-major-scientific-breakthrough/

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Biologists Create Embryonic-Type Stem Cells Without Embryos

'Game changing' Japan stem-cell study questioned

By Stem Cell Medical Center

12 hours ago Riken researcher Haruko Obokata announces that she discovered a simple way to turn animal cells back to a youthful, neutral state, a feat hailed as a "game-changer" in the quest to grow transplant tissue in the lab, January 28, 2014

A Japanese research institute Tuesday said it was probing its own study that promised a 'game changer' way to create stem cells, a feat hailed as revolutionary for the fast-developing field.

The findings, published by Japanese researcher Haruko Obokata and American partners in a January edition of the British journal Nature, outlined a simple and low-tech approach in the quest to grow transplant tissue in the lab.

But the national institute Riken said Tuesday it had started an investigation over "questions" about the methodology and input data of the study, appointing several in-house and outside experts to pore over the revolutionary report. Obokata works for the institute.

At issue are allegations that the researchers used erroneous image data for the high-profile article, local media reported.

"The experts have already started hearings for the researchers involved in the articles," an institute spokesman said Tuesday, but declined to give further details.

But for the moment the institute is standing by the resultsa spokesman insisted the "findings themselves are unassailable."

Stem cells are primitive cells that, as they grow, differentiate into the various specialised cells that make up the different organsthe brain, the heart, kidney and so on.

The goal is to create stem cells in the lab and nudge them to grow into these differentiated cells, thus replenishing organs damaged by disease or accident.

The researchers' groundbreaking findings said that white blood cells in newborn mice were returned to a versatile state by incubating them in a solution with high acidity for 25 minutes, followed by a five minute spin in a centrifuge and a seven-day spell of immersion in a growth culture.

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'Game changing' Japan stem-cell study questioned

Doubts mount on STAP stem cells

By Stem Cell Clinic

(This story is an update of my earlier blog post on the controversy over whether the stress-created STAP cells actually exist).

A stunning stem cell breakthrough announced last month is being examined for errors by the institute where the studys lead researcher works.

The Riken Institute in Japan has launched an investigation into the study, it told news outlets including the journal Nature, which published the study Jan. 29. The probe was launched after other stem cell researchers, who have failed to replicate the findings, are expressing growing doubt.

The study, led by Haruko Obokata of Riken, found that certain white cells from young mice could be easily converted into embryonic-like or pluripotent stem cells by immersing them in acid or subjecting them to other stresses.

Stem cell researcher Paul Knoepfler / California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

The creation of what the researchers called STAP cells appeared to be a great advance from existing methods used to create what are called induced pluripotent stem cells. The IPS methods require adding genes and chemicals and convert just a small percentage of cells treated.

But scientists examining the study said it apparently used inverted and duplicate images. These included one indicating that the cells grew a placenta, a sure sign that stem cells had been produced. Riken declined to say specifically which allegations it was investigating, according to the news reports.

Additionally, scientists including UC Davis stem cell researcher Paul Knoepfler said the finding appeared very unlikely. Pluripotent stem cells tend to form tumors, so producing them in response to stress should have been weeded out by evolution, Knoepfler wrote on his blog, ipscell.com. Hes also running an informal poll.

Weve had nine people put reports of various kinds there, and none of the reports seemed particularly encouraging, Knoepfler said in a Tuesday interview.

"There's a feeling that the duplication of the placenta image, which now one of the authors has confirmed was indeed a duplication, and also some duplication of data in a paper in 2011 by (co-author Charles) Vacanti and Obokata, has made people more concerned about their level of confidence in the finding overall," Knoepfler said.

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Doubts mount on STAP stem cells

Regenerating orthopedic tissues within the human body

By Stem Cell Clinic

By combining a synthetic scaffolding material with gene delivery techniques, researchers at Duke University are getting closer to being able to generate replacement cartilage where it's needed in the body.

Performing tissue repair with stem cells typically requires applying copious amounts of growth factor proteins -- a task that is very expensive and becomes challenging once the developing material is implanted within a body. In a new study, however, Duke researchers found a way around this limitation by genetically altering the stem cells to make the necessary growth factors all on their own.

They incorporated viruses used to deliver gene therapy to the stem cells into a synthetic material that serves as a template for tissue growth. The resulting material is like a computer; the scaffold provides the hardware and the virus provides the software that programs the stem cells to produce the desired tissue.

The study appears online the week of Feb. 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Farshid Guilak, director of orthopaedic research at Duke University Medical Center, has spent years developing biodegradable synthetic scaffolding that mimics the mechanical properties of cartilage. One challenge he and all biomedical researchers face is getting stem cells to form cartilage within and around the scaffolding, especially after it is implanted into a living being.

The traditional approach has been to introduce growth factor proteins, which signal the stem cells to differentiate into cartilage. Once the process is under way, the growing cartilage can be implanted where needed.

"But a major limitation in engineering tissue replacements has been the difficulty in delivering growth factors to the stem cells once they are implanted in the body," said Guilak, who is also a professor in Duke's Department of Biomedical Engineering. "There's a limited amount of growth factor that you can put into the scaffolding, and once it's released, it's all gone. We need a method for long-term delivery of growth factors, and that's where the gene therapy comes in."

For ideas on how to solve this problem, Guilak turned to his colleague Charles Gersbach, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and an expert in gene therapy. Gersbach proposed introducing new genes into the stem cells so that they produce the necessary growth factors themselves.

But the conventional methods for gene therapy are complex and difficult to translate into a strategy that would be feasible as a commercial product.

This type of gene therapy generally requires gathering stem cells, modifying them with a virus that transfers the new genes, culturing the resulting genetically altered stem cells until they reach a critical mass, applying them to the synthetic cartilage scaffolding and, finally, implanting it into the body.

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Regenerating orthopedic tissues within the human body

Deep TCR sequencing reveals extensive renewal of the T cell repertoire following autologous stem cell transplant in MS

By Uncategorized

A new study describes the complexity of the new T cell repertoire following immune-depleting therapy to treat multiple sclerosis, improving our understanding of immune tolerance and clinical outcomes.

In the Immune Tolerance Network's (ITN) HALT-MS study, 24 patients with relapsing, remitting multiple sclerosis received high-dose immunosuppression followed by a transplant of their own stem cells, called an autologous stem cell transplant, to potentially reprogram the immune system so that it stops attacking the brain and spinal cord. Data published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation quantified and characterized T cell populations following this aggressive regimen to understand how the reconstituting immune system is related to patient outcomes.

ITN investigators used a high-throughput, deep-sequencing technology (Adaptive Biotechnologies, ImmunoSEQTM Platform) to analyze the T cell receptor (TCR) sequences in CD4+ and CD8+ cells to compare the repertoire at baseline pre-transplant, two months post-transplant and 12 months post-transplant.

Using this approach, alongside conventional flow cytometry, the investigators found that CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes exhibit different reconstitution patterns following transplantation. The scientists observed that the dominant CD8+ T cell clones present at baseline were expanded at 12 months post-transplant, suggesting these clones were not effectively eradicated during treatment. In contrast, the dominant CD4+ T cell clones present at baseline were undetectable at 12 months, and the reconstituted CD4+ T cell repertoire was predominantly composed of new clones.

The results also suggest the possibility that differences in repertoire diversity early in the reconstitution process might be associated with clinical outcomes. Nineteen patients who responded to treatment had a more diverse repertoire two months following transplant compared to four patients who did not respond. Despite the low number of non-responders, these comparisons approached statistical significance and point to the possibility that complexity in the T cell compartment may be important for establishing immune tolerance.

This is one of the first studies to quantitatively compare the baseline T cell repertoire with the reconstituted repertoire following autologous stem cell transplant, and provides a previously unseen in-depth analysis of how the immune system reconstitutes itself following immune-depleting therapy.

About The Immune Tolerance Network

The Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) is a research consortium sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. The ITN develops and conducts clinical and mechanistic studies of immune tolerance therapies designed to prevent disease-causing immune responses, without compromising the natural protective properties of the immune system. Visit http://www.immunetolerance.org for more information.

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The above story is based on materials provided by Immune Tolerance Network. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Deep TCR sequencing reveals extensive renewal of the T cell repertoire following autologous stem cell transplant in MS

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