Stem Cell Clinic

At actress's Geneva jewel auction, $3M for 1 gem

GENEVA (AP) Sotheby's auctioned off $78 million in jewels Tuesday night, fetching just under $3 million for a fancy yellow diamond belonging to actress Gina Lollobrigida that was once owned by a shah of Persia and she hoped would now bring more support for stem cell research.

The auction house said the diamond was a highlight in a collection of 23 jewels that the 85-year-old actress, who starred opposite Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra and other top actors in the 1950s and 1960s, was selling partly to fund an international hospital for stem cell treatment.

Jewelry, watches and other luxury items are sold every spring by the big auction houses at Geneva's elegant lakefront hotels seemingly a world away from some European countries whose economies are shrinking as their governments enact often tough budget austerity measures to get a handle on their debts.

The 74.53-carat fancy yellow diamond that was sold off once belonged to Ahmad Shah Qajar, the shah of Persia from 1909 to 1925 and the last ruler of the Qajar dynasty. Its sale for $2,985,750 set both an auction record and a record price per carat an eye-popping $40,061 per carat for a fancy yellow diamond, according to a statement Sotheby's issued at the conclusion of the auction.

Sotheby's said eight bidders fought for Lollobrigida's natural pearl earrings, which finally sold for $2.39 million and set a new auction record for such an item.

Lollobrigida said after the auction that her jewels had brought her much pleasure for many years, and she only thought of selling them after seeing a little girl named Sofia suffering from a disorder that required stem cell treatment which she could not find in her native Italy.

"Selling my jewels to help raise awareness of stem cell therapy, which can cure so many illnesses, seems to me a wonderful use to which to put them," she said. "It is my hope that the Italian parliament will approve this ground-breaking treatment, so that children and adults in Italy should have free access to it without having to travel abroad at great expense."

David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby's Switzerland and its European and Middle East jewelry departments, said Lollobrigida's collection included some of the finest designs created by Bulgari in the 1950s and 1960s, and their sale reflects her generosity and humanitarian work.

Her jewels were just the top draw at an auction of hundreds of pieces that Sotheby's said brought in an estimated $78,229,556.

Among the other items auctioned off was Barcelona star Lionel Messi's Audemars Piguet No. 10 Royal Oak Chronograph wristwatch, which sold for $81,850 to raise money for the four-time FIFA player of the year's foundation.

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At actress's Geneva jewel auction, $3M for 1 gem

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase 1b/2 Clinical Trial of Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutic OMP-59R5 (Anti-Notch2 …

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, today announced clinical progress with its Anti-Notch2/3 (OMP-59R5) product candidate, which will trigger an $8 million milestone payment from the companys strategic collaborator GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

OncoMed has initiated a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial in its anti-Notch2/3 antibody (OMP-59R5) program. In the Phase 1b/2 PINNACLE trial (Phase 1b/2 INvestigation of anti-Notch Antibody therapy with Cisplatin and etoposide in small cell Lung carcinoma Efficacy and safety), Anti-Notch2/3 is being tested in combination with cisplatin and etoposide in first-line extensive-stage SCLC patients. Following a Phase 1b dose escalation and expansion phase, a randomized Phase 2 clinical trial will proceed in these patients to compare the efficacy of standard-of-care cisplatin and etoposide either with Anti-Notch2/3 or with placebo. The primary endpoint of the Phase 2 part of the trial will be progression-free survival (PFS) in the Anti-Notch2/3 arm compared to a placebo arm in patients who have a particular biomarker. Key secondary and exploratory endpoints include overall survival, response rate, and safety. Enrollment of patients in both the U.S. and Europe is planned.

Dr. Robert Jotte, Developmental Co-Chair for US Oncology Lung Committee and Medical Oncologist at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers in Denver, CO and a Principal Investigator of PINNACLE, who treated the first patient on the study noted, It is exciting to bring a treatment like Anti-Notch2/3, with a novel anti-cancer stem cell mechanism, to patients with small cell lung cancer. This disease is an aggressive form of cancer where patients are in need of new treatment options. We hope PINNACLE yields important data for these patients.

The PINNACLE study represents the second proof-of-concept study for OncoMeds Anti-Notch2/3 program. In 2012, OncoMed initiated the first Ph1b/2 Anti-Notch2/3 clinical trial called ALPINE trial (Antibody therapy in first-Line Pancreatic cancer Investigating anti-Notch Efficacy and safety) in first-line advanced pancreatic cancer patients. Recently, the ALPINE study has been amended to test the new chemotherapy standard-of-care of gemcitabine and Abraxane with Anti-Notch2/3 therapy. The ALPINE study is currently enrolling patients.

The initiation of the Ph1b/2 PINNACLE trial represents another major strategic and financial milestone for OncoMed as we continue to advance our first-in-class clinical pipeline of anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics, said Paul Hastings, President and Chief Executive Officer of OncoMed Pharmaceuticals. We have now initiated two proof-of-concept trials for our novel Anti-Notch2/3 antibody in the high un-met medical need indications of small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. Additionally, the potential companion diagnostic biomarkers in these trials may help preselect patient candidates for the studies.

About OMP-59R5

OMP-59R5 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets the Notch2 and Notch3 receptors. Initially discovered by screening a phage display library against the Notch2 receptor, the antibody binds to a conserved epitope on Notch2 and Notch3. Preclinical studies have suggested that OMP-59R5 exhibits two mechanisms of action: (1) by downregulating Notch pathway signaling, OMP-59R5 appears to have anti-CSC effects, and (2) OMP-59R5 affects pericytes, impacting stromal and tumor microenvironment. The program is currently in two Phase 1b/2 proof-of-concept trials in cancer indications: 1) the Phase1b/2 ALPINE trial (Antibody therapy in first-Line Pancreatic cancer Investigating anti-Notch Efficacy and safety) is testing Anti-Notch2/3 with gemcitabine and Abraxane in first-line advanced pancreatic cancer patients; 2) the Phase 1b/2 PINNACLE trial (Phase 1b/2 INvestigation of anti-Notch Antibody therapy with Cisplatin and etoposide in small cell Lung carcinoma Efficacy and safety), is testing Anti-Notch2/3 in combination with cisplatin and etoposide in first-line extensive stage SCLC patients. OMP-59R5 is part of OncoMeds collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). GSK has an option to obtain an exclusive license to OMP-59R5 during certain time periods through completion of the proof-of-concept Phase 2 trials.

About Cancer Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells, or CSCs, are the subpopulation of cells in a tumor responsible for driving growth and metastasis of the tumor. CSCs, also known as tumor-initiating cells, exhibit certain properties which include the capacity to divide and give rise to new CSCs via a process called self-renewal and the capacity to differentiate or change into the other cells that form the bulk of the tumor. Common cancer drugs target bulk tumor cells but have limited impact on CSCs, thereby providing a path for recurrence of the tumor. OncoMeds product candidates target CSCs by blocking self-renewal and driving differentiation of CSCs toward a non-tumorigenic state, and also impact bulk tumor cells. OncoMed believes its product candidates are distinct from the current generations of chemotherapies and targeted therapies, and have the potential to significantly impact cancer treatment and the clinical outcome of patients with cancer.

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OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase 1b/2 Clinical Trial of Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutic OMP-59R5 (Anti-Notch2 ...

American CryoStem to Collaborate With Rutgers University on Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Research

EATONTOWN, N.J., May 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American CryoStem Corporation (CRYO), a leading strategic developer, marketer and global licensor of patented adipose tissue-based and cellular technologies for the Regenerative and Personalized Medicine industries, today announced that it has entered into Material Transfer Agreements with three leading research scientists at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, distinguished as one of the world's premier universities for stem cell research and training.

American CryoStem has teamed with Kathryn Uhrich, PhD, Professor and Dean, Mathematical & Physical Sciences; KiBum Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Chemical Biology; and Prabhas Moghe, PhD, Professor and Vice-Chair of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, all of whom will be utilizing the Company's autologous Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs) and patented, serum free, GMP grade, cell culture and differentiation mediums to research, develop and commercialize innovative new cellular therapies addressing the $5 billion global wound care market.

"American CryoStem was founded in New Jersey in 2008, completed its initial research and development work in New Jersey, and built its FDA-registered tissue laboratory in the Burlington County College (BCC) High Technology and Life Science Incubators, where we perfected and validated our proprietary and patented technologies," John S. Arnone, CEO of American CryoStem, said. "Rutgers was the next logical step for development and expansion of our cellular therapy products. We are very proud to be collaborating with the State's top bio-tech academic research institution and to be part of the global development of cellular therapies."

The initial stage of collaboration with Rutgers University will provide for Drs. Uhrich, Lee and Moghe to identify, understand and publish their findings on engineered biomaterial interaction with adipose-derived stem cells, the Company's cell culture media and the resulting tissue growth when used in the treatment of chronic or hard-to-heal wounds, such as diabetic and pressure ulcers. American CryoStem developed and patented a new cell culture medium for growing human stromal cells (including all cells found in human skin, fat and other connective tissue) that is animal product free and suitable for human clinical and therapeutic uses. Future stages of collaboration will focus on testing and data collection with a goal of progressing to clinical studies and trials with an end result of the commercialization of effective, new cellular therapy products.

Anthony Dudzinski, COO of American CryoStem, noted, "Rutgers' intellectual resources and extensive research experience in the field of Regenerative Medicine, coupled with our Company's proprietary technologies and expertise with adipose-derived stem cells, provide a powerful combination of skill, knowledge and a common mission -- to advance the study, development and commercialization of exciting new stem cell therapies that are capable of effectively treating human illnesses and diseases."

The Rutgers-American CryoStem interactions were conceived by Dr. Kathryn Uhrich, the Dean of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the Rutgers School of Arts of Sciences. Dr. Uhrich is widely recognized as one of the leading innovators in polymer research. She is engaged in the study of the synthesis and characterization of biocompatible polymers for medical and dental applications, such as drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Dr. KiBum Lee obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the Northwestern University and completed his postdoctoral research in stem cell biology at the Scripps Research Institute. His primary research interest is in developing and integrating nanotechnologies and chemical functional genomics to modulate signaling pathways in cells (e.g. stem cells and cancer cells) towards specific cell lineages or behaviors.

Dr. Prabhas Moghe is a leading expert in stem cell bioengineering and profiling cell-biomaterial interactions. An International Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, he has directed a NSF funded IGERT Program on Stem Cell Science and Engineering, the first of its PhD training program in the USA and continues to direct a NIH CORE resource center on polymeric biomaterials on high content imaging technologies to purify and forecast stem cell fates in complex microenvironments. Dr. Moghe's team will investigate and benchmark stromal cell phenotypes in three-dimensional biomaterials.

About American CryoStem Corporation

A pioneer in the fields of Regenerative and Personalized Medicine, American CryoStem is a developer, marketer and global licensor of patented adipose tissue-based cellular technologies and related proprietary services with a focus on clinical processing, commercial bio-banking and application development for adipose (fat) tissue and autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs). The Company maintains a strategic portfolio of intellectual property and patent applications that form its Adipose Tissue Processing Platform, which supports and promotes a growing pipeline of biologic products and processes, clinical services and international licensing opportunities. Through its ACS Laboratories division, the Company operates an FDA registered, cGMP compliant human tissue processing, cryo-storage, cell culture and differentiation media development facility in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. For more information, please visit http://www.americancryostem.com and http://www.acslaboratories.com.

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American CryoStem to Collaborate With Rutgers University on Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Research

Cellular alternatives

Stem Cell Therapy has taken the medical community by storm. Proof of this is that this previously unexplored branch of science merited its own convention, graced by the Secretary of Health, and it now has its own medical association in the country, called the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine. Filipinos and foreigners are lining up in clinics to get this wellness procedure in hopes of curing conditions, and to stop the passage of time.

With the booming popularity of the treatments, there have been several offshoots from the stem, if you may, that promise basically the same results. Some seem to have valid claims, while others are more dubious and dangerous. Here are two treatments that have caught the MB team's attention as they offer alternatives to the autologous stem cell treatment which is offered by most centers in the country.

Villa Medica's Fresh Cell Therapy

While Autologous Stem Cell procedures use cells harvested from the own bone marrow and peripheral blood of the patient, Fresh Cell Therapy is done with cells from sheep fetuses. The procedure is done by physicians in a clinic in Germany, which also processes the freshly-harvested cells into personalized formulations according to the patient's particular health needs. "With autologous stem cell therapy, you gather and process cells from one source, such as bone marrow, and target it to become a heart cell, or a lung cell. We believe that like heals like: The heart heals the heart, lungs heal lungs, and spleen heals spleen," explains Michael Loh, group managing director at Villa Medica International.

Dr. Geoffrey Huertgen, Villa Medica's chief medical director, was recently in Manila, and he adds, "The injected fresh young cells then imprint their vigor upon the old and degenerating cells, stimulating them to function properly again and causing the organ to regenerate and revitalize." Huertgen also talked about the safety and efficacy of the procedure. At the most, he says, patients may experience discomfort from rashes, itching, and skin redness. Loh adds, "The technology we are using has been around since 1931. There have been no reported deaths from the procedures. We are talking about something that has been around for a long time, while autologous therapy has only been practiced for about eight years."

They also answer concerns about livestock contamination, saying that they have basically kept the same flock for the past 50 years, raised as a medical herd. The stem cells are harvested from a Merino Sheep fetus between the end of the third month and start of the fourth, and the cells are processed fresh to specific needs of around 20 patients.

There have been cases where patients would travel to Europe and have the procedure done in a hotel by a doctor who would just drop in and administer a shot, then leave. At Villa Medica, patients are checked into a luxurious suite of sorts, but there are medical professionals (some of them Filipinos) always on standby. Lab tests and screenings are done prior to the procedure, to ensure safety, and patients are encouraged to do a little light activity a day after the shots are given.

Dr. Huertgen says the treatment is ideal for conditions that do not respond to traditional forms of treatment. "It is indicated not only for anti-aging and rejuvenation, but also for neurological problems, circulatory problems, kidney and liver issues, endocrine and hormonal disorders, musculo-skeletal and joint issues, as well as genetic and developmental dysfunctions in infants and children." The group presented results of before and after photos of patients, including former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, and it was remarkable how the glow of renewed youth returned even though they checked in for an entirely different reason.

Inquiries may be coursed through Cris Aquino at 671-7489 or 0917-5123004 or via email at caquino@villa-medica.com

StemEnhance Capsules from Stemtech

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Cellular alternatives

International Stem Cell Corporation Announces First Quarter 2013 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

CARLSBAD, CA--(Marketwired - May 14, 2013) - International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) (www.internationalstemcell.com) ("ISCO" or "the Company"), a California-based biotechnology company developing novel stem cell based therapies, today announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2013.

"We've made excellent progress in the first quarter, showing, for the first time, how neuronal cells developed from our unique and powerful stem cell platform can be used to treat Parkinson's disease in the most widely accepted primate model of the disease, and presenting these results at one of the most important neurology conferences in the world," said Dr. Andrey Semechkin, the Company's CEO and Co-Chairman. "We have also published our innovative and efficient new method of creating these neuronal cells in a well respected peer-reviewed scientific journal, further consolidating ISCO's leadership position," continued Dr. Semechkin.

"In addition, the strong sales growth achieved by our subsidiaries confirms that the sales and marketing tactics we have been implementing are starting to deliver the results we anticipated and begin to partially offset our core Research and Development expenses. At the same time we continue to challenge ourselves to become ever more efficient and this continued vigilance is reflected in both the reduced general and administrative expenses and increased gross margin."

Q1 2013 Highlights:

Three Months Ended March 31, 2013

Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2013 were $1.29 million, an increase of approximately 19% compared to $1.08 million for the same period in 2012.Sales for Lifeline Skin Care (LSC) and Lifeline Cell Technology (LCT) increased by 19% and 20%, respectively.LSC and LCT accounted for 51% and 49% of total revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2013, respectively.

Cost of sales was $0.33 million, or 26% of revenue, compared to $0.32 million or 30% of revenue for the same period in 2012. Gross margins improved as a result of efficiencies in our manufacturing and supply chain and increased sales contribution from higher margin products.

General and administrative expenses fell by 30% to $1.42 million, driven primarily by lower personnel-related expenses resulting from lower headcount, lower stock-based compensation expenses and lower professional and corporate expenses.Marketing expenses increased 3% compared to the first quarter of 2012 to $0.51 million, primarily reflecting higher spending on advertising and promotions for the Company's skin care business.

Cash and cash equivalents totaled $1.91 million at March 31, 2013 compared to $0.65 million as of December 31, 2012. The Company received approximately $3.27 million, net of stock issuance costs, from the issuance of 16,325,000 shares of common stock in the first quarter of 2013. The Company invested approximately $0.17 million in capital expenditures in the first three months of 2013 compared to $0.22 million in the same period in 2012.

Conference Call and Webcast Details:

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International Stem Cell Corporation Announces First Quarter 2013 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

Can you drink stem cells?

A new supplement made from algae claims to aid in the natural release of adult stem cells in the bone marrow By Anne A. Jambora Philippine Daily Inquirer

STEM cell nutritional supplement

Stem cells you can ingest? Not exactly. But this supplement claims it can increase the number of circulating adult stem cells in your body by up to four million. You simply take three capsules a day.

The 30-percent increase, however small compared to the surge of 10-20 million adult stem cells you get from a stem-cell treatment, is significant enough to keep you alert and energized, and even to repair damaged cells in your body, said Bernie Mercado, general manager of StemTech Philippines, the makers of the supplement StemEnhance.

Made from a natural-growing freshwater plant called Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA), also known as blue-green algae, StemEnhance is said to aid in the natural release of adult stem cells in the bone marrow and support the migration of stem cells to areas where theyre needed, enhancing the bodys natural mechanism of organ and tissue renewal.

Simply put, StemEnhance is an adult stem cell nutritional supplement.

Stem cell treatment enables doctors to focus on a specific organ. Thats not how this supplement works. If you take StemEnhance to make your skin look supple and young, but you also have a kidney condition, it will first repair the area that needs urgent attention. It might take some time before you can see a physical manifestation of its effects, in this case, younger-looking skin. The more damaged the organ, the more stem cells it attracts, Mercado said.

According to StemTech HealthSciences Inc. chief science officer Christian Drapeau, the bone marrow adult stem cells have the ability to become virtually any kind of cell in the body. If you take, for instance, an adult stem cell and put it in the heart, it becomes a heart stem cell; put it in the muscle and it becomes a muscle cell.

Dogma

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Can you drink stem cells?

New stem cell isolation unit praised

13 May 2013 Last updated at 06:42 ET

Patients have praised a stem cell isolation unit which has opened at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.

People from Devon and Cornwall who need protective isolation after a stem cell transplant now no longer have to travel to Bristol or London.

The unit is for leukaemia or lymphoma adult patients whose immune systems have been depleted by chemotherapy.

Paul Bates, a patient from Torpoint in Cornwall, described the new unit as "palatial".

After a transplant patients will spend from three to six weeks in the 2.7m state-of-the-art unit.

Stem cells are sometimes given to cancer patients to replace the red and white cells and platelets in blood which chemotherapy treatment has killed off.

Previously, the hospital was only able to carry out transplants if the stem cells were harvested directly from the patient or a relative, but can now also treat patients who need non-related donor stem cells.

The haematopoietic stem cell transplant unit, with 10 single en-suite rooms, has been built in the hospital's former Bracken ward.

"The facilities are so much better than the ones we had before," consultant haematologist Dr Hannah Hunter told BBC News.

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New stem cell isolation unit praised