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Newswise Led by Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research member Dr. Hanna Mikkola, UCLA scientists have discovered a unique protein that is integral to the self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) during human development.

This discovery lays the groundwork for researchers to generate HSCs in the lab (in vitro) that better mirror those that develop in their natural environment (in vivo). This could lead to improved therapies for blood-related diseases and cancers by enabling the creation of patient-specific blood stem cells for transplantation.

The findings are reported online November 13, 2014, ahead of print in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

The research community has long sought to harness the promise of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) to overcome a significant roadblock in making cell-based therapies blood and immune diseases more broadly available, which has been hampered by the inability to generate and expand human HSCs in culture. HSCs are the blood forming cells that serve as the critical link between PSCs and fully differentiated cells of the blood system. The ability of HSCs to self-renew (replicate themselves) and differentiate to all blood cell types, is determined in part by the environment that the stem cell came from, called the niche.

In the five-year study, Mikkola and Drs. Sacha Prashad and Vincenzo Calvanese, members of Mikkolas lab and lead authors of the study, investigated a unique HSC surface protein called GPI-80. They found that it was produced by a specific subpopulation of human fetal hematopoietic cells that were the only group that could self-renew and differentiate into various blood cell types. They also found that this subpopulation of hematopoietic cells was the sole population able to permanently integrate into and thrive within the blood system of a recipient mouse.

Mikkola and colleagues further discovered that GPI-80 identifies HSCs during multiple phases of human HSC development and migration. These include the early first trimester of fetal development when newly generated HSCs can be found in the placenta, and the second trimester when HSCs are actively replicating in the fetal liver and the fetal bone marrow.

We found that whatever HSC niche we investigated, we could use GPI-80 as the best determinant to find the stem cell as it was being generated or colonized different hematopoietic tissues, said Mikkola, associate professor of molecular, cell and development biology at UCLA and also a member of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Moreover, loss of GPI-80 caused the stem cells to differentiate. This essentially tells us that GPI-80 must be present to make HSCs. We now have a very unique marker for investigating how human hematopoietic cells develop, migrate and function.

Mikkolas team is actively exploring different stages of human HSC development and PSC differentiation based on the GPI-80 marker, and comparing how blood stem cells are being generated in vitro and in vivo. This paves the way for scientists to redirect PSCs into patient-specific HSCs for transplantation into the patient without the need to find a suitable donor.

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UCLA Researchers Identify Unique Protein Key to the Development of Blood Stem Cells

By C. Rajan, contributing writer

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have made a major breakthrough in Parkinson's disease treatment by developing stem cell-derived brain cells that can replace the cells lost due to the disease, thus paving the way for the first stem cell transplant treatment for Parkinsons patients.

Parkinson's disease, which affects about 10 million people worldwide, is a degenerative nervous system condition which causes tremors, muscle weakness, stiffness, and loss in mobility. Parkinson's is caused by loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Dopamine is an essential neurotransmitter that is required for regulating movement and emotions.

In this study, for the first time ever, the researchers were able to convert human embryonic stem cells into dopamine producing neurons, which behaved like native dopamine cells lost in the disease.

The study was led by Malin Parmar, associate professor in Lund's Department of Medicine, and conducted at both Lund University and at MIRCen in Paris as part of the EU networks NeuroStemCell and NeuroStemcellRepair.

According to Medical News Today, the researchers produced rat models of Parkinson's disease by destroying the dopamine cells in one part of the rat's brain, and then they transplanted the new dopamine producing stem cell neurons. These next generation dopamine neurons were found to survive long term, restore the lost dopamine, and form long distance connections to the correct parts of the brain when transplanted into rats. Most excitingly, these transplanted stem cells reversed the damage from the disease.

As the new dopamine neurons have the same properties and functions of native cells lost in Parkinson's disease and can be produced in unlimited quantities from stem cell lines, this treatment shows promise in moving into clinical applications as stem cell transplants for Parkinsons.

"This study shows that we can now produce fully functioning dopamine neurons from stem cells. These cells have the same ability as the brains normal dopamine cells to not only reach but also to connect to their target area over longer distances. This has been our goal for some time, and the next step is to produce the same cells under the necessary regulations for human use. Our hope is that they are ready for clinical studies in about three years", says Malin Parmar.

Human embryonic stem cells (ESC) are powerful treatment options due to their ability to change into any cell type in the body. However, it is difficult to get them to change into the desired cell types, and research efforts are also hampered due to the ethical concerns associated with embryonic stem cells.

The study is published in the journal,Cell Stem Cell, titled Human ESC-Derived Dopamine Neurons Show Similar Preclinical Efficacy and Potency to Fetal Neurons when Grafted in a Rat Model of Parkinsons Disease.

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Researchers Discover Breakthrough Stem Cell Treatment For Parkinson's Disease

Miami, FL (PRWEB) November 05, 2014

Global Stem Cells Group, its subsidiary Stem Cell Training, Inc. and Dr. J. Victor Garcia have announced plans to conduct the Adipose Derived Harvesting, Isolation and Re-integration Training Course in Barcelona, Spain Nov. 22-23. 2014.

The two-day, hands-on intensive training course, which will be conducted by Garcia, was developed for physicians and high-level practitioners to learn techniques in harvesting and reintegrating stem cells derived from adipose tissue and bone marrow. The objective of the training is to bridge the gap between bench science in the laboratory and the doctors office by teaching effective, in-office regenerative medicine techniques.

For more information, visit the Stem Cell Training, Inc. website, email info(at)stemcelltraining(dot)net, or call 305-224-1858.

About Global Stem Cells Group:

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions.

With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

Global Stem Cells Groups corporate mission is to make the promise of stem cell medicine a reality for patients around the world. With each of GSCGs six operating companies focused on a separate research-based mission, the result is a global network of state-of-the-art stem cell treatments.

About Stem Cell Training, Inc.:

Stem Cell Training, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary company offering coursework and training in 35 cities worldwide. Coursework offered focuses on minimally invasive techniques for harvesting stem cells from adipose tissue, bone marrow and platelet-rich plasma. By equipping physicians with these techniques, the goal is to enable them to return to their practices, better able to apply these techniques in patient treatments.

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Global Stem Cells Group to Hold Practical, Hands-on Training Course on Adipose-derived Stem Cell Harvesting, Isolation ...

MIAMI (PRWEB) November 04, 2014

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. has been named exclusive distributor for Adistem medical solutions, and Adilyfe, a new regenerative medicine products company founded by Adistem Ltd. Scientific Founder Vasilis Paspaliaris, M.D. in Melbourne, Australia and set to launch in early 2015. Paspaliaris made the announcement at the First International Symposium on Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine held in Buenos Aires, Argentina Oct. 2-4 and hosted by Global Stem Cells Group.

Adistem-Adilyfe will manufacture a group of products for use in stem cell treatments, therapies and training through the Adimarket Division of the Global Stem Cells Group. The timing is perfect for GSCGs current expansion into Latin American countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico and Peru, according to Global Stem Cells Group CEO Benito Novas.

Vasilis, an accomplished biotech scientist, stem cell researcher and pharmaceutical consultant joined the Global Stem Cells Group Scientific Advisory Board, part of the Regenestem Network.

As always, Dr. Paspaliaris brings excellence to stem cell research, Novas says. His work has already proven critical to improving the quality of life for a range of chronically ill patients all over the world.

We are honored to be representing Adistem and AdiLyfe products in Latin America; we consider the opportunity a strategic commitment to world class stem cell research.

Vasilis says he knew Global Stem Cells Group would be the only choice to represent Adistem and AdiLyfe in Latin America.

We are proud of our relationship with Global Stem Cells Group, we couldnt ask for better partners, Vasilis says.

To learn more about the Global Stem Cells Group, visit the website at http://www.stemcellsgroup.com, email bnovas(at)stemcellsgroup(dot)com, or call 305.224.1858.

About Global Stem Cell Group:

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Global Stem Cells Group Named Exclusive Distributor for Adistem and Adilyfe Companies and Product Lines

Pioneers of transplantation John Gurdon
Interview with Sir John Gurdon, developmental biologist and forefather of stem cell medicine. The footage, produced by Figment Productions, formed part of an exhibition organised by the MRC...

By: Medical Research Council

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Pioneers of transplantation John Gurdon - Video

Study Identifies Potential Treatment Target for Cocaine Addiction

30 Oct 2014A study led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has identified a potential target for therapies to treat cocaine addiction. Read more

27 Oct 2014A new effort mapping 24-hr patterns of expression for thousands of genes in 12 different mouse organs five years in the making provides important clues about how the role of timing may influence the way drugs work in the body. Read more

27 Oct 2014An all-female panel of luminaries in fields including epigenetics and stem cell biology will come together at a Penn symposium entitled Celebrating Women in Science. The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has organized the... Read more

22 Oct 2014A Penn Medicine-developed drug has received orphan status from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare, life-threatening disease that causes anemia due to destruction of red blood cells and thrombosis. Read more

22 Oct 2014Some of the most promising startup teams in healthtech will pitch their companies to an audience of several hundred investors, industry leaders and potential customers at DreamIt Health Philadelphia Demo Day on Thursday, October 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. Read more

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Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

DALLAS, October 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the new market research report The"Cell Expansion Marketby Product (Reagent, Media, Serum, Bioreactors, Centrifuge), Cell Type (human, animal), Application (Stem Cell Research, Regenerative Medicine, Clinical Diagnostics), End User (Hospital, Biotechnology, Cell Bank) - Forecast to 2019", published by MarketsandMarkets, provides a detailed overview of the major drivers, restraints, challenges, opportunities, current market trends, and strategies impacting the Cell Expansion Market along with the estimates and forecasts of the revenue and share analysis.

Browse 149 Market Data Tables and 56 Figures spread through 224 Pages and in-depth TOC on"Cell Expansion Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cell-expansion-market-194978883.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

The global Cell Expansion Market is expected to reach $14.8 Billion by 2019 from $6.0 Billion in 2014, growing at a CAGR of 19.7% from 2014 to 2019.

The report segments this market on the basis of product, cell type, application, and end user. Among various applications, the regenerative medicines is expected to account for the largest share in 2014 and is expected to account for the fastest-growing segment in the cell expansion market, owing to technological advancement due to which new products are being launched in the market. Furthermore, rising investments by companies and government for research is another major reason for the growth of this market.

Based on geography, the global Cell Expansion Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (RoW). North America is expected to account for the largest share of the market by the end of 2014. The large share of this region can be attributed to various factors including increasing government support for cancer and stem cell research and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in this region.

Further Inquiry:http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=194978883

Prominent players in the Cell Expansion Market are Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), Corning Incorporated (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), GE Healthcare (U.K.), Merck Millipore (U.S.), Miltenyi Biotec (Germany), STEMCELL Technologies (Canada), Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (U.S.), Terumo BCT (U.S.), and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.).

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Cell Expansion Market Worth $14.8 Billion by 2019

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centers Institute for Regenerative Medicine have hit upon a new strategy for tissue healing: mobilizing the bodys stem cells to the site of injury. Thus harnessing the bodys natural healing powers might make in body regeneration of muscle tissue is a possibility.

Sang Jin Lee, assistant professor of Medicine at Wake Forest, and his colleagues implanted small bits of biomaterial scaffolds into the legs of rats and mice. When they embedded these scaffolds with proteins that mobilize muscle stem cells (like insulin-like growth factor-1 or IGF-1), the stem cells migrated from the muscles to the bioscaffolds and formed muscle tissue.

Working to leverage the bodys own regenerative properties, we designed a muscle-specific scaffolding system that can actively participate in functional tissue regeneration, said Lee. This is a proof-of-concept study that we hope can one day be applied to human patients.

If patients have large sections of muscle removed because of infections, tumors or accidents, muscle grafts from other parts of the body are typically used to restore at least some of the missing muscle. Several laboratories are trying the grow muscle in the laboratory from muscle biopsies that can be then transplanted back into the patient. Growing muscle on scaffolds fashioned from biomaterials have also proven successful.

Lees technique overcomes some of the short-comings of these aforementioned procedures. As Lee put it, Our aim was to bypass the challenges of both of these techniques and to demonstrate the mobilization of muscle cells to a target-specific site for muscle regeneration.

Most tissues in our bodies contain a resident stem cell population that serves to regenerate the tissue as needed. Lee and his colleagues wanted to determine if these resident stem cells could be coaxed to move from the tissue or origin, muscle in this case, and embeds themselves in an implanted scaffold.

In their first experiments, Lee and his team implanted scaffolds into the leg muscles of rats. After retrieving them several weeks later, it was clear that the muscle stem cell population (muscle satellite cells) not only migrated into the scaffold, but other stem cell populations had also taken up residence in the scaffolds. These scaffolds were also contained an interspersed network of blood vessels only 4 weeks aster transplantation.

In their next experiments, Lee and others laced the scaffolds with different cocktails of proteins to boost the stem cell recruitment properties of the implanted scaffolds. The protein that showed the most robust stem cell recruitment ability was IGF-1. In fact, IGF-1-laced scaffolds had four times the number of cells as plain scaffolds and increased formation of muscle fibers.

The protein [IGF-1] effectively promoted cell recruitment and accelerated muscle regeneration, said Lee.

For their next project, Lee would like to test the ability of his scaffolds to promote muscle regeneration in larger laboratory animals.

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Beyond the Dish | A developmental biologist muses about ...

One kind of stem cell, those referred to as 'facultative', form part -- together with other cells -- of tissues and organs. There is apparently nothing that differentiates these cells from the others. However, they have a very special characteristic, namely they retain the capacity to become stem cells again. This phenomenon is something that happens in the liver, an organ that hosts cells that stimulate tissue growth, thus allowing the regeneration of the organ in the case of a transplant. Knowledge of the underlying mechanism that allows these cells to retain this capacity is a key issue in regenerative medicine.

Headed by Jordi Casanova, research professor at the Instituto de Biologa Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB) of the CSIC and at IRB Barcelona, and by Xavier Franch-Marro, CSIC tenured scientist at the Instituto de Biologa Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), a study published in the journal Cell Reports reveals a mechanism that could explain this capacity. Working with larval tracheal cells of Drosophila melanogaster, these authors report that the key feature of these cells is that they have not entered the endocycle, a modified cell cycle through which a cell reproduces its genome several times without dividing.

"The function of endocycle in living organisms is not fully understood," comments Xavier Franch-Marro. "One of the theories is that endoreplication contributes to enlarge the cell and confers the production of high amounts of protein." This is the case of almost all larval cells of Drosophila.

The scientists have observed that the cells that enter the endocycle lose the capacity to reactivate as stem cells. "The endocycle is linked to an irreversible change of gene expression in the cell," explains Jordi Casanova, "We have seen that inhibition of endocycle entry confers the cells the capacity to reactivate as stem cells."

Cell entry into the endocycle is associated with the expression of the Fzr gene. The researchers have found that inhibition of this gene prevents this entry, which in turn leads to the conversion of the cell into an adult progenitor that retains the capacity to reactivate as a stem cell. Therefore, this gene acts as a switch that determines whether a cell will enter mitosis (the normal division of a cell) or the endocycle, the latter triggering a totally different genetic program with a distinct outcome regarding the capacity of a cell to reactivate as a stem cell.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Continued here:
Mechanism that allows differentiated cell to reactivate as a stem cell revealed

Professor Ryan Lister says he is humbled by the award.

A scientist from the University of WA says he is humbled to be awarded the Prime Minister's prize for life science.

Professor Ryan Lister researches epigenomes - the chemical compounds surrounding DNA - and is one of six people to receive a prize for science from Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Canberra.

Professor Lister has mapped how genes are turned on and off, revealing why a leaf cell is different to a root cell or a stem cell different from a skin cell.

He said he hoped his research could be used to improve the understanding of the human brain, transform stem-cell medicine and advance agriculture.

"We need to be able to understand how the different cell types of our bodies form and how they form in healthy states, so that we can understand why they might be disturbed in various disease states," Professor Lister said.

He said the epigenome played a pivotal role in normal development and disease or stress states in humans, animals and plants.

"What we've been able to do is create the first maps of how the brain epigenome changes during development," he said.

"What this will allow us to do in the future is to look at a range of neurological disorders to see whether these chemical signposts added to the DNA are changed or disturbed or altered within these various disease states.

"We're also researching how the epigenome might affect plant development and the growth and health of crops.

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UWA scientist Ryan Lister wins Prime Minister's prize for life science