Category Archives: Cell Medicine

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT, OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced year-end results for the year ended December 31, 2011. The Company utilized $13.6 million in cash for operations during the year, compared to $8.8 million in the year-earlier period. The increase in cash utilization resulted primarily from ACTs ongoing clinical activities in the US and Europe. ACT ended the year with cash and cash equivalents of $13.1 million, compared to $15.9 million in cash and cash equivalents in the year-earlier period.

Some of the 2011 highlights included:

2011 was a very important and successful year for ACT as we began our Phase 1/2 trials for the treatment of macular degeneration, said Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of ACT. We are very excited about the preliminary Phase 1/2 clinical data from our dry-AMD and Stargardts disease trials, which were published in The Lancet earlier this year. The data demonstrated the safety of ACTs human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells for the treatment of both diseases. The vision of both patients appears to have improved after transplantation, and no adverse safety issues have been observed. We look forward to validating these early findings as we expand these clinical activities throughout this year. Additionally, we made significant progress in advancing our scientific platform, expanding our board of directors and management team and strengthening our balance sheet.

The Company also announced today that it expects to shortly file a preliminary proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in which it will seek shareholder approval for a reverse split of between 1-for 20 and 1-for 80 shares. The Company is pursuing the reverse split for the sole purpose of meeting the requirements necessary for a listing on the Nasdaq Global Market. The Company believes that a listing on a national change will allow it to expand its shareholder base and improve the marketability of its common stock by attracting a broader range of investors.

Conference Call

The Company will hold a conference call at 9:00 a.m. EST tomorrow, during which it will discuss 2011 results and provide an update on clinical activities. Interested parties should dial (888)264-3177 followed by the reference conference ID number: 57426004. The call will be available live and for replay by webcast at: http://us.meeting-stream.com/advancedcelltechnology030212

About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., is a biotechnology company applying cellular technology in the field of regenerative medicine. For more information, visitwww.advancedcell.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

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Advanced Cell Technology Announces 2011 Financial Results

Regenerative Medicine Institute, Mexico has been granted full accreditation for its clinical stem cell trials

Portland, Oregon (PRWEB) February 29, 2012

We are pleased that RMI undertook this process, says David Audley, executive director of the ICMS. The clinic understood that patient safety can only be assured through strict evaluation and rigorous oversight. From day one they have embraced the transparency that this program requires.

RMI is the first clinic to achieve this status under the ICMS Accreditation Program. The clinic has undergone two separate site audits as well as an institutional review board review evaluation. Most importantly, the clinic has placed in excess of 50 patients into the Treatment Registry for long-term outcome tracking. The safety profile has been excellent, continued Audley. We have tracked patients over at least two follow-ups and a minimum of six months and not seen a single cell-related adverse event.

The ICMS is currently evaluating nearly a dozen clinics worldwide. Accreditation is based upon the Guidelines for the Practice of Cell-Based Medicine developed and published by the ICMS. Key components of these guidelines are the ethical recruitment of patients, proper consent of patients and compliance with local laws and regulations in the treatment of patients.

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Mr. David Audley International Cellular Medicine Society 503-884-6590 Email Information

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International Cellular Medicine Society Grants First Worldwide Accreditation to Tijuana Clinical Trial

Diverse approach to cancer research need of the hour, stresses professor Profoundly different approaches are needed for cancer research, the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy 2012, has been told by an expert in cancer stem cell (CSC) biology.
Professor Irving Weissman, director, Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, was delivering a keynote address on ‘Normal and neoplastic stem cells’ yesterday.
“Self-renewal is the principal property that distinguishes stem cells from their daughter cells,” he said while explaining that when stem cells divide they give rise to stem cells (by self-renewal) and progenitors (by differentiation).
The balance between self-renewal and differentiation is what generates, and then maintains, tissues enabling them to respond to injury or other stressors.
Studies identifying hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) - which form blood and immune cells - and progenitors, have made hematopoiesis one of the best systems for studying the molecular changes in cell fate decision-making and creation of cancer.
Further, it serves as a paradigm for finding preclinical and clinical platforms for tissue and organ replacement and regeneration.
Stem cell isolation and transplantation is the basis for regenerative medicine. Self-renewal is dangerous and therefore strictly regulated.
Poorly regulated self-renewal can lead to the genesis of CSC — the only cells within a tumour or leukaemia that have the ability to self renew, and therefore the cells that maintain the cancer.
“Thus, it is predicted that CSC elimination is required for cure. This prediction necessitates profoundly different approaches to cancer research, compelling investigators to prospectively isolate CSCs and to characterise the molecular pathways regulating their behaviour in order to identify targeted and truly effective therapies,” Weissman added.
A founder of three companies – SyStemix, Cellerant, and Stem Cells Inc – all focused on bringing stem cell therapies into the clinic, Weissman has authored more than 700 scientific articles and has been an editor of multiple scientific journals.

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Diverse approach to cancer research need of the hour, stresses professor

Experts discuss stem cell banking ethics, policies By Noimot Olayiwola
Staff Reporter
Umbilical cord blood banking and transplantation, issues of ethics and policy as well as regulations governing stem cell banking were some of the high points of discussion during a session on ‘Stem Cell Banking’ at the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cells Science and Policy, underway at the Qatar National Convention Centre.
Sharing the Saudi Arabia experience on umbilical cord blood transplantation during a presentation, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre’s blood bank (transfusion & donor services) director and of the Stem Cell Cord Blood Bank at the department of pathology and laboratory medicine, Dr Hind al-Humaidan, noted that the transplantation of allogeneic (taken from different individuals of the same species) bone marrow has been successfully used in the treatment of high risk or recurrent hematologic malignancies, bone marrow failure syndromes, selected hereditary immunodeficiency states and metabolic disorders.
“Early in the history of bone marrow transplantation, it was clear that access to a suitable donor was a major obstacle severely limiting the use of this potentially curative treatment modality. Although using an HLA (human leukocyte antigen) sibling donor is the best choice for transplantation, not all patients could have access to such a donor. Therefore transplant centres explored the possibility of using volunteer adult unrelated donors as an alternative to HLA–matched siblings,” she noted while mentioning that there was another alternative treatment strategy as a source of hematopoietic stem cell namely umbilical cord blood.
She explained that in Saudi Arabia, 60% of patients who need a transplant will find an HLA-matched sibling donor, leaving 40% of the patients in need of alternative sources.
The figure of donor with HLA-matched sibling elsewhere in the world is 45%, she said.
“The concept of establishing a cord blood bank in Saudi Arabia, under the umbrella of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, was raised after an increase in use of cord blood for transplantation due to the inability of finding fully or closely HLA-matched related donors. This non-profit public Cord Blood Bank is dedicated to making high quality cord blood units available to all patients in need of related and/or unrelated transplantation in Saudi Arabia and in the neighbouring countries through the development and maintenance of a centre of excellence for the collection, storage, search and distribution of ethnically and racially diverse cord blood units,” she said.
According to al-Humaidan, till date, the Cord Blood inventory consists of 3,725 units of high quality cord blood with a total of 70 cord blood transplants being carried out from the inventory.
Virgin Health Bank (VHB) chief executive officer Dr Rajan Jethwa discussed ways to make a cord blood bank attractive to users and how to ensure sustenance, especially when government funding of such facilities stops.
He described how VHB will become the magnet that will pull all stakeholders in the field of stem cell banking including researchers, technicians together towards achieving the establishment of a stem cell bank in Qatar.
Wake Forest School of Medicine’s Internal Medicine and Institute for Regenative Medicine Social Sciences and Health Policy professor Nancy King highlighted some of the ethical and policy issues governing stem cell banking globally while Field Fisher Waterhouse’s Public and Regulatory Law Group head Sarah Ellson shared some tips on ensuring regulations of biosamples. University of Central Lancashire’s Dr Katrina Aisha Choog spoke on informed consent among Arab Muslim research participants. The session was chaired by Harvard Stem Cell Institute’s executive director Brock Reeve.

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Experts discuss stem cell banking ethics, policies

SAN DIEGO, CA and PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwire -02/28/12)- Medistem Inc. (Pinksheets: MEDS.PK - News) announced today its Annual "Evening with Medistem" Event will take place in Portland, Oregon on March 7th, 2012. The event is being hosted by Vladimir Zaharchook, Vice Chairman at Medistem, Inc., and will feature stem cell luminaries and pioneers working with Medistem including Dr. Amit Patel, Director of Regenerative Medicine at University of Utah and the first person to administer stem cells into patients with heart failure, Dr. Michael Murphy, Vascular Surgeon at Indiana University and Principal Investigator for Medistem's FDA clinical trial in patients with risk of amputation, and Dr. Alan Lewis, former CEO of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, advisory board member of Medistem.

In 2007 Medistem discovered an entirely new type of stem cell, the Endometrial Regenerative Cell (ERC). This cell has proven it is a "universal donor" and can be used to treat many more conditions compared to other types of stem cells. The company received FDA clearance to begin clinical trials in September of 2011 for critical limb ischemia, a condition that is associated with amputation. Medistem is also running a Phase II clinical trial for heart failure using the new stem cell. The ERC stem cell does not involve the highly controversial use of fetal tissue, can be produced very economically and administered to the patient in a very simple manner. Medistem is exploring ways to expand clinical trials of its stem cell into other diseases.

"Stem cells and regenerative medicine offer hope in clinical conditions in which hope previously did not exist," said Dr. Stanley Cohan, Head of Neurology at the St Vincent's Hospital, the largest center for treatment of multiple sclerosis in the Pacific Northwest, who will be attending the event. "We are honored in the Portland community to have this distinguished team of accomplished researchers and medical doctors convene here and discuss with us possible collaborations."

"As a long-time member of the Portland academic community, it is exciting to have companies such as Medistem to visit us and share their experiences 'from the trenches' of what it takes to push a cellular drug through the FDA," said Dr. Shoukrat Milipotiv, Associate Scientist in the Division of Reproductive & Developmental Sciences of ONPRC, Oregon Stem Cell Center and Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Molecular & Medical Genetics, and co-director of the ART/ESC core at the Center. He is an internationally recognized researcher in the area of stem cells.

"The Event is an annual celebration to honor our team and collaborators for the successes of the previous year, while at the same time educate the local business and medical community on the latest research on stem cells not just at Medistem but internationally," said Thomas Ichim, Ph.D Chief Executive Officer of Medistem Inc. "2012 is particularly exciting for us due to approvals for two clinical trials, and the initiation of patient treatments within this context."

About Medistem Inc.

Medistem Inc. is a biotechnology company developing technologies related to adult stem cell extraction, manipulation, and use for treating inflammatory and degenerative diseases. The company's lead product, the endometrial regenerative cell (ERC), is a "universal donor" stem cell being developed for critical limb ischemia and heart failure.

Cautionary Statement

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of our securities. This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking information. Factors which may cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements are discussed in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Stem Cell Pioneers Converge in Portland to Discuss and Celebrate a Revolutionary New Stem Cell Entering Human Clinical ...

SUNRISE, Fla., Feb. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bioheart, Inc. (BHRT.OB) announced that the company will conduct the ANGEL trial using adipose (fat) derived stem cell technology or LipiCell(TM) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Bioheart recently applied to the FDA to begin trials using adipose derived stem cells in patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy.

"Dr. Joshua Hare and the University of Miami are world leaders in the field of stem cell research," said Mike Tomas, President and CEO of Bioheart. "We look forward to working with these acclaimed experts and bringing the LipiCell(TM) technology to patients in the U.S."

The clinical protocol of the ANGEL trial is designed to assess the safety and cardiovascular effects of intramyocardial implantation of autologous adipose derived stem cells (LipiCell(TM)) in patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy. Joshua Hare, MD, Director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is the principle investigator of the clinical program.

The Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute was established to capitalize on pioneering work in the use of adult stem cells for the repair of malfunctioning human organs. The goal of the Institute is to find new treatments for heart disease, neurological disease, bone disease, diabetes, cancer, eye diseases and other chronic, debilitating, or incurable diseases. University of Miami scientists have led in the development of procedures to extract adult stem cells and have conducted ground breaking research in cell-based therapy for the diseased human heart.

About Bioheart, Inc.

Bioheart is committed to maintaining our leading position within the cardiovascular sector of the cell technology industry delivering cell therapies and biologics that help address congestive heart failure, lower limb ischemia, chronic heart ischemia, acute myocardial infarctions and other issues. Our goals are to cause damaged tissue to be regenerated, if possible, and to improve a patient's quality of life and reduce health care costs and hospitalizations.

Specific to biotechnology, we are focused on the discovery, development and, subject to regulatory approval, commercialization of autologous cell therapies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage and peripheral vascular disease. Our leading product, MyoCell, is a clinical muscle-derived cell therapy designed to populate regions of scar tissue within a patient's heart with new living cells for the purpose of improving cardiac function in chronic heart failure patients. For more information on Bioheart, visit http://www.bioheartinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "to," "plan," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would," "estimate," or "continue" or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

The Company is subject to the risks and uncertainties described in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2011.

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Bioheart Announces University of Miami as Clinical Site for ANGEL Trial of LipiCell(TM)

There is a tremendous opportunity in genetic medicine for innovation and for new players to make significant contributions, because it is still experimental, noted biologist and Nobel Laureate Dr David Baltimore said yesterday.
“Today, it is mainly the province of biotechnology companies and universities, not big pharmaceutical companies,” he observed in a keynote presentation at the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy 2012.
There are new genetic tools available – though they are still experimental - to treat diseases which involve adding, subtracting or modifying genes in the cells of the body.
“However, they are powerful tools and I am confident they will be an important part of the medicine of the future,” he said.
Speaking on ‘The hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) as a target for therapy against cancer and Aids,’ Dr Baltimore explained that HSCs are one of the few cell types routinely used for bone marrow transplant.
The HSCs are easily accessible, retroviruses can be used to carry genes into these stem cells, the genes are then expressed in all of cells that derive from the HSC and can correct inherited defects and bring genes that perform therapy under a programme called engineering immunity.
“Though the human immune system is a wondrous creation of evolution yet it is not without certain limitations. One, in particular, is its poor ability to stop the growth of cancer cells– another is its hosting of HIV.
“In the case of cancer, the machinery of immunity can attack cancers but it rarely attacks with the necessary power. For HIV, the ability of the virus to use the CD4 and CCR5 proteins as receptors means that CD4 cells are the major cell type in which the virus grows.
“We have been trying to supply genes to the immune system by gene transfer methods that would improve its ability to block cancer and block infection of CD4 cells by HIV.
“For cancer, we have focused on T cell receptor genes. For HIV, we have used a small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) targeted to CCR5. We have been quite successful in mice with both strategies and are now moving to humans.
“In both cases, our experiments with mice have focused on putting genes into HSCs as, once these cells are altered, they provide modified blood cells to the body for life.
“In our human cancer trials we first used peripheral T cells for modification with dramatic effect but it has been transient.
“We are now moving to stem cells. For the siRNA against CCR5, we plan to initiate trials within six months using autologous, gene-modified stem cells,” he added.
The ensuing panel discussion on ‘Opportunities and challenges for stem cell research,’ saw Prof Irving Weissman (Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine) cautioning against ‘phoney organisations engaged in stem cell therapy.’
Prof Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte (Salk Institute for Biological Studies, US) stated that stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood should be considered as one of the key cells for use in regenerative medicine.
The session also featured Dr Alan Trounson (California Institute of Regenerative Medicine), Prof Roger Pedersen (The Anne McLaren Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, University of Cambridge), Dr Lawrence Corey (University of Washington) and with Dr Richard Klausner (managing partner of biotechnology venture capital firm The Column Group) as moderator.
Earlier, Ambassador Edward P Djerejian (founding director, James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, US) spoke about the collaboration with Qatar Foundation on stem cell research.

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‘Scope for innovation in genetic medicine’

NEWARK, Calif., Feb. 27, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM - News) today announced that it will participate in the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy, which is being held in Qatar from February 27 to March 1, 2012. The Company, which is the leader in development of cell-based therapeutics for central nervous system disorders, was specifically invited by the conference's sponsors, the State of Qatar and Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, as well as the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy of Rice University, and is the only company to be invited.

Ann Tsukamoto, Ph.D., StemCells' Executive Vice President, Research and Development, will make a presentation on the clinical translation of human neural stem cells. StemCells was the first company to receive authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct a clinical trial of purified human neural stem cells, and the Company is currently conducting two clinical trials with a third anticipated to start later this year. Dr. Tsukamoto will also be the moderator of the panel session on neurological disorders, which is scheduled to be held on March 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Arabian Standard Time (AST).

In addition, Irving Weissman, M.D., Chairman of StemCells' Scientific Advisory Board, will make a keynote presentation to the conference on Tuesday, February 28 at 9:00 a.m. AST. Dr. Weissman, who is Virginia and Daniel K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research, Professor of Pathology and Professor of Developmental Biology at the Stanford School of Medicine, and Director of the Stanford Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, will speak on normal and neoplastic stem cells. Dr. Weissman will also participate in a panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges for stem cell research, and will moderate a panel discussion on pluripotent stem cells.

The Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy will bring together more than 400 international participants from industry, academia and public policy, including leading experts from each of these sectors. The conference's objectives are to showcase the latest stem cell research from around the world, while promoting discussion and awareness of scientific, ethical and regulatory issues related to this innovative and dynamic field.

About StemCells, Inc.

StemCells, Inc. is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of cell-based therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery. The Company's lead therapeutic product candidate, HuCNS-SC(R) cells (purified human neural stem cells), is currently in development as a potential treatment for a broad range of central nervous system disorders. The Company recently completed a clinical trial in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder in children, and expects to report the trial results soon. The Company is also conducting a Phase I/II clinical trial in chronic spinal cord injury, and expects to initiate a Phase I/II clinical trial in dry age- related macular degeneration in the near future. In addition, the Company is pursuing preclinical studies of its HuCNS-SC cells in Alzheimer's disease. StemCells also markets stem cell research products, including media and reagents, under the SC Proven(R) brand, and is developing stem cell-based assay platforms for use in pharmaceutical research, drug discovery and drug development. Further information about StemCells is available at http://www.stemcellsinc.com.

The StemCells, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7014

Apart from statements of historical fact, the text of this press release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws, and is subject to the safe harbors created therein. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the clinical development of its HuCNS-SC cells; the Company's ability to commercialize drug discovery and drug development tools; and the future business operations of the Company. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. Such statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain assumptions that may or may not ultimately prove valid. The Company's actual results may vary materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties to which the Company is subject, including those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.

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StemCells, Inc. to Participate in Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy 2012

The latest discoveries and promises of stem cell research and the development of new therapeutic approaches for a variety of diseases will be in focus at the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy 2012 which begins today.
The four-day event, being held at Qatar National Convention Centre, is a milestone in Qatar Foundation’s ongoing collaboration with the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, Houston, Texas, US.
The aim of QF’s joint initiative with the Baker Institute’s International Programme on Stem Cell Science Policy is to develop stem cell research in Qatar as well as to find ways to address the shared challenges of community support for stem cell research in Doha and Houston.
To accomplish this goal, the programme has supported several events since its inception, including meetings, workshops, and training programmes in both cities.
The conference, which brings together eminent international as well as regional scientists, ethicists and policymakers, will also present the developed policy options that account for cultural, ethical and religious factors.
The event will draw attention to Qatar’s position in the development of stem cell research in the region and the world, given that research on stem cell as a national priority has already been initiated in the country’s best research institutions.
The conference objectives are to raise the awareness about Qatar’s initiative in promoting stem cell research, present the latest developments, and highlight the different religious views regarding stem cell research specifically the Islamic view.
The pros and cons of various options for regulating stem cell research and how scientists should address conflicting and confusing national policies and assess the different models of international collaboration will be discussed.
The conference also intends to interface with other institutions outside Qatar and contribute to the exchange of scientific knowledge to enhance the promotion of a scientific culture in the region and globally.
The keynote speakers are ambassador Edward P Djerejian (Baker Institute), Irving Weissman (Stanford University), Alan Trounson (president, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine), David Baltimore (president emeritus, Robert Andrews Millikan Professor of Biology, California Institute of Technology), Roger Pedersen (Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge) and Lawrence Corey (president and director, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre).
The conference, supported by Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, will also feature a number of invited speakers from across the world.

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Seminar to focus on stem cell research development

By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff

Massachusetts General Hospital researchers reported today they have discovered a rare stem cell in women’s ovaries that they hope one day might be used to make eggs, a claim already generating vigorous debate among scientists familiar with the research.

For decades, it has been thought that women are born with a finite supply of eggs, limiting their reproductive years. Doctors have sought ways of extending the fertility of women, especially as many wait later in life to begin having children.

The research, led by Jonathan Tilly of Mass. General and appearing in the journal Nature Medicine, opens the door to the possibility of taking tissue from a woman’s ovaries, harvesting stem cells from that tissue, and then creating eggs.

But scientists not involved with the Mass. General research said such an approach -- if it is even possible -- sits far in the future and will require considerably more work. Several scientists said Tilly, who co-founded a company focused on developing novel infertility treatments, had not yet made a convincing case that the stem cells he discovered can yield viable eggs, a critical first step.

Tilly has been a lightning rod in the field of fertility medicine since 2004, when he challenged the orthodoxy that women do not produce new eggs. In a research paper published that year, Tilly laid the foundation for the findings reported yesterday.

“There was a lot of backlash. It wasn’t surprising, given the magnitude of the paradigm shift that was being proposed -- this was one of the fundamental beliefs in our field,” Tilly said. “The subsequent eight years have been a long haul.”

In his new study, Tilly extended research by Chinese scientists published in 2009. He developed a technique that allowed scientists to sift out rare stem cells within the ovaries of mice that were tagged and implanted into the ovaries of normal mice. In the mouse ovaries, the stem cells produced eggs, which were removed and fertilized in a laboratory dish. They developed into embryos, although scientists did not use the embryos to produce mice.

Tilly and his team then wanted to know if such cells existed in humans, too.

The research team obtained ovarian tissue removed from young women undergoing sex change operations in Japan and performed the same experiment they’d done with the mouse ovaries. Much to their excitement, they discovered the rare, egg-producing cells in humans.

In later experiments, the human stem cells were used to produce cells that appeared to be eggs. In part because of ethical limitations, researchers were not able to show that the eggs could be used to create human embryos.

Tilly said that he has patented the stem cells and licensed the technology to OvaScience, the startup he co-founded.

Outside researchers described the findings as intriguing and provocative but also raised many questions. Scientists said it was still far from certain that the eggs created in the experiments could be used to produce babies. And they expressed concern that the findings could falsely inflate the hopes of women struggling with infertility.

Dr. David Keefe, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University Langone Medical Center, said he and other clinicians who see patients would like more than anything to have greater options for women to overcome infertility. But he said the Mass. General researcher had a history of leaping ahead from basic research findings to suggest clinical possibilities.

“Those of us who take care of patients are extremely protective of their hopes,” Keefe said. He noted that a few years ago, he saw half-a-dozen patients who wanted to delay their fertility decisions because of earlier research at Mass. General.

Even if the new findings are immediately replicated in labs around the world, Keefe said, “it’s so far from being clinical that it’s predatory to not be circumspect about it. Humility is an absolute requirement in this field. You’re dealing with people’s hopes and dreams.”

A 2005 study led by Tilly and done in mice suggested bone marrow transplants might offer a way to restore fertility. A year later, a separate group of Harvard researchers showed that this was unlikely to be true. Tilly himself no longer believes this is a way to restore fertility.

“The big difference in that work, now in retrospect, is these non-ovarian sources [of stem cells] don’t appear to do the job,” he said.

Tilly’s work in the past has divided researchers and failed to persuade many in the field that his interpretations are correct.

Teresa Woodruff, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University said she had already drawn up a chart of the claims made in the paper, the evidence to support those claims, and the questions they raise. Still, she said, “I do think he’s pushing the envelope in a way that does push all of us to think more broadly.”

Evelyn Telfer, a cell biologist at the University of Edinburgh, who criticized some of Tilly’s earlier work, said she is excited about the new findings. Tilly said that next month, he will fly to Scotland to begin a collaboration with Telfer.

“What he’s saying is we can get these cells,” Telfer said, “and I think it’s pretty convincing.”

The new paper doesn’t offer evidence that such stem cells are active in the ovary, supplying eggs during a woman’s lifetime. But the powerful cells could provide new insights into the important and poorly understood process in biology of egg-formation and allow scientists to look for drugs that might increase the activities of these stem cells, in order to overcome fertility problems.

Skeptics and supporters agreed on one thing: much work lies ahead.

“That’s science,” said Hugh Clarke, a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at McGill University. “Of course, dogma should be challenged, but we shouldn’t assume dogma has been overturned based on a single report.”

Carolyn Y. Johnson can be reached at cjohnson@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @carolynyjohnson.

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Massachusetts General researchers discover stem cell that makes eggs