Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Oct. 10, 2012 -- New research suggests that stem cell transplants to treat certain brain and nervous systemdiseases such as multiple sclerosis may be moving closer to reality.

One study found that experimental stem cell transplants are safe and possibly effective in children with a rare genetic brain disease. Another study in mice showed that these cells are capable of transforming into, and functioning as, the healthy cell type. The stem cells used in the two studies were developed by study sponsor StemCells, Inc.

Both papers appear online in Science Translational Research.

The work, while still in its infancy, may have far-reaching implications for the treatment of many more common diseases that affect the brain and nervous system.

Researchers out of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), looked at the how neural stem cells behaved when transplanted into the brains of four young children with an early-onset, fatal form of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD).

PMD is a very rare genetic disorder in which brain cells called oligodendrocytes cant make myelin.Myelin is a fatty substance that insulates the nerve fibers of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves (central nervous system), and is essential for transmission of nerve signals so that the nervous system can function properly.

In multiple sclerosis, the myelin surrounding the nerve is targeted and damaged by the bodys immune system.

The new study found that the neural stem cell transplants were safe. Whats more, brain scans showed that the implanted cells seem to be doing what is expected of them -- i.e. making myelin.

Researchers compared treated areas of participants' brains with untreated areas. "The study goes beyond safety and we see some effects in the transplanted region that are consistent with the appearance of myelin, at one year, says study author David H. Rowitch, MD, PhD. It is not definitive, but it is suggestive. He is a professor of pediatrics and neurological surgery at UCSF, and is the chief of neonatology at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital.

PMD is rare, but other diseases that affect the myelin, such as MS, are more common.

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Stem Cell Transplants May Show Promise for Multiple Sclerosis

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Kyoto University Professor Shinya Yamanaka (left) and John Gurdon of the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, England, at a symposium on induced pluripotent stem cells in Tokyo in April 2008

In a testament to the revolutionary potential of the field of regenerative medicine, in which scientists are able to create and replace any cells that are at fault in disease, the Nobel Prize committee on Monday awarded the 2012 Nobel in Physiology or Medicine to two researchers whose discoveries have made such cellular alchemy possible.

The prize went to John B. Gurdon of the University of Cambridge in England, who was among the first to clone an animal, a frog, in 1962, and to Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University in Japan who in 2006 discovered the four genes necessary to reprogram an adult cell back to an embryonic state.

Sir John Gurdon, who is now a professor at an institute that bears his name, earned the ridicule of many colleagues back in the 1960s when he set out on a series of experiments to show that the development of cells could be reversed. At the time, biologists knew that all cells in an embryo had the potential to become any cell in the body, but they believed that once a developmental path was set for each cell toward becoming part of the brain, or a nerve or muscle it could not be returned to its embryonic state. The thinking was that as a cell developed, it would either shed or silence the genes it no longer used, so that it would be impossible for a cell from an adult animal, for example, to return to its embryonic state and make other cells.

(MORE: Stem Cell Miracle? New Therapies May Cure Chronic Conditions Like Alzheimers)

Working with frogs, Gurdon proved his critics wrong, showing that some reprogramming could occur. Gurdon took the DNA from a mature frogs gut cell and inserted it into an egg cell. The resulting egg, when fertilized, developed into a normal tadpole, a strong indication that the genes of the gut cell were amenable to reprogramming; they had the ability to function as more than just an intestinal cell, and could give rise to any of the cells needed to create an entirely new frog.

Just as Gurdon was facing his critics in England, a young boy was born in Osaka, Japan, who would eventually take Gurdons finding to unthinkable extremes. Initially, Shinya Yamanaka would follow his fathers wishes and become an orthopedic surgeon, but he found himself ill-suited to the surgeons life. Intrigued more by the behind-the-scenes biological processes that make the body work, he found himself drawn to basic research, and began his career by trying to find a way to lower cholesterol production. That work also wasnt successful, but it drew him to the challenge of understanding what makes cells divide, proliferate and develop in specific ways.

In 2006, while at Kyoto University, Yamanaka stunned scientists by announcing he had successfully achieved what Gurdon had with the frog cells, but without using eggs at all. Yamanaka mixed four genes in with skin cells from adult mice and turned those cells back to an embryo-like state, essentially erasing their development and turning back their clock. The four genes reactivated other genes that are prolific in the early embryo, and turned off those that directed the cells to behave like skin.

(MORE: Ovary Stem Cells Can Produce New Human Eggs)

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Stem Cell Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine

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RAW VIDEO: British and Japanese scientists wins Nobel prize for medicine for stem cell research.

TOKYO: Shinya Yamanaka could have made bits of sewing machines for a living. Instead, his tinkering with the building blocks of life has made him a Nobel prize winner.

Born in 1962 at the start of Japan's manufacturing boom, Professor Yamanaka was the only son of a factory owner who produced parts for sewing machines. But even as the country's industries expanded in the 1970s, his father told him he should not take over the family business and instead become a doctor. He is now a leading authority on how cells work.

Professor Yamanaka and his fellow Nobel prize-winner, the Briton Sir John Gurdon, were being celebrated last night for their work on how cells can be reprogrammed.

Shinya Yamanaka. Photo: AP

''Nuclear reprogramming'' uses an adult cell to create a stem cell - a kind of blank slate that has the potential to become any other kind of cell in the body.

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Scientists say in this way they can generate materials either to experiment on, or to use within the body - perhaps as a means of repairing or even replacing damaged or diseased organs.

''Their findings have revolutionised our understanding of how cells and organisms develop,'' the Nobel jury declared.

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Groundbreaking stem cell research secures Nobel prize for duo

Two scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for their discovery and work with stem cells cells that can be programmed to develop into different types of cells that can serve different functions in the body.

Stem cells place in research particularly human embryonic stem cells have been a topic of political debate since their discovery in 1962 by one of the winners of the Prize, British scientist John Gurdon.

The second part of the prize was awarded to Shinya Yamanaka, who with his graduate student showed that a stem cell could be created from an already-specialized cell that can be changed to perform with functions other than their original meaning that embryos are not necessarily needed.

But stem cell discoveries should be lauded for their advancement of science and medicine, instead of being used for political gain or intertwined with religious rulings, as is inevitable during each election season, and thanks to these recent discoveries that dont require embryonic stem cells, hopefully the merit of these cells can stand alone.

The topic has been mostly muted at the national level save for a few debates between Senate candidates in Connecticut last weekend but the latest Nobel Prize should bring to light recent research that has shown there are ways to obtain stem cells other than from fetuses, restoring trust in ongoing research to find new ways to create and utilize the cells.

Though research funded by the National Institutes of Health already cannot use stem cells derived from human embryos, unless the cells have been provided by a private entity that is not funded with government money, as enacted by an executive order after President Barack Obama entered office, the new discovery keeps politics out of science and U.S. scientists can remain on par with those in other nations, continuing their work to find medical solutions to diseases such as Alzheimers and cancer.

According to the Huffington Post, since Obamas order, stem cell research has fueled work including restoring hearing loss, certain types of blindness and regenerating spine nerve cells.

With talk likely to flare up after this prizes announcement, it is important to keep in mind the medical advances instead of the political or moral judgments that can be made when stem cell studies are allowed.

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Stem cell research and politics must be separated

NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Today, The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) will award a Japanese scientist with the NYSCF Robertson Prize for his extraordinary achievements in translational stem cell research.

This award will go to Kazutoshi Takahashi, PhD, Lecturer, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) at Kyoto University, for his vital contribution to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell derivation.

Dr. Takahashi was lead author on a series of landmark papers that described reprogramming adult cells into iPS cells, which were published while he was a postdoctoral researcher in Shinya Yamanaka's, MD, PhD, laboratory at Kyoto University.

Yesterday, judges in Stockholm announced that Dr. Yamanaka and Sir John Gurdon, DPhil, the Gurdon Institute, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their stem cell research breakthroughs. Both scientists demonstrated that adult cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent cells, cells that can become any cell type in the body.

The NYSCF Robertson prize will be presented at a ceremony in New York City by Susan L. Solomon, CEO of The New York Stem Cell Foundation, and Professor Peter J. Coffey, DPhil, the inaugural recipient of the NYSCF Robertson Prize in 2011, Executive Director of Translation at UC Santa Barbara's Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering, and Director of the London Project to Cure Blindness, University College London.

"Dr. Takahashi's path-breaking work truly has opened up the entire field of stem cell research," said Ms. Solomon. "In addition to his derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells, he focuses on improving this technique and other critical translational studies."

Dr. Takahashi's research group at Kyoto University was established in 2010 to focus on two areas of cellular reprogramming. Their first area of investigation is in the process of cellular reprogramming and the second area is evaluating iPS cell quality and differentiation potential.

"I congratulate Dr. Takahashi for his groundbreaking work, opening new avenues in the search for cures," said Julian H. Robertson, Jr. "The NYSCF Robertson Stem Cell Prize was created to recognize and support the work of young scientists like Dr. Takahashi, whose research offers enormous potential."

The jury that selected Dr. Takahashi in September consisted of Christine Mummery, PhD, Chair of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands; Lorenz Studer, MD, Director of the Sloan-Kettering Center for Stem Cell Biology; Irving Weissman, MD, Director of the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine; and, Peter J. Coffey, DPhil.

The NYSCF Robertson prize is awarded annually to a young scientist in recognition of innovative and groundbreaking achievement, or body of work, that has significantly advanced human stem cell research toward clinical application. The terms of the prize require that the $200,000 stipend be used, at the recipients' discretion, to further support their research.

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Pioneering iPS Cell Scientist Kazutoshi Takahashi Receives NYSCF - Robertson Prize in Stem Cell Research

CARLSBAD, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 9, 2012) - International Stem Cell Corporation ( OTCQB : ISCO ) (www.internationalstemcell.com) ("ISCO" or "the Company"), a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products, congratulates Sir John Gurdon and Dr. Shinya Yamanaka on the recently announced Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering cellular reprogramming to create pluripotent stem cells.These discoveries lead to the development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) which is now a major area of research.However, currently cellular reprogramming is accomplished by inserting genetic material, via a virus or otherwise, which raises serious safety concerns when developing treatments.ISCO has developed a technology that potentially allows for the creation of a new generation of iPS cells without these safety concerns.Unlike methods requiring the use of viruses or DNA constructs that may integrate into the genome, ISCO's new method utilizes only proteins which are naturally eliminated once they have served their purpose.

Dr. Ruslan Semechkin, Vice President and head of ISCO's Research and Development comments, "Overall, our new technology represents a level of control that is much finer than the multiple infections necessary for viral-based systems which cannot be turned off and where the dosage level cannot be modulated.Moreover, ISCO's method can be used not only to reprogram somatic cells to become stem cells, but also transform stem cells into somatic cells.This technology provides an alternative to the existing cellular reprogramming methods and represents an enormous opportunity for ISCO to become a leader in the iPS field."

About International Stem Cell Corporation

International Stem Cell Corporation is focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products.ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs) hence avoiding ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos.ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenetic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells for hundreds of millions of individuals of differing genders, ages and racial background with minimal immune rejection after transplantation. hpSCs offer the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology (www.lifelinecelltech.com), and stem cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care (www.lifelineskincare.com). More information is available at http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

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International Stem Cell Corp Discusses Its New Cellular Reprogramming Technology in View of the Recent Award of the ...

08-10-2012 10:32 British scientist Sir John Gurdon, along with Shinya Yamanaka from Japan, have jointly been awarded the Nobel prize for medicine for their work on stem cell research. Their research has uncovered a way to transform adult cells to an embryonic-like stage, that could lead in the future to damaged body tissue being able to be regrown. Gurdon held a news conference in London to discuss the research he has been working on for over 50 years. "In the 1950's we really didn't know whether all your different cells had the same genes or they don't and that was the purpose of the experiments I was doing. And the outcome was that they do. So that means that in principle you should be able to derive any one kind of cell from another, because they have all got the same genes, that was I think the contribution I made at that time," he said. Gurdon also joked that at school he was told by his teachers to stop studying science. He said, "I was at a school where you did no science until the age of 15, and then I did one term of science and then the schoolmaster wrote the report, the details of which I can't quite remember, but the main gist of it was that he had heard that Gurdon was interested in doing science and that this was a completely ridiculous idea, because there was no hope whatever of my doing science and anytime spent on it would be a total waste of time, both on my part and the part of the person having to teach him. So that completely terminated my science at school." Gurdon ...

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British scientist wins Nobel Prize for Stem Cell work - Video

04-10-2012 14:05 What is a stem cell? How are they made? How does The Parkinson's Institute use them to push towards a cure for Parkinson's disease? We are pleased to share with you the work of The Schuele and Nichols Laboratories at The Parkinson's Institute. Drs. Schuele and Nichols answer these questions, talk about their laboratory work and share how it's making a difference in the PD world. To learn more about the Schuele or Nichols lab, visit our website at http://www.thepi.org.

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Stem Cell Research at The Parkinson's Institute - Video

Two scientists who each made a major discovery four decades apart share the science world's prestigious award

On Monday, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to two biologists for their breakthroughs in the field of stem-cell research two discoveries that happened 44 years apart. The honors go to Britain's Sir John B. Gurdon and Japan's Shinya Yamanaka for their pioneering work with the life-shaping cells, which can be reprogrammed to create any kind of tissue in the body. Here, a concise guide to Gurdon and Yamanaka's contributions to the field of medicine:

What were they awarded the prize for? Both discoveries "concern the manipulation of living cells," says Nicholas Wade at The New York Times, which lies "at the heart of the techniques for cloning animals" and curing a wide variety of diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The "primitive cells" are incredibly malleable, and can be programmed to mature into other tissues, including skin, vital organs, and more.

Where do stem cells typically come from? Embryonic stem cells are usually taken from early-stage human embryos, with the embryos being destroyed in the process. That's why stem-cell research is fraught with religious and moral issues, with critics often arguing that scientists are overstepping their boundaries by manipulating stem cells. The next generation of researchers, building upon the body of work started by Gurdon and Yamanaka, are looking into new techniques that sidestep ethical considerations by taking stem cells from other sources.

Specifically, what kind of work did Dr. Gurdon do? In 1962, the year Yamanaka was born,Gurdon demonstrated that the DNA in frog tissue could be used to generate a fresh batch of tadpoles, says Karl Ritterlouise Nordstrom of The Associated Press. Gurdon's technique involved extracting the frog's chromosomes from an adult intestinal cell and injecting it into an empty frog egg, which was able to "reprogram" the new nucleus to switch its directive over to tadpole-making.At first his work was "greeted with skepticism,"says theTimes' Wade, because it "contradicted the textbook dogma" that mature cells are irrevocably set in their specific functions. The process itself was little understood, and it wasn't until more than four decades later in Dr. Yamanaka's labs that the reason behind this reprogramming was finally revealed.

And what did Dr. Yamanakafind? In 2006, Dr. Yamanaka's research showed that four specific genes control the agents in the egg. Using mice, Yamanaka discovered that mature skin cells could be reprogrammed to become any other kind of cell, which he called inducted pluripotent stem cells (iPS) basically the equivalent of embryonic stem cells. iPS cells can be taken from adult nerve, heart, or liver cells, and unlike their embryonic cousins, could be taken without destroying human embryos.

What do the scientists getfor their discoveries? Gurdon, 79, and Yamanaka, 50, will share the$1.2 million prize for their work, which the Nobel committee says has "revolutionized our understanding of how cells and organisms develop." In an interview,Dr. Yamanaka said,"My goal, all my life, is to bring this technology... to the bedside, to patients, to clinics." When asked if he planned to celebrate, Dr. Gurdon said he was invited to drinks at 6 o'clock. "I intend to attend those drinks," he dryly told the AP.

Sources: AFP, The Associated Press, LiveScience, The New York Times

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The stem-cell breakthroughs that won the Nobel Prize: A guide

Not a lot has been said about embryonic stem-cell research in this presidential campaign, in stark contrast to previous years when this issue stood prominently with marriage equality in the culture wars of politics. President Obama supports taxpayer-funded embryonic stem-cell research. GOP nominee Mitt Romney opposes it. Here's a nuanced account of Romney's position.

But the issue is certain to come up now that the 2012 Nobel Prize in medicine is going to John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka for their groundbreaking discovery that cells in the body can be reprogrammed and customized for treatments of diseases, including Parkinson's and diabetes.

The political gamechanger is that the work of the British researcher and the Japanese scientist paved the way to making the equivalent of embryonic stem cells without using actual embryonic cells. The discovery sidesteps the ethical and political questions that have plagued researchers and Congress. Embryos are destroyed when stem cells are extracted from them. That extraction is considered by those who oppose abortion rights to be tantamount to taking a life. On those grounds they oppose embryonic stem-cell research. I disagree with that viewpoint because a) I'm pro-choice and support a woman's right to prevent conception or terminate it and b) stem-cell researchers rely on discarded embryonic stem cells from fertility clinics. Those embryos were not going to create life.

This Seattle Times editorial and this one urged then-President George W. Bush to loosen restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research. President Obama resumed federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research.

In addition to a great leap for stem-cell research, I find the two men's lives to offer a poignant narrative about scientific research's long arc. Gurdon, 79, had been best known for his 1962 discovery that DNA from specialized cells of frogs, like skin or intestinal cells, could create new tadpoles. That discovery cemented DNA's ability to drive the formation of all cells of the body. And that same year, Yamanaka was born. He is now 50.

The cells research that 50 years ago did not seem to have medical value, does now. Congratulations to two men, a generation apart but united in their determination to uncover the huge potential of stem cells.

AP Photo/Kyodo News 2008

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Nobel Prize could ease the politics of embryonic stem cell research