Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Newswise UCLA stem cell researchers have found for the first time a surprising and unexpected plasticity in the embryonic endothelium, the place where blood stem cells are made in early development.

Scientists found that the lack of one transcription factor, a type of gene that controls cell fate by regulating other genes, allows the precursors that normally generate blood stem and progenitor cells in blood forming tissues to become something very unexpected - beating cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells.

The finding is important because it suggests that the endothelium can serve as a source of heart muscle cells. The finding may provide new understanding of how to make cardiac stem cells for use in regenerative medicine, said study senior author Dr. Hanna Mikkola, an associate professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology in Life Sciences and a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

It was absolutely unbelievable. These findings went beyond anything that we could have imagined, Mikkola said. The microenvironment in the embryonic vasculature that normally gives rise to blood cells can generate cardiac cells when only one factor, Scl, is removed, essentially converting a hematopoietic organ into a cardiogenic organ.

The two-year study is published Aug. 3, 2012 in the peer-reviewed journal Cell.

The findings were so surprising, in fact, that Mikkola and her team did not want to believe the results until all subsequent assays proved the finding to be true, said Amelie Montel-Hagen, study co-first author and a post-doctoral fellow.

To make sure we had not switched the samples between blood forming tissues and the heart we ran the experiments again and repeatedly got the same results, Montel-Hagen said. It turns out Scl acts as a conductor in the orchestra, telling the other genes in the endothelium who should be playing and who shouldnt be playing.

The team used microarray technology to determine which genes were playing in embryonic endothelium to generate blood stem and progenitor cells and found that in the absence of Scl, the genes required for making cardiomyocytes were activated instead, said study co-first author Ben Van Handel, a post-doctoral fellow.

The lone difference was that Scl was missing in the process that resulted in the fate switch between blood and heart.

Scl has a known role as a master regulator of blood development and when we removed it from the equation, no blood cells were made, Van Handel said. That the removal of Scl resulted in fully functional cardiomyocytes in blood forming tissues was unprecedented.

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Embryonic Blood Vessels that Make Blood Stem Cells can also Become Beating Heart Muscle Cells

OKLA. CITY Each time a significant breakthrough occurs in the field of human or veterinary medicine it is followed by great excitement in both endeavors. But no prior surge has produced the impact and optimism like that created with the moderately recent introduction to the world of stem cell research and therapy. And few new medical theories have been as controversial from the human standpoint.

The term stem cell probably means very little to the average layman, so let me start with a medical dictionary definition: Stem cells are one of a human or animal bodys master cells, with the ability to grow into any one of the bodys more than 200 cell types. They retain the ability to divide throughout life and give rise to cells that can become highly specialized and take the place of cells that die or are lost. Unlike mature cells, stem cells can both renew themselves as well as create new cells of whatever tissue they originally belong or to other tissue alike.

Their use in veterinary medicine the past four or five years has been exciting and dynamic. In the U.S., at least, veterinary medical advancement in this area has out-distanced that of the human field simply because veterinary surgeons and research workers are spared the ethical issues that hamstring their counterparts in human science. In human medicine embryonic stem cells are mainly sourced from the placenta and umbilical cord after birth in veterinary medicine they are harvested from the excess fatty tissue of the animal to be treated.

With the limitless possibilities for future multiple uses veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada have principally utilized this renewable natural source for the successful treatment of osteoporosis and orthopedic soft tissue injuries. In the U.S. alone it is estimated that more than eight million dogs suffer from some form of degenerative osteoarthritis. According to veterinarian Dr. Robert Harman, stem cell therapy rejuvenates joints, reduces pain and increases flexibility which enables the animal to do things it used to do. The treatment can change a dogs lifestyle.

Dr. Harman is the CEO and co-founder of Vet-Stem Inc., a laboratory that processes fatty tissue to separate stem cells for clinical introduction. Today, more than 2,400 veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada are certified to perform stem cell therapy.

This cutting-edge procedure is accomplished by first surgically removing about two tablespoons of the canine patients body fat, which is very rich in stem cells. This is sent to Vet-Stem where technicians utilize special centrifuges to extract the stem cells from the fatty tissue. Within 48 hours the cell concentrate is placed in ready-to-use syringes and shipped back to the veterinary surgeon who can then inject the cell-laden solution into the dogs injured area. There is little or no danger of rejection because these are the animals own cells. To date, 5,000 to 6,000 such procedures have been performed in the U.S. alone, and 80 percent have resulted in a favorable outcome. The cost, which includes anesthetic, harvesting fatty tissue, laboratory separation and preparation, shipping, injection, follow-up examinations and one year cell storage usually runs from $2,000 to $3,000.

Yep, thats a lot of money for the average family, but my initial thought here was that any dog that is lucky enough to belong to an owner willing to spend that type of money to make their pets life more tolerable is truly a winner in lifes lottery.

Most professionals who work in this new and exciting field feel that the possibilities are unlimited and that stem cells in general will rewrite the medical and veterinary textbooks in the next 10 to 20 years. Several pet insurance companies cover the procedure described above if the condition is not pre-existing or related to a congenital disorder.

DR. WILLIAM K. FAUKS is a retired Oklahoma City veterinarian. If you have any questions regarding the health of your pet, please write to Ask a Vet, at 3142 Venice Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73112, or email bfauks1@aol.com.

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Stem cell therapies helping dogs recover from injuries

July 27, 2012

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Stem cell research has made yet another stride, as one boy who received a trachea is showing a remarkable recovery.

Researchers writing in the journal The Lancet said the child who received a new windpipe built with his own stem cells is doing well and is back in school.

Ciaran Finn-Lynch was born with long-segment tracheal stenosis, which causes breathing difficulties. Due to his condition, his lungs collapsed on the day he was born, so he had to have major surgery to reconstruct his airways when he was just six days old.

In 2009, one of the metal tubes that were used to hold open his airways damaged the main blood vessel coming out of his heart.

Finn-Lynch had to undergo ground-breaking surgery at Londons Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2010. Doctors said that this procedure was the boys only option.

The doctors took a donor windpipe, and stripped it of all the donors cells. Stem cells were then taken from Ciarans bone marrow, and were sprayed onto the newly transplanted windpipe.

Tiny sections of lining from his original windpipe were patched on to the replacement. This prompted the stem cells to turn into the right kind of tissue and help start the growth of the windpipe lining.

He was also fitted with a biodegradable stent to help keep his airway open for the first six months while the windpipe began to grow back into place.

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Boy Still Doing Well After Receiving Stem Cell Windpipe Transplant

Public release date: 27-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cathy Lawhon clawhon@uci.edu 949-824-1151 University of California - Irvine

Irvine, Calif., July 26, 2012 Efforts to begin human clinical trials using stem cells to treat cervical spinal cord injury in the U.S. received a $20 million boost Thursday, July 26, from the state's stem cell research funding agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

The award will be shared by Aileen Anderson and Brian Cummings, associate professors of physical medicine & rehabilitation at UC Irvine's Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, and Nobuko Uchida of StemCells Inc. in Newark, Calif. Anderson and Cummings proved that transplanting human neural stem cells discovered and developed by Stem Cells, Inc. into rodents with thoracic spinal cord injury could restore mobility. The CIRM award announced Thursday will fund the collection of data necessary to establish human clinical trials in the U.S.

"Our therapeutic approach is based on the hypothesis that transplanted human neural stem cells integrate into the injured spinal cord to repair the protective myelin sheath and spinal circuitry," Anderson said. "Any therapy that can partially reverse some of the effects of spinal cord injury could substantially change the quality of life for patients by altering their dependence on assisted living and medical care."

CIRM's governing board on Thursday gave authorized $150 million for eight teams at five institutions statewide. The projects backed are considered critical to the institute's mission of translating basic stem cell discoveries into clinical cures.

"CIRM's support for UC Irvine's efforts to advance novel stem cell-based therapies for a variety of diseases is extremely gratifying," said Peter Donovan, director of the university's Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. "This latest award for spinal cord treatment holds great promise. We are delighted."

About 1.3 million Americans suffer chronically from spinal cord injuries. In California, nearly 147,000 individuals are living with such damage, which can severely impair the movement, sensation and autonomic function of otherwise healthy people. Recovery from spinal cord injury is often limited, even after aggressive emergency intervention with steroids and surgery, followed by rehabilitation.

"That's crushing for anyone," Anderson noted. "It's very tough for patients and their families. We believe stem cell therapies could provide significant functional recovery, improve quality of life and reduce the cost of care for those with spinal cord injury. That's our goal."

Anderson's and Cummings' laboratory has a long history of collaboration with StemCells Inc. in addressing spinal cord injury, including studies that led to the world's first clinical trial of a neural stem cell therapy for chronic spinal cord injury. This Phase I/II clinical trial, currently under way in Zurich, recently reported positive safety data from the first cohort of treated patients and continues to enroll subjects.

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State stem cell research funding agency awards $20 million to UCI, StemCells Inc.

UC Davis will receive grants totaling $53 million for stem cell research after a vote today by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine awarding the money.

The grants are a major milestone for the university, which had received $73 million in past funding from the agency.

"We're here to bring this new era of medicine to patients," UC Davis stem cell program director Jan Nolta said.

Nolta will oversee the three grant projects for Huntington's disease, limb ischemia and osteoporosis. UC Davis researchers said they are close to finding effective treatments for the diseases.

Neurologist Dr. Vicki Wheelock, who will head the Huntington's project, said the grants wouldn't have been possible without the advocacy of patients and their families.

"They really rallied to secure the funding," she said. "This will be for the families."

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UC Davis receives $53 million in grants for stem cell research

Top Stories

Surgeon uses adult stem cell therapy in spinal fusion clinical trial

The Argonaut Interview: Dr. Hyun Bae

By Gary Walker

Stem cell research remains a controversial topic throughout much of the nation, for religious as well as ethical reasons. Embryonic stem cells, which can differentiate into extraembryonic tissues and are derived from human embryos, are a particularly hot-button topic.

Scientists and researchers around the globe have been exploring the potential that adult regenerative stem cells could have on patients suffering from a variety of ailments, including spinal cord injuries, heart conditions and diabetes.

While stem cell research - especially clinic studies involving human embryos - remains highly politicized, Californians have shown their support for the controversial therapy. Voters approved a 2004 initiative that allocated $3 million toward human embryonic stem cell research.

Proposition 71 made California the largest state-funded scientific research initiative in the United States.

Three years ago, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that reversed President George W. Bushs earlier policy of prohibiting the use of federal tax dollars for embryonic stem cell research.

Unlike embryonic cells, the use of adult stem cells in research and therapy is much less controversial. Dr. Hyun Bae, a spine surgeon at Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, is the principal investigator in a clinical trial using adult stem cell technology. The hospital is one of only eight sites nationwide that have been chosen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the studies.

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Surgeon uses adult stem cell therapy in spinal fusion clinical trial

A WORLD-RENOWNED Australian stem cell expert says it's crucial that any potential cures using the technology are available globally, particularly in developing countries.

Professor Alan Trounson heads the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which is advancing towards a cure for conditions including HIV and diabetes.

Prof Trounson, the former director of Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories in Melbourne, said the research institute's work towards a HIV cure was about to enter human trials.

He said if the trials were successful further research would be needed to modify the technology so it could be affordably used where it is needed most, in Africa.

"I want the HIV work to go globally because it shouldn't be restricted to patients in Western (countries)," Prof Trounson told AAP.

"We're going to have to modify some of that further research to get it into a suitable treatment that we can use in Africa.

"I'm very hopeful that the industry will do that.

"We have to try and make these as available to people as possible."

Prof Trounson said the HIV research uses blood stem cells to mimic a gene mutation found in a small proportion of the population who are immune to the virus.

The approach is based on the case of an American, known as the Berlin patient, who was cured of HIV after receiving a life-saving bone marrow transplant to treat leukaemia from a donor who carried the HIV-immune mutation.

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Stem cell cures bring challenges

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/t2whtl/stem_cell_research) has announced the addition of the "Stem Cell Research in India 2012" report to their offering.

The stem cell research in India is in its nascent stage and is gradually on a growth path of acceptance by people. The market is still in a phase of conducting research to establish itself as one of the best therapies for the widely prevalent incurable lifestyle diseases. Awareness campaigns and doctors are playing a key role educating people and especially would-be parents about the benefits associated with preserving stem cells.

The report begins with the introduction section which offers a brief insight of the concept of stem cell therapy and banking, the conventional sources of stem cells and the current and future therapeutic solutions for the most risky diseases. It then moves to the market overview section which provides an insight of the Indian stem cell therapy market, with highlight on the market size and growth. It also covers the market size and growth prospect of the stem cell banking market in India. In addition to these, the report gives a snapshot of the current and expected stem cell banking customers.

An analysis of the drivers explains the factors for growth of the industry that include favourable regulatory environment, high patient population, stem cell application in drug development, rising consumer awareness, a rise in medical tourism and an increase in research and development expenditure to ensure stem cell therapy as a viable treatment for the numerous diseases. The key challenges include high cost of therapy, capital intensive market and high development costs of stem cell resulting in slow progress of the market.

Companies Mentioned

- Cyrobanks International India Private Limited

- LifeCell International Private Limited

- Pathcare Labs (P) Limited

- Reliance Life Sciences Private Limited

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Research and Markets: Stem Cell Research in India 2012

A postdoctoral research fellow at Emory University falsifies stem cell research data.

By Cristina Luiggi | July 9, 2012

Istockphoto

A former postdoc in the Department of Medicine at Emory University was found guilty of falsifying data presented at national and laboratory meetings, in ongoing and pending National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, and in manuscripts submitted to five high-profile journals, according to a report by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI)published last Friday (July 6).

Sinae Kim, who joined the lab of Emory stem cell biologist Young-sup Yoon in 2008 after a 1-year stint as a postdoc at a university in Seoul, Korea, fudged immunocytochemistry images and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results by using data she had obtained from her previous human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research in Korea to confirm the generation, differentiation, and verification of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the reported stated.

Among her transgressions, Kim shared mouse and human iPSC cell lines with some of her lab mates that had supposedly been generated from the peripheral blood of coronary artery disease patients, when in fact she knew they were of other origin, the report stated.

The falsified data affect 3 funded NIH grants, 5 NIH grant applications, 5 manuscripts submitted to Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Biotechnology, Science, and Blood, and other documents.

By Ed Yong

Opinion is divided on a new paper showing that adult ovaries do not contain egg-making stem cells, contrary to the findings of two recent studies that themselves appeared to overturn longstanding dogma.

By Jef Akst

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Stem Cell Trickery

LABELLE, Fla.- Two-year old Madeline Conner was born with the inability to hear. But new advances in medical science could offer hope in the form of a stem cell research study.

"I really wanted her in it. It was our one shot," said her mother, Stephanie Conner.

Conner heard about a new FDA-approved stem cell study for hearing loss. She knew right away her little girl was the perfect candidate.

"It's a group of ten kids and she's the first one and the only one so far," she said.

The trial is a collaboration between Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston and the California-based Cord Blood Registry. "This is the first study FDA regulated looking at the safety and benefit of cord blood stem cells for treatment of acquired sensorineural hearing loss. Which is loss that has to do with the damage of the inner ear and nerve fibers that go to the brain," said Principal Investigator, Dr. Fakhri.

Stem cells, saved from Madeline's own umbilical cord, were injected into her arm.

"We expect that it will be safe. You are using your own blood stem cells as if it was your own transfusion," stated Dr. Fakhri. "It was actually a one-time treatment, just one infusion. Then we keep going, We go four times total, just so they can check her and compare all the testing they did before hand to see if there has been any improvement," said her mom.

In theory, the treatment will adjust Madeline's immune system and will help her body repair itself. In reality, researchers say they have no idea if it will work.

"We've definitely seen a lot of improvement. It's hard to say if it's 100 percent because of this or that. It's just our observation," said Madeline's parents.

"We can not expect what the results will be, but potentially it can repair and restore normal hearing," Fakhri said.

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New FDA-approved stem cell study gives hope to family