Category Archives: Stem Cell Videos

29 May 2012 Last updated at 06:31 ET

An umbilical cord donor centre which will harvest stems cells to treat people with leukaemia is being set up at a Birmingham hospital.

The Anthony Nolan charity will run the centre at Birmingham Women's Hospital.

The charity said it had already recruited a supervising midwife for the centre and that the collectors would be in place within a month.

The centre, the first of its kind in the West Midlands, is expected to open in September.

Guy Parkes, from the Anthony Nolan charity, said a collection unit at a hospital cost more than 200,000 a year to run.

He said: "Instead of being incinerated, which is what usually happens, the cord is passed to one of our collectors who extracts the blood and that is sent to our centre in Nottingham where the stem cells are extracted."

The harvested stem cells have to be frozen to minus 180C for storage.

One in every 100 umbilical cords saved will be used to transplant stem cells, according to Mr Parkes.

A Worcestershire mother is raising money for the centre, after her son, who has leukaemia, was treated with stem cells from the US.

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Umbilical cord donor unit to open

ScienceDaily (May 29, 2012) Researchers from South Korea, Sweden, and the United States have collaborated on a project to restore neuron function to parts of the brain damaged by Huntington's disease (HD) by successfully transplanting HD-induced pluripotent stem cells into animal models.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be genetically engineered from human somatic cells such as skin, and can be used to model numerous human diseases. They may also serve as sources of transplantable cells that can be used in novel cell therapies. In the latter case, the patient provides a sample of his or her own skin to the laboratory.

In the current study, experimental animals with damage to a deep brain structure called the striatum (an experimental model of HD) exhibited significant behavioral recovery after receiving transplanted iPS cells. The researchers hope that this approach eventually could be tested in patients for the treatment of HD.

"The unique features of the iPSC approach means that the transplanted cells will be genetically identical to the patient and therefore no medications that dampen the immune system to prevent graft rejection will be needed," said Jihwan Song, D.Phil. Associate Professor and Director of Laboratory of Developmental & Stem Cell Biology at CHA Stem Cell Institute, CHA University, Seoul, South Korea and co-author of the study.

The study, published online this week in Stem Cells, found that transplanted iPSCs initially formed neurons producing GABA, the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, which plays a critical role in regulating neuronal excitability and acts at inhibitory synapses in the brain. GABAergic neurons, located in the striatum, are the cell type most susceptible to degeneration in HD.

Another key point in the study involves the new disease models for HD presented by this method, allowing researchers to study the underlying disease process in detail. Being able to control disease development from such an early stage, using iPS cells, may provide important clues about the very start of disease development in HD. An animal model that closely imitates the real conditions of HD also opens up new and improved opportunities for drug screening.

"Having created a model that mimics HD progression from the initial stages of the disease provides us with a unique experimental platform to study Huntington's disease pathology" said Patrik Brundin, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Science at Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), Head of the Neuronal Survival Unit at Lund University, Sweden, and co-author of the study.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and psychiatric problems. It typically becomes noticeable in mid-adult life, with symptoms beginning between 35 and 44 years of age. Life expectancy following onset of visual symptoms is about 20 years. The worldwide prevalence of HD is 5-10 cases per 100,000 persons. Key to the disease process is the formation of specific protein aggregates (essentially abnormal clumps) inside some neurons.

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Neuron function restored in brains damaged by Huntington's disease

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

Verastem, Inc., (VSTM) a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat breast and other cancers by targeting cancer stem cells, announced the presentation of preclinical data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting being held June 1 through June 5, 2012, in Chicago, IL.

Verastem will present data on novel biomarkers that may enable improved discrimination of cancer stem cells from other cancer cells and normal tissue. Verastem will describe the use of multiple methodologies, including RNA signatures and alternative splicing biomarkers, to detect cancer stem cells. These biomarkers identified Triple Negative Breast Cancer tumors that were likely to recur following standard chemotherapy. Resistance to standard treatment is one of the defining characteristics of cancer stem cells.

Verastem is developing diagnostics to identify patients whose tumors have a high percentage of cancer stem cells. These diagnostics may also be used to monitor a patients response to treatment.

The schedule for the Verastem poster presentation is as follows:

Date & Time: Saturday June 2, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM (CDT) Poster Title: Use of gene expression and alternative splicing signatures to discriminate breast cancer stem cells from fibroblasts Abstract Number: 1057 Location: McCormick Place South (Hall A2) Session: Breast Cancer - Triple-negative/Cytotoxics/Local Therapy

About Verastem, Inc.

Verastem, Inc. (VSTM) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat breast and other cancers by targeting cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are an underlying cause of tumor recurrence and metastasis. Verastem is translating discoveries in cancer stem cell research into new medicines for the treatment of major cancers such as breast cancer. For more information please visit http://www.verastem.com.

Forward-looking statements:

Any statements in this press release about our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future expectations and plans and prospects for the Company, and other statements containing the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, intend, may, plan, predict, project, target, potential, will, would, could, should, continue, and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements about the identification of potential biomarkers for use in patient selection and evaluation of therapeutic response. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as result of various important factors, including the unproven nature of our approach to the discovery and development of product candidates that target cancer stem cells, our reliance on our proprietary compound screening technology for drug discovery, our strategy to acquire or in-license additional compounds and product candidates and the uncertainties inherent in preclinical testing and clinical trials, among other factors discussed in the Risk Factors section of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2012, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Companys views only as of the date hereof. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Companys views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Companys views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.

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Verastem to Present Scientific Data at the 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., May 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adipose stem cells (ACSs)--stem cells derived from fat--are a promising source of cells for use in plastic surgery and regenerative medicine, according to a special review in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery(R), the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

But much more research is needed to establish the safety and effectiveness of any type of ASC therapy in human patients, according to the article by ASPS Member Surgeon Rod Rohrich, MD of University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, and colleagues. Dr. Rohrich is Editor-in-Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Adipose Stem Cells--Exciting Possibilities, but Proceed with Caution

The authors present an up-to-date review of research on the science and clinical uses of ASCs. Relatively easily derived from human fat, ASCs are "multipotent" cells that can be induced to develop into other kinds of cells--not only fat cells, but also bone, cartilage and muscle cells.

Adipose stem cells promote the development of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and seem to represent an "immune privileged" set of cells that blocks inflammation. "Clinicians and patients alike have high expectations that ASCs may well be the answer to curing many recalcitrant diseases or to reconstruct anatomical defects," according to Dr. Rohrich and co-authors.

However, even as the number of studies using ASCs increases, there is continued concern about their "true clinical potential." The reviewers write, "For example, there are questions related to isolation and purification of ASCs, their effect on tumor growth, and the enforcement of FDA regulations."

Dr. Rohrich and co-authors performed an in-depth review to identify all known clinical trials of ASCs. So far, most studies have been performed in Europe and Korea; reflecting stringent FDA regulations, only three ASC studies have been performed in the United States to date.

Many Different Uses, But Little Experience So Far

Most ASC clinical trials to date have been performed in plastic surgery--a field with "unique privileged access to adipose tissues." Plastic surgeon-researchers have used ASCs for several types of soft tissue augmentation, such as breast augmentation (including after implant removal) and regeneration of fat in patients with abnormal fat loss (lipodystrophy). Studies exploring the use of ASCs to promote healing of difficult wounds have been reported as well. They have also been used as a method of soft tissue engineering or tissue regeneration, with inconclusive results.

In other specialties, ASCs have been studied for use in treating certain blood and immunologic disorders, heart and vascular problems, and fistulas. Some studies have explored the use of ASCs for generating new bone for use in reconstructive surgery. A few studies have reported promising preliminary results in the treatment of diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury. No serious adverse events related to ASCs were reported in either group of studies.

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Fat-Derived Stem Cells Show Promise for Regenerative Medicine, Says Review in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery(R)

Public release date: 29-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Tim Hawkins Tim.Hawkins@vai.org 616-234-5519 Van Andel Research Institute

Grand Rapids, Mich. (May 29, 2012) Researchers from South Korea, Sweden, and the United States have collaborated on a project to restore neuron function to parts of the brain damaged by Huntington's disease (HD) by successfully transplanting HD-induced pluripotent stem cells into animal models.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be genetically engineered from human somatic cells such as skin, and can be used to model numerous human diseases. They may also serve as sources of transplantable cells that can be used in novel cell therapies. In the latter case, the patient provides a sample of his or her own skin to the laboratory.

In the current study, experimental animals with damage to a deep brain structure called the striatum (an experimental model of HD) exhibited significant behavioral recovery after receiving transplanted iPS cells. The researchers hope that this approach eventually could be tested in patients for the treatment of HD.

"The unique features of the iPSC approach means that the transplanted cells will be genetically identical to the patient and therefore no medications that dampen the immune system to prevent graft rejection will be needed," said Jihwan Song, D.Phil. Associate Professor and Director of Laboratory of Developmental & Stem Cell Biology at CHA Stem Cell Institute, CHA University, Seoul, South Korea and co-author of the study.

The study, published online this week in Stem Cells, found that transplanted iPSCs initially formed neurons producing GABA, the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, which plays a critical role in regulating neuronal excitability and acts at inhibitory synapses in the brain. GABAergic neurons, located in the striatum, are the cell type most susceptible to degeneration in HD.

Another key point in the study involves the new disease models for HD presented by this method, allowing researchers to study the underlying disease process in detail. Being able to control disease development from such an early stage, using iPS cells, may provide important clues about the very start of disease development in HD. An animal model that closely imitates the real conditions of HD also opens up new and improved opportunities for drug screening.

"Having created a model that mimics HD progression from the initial stages of the disease provides us with a unique experimental platform to study Huntington's disease pathology" said Patrik Brundin, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Science at Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), Head of the Neuronal Survival Unit at Lund University, Sweden, and co-author of the study.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and psychiatric problems. It typically becomes noticeable in mid-adult life, with symptoms beginning between 35 and 44 years of age. Life expectancy following onset of visual symptoms is about 20 years. The worldwide prevalence of HD is 5-10 cases per 100,000 persons. Key to the disease process is the formation of specific protein aggregates (essentially abnormal clumps) inside some neurons.

Excerpt from:
Researchers restore neuron function to brains damaged by Huntington's disease

SAN DIEGO, May 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. announced today that its strategic partner in Mexico, Grupo Angeles Health Services, has received approval from Mexico's regulatory agency, COFEPRIS, for a Phase I/II single-blind randomized clinical trial for chronic heart failure. COFEPRIS is the Mexican equivalent of the United States FDA. The clinical trial, to be conducted at multiple hospital sites throughout Mexico, will utilize Stemedica's adult allogeneic ischemia tolerant mesenchymal stem cells (itMSC) delivered via intravenous infusion. The trial will involve three safety cohorts at different dosages, followed by a larger group being treated with the maximum safe dosage. The COFEPRIS approval is the second approval for the use of Stemedica's itMSCs. COFEPRIS approved Stemedica's itMSCs in 2010 for a clinical trial for ischemic stroke. These two trials are the only allogeneic stem cell studies approved by COFEPRIS.

Grupo Angeles is a Mexican company that is 100% integrated into the national healthcare development effort. The company is comprised of 24 state-of-the-art hospitals totaling more than 2,000 beds and 200 operating rooms. Eleven thousand Groupo Angeles physicians annually treat nearly five million patients a year. Of these, more than two million are seen as in-patients. In just over two decades, Groupo Angeles has radically transformed the practice of private medicine in Mexico and contributed decisively to reform in the country's health system. Grupo Angeles hospitals conduct an estimated 100 clinical trials annually, primarily with major global pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

"We are pleased that we will be working with the largest and most prestigious private medical institution in Mexico to study Stemedica's product for this indication. If successful, our stem cells may provide a treatment option for the millions of patients, both in Mexico and internationally, who suffer from this condition," said Maynard Howe, PhD, CEO of Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc.

Roberto Simon, MD, CEO of Grupo Angeles Health Services, noted, "We are proud to be the first organization to bring regulatory-approved allogeneic stem cell treatment to the people of Mexico. We envision that this type of treatment may well become a standard for improving cardiac status for chronic heart failure patients and are pleased to be partnering with Stemedica, one of the leading companies in the field of regenerative medicine."

Nikolai Tankovich, MD, PhD, President and Chief Medical Officer of Stemedica commented, "For the more than five million North Americans who suffer from chronic heart failure, this is an important trial. Our ischemia tolerant mesenchymal stem cells hold the potential to improve ejection fraction--the amount of blood pumped with each heart beat--and therefore, dramatically improve quality of life."

For more information about Stemedica please contact Dave McGuigan at dmcguigan(at)stemedica(dot)com. For more information about Grupo Angeles and the chronic heart failure trial please contact Paulo Yberri at pyberri(at)angelesehealth(dot)com.

About Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc.(http://www.stemedica.com) is a specialty bio-pharmaceutical company committed to the manufacturing and development of best-in-class allogeneic adult stem cells and stem cell factors for use by approved research institutions and hospitals for pre-clinical and clinical (human) trials. The company is a government licensed manufacturer of clinical grade stem cells and is approved by the FDA for its clinical trials for ischemic stroke. Stemedica is currently developing regulatory pathways for a number of medical indications using adult allogeneic stem cells. The Company is headquartered in San Diego, California.

This article was originally distributed on PRWeb. For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.prweb.com/releases/stemedica-clinical-trial/chronic-heart-failure/prweb9550806.htm

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Stemedica Stem Cells Approved for Clinical Trials in Mexico for Chronic Heart Failure

DALLAS, May 29 (UPI) -- Stem cells derived from fat may be a promising source of cells for use in plastic surgery and regenerative medicine, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Rod Rohrich of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas said adipose stem cells are "multipotent" cells that can be induced to develop into other kinds of cells -- not only fat cells, but also bone, cartilage and muscle cells.

Adipose stem cells -- relatively easily derived from human fat -- promote the development of new blood vessels and seem to represent an "immune privileged" set of cells that blocks inflammation, Rohrich said.

"Clinicians and patients alike have high expectations that adipose stem cells might well be the answer to curing many recalcitrant diseases or to reconstruct anatomical defects," Rohrich said in a statement.

Rohrich and co-authors conducted an in-depth review to identify all known clinical trials of adipose stem cells, but most studies have been performed in Europe and South Korea. Only three adipose stem cells studies were performed in the United States due to stringent U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations, Rohrich said.

Although many of the results were encouraging, the reviewers emphasize that all of these applications are in their infancy and worldwide round the world, fewer than 300 patients were treated using adipose stem cells, the study said.

The findings are scheduled to be published in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

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Fat-derived stem cells encouraging

Public release date: 28-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sean Palecek palecek@engr.wisc.edu 608-262-8931 University of Wisconsin-Madison

MADISON -- Cardiomyocytes, the workhorse cells that make up the beating heart, can now be made cheaply and abundantly in the laboratory.

Writing this week (May 28, 2012) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of Wisconsin scientists describes a way to transform human stem cells -- both embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells -- into the critical heart muscle cells by simple manipulation of one key developmental pathway. The technique promises a uniform, inexpensive and far more efficient alternative to the complex bath of serum or growth factors now used to nudge blank slate stem cells to become specialized heart cells.

"Our protocol is more efficient and robust," explains Sean Palecek, the senior author of the new report and a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of chemical and biological engineering. "We have been able to reliably generate greater than 80 percent cardiomyocytes in the final population while other methods produce about 30 percent cardiomyocytes with high batch-to-batch variability."

The ability to make the key heart cells in abundance and in a precisely defined way is important because it shows the potential to make the production of large, uniform batches of cardiomyocytes routine, according to Palecek. The cells are in great demand for research, and increasingly for the high throughput screens used by the pharmaceutical industry to test drugs and potential drugs for toxic effects.

The capacity to make the heart cells using induced pluripotent stem cells, which can come from adult patients with diseased hearts, means scientists will be able to more readily model those diseases in the laboratory. Such cells contain the genetic profile of the patient, and so can be used to recreate the disease in the lab dish for study. Cardiomyocytes are difficult or impossible to obtain directly from the hearts of patients and, when obtained, survive only briefly in the lab.

Scientists also have high hopes that one day healthy lab-grown heart cells can be used to replace the cardiomyocytes that die as a result of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

"Many forms of heart disease are due to the loss or death of functioning cardiomyocytes, so strategies to replace heart cells in the diseased heart continue to be of interest," notes Timothy Kamp, another senior author of the new PNAS report and a professor of cardiology in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. "For example, in a large heart attack up to 1 billion cardiomyocytes die. The heart has a limited ability to repair itself, so being able to supply large numbers of potentially patient-matched cardiomyocytes could help."

"These cells will have many applications," says Xiaojun Lian, a UW-Madison graduate student and the lead author of the new study. The beating cells made using the technique he devised have, so far, been maintained in culture in the lab for six months and remain as viable and stable as the day they were created.

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New stem cell technique promises abundance of key heart cells

Editor's Choice Main Category: Cancer / Oncology Article Date: 25 May 2012 - 13:00 PDT

Current ratings for: 'New Drug For Destroying Human Cancer Stem Cells'

3.5 (4 votes)

3 (2 votes)

Mick Bhatia, lead researcher of the study and scientific director of McMaster's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, said: "The unusual aspect of our finding is the way this human-ready drug actually kills cancer stem cells; by changing them into cells that are non-cancerous."

Findings from the study could pave the way for the development of anticancer drugs in the treatment of various cancers. In addition to thioridazine, the team have identified another 12 drugs that also have good potential for the same response. The study is published in the journal CELL.

Cancer stem cells were first identified in certain types of leukemia by Canadian researchers over a decade ago. Since then they have been identified in ovarian, prostate, lung, brain, breast, blood, and gastrointestinal cancer.

The researchers developed an automated robotic system in order to identify different compounds of several drugs, including thioridazine.

Bhatia explained: "Now we can test thousands of compounds, eventually defining a candidate drug that has little effect on normal stem cells but kills the cells that start the tumor."

The researchers next step is to test thioridazine in clinical trials in patients with acute myeloid leukemia whose cancer has relapsed following chemotherapy. Their goal is to determine whether the drug can put a patients cancer into remission and prevent it from returning by targeting the cancer stem cells.

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New Drug For Destroying Human Cancer Stem Cells

Vancouver, May 27: A team of Canadian scientists have discovered that thioridazine, a drug used to treat psychotic disorder, could successfully kill cancer stem cells in humans without the toxic side-effects on normal cells.

The research, published Thursday in the science journal CELL, may pave the way for the development of anticancer drugs for treatment of various cancers.

Conventional cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, work in a way that is toxic to cells, which may also lead to side-effects such as hair loss, nausea and anemia, according to the researchers from McMaster University.

Stem cells have long been believed to be the source of many cancers. In 1997, Canadian researchers first identified cancer stem cells in certain types of leukemia. Cancer stem cells have since been identified in blood, breast, brain, lung, gastrointestinal, prostate and ovarian cancer.

"The unusual aspect of our finding is the way it kills cancer stem cells, by differentiating them and changing them into cells that are non-cancerous," said Mick Bhatia, the principal investigator for the study and scientific director of McMaster's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute.

"We think this lack of toxicity is why it doesn't have effects on the normal cells, which would be beneficial to the patients," Bhatia said.

Bhatia said their next step was to test thioridazine in clinical trials, focusing on patients with acute myeloid leukemia whose disease has relapsed after chemotherapy. He wants to find out if the drug can put their cancer into remission, and prevent the cancer from coming back by targeting the root of the cancer (cancer stem cells).

Bhatia's team also found that thioridazine works through the dopamine receptor on the surface of the cancer cells in both leukemia and breast cancer patients.

The finding means it may be possible to use thioridazine as a biomarker that would allow early detection and treatment of breast cancer and early signs of leukemia progression, he said.

The research team would also look into the effectiveness of the drug in other types of cancer. Bhatia said they will collaborate with academic groups as well as industry to move forward.

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Anti-psychotic drug kills cancer stem cells without side-effects: study