Category Archives: Stem Cells

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

Hemorrhagic stroke is responsible for more than 30 percent of all stroke deaths. It happens when a weakened blood vessel ruptures and bleeds into the brain.

Its something Jon Galvan experienced five years ago when he almost died from a hemorrhagic stroke while at work.

"I was typing away and I felt a pop in my head," Galvan said.

He was able to recover, but Dr. Abba Zubair, medical director of transfusion medicine and stem cell therapy at Mayo Clinic, Florida, said not everyone is as fortunate.

"If it happens, you either recover completely or die," Zubair said. "Thats what killed my mother."

Zubair said he wants to send bone marrow derived stem cells to the international space station.

"Based on our experience with bone marrow transplant, you need about 200 to 500 million cells," Zubair said.

But conventionally grown stem cells take a month. Experiments on earth have shown that stem cells will grow faster in less gravity.

"Five to ten times faster, but it could be more," Zubair said.

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Health Beat: Growing stem cells in space: Medicine's next big thing?

Durham, NC (PRWEB) May 05, 2014

A new study released today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine demonstrates the regenerative effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) on the anal sphincter. The work could have implications for the 11 percent of the population suffering fecal incontinence due to an injury or disease.

Massarat Zutshi, M.D., and Levilester Salcedo, M.D., led the research team made up of their colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio) as well as those from Summa Cardiovascular Institute and Northeast Ohio Medical University (Akron, Ohio).

None of the current therapies for treating fecal incontinence are efficacious in the long-term or without complications related to the surgery or the device, Dr. Zutshi said. However, she added, adipose tissue, muscle and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been shown to improve functioning of the heart and the urinary sphincter in animal models, leading researchers to test their effects in regenerating the anal sphincter, too.

In this most recent study the Zutshi/Salcedo team wanted to see how a single intramuscular (IM) injection of MSCs compared to a series of intravenous (IV) treatments. They used rats that had undergone an excision of 25 percent of their anal sphincter complex. Twenty-four hours after injury, one group received a single IM injection of stem cells directly into their anal sphincters. A second group began a series of six consecutive daily treatments delivered by IV through their tail veins, as did a group of non-injured animals. Another group of injured animals received no stem cells.

Anal pressures were recorded prior to injury, then again at 10 days and five weeks after treatment. Ten days after the IM treatment, resting and peak pressures were significantly increased in the injured groups compared to the control group that received no treatment. At five weeks, the anal pressures of the two groups of injured rats receiving treatments were almost on par with the non-injured group.

Both IM and IV MSC treatment after injury cause increase in anal pressures sustained at five weeks even though fewer cells were injected IM, Dr. Zutshi concluded. The MSC-treated groups showed less scarring than PBS treatment, with the IV infusion group showing the least scarring.

Since MSC delivered IM or IV both resulted in functional recovery, the IM route may be preferable as fewer cells seem to be needed.

This research demonstrates the regenerative effects of mesenchymal stem cells on the injured anal sphincter and, because fewer cells were needed for intramuscular injections, may direct the course of future clinical trials, said Anthony Atala, M.D., editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

The full article, Functional outcome after anal sphincter injury and treatment with mesenchymal stem cells, can be accessed at http://www.stemcellstm.com.

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Stem Cells Could Be the Answer for Treating Fecal Incontinence After Injury or Disease

Researchers have found a new source of stem cells that produce fat tissue, findings presented today at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Wrocaw, Poland, show. This unique in vitro human stem cell model of brown fat tissue could aid studies into how fat tissue develops and the development of new anti-obesity drugs.

There are two types of fat tissue found in humans: white adipose tissue (WAT) that accumulates lipids, and brown adipose tissue (BAT) that can burn lipids to produce heat. BAT is mainly found in babies, although recent studies show that adults may retain a small amount of BAT. BAT is considered important in obesity research as it represents a potential pathway by which the body can control metabolism by burning excess lipids to produce heat. Previously there have been no in vitro human models to aid research into BAT tissue development.

A team from the University of Florence in Italy studied patients with a rare tumor called pheochromocytoma. This tumor is found in the adrenal glands and causes the release of excess levels of the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline. The team removed tumors from eight patients and examined the fat tissue that surrounded them. They found that, in addition to the WAT present in healthy people, pheochromocytoma patients also had some tissue with molecular markers for BAT cells present.

From this tissue, the team isolated and characterized brown adipose stem cells and compared their properties to precursor WAT cells from the same patient. Using gene expression analysis, immunophenotyping and differentiation tools, they found the two cell types had different properties, in particular in their potential to differentiate into BAT cells, thus indicating a different developmental pathway for the two types of fat cell.

This is an exciting discovery, said Professor Michaela Luconi, who led the research. Obesity is now a huge, worldwide health issue and we urgently need new treatment strategies to tackle it. Brown adipose tissue has long been seen as a potential target for new anti-obesity treatments as it is able to control metabolic rate and burn excess fat molecules.

Our research has characterized the first in vitro human model for brown adipose stem cells from a novel source. Our theory is that the excess adrenaline produced by this rare tumor may have induced the expansion of the brown adipose stem cell component present in this depot of white adipose tissue. We now need to carry out further work to see if this theory is correct and whether the process can be reproduced in the lab.

The team are currently unable to produce mature BAT cells from the brown adipose stem cells, but now plan to study how they can improve this differentiation process. This model has huge potential to allow us to learn more about how different types of fat cell develop, said Professor Luconi. Greater understanding of this process will aid us in designing and testing specific anti-obesity drugs targeting white to brown cells conversion.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by European Society of Endocrinology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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New source of fat tissue stem cells discovered

In order to investigate inflammation, tumors or stem cells, medical practitioners analyze living cells. Non-invasive optical procedures such as Raman spectroscopy accelerate this procedure. Researchers have now developed it to industrial scale.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart can now analyze living cells quickly and accurately with the help of Raman spectroscopy. The non-invasive optical procedure, which recognizes the molecular fingerprint of different materials, has primarily been employed in quality control for medications and pharmaceutical substances. Now biologists and biomedical researchers can also use this technology thanks to the research work at IGB. The technology is suited to investigating living cells without invasive techniques or altering them with dyes. In order to characterize stem cells or identify changes to tissues that are caused by tumors, inflammations, fungi, or bacteria, it is now sufficient to determine the individual cells' Raman spectrum -- a specialized energy spectrum having particular analytical capability,

"Under joint projects with universities, industrial partners, and the State of Baden-Wrttemberg, IGB has developed comprehensive know-how in this area over the last years and has advanced the technology from use in pure research to industrial implementation. We can now investigate not just individual cells in this manner, but entire tissue structures and organs. Next we want to further refine the technology and develop more applications," says Prof. Katja Schenke-Layland from IGB.

The unmistakable Raman spectrum

Cell biologists at IGB use a specially developed Raman spectroscope jointly designed and built with physicists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in Freiburg, Germany. The device is compact and can be conveniently used to investigate a wide range of scientific problems. The scientists are accumulating the spectra they have recorded into a database. "Each cell has a unique, unmistakable Raman spectrum. Doctors are able to compare the sample from their patients' cells with our data base and complete the diagnosis more quickly," says Schenke-Layland.

The technology is already being employed on a practical basis by industrial partners. The scientists are working at present on a rapid test for cancer diagnosis. "Doctors using mobile Raman spectroscopes during an operation could unambiguously say whether the patient has cancer or not simply by comparing the cell sample with the data base," according to Schenke-Layland.

Cancer diagnoses are still complicated and prolonged. After excising the tissue for biopsy, it first must be prepared for further analysis -- for example by suitably sectioning or dying it to identify biomarkers. "But this always requires intervention in the specimen and manipulating it in some way," according to Schenke-Layland.

The specimen is then transferred to a pathologist who analyses whether the tissue contains malignant or benign cells. This method is error prone and can lead to the specimen being unusable for other tests in the end. "Human error is reduced by a software-based comparison with our data base," according to Schenke-Layland.

Employment in cancer diagnostics and regenerative medicine

There are numerous additional applications for this non-invasive optical technology -- especially in regenerative medicine. Artificially grown tissue may replace diseased cells in patients and thereby help the tissue to heal. To accomplish this, tissue-specific cells from bone marrow, for instance, must be removed and the stem cells extracted. Bone marrow is made up of highly diverse cells and it is complicated to differentiate the adult stem cells from the ordinary tissue cells. In addition, the stem cells must be 100% correctly identified and separated. If this does not happen and other types of cells are cultured into the implant, the body may not react as hoped, causing implant rejection or tumor formation.

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Analyzing living cells quickly, accurately

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The capacity to reprogram adult patient cells into pluripotent, embryonic-like, stem cells by nuclear transfer has been reported as a breakthrough by scientists from the US and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The work, described in the journal Nature, was accomplished by researchers from the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute and Columbia University and by Nissim Benvenisty, the Herbert Cohn professor of Cancer Research and director of the Stem Cell Unit at the Institute of Life Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and his graduate student Ido Sagi. The latter assisted in the characterization of the pluripotent nature of these cells.

Pluripotency means the ability of stem cells to develop into all the cells of our body, including those in the brain, heart, liver and blood. In 2012, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for two discoveries showing that mature (differentiated) cells can be converted into pluripotent, embryonic-like cells, either by forced expression of genetic factors or by transfer of cell nuclei into female eggs, in a process called "reprogramming."

However, the actual ability to reprogram cells from humans by nuclear transfer had only been accomplished until now by using fetal cells for this purpose, until this latest work involving reprogramming of adult patient cells demonstrated by the researchers from the US and the Hebrew University, as described in the new Nature article.

Future research should allow further characterization of these novel, pluripotent cell types and their comparison to other stem cells. "Human pluripotent stem cells generated from adult cells may change the face of medicine," says Prof. Benvenisty, leading to totally new, personalized genetic therapy involving the reprograming of a patient's own cells to achieve cell replacement and healing.

Explore further: Soft substrates may promote the production of induced pluripotent stem cells

More information: "Human oocytes reprogram adult somatic nuclei of a type 1 diabetic to diploid pluripotent stem cells." Mitsutoshi Yamada, et al. Nature (2014) DOI: 10.1038/nature13287. Received 04 February 2014 Accepted 27 March 2014 Published online 28 April 2014

Converting adult cells into stem cells that can develop into other types of specialized cells is one of the most active areas of medical research, holding great promise for the treatment of disease and repair ...

For the first time, US researchers have cloned embryonic stem cells from adult cells, a breakthrough on the path towards helping doctors treat a host of diseases. ...

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Nuclear transfer to reprogram adult patient cells into stem cells demonstrated

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New York, May 4 : Men struggling with infertility could breathe a sigh of relief as scientists have now successfully coaxed stem cells made from the skin cells of infertile men into producing sperm cell precursors that could eventually lead to healthy sperm production.

"Our studies suggest that the use of stem cells can serve as a starting material for diagnosing germ cell defects and potentially generating germ cells," said Renee Reijo Pera from Montana State University, US.

Germ cells are specialised cells involved in reproduction.

"It might even be possible to transplant stem-cell-derived germ cells directly into the testes of men with problems producing sperm," she added.

In their research, following transplantation into the testes of mice, pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) produced sperm precursors.

The findings could also help explain a genetic cause of male infertility and offer a window into basic sperm biology.

The researchers looked to infertile but otherwise normal men with deletions encompassing three Y chromosome azoospermia factor (AZF) regions, which are associated with the production of few or no sperm.

They found that iPSCs derived from AZF-deleted cells were compromised in their ability to form sperm in a dish.

But when those cells were transplanted into the testes of mice, they produced germ-cell-like cells (though significantly fewer than iPSCs derived from people without the AZF deletion do).

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Stem cells to power your sperm

Vivian Ashley EC #1: Stem Cells
By Vivian Lee Ashley Hong BIO362 Developmental Biology Spring 2014.

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Vivian & Ashley EC #1: Stem Cells - Video

Human body parts grown in a lab | Scientists are growing noses, ears and blood vessels

Human body parts grown in a lab For more latest tech news and product reviews SUBSCRIBE to In a north London hospital, scientists are growing noses, ears and blood vessels in the laboratory in a bold attempt to make body parts using stem cells. It is among several labs around the world, including in the U.S., that are working on the futuristic idea of growing custom-made organs in the lab. While only a handful of patients have received the British lab-made organs so far including tear ducts, blood vessels and windpipes researchers hope they will soon be able to transplant more types of body parts into patients, including what would be the world's first nose made partly from stem cells. It's like making a cake, said Alexander Seifalian at University College London, the scientist leading the effort. We just use a different kind of oven. TAGS future for mobile phones, future mobile, future mobile applications, future mobile computing, future mobile phone, future mobile phone technology, future mobile phones, future mobile technology, future of mobile, future of mobile applications, future of mobile computing, future of mobile phone, future of mobile phones, future of mobile technology, future of t mobile, future of the mobile phone, future technology mobile phones, latest mobile phone prices in pakistan, latest mobile phone samsung, latest mobile phone sony ericsson, latest mobile phone technology, latest mobile phone with price latest mobile phones, latest mobile phones and prices, latest mobile phones coming soon, latest mobile phones from samsung, latest mobile phones htc, latest mobile phones in india, latest mobile phones in market, latest mobile phones in pakistan, latest mobile phones in samsung, latest mobile phones in sony ericsson, latest mobile phones in the market, latest mobile phones india, latest mobile phones micromax, latest mobile phones models, latest mobile phones of micromax, latest mobile phones of samsung, latest mobile phones of sony ericsson, latest mobile phones on the market, latest mobile phones price, latest mobile phones price in india, latest mobile phones price list, latest mobile phones prices, latest mobile phones prices in india, latest mobile phones samsung, latest mobile phones sony ericsson, latest mobile phones technology, latest mobile phones touch screen, latest mobile phones with price, latest mobile phones with price list latest mobile phones with prices, latest samsung galaxy mobile latest samsung mobile, latest samsung mobile in india, latest samsung mobile india, latest samsung mobile models, latest samsung mobile phone, latest samsung mobile phone in india, latest samsung mobile phones, latest samsung mobile phones in india, latest smart mobile phones, latest technology in mobile, latest technology in mobile phone, latest technology in mobile phones, latest technology mobile, latest technology mobile phone, latest technology mobile phones, latest technology of mobile phones, latest touch mobile phones, latest touch screen mobile phones, latest windows mobile, mobile technology and business, mobile technology applications, mobile technology company, mobile technology development, mobile technology devices, mobile technology education, mobile technology for business, mobile technology future, mobile technology future, mobile technology healthcare, mobile technology in business, mobile technology in education, mobile technology in healthcare, mobile technology in india, mobile technology information, mobile technology news, mobile technology security, mobile technology services, mobile technology software, mobile technology trends, mobile telecommunication technology, new technology for mobile phones new technology in mobile, new technology in mobile phones, new technology mobile, new technology mobile phone, new technology mobile phones, new technology of mobile, new technology of mobile phones, sony ericson latest mobile, sony ericsson latest mobile sony ericsson mobile, sony ericsson new latest mobile, sony latest mobile phones, sony mobile, sony mobile phones, windows mobile phone, windows mobile phones, wireless and mobile technology, wireless mobile technologytyle, sony mobile,

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FDA: All but 3 stem cells

By Estel Grace Masangkay

An independent group of scientists led by experts at the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute (NYSCF) reported that they have manufactured the first disease-specific line of embryonic stem cells made with a patients DNA. The achievement is heralded as a major breakthrough in the regenerative medicine field.

This is also the first time cloning technologies have been utilized to generate genetically matched stem cells. The team used somatic cell nuclear transfer to successfully clone a skin cell from a 32 year old female patient with Type 1 diabetes. The cells were transformed into insulin-producing cells similar to lost beta cells in diabetes, which could provide better treatment or even a cure for T1D.

Susan Solomon, CEO and co-founder of NYSCF, says she is excited about the successful production of patient-specific stem cells using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). CEO Solomon said she became involved with medical research when her son was diagnosed with T1D.

Dr. Egli, scientist from the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute and who led the research, said, From the start, the goal of this work has been to make patient-specific stem cells from an adult human subject with type-1 diabetes that can give rise to the cells lost in the disease. By reprograming cells to a pluripotent state and making beta cells, we are now one step closer to being able to treat diabetic patients with their own insulin-producing cells.

The scientists analyzed factors that affect stem-cell derivation after SCNT. They added histone deacetylase inhibitors and protocol for human oocyte activation, which were crucial in delivering them to the stage at which embryonic stem cells can be properly derived. The beta cells produced from the patients own skin cells are autologous and match the patients DNA. Further research is underway at NYSCF and other institutions for the development of strategies to protect existing and therapeutic beta cells from attacks of the immune system.

The research teams work appeared in the journal Nature.

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Scientists Produce Personalized Stem Cells For Specific Diseases

Image Caption: This image shows an implanted graft of cardiac cells derived from human stem cells (green) meshed and beat with primates' heart cells (red). Credit: Murry Lab/University of Washington

April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

When a heart attack occurs, the oxygen-rich blood that normally flows through is interrupted by the blockage in an artery. The longer that blood flow is restricted or cut off, the more tissue and muscle in the area dies or is scarred. The eventual result can be heart failure, especially if one heart attack is followed by another.

In 2013, Harvard Health Publications released a report taking a look at the state of stem cell research into the problem of regenerating heart tissue, and the results were mixed.

A new study from the University of Washington, however, reveals improvement in those results. The findings, published online in Nature, demonstrate that damaged heart muscles in monkeys have been restored by the use of heart cells created from human embryonic stem cells. The exciting implication, according to the research team, is that their approach should also be feasible in humans.

Before this study, it was not known if it is possible to produce sufficient numbers of these cells and successfully use them to remuscularize damaged hearts in a large animal whose heart size and physiology is similar to that of the human heart, said Dr. Charles Murry, UW professor of pathology and bioengineering and director of the UW Center for Cardiovascular Biology, in a recent statement.

Murray, who collaborated with Dr. Michael Laflamme and other colleagues at the UW Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, predicts clinical trials with humans within the next four years.

[ Watch the Video: Regenerating Heart Muscle Damage With Stem Cell Therapy ]

For the study, the researchers induced controlled myocardial infarctions, a type of heart attack, in anesthetized pigtail macaques, by blocking the coronary artery for 90 minutes. This is the accepted practice for studying myocardial infarction in primates.

Coronary artery disease is the primary culprit in myocardial infarctions in humans. The infarcted heart muscle, damaged by a lack of oxygen, does not grow back, leaving the heart less able to pump blood. This often leads to heart failure, the leading cause of cardiovascular death. Researchers hope to use new heart cells created from stem cells in order to restore normal function to the failing heart.

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Heart Muscles Repaired After Heart Attack Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells