Category Archives: Stem Cells

Boulder, CO (PRWEB) February 16, 2014

New findings on why skeletal muscle stem cells stop dividing and renewing muscle mass during aging points up a unique therapeutic opportunity for managing muscle-wasting conditions in humans, says a new University of Colorado Boulder study.

According to CU-Boulder Professor Bradley Olwin, the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function as we age can lead to sarcopenia, a debilitating muscle-wasting condition that generally hits the elderly hardest. The new study indicates that altering two particular cell-signaling pathways independently in aged mice enhances muscle stem cell renewal and improves muscle regeneration.

One cell-signaling pathway the team identified, known as p38 MAPK, appears to be a major player in making or breaking the skeletal muscle stem cell, or satellite cell, renewal process in adult mice, said Olwin of the molecular, cellular and developmental biology department. Hyperactivation of the p38 MAPK cell-signaling pathway inhibits the renewal of muscle stem cells in aged mice, perhaps because of cellular stress and inflammatory responses acquired during the aging process.

The researchers knew that obliterating the p38 MAPK pathway in the stem cells of adult mice would block the renewal of satellite cells, said Olwin. But when the team only partially shut down the activity in the cell-signaling pathway by using a specific chemical inhibitor, the adult satellite cells showed significant renewal, he said. We showed that the level of signaling from this cellular pathway is very important to the renewal of the satellite cells in adult mice, which was a very big surprise, said Olwin.

A paper on the subject appeared online Feb. 16 in the journal Nature Medicine.

One reason the CU-Boulder study is important is that the results could lead to the use of low-dose inhibitors, perhaps anti-inflammatory compounds, to calm the activity in the p38 MAPK cell-signaling pathway in human muscle stem cells, said Olwin.

The CU-Boulder research team also identified a second cell-signaling pathway affecting skeletal muscle renewal a receptor known as the fibroblast growth factor receptor-1, or FGFR-1. The researchers showed when the FGFR-1 receptor protein was turned on in specially bred lab mice, the renewal of satellite cells increased significantly. We still dont understand how that particular mechanism works, he said.

Another major finding of the study was that while satellite cells transplanted from young mice to other young mice showed significant renewal for up to two years, those transplanted from old mice to young mice failed. We found definitively that satellite cells from an aged mouse are not able to maintain the ability to replenish themselves, Olwin said. This is likely one of the contributors to loss of muscle mass during the aging process of humans.

Co-authors included first author and CU-Boulder postdoctoral researcher Jennifer Bernet, former CU-Boulder graduate student John K. Hall, CU-Boulder undergraduate Thomas Carter, and CU-Boulder postdoctoral researchers Jason Doles and Kathleen Kelly-Tanaka. The National Institutes of Health and the Ellison Medical Foundation funded the study.

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CU-Boulder Stem Cell Research May Point to New Methods of Mitigating Muscle Loss

Harvard stem cell scientists have a new theory for how stem cells decide whether to become liver or pancreatic cells during development. A cell's fate, the researchers found, is determined by the nearby presence of prostaglandin E2, a messenger molecule best known for its role in inflammation and pain. The discovery, published in the journal Developmental Cell, could potentially make liver and pancreas cells easier to generate both in the lab and for future cell therapies.

Wolfram Goessling, MD, PhD, and Trista North, PhD, both principal faculty members of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), identified a gradient of prostaglandin E2 in the region of zebrafish embryos where stem cells differentiate into the internal organs. Experiments conducted by postdoctoral fellow Sahar Nissim, MD, PhD, in the Goessling lab showed how liver-or-pancreas-fated stem cells have specific receptors on their membranes to detect the amount of prostaglandin E2 hormone present and coerce the cell into differentiating into a specific organ type.

"Cells that see more prostaglandin become liver and the cells that see less prostaglandin become pancreas," said Goessling, a Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "This is the first time that prostaglandin is being reported as a factor that can lead this fate switch and essentially instruct what kind of identity a cell is going to be."

The researchers next collaborated with the laboratory of HSCI Affiliated Faculty member Richard Maas, MD, PhD, Director of the Genetics Division at Brigham and Women's Hospital, to see whether prostaglandin E2 has a similar function in mammals. Richard Sherwood, PhD, a former graduate student of HSCI Co-director Doug Melton, was successfully able to instruct mouse stem cells to become either liver or pancreas cells by exposing them to different amounts of the hormone. Other experiments showed that prostaglandin E2 could also enhance liver growth and regeneration of liver cells.

Goessling and his research partner North, a Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor of Pathology at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, first became intrigued by prostaglandin E2 in 2005, as postdoctoral fellows in the lab of HSCI Executive Committee Chair Leonard Zon, MD. It caught their attention during a chemical screen exposing 2,500 known drugs to zebrafish embryos to find any that could amplify blood stem cell populations. Prostaglandin E2 was the most successful hit -- the first molecule discovered in any system to have such an effect -- and recently successfully completed Phase 1b clinical trials as a therapeutic to improve cord blood transplants.

"Prostaglandin might be a master regulator of cell growth in different organs," Goessling said. "It's used in cord blood, as we have shown, it works in the liver, and who knows what other organs might be affected by it."

With evidence of how prostaglandin E2 works in the liver, the researchers next want to calibrate how it can be used in the laboratory to instruct induced pluripotent stem cells -- mature cells that have been reprogrammed into a stem-like state -- to become liver or pancreas cells. The scientists predict that such a protocol could benefit patients who need liver cells for transplantation or who have had organ injury.

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The above story is based on materials provided by Harvard University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Scientists find cell fate switch that decides liver, or pancreas?

Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) February 12, 2014

The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center, PC, located in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Boca Raton, Florida, announces a series of free public seminars on the use of stem cells for various degenerative and inflammatory conditions. They will be provided by Dr. Thomas A. Gionis, Surgeon-in-Chief, and, Dr. Nia Smyrniotis, Medical Director.

The seminars will be held on February 16th and March 2nd. On February 16th, the seminar will be held at the Marriott Boca Raton, at Boca Center, 5150 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, Florida 33486, at 2pm; and on March 2nd at the Hampton Inn Fort Lauderdale Downtown, 250 N. Andrews Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301, at 2pm. You can also join Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center at the Health and Wellness Experience Expo presented by WPEC Channel 12 and the Sun-Sentinel on March 1st at Mizner Park Amphitheater, Boca Raton, Florida from 10am-5pm. No reservations required.

At the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center, utilizing investigational protocols, adult adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) can be deployed to improve patients quality of life with a number of degenerative conditions and diseases. ADSCs are taken from the patients own adipose (fat) tissue (also called stromal vascular fraction (SVF)). Adipose tissue is exceptionally abundant in ADSCs. The adipose tissue is obtained from the patient during a 15 minute mini-liposuction performed under local anesthesia in the doctors office. SVF is a protein-rich solution containing mononuclear cell lines (predominantly autologous mesenchymal stem cells), macrophage cells, endothelial cells, red blood cells, and important Growth Factors that facilitate the stem cell process and promote their activity.

ADSCs are the body's natural healing cells - they are recruited by chemical signals emitted by damaged tissues to repair and regenerate the bodys damaged cells. The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center only uses autologous stem cells from a person's own fat no embryonic stem cells are used. Our current areas of study include: Heart Failure, Emphysema, COPD, Asthma, Parkinsons Disease, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, and orthopedic joint injections. For more information, or if someone thinks they may be a candidate for one of the stem cell protocols offered by Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center, they may contact Dr. Nia or Dr. Gionis directly at (561) 331-2999, or see a complete list of the Centers study areas at: http://www.MiamiStemCellsUSA.com.

About Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center:

The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center is an affiliate of the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center (Irvine, California) and the Cell Surgical Network (CSN). We provide care for people suffering from diseases that may be alleviated by access to adult stem cell based regenerative treatment. We utilize a fat transfer surgical technology to isolate and implant the patients own stem cells from a small quantity of fat harvested by a mini-liposuction on the same day. The investigational protocols utilized by the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center have been reviewed and approved by an IRB (Institutional Review Board) which is registered with the U.S. Department of Research Protections; and the study is registered with http://www.Clinicaltrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information contact: Miami(at)MiamiStemCellsUSA(dot)com or visit our website: http://www.MiamiStemCellsUSA.com.

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Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center Educational Seminar: Adipose-Derived Stem Cells, Public Lecture

Patients with leukaemia need stem cells to replace damaged ones - the blood in the umbilical cord is so immature the recipient can accept the cells more easily

A grandad given just months to live has beaten leukaemia after getting stem cells from two babies umbilical cords.

The move was the only option to save David Pyne, 60, after all other treatments failed. He was one of the first to have the procedure.

He said of the stem cell transplant: To think two newborns saved an old mans life is just marvellous and its given me more time with my own grandchildren.

The dad-of-four was diagnosed with cancer in August 2012 and had chemotherapy and blood transfusions.

He desperately needed a stem cell donor but a match could not be found and he was given just 12 to 18 months to live.

But then he was offered cells from the umbilical cords of one baby in America and another in France.

He said: Things were looking pretty grim until I got the news about the possibility of an umbilical cord stem cell transplant.

The team found two separate umbilical cord donors that were a good match.

"I felt elated.

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Stem cells from baby's umbilical cord save life of granddad given months to live

Baltimore

A new method of creating versatile stem cells from a relatively simple manipulation of existing cells could further reduce the need for any stem-cell research involving human embryos, according to leading ethicists.

Although the process has only been tested in mice, two studies published Jan. 29 in the journal Nature detailed research showing success with a process called stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency, or STAP.

Scientists from Japan's RIKEN research institute and Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston were able to reprogram blood cells from newborn mice by placing them in a low-level acidic bath for 30 minutes. Seven to 9 percent of the cells subjected to such stress returned to a state of pluripotency and were able to grow into other types of cells in the body.

"If this technology proves feasible with human cells, which seems likely, it will offer yet another alternative for obtaining highly flexible stem cells without relying on the destructive use of human embryos," said Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. "This is clearly a positive direction for scientific research."

Pacholczyk, a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Mass., who holds a doctorate in neuroscience from Yale University, said the only "potential future ethical issue" raised by the new STAP cells would be if scientists were to coax them into "a new degree of flexibility beyond classical pluripotency," creating cells "with essential characteristics of embryos and the propensity to develop into the adult organism."

"Generating human embryos in the laboratory, regardless of the specific methodology, will always raise significant ethical red flags," he said.

The Catholic church opposes any research involving the destruction of human embryos to create stem cells.

Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, said if the new method were used to create stem cells so versatile that they could form placenta tissue and make human cloning easier, "then we would have serious moral problems with that." But there is no indication so far that the scientists could or would do so, he added.

"You could misuse any powerful technology, but the technique itself is not problematic" in terms of Catholic teaching, Doerflinger said.

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New stem-cell method offers another alternative to embryonic research

Scientists have recently discovered an innovative method that changes how stem cells will be produced.

Stem cell technology has been around for quite a while, but many patients are wary to participate, and doctors are hesitant to perform procedures involving stem cells because of the controversy over how they are obtained.

Generally, the embryonic stem cell is the easiest type to obtain. This is where the controversy lies because human embryos are destroyed in the harvesting process. Now, scientists and researchers at the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Japan have found a way to transform cells into stem cells a method that does not cause harm to embryos.

It was recently discovered that stem cells could be produced by using the patients own blood. The procedure is relatively fast, causing a vast number of cells to be produced in a short period of time.

The following procedure has been tested only on mice thus far but has proven to be successful. The procedure involves soaking blood cells in acid for a half an hour, causing a severe shock to the cells. They are then taken out of the acid, set out and stimulated for several days in order to erase the memory of the cells, thus allowing the cells to completely reprogram themselves.

(The discovery) was shocking because it was so easy that scientists didnt know why they hadnt done this before, says Shihuan Kuang, associate professor of animal sciences.

Through extensive research, a scientist by the name of Shinya Yamanaka discovered that when put into extreme conditions, the cells could express different genes, causing them to be able to turn into whatever cell is needed.

This near-fatal shock to the system is proving to be worth the risk since the chemical shocks result in a change in cellular fate, said Kuang.

Although not yet tested on adults, the great potential of this new method to produce stem cells outweighs the risks because it is able to heal ailments that were previously thought incurable.

Since the cells are able to become any cell necessary, this new method has endless applications of healing in areas including diabetes, paralysis, blindness, Parkinsons disease and stroke.

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Breakthrough development in stem cell research

Meinrad Busslinger and his team from the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) investigate the differentiation of stem cells to mature B cells. They now present for the first time molecular details on the role of the Ikaros gene during early B cell development. A defect in Ikaros function causes an early block in B-lymphopoiesis and prevents the development of mature B cells. The cells stay in an aberrant state, which closely resembles that of cells in B-ALL, a special form of human B cell leukemia. The results of this study are published in the current Advance Online edition of Nature Immunology.

The immune system consists of a complex structure of organs, cell types and cell-cell interactions which protects the organism from harmful intruders as well as aberrant cells within the body. Two mechanisms of immunological defense can be distinguished -- innate and adaptive immunity. Cells from the adaptive immune system recognize specific structures of invaders and develop defense mechanisms accordingly. B and T cells from the group of white blood cells represent the main players of the adaptive immune defense.

Role of Ikaros in B cells is no longer a myth

B cells are derived from blood stem cells in the bone marrow. By differentiating through several stages of lymphopoiesis, these stem cells give rise to fully functional, mature B cells. This process is tightly controlled by a group of regulatory proteins called transcription factors. "We already know several transcription factors that play a central role in B cell differentiation. Pax5 for example represents a critical factor which activates the B cell-specific program in precursor cells and simultaneously suppresses alternative cell fates," Busslinger explains. "For Ikaros we did not know until now what this factor is doing during early B cell development."

The researchers from Busslinger's team therefore analyzed mice specifically lacking Ikaros from an early stage of B cell development on. They found that Ikaros deficiency arrested B cell development in an aberrant "pro-B" cell stage and prevented further differentiation. Without Ikaros, the cells were not able to transmit certain signals via their cell surface receptors. Furthermore, they showed increased cell adhesion and reduced migration compared to normal cells.

European grant allows comprehensive analyses

In 2011, Busslinger was awarded one of the "ERC Advanced Grants" from the European Union. This generous financial support made it possible to tackle a large scope project -- the systematic analysis of transcription factors in the immune system. Busslinger and his team use the technology of biotin-tagging to add a "molecular label" to transcription factors for their studies. This facilitates the isolation of these proteins from murine B cells. Despite the huge effort that comes with this method, Busslinger and his co-workers have already labelled and analysed about ten transcription factors using biotin-tagging. In most cases, they were successful with this approach. For Ikaros, this meant gaining fundamental new insights into the molecular way of action. The researchers identified a large number of genes that are controlled by this transcription factor during early B cell development.

Striking similarity to human tumor cells

The Ikaros gene is a so-called tumor-suppressor gene that protects cells from becoming tumorigenic under normal conditions. Loss of the function of this gene has been associated with the development of "B-ALL," a certain form of human leukemia, which requires further genetic alterations in addition to the Ikaros gene mutation. As in mice with a mutated Ikaros gene, B cells from human B-ALL patients are arrested at an early checkpoint of B cell development.

Due to the striking similarity between the defect in the mouse model and human cancers, this study may help to understand how leukemia develops at the molecular level. In the future, the findings might be valuable in devising new concepts for the prevention or therapy of blood cancer.

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Defect in Ikaros gene mimics human B cell leukemia

Stem cells are multifunctional agents with the ability to develop into their surrounding environments. They can become bone cells, muscle cells or even nerve cells, which cannot be repaired or regenerated in the central nervous system.

KiBum Lee, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, is studying the effects of stem cell migration throughout the body with his team of graduate students.

The team is studying how stem cells move, interact and communicate with other cells, he said. These factors significantly affect stem cell behavior.

According to the National Institutes of Health, stem cells have the potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In many tissues, they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is alive.

Lee said his team is specifically interested in stem cell neuron differentiation, which allows the stem cell to become a neuron. This is achieved through observing the cells extracellular matrix.

The cells extracellular matrix the outer shell that supports a cells structure and behavior is used for understanding underlying mechanical forces resulting from its composition, he said.

This mechanical force is observed through testing three different types of substrates, or materials soft, hard and in between, he said.

If you culture a stem cell with different substrates, it has the ability to [become] neuron, bone or muscle cells, he said.

When culturing a stem cell with a hard substrate, the cell is most likely to generate bone cells. He said they could also influence stem cells to generate neural cells.

The team also develops 2-D and 3-D patterns that correspond to various protein ECM patterns, he said. They use this to understand how stem cells interact with other cells ECMs.

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Rutgers graduate unit studies effects of stem cell migration

Obtaining human embryonic stem cells thru #39; therapeutic cloning
Obtaining human embryonic stem cells through the process of therapeutic cloning has important applications in science and medicine.Shoukhrat Mitalipov #39;s team...

By: bbvaopenmind

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Obtaining human embryonic stem cells thru' therapeutic cloning - Video

ANDERSON, South Carolina, February 7, 2014 (PRWEB) February 09, 2014

STEMSO, The International Stem Cell Society, is a member based, international, non-profit 501 (c) 6 trade association for the purpose of promoting the interests of the global, adult stem cell healthcare industry while linking patients and stakeholders with member medical organizations. STEMSO advocates for the availability of adult stem cells in the United States and abroad, believing that a combined effort can change the world. Because no one organization has enough money, time, or resources to address an issue of this magnitude independently, STEMSO recognizes that a combined effort and voice is more effective through a trade association.

STEMSOs membership consists of organizations rather than individual members. Through these organizations, STEMSO works to create dialog and advocates for public awareness and wider usage and acceptance of adult stem cell treatments for a range of illnesses and injuries, both in the United States and internationally.

The STEMSO 2014 Conference, titled Bridging the Gap: Research to Point of Care, February 19-22, 2014 at The Grand Lucayan in Freeport, Grand Bahamas, spotlights global, expert researchers, scientists, clinicians, and regulatory authorities who will discuss progress in taking these promising therapies for disease and injuries to market in a responsible manner. Registration and the agenda may be found on the organizations website at http://www.stemso.org

Douglas Hammond, president of STEMSO, states, STEMSO will continue to provide a proactive and positive voice for organizations and jurisdictions using adult stem cells for therapies and transplants. The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and our Gold Sponsor, Okyanos Heart Institute, provide an excellent example of the results that can be brought about with realistic, modern and balanced regulations that serve the national economic interest, patient needs for life-saving medicine, and the business advantages for commercialization and translation of adult stem cells."

STEMSO provides information, education, resources, advocacy and public awareness concerning adult stem cell therapies and works to promote doctor and patients rights to access the latest developments in the industry via the point of care model without undue regulation.

ABOUT STEMSO:

The International Stem Cell Society, STEMSO, is a member-based, international, non-profit 501(c) 6 trade association for the purpose of promoting the interests of the global, adult stem cell healthcare industry while linking patients and stakeholders with member medical organizations. STEMSO provides information, education, resources, advocacy and public awareness for the advancement of the adult stem cell industry. For more information, go to http://www.stemso.org

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STEMSO Advocates for the Global Medical Industry to Advance Availability of Adult Stem Cells