Category Archives: Stem Cells

Public release date: 9-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: George Hunka ghunka@aftau.org 212-742-9070 American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating motor neuron disease that rapidly atrophies the muscles, leading to complete paralysis. Despite its high profile established when it afflicted the New York Yankees' Lou Gehrig ALS remains a disease that scientists are unable to predict, prevent, or cure.

Although several genetic ALS mutations have been identified, they only apply to a small number of cases. The ongoing challenge is to identify the mechanisms behind the non-genetic form of the disease and draw useful comparisons with the genetic forms.

Now, using samples of stem cells derived from the bone marrow of non-genetic ALS patients, Prof. Miguel Weil of Tel Aviv University's Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Personalized Medicine in the Department of Cell Research and Immunology and his team of researchers have uncovered four different biomarkers that characterize the non-genetic form of the disease. Each sample shows similar biological abnormalities to four specific genes, and further research could reveal additional commonalities. "Because these genes and their functions are already known, they give us a specific direction for research into non-genetic ALS diagnostics and therapeutics," Prof. Weil says. His initial findings were reported in the journal Disease Markers.

Giving in to stress

To hunt for these biomarkers, Prof. Weil and his colleagues turned to samples of bone marrow collected from ALS patients. Though more difficult to collect than blood, bone marrow's stem cells are easy to isolate and grow in a consistent manner. In the lab, he used these cells as cellular models for the disease. He ultimately discovered that cells from different ALS patients shared the same abnormal characteristics of four different genes that may act as biomarkers of the disease. And because the characteristics appear in tissues that are related to ALS including in muscle, brain, and spinal cord tissues in mouse models of genetic ALS they may well be connected to the degenerative process of the disease in humans, he believes.

Searching for the biological significance of these abnormalities, Prof. Weil put the cells under stress, applying toxins to induce the cells' defense mechanisms. Healthy cells will try to fight off threats and often prove quite resilient, but ALS cells were found to be overwhelmingly sensitive to stress, with the vast majority choosing to die rather than fight. Because this is such an ingrained response, it can be used as a feature for drug screening for the disease, he adds.

The hunt for therapeutics

Whether these biomarkers are a cause or consequence of ALS is still unknown. However, this finding remains an important step towards uncovering the mechanisms of the disease. Because these genes have already been identified, it gives scientists a clear direction for future research. In addition, these biomarkers could lead to earlier and more accurate diagnostics.

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Newly identified bone marrow stem cells reveal markers for ALS

Newswise Before scientists and engineers can realize the dream of using stem cells to create replacements for worn out organs and battle damaged body parts, theyll have to develop ways to grow complex three-dimensional structures in large volumes and at costs that wont bankrupt health care systems.

Researchers are now reporting advances in these areas by using gelatin-based microparticles to deliver growth factors to specific areas of embryoid bodies, aggregates of differentiating stem cells. The localized delivery technique provides spatial control of cell differentiation within the cultures, potentially enabling the creation of complex three-dimensional tissues. The local control also dramatically reduces the amount of growth factor required, an important cost consideration for manufacturing stem cells for therapeutic applications.

The microparticle technique, which was demonstrated in pluripotent mouse embryonic cells, also offers better control over the kinetics of cell differentiation by delivering molecules that can either promote or inhibit the process. Based on research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, the developments were reported online July 1 in the journal Biomaterials and were presented at the 11th Annual International Society for Stem Cell Research meeting held in Boston June 12-15, 2013 .

By trapping these growth factors within microparticle materials first, we are concentrating the signal they provide to the stem cells, said Todd McDevitt, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. We can then put the microparticle materials physically inside the multicellular aggregate system that we use for differentiation of the stem cells. We have good evidence that this technique can work, and that we can use it to provide advantages in several different areas.

The differentiation of stem cells is largely controlled by external cues, including morphogenic growth factors, in the three-dimensional environment that surrounds the cells. Most stem cell researchers currently deliver the growth factors into liquid solutions surrounding the stem cell cultures with a goal of creating homogenous cultures of cells. Delivering the growth factors from microparticles, however, provides better control of the spatial and temporal presentation of the molecules that govern the growth and differentiation of the stem cells, potentially allowing formation of heterogeneous structures formed from different cells.

Groups of stem cells stick together as they develop, forming multicellular aggregates that form spheroids as they grow. The researchers took advantage of that by driving microparticles containing growth factor BMP4 or noggin which inhibits BMP4 signaling into layers of stem cells using centrifugation. When the cell aggregates formed, the microparticles became trapped inside.

The researchers used confocal imaging and flow cytometry to observe the differentiation process and found that growth factors in the microparticles directed the cells toward mesoderm and ectoderm tissues just as they do in solution-based techniques. But because the BMP4 and noggin molecules were directly in contact with the cells, much less growth factor was needed to spur the differentiation approximately 12 times less than what would be required by conventional solution-based techniques.

One of the major advantages, in a practical sense, is that we are using much less growth factor, said McDevitt, who is also director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center at Georgia Tech. From a bioprocessing standpoint, a lot of the cost involved in making stem cell products is related to the cost of the molecules that must be added to make the stem cells differentiate.

Beyond more focused signaling, the microparticles also provided a localized control not available through any other technique. That allowed the researchers to create spatial differences in the aggregates a possible first step toward forming more complex structures with different tissue types such as vasculature and stromal cells.

To build tissues, we need to be able to take stem cells and use them to make many different cell types which are grouped together in particular spatial patterns, explained Andres M. Bratt-Leal, the papers first author and a former graduate student in McDevitts lab. This spatial patterning is what gives tissues the ability to perform higher order functions.

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Microparticles Create Localized Control of Stem Cells

TAMPA, Fla., July 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/--As new medical frontiers are forged, their place in sports medicine will be assured if athletes can recover or heal faster. This concept has not been lost in the dawn of Regenerative Medicine. This new age has emerged in which regenerative stem cell treatments are being applied to blindness, spinal cord injuries and congestive heart failure. It is no wonder that elite athletes such as Peyton Manning turned to stem cells when his neck wasn't healing. http://www.drlox.com

So what is it that makes the allure of stem cells attractive to high caliber athletes? According to Dr. Dennis Lox, a Sports Medicine and Regenerative specialist, in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, stem cells have unique capabilities for injured athletes. First the stem cells are very effective at alleviating inflammatory responses seen in chronic injuries. By blocking and altering the mechanisms in which inflammation occurs, some chronic injuries may heal. Dr. Lox then comments that, the stem cells are also at the same time regenerative cells that may heal by releasing factors that allow healing to occur, or trophic effects. Lastly, the stem cells may allow regeneration of injured tissue. All these mechanisms, Dr. Lox stresses, cannot be achieved by cortisone injections, or commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory medications. http://www.drlox.com

The unique way in which regenerative therapies such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and stem cells, exert effects on injured tissues will always be seen positively as athletes search for better and quicker healing treatments. Also, athletes need to be concerned with career longevity. The possible fountain of youth that repairing injured muscles and joints may hold with stem cell therapy makes it an attractive option. No adverse effects have been reported in clinical trials using stem cells for knee arthritis. The same cannot be said for knee surgery. The upside to minimizing further joint injury by avoiding surgery, may deter accelerated arthritis development. Dr. Lox notes a player's career may be lengthened by early repair of knee injury, and preventing arthritis development. These are two goals of regenerative medicine, and in some athletes mind two reasons to consider stem cell therapy.

About Dr. Dennis Lox Dr. Lox practices in the Tampa Bay Florida area. Dr. Lox is a Sports and Regenerative Medicine Physician, who specializes in the use of regenerative and restorative medicine to assist in treating athletic and arthritis conditions. Dr. Lox may be reached at (727) 462-5582 or visit Drlox.com.

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Sports Medicine and Stem Cells: Athletes are ready for New Era of Treatment

July 8, 2013 (PEORIA, Ill.) (WLS) -- Hannah Warren, the toddler who underwent a successful trachea transplant surgery in April, died over the weekend. She would have turned 3 in August.

Hannah, who died on July 6, 2013, was "unable to overcome additional health issues that were identified as her care progressed," according to Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria. On April 9, 2013, a windpipe made from her own stem cells was implanted into Hannah's trachea. Until the surgery, she was unable to breathe, eat or swallow on her own, and had spent her entire life in a hospital in South Korea.

The Children's Hospital of Illinois released a statement July 8 that read in part, "Although regenerative medicine remains in the early stages for pediatric patients, progress is being made. Hannah, and the physicians caring for her, helped advance this area of medical practice which is only at its very beginning stages. Even at this time of loss and grief, we, and Hannah's family, take comfort in the knowledge that the efforts of her physicians and the care team working with them will benefit and serve other children and adults in the years to come."

(Copyright 2013 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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Girl who received windpipe made from stem cells dies

Regulatory News :

The Cellectis Group (Paris:ALCLS) (Alternext: ALCLS) announced today that it is launching Scil, an offering for the general public that involves storing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) generated from a skin sample so that people can benefit, if needed, from future regenerative medicine treatments as soon as they become available.

Cellectis is a biotechnology industry group with 13 years experience in genome engineering and stem cells. It has a strong background in handling induced pluripotent stem cells on a large scale up through their maturation and differentiation into functional cell types.

The Group has developed wide-reaching projects based on iPS cells, including the iPS Engineering Hub, a service that helps match new drugs to patient needs. Regenerative medicine is another area of development for the Group. One ongoing project, in partnership with worldwide diabetes market leader Novo Nordisk, is focused on developing a treatment for type 1 diabetes using engineered stem cells. Cellectis has also been working since 2010 with the CiRA laboratory, run by Pr Shinya Yamanaka, winner of the 2012 Nobel prize in medicine for his work on induced pluripotent stem cells.

Scil is part of the Groups strategic focus on therapeutics. While not itself a therapeutics solution, Scil naturally complements the Groups offering in this area.

Scil will initially be marketed by a new wholly owned subsidiary of Cellectis SA, Scil Private Limited, in Singapore. Another Scil subsidiary is being set up in Dubai. These locations accord with existing national laws and regulatory frameworks.

In a meeting with US press at which Scil was unveiled, Andr Choulika announced, "We are proud to be the first in the world to make the major scientific breakthrough of iPS cell technology available to the public. Scil represents a real economic opportunity, one of the many steps forward to come in regenerative medicine.

About Cellectis Founded in France in 1999, the Cellectis Group bases its work on highly specific DNA engineering technologies. Its application sectors are human health, agriculture and bio-energies. Cellectis was co-founded by Andr Choulika, its Chairman and CEO, and is now one of the worlds top companies in the field of genome engineering, with revenue of $27million in 2012. Leading the field of pluripotent stem cells, Cellectis has developed expertise in drug discovery, toxicity testing, and regenerative medicine. Cellectis has a solid background in the large-scale handling of stem cells up until their maturation and differentiation into functional cell types. We employ a workforce of 230 people at 5 sites worldwide: New Brighton (Minnesota) & Cambridge (Massachusetts) in the United States, Gothenburg in Sweden, and Paris & Evry in France. The Group has signed more than 100 industry agreements with pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and biotechnology companies. Our clients and partners include University College London (UCL), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Novo Nordisk, the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) of Kyoto University, AFM, Novartis, BASF, Bayer, and Limagrain. Since 2007, Cellectis has been listed on the NYSE Euronext Alternext market (code: ALCLS) in Paris. For more information, visit our website: http://www.cellectis.com.

Disclaimer This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe, for shares in Cellectis in any country.

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Scéil(TM) : A New Offering for the General Public to Turn Adult Cells into Stem Cells and Store Them