Category Archives: Stem Cells

Queensland researchers have developed a way to identify breast cancer stem cells suspected of being the trigger for cancer growth.

Researchers from Griffith University and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) are working towards making breast cancer stem cells the target of specific cancer therapies, to improve treatment outcomes.

"We have described a method to identify specific proteins which are found in those stem cells, so it may be possible to identify their location and study them," Griffith University's Associate Professor Alejandro Lopez said on Friday.

"This will help us establish why breast cancer stem cells are different from other cells and potentially how to stop them from developing into cancer."

Professor Jeff Gorman from QIMR's Protein Discovery Centre said the research was an example of scientific collaboration at its best.

"It's the perfect marriage of biology and technology," he said.

QIMR's Protein Discovery Centre is one of the most advanced laboratories in Australia for the study of proteins and their effects on a range of infectious diseases and cancers.

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Breakthrough on breast cancer stem cells

Mesenchymal (MSC) stem cells send out homing signals that recruit other stem cells and mobilize them to heal wounds, researchers at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science have discovered. MSC stem cells are better suited to initiating the healing process rather than repairing tissue damage themselves, the researchers explain in an article published today in Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

Durham, NC (PRWEB) December 21, 2012

Scientists Daniel Peterson and Laura Shin used MSC cells extracted from human bone marrow and grafted them into wounds of healthy mice and mice with diabetes. Mice in both groups each had two separate wounds to better allow the researchers to study the precise role the cells played in healing.

Some mice in each group received MSC cells in one wound while others did not receive the cells at all.

After studying the differences in healing, signaling and cell populations in the mice, Peterson and Shin learned that both normal and impaired mice given MSC cells healed more quickly, even in wounds that did not receive direct MSC cell grafts.

The mice that received MSC cells demonstrated a systemic response, Peterson said. This suggests that the key to repairing injured tissue does not hinge on where you place the MSC cells in the body, but on learning exactly how the MSC cells recruit their counterparts already in the body.

Researchers have investigated the behavior of MSC cells in a wide range of clinical trials including studies related to Crohns disease, Type 1 diabetes, bone defects and heart muscle disease. However, although MSC cells have come to be regarded as a magic bullet for tissue repair, no one until now has been able to explain how they do the job.

Discovering more about the signals MSC cells use to trigger the bodys own stem cells to heal could lead to new cell-free therapies, Peterson said. For example, scientists could develop treatments using small molecules or drugs as an alternative to costly cell-mediated therapies.

These findings broaden our view of therapeutic targets to include the host response, he said. The improvement in impaired and normal wound healing has significant clinical relevance for all wounds, chronic and acute.

This study indicates that signals within the wound bed may be activated after engraftment, suggesting that controlling mobilization is a key to success in future therapies, said Anthony Atala, MD, Editor of Stem Cells Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

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Mesenchymal Stem Cells Mobilize Body’s Own Healing Cells According to New Research Published in STEM CELLS ...

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, today announced that patient dosing has begun in a Phase 1 clinical trial of OMP-52M51 in patients with hematologic cancers. OMP-52M51 is OncoMeds fifth product candidate to enter clinical development. OMP-52M51 is a proprietary monoclonal antibody that targets the Notch1 receptor. Enrollment of the first patient in the Anti-Notch1 Phase 1 trial has triggered a $4 million milestone payment from the companys strategic collaborator GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

The first Phase 1 clinical trial of OMP-52M51 is an open-label dose escalation and expansion study in patients with hematologic cancers. These patients are assessed for safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and initial evidence of efficacy, and the clinical trial will also assess a predictive biomarker-based patient selection approach. OncoMed also has filed an additional IND application with the FDA to evaluate this monoclonal antibody in patients with solid tumors.

The trial is being conducted at several sites in the United States including Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) in Nashville, Tennessee. According to Dr. Ian Flinn of SCRI, who treated the first patient with OMP-52M51, It is exciting to bring a novel antibody such as OMP-52M51 that targets the Notch pathway, a key cancer stem cell pathway, into the clinic. There is significant scientific evidence to suggest that Notch1 could be an important therapeutic target in hematological malignancies, and we look forward to generating clinical data that might help patients with these cancers. The biomarker strategy employed in this study is also quite innovative.

We continue to execute on our core strategy of discovering and advancing novel product candidates that target cancer stem cells, said Paul Hastings, President and Chief Executive Officer of OncoMed Pharmaceuticals. OncoMeds clinical pipeline is broad, and with the addition of this novel Anti-Notch1 antibody, we now have 5 product candidates in the clinic, several which are advancing towards Phase 2 testing. We have made significant progress in building and developing our pipeline, and we look forward to generating important clinical data across each of our product candidates now being tested in humans.

About OMP-52M51

OMP-52M51 is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeted to the Notch1 receptor that has shown substantial anti-tumor and anti-CSC activity in Notch-dependent hematologic malignancies and solid tumors in preclinical studies. Certain hematologic malignancies have mutations that increase Notch1 signaling activity and may be a primary driver of tumor growth, as well as resistance to chemotherapy. Predictive biomarker tests have been identified that enable analyses of potential predictive biomarkers in clinical trials for OMP-52M51 to identify those subsets of patients with certain hematologic malignancies or certain solid tumors that may benefit most from the product candidate. OMP-52M51 is part of OncoMeds strategic collaboration with GSK. In December 2007, OncoMed and GSK entered into a broad strategic alliance to discover and develop novel product candidates targeting CSCs via Notch pathway signaling modulation. GSK retains an option through the end of certain Phase 1 or certain Phase 2 clinical trials to obtain an exclusive license to OMP-52M51.

About Cancer Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells, or CSCs, are the subpopulation of cells in a tumor responsible for driving growth and metastasis of the tumor. CSCs, also known as tumor-initiating cells, exhibit certain properties which include the capacity to divide and give rise to new CSCs via a process called self-renewal and the capacity to differentiate or change into the other cells that form the bulk of the tumor. Common cancer drugs target bulk tumor cells but have limited impact on CSCs, thereby providing a path for recurrence of the tumor. OncoMeds product candidates target CSCs by blocking self-renewal and driving differentiation of CSCs toward a non-tumorigenic state, and also impact bulk tumor cells. OncoMed believes its product candidates are distinct from the current generations of chemotherapies and targeted therapies, and have the potential to significantly impact cancer treatment and the clinical outcome of patients with cancer.

About OncoMed Pharmaceuticals

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OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Therapeutic OMP-52M51 (Anti-Notch1)

Michael Boo of National Marrow Donor Program on public banking - at World Cord Blood Congress 2012
Michael Boo, Chief Strategy Officer of the National Marrow Donor Program, spoke at the World Cord Blood Congress 2012 on the topic, #39;Assisting public banks in marketing to potential donors and the general financial viability of public banking. #39; World Cord Blood Congress is where private and public cord blood banks, pharma and biotechs, academia and government come to debate advances in cord blood banking and therapeutics. For more information, go to http://www.terrapinn.com/cordblood. Or, check out our blog at blogs.terrapinn.com/total-biopharma for up to date information on the stem cells, RM and cord blood banking and therapeutics sectors.From:biopharmachannelViews:0 0ratingsTime:25:38More inScience Technology

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Michael Boo of National Marrow Donor Program on public banking - at World Cord Blood Congress 2012 - Video

Having stem cells
before and afterFrom:FeverantViews:37 5ratingsTime:11:04More inEntertainment

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Having stem cells - Video

2208SB INDIA-STEM CELLS BOLLYWOOD ACTRESS
2208SB INDIA-STEM CELLS BOLLYWOOD ACTRESSFrom:BYNTVNewsViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:13More inNews Politics

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2208SB INDIA-STEM CELLS BOLLYWOOD ACTRESS - Video

Karen Babos of Optum Health on reimbursement for transplants - at World Cord Blood Congress 2012
Dr. Karen Babos, Senior National Medical Director at Optum Health, spoke at the World Cord Blood Congress 2012 on the topic, #39;Ensuring reimbursement from insurance companies for cordblood transplants. #39; World Cord Blood Congress is where private and public cord blood banks, pharma and biotechs, academia and government come to debate advances in cord blood banking and therapeutics. For more information, go to http://www.terrapinn.com/cordblood. Or, check out our blog at blogs.terrapinn.com/total-biopharma for up to date information on the stem cells, RM and cord blood banking and therapeutics sectors.From:biopharmachannelViews:0 0ratingsTime:25:21More inScience Technology

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Karen Babos of Optum Health on reimbursement for transplants - at World Cord Blood Congress 2012 - Video

Afriye Amerson on cord blood promotion to expectant mothers - at World Cord Blood Congress 2012
Dr. Afriye Amerson, OB/GYN at the Amerson Women #39;s Health Center, spoke at the World Cord Blood Congress 2012 on the topic, #39;Engaging OB/GYNs to increase cord blood promotion to expectant mothers. #39; World Cord Blood Congress is where private and public cord blood banks, pharma and biotechs, academia and government come to debate advances in cord blood banking and therapeutics. For more information, go to http://www.terrapinn.com/cordblood. Or, check out our blog at blogs.terrapinn.com/total-biopharma for up to date information on the stem cells, RM and cord blood banking and therapeutics sectors.From:biopharmachannelViews:0 0ratingsTime:23:35More inScience Technology

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Afriye Amerson on cord blood promotion to expectant mothers - at World Cord Blood Congress 2012 - Video