Category Archives: Stem Cells

Renowned Israeli stem-cell researcher in Fairfield Aug. 6

By Cindy Mindell

Dr. Yaqub Hanna

A leading Israeli scientist who has pioneered groundbreaking stem-cell reprogamming research will discuss his work on Wednesday, Aug. 6 at Jewish Senior Services in Fairfield.

Together with a team of researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science Department of Molecular Genetics in Rehovot, Israel, Dr. Jacob (Yaqub) Hanna has overcome a major roadblock in the use of human stem cells for medical purposes. Funded by a grant from the Israel Cancer Research Fund, their pioneering breakthrough was recently published in the peer-reviewed international science journal, Nature.

Its not only Hannas work that is note-worthy: the award-winning research scientist is a Palestinian living in Israel, a native of Kafr Rama in the Galilee and the son of two medical doctors.

Hanna earned a BS in medical sciences summa cum laude in 2001, an MS in microbiology and immunology in 2003, and a PhD-MD in immunology summa cum laude in 2007, all from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he was among the top five percent of all Israeli medical-school graduates. After completing his PhD, Hanna decided to abandon clinical medicine and focus on research, and spent four years conducting postdoctoral research in the lab, part of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT.

During his postdoctoral work, Hanna was the first non-American to receive a prestigious Novartis Fellowship from the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation. He joined the Weizmann Institute Department of Molecular Genetics upon his return to Israel in 2011. That year, he received the Clore Prize for distinguished new faculty at the Weizmann Institute and was accepted as a Yigal Alon Program Scholar for junior faculty in Israel. He is also the recipient of the Wolf Foundations Krill Prize for Excellence in Scientific Research and the 2013 Rappaport Prize in Biomedical Research.

Hanna has had to find a way to navigate between his personal and professional identities.

Read more:
Stem Cells: Promises and Reality

Emma #39;s Story
Jeanette and David Nucifora have three daughters. There were all born at Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga. At birth, they chose to save the cord blood stem cells for all three girls. This...

By: Cells for Life

Go here to read the rest:
Emma's Story - Video

Surgeons at the University Hospital Southampton have designed the new procedure to coat damaged cartilage with stem cells taken from the hip If successful, it will regenerate the remaining tissue, creating a permanent 'like-for-like' replacement for the first time Cartilage is a tough tissue covering the surface of joints and enables bones to slide over one another, reducing friction and acting as a shock absorber

By Lizzie Parry

Published: 07:05 EST, 23 July 2014 | Updated: 07:21 EST, 23 July 2014

221 shares

11

View comments

Surgeons have designed a new operation which they hope could prevent the development of arthritis and extend sporting careers.

The procedure, which is currently being trialled at Southampton General Hospital, involves coating damaged cartilage with stem cells, taken from a patients own hip, and surgical glue.

If successful, it will regenerate the remaining tissue and create a permanent 'like-for-like' replacement for the first time.

Surgeons at University Hospital Southampton have pioneered a new operation to treat knee injuries, which they hope will extend sporting careers. Argentinian striker Luis Suarez had an operation to remove his damaged meniscus, part of the cartilage in the knee, prior to the World Cup

Read the original post:
New knee op using stem cells could stop arthritis and extend sporting careers

Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise BOSTON July 24, 2014 Japanese biologist Shinya Yamanaka won a Nobel Prize in 2012 for discovering how to create induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), cells derived from normal adult cells that have the ability to differentiate into almost any other kind of cells. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center now have created the first iPSCs that offer a human model of insulin resistance, a key driver of type 2 diabetes.

This is one of the very first studies of human iPSC models for type 2 diabetes, and it points out the power of this technology to look at the nature of diabetes, which is complex and may be different in different individuals, says C. Ronald Kahn, MD, Joslins Chief Academic Officer and the Mary K. Iacocca Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Until now, scientists examining the causes and effects of insulin resistance have struggled with a general lack of human cell lines from tissues such as muscle, fat and liver that respond significantly to insulin, Kahn says. Studying insulin resistance as it progresses through pre-clinical stages of type 2 diabetes has been particularly challenging.

There have been no good human cell models to study insulin resistance, but such cells can now be made with iPSCs, says Kahn, co-senior author on a paper about the study published in the journal Diabetes.

Generation of iPSCs typically starts with fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) from skin samples. Kahn and his colleagues used fibroblasts from three patients with severe insulin resistance brought on by mutations in the gene for the insulin receptor (IR)a molecule that crosses the cell membrane and plays a key role in insulin signaling and glucose metabolism.

The Joslin researchers reprogrammed the fibroblasts into iPSCs by using viral procedures that activated four genes that together maintain cells in the iPSC state. The scientists then looked at gene activation in insulin signaling pathways for iPSCs and fibroblasts with IR mutations, and for corresponding cells derived from people without those mutations.

Among the study findings, IR mutations alter expression of many genes both in fibroblasts and iPSCs compared to normal cells, but the impact is very much dependent on the cell type, says Kahn. You see one type of expression pattern in the fibroblasts and a different type of pattern in the iPSCs.

Insulin is a key ingredient for the growth and proliferation of normal stem cells, and the study demonstrated that insulin resistance also reduces the ability of the iPSCs to grow and proliferate. That defect may represent a previously unrecognized mechanism that aids in developing diabetes, Kahn says, as well as helping to explain the problems in wound healing, tissue repair and even beta-cell growth that are common among people with diabetes.

View post:
Joslin Scientists Create the First IPS Cells to Offer Human Model of Insulin Resistance

July 21, 2014

Michigan State University

Not unlike looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, a team of Michigan State University researchers have found a gene that could be key to the development of stem cells cells that can potentially save millions of lives by morphing into practically any cell in the body.

The gene, known as ASF1A, was not discovered by the team. However, it is at least one of the genes responsible for the mechanism of cellular reprogramming, a phenomenon that can turn one cell type into another, which is key to the making of stem cells.

In a paper published in the journal Science, the researchers describe how they analyzed more than 5,000 genes from a human egg, or oocyte, before determining that the ASF1A, along with another gene known as OCT4 and a helper soluble molecule, were the ones responsible for the reprogramming.

This has the potential to be a major breakthrough in the way we look at how stem cells are developed, said Elena Gonzalez-Munoz, a former MSU post-doctoral researcher and first author of the paper. Researchers are just now figuring out how adult somatic cells such as skin cells can be turned into embryonic stem cells. Hopefully this will be the way to understand more about how that mechanism works.

In 2006, an MSU team identified the thousands of genes that reside in the oocyte. It was from those, they concluded, that they could identify the genes responsible for cellular reprogramming.

In 2007, a team of Japanese researchers found that by introducing four other genes into cells, stem cells could be created without the use of a human egg. These cells are called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs.

This is important because the iPSCs are derived directly from adult tissue and can be a perfect genetic match for a patient, said Jose Cibelli, an MSU professor of animal science and a member of the team.

The researchers say that the genes ASF1A and OCT4 work in tandem with a ligand, a hormone-like substance that also is produced in the oocyte called GDF9, to facilitate the reprogramming process.

View original post here:
Researchers Find Gene That Could Make It Easier To Develop Life-saving Stem Cells

A new study in mice reveals that mesenchymal (mezz-EN-chem-uhl) stem cells (MSCs) help rejuvenate skeletal muscle after resistance exercise.

By injecting MSCs into mouse leg muscles prior to several bouts of eccentric exercise (similar to the lengthening contractions performed during resistance training in humans that result in mild muscle damage), researchers were able to increase the rate of repair and enhance the growth and strength of those muscles in the exercising mice.

The findings, described in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, may one day lead to new interventions to combat age-related declines in muscle structure and function, said University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Marni Boppart, who led the research.

"We have an interest in understanding how muscle responds to exercise, and which cellular components contribute to the increase in repair and growth with exercise," she said. "But the primary goal of our lab really is to have some understanding of how we can rejuvenate the aged muscle to prevent the physical disability that occurs with age, and to increase quality of life in general as well."

MSCs occur naturally in the body and may differentiate into several different cell types. They form part of the stroma, the connective tissue that supports organs and other tissues.

MSCs also excrete growth factors and, according to the new study, stimulate muscle precursor cells, called satellite cells, to expand inside the tissue and contribute to repair following injury. Once present and activated, satellite cells actually fuse to the damaged muscle fibers and form new fibers to reconstruct the muscle and enhance strength.

"Satellite cells are a primary target for the rejuvenation of aged muscle, since activation becomes increasingly impaired and recovery from injury is delayed over the lifespan," Boppart said. "MSC transplantation may provide a viable solution to reawaken the aged satellite cell."

Satellite cells themselves will likely never be used therapeutically to enhance repair or strength in young or aged muscle "because they cause an immune response and rejection within the tissue," Boppart said. But MSCs are "immunoprivileged," meaning that they can be transplanted from one individual to another without sparking an immune response.

"Skeletal muscle is a very complex organ that is highly innervated and vascularized, and unfortunately all of these different tissues become dysfunctional with age," Boppart said. "Therefore, development of an intervention that can heal multiple tissues is ideally required to reverse age-related declines in muscle mass and function. MSCs, because of their ability to repair a variety of different tissue types, are perfectly suited for this task."

Story Source:

Read more:
Stem cells aid muscle repair, strengthening after resistance exercise

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

21-Jul-2014

Contact: Diana Yates diya@illinois.edu 217-333-5802 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. A new study in mice reveals that mesenchymal (mezz-EN-chem-uhl) stem cells (MSCs) help rejuvenate skeletal muscle after resistance exercise.

By injecting MSCs into mouse leg muscles prior to several bouts of eccentric exercise (similar to the lengthening contractions performed during resistance training in humans that result in mild muscle damage), researchers were able to increase the rate of repair and enhance the growth and strength of those muscles in the exercising mice.

The findings, described in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, may one day lead to new interventions to combat age-related declines in muscle structure and function, said University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Marni Boppart, who led the research.

"We have an interest in understanding how muscle responds to exercise, and which cellular components contribute to the increase in repair and growth with exercise," she said. "But the primary goal of our lab really is to have some understanding of how we can rejuvenate the aged muscle to prevent the physical disability that occurs with age, and to increase quality of life in general as well."

MSCs occur naturally in the body and may differentiate into several different cell types. They form part of the stroma, the connective tissue that supports organs and other tissues.

MSCs also excrete growth factors and, according to the new study, stimulate muscle precursor cells, called satellite cells, to expand inside the tissue and contribute to repair following injury. Once present and activated, satellite cells actually fuse to the damaged muscle fibers and form new fibers to reconstruct the muscle and enhance strength.

"Satellite cells are a primary target for the rejuvenation of aged muscle, since activation becomes increasingly impaired and recovery from injury is delayed over the lifespan," Boppart said. "MSC transplantation may provide a viable solution to reawaken the aged satellite cell."

See more here:
Stem cells aid muscle repair and strengthening after resistance exercise

ROCHESTER, MN (KARE/NBC) - Seventy-five years ago, Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with the rare, neurological disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at the Mayo Clinic.

On July 4, 1939, he gave his famous farewell speech to baseball fans.

Doctors now have a better understanding of the fatal disease, but apart from medication that may give someone an extra couple of months, there is still no good way to extend someone's life.

Mayo Clinic researchers are working with stem cells to develop a new treatment. A New Brighton woman hopes to benefit.

Linda Leight spends every minute she can with her eight grandchildren. They visit her often at her home.

Time with grandchildren is always precious, but even more so for her because just like baseball legend Gehrig, Leight has ALS.

The disease has slowed her speech.

She has enrolled in a Mayo Clinic study that is testing the safety of taking stem cells and injecting them into a patient's spinal fluid.

"My hope is that I could gain some time," she said.

Read more: http://kare11.tv/1kWk3as

Go here to read the rest:
Stem cells may offer new course of treatment for ALS

The European Union Court of Justice will likely agree that stem cells can be patented, setting a new precedent for scientists to use this controversial method for research and development.

This is an extremely important case with industry-wide consequences, Dr. Simon Craw, of the International Stem Cell Corporation, the American biotech company at the center of the case.

The California-based firm applied for two patents on the technology it uses to produce stem cells but was rejected. European Union laws dictate that embryos cannot be patented on ethical grounds, because they can develop into humans.

Technically, embryos are eggs that have been fertilized with human sperm. But ISC Corp. uses chemicals to activate the cells instead, which are then called parthenotes.

EU Advocate General Pedro Cruz Villaln wrote in a Thursday opinion that since these cells cannot possibly develop into humans, they arent subject to the ethical laws that apply to human beings.

Its a great day for scientific rationale with the Judge correctly recognizing the difference between human parthenogenesis and fertilization, Craw said.

Three years ago, the EU court ruled against patents on discoveries that involve the stem cells, saying the use of human cells in this was immoral.

But it all started in 2004 when Greenpeace challenged a patent filed by a German stem cell researcher, which described a method to turn stem cells into nerve cells.

Greenpeace said the work was contrary to public order because the embryos were destroyed, according to a report in the Guardian from the time.

A group of 13 scientists wrote in the journal Nature that year to express profound concern over the recommended ban, which represents a blow to years of effort to derive medical applications from embryonic stem cells.

Follow this link:
International Stem Cell Corporation Should Win EU Patent Case

(PRWEB) July 17, 2014

BCC Research (http://www.bccresearch.com) reveals in its new report, INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS: GLOBAL MARKETS, the global market for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is expected to grow to $2.9 billion by 2018, with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.7%. The Asia-Pacific market, the fastest performing regional segment, is projected to move at a significant CAGR of 22%.

iPSCs are a breakthrough technology recognized by the 2012 Nobel Physiology and Medicine Prize. They are expected to bring revolutionary changes to modern medicine and new hope for reprogramming cells to repair damaged tissues in the human body. They are already useful for drug development and modeling of diseases; scientists hope to use them as powerful tools in tissue transplants since they can be developed from a patient's own cells, avoiding the risk of rejection that is often encountered. The technologies of differentiating iPSCs into various tissue cells are also developing rapidly.

Markets and applications for this technology include academic research, drug development and toxicity testing, regenerative medicine, molecular and cellular engineering, cellular reprogramming, and cell culture.

"The clinical research and service iPSCs market is expected to experience rapid growth in the next few years," says BCC Research biotechnology analyst Mike Fan. "Indeed, iPSCs technology is speeding up and improving the drug discovery process, particularly in promoting personal medicine and the development of personalized drugs and diagnostic tests."

iPSCs are artificially derived from non-pluripotent somatic cells by inducing expression of specific genes. Similar to embryonic stem cells, iPSCs possess pluripotency but reduce associated ethical issues by eliminating the use of embryos. Pluripotency refers to the ability to become any tissue in the body, excluding a placenta.

INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS: GLOBAL MARKETS provides an overview of the global market for iPSCs. It includes analyses of global market trends, with data from 2012 and 2013, and projections of CAGRs through 2018, as well as profiles of companies important in the industry.

Editors and reporters, who wish to speak with the analyst, should contact Steven Cumming at steven.cumming(at)bccresearch(dot)com.

About BCC Research

BCC Research publishes market research reports that make organizations worldwide more profitable with intelligence that drives smart business decisions. These reports cover today's major industrial and technology sectors, including emerging markets. For more than 40 years, we have helped customers identify new market opportunities with accurate and reliable data and insight, including market sizing, forecasting, industry overviews, and identification of significant trends and key competitors. We partner with analysts who are experts in specific areas of industry and technology, providing unbiased measurements and assessments of global markets. Our clients include the top companies in industries around the world as well as universities, business schools, start-ups, consulting firms and investment companies. BCC Research is a unit of Eli Research LLC. Visit our website at http://www.bccresearch.com. Contact us: (+1) 781-489-7301 (U.S. Eastern Time), or email information(at)bccresearch(dot)com.

View original post here:
Global Market for Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Reach $2.9 Billion in 2018; Technology Offers New Hope for ...