MIAMI (PRWEB) March 02, 2015

Global Stem Cells Group.com has announced a newly formed alliance with Shenzhen HANK Bioengineering Co., Ltd. and its Chinese-American founder Mingjie Zhang, M.D., Ph.D. The alliance will establish a stem cells training course in the City of Shenzen, Guangdong Province, China in September 2015.

Shenzhen HANK is a biotechnology company established in 2013 by Zhang, an award-winning scientist, microbiologist and virologist, to integrate research, development, production, and sales of biomedical products. Zhang worked at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control from 1991 to 1993, the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH) from 1993 to 1994, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from 1995 to 2013 in various research positions including National Research Center (NRC) senior associate from 1995 to 1997. In 2012 he earned the Scientific Achievement Award from the USFDA for outstanding achievement in natural killer (NK) cell research, and holds numerous awards for his work in the fields of HIV, HCV, West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and quality performance.

In 2013, Dr. Zhang expanded on his work in stem cell research and development by launching HANK Bioengineering Co. Ltd. in Shenzhen, China. HANK is a 4,300 square foot (400 square meters) CFDA certified cGMP facility affiliated with HANK Bioengineering Institutes Cell Biology and Molecular Immunology Laboratories. HANK has established close collaborations with more than five hospitals in China for clinical applications of its cell therapy products.

Shenzhen HANK is also a biotechnology service provider committed to the development and application of multiple immune cell therapy systems. The company has up to 20 cell therapy products of 4 series approved by the CFDA, including lymphocyte culture medium (NK, CTL and Treg cell in vitro culture reagents), lymphocyte serum-free culture medium, lymphocyte separation media, and lymphocyte freezing medium.

Dr. Zhang and HANK Bioengineering will work seamlessly with our research, product development and education programs, says Benito Novas, Global Stem Cells Group CEO. This is a great opportunity for us to expand into China and work with one of the worlds most accomplished cell therapy researchers in his certified, cutting-edge cell biology laboratories.

Global Stem Cells Group and Zhang plan to launch a stem cell training course at the Shenzhen HANK facility in Guangdong Province, China in September 2015.

For more information, visit the Global Stem Cells Group website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About the Global Stem Cells Group:

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions. With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

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Global Stem Cells Group Announces Alliance with HANK Bioengineering Co., Ltd. in Shenzhen, China

22 hours ago Illustrated model for the role of Sall4 in activating ATM to repair DNA damage in embryonic stem cells. Credit: Xiong et al., 2015

A protein that helps embryonic stem cells (ESCs) retain their identity also promotes DNA repair, according to a study in The Journal of Cell Biology. The findings raise the possibility that the protein, Sall4, performs a similar role in cancer cells, helping them fix DNA damage to survive chemotherapy.

Fixing broken DNA is particularly important for ESCs because they will pass on any mutations to their differentiated descendants. Mouse ESCs are adept at making repairsthey carry far fewer mutations than do differentiated cellsbut how they achieve this isn't clear. A team of researchers led by Yang Xu, from the University of California, San Diego, tested whether the protein Sall4, which suppresses differentiation of ESCs, has a role in DNA repair.

The researchers found that ESCs lacking Sall4 were poor at mending double-strand breaks, a hazardous form of DNA damage in which both strands of the double helix are severed. They also observed that, after inducing DNA damage in mouse ESCs, Sall4 associated with proteins known to be involved in DNA repair. Overall, their findings support a model for how Sall4 is recruited to the sites of these breaks and activates ATM, a kinase that signals DNA damage and instigates repair. Because tumor cells often overexpress Sall4, the protein might similarly help them repair DNA damage. Sall4 could therefore be considered a target for drug development in cancer biology.

Explore further: Study identifies promising drug target in certain breast and ovarian cancers

More information: Xiong, J., et al. 2015. J. Cell Biol. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201408106

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Scientists have taken pictures of the BRCA2 protein for the first time, showing how it works to repair damaged DNA.

Case Western Reserve researchers have identified a two-pronged therapeutic approach that shows great potential for weakening and then defeating cancer cells. The team's complex mix of genetic and biochemical experiments unearthed ...

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Sall4 is required for DNA repair in stem cells

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Newswise BUFFALO, N.Y. Damage to myelin, the fatty insulator that enables communication between nerve cells, characterizes multiple sclerosis (MS) and other devastating neurological diseases.

The damage doesnt come all at once: There is a honeymoon period during which some regeneration of myelin, called remyelination, does occur, but this ability to regenerate dissipates as the disease progresses and the patient ages.

Now, a University at Buffalo researcher has discovered a way to keep that kind of remyelination going, using a drug thats already on the market.

A paper describing the research results was published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience.

We have identified a new drug target that promotes stem cell therapy for myelin-based disease, such as MS, says lead author Fraser J. Sim, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

IMAGE: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2015/02/046.html.

The study shows it is possible to boost myelination by targeting human oligodendrocyte progenitor cells with solifenacin, an anti-muscarinic drug that currently is approved and marketed to treat overactive bladder.

Our hypothesis is that in MS, the oligodendrocyte progenitor cells seem to get stuck, Sim explains. When these cells dont mature properly, they dont differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes.

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Myelin-Maker: How an FDA-Approved Drug Boosts Myelin Synthesis

Health and Medicine for Seniors

Human stem cells restore cognitive function after chemotherapy damage

First solid evidence that transplantation of human neural stem cells can reverse chemo induced damage of healthy tissue in the brain

Feb. 16, 2015 - Human nerve system stem cell treatments are showing promise for reversing learning and memory deficits after chemotherapy, according to UC Irvine researchers.

In preclinical studies using rodents, they found that adult stem cells transplanted one week after the completion of a series of chemotherapy sessions restored a range of cognitive functions, as measured one month later using a comprehensive platform of behavioral testing. In contrast, rats not treated with stem cells showed significant learning and memory impairment.

The frequent use of chemotherapy to combat multiple cancers can produce severe cognitive dysfunction, often referred to as "chemobrain," which can persist and manifest in many ways long after the end of treatments in as many as 75 percent of survivors - a problem of particular concern with pediatric patients.

"Our findings provide the first solid evidence that transplantation of human neural stem cells can be used to reverse chemotherapeutic-induced damage of healthy tissue in the brain," said Charles Limoli, a UCI professor of radiation oncology.

Study results appear in the Feb. 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Many chemotherapeutic agents used to treat disparate cancer types trigger inflammation in the hippocampus, a cerebral region responsible for many cognitive abilities, such as learning and memory. This inflammation can destroy neurons and other cell types in the brain.

Additionally, these toxic compounds damage the connective structure of neurons, called dendrites and axons, and alter the integrity of synapses - the vital links that permit neurons to pass electrical and chemical signals throughout the brain. Limoli compares the process to a tree being pruned of its branches and leaves.

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Human stem cells restore cognitive function after chemotherapy damage

Published: Sunday, 3/1/2015 - Updated: 29 seconds ago

BY MARLENEHARRIS-TAYLOR BLADE STAFF WRITER

Hockey legend Gordie Howes star power is raising awareness in the United States and Canada about advances in stem-cell therapies as he continues what is being called a miraculous recovery from a massive stroke.

Those closest to him, including his son, Toledo radiologist Dr. Murray Howe, are convinced the former Detroit Red Wings player would have died if he had not traveled to a medical clinic in Tijuana, Mexico, for an experimental stem-cell treatment not yet available in the United States.

After a debilitating stroke on Oct. 26, Mr. Howe, 86, had a few weeks of slight recovery, but then his health went downhill quickly, said Dr. Howe, director of sports medicine imaging for ProMedica Toledo Hospital. The family had started preparing for his funeral. But that all turned around after he had the adult stem-cell treatment on Dec. 8.

If you saw him now, you wouldnt know he had a stroke, Dr. Howe said.

Its been wonderful. Every day I would say hes a little bit better, and there are little hints of improvement. Certainly in the first month, every day his strength, coordination, and balance were better. He has been eating like a horse. He had lost 20 pounds, and now he has gained back 25 pounds, so he is pretty close to his playing weight now, Dr. Howe said.

Amazing results

In describing his fathers treatment and recovery in the last three months, Dr. Howe does not hesitate to use words such as unbelievable, astonishing, and amazing.

Eight hours after Mr. Howe received what is called a lumbar puncture, where stem cells were injected in the spinal fluid of his lower back by an anesthesiologist, he went from being bedridden and only mumbling short sentences to speaking clearly and walking with assistance, Dr. Howe said.

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Howe's recovery shows stem-cell advances