References 1.. Discher, DE. Mooney, DJ. Zandstra, PW. Growth factors, matrices, and forces combine and control stem cells. Science (2009). 26324(5935), 16731677. Article Abstract 2.. Sato, N. Meijer, L. Skaltsounis, L. et al. Maintenance of pluripotency in human and mouse embryonic stem cells through activation of Wnt signaling by a pharmacological GSK-3-specific inhibitor. Nat Med (2004). 10(1), 5563. Article Abstract 3.. Schuldiner, M. Yanuka, O. Itskovitz-Eldor, J. et al. Effects of eight growth factors on the differentiation of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 10 (2000). 97(21), 1130711312. Article Abstract 4.. Xu, C. Rosler, E. Jiang, J. et al. Basic fibroblast growth factor supports undifferentiated human embryonic stem cell growth without conditioned medium. Stem Cells (2005). 23(3), 315323. Article Abstract 5.. Herszfeld, D. Wolvetang, E. Langton-Bunker, E. et al. CD30 is a survival factor and a biomarker for transformed human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Biotechnol (2006). 24(3), 351357. Article Abstract 6.. Laflamme, MA. Chen, KY. Naumova, AV. et al. Cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells in pro-survival factors enhance function of infarcted rat hearts. Nat Biotechnol (2007). 25(9), 10151024. Article Abstract 7.. Lombardo, A. Genovese, P. Beausejour, CM. et al. Gene editing in human stem cells using zinc finger nucleases and integrase-defective lentiviral vector delivery. Nat Biotechnol (2007). 25(11), 12981306. Article Abstract 8.. Lebkowski, JS. Gold, J. Xu, C. et al. Human embryonic stem cells: culture, differentiation, and genetic modification for regenerative medicine applications. Cancer J (2001). 7(Suppl 2), S83S93. Abstract 9.. Zou, J. Maeder, ML. Mali, P. et al. Gene targeting of a disease-related gene in human induced pluripotent stem and embryonic stem cells. Cell Stem Cell (2009). 25(1), 97110. Article Abstract 10.. Gropp, M. Itsykson, P. Singer, O. et al. Stable genetic modification of human embryonic stem cells by lentiviral vectors. Mol Ther (2003). 7(2), 281287. Article Abstract 11.. Kooreman, NG. Wu, JC. Tumorigenicity of pluripotent stem cells: biological insights from molecular imaging. J R Soc Interface (2010). 7(Suppl 6), S753S763. Article Abstract

12.. Cao, F. Drukker, M. Lin, S. Molecular imaging of embryonic stem cell misbehavior and suicide gene ablationCloning Stem Cells 2007 Spring; 91107117 [doi: 10.1089/clo.2006.0E16] [pmid: 17386018]

25.. Geron Corporation. . 2010Geron's IND for Spinal Cord Injury Placed on Hold [Press release] Retrieved from http://ir.geron.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=67323&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1636249&highlight=

26.. Johnson, S. 2010FDA approves Geron's groundbreaking study of embryonic cellsSan Jose Mercury News. Retrieved from http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article.php?id=5305

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Teratoma formation: A tool for monitoring pluripotency in ...

Stem cell research in relation to anti aging medicine is truly revolutionary. Scientists are saying they know more than enough to get started on the development of working anti-aging medicine - therapies that my slow down or reverse the root causes of age-related degeneration. The science behind it is combining biology, chemistry, and genetics.with ethical and moral constraints that may come into question- this will all lead to a very interesting brand of medicine. Although anti aging medicine has been known to some as a viable sub specialty, it is important to note that until recently stem cell research has been viewed in a skewed manner.

Progress in any one area of the science may lead to therapies for a specific class of age-related illnesses. It is reasonable to expect that over time, researchers will be able to fill in the gaps of stem cell research and where it can be appropriately utilized. Already Alzheimers patients are being promised immune therapies that may address suspected causes of neurodegradation. In age related illnesses, it is thought that the damaged mitochondrial DNA is responsible for the progression of the disease process. In the case of cancer therapy it is believed that manipulation of the telomeres may prevent or treat cancer in the body.

When discussing stem cell research in relation to life extension, it can mean many things. It may be a slow process, and one cannot expect to prevent all diseases at once. Anti aging medicine may be cost effective way of addressing the root cause of the disease, not just treating the disease itself.

There are seven proposed categories of biologic processes that can lead to this type of degenerative aging and age related diseases. Scientists have been able to work with potential therapies in the last two decades that have helped in understanding how stem cells will be able to prevent possible disease in the future. It is thought that tissue loses cells with the advancement of age, such as those in the heart and areas of the brain. Stem cell research and regenerative medicine have been providing very promising answers to degeneration through cell loss.

Elimination of telomere-related mechanisms that may cause cancer- by selectively modifying telomere elongation through tissue typing, this may be the answer to the prevention of cancer. Development of therapies to fix mitochondrial DNA may eliminate the functions that are party to the degenerative aging process. Proteins that are outside the cells, many that are vital to artery walls and skin elasticity, are developed early in life and are never recycled or recycled very slowly. These life long proteins are susceptible to chemical reactions that degrade effectiveness, and researchers can locate suitable enzymes or compounds to break down problem cross-links that they body may not be able to handle.

There are certain cases of cell accumulation, in areas where they are unwanted, specifically in the joints of the body, this is akin to arthritis, and other age related diseases. Stem cell therapy can aid in tailoring the body and the immune system to destroy cells as they become problematic, preventing any related problems.

It is understood that as we age, junk material known as amyloid accumulates outside our cells. Vaccines are currently under development for Alzheimer's, a condition featuring prominent amyloid plaques, and similar efforts could be applied to other classes of extra cellular junk material. There are numerous other diseases that can be treated in the same manner with the same methods when research has developed the appropriate therapies. When junk material builds up within the non-dividing long-life span of cells, thus impairing functions and causing damage, it is hard to ignore the repercussions they may have on the future. The biochemistry of this junk is fairly well understood; with the problem lying in the development of a therapy to break down the unwanted material.

With the development of anti aging medicine and the progression of research in the area of stem cells- it is easy to understand how this can truly revolutionize the future. Although there is much to learn about the topic, you may want to discuss with your doctor about how this may impact your future and your life.

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Stem Cell Regrowth - Anti Aging

Brief Facts

- Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research (hESC) is ethically wrong because it destroys human persons at the embryonic stage of development. - Adult Stem Cell Research is ethically justifiable because it does NOT destroy lives. - hESC Research has found no treatments or cures, rather ESCs cause tumors and cancer. Adult Stem Cell Research has found 77 treatments/cures. - We now have amazing new technology that is quickly making hESC research extinct and obsolete: Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC). iPSCs have the advantages of hESCs, but do NOT kill humans at the embryonic stage of developmental. iPSCs are cells that possess the same pluripotent characteristics of embryonic stem cells; however, they are not obtained from embryos, nor using eggs or cloning. They are obtained by taking an ordinary somatic (body) cell, like a skin cell, and reprogramming it to an embryonic-like pluripotent state.

History

Stem cell research began in the mid 1800s with the discovery that some cells could generate other cells. In the early 1900s the first real stem cells were discovered when it was found that some cells generate blood cells. The history of stem cell research includes work with both animal and human stem cells. A prominent application of stem cell research has been bone marrow transplants using adult stem cells. In the early 1900s physicians administered bone marrow by mouth to patients with anemia and leukemia. Although such therapy was unsuccessful, laboratory experiments eventually demonstrated that mice with defective marrow could be restored to health with infusions into the blood stream of marrow taken from other mice. This caused physicians to speculate whether it was feasible to transplant bone marrow from one human to another. Among early attempts to do this were several transplants carried out in France following a radiation accident in the late 1950s.

Performing marrow transplants in humans was not attempted on a larger scale until a French medical researcher made a critical medical discovery about the human immune system. In 1958 Jean Dausset identified the first of many human histocompatibility antigens. These proteins, found on the surface of most cells in the body, are called human leukocyte antigens, or HLA antigens. These HLA antigens give the bodys immune system the ability to determine what belongs in the body and what does not. Whenever the body does not recognize the series of antigens on the cell walls, it creates antibodies and other substances to destroy the cell.

In 1998, James Thompson (University of Wisconsin Madison) isolated cells from the inner cell mass of early embryos, and developed the first embryonic stem cell lines. In the same year, John Gearhart (Johns Hopkins University) derived germ cells from cells in fetal gonadal tissue (primordial germ cells). Ethical concerns over this type of embryonic stem cell research has been expressed in the following US legal regulations:

In 1973, a moratorium was placed on government funding for human embryo research. In 1988, a NIH panel voted 19 to 2 in favor of government funding. In 1990, Congress voted to override the moratorium on government funding of embryonic stem cell research, which was vetoed by President George Bush. President Clinton lifted the ban, but changed his mind the following year after public outcry. Congress banned federal funding in 1995. In 1998, DHHS Secretary Sullivan extended the moratorium. In 2000, President Bill Clinton allowed funding of research on cells derived from aborted human fetuses, but not from embryonic cells. On August 9, 2001, President George W. Bush announced his decision to allow Federal funding of research only on existing human embryonic stem cell lines created prior to his announcement. His concern was to not foster the continued destruction of living human embryos. In 2004, both houses of Congress asked President George W. Bush to review his policy on embryonic stem cell research. President George W. Bush released a statement reiterating his moral qualms about creating human embryos to destroy them, and refused to reverse the federal policy banning government funding of ESC research. http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/history-of-stem-cell-research-faq.htm

Types

There are three types of stem cells: Embryonic, Adult, and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Adult Stem Cells are generally limited to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue of origin. However, evidence suggests that adult stem cell plasticity may exist, increasing the number of cell types a given adult stem cell can become.

Large numbers of Embryonic Stem Sells can be relatively easily grown in culture, while adult stem cells are rare in mature tissues and methods for expanding their numbers in cell culture have not yet been worked out. With Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, the supply is unlimited because of the ability to reprogram different cells already present in a persons body. This is an important distinction, as large numbers of cells are needed for stem cell replacement therapies.

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Stem Cell Research | Medical Students for Life

Primary Outcome Measures: Evidence of engraftment of donor hematopoietic cells following administration of low doses of busulfan and fludarabine [TimeFrame:Throughout study] [Designatedassafetyissue:No] Secondary Outcome Measures: Solid organ toxicity related to the conditioning regimen [TimeFrame:Throughout study] [Designatedassafetyissue:No] Incidence of grade II, III, or IV acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) [TimeFrame:Throughout study] [Designatedassafetyissue:Yes] Level of disease response [TimeFrame:Throughout study] [Designatedassafetyissue:No]

Hemoglobinopathies, such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia major, are genetic diseases associated with significant morbidity and premature death. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is the only potential cure for severe hemoglobinopathies. Typical regimens have used high doses of chemotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy to ablate recipient hematopoiesis and to prevent graft rejection. The widespread use of this treatment has been limited by toxicity, risk of end-organ damage, and donor availability. This study will use a nonmyeloablative regimen of fludarabine and busulfan to attempt to generate consistent engraftment with donor hematopoietic stem cells in patients with severe hemoglobinopathy.

G-CSF mobilization of the donor's peripheral blood white blood cells will precede donor apheresis. A nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen of fludarabine and busulfan will be administered to patients prior to allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell infusions. FK506 and prednisone will be administered for graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Patients will be evaluated for engraftment, donor: host hematopoietic chimerism, toxicity, and hemoglobinopathy.

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Stem Cell Transplantation After Reduced-Dose Chemotherapy ...