Recently published results from the Harvard Stem Cell Institutes first-ever clinical trials have identified a molecule that could increase the success rates of umbilical cord blood transplants in cancer patients.

The trials found that umbilical cord blood cells treated with 16, 16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2, a molecule derived from fatty acids and also called dmPGE2, grew more stem cells than untreated umbilical cord blood.

Stem cell growth is particularly promising in the treatment of cancer, which is marked by rapid proliferation of mutated cells and the death of functional, important tissue. Stem cell transplants usually face stringent blood type matching requirements, which can often hinder a patients ability to find a viable donor.

Umbilical cord transplants improve flexibility and safety, however, since blood does not need to be exactly matched and has had less exposure to viruses. Successful implementation of the dmPGE2 molecule could help the approximately 50 to 60 percent of stem cell transplant patients who do not have siblings with a matching blood type.

Led by Leonard I. Zon, chairman of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute Executive Committee and professor of stem cell and regenerative biology, researchers at the HSCI discovered that dmPGE2 spurred stem cell growth through laboratory experiments on zebrafish and then mice. Zon and his team then approached the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital to conduct clinical trials.

The HSCI has several ongoing projects, but researchers work on the dmPGE2 molecule is one of the special projects in the lab, Zon said, adding that the work is one of the most exciting things he has ever done.

Corey S. Cutler, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who spearheaded the clinical trials, echoed Zons enthusiasm about the projects potential. The exciting part [about this project] is that its really home-grown technology that was discovered right down the hall, he said. He added that while it may still be many years before the technology is ubiquitously accessible to patients, the fact that we could potentially change the field entirely; its quite amazing.

The study was published online in the weekly medical journal Blood in late August and received support from biopharmaceutical company Fate Therapeutics. Phase II of the clinical testing is designed to evaluate the treatments efficacy in about 60 patients. According to Zon, results should be expected after 18 months.

The HSCI was established nine years ago to translate stem cell technology advances made in the laboratory into clinical applications.

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Molecule Increases Growth of Stem Cells, Research Suggests

Newswise October 16, 2013 -- Scientific advances in the differentiation of embryonic stem cells to form functional thyroid follicles and in genome sequencing to identify cancer-related gene mutations and drive the development of more effective, targeted therapeutics are beginning to move from the "bench to the bedside" and have important clinical implications for people with thyroid disease. Recent discoveries in these two exciting fields and their path from the research laboratory to the clinical arena will be explored in timely and provocative Plenary Lectures presented at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association, October 16-20, 2013, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan, Hicks Endowed Professor of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, and Director of the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology (MCTP), which aims to develop new molecular tests and therapeutics for human disease with a primary focus on cancer, will deliver a Plenary Lecture entitled "The Application of the Integrative Sequencing for Precision Oncology." Dr. Chinnaiyan is a leader in the use of genome sequencing technology to discover cancer-driving gene mutations, which can serve as the basis for identifying novel targets for drug development. The goal of precision oncology is to develop new drugs that can recognize and eliminate cancer cells without harming healthy cells and causing the adverse effects associated with conventional chemotherapeutic agents.

Dr. Sabine Costagliola, Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research in Human and Molecular Biology, Universit libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, will deliver a Plenary Lecture entitled "Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation into a Functioning Thyroid Gland." Dr. Costagliola's laboratory recently demonstrated the ability to generate functional thyroid tissue from mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) grown in a three-dimensional cell culture system. They induced the pluripotent stem cells to differentiate to form thyroid follicular cells. Following exposure to human thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), these thyroid follicular-like cells formed 3D structures that displayed molecular, morphological, and functional properties similar to those of "real" thyroid follicles. When transplanted into mice, these mESC-derived thyroid follicles developed into functioning thyroid tissue.

"The two Plenary Lectures featured at the ATA meeting review state-of-the-art thyroid research," says Hossein Gharib, MD, MACP, MACE, Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, President-Elect of the American Thyroid Association, and Past-President of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. "One, by Dr. Costagliola, discusses applications of stem cells in developing thyroid function. This is an important area to treat anyone with thyroid deficiency, whether congenital or acquired. The other, by Dr. Chinnaiyan, explores how genes and mutations can cause cancer, and how genome sequencing can be used to diagnose and treat cancer.

About the ATA The American Thyroid Association (ATA) is the leading worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement, understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer. ATA is an international individual membership organization with over 1,700 members from 43 countries around the world. Celebrating its 90th anniversary, ATA delivers its mission through several key endeavors: the publication of highly regarded monthly journals, THYROID, Clinical Thyroidology (CT), VideoEndocrinology and CT for Patients; annual scientific meetings; biennial clinical and research symposia; research grant programs for young investigators, support of online professional, public and patient educational programs through http://www.thyroid.org; and the development of guidelines for clinical management of thyroid disease. Visit http://www.thyroid.org for more information.

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Plenary Lectures Highlight Clinical Advances in Use of Stem Cells and Cancer Genome Sequencing at Annual Meeting of ...

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7ntlsl/stem_cells_market) has announced the addition of the "Global Stem Cells Market Report 2013-2018" report to their offering.

Stem Cells Market (Adult, Human Embryonic , Induced Pluripotent, Rat-Neural, Umbilical Cord, Cell Production, Cell Acquisition, Expansion, Sub-Culture) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2012 - 2018

The market by products is segmented into three sub-types, namely adult stem cells, human embryonic stem cells and other type of stem cells. Adult stem cells are further segmented into hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, neuronal stem cells, dental stem cells and umbilical cord stem cells. The other types of stem cells include induced pluripotent stem cells, natural rosette cells and very small embryonic like stem cells.

The report highlights the market shares of key players in 2011. The company profiles for some of the key players, namely Advanced Cell Technology Inc., STEMCELL Technologies Inc., Cellular Engineering Technologies Inc., BioTime Inc., Aastrom Biosciences Inc. and California Stem Cell Inc. in terms of company overview, financial overview, business strategies, recent developments and product portfolio is also covered.

Key Topics Covered:

Chapter 1 Preface

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

Chapter 3 Market Overview

Chapter 4 Global Stem Cells Market, By Products

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Research and Markets: Global Stem Cells Market Report 2013-2018: Adult Stem Cells, Human Embryonic Stem Cells and ...

Oct. 14, 2013 Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified a protein expressed by human bone marrow stem cells that guides and stimulates the formation of blood vessels.

Their findings, which could help improve the vascularization of engineered tissues, were reported online on October 12 in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology.

"Some stem cells actually have multiple jobs," says Dr. Jalees Rehman, associate professor of cardiology and pharmacology at the UIC College of Medicine and lead author of the paper. For example, stem cells in the bone marrow, he said, differentiate into bone or cartilage, but also have a secondary role in helping to support other cells in the bone marrow.

Rehman and his colleagues, who are developing engineered tissues for use in cardiac patients, observed that certain stem cells in bone marrow, called mesenchymal stem cells, seemed crucial for organizing other cells into functional blood vessels.

The researchers demonstrated that when they mixed mesenchymal stem cells from human bone marrow with the endothelial cells that line blood vessels, the stem cells elongated to form scaffolds and the endothelial cells organized around them to form tubes.

"But without the stem cells, the endothelial cells just sat there," said Rehman.

When the cell mixtures were implanted into mice, blood vessels formed that were able to support the flow of blood. To find out how the stem cells were helping promote blood vessel formation, the researchers looked at which genes were being expressed when the stem cells and endothelial cells were combined.

They tested two different stem cell lines from human bone marrow. One line supported the formation of blood vessel networks when it was mixed with endothelial cells, while the other cell line did not.

They analyzed the genetic signature and proteins of the respective cell lines and found that the vessel-supporting stem cell line released high levels of a blood vessel guidance molecule -- SLIT3. In the mixture that didn't form blood vessels, the SLIT3 gene was hardly expressed, Rehman said.

"This means that not all stem cells are created alike in terms of their SLIT3 production and their ability to encourage blood vessel formation," Rehman said. "While using a patient's own stem cells for making blood vessels is ideal because it eliminates the problem of immune rejection, it might be a good idea to test a patient's stem cells first to make sure they are good producers of SLIT3. If they aren't, the engineered vessels may not thrive, or even fail to grow."

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Adult stem cells help build human blood vessels in engineered tissues