MONTCLAIR, N.J., April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --A preliminary research study, which found that adult stem cells may be functionally reprogrammed to act like younger cells, was presented by Dr. Vincent Giampapa at The Second International Vatican Stem Cell Conference: Regenerative Medicine A Fundamental Shift in Science and Culture, from within the Vatican, held between April 11-13, 2013. The research, which has potential implications in the restoration of human immune function, was conducted by researchers affiliated with CellHealth Institute.

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Dr. Vincent Giampapa, chief medical officer of CellHealth Institute, faculty at UMDNJ's Medical School, and principal investigator of the research, revealed that the preliminary findings support further research into the reprogramming of adult stem cells. This research could lead to a major breakthrough in treating chronic illnesses, enhancing immune response and the maintenance of optimal health.

"Although this is a pilot study, this is the first time that adult stem cells have been functionally reprogrammed to act as younger versions of themselves," said Dr. Giampapa. "The implications for future use in the restoration of immune function as well as the cell regeneration in aging humans is plausible. It's early days, but the signs are there to give us great hope as we move forward into the next phases of research."

CellHealth Institute and its research is supported by key investors, including John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media Corporation, and Dr. Ed Bosarge, founder and CEO of Capital Technologies Inc. The preliminary research study was funded by Dr. Bosarge, through the Bosarge Family Office. Dr. Bosarge will also fund the next stage of the research, which is scheduled to take place in the coming months.

About CellHealth InstituteCellHealthInstitute(CHI)is a biotechnology company focused on cellular health that integrates breakthrough products and services with holistic lifestyle education.CHI collaborates with top-tier research universities and publicly traded biotech companies to offer fully integrated personalized health programs paired with scientific biomarker evaluations, as well as medical-grade supplements, including everycell,and advanced treatment through stem cell therapies. The organization is headquartered in New Jersey with an international regenerative medicine destination in Costa Rica set to open in 2014. CHI services and products allowpeopleto take control of their own health at the most basic level their cells.

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Preliminary Research, Led By Dr. Vincent Giampapa, Finds Aged Adult Stem Cells Can Be Functionally Reprogrammed To Act ...

Public release date: 17-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Anita Srikameswaran SrikamAV@upmc.edu 412-578-9193 University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

Stem cells and tissue-specific cells can be grown in abundance from mature mammalian cells simply by blocking a certain membrane protein, according to scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Their experiments, reported today in Scientific Reports, also show that the process doesn't require other kinds of cells or agents to artificially support cell growth and doesn't activate cancer genes.

Scientists hope that lab-grown stem cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which have the ability to produce specialized cells such as neurons and cardiac cells, could one day be used to treat diseases and repair damaged tissues, said co-author Jeffrey S. Isenberg, M.D., associate professor, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Pitt School of Medicine.

"Even though stem cells are able to self-renew, they are quite challenging to grow in the lab," he said. "Often you have to use feeder cells or introduce viral vectors to artificially create the conditions needed for these cells to survive and thrive."

In 2008, prior to joining Pitt, Dr. Isenberg was working in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) lab of senior author David D. Roberts, Ph.D., using agents that block a membrane protein called CD47 to explore their effects on blood vessels. He noticed that when cells from the lining of the lungs, called endothelium, had been treated with a CD47 blocker, they stayed healthy and maintained their growth and function for months.

Dr. Roberts' NIH team continued to experiment with CD47 blockade, focusing on defining the underlying molecular mechanisms that control cell growth.

They found that endothelial cells obtained from mice lacking CD47 multiplied readily and thrived in a culture dish, unlike those from control mice. Lead author Sukhbir Kaur, Ph.D., discovered that this resulted from increased expression of four genes that are regarded to be essential for formation of iPS cells. When placed into a defined growth medium, cells lacking CD47 spontaneously formed clusters characteristic of iPS cells. By then introducing various growth factors into the culture medium, these cells could be directed to become cells of other tissue types. Despite their vigorous growth, they didn't form tumors when injected into mice, a major disadvantage when using existing iPS cells.

"Stem cells prepared by this new procedure should be much safer to use in patients," Dr. Roberts noted. "Also, the technique opens up opportunities to treat various illnesses by injecting a drug that stimulates patients to make more of their own stem cells."

According to Dr. Isenberg, "These experiments indicate that we can take a primary human or other mammalian cell, even a mature adult cell, and by targeting CD47 turn on its pluripotent capability. We can get brain cells, liver cells, muscle cells and more. In the short term, they could be a boon for a variety of research questions in the lab."

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Recipe for large numbers of stem cells requires only one ingredient, says NIH/Pitt team