A small, stripy fish about the length of a Brazil nut may hold the key to treating human vision loss, following a discovery by the universitys Allison Lab that could see fish stem cells helping humanity.

Zebrafish can selectively repair light-sensitive cells in their retinas. These cells, called cones, are what humans rely on for daytime vision and colour perception. Unlike humans, zebrafish have specialized stem cells in their eyes that allow them to repair these cones when necessary.

Alternatively, when humans suffer retinal damage their eyes cannot recuperate something that could change in light of this new research.

Understanding how to make cones out of stem cells will facilitate therapies to prevent and/or reverse vision loss, explained Michle DuVal, a graduate student and team member at the Allison Lab, in an email interview.

The regenerative response that naturally occurs in zebrafish eyes is incredibly refined.

But the move from tiny fish to humans can get complicated. Limited industry involvement, scant funding and the difficulty of running clinical trials all pose threats to the future of stem cell research especially on the national level.

There are a lot of things going on very actively in other corners of the world, and not so much in Canada, said Tania Bubela, an associate professor at the School of Public Health who has studied stem cells.

One of the impediments is the availability of good manufacturing practice (GMP) materials to actually put into patients.

The increased focus on moving from animal models to clinical trials signals a positive change in the field of stem cell research, according to Timothy Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy and research director in the Law Faculty.

When stem cells first emerged in the late 90s, the focus ... was around the controversial nature of embryonic stem cell research, Caulfield said.

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Fish stem cells could light the way to optical breakthroughs

A new study in the current issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine demonstrates how human stem cells can successfully engraft, survive and differentiate into mature neurons in the spinal cord of a rat with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The results offer new hope for those suffering from this disease, which generally ends in death within three to five years after diagnoses.

Durham, NC (PRWEB) February 14, 2013

ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrigs disease) is characterized by the degeneration and death of the bodys motor neurons, leading to muscle atrophy, paralysis and death due to failure of the respiratory muscles. Despite studies that have improved our understanding of how ALS develops, there are no effective treatments. However, stem cell based-therapies have emerged as a potential solution.

The transplantation of stem-cell derived neural progenitors may have beneficial effect not only for the replacement of motor neurons already lost, but also in counteracting degeneration and death of motor neurons, said Roland Pochet, Ph.D., of the Universit libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. He headed up the research team that included scientists from INSERM et Universit Paris-Sud, and the Pasteur Institute, also in Paris, and Hannover Medical School in Germany.

Spinal motor neurons have been successfully generated from various sources such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and neural stem cells (NSCs). Studies also have evaluated the therapeutic potential of bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and human umbilical cord blood cells (UCBCs), but modest or no therapeutic benefit was obtained when transplanted in ALS patients.

In theory, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, could be used to reverse the diseases. However, no report had yet described the fate of transplanted iPSCs into an ALS environment.

In the current study, the team wanted to learn how human-induced pluripotent stem cell- (iPSc) derived neural progenitors might affect ALS. The idea was inspired by a previous study in which they injected ALS rats with NSCs derived from other rats. Although these cells undergo a massive apoptosis, after a few days of injection several survived, crossed the blood-brain barrier, differentiated and engrafted into the animals spinal cords, Dr. Pochet explained.

Sixty days after transplantation, the iPSc-derived cells had efficiently engrafted in the rats spinal cord and were surviving, the team reported. Different neural progenitor, tissue and neuronal markers indicated that, over time, the transplanted cells differentiated into cells displaying a neuronal phenotype, the team learned.

Our results, Dr. Pochet said, demonstrate proof-of-principle of survival and differentiation of human iPSc-derived neural progenitors in in vivo ALS environment, offering perspectives for the use of iPSc-based therapy in ALS.

This report of the ability of iPSCs to survive and differentiate in an ALS environment is certainly encouraging, said Anthony Atala, MD, Editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The results suggest the potential of cell therapy for the field of neurobiology and disease treatment.

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New Study Shows Stem Cells’ Promise as Future ALS Treatment

TUCSON, Ariz., Feb. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Thanks to the Newborn Possibilities Program by Cord Blood Registry (CBR), families facing serious medical conditions with few options may have access to family cord blood stem cell banking services at no cost. This program enables access to genetically related newborn stem cells for future treatment. A group of families who participated in the Tucson Medical Center pilot of the Newborn Possibilities Program have participated in clinical trials using their own stem cells. One Tucson mom, Jessica Schaefer, had a difficult pregnancy with complications that qualified her for this program when she delivered her son, Logan. Logan's cord blood stem cells were processed and stored in CBR's state-of-the-art stem cell processing and storage facility at nocost and provided a therapeutic option for him.

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"I am blown away that this program was available to me when I delivered Logan," says Schaefer. "I am so grateful to CBR for the chance to have my son participate in the Medical College of Georgia's clinical trial for cerebral palsy. We feel blessed to have the unique opportunity to possibly help Logan lead a happier life, while also helping to advance the science of stem cell therapies."

The Newborn Possibilities Program is a corporate initiative from Cord Blood Registry designed to ensure that families with an identified medical need and babies born after high-risk deliveries have a free option to save cord blood stem cells in the event they may be used in future treatment and potentially provide access to clinical trials. Nearly 3,000 physicians have collected units for the Newborn Possibilities Program and CBR has stored nearly 5,000 units under the program since its inception.

Stem Cell Collection Pilot Paves Path to Clinical Trial Enrollment"We created the Newborn Possibilities Program as a catalyst for medical researchers to advance clinical trials involving newborn stem cells," says Geoffrey Crouse, chief executive officer of CBR. "At the same time, we help identify families with a diagnosed condition who might directly benefit from family banking through a transplant."

Cherie Lennex has also enrolled her son, Nathan, in the cord blood stem cell trial for cerebral palsy in Georgia. She had learned about her options for saving cord blood, but could not fit private storage in her budget at the time. Her pregnancy was routine, but Nathan came early, qualifying her for the Newborn Possibilities Program Tucson Medical Center pilot.

"When representatives from the program called for a routine follow-up to check on Nathan's development, we confirmed he was missing milestones and might be at risk for developing cerebral palsy," noted Lennex. "Nathan was my first child and I hadn't really considered that something might be wrong with his development. Once he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and we were informed of the study in Georgia, it became immensely clear just how fortunate we are to have his stem cells stored. We are very grateful."

In less than two years under the Newborn Possibilities Program Tucson Medical Center pilot, cord blood stem cells were collected and stored at no cost from more than 1,100 babies who demonstrated signs of potential neurologic damage based upon predetermined criteria. Following the cord blood collection, CBR program managers contact the families on a regular basis to track the children's medical and developmental status. Of those who have been evaluated to date, early assessments helped CBR identify seven children within one year of their birth, with conditions where stem cells are being investigated as potential treatments. Three of those children have enrolled in clinical trials and more than 60 children have been identified at this early stage as being at risk for developmental delays by 24 months of age, which can be an indicator of neurological damage.

Please visit http://www.cordblood.com to learn more about the Newborn Possibilities Program or http://www.cordbankingbasics.com for an interactive experience that helps expectant parents and others make informed choices about saving cord blood stem cells.

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Cord Blood Stem Cells Stored at No Cost to Families with an Identified Medical Need Provide Therapeutic Options