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For stem cell research – Video

Posted: December 4, 2012 at 12:42 pm


For stem cell research
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Plant organ development breakthrough

Posted: December 4, 2012 at 6:43 am

Plants grow upward from a tip of undifferentiated tissue called the shoot apical meristem. As the tip extends, stem cells at the center of the meristem divide and increase in numbers. But the cells on the periphery differentiate to form plant organs, such as leaves and flowers. In between these two layers, a group of boundary cells go into a quiescent state and form a barrier that not only separates stem cells from differentiating cells, but eventually forms the borders that separate the plant's organs.

Because each plant's form and shape is determined by organ formation and organ boundary creation, elucidating the underlying mechanisms that govern these functions could help scientists design the architecture of crop plants to better capture light and ultimately produce more crop yield with less input. New research from two teams led by Carnegie's Zhiyong Wang and Kathryn Barton focuses on the role of the crucial plant hormone brassinosteroid in the creation of plant-shoot architecture. Their work is published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week of December 3.

Like all organisms, plant growth and development is regulated by internally produced chemical signals, including hormones like brassinosteroid, which is found throughout the plant kingdom. The brassinosteroid signaling pathway is involved in regulating more than 1,000 plant genes. Mutant plants that are deficient in brassinosteroid that are grown in the dark show features of plants grown in the light. They also have defects at many phases of the plant life cycle, including reduced seed germination, dwarfism, and sterility.

The new study lead by Wang and Barton uncovered yet another role of brassinosteroid: the formation of boundaries between organs. Plants made hypersensitive to brassinosteroid displayed fused organs.

The team included lead author's Carnegie's Joshua Gendron and Jiang-Shu Liu, as well as Min Fan, Mingyi Bai, and Stephan Wenkel, from Carnegie, and Patricia Springer from the University of California Riverside.

Their investigations showed that activation of the brassinosteroid pathway represses a group of genes called the cup-shaped cotyledon, or CUC family, which is responsible for organ boundary formation. Using sophisticated techniques the team demonstrated that the protein in the brassinosteroid pathway that is responsible for binding to DNA and, in this case, for inhibiting CUC genes, is present at high levels in the meristem's undifferentiated stem cells and developing organ primordia, but very low in the boundary cells, suggesting that different levels of brassinosteroid activity contribute to the opposite growth behavior of these three types of cells.

"This work links the plant steroids to growth and development, organ boundary development, providing a link between the physiology of the plant and its architectural design," Wang and Barton said.

Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Provided by Carnegie Institution for Science

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Stem Cells From Blood Sample

Posted: December 4, 2012 at 6:43 am

Scientists at Cambridge University in the UK have found a way to make stem cells out of blood. An article in the university's Research News section says that the discovery increases "the hope that scientists could one day use stem cells made from patients own cells to treat cardiovascular disease." The research was in the journal Stem Cells: Translational Medicine.

The study outlines a method in which scientists can get the cells they need to make "induced pluripotent stem cells" from a routine blood sample. Until now, researchers have not been able to locate an appropriate cell in blood that could be turned into a stem cell. Instead, they have made, and often make cells from skin or other tissues, which can require a surgical procedure such as a biopsy.

Dr Amer Rana and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge grew patients blood in the lab and isolated what are known as "late outgrowth endothelial progenitor cells." The Research News article quotes Dr. Rana as saying

We are excited to have developed a practical and efficient method to create stem cells from a cell type found in blood. Tissue biopsies are undesirable particularly for children and the elderly whereas taking blood samples is routine for all patients.Researchers can freeze and store the blood cells, and then turn them into iPS cells at a later stage, rather than having to transform them as soon as they are sourced, as is the case for other cell types used previously. This will have tremendous practical value prolonging the use by date of patient samples.

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Stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons rescue motor defects in Parkinsonian monkeys

Posted: December 4, 2012 at 6:43 am

ScienceDaily (Dec. 3, 2012) Researchers have derived dopaminergic neurons from bone marrow stem cells in monkeys.

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that is characterized by tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty walking. It is caused by loss of the neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine (known as dopaminergic neurons). One of the primary goals in Parkinson's disease research is to develop a replacement for dopaminergic neurons.

In a new study, researchers led by Takuya Hayashi at the RIKEN Center for Molecular Imaging Science in Kobe, Japan, derived dopaminergic neurons from bone marrow stem cells in monkeys. The cells were retrieved during a standard bone marrow aspiration and then treated with growth factors that directed the stem cells to become dopaminergic neurons. The monkeys that donated the stem cells were treated with a chemical to induce Parkinson's disease and then received a transplant of the new dopaminergic neurons that had been derived from their own bone marrow stem cells. Monkeys that received the transplant showed significant improvement in motor defects.

This study demonstrates that dopaminergic neurons derived from adult bone marrow stem cells can be safely used to improve motor function in Parkinson's disease in monkeys.

The research is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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Bioheart Partnership With Stemlogix Leads to First in U.S. Combination Regenerative Medicine Treatment on Injured Horse

Posted: December 4, 2012 at 6:43 am

SUNRISE, FL--(Marketwire - Dec 3, 2012) - Bioheart Inc. (BHRT.QB) previously announced that its cGMP facility would be utilized by Stemlogix to help promote regenerative medicine for the veterinary market.Stemlogix has just announced the first ever combination regenerative medicine treatment on a six-year-old Quarter Reined Cow horse that suffered a significant injury to its distal straight sesamoidean ligament.

"The facilities at Bioheart Inc. are top notch and we are excited to move these new therapies for animals forward using state-of-the-art cGMP laboratories.We are fortunate to have the support and expertise of the Bioheart team," said Jason Griffeth, Chief Operating Officer of Stemlogix, LLC.

To provide him with this groundbreaking treatment, two small fat samples were taken from the base of his tail via a minimally invasive lipoaspirate procedure. Fat tissue is the richest source of stem cells for both human patients and animal patients. One of the tissue samples was processed on-site to provide a same-day, point-of-care stem cell treatment while the other tissue sample was sent to the cGMP laboratory where the mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and expanded for three weeks. A portion of his stem cells were also cryopreserved for future use.

Bioheart's president and CEO, Mike Tomas said, "Bioheart is focused on commercializing cell therapies for cardiac patients and has many years' experience with a variety of different cell types.This partnership allows us to utilize our existing laboratories and expertise to bring these products to the veterinary market."

About Bioheart, Inc.

Bioheart is committed to maintaining its leading position within the cardiovascular sector of the cell technology industry delivering cell therapies and biologics that help address congestive heart failure, lower limb ischemia, chronic heart ischemia, acute myocardial infarctions and other issues.Bioheart's goals are to cause damaged tissue to be regenerated, when possible, and to improve a patient's quality of life and reduce health care costs and hospitalizations.

Specific to biotechnology, Bioheart is focused on the discovery, development and, subject to regulatory approval, commercialization of autologous cell therapies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage and peripheral vascular disease. Its leading product, MyoCell, is a clinical muscle-derived cell therapy designed to populate regions of scar tissue within a patient's heart with new living cells for the purpose of improving cardiac function in chronic heart failure patients. For more information on Bioheart, visit http://www.bioheartinc.com, or visit us on Facebook: Bioheart and Twitter @BioheartInc.

About Stemlogix, LLC

Stemlogix high quality stem cell therapy and other regenerative medicine therapies are impacting the lives of cats, dogs and horses around the U.S. and in other countries. The company has developed a scientifically validated method for harvesting stem cells from both fat tissue and bone marrow for therapeutic use. The Stemlogix stem cell isolation processes provide for consistent cellular products that are compliant with current regulatory guidelines. Stemlogix has a highly experienced management team with over 20 years combined experience in developing multiple stem cell therapeutics for both human and animal use. In all of its products and services, Stemlogix aims to provide the best cutting-edge regenerative medical solutions, and seeks to provide companion animals and horses with renewed health and vitality. The company has partnered with Butler Schein Animal Health, the leading companion animal health distribution company in the U.S., who are demonstrating the ease and effectiveness of the Stemlogix regenerative medicine treatments to veterinarians nationwide. To learn more about Stemlogix, LLC and its wide range of innovative regenerative medicine products please visit http://www.stemlogix.com, send an email to info@stemlogix.com or contact your local Butler Schein Animal Health representative.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "to," "plan," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would," "estimate," or "continue" or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

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VistaGen Therapeutics Becomes Member of Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) Consortium

Posted: December 4, 2012 at 6:43 am

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Dec 3, 2012) - VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. ( OTCBB : VSTA ), a biotechnology company applying stem cell technology for drug rescue, predictive toxicology and drug metabolism screening, has formalized its membership in the Toronto-based Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine's (CCRM) Industry Consortium.

"VistaGen's membership reflects our strong association with CCRM and its core programs and objectives, both directly and through our strategic relationships with Dr. Gordon Keller and the University Health Network (UHN).Our long-term sponsored research agreement with Dr. Keller, UHN and UHN's McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine offers both a solid foundation and unique opportunities for expanding the commercial applications of our Human Clinical Trials in a Test Tube platform by building multi-party collaborations with CCRM and members of its Industry Consortium," says Shawn Singh, VistaGen CEO. "These collaborations have the potential to transform medicine and accelerate significant advances in human health and wellness that stem cell technologies and regenerative medicine promise."

"Even before VistaGen joined CCRM's Industry Consortium it was active in the Toronto regenerative medicine community and advising us as we prepared to launch in 2011," explains Dr. Michael May, CEO of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine. "I'm confident that our relationship will grow stronger with VistaGen as a formal partner and I look forward to us working closely together on projects that will accelerate drug discovery and benefit patients."

CCRM is a not-for-profit, public-private consortium funded by the Government of Canada, six Ontario-based institutional partners and more than 20 companies representing the key sectors of the regenerative medicine industry. CCRM supports the development of foundational technologies that accelerate the commercialization of stem cell- and biomaterials-based products and therapies. Other members of CCRM's Industry Consortium include such leading global companies as Pfizer, GE Healthcare and Lonza.

The industry leaders that comprise the CCRM consortium benefit from proprietary access to certain licensing opportunities, academic rates on fee-for-service contracts at CCRM and opportunities to participate in large collaborative projects, among other advantages.VistaGen is especially well positioned through its existing relationships with key members.

Gordon Keller, Ph.D. is Director of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at UHN. A CCRM partner, the McEwen Centre is a world-renowned centre for stem cell biology and regenerative medicine and a world-class stem cell research facility. He is also a Professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Medical Biophysics and Senior Scientist of the Ontario Cancer Institute in Toronto.Dr. Keller's lab is one of the world leaders in successfully applying principles from the study of developmental biology of many animal systems to the differentiation of pluripotent stem cell systems, resulting in reproducible, high-yield production of human heart, liver, blood and vascular cells.The results and procedures developed in Dr. Keller's lab are often quoted and used by academic scientists worldwide.

UHN, a major landmark in Canada's healthcare system, is one of the world's largest research hospitals, with major research in transplantation, cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases and genomic medicine. Providing care to the community for more than two centuries, UHN brings together the talent and resources needed to achieve global impact and provide exemplary patient care, research and education.

About VistaGen Therapeutics

VistaGen is a biotechnology company applying human pluripotent stem cell technology for drug rescue, predictive toxicology and drug metabolism screening. VistaGen's drug rescue activities combine its human pluripotent stem cell technology platform, Human Clinical Trials in a Test Tube, with modern medicinal chemistry to generate new chemical variants (Drug Rescue Variants) of once-promising small-molecule drug candidates. These are drug candidates discontinued by pharmaceutical companies, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) or university laboratories after substantial investment and development due to heart or liver toxicity or metabolism issues. VistaGen uses its pluripotent stem cell technology to generate early indications, or predictions, of how humans will ultimately respond to new drug candidates before they are ever tested in humans, bringing human biology to the front end of the drug development process.

Additionally, VistaGen's small molecule drug candidate, AV-101, is completing Phase 1 development for treatment of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain, a serious and chronic condition causing pain after an injury or disease of the peripheral or central nervous system, affects millions of people worldwide.To date, VistaGen has been awarded over $8.5 million from the NIH for development of AV-101.

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Patients Medical Welcomes Dr. Marcia A. Harris, Holistic Gynecologist and Anti-Aging Physician

Posted: December 4, 2012 at 6:42 am

Leading Integrative Medical Center Offers Hormonal Balancing for Men and Women Looking for Natural Treatment Options

New York City, NY (PRWEB) November 30, 2012

"Dr. Harris comes to us with over 37 years of experience, combining the best of modern technology and science with holistic medicine, said Rashmi Gulati, MD, Medical Director of Patients Medical. Her passion for customer service and excellence in caring for her patients makes her a perfect addition to our multi-disciplinary holistic medical team at Patients Medical.

Like Patients Medical, I am committed to practicing patient-centered medicine, explains Dr. Harris. I spend time getting to know my patients, their unique needs and health concerns. My protocols go beyond typical conventional methods to include extensive nutritional counseling, use of natural supplements, hormonal balancing, herbal remedies and many other progressive treatment plans that are customized for the individual.

Dr. Harris has been practicing in New York City and the surrounding areas, most recently in her private practice, The Life Balance Center, offering her patients a wealth of knowledge using traditional and holistic medicine. She provides her patients with diagnosis and treatment options for menopause, andropause, PMS and PMDD, fibroid tumors, endometriosis, reproductive diseases, STDs, HPV and PCOS. Additionally, she treats secondary conditions that affect mens and womens wellness including obesity, gastro-intestinal and digestive issues, incontinence, immune system issues, fatigue and neuropathy.

Currently, Dr. Harris is offering new patients a $100 coupon, as an incentive to get healthy before the holidays. I want people to enjoy this festive time of year in excellent health, says Dr. Harris.

Dr. Harris graduated with a degree in Chemistry from Pace College, then attended Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons on the Rudin Scholarship, where she earned her MD degree. She completed her internship in Internal Medicine at Harlem Hospital Center and residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the New York Hospital, Weill Cornell. She is certified by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) and in Bio-Identical Hormone Pellet Replacement Therapy.

About Patients Medical

Patients Medical (http://www.patientsmedical.com) is a unique integrative medicine center in Manhattan that combines the best of traditional and holistic medicine with modern technology to provide comprehensive care. Established in 1974, the center employs a multi-specialty staff using leading-edge treatment protocols such as Stem Cell Therapy, Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation, Nutrient IV Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and more. The practice specializes in diagnosing the root cause of an ailment, then healing the whole person with personalized protocols that draw upon both Eastern and Western medicine.

Megan Franzen Patients Medical 212-679-9667 111 Email Information

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Common diabetes drug could fight ovarian cancer

Posted: December 4, 2012 at 6:42 am

The commonly prescribed diabetes drug metformin could potentially double as an effective form of ovarian cancer treatment, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic found that ovarian cancer patients who also had diabetes lived longer than other ovarian cancer patients when they were taking metformin. According to the scientists, they had been researching the link between metformin and its potential anti-cancer properties for many years.

We had a pretty good idea that metformin has anti-cancer activity, because a lot of people around the world have been reporting the link between metformin intake and a protective effect against cancer for a number of years now, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, a Mayo Clinic gynecologic oncology fellow, told FoxNews.com. [Viji Shridhar, one of the studys co-authors,] has been conducting a lot of experiments in her lab and has published extensively in the area, so we had a lot of cell data, mice data and then we decided to test our hypothesis in humans.

Kumar and his colleagues examined 239 ovarian cancer patients, 61 of whom were taking metformin. Compared with the other 178 patients, those taking metformin had a much higher survival rate with 67 percent of the metformin-taking patients surviving after five years, versus 47 percent of those who were not taking the medication.

When taking into consideration other factors such as the patients body mass indexes or the severity of their cancer those who were taking metformin were four times more likely to survive than those who did not take the medication.

As for why the diabetes drug is so protective against cancer, the researchers cannot say for sure but there are a few theories.

Thats something that is actively under investigation right now, but people think that it may have a few areas on which [the drug] is active, Kumar said. It has been shown to inhibit the region of cancer cells, and it also seems to inhibit the energy supply to the cell. And it also may be acting on the cancer stem cells cancer stem cells are thought to be engines of cancer growth.

While the results of the study are promising, Kumar and Shridhar caution that the drug would not be a cure for ovarian cancer. Instead, it could potentially be used in combination with already existing ovarian cancer treatments to provide patients with the best overall therapy.

It can be very beneficial, because the best part about metformin is that it has a very, very good safety profile, and it has been in use for a long, long time, Kumar said. Its one of the most commonly prescribed diabetes medications. We already have a lot of safety data for this medication, and its FDA approved.

Ovarian cancer is currently the fifth most common cancer among women and is the most deadly form of female reproductive cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health. Patients are rarely diagnosed with ovarian cancer during its early stages, and the cancer has usually progressed extensively by the time it is caught.

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World Stem Cell Summit Fuels Economy

Posted: December 4, 2012 at 6:40 am

Posted by Juan Carlos Fanjul/CBS 12 News

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla-- It may look like boring exhibits and the usual convention type crowds, but in this hall life-saving science is being talked about and big money will eventually make it into the local economy.

"Probably injecting over a million dollars in the local economy and it's a showcase for Palm Beach County," said event organizer Bernard Siegel.

Siegel says over 1,200 scientists from more than 40 countries are at the Palm Beach County Convention Center this week for the 8th annual World Stem Cell Summit.

With the opening of Max Planck this week and the continued growth of Scripps in northern Palm Beach County and Torrey Pines in Saint Lucie County, Siegel says this convention means a coming of age for the region's biotech sector.

"This is considered the largest meeting in the country and we have the top scientists," he added.

Claudia Zylberberg owns AKRON Biotech, a Boca Raton-based supplier of raw materials for stem cell therapy she started just a few years ago.

"I realized early on there was a lot of potential for growth and this turned out the right place to be," she said.

Doctor Joshua Hare leads the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute for the University of Miami and says he's noticed growth too.

"We don't have the critical mass of Baltimore or Boston and we would like to see that, but you are seeing the seeds of that right now," he said. World Stem Cell Summit Fuels Economy

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World stem cell event opens in West Palm Beach

Posted: December 4, 2012 at 6:40 am

We have permission to take others off the website, http://www.worldstemcellsummit.com/featured-speakers

World Stem Cell Summit organizer Bernie Siegel has joined forces with scientists from the University of Miami to host the 1,000 attendees from 34 countries expected at the summit in West Palm Beach this week.

Each have made discoveries in stem-cell research that could make a difference for those suffering from diabetes and heart disease.

Dr. Joshua Hare, a cardiologist at UM's Miller School of Medicine, has been a pioneer the use of stem cell therapy to repair damaged hearts. Recently, he completed a clinical trial where scarring was reduced by 33 percent in patients who had previous heart attacks.

"The No. 1 reason for heart failure is because of cardiac scarring. If you can remove it and replace with new tissue, that's very exciting," he said.

Dr. Camillo Ricordi, director of UM's Diabetes Research Institute, developed an experimental procedure that has improved blood glucose control and the quality of life of some Type 1 diabetics. But the procedure involves organ donors.

Ultimately, he's seeking a cure that involves "replacing cells in Type 1 diabetics with insulin-producing cells that are in our own body."

"I definitely think the cure is within our reach. We've had so much progress within the last three years," said Ricordi, who posts updates on his research on facebook.com/DiabetesResearch.org.

Other top speakers at the summit include:

Dr. George Daley, director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program, HHMI/Children's Hospital in Boston where he specializing in research and drug development for those with leukemia and genetic blood disorders.

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