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Clinical Trial With Stem Cells Creates Hope For Parents Of Autistic Children

Posted: September 4, 2012 at 6:13 pm

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Cases of autism have soared in recent years: one in every 88 children is diagnosed with the disorder. Now, a groundbreaking clinical trial will test whether a childs own stem cells the building blocks of the body might help.

Dr. Michael Chez of the Sutter Neuroscience Institute wants to look at the relationship between the immune system and the central nervous system, and it is his hope that he will be able to use stem cells to help behavioral and developmental issues in autistic children.

Elisa Rudgers son, Rydr, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 11 months, he couldnt sit up on his own and required feeding tubes to eat. At 15 months, doctors gave Rydr his first infusion of banked cord blood stem cells that his parents saved while he was a newborn. His developmental delays diminished quickly.

After the first infusion after three months, he was crawling, six months he was standing, and nine months he was walking. said Rudgers.

Rudgers said that her 4-year-old son likes the spotlight because hes become something of a medical marvel. Hes gotten lots of attention.

Rydrs stem cells apparently helped at least partly rebuild his damaged brain. Now, Rydrs doctor is enrolling patients in a clinical trial to see if the same treatment thats helped this little boy, can help treat autism. Dr. Chez believes it can.

Theres enough encouraging evidence to think there may have a role to play here, but were opening a new door and thats the giant step. he said.

Can Rydrs reversal be repeated?

Many experts are skeptical, saying its unclear what or where the brain defect in autism actually is. Dr. Chez says stem cells could regenerate missing brain cells or help repair faulty connections between brain cells.

Either way, Ryders mom says, its worth a try.

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Stem cells help paraplegics regain feeling

Posted: September 4, 2012 at 6:13 pm

Professor Armin Curt, leading the study, described the result as fundamental.

He said: To find something that can repair the spinal cord is a huge breakthrough. If we can show that something has changed for the better [as a result of stem cell therapy] thats fundamental.

He presented the findings at the annual conference of the International Spinal Cord Society in London on Monday.

Prof Curt was working in partnership with StemCells Inc., a Californian company which also has a base in Cambridge.

Dr Stephen Huhn, from the firm, said: We think these stem cells are one of the first tools we have for actually repairing the central nervous system.

"To see this kind of change in patients who truly have the worst-of-the-worst type of injury to the spinal cord is very exciting."

The three patients, who all had complete spinal injury where they could feel nothing below the break, were each given a dose of 20 million adult neural stem cells about six months ago.

This was primarily a safety trial, and Prof Curt said monitoring had shown a very good safety profile.

But detailed questioning and objective tests also showed signals were passing up the injured spine to the brain, when they had not before.

One of the patients, Knut lstad, a 46-year-old Norwegian financial consultant, said: Ive noticed changes. When somebody touches my stomach, I can feel something. I cant be specific, but I can sense it.

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Binding sites for LIN28 protein found in thousands of human genes

Posted: September 4, 2012 at 6:13 pm

Public release date: 4-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Debra Kain ddkain@ucsd.edu 619-543-6163 University of California - San Diego

A study led by researchers at the UC San Diego Stem Cell Research program and funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) looks at an important RNA binding protein called LIN28, which is implicated in pluripotency and reprogramming as well as in cancer and other diseases. According to the researchers, their study published in the September 6 online issue of Molecular Cell will change how scientists view this protein and its impact on human disease.

Studying embryonic stem cells and somatic cells stably expressing LIN28, the researchers defined discrete binding sites of LIN28 in 25 percent of human transcripts. In addition, splicing-sensitive microarrays demonstrated that LIN28 expression causes widespread downstream alternative splicing changes variations in gene products that can result in cancer or other diseases.

"Surprisingly, we discovered that LIN28 not only binds to the non-coding microRNAs, but can also bind directly to thousands of messenger RNAs," said first author Melissa Wilbert, a doctoral student in the UC San Diego Biomedical Sciences graduate program.

Messenger RNA or mRNA, are RNA molecules that encode a chemical "blueprint" for the synthesis of a protein. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short snippets of RNA that are crucial regulators of cell growth, differentiation, and death. While they don't encode for proteins, miRNAs are important for regulating protein production in the cell by repressing or "turning off" genes.

"The LIN28 protein is linked to growth and development and is important very early in human development," said principal investigator Gene Yeo, PhD, MBA, of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, the Stem Cell Research Program and the Institute for Genomic Medicine at UC San Diego. "It is usually turned off in adult tissue, but can be reactivated, for instance, in certain cancers or metabolic disorders, such as obesity."

Using genome-wide biochemical methods to look at the set of all RNA molecules across the transcriptome, the researchers found that LIN28 recognizes and binds to a known hairpin-like structure found on the let-7 family of miRNA, but surprisingly, this same structure is also found on mRNAs, allowing LIN28 to directly regulate thousands of targets.

"One of these targets actually encodes for the LIN28 protein itself. In other words, LIN28 helps to make more of itself," said Yeo. This process, known as autoregulation, helps to maintain a so-called "steady-state" system in which a protein positively regulates its own production by binding to a regulatory element of the mRNA for the gene coding it.

"Since these mRNA targets include those known to be involved in gene splicing, we also implicate LIN28 in the regulation of alternative splicing," said Wilbert, adding that abnormal variations in splicing are often implicated in cancer and other disorders.

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ACT’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Robert Lanza to Deliver Opening Keynote Address at 4th Annual Stem Cell Symposium …

Posted: September 4, 2012 at 6:13 pm

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that its chief scientific officer, Robert Lanza, M.D., will be delivering the opening Keynote Speech at the 4th Annual Stem Cell Symposium 2012, being held in Singapore, September 6-7. Dr. Lanzas presentation is titled Pluripotent Stem Cells From Benchtop to Clinic.

With the theme, Stem Cell Based Therapy, the symposium will have a particular focus on clinical trials and industrial application of stem cells. Sponsored by Stem Cell Society of Singapore (SCSS), the conference will include scientific presentations from key contributors from academic, clinical, and commercial organizations who are translating basic research on stem cells into therapeutics, with a focus on applying engineering technologies to provide medical solutions.

In their opening statement, the organizers state, We are all keeping our fingers crossed for ACTs success, which will also bring a big boost to the stem cell community.

Other topics of the conference include human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), drug screening, adult and cancer stem cells, and stem cell therapies emerging from Asia, with presentations from Indian, Korean and Japanese regenerative medicine companies. There will also be a joint session with the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) covering important issues concerning the commercialization of stem cells, and addressing issues such as reimbursement, manufacturing, characterization, and clinical implementation issues unique to cell therapies.

About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. is a biotechnology company applying cellular technology in the field of regenerative medicine. For more information, visit http://www.advancedcell.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating results, future growth in research and development programs, potential applications of our technology, opportunities for the company and any other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words will, believes, plans, anticipates, expects, estimates, and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: limited operating history, need for future capital, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, protection of our intellectual property, and economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the companys periodic reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the companys management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the companys management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. There can be no assurance that the Companys clinical trials will be successful.

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Cytomedix’s AutoloGel System Featured in Continuing Education Program at the Paralyzed Veterans of America Summit 2012

Posted: September 4, 2012 at 6:13 pm

GAITHERSBURG, MD--(Marketwire -09/04/12)- Cytomedix, Inc. (CMXI) (CMXI), a fully integrated regenerative medicine company commercializing and developing innovative platelet and adult stem cell technologies, today announced that the Company's AutoloGel System was highlighted in a continuing education program at the Paralyzed Veterans of America Summit 2012 held August 28 to 30 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel.

The AutoloGel System is a device for the production of autologous platelet rich plasma ("PRP") gel, and is the only PRP device cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for use in wound management.

The program, titled, "Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Gel for Wounds on Persons with SCI," was delivered by Laurie Rappl, PT, DPT, CWS, Clinical Development Liaison for Cytomedix. Ms. Rappl's discussion addressed the underlying mechanisms of action that allow the Company's physiologically relevant concentration of PRP in the AutoloGel System to accelerate healing in recalcitrant wounds in patients with Spinal Cord Injuries ("SCI"), and highlighted the clinical data demonstrating rapid reduction in wound area and volume, as well as reduction of undermining and sinus tracts/tunnels in non-healing wounds in patients with SCI.

"The physiology of SCI -- such as decreased blood flow, blood pressure and blood supply -- causes impairment at every step of the wound healing process. A physiologically relevant concentration of PRP has been shown to improve healing in even the hardest to treat chronic wounds in SCI patients," noted Ms. Rappl.

"It is especially rewarding for Cytomedix to have a continuing education program highlighting the benefits of the AutoloGel System for the treatment of chronic wounds in SCI patients. Pressure ulcers and other chronic wounds are persistent medical challenges that compromise the health and quality-of-life for these paralyzed patients," stated Martin P. Rosendale, Chief Executive Officer of Cytomedix. "Our clinical data demonstrates how the AutoloGel System's physiologically relevant concentration of PRP can rapidly restart the healing process in complex and chronic wounds, including wounds that were recalcitrant to other treatments."

About The Paralyzed Veterans of America SummitParalyzed Veterans' Summit 2012 + EXPO brings together more than 700 healthcare professionals in SCI and multiple sclerosis (MS) care. Doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapist, social workers and researchers convene to explore and implement holistic strategies to strengthen the continuum of care for SCI and MS patients.

The Paralyzed Veterans of America Summit serves as an educational venue bringing together professionals representing the full spectrum of SCI and MS healthcare and to support clinicians in their pursuit of maintaining their specialty certification and/or license to practice. The objectives are to enhance multi-specialty care across the lifespan of individuals with SCI and MS; to assess advances in the delivery of healthcare services; to present innovative models of care management; to improve practice skills of clinicians, surgeons, researchers and administrators; to discuss evidence-based medicine; to increase the body of knowledge on spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis, their medical complications and consequences; to promote educational opportunities; to identify research priorities; and to present data on new developments in assessment and treatment.

About Cytomedix, Inc. Cytomedix, Inc. is a fully integrated regenerative medicine company commercializing and developing innovative platelet and adult stem cell separation products that enhance the body's natural healing processes. The Company's advanced autologous technologies offer clinicians a new treatment paradigm for wound and tissue repair. The Company's patient-derived PRP systems are marketed by Cytomedix in the U.S. and distributed internationally. Our commercial products include the AutoloGel System, cleared by the FDA for wound care and the Angel Whole Blood Separation System. The Company is developing novel regenerative therapies using our proprietary ALDH Bright Cell ("ALDHbr") technology to isolate a unique, biologically active population of a patient's own stem cells. A Phase 2 trial evaluating the use of ALDHbr for the treatment of ischemic stroke is underway. For additional information please visit http://www.cytomedix.com.

Safe Harbor StatementStatements contained in this press release not relating to historical facts are forward-looking statements that are intended to fall within the safe harbor rule for such statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The information contained in the forward-looking statements is inherently uncertain, and Cytomedix' actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, many of which are beyond Cytomedix' ability to predict or control, including among many others, risks and uncertainties related to the Company's reimbursement related efforts, the Company's ability to capitalize on the benefits of the above-referenced CMS determination, the Company's ability to successfully and favorably conclude the negotiations and related discussions with the above-referenced global pharmaceutical company, the Company's ability to successfully integrate the Aldagen acquisition, to successfully manage contemplated clinical trials, to manage and address the capital needs, human resource, management, compliance and other challenges of a larger, more complex and integrated business enterprise, viability and effectiveness of the Company's sales approach and overall marketing strategies, commercial success or acceptance by the medical community, competitive responses, the Company's ability to raise additional capital and to continue as a going concern, and Cytomedix's ability to execute on its strategy to market the AutoloGel System as contemplated. To the extent that any statements made here are not historical, these statements are essentially forward-looking. The Company uses words and phrases such as "believes", "forecasted," "projects," "is expected," "remain confident," "will" and/or similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements in this press release. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events to differ from the forward-looking statements. More information about some of these risks and uncertainties may be found in the reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Cytomedix, Inc. Cytomedix operates in a highly competitive and rapidly changing business and regulatory environment, thus new or unforeseen risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Except as is expressly required by the federal securities laws, Cytomedix undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, changed circumstances or future events or for any other reason. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and other subsequent filings. These filings are available at http://www.sec.gov.

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AlloCure Begins Phase 2 Clinical Trial in Acute Kidney Injury

Posted: September 4, 2012 at 6:12 pm

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

AlloCure, Inc. today announced that it has initiated a phase 2 clinical trial of AC607, the companys mesenchymal stem cell therapy, as a potential treatment for acute kidney injury (AKI). The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial, designated ACT-AKI (AC607 Trial in Acute Kidney Injury) (NCT01602328), will enroll 200 cardiac surgery subjects at leading tertiary care centers in the United States.

ACT-AKI follows the positive results from a phase 1 AC607 trial in cardiac surgery subjects, which showed an excellent safety profile and encouraging data on the incidence of AKI and hospital length of stay, said Robert M. Brenner, M.D., AlloCure President and Chief Executive Officer. We have worked closely with leaders in the field on the design of ACT-AKI, and trial initiation represents an important milestone for AlloCure and the patients we collectively serve.

AC607 is a promising therapeutic candidate for AKI, for which effective therapies are greatly needed, said Richard J. Glassock, M.D., Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. The initiation of ACT-AKI represents a critical step in the development of an innovative therapy for this all-too-common, serious and costly medical condition, for which no approved treatments currently exist beyond supportive care.

About AC607

AC607 is a novel biologic therapy under development for the treatment of AKI. AC607 also possesses potential applications in other grievous illnesses. AC607 comprises allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells that are harvested from healthy adult donors and then expanded via a mature and state-of-the art manufacturing process. AC607 homes to the site of injury where it mediates powerful anti-inflammatory and organ repair processes via the secretion of beneficial paracrine factors, without differentiation and repopulation of the injured kidney. Importantly, AC607 avoids recognition by the hosts immune system, enabling administration in an off the shelf paradigm without the need for blood or tissue typing.

About AlloCure

AlloCure, Inc. is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the treatment of kidney disease. The company is a leader in the AKI field and is pioneering the development of the first effective therapy for the treatment of AKI. The companys headquarters is located in Burlington, MA. For more information about AlloCure, please visit the companys web site at http://www.allocure.com.

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NeoStem to Present at Three Investor Conferences in September

Posted: September 4, 2012 at 5:14 pm

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE MKT:NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), a rapidly emerging market leader in the fast growing cell therapy market, today announced that Company management will present at three investor conferences in September.

The 19th Annual Newsmakers in the Biotech Industry - BioCentury & Thomson Reuters

Rodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment Conference

National Investment Banking Association Conference

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. continues to develop and build on its core capabilities in cell therapy capitalizing on the paradigm shift that we see occurring in medicine. In particular, we anticipate that cell therapy will have a large role in the fight against chronic disease and in lessening the economic burden that these diseases pose to modern society. We are emerging as a technology and market leading company in this fast developing cell therapy market. Our multi-faceted business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT") with a medically important cell therapy product development program, enabling near and long-term revenue growth opportunities. We believe this expertise and existing research capabilities and collaborations will enable us to achieve our mission of becoming a premier cell therapy company.

Our contract development and manufacturing service business supports the development of proprietary cell therapy products. NeoStem's most clinically advanced therapeutic, AMR-001, is being developed at Amorcyte, LLC ("Amorcyte"), which we acquired in October 2011. Amorcyte is developing a cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and is enrolling patients in a Phase 2 trial to investigate AMR-001's efficacy in preserving heart function after a heart attack. Athelos Corporation ("Athelos"), which is approximately 80%-owned by our subsidiary, PCT, is collaborating with Becton-Dickinson in the early clinical exploration of a T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions. In addition, pre-clinical assets include our VSELTM Technology platform as well as our mesenchymal stem cells product candidate for regenerative medicine. Our service business and pipeline of proprietary cell therapy products work in concert, giving us a competitive advantage that we believe is unique to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Supported by an experienced scientific and business management team and a patent and patent pending (IP) portfolio, we believe we are well positioned to succeed.

Forward-Looking Statements for NeoStem, Inc.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to the successful execution of the Company's business strategy, including with respect to the Company's or its partners' successful development of AMR-001 and other cell therapeutics, the size of the market for such products, its competitive position in such markets, the Company's ability to successfully penetrate such markets and the market for its CDMO business, and the efficacy of protection from its patent portfolio, as well as the future of the cell therapeutics industry in general, including the rate at which such industry may grow. Forward looking statements also include statements with respect to satisfying all conditions to closing the disposition of Erye, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals in the PRC. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward- looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to (i) the Company's ability to manage its business despite operating losses and cash outflows, (ii) its ability to obtain sufficient capital or strategic business arrangement to fund its operations, including the clinical trials for AMR-001, (iii) successful results of the Company's clinical trials of AMR-001 and other cellular therapeutic products that may be pursued, (iv) demand for and market acceptance of AMR-001 or other cell therapies if clinical trials are successful and the Company is permitted to market such products, (v) establishment of a large global market for cellular-based products, (vi) the impact of competitive products and pricing, (vii) the impact of future scientific and medical developments, (viii) the Company's ability to obtain appropriate governmental licenses and approvals and, in general, future actions of regulatory bodies, including the FDA and foreign counterparts, (ix) reimbursement and rebate policies of government agencies and private payers, (x) the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property, (xi) the company's ability to successfully divest its interest in Erye, and (xii) matters described under the "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 20, 2012 and in the Company's other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available on its website. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. The Company's further development is highly dependent on future medical and research developments and market acceptance, which is outside its control.

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Study reveals possible method of removing leukemia stem cells, preventing relapse of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Posted: September 3, 2012 at 1:12 pm

TORONTO, Sept. 3, 2012 /CNW/ - New research published today in the Journal of Experimental Medicine may provide a new avenue for the treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and a solution to the high rate of disease relapse experienced by patients. The study identified a protein interaction that limits the immune response to AML and provides a method to disrupt it.

The study was led by Drs. Jean Wang, Affiliate Scientist at the Ontario Cancer Institute (OCI), the research arm of the University Health Network's Princess Margaret Hospital, John Dick, leader of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research's (OICR) Cancer Stem Cells Program and Senior Scientist at the OCI, and Jayne Danska, Senior Scientist, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute.

Their study found that a protein on the surface of AML cells called CD47 binds to a protein called SIRP, causing macrophages to develop immune tolerance to AML cells. Macrophages are cells of the immune system capable of phagocytosis, an 'eating' process that removes pathogens, aged and abnormal cells from the body. The researchers generated mice that expressed SIRP variants with differential ability to bind to human CD47 and showed that when SIRP signalling was absent macrophages were able to clear human leukemia stem cells (LSC). This finding is significant, as it is believed that relapse of disease is driven by LSCs that survive conventional chemotherapy.

The researchers then confirmed these results by treating mice that had been engrafted with human AML with a novel protein called SIRP-Fc that can block CD47 on the leukemia cells. They found that treatment with the protein enhanced phagocytosis of AML cells by macrophages and reduced AML growth in the mice. Additionally, treatment with the protein did not cause increased phagocytosis of normal blood stem cells.

The team is working to develop leukemia therapeutics based on the concept of antagonizing SIRP signalling and allowing the patient's own macrophages to remove any LSCs that survive standard therapies.

"This study is an important step forward in our understanding of leukemia stem cells and has opened the door to a new line of therapies that could have a significant clinical impact by preventing relapse of AML. I commend Drs. Wang, Dick and Danska and their colleagues for their outstanding work," says Dr. Tom Hudson, President and Scientific Director of OICR.

"This work provides a new avenue for treating leukemia by remobilizing the body's immune defenses against the leukemia cells. Importantly, this approach could kill the 'roots' of the leukemia with potentially less toxins than traditional anti-leukemia therapies," says Dr. Benjamin Neel, Director and Senior Scientist, OCI.

"This study is an excellent example of translating research into a potential clinical application. This collaboration began several years ago by our discovery that CD47-SIRPa interactions were important to the growth of normal blood and leukemia cells, that translated to the development of a blocking protein that exposes LSC to immune attack," says Danska. "We are optimistic that clinical development of this therapy will contribute to more effective, less toxic treatments for many kinds of leukemia by eliminating LSC."

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

OICR is an innovative cancer research and development institute dedicated to prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Institute is an independent, not-for-profit corporation, supported by the Government of Ontario. The annual budget for OICR, its research partners and collaborators exceeds $150 million. This supports more than 1,600 investigators, clinician scientists, research staff and trainees located at its headquarters and in research institutes and academia across the Province of Ontario. It has research hubs in Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Thunder Bay and Toronto. OICR has key research efforts underway in small molecules, biologics, stem cells, imaging, genomics, informatics and bio-computing, from early stage research to Phase III clinical trials. For more information, please visit the website atwww.oicr.on.ca.

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Stem cells could mean stronger orthopaedic implants

Posted: September 3, 2012 at 1:12 pm

3 September 2012

Scientists in Glasgow are using stem cells to develop orthopaedic implants that could be considerably stronger and more durable than current products.

The team from Glasgow University and Southern General Hospital has designed a plastic surface that encourages bone cells to grow around it and so could be used to strengthen the bond between an implant and a patients bone.

Mesenchymal stem cells found in bone marrow can divide into other types of cells such as skin, muscle or bone when they receive the correct messages from the body. Glasgows surface would replace these messages to encourage bone growth.

The surface, created at Glasgow Universitys James Watt Nanofabrication Centre, is covered in tiny pits 120 nanometres across, said researcher Dr Matthew Dalby in a statement.

When stem cells are placed onto the surface, they grow and spread across the pits in a way that ensures they differentiate into therapeutically useful cells.

This will help the implant site repair itself much more effectively than has ever been possible before and could well mean that implants will last for the rest of a patients life.

Conventional implants made from polyethylene, stainless steel, titanium or ceramic dont have this kind of surface and so the stem cells around them typically divide into soft tissue which, combined with the natural loss of bone density that occurs as people age, can weaken the bond between the implant and the body.

The researchers want to manufacture the implants from an advanced polymer known as PEEK-OPTIMA, made by UK firm Invibio Biomaterial Solutions, to ensure they are as strong as possible.

One of the main selling points of PEEK is that it is very strong, has excellent stability and is very resistant to wear, said researcher Dr Nikolaj Gadegaard.

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UCLA researchers discover missing link between stem cells and immune system

Posted: September 3, 2012 at 3:11 am

Public release date: 2-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kim Irwin kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu 310-206-2805 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

UCLA researchers have discovered a type of cell that is the "missing link" between bone marrow stem cells and all the cells of the human immune system, a finding that will lead to a greater understanding of how a healthy immune system is produced and how disease can lead to poor immune function.

The studies were done using human bone marrow, which contains all the stem cells that produce blood during postnatal life.

"We felt it was especially important to do these studies using human bone marrow as most research into the development of the immune system has used mouse bone marrow," said study senior author Dr. Gay Crooks, co-director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and a co-director of the Cancer and Stem Cell Biology program at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. "The few studies with human tissue have mostly used umbilical cord blood, which does not reflect the immune system of postnatal life."

The research team was "intrigued to find this particular bone marrow cell because it opens up a lot of new possibilities in terms of understanding how human immunity is produced from stem cells throughout life," said Crooks, a professor of pathology and pediatrics.

Understanding the process of normal blood formation in human adults is a crucial step in shedding light on what goes wrong during the process that results in leukemias, or cancers of the blood.

The study appears Sept. 2 in the early online edition of Nature Immunology.

Before this study, researchers had a fairly good idea of how to find and study the blood stem cells of the bone marrow. The stem cells live forever, reproduce themselves and give rise to all the cells of the blood. In the process, the stem cells divide and produce intermediate stages of development called progenitors, which make various blood lineages like red blood cells or platelets. Crooks was most interested in the creation of the progenitors that form the entire immune system, which consists of many different cells called lymphocytes, each with a specialized function to fight infection.

"Like the stem cells, the progenitor cells are also very rare, so before we can study them we needed to find the needle in the haystack." said Lisa Kohn, a member of the UCLA Medical Scientist Training Program and first author in the paper.

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