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Third Researcher Appealing Grant Rejection to Stem Cell Agency Board

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 3:56 pm


The director of robotics and biosurgery
at UC Davis is appealing rejection of his application for a
$4.9 million grant from the California stem cell agency.

The scientist, W. Douglas Boyd,
noted that his proposal was given a scientific score of 67, which was
one point below the cutoff for most grants approved by CIRM's
Grants Working Group. Thirteen grants fell in the 68 to 53
range, including Boyd's. Reviewers approved four in that range,
including two with scores of 53.
Boyd's letter was brief, focusing on a
letter of support from an Indiana firm, Cook Biotech, Inc.,
that would supply the "material and technical expertise to
create a new bioengineered cardiac patch
material."
The appeal letter, along with other
appeals(see here and here), will be given to CIRM directors in the agenda material for their meeting tomorrow in San Francisco. The
board does not have to act on the petitions or discuss them.
Researchers can also appear before the board to make a case.

Claire Pomeroy, CEO of the UC
Davis Health Systems, is a member of the CIRM board. She
will be barred from taking part in any discussion of Boyd's
application or voting on it.

Source:
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Stem Cell Agency Hires Tech Chief to Solve a Myriad of Problems

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 3:56 pm


In a move that was long overdue, the $3
billion California stem cell agency last week hired a director of
information technology to straighten out key problems ranging from
its grants management system to how it handles its website.

The new hire comes as the CIRM
governing board faces the results of its first-ever performance audit, which is markedly critical of how the agency handles its
information. Half of the audit's 20 highest priority recommendations for improvement focus on information deficiencies, including
critical information necessary for CIRM executives to determine the
agency's performance.
Solving those problems will fall on
the shoulders of Bill Gimbel, who is no stranger to CIRM. He has been
working with the agency as an information technology advisor since
2010 through a contract with Infonetica, Inc., of Pleasanton, Ca., according to CIRM spokesman Kevin McCormack.  Gimbel is now the first staff person in a chief technology position at CIRM since October 2007, when about 25 percent of CIRM employees left.
Bill Gimbel
A graduate of MIT, Gimbel, who will be
paid $180,000 annually, has a broad range of experience in computer
technology and software dating back to 1992. According to his
Linkedin web site, he was most recently director of IT at Infonetica.
He lists himself as owner of aptReader, an app for reference books.
He has also worked for LearningExpress and Scholastic, Inc.
The stem cell agency has been wrestling with information technology issues for years. The critical grants
management system has been an issue at least since 2007, when
directors were told its costs would not exceed $757,000. No figures
for the total spent since then have been made public by CIRM, which
is attempting to build a custom system, but the amount clearly and
easily surpasses the 2007 estimate, based on some of the outside
consulting costs. Although the agency hopes to resolve many of the
problems by the end of this calendar year, the grant system was the
target of considerable attention by Moss Adams, the firm that
prepared the performance audit.
Over the years, CIRM directors have received
intermittent, sketchy CIRM staff reports about the grants management
system, but the Moss Adams discussion is the most
comprehensive.
Among other things, the Moss Adams report said in bureaucratically delicate language,

 "Integration
of website content management has not been an integral part of the
GMS (grants management system) development process, which could
result in suboptimal operational efficiency and effectiveness.

"Grants management system
development is effectively managed at a tactical level, but it lacks
dedicated, strategic governance and oversight, which has resulted in
an elongated development process and requirements conflicts."

Moss Adams said,

"The new grants management system
intellectual property module, currently under development, does not
include provisions to address commercialization activity."

The performance audit additionally
said,

"CIRM board members and senior
management do not receive regularly updated, enterprise-level
performance information. The ability to evaluate performance against
strategic goals is critical to effective leadership and program
monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. CIRM does not currently have a
formal performance reporting program."

Moss Adams continued on other
information technology topics:

"Data and document access are
inefficient as a result of CIRM operating without a document
management system.....In most cases, CIRM staff cannot access
information without human interface. Information is stored in
multiple locations, which are not linked or indexed."

The audit said that the agency has
tried to solve its information problems without a plan. 

 "CIRM’s
information system needs have been met by a variety of tools,
including in-house developed applications, off-the-shelf
applications, databases, and spreadsheets, most of which are not
integrated," the audit stated.

One of the effects of all this is much
wasted time when CIRM's tiny staff tries to extract information from
the hodge-podge of systems. It is time that cannot be spared as the
workload increases in the next few years, as it is certain to do. 
CIRM's 29-member board is scheduled to consider the performance audit at its meeting this Thursday. 

Source:
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New Drug For Destroying Human Cancer Stem Cells

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 3:17 pm

Editor's Choice Main Category: Cancer / Oncology Article Date: 25 May 2012 - 13:00 PDT

Current ratings for: 'New Drug For Destroying Human Cancer Stem Cells'

3.5 (4 votes)

3 (2 votes)

Mick Bhatia, lead researcher of the study and scientific director of McMaster's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, said: "The unusual aspect of our finding is the way this human-ready drug actually kills cancer stem cells; by changing them into cells that are non-cancerous."

Findings from the study could pave the way for the development of anticancer drugs in the treatment of various cancers. In addition to thioridazine, the team have identified another 12 drugs that also have good potential for the same response. The study is published in the journal CELL.

Cancer stem cells were first identified in certain types of leukemia by Canadian researchers over a decade ago. Since then they have been identified in ovarian, prostate, lung, brain, breast, blood, and gastrointestinal cancer.

The researchers developed an automated robotic system in order to identify different compounds of several drugs, including thioridazine.

Bhatia explained: "Now we can test thousands of compounds, eventually defining a candidate drug that has little effect on normal stem cells but kills the cells that start the tumor."

The researchers next step is to test thioridazine in clinical trials in patients with acute myeloid leukemia whose cancer has relapsed following chemotherapy. Their goal is to determine whether the drug can put a patients cancer into remission and prevent it from returning by targeting the cancer stem cells.

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New Drug For Destroying Human Cancer Stem Cells

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Anti-psychotic drug kills cancer stem cells without side-effects: study

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 3:17 pm

Vancouver, May 27: A team of Canadian scientists have discovered that thioridazine, a drug used to treat psychotic disorder, could successfully kill cancer stem cells in humans without the toxic side-effects on normal cells.

The research, published Thursday in the science journal CELL, may pave the way for the development of anticancer drugs for treatment of various cancers.

Conventional cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, work in a way that is toxic to cells, which may also lead to side-effects such as hair loss, nausea and anemia, according to the researchers from McMaster University.

Stem cells have long been believed to be the source of many cancers. In 1997, Canadian researchers first identified cancer stem cells in certain types of leukemia. Cancer stem cells have since been identified in blood, breast, brain, lung, gastrointestinal, prostate and ovarian cancer.

"The unusual aspect of our finding is the way it kills cancer stem cells, by differentiating them and changing them into cells that are non-cancerous," said Mick Bhatia, the principal investigator for the study and scientific director of McMaster's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute.

"We think this lack of toxicity is why it doesn't have effects on the normal cells, which would be beneficial to the patients," Bhatia said.

Bhatia said their next step was to test thioridazine in clinical trials, focusing on patients with acute myeloid leukemia whose disease has relapsed after chemotherapy. He wants to find out if the drug can put their cancer into remission, and prevent the cancer from coming back by targeting the root of the cancer (cancer stem cells).

Bhatia's team also found that thioridazine works through the dopamine receptor on the surface of the cancer cells in both leukemia and breast cancer patients.

The finding means it may be possible to use thioridazine as a biomarker that would allow early detection and treatment of breast cancer and early signs of leukemia progression, he said.

The research team would also look into the effectiveness of the drug in other types of cancer. Bhatia said they will collaborate with academic groups as well as industry to move forward.

Continued here:
Anti-psychotic drug kills cancer stem cells without side-effects: study

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Anti-psychotic drug kills cancer stem cells without side-effects: study

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 2:13 pm

Vancouver, May 27: A team of Canadian scientists have discovered that thioridazine, a drug used to treat psychotic disorder, could successfully kill cancer stem cells in humans without the toxic side-effects on normal cells.

The research, published Thursday in the science journal CELL, may pave the way for the development of anticancer drugs for treatment of various cancers.

Conventional cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, work in a way that is toxic to cells, which may also lead to side-effects such as hair loss, nausea and anemia, according to the researchers from McMaster University.

Stem cells have long been believed to be the source of many cancers. In 1997, Canadian researchers first identified cancer stem cells in certain types of leukemia. Cancer stem cells have since been identified in blood, breast, brain, lung, gastrointestinal, prostate and ovarian cancer.

"The unusual aspect of our finding is the way it kills cancer stem cells, by differentiating them and changing them into cells that are non-cancerous," said Mick Bhatia, the principal investigator for the study and scientific director of McMaster's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute.

"We think this lack of toxicity is why it doesn't have effects on the normal cells, which would be beneficial to the patients," Bhatia said.

Bhatia said their next step was to test thioridazine in clinical trials, focusing on patients with acute myeloid leukemia whose disease has relapsed after chemotherapy. He wants to find out if the drug can put their cancer into remission, and prevent the cancer from coming back by targeting the root of the cancer (cancer stem cells).

Bhatia's team also found that thioridazine works through the dopamine receptor on the surface of the cancer cells in both leukemia and breast cancer patients.

The finding means it may be possible to use thioridazine as a biomarker that would allow early detection and treatment of breast cancer and early signs of leukemia progression, he said.

The research team would also look into the effectiveness of the drug in other types of cancer. Bhatia said they will collaborate with academic groups as well as industry to move forward.

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Anti-psychotic drug kills cancer stem cells without side-effects: study

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Di’Anno Wants Former Iron Maiden Bandmate To Undergo Stem Cell Therapy Recap

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 2:13 pm

Burr, the drummer with Maiden from 1979 until 1982, has been in a wheelchair as a result of multiple sclerosis, which has been attacking his nervous system since before he was diagnosed in 2002.

MS reduces the ability of the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other, resulting in a wide range of potentially severe symptoms. The cause is unknown and there is no cure; but in 2009 researchers made the first breakthrough in reversing symptoms through stem cell therapy.

Di'Anno tells Talking Metal Pirate Radio Burr's condition is "not very good at all." - He had a lot to say, read it here.

Classic Rock Magazine is an official news provider for antiMusic.com. Copyright Classic Rock Magazine- Excerpted here with permission.

antiMUSIC News featured on RockNews.info and Yahoo News

...end

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Di'Anno Wants Former Iron Maiden Bandmate To Undergo Stem Cell Therapy Recap

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Drug destroys human cancer stem cells but not healthy ones

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 3:13 am

ScienceDaily (May 24, 2012) A team of scientists at McMaster University has discovered a drug, thioridazine, successfully kills cancer stem cells in the human while avoiding the toxic side-effects of conventional cancer treatments.

"The unusual aspect of our finding is the way this human-ready drug actually kills cancer stem cells; by changing them into cells that are non-cancerous," said Mick Bhatia, the principal investigator for the study and scientific director of McMaster's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.

Unlike chemotherapy and radiation, thioridazine appears to have no effect on normal stem cells.

The research, published May 24 in the science journal Cell, holds the promise of a new strategy and discovery pipeline for the development of anticancer drugs in the treatment of various cancers. The research team has identified another dozen drugs that have good potential for the same response.

For 15 years, some researchers have believed stem cells are the source of many cancers. In 1997, Canadian researchers first identified cancer stem cells in certain types of leukemia. Cancer stem cells have since been identified in blood, breast, brain, lung, gastrointestinal, prostate and ovarian cancer.

To test more than a dozen different compounds, McMaster researchers pioneered a fully automated robotic system to identify several drugs, including thioridazine.

"Now we can test thousands of compounds, eventually defining a candidate drug that has little effect on normal stem cells but kills the cells that start the tumor," said Bhatia.

The next step is to test thioridazine in clinical trials, focusing on patients with acute myeloid leukemia whose disease has relapsed after chemotherapy. Bhatia wants to find out if the drug can put their cancer into remission, and by targeting the root of the cancer (cancer stem cells) prevent the cancer from coming back. Researchers at McMaster have already designed how these trials would be done.

Bhatia's team found thioridazine works through the dopamine receptor on the surface of the cancer cells in both leukemia and breast cancer patients. This means it may be possible to use it as a biomarker that would allow early detection and treatment of breast cancer and early signs of leukemia progression, he said.

The research team's next step is to investigate the effectiveness of the drug in other types of cancer. In addition, the team will explore several drugs identified along with thioridazine. In the future, thousands of other compounds will be analyzed with McMaster robotic stem cell screening system in partnership with collaborations that include academic groups as well as industry.

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Drug destroys human cancer stem cells but not healthy ones

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SD scientists get $18 million in stem cell funds

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 3:13 am

San Diego scientists will receive about $18.1 million in the latest round of funding from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the agency that's distributing $3 billion in stem cell research money made available through Proposition 71.

Since funding began, San Diego County researchers have been awarded at least $258 million, making the region one of the largest stem cell research clusters in the country.

Extended U-T science coverage on Facebook

Here's a sample of the latest grants:

Mark Tuszynski, UC San Diego, $4.7 million for research on novel stem cell therapies to treat spinal cord injuries.

Peter Schutlz, The Scripps Research Institute, $4.3 million for research to treat multiple sclerosis.

Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, Salk Institute, $2.3 million for research that would help repair damaged blood vessels.

Yang Xu, UC San Diego, $1.8 million for research that would help treat heart failure.

Eric Adler, UC San Diego, $1.7 million for research to help treat Danon disease, which causes major abnormalities in heart and skeletal muscles.

David Schubert, Salk Institute, $1.7 million for research aimed at treating Alzheimer's disease

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SD scientists get $18 million in stem cell funds

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Drug destroys human cancer stem cells but not healthy ones

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 2:15 am

ScienceDaily (May 24, 2012) A team of scientists at McMaster University has discovered a drug, thioridazine, successfully kills cancer stem cells in the human while avoiding the toxic side-effects of conventional cancer treatments.

"The unusual aspect of our finding is the way this human-ready drug actually kills cancer stem cells; by changing them into cells that are non-cancerous," said Mick Bhatia, the principal investigator for the study and scientific director of McMaster's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.

Unlike chemotherapy and radiation, thioridazine appears to have no effect on normal stem cells.

The research, published May 24 in the science journal Cell, holds the promise of a new strategy and discovery pipeline for the development of anticancer drugs in the treatment of various cancers. The research team has identified another dozen drugs that have good potential for the same response.

For 15 years, some researchers have believed stem cells are the source of many cancers. In 1997, Canadian researchers first identified cancer stem cells in certain types of leukemia. Cancer stem cells have since been identified in blood, breast, brain, lung, gastrointestinal, prostate and ovarian cancer.

To test more than a dozen different compounds, McMaster researchers pioneered a fully automated robotic system to identify several drugs, including thioridazine.

"Now we can test thousands of compounds, eventually defining a candidate drug that has little effect on normal stem cells but kills the cells that start the tumor," said Bhatia.

The next step is to test thioridazine in clinical trials, focusing on patients with acute myeloid leukemia whose disease has relapsed after chemotherapy. Bhatia wants to find out if the drug can put their cancer into remission, and by targeting the root of the cancer (cancer stem cells) prevent the cancer from coming back. Researchers at McMaster have already designed how these trials would be done.

Bhatia's team found thioridazine works through the dopamine receptor on the surface of the cancer cells in both leukemia and breast cancer patients. This means it may be possible to use it as a biomarker that would allow early detection and treatment of breast cancer and early signs of leukemia progression, he said.

The research team's next step is to investigate the effectiveness of the drug in other types of cancer. In addition, the team will explore several drugs identified along with thioridazine. In the future, thousands of other compounds will be analyzed with McMaster robotic stem cell screening system in partnership with collaborations that include academic groups as well as industry.

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Drug destroys human cancer stem cells but not healthy ones

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State awards stem cell grants to medical researchers

Posted: May 26, 2012 at 12:12 pm

SACRAMENTO California's stem cell agency today approved two grants to UC Davis Health System researchers for their innovative work in regenerative medicine.

Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, distinguished professor of orthopaedic surgery and professor and chair of biomedical engineering, and the Child Family Professor of Engineering at UC Davis, is investigating the use of skin-derived stem cells to heal cartilage injuries and debilitating conditions of the knee such as osteoarthritis.

W. Douglas Boyd, professor of surgery, plans to further refine a novel approach to treating cardiovascular injuries suffered during a heart attack by using stem cells and a tissue-like scaffold to repair cardiac damage.

The pair received individual grants totaling approximately $6.6 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine's (CIRM) governing board.

Athanasiou's and Boyd's multi-year grants were among the proposals submitted to CIRM for its third round of Early Translational Awards, which are intended to enable clinical therapies to be developed more rapidly.

"Both of these scientists are conducting exciting research that could have far-reaching implications in health care," said Jan Nolta, director of the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures and the university's stem cell program director. "Dr. Athanasiou is bioengineering new cartilage that could have the same physiological integrity as the cartilage a person is born with. Dr. Boyd is developing a treatment that uses a paper-thin patch embedded with stem cells to harness their regenerative powers to repair damaged heart muscle."

Boyd, who's a pioneering cardiothoracic surgeon, pointed out in his CIRM proposal that heart disease is the nation's number-one cause of death and disability. An estimated 16.3 million Americans over the age of 20 suffer from coronary heart disease, which in 2007 accounted for an estimated 1 in 6 deaths in the U.S. Boyd plans to use bone-marrow derived stem cells -- known as mesenchymal stem cells -- in combination with a bioengineered framework known as an extracellular matrix, to regenerate damaged heart tissue, block heart disease and restore cardiac function, something currently not possible except in cases of a complete and very invasive heart transplant.

An expert in biomedical engineering, Athanasiou is focusing on developing a cellular therapy using stem cells created from an individual's own skin -- known as autologous skin-derived stem cells -- which have shown great promise in animal models. He plans to use the new funding to conduct extensive toxicology and durability tests to determine the technique's long-term safety and efficacy. Such tests are among the many steps needed to advance toward human clinical trials.

Cartilage is the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in joints, allowing bones to glide over each other and absorbing the shock of movement. Cartilage defects from injuries and lifelong wear and tear can eventually degenerate into osteoarthritis. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and affects an estimated 27 million Americans over the age of 25.

"For anyone suffering from osteoarthritis or other debilitating cartilage conditions, Dr. Athanasiou's goal of using stem cells to regenerate new tissue could have enormous quality-of-life and economic benefits," said Nolta, who is the recipient of a prior translational grant from CIRM to develop potential therapies for Huntington's disease . "Dr. Boyd's work is equally promising because he's using a bioengineered structure to encourage cardiac tissue repair, which could have important benefits in the treatment of heart disease."

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