Stem Cells News and Research

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Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

NCI rates Abramson Cancer Center as 'exceptional'

The University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center has been rated as "exceptional" by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) during a competitive research funding review by the government agency.

13 Oct 2010

Infection during pregnancy linked to increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in fetus

A pregnant woman's immune response to viral infections may induce subtle neurological changes in the unborn child that can lead to an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia and autism. Research published in the online journal mBio- provides new insights into how this may happen and suggests potential strategies for reducing this risk.

13 Oct 2010

Cardiogenesis initiates enrollment in PHOENIX System Feasibility Study

Cardiogenesis Corporation, a leading developer of surgical products used in the treatment of diffuse coronary artery disease, reported the enrollment of the first two patients in its PHOENIX Feasibility Study. Dr. Guillermo Reyes at La Princesa Hospital, Madrid, Spain performed the procedures utilizing the company's proprietary PHOENIX System that combines the intramyocardial delivery of stem cells with transmyocardial revascularization (TMR).

13 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 12, 2010

Today's early morning highlights from major news organizations look at a probe of a California hospital chain, the effect that the governors' races around the country will have on the federal health law and a review of prescription purchases that shows more Americans are foregoing their medicines.

12 Oct 2010

NCKU develops novel stem cell therapy for heart repair

Assistant Prof. Patrick C. H. Hsieh of Institute of Nanotechnology and Microsystems Engineering, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan, has led a research team of myocardial regeneration to conduct an experiment on pigs and has proved that by combining self-assembling peptide nanofiber hydrogel with autologous bone marrow stem cell, myocardial protection after acute myocardial infarction, vascular regeneration and heart functions can be improved.

12 Oct 2010

New microchip technology to identify neuronal regenerators

Scientists have long sought the ability to regenerate nerve cells, or neurons, which could offer a new way to treat spinal-cord damage as well as neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Many chemicals can regenerate neurons grown in Petri dishes in the lab, but it's difficult and time-consuming to identify those chemicals that work in live animals, which is critical for developing drugs for humans.

12 Oct 2010

Embryonic stem cells used in first trial for spinal cord injury

The first ever patient to receive treatment in a U.S. government approved study involving human embryonic stem cells has been injected with millions of the potentially life saving cells. He is presently being treated at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. He was partially paralyzed following a spinal cord injury. The center specializes in treating these types of injuries.

11 Oct 2010

Access highlights clinical benefits of MuGard at ESMO conference

Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company specializing in products for cancer and supportive care, announced the highlights from a poster presentation on European clinical experience of MuGard at this year's European Society of Medical Oncology Conference in Milan, Italy.

11 Oct 2010

Geron commences GRNOPC1 hESC-based cell therapy in patients with spinal cord injury

Geron Corporation today announced the enrollment of the first patient in the company's clinical trial of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, GRNOPC1. The primary objective of this Phase I study is to assess the safety and tolerability of GRNOPC1 in patients with "complete" American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale grade A thoracic spinal cord injuries. Participants in the study must be newly injured and receive GRNOPC1 within 14 days of the injury.

11 Oct 2010

MOH approves BrainStorm's NurOwn stem cell therapy for Phase I/II clinical trial

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, today announced that the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) has granted clearance for a Phase I/II clinical trial using the company's autologous NurOwn stem cell therapy in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

11 Oct 2010

Millennium, Seattle Genetics announce positive top-line results of SGN-35 phase II clinical trial

Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Millennium The Takeda Oncology Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, today announced positive top-line results from a phase II clinical trial of single-agent brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeted to CD30. The trial was conducted in 58 relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) patients.

11 Oct 2010

Scientists identify molecular mechanism of muscle stem cell differentiation

Under normal circumstances, adult stem cells reside in muscle tissue, where they can differentiate into a number of different cell types. After an injury (or even a tough workout), muscles are inflamed as cells and molecules flood the area to control damage and begin repairs. When called upon to replace muscle tissue damaged by injury or genetic disease, some muscle stem cells differentiate, becoming new muscle cells, while others make more stem cells. At Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), a team of scientists led by Pier Lorenzo Puri, M.D., Ph.D., recently uncovered the molecular messengers that translate inflammatory signals into the genetic changes that tell muscle stem cells to differentiate.

11 Oct 2010

Cell Cure to receive equity investment of $7.1 million to develop stem cell-based therapies

BioTime, Inc. Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd., and Hadasit Bio-Holdings Ltd. jointly announced today that Cell Cure will receive an equity investment of $7.1 million from BioTime, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and Hadasit Bio-Holdings (HBL).

11 Oct 2010

Cell Cure, Teva Pharmaceutical enter license option agreement for OpRegen product

BioTime, Inc., Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd., and Hadasit Bio-Holdings Ltd. jointly announced today that Cell Cure and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. have entered into an exclusive license option agreement to develop and commercialize Cell Cure's OpRegen product for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

11 Oct 2010

Mouse study may help develop new therapies for spinal cord injury

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have shown how stem cells, together with other cells, repair damaged tissue in the mouse spinal cord. The results are of potential significance to the development of therapies for spinal cord injury.

8 Oct 2010

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center named Centers of Excellence for Molecular Hematology

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has been named one of five national Centers of Excellence for Molecular Hematology to find new gene and cell therapies for inherited diseases affecting blood cells.

8 Oct 2010

Roche´s Cellavista System useful for automated mES colony imaging: Study

A recent study depicted the use of Roche´s Cellavista System to rapidly and effectively carry out a clonal analysis of embryonic stem colony self-renewal in an end-point assay. The Cellavista System proved to be useful for automated mES colony imaging, as well as characterization of colonies as differentiated and undifferentiated based on gating of morphological and intensity criteria. Little or no interference from the feeder cell layers was seen in the analysis of the images.

8 Oct 2010

StemCells provides update on PMD Phase I clinical trial

StemCells, Inc. today provided an update on its ongoing Phase I clinical trial in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder that afflicts male children.

8 Oct 2010

Researchers explain nano-topographical responsiveness of stem cells

Many scientists aspire to take control over the stem cell differentiation process, so that we can grow organs and implants perfectly matched to each patient in the future. Now research in the Journal of Tissue Engineering, published by SAGE-Hindawi, explains how engineering the topography on which stem cells grow, and the mechanical forces working on them, can be as powerful an agent for change as their chemical environment.

8 Oct 2010

ISCO to present data on Hepatocyte-like cells at ASSLD Annual Meeting

International Stem Cell Corporation, will present data on its progress toward producing human liver cells from immune-matched patient-specific parthenogenetic stem cells at The Liver Meeting, the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (ASSLD), in Boston, MA from October 29 - November 2, 2010.

8 Oct 2010