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.

Stem cell transplantation from healthy donor helps cure aggressive form of CLL

The transplantation of stem cells from a healthy donor (allogeneic) offers the chance of cure for patients with an aggressive form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), irrespective of genetic prognostic factors and the prior course of the disease. The German CLL Study Group proved this in a multicentric clinical phase II study led by Professor Dr. Peter Dreger, senior consultant and head of the division of stem cell transplantation at the Department of Internal Medicine V at Heidelberg University Hospital.

13 Jul 2010

Vivakor expands distribution channels of VivaThermic vials

Vivakor, Inc. announced that it has expanded United States distribution of its VivaThermic vials. A listing of Authorized Distributors of VivaThermic vials is available at www.vivathermic.com/distributors.

13 Jul 2010

Irvine Scientific opens new Industrial Cell Culture media production facility in Tokyo, Japan

Irvine Scientific, a member of JX Holdings group, announced today the opening of a new Industrial Cell Culture media production facility in Tokyo, Japan. The new facility, located in Saitama prefecture, will manufacture the Company's cell culture media for production of biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and other media's used in pharmaceuticals, medicines, and research. The facility is being commissioned and validated as completely animal component free manufacturing facility.

12 Jul 2010

New approach of screening drugs that encourage stem cells to repair damaged tissue

Professor Fiona Watt will today (12 July) give the Anne McLaren Memorial Lecture at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science meeting and will detail a new approach to screening for drugs that target stem cells. To begin with, this is being developed for adult skin stem cells, giving hope for new drugs to promote wound healing and aid the use of stem cells to, for example, treat severe burns. This technique can also be applied to a wide range of stem cells, opening up the possibilities for harnessing stem cells in regenerative medicine.

12 Jul 2010

Addition of fat to mouse stem cells push them to develop into subcutaneous or visceral fat storage cells

New research being presented today (12 July) at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Nottingham shows that adding fat to mouse stem cells grown in the lab affects their response to the signals that push them to develop into one or other of the main types of fat storage cells - subcutaneous (under the skin) or visceral (around the organs).

12 Jul 2010

Experts use Mexican aquatic salamander to study evolution and genetics of stem cells

Dr Andrew Johnson is speaking today (12 July) at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual conference. He and his team from the University of Nottingham have been using a Mexican aquatic salamander called an axolotl to study the evolution and genetics of stem cells - research that supports the development of regenerative medicine to treat the consequences of disease and injury using stem cell therapies. This team has found that there are extraordinary similarities in the development of axolotls and mammals that provide unique opportunities to study the properties of embryonic stem cells and germ cells.

12 Jul 2010

Survival rates for people diagnosed with once-deadly cancer increase: Cancer Research UK

People diagnosed with breast, bowel and ovarian cancers and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are today twice as likely to survive for at least 10 years as those diagnosed in the early 1970s according to new figures1 released by Cancer Research UK.

12 Jul 2010

New method enhances delivery of DNA payloads into cells

Chang Lu and his chemical engineering research group at Virginia Tech have discovered how to "greatly enhance" the delivery of DNA payloads into cells. The description of their work will be featured on the cover of Lab on a Chip (issue 16), the premier journal for researchers in microfluidics.

9 Jul 2010

Musashi 2 protein predicts progression of AML and CML, identify researchers

Researchers at Whitehead Institute and Children's Hospital Boston have identified a protein, called Musashi 2, that is predictive of prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia patients.

9 Jul 2010

Biologists discover new way to limit formation of teratomas

One of the characteristics of embryonic stem cells is their ability to form unusual tumors called teratomas. These tumors, which contain a mixture of cells from a variety of tissues and organs of the body, are typically benign. But they present a major obstacle to the development of human embryonic stem cell therapies that seek to treat a variety of human ailments such as Parkinson's, diabetes, genetic blood disorders and spinal cord injuries.

9 Jul 2010

Researchers report how mature red blood cells form

We take our blood for granted, but its creation requires a complicated series of steps, starting with the formation of blood stem cells during early embryonic development, followed by progressive differentiation into the progenitors of red cells, white cells and platelets, and ultimately the full set of blood cells.

9 Jul 2010

iPierian announces closing of $22M Series B equity financing round

iPierian, Inc., the leading biopharmaceutical company using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for drug discovery, today announced the closing of a $22 million Series B equity financing. The financing round was led by new investor Google Ventures, and was joined by Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and ATEL Ventures. All current investors also participated, including: Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Highland Capital Partners, MPM Capital and FinTech Global Capital.

9 Jul 2010

Kiadis Pharma receives FDA approval for IND to start pivotal clinical study for ATIR

Biopharmaceutical Company Kiadis Pharma announced today that it has received approval for its Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start the pivotal clinical study for its product ATIR™ in the United States. Kiadis Pharma is currently enrolling patients in a multinational, pivotal clinical study at hospitals in Europe and Canada. With the approval of the IND, US hospitals will also participate in this study.

8 Jul 2010

USF granted patent for cell transplantation procedure

The University of South Florida's Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair has been granted a patent for a cell transplantation procedure combining human umbilical cord blood cells and a sugar-alcohol compound called "mannitol" that may make a big difference in treating life-threatening neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and stroke, among others.

8 Jul 2010

Amniocentesis and non-embryonic stem cells among list of "Huge Medical Breakthroughs"

Two key focus areas of Biocell Center, the nation's first amniotic fluid stem cell bank, have been recently mentioned among the most important medical discoveries of the last century. Amniocentesis and non-embryonic stem cells were among the list of "Huge Medical Breakthroughs" presented in an article by Althea Chang on Mainstreet.com, produced by TheStreet.com on June 29, 2010.

8 Jul 2010

ISCO and Sankara Nethralaya collaborate to develop "CytoCor" stem cell-derived corneal tissue

International Stem Cell Corporation and Sankara Nethralaya, announced today commencement of a collaboration to develop ISCO's "CytoCor™" stem cell-derived corneal tissue. The goal is to use CytoCor to treat corneal blindness and vision impairment. "This is one more step in ISCO's stated plan of building its portfolio of therapeutic agents through strategic alliances throughout the world," said Chairman, Ken Aldrich.

7 Jul 2010

Scientists identify potential disease genes in humans and mice

An international consortium of scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München and the University of Toronto has identified previously unknown potential disease genes in humans and mice. Genes on the X chromosome, which regulate embryonic development, are the focus of the current publication in the renowned journal Genome Research. Men have only one X chromosome, and therefore mutations on this chromosome disproportionately affect males, frequently leading to serious diseases such as hemophilia, muscular dystrophy and mental retardation.

7 Jul 2010

Study identifies factors that control production of HSCs

A team of researchers from the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer of the University of Montreal have made significant progress in the understanding of blood-producing (hematopoietic) stem cells. The study led by IRIC Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Dr. Guy Sauvageau, identifies factors that control the production of hematopoietic stem cells.

7 Jul 2010

Study: High concentrations of cocoa flavanols decrease blood pressure

A new study by UCSF cardiologists and researchers found that high concentrations of cocoa flavanols decrease blood pressure, improve the health of blood vessels and increase the number of circulating blood-vessel-forming cells in patients with heart disease. The findings indicate that foods rich in flavanols - such as cocoa products, tea, wine, and various fruits and vegetables - have a cardio-protective benefit for heart disease patients.

7 Jul 2010

Multicolor quantum dots can distinguish Reed-Sternberg cells, article shows

The tunable fluorescent nanoparticles known as quantum dots make ideal tools for distinguishing and identifying rare cancer cells in tissue biopsies, Emory and Georgia Tech scientists have demonstrated.

7 Jul 2010