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.

Fate Therapeutics to acquire Ottawa biotechnology company Verio Therapeutics

Fate Therapeutics, Inc. announced today a definitive agreement to acquire Verio Therapeutics Inc., a privately held biotechnology company based in Ottawa, Ontario, which is developing drug candidates targeting the activation of endogenous stem cells. Verio Therapeutics is advancing the work of several of Canada's leading stem cell scientists, including Michael Rudnicki, Ph.D., FRSC, and Lynn Arthur Megeney, Ph.D., who have made breakthrough discoveries relating to muscle and pancreatic regeneration.

9 Apr 2010

UBC doctoral candidate discovers a mechanism for silencing retroviruses

A University of British Columbia doctoral candidate has discovered a previously unknown mechanism for silencing retroviruses, segments of genetic material that can lead to fatal mutations in a cell's DNA.

8 Apr 2010

Phase III trial of brentuximab vedotin for post-transplant Hodgkin lymphoma initiated

Seattle Genetics, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and its wholly owned subsidiary Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company today announced the initiation of a phase III clinical trial of brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35) for post-transplant Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Brentuximab vedotin is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeted to CD30, which is expressed on malignant Hodgkin lymphoma cells.

8 Apr 2010

Nutritional supplement can increase blood circulation of hematopoietic stem cells

A nutritional supplement could stimulate the production of stem cells integral for repairing the body. Research published in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Translational Medicine suggests that a commercially-available supplement can increase the blood circulation of hematopoietic stem cells, which can give rise to all blood cells, and endothelial progenitor cells, which repair damage to blood vessels.

8 Apr 2010

SRU Biosystems extends product line with the introduction of BIND SCANNER

SRU Biosystems today announced the extension of its product line of label-free instrumentation and biosensors with the introduction of its BIND® SCANNER for primary and stem cell applications. The BIND SCANNER is a first-of-its-kind, plate-based, label-free instrument capable of monitoring cellular responses at an individual cell resolution.

7 Apr 2010

Stem cell-enriched autologous fat for breast augmentation

Whereas US and European medical centers are still beginners in breast augmentation with stem cell-enriched autologous fat, Viennese New Cosmetic Surgery and anti-aging expert DDr. Karl-Georg Heinrich is well-versed in this revolutionary method. In his Clinic DDr. Heinrich, he has been successfully offering breast augmentations with autologous stem cells to a broad public since early 2007.

7 Apr 2010

FamilyCord acquires assets of Vista Cord

FamilyCord, a subsidiary of California Cryobank, announced the recent asset acquisition of Vista Cord, a regional cord blood bank primarily servicing the southern US states. In conjunction with the FDA and cryogenic transport experts, FamilyCord has successfully relocated all cord blood units to their state-of-the-art facility in Los Angeles.

6 Apr 2010

Research may help scientists understand the mechanism behind cellular differentiation

Multipotent stem cells have the capacity to develop into different types of cells by reprogramming their DNA to turn on different combinations of genes, a process called "differentiation."

6 Apr 2010

FDA-approved contrast agent improves optical imaging of stem cells

A study published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (19:1) has found that using the FDA-approved contrast agent Indocyanine Green (ICG) to label human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) substantially improved efforts to optically track stem cells after transplanting them into heart tissues.

6 Apr 2010

Chinese SFDA approves Erye Pharmaceutical to manufacture generic Cloxapen

NeoStem, Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company with operations in the U.S. and China, announced that its Suzhou Erye Pharmaceutical subsidiary ("Erye") recently received approval from the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) in China to manufacture the sterile active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of the anti-infective cloxacillin sodium.

5 Apr 2010

Menstrual stem cells may help in treatment of stroke and central nervous system disorders

Cryo-Cell International, Inc. today announced results of a study published this month in the cover article of Stem Cells and Development showing that stem cells found in menstrual blood may one day be a potential source for stem cell therapies in stroke and other central nervous system disorders.

5 Apr 2010

AllCells expands office, laboratory production space and staff

AllCells LLC, a leading supplier of primary cell types, today announced it has completed its expansion into 10,000 additional square feet of office and laboratory production space located in Emeryville, California.

5 Apr 2010

Juventas Therapeutics commences enrollment in Phase I trial of JVS-100 for treatment of Class III heart failure

Juventas Therapeutics, a privately held, clinical-stage regenerative medicine company announced it has started enrolling patients in a Phase I clinical trial for JVS-100 to evaluate safety and efficacy in the treatment of patients with Class III heart failure. JVS-100 encodes Stromal Cell-derived Factor-1 (SDF-1) and has been shown in pre-clinical studies to significantly increase cardiac function by promoting cell survival and increasing new blood vessel formation in the damaged organ.

5 Apr 2010

Halozyme Therapeutics secures multiple commercial supply agreements for rHuPH20

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products targeting the extracellular matrix, today announced the execution of multiple commercial supply agreements with its existing manufacturing partners. Halozyme amended an existing commercial supply agreement with Avid Bioservices, Inc., entered into a new commercial supply agreement with Avid and entered into a new commercial supply agreement with Cook Pharmica LLC.

5 Apr 2010

Tiens Biotech Group's revenues for 2009 decline

Tiens Biotech Group (USA), Inc., http://www.tiens-bio.com , today announced financial results for the year ended December 31, 2009.

5 Apr 2010

Disability Leadership and Policy Summit to be hosted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

United Spinal Association will host its inaugural Disability Leadership and Policy Summit on April 15th in Philadelphia, commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990 and prohibits discrimination based on disability. The law was amended in 2008 to offer more protection to disabled workers.

5 Apr 2010

Hospital ER wait time via text messaging

The first wave of Spring Breakers has hit the sugar white sands of Panama City Beach, Florida. While most don't plan on a trip to the emergency department while they're on vacation, some end up there. And when they need emergency care, Gulf Coast Medical Center has made it easy for vacationers to find out how long they may have to wait for treatment before they leave for the hospital.

5 Apr 2010

Identification and elimination of cancer stem cells

A new field of cancer research could explain why some cancers that appear to have been cured can rear their ugly head or spread to other organs.

3 Apr 2010

Cancer research at Georgia Tech: Report

Cancer treatment typically involves surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or biological therapy. An oncologist may use one therapy or a combination of methods, depending on the type and location of the cancer, whether the disease has spread, the patient's age and general health, and other factors.

3 Apr 2010

Notch pathway may be a good target for drug development, study says

Working with mice, Johns Hopkins scientists who tested drugs intended to halt growth of brain cancer stem cells -- a small population of cells within tumors that perpetuate cancer growth -- conclude that blocking these cells may be somewhat effective, but more than one targeted drug attack may be needed to get the job done.

3 Apr 2010