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FDA approves human embryonic stem cells clinical trial for spinal cord injury treatment

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc.: Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration gave their highly-anticipated approval for the first clinical trial using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), which are the type of cells that can develop into all tissues of the body. Geron Corporation of Menlo Park, California, received the green light from the US FDA to use cells derived from hESCs to treat people with acute spinal cord injuries. Ten people will receive injections into the injury site of hESC-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, which stimulate the growth of new and severed nerves and recoat damaged nerves with myelin. The hope is that the injections will help people recover function lost through injury, as seen in rodent studies in 2005.

10 Aug 2010

Scientists reveal origins of second heart field in vertebrates

Using the model organism Ciona intestinalis, commonly known as the sea squirt, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have uncovered the origins of the second heart field in vertebrates.

31 Jul 2010

FDA lifts hold, allows Geron to proceed with Phase I clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in spinal cord injury

Geron Corporation announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the company that the clinical hold placed on Geron's Investigational New Drug (IND) application has been lifted and the company's Phase I clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in patients with acute spinal cord injury may proceed.

30 Jul 2010

Glioblastomas patients with affected stem cell niche experience progression-free survival

Patients with deadly glioblastomas who received high doses of radiation that hit a portion of the brain that harbors neural stem cells had double the progression-free survival time as patients who had lower doses or no radiation targeting the area, a study from the Radiation Oncology Department at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found.

26 Jul 2010

Thymosin beta 4 improves neurological functional outcome after embolic stroke: Researchers

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced a research team from the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, reported that Thymosin beta 4, administered to rats after embolic stroke, improved neurological functional outcome compared to control animals.

20 Jul 2010

Aastrom commences extension study for control patients from Phase 2 IMPACT-DCM clinical trial

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., the leading developer of autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases, today announced the initiation of an extension study for control patients from the company's ongoing open-label Phase 2 IMPACT-DCM clinical trial in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

14 Jul 2010

SANUWAVE Health introduces orthoPACE device in Europe

SANUWAVE Health, Inc., an emerging medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of non-invasive, biological response activating devices in the regenerative medicine area, reports the European launch of the orthoPACE device intended for use in orthopedic, trauma and sports medicine indications following CE mark approval last month.

14 Jul 2010

EntreMed announces publication of preclinical data for ENMD-2076

EntreMed, Inc., today announced the publication of preclinical data for its Phase 2 oncology drug candidate, ENMD-2076 an Aurora A/angiogenic kinase inhibitor, which demonstrated significant activity against multiple myeloma cell lines and in MM models in vivo. Results of the study, conducted by EntreMed's collaborator, Sherif Farag, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at the Indiana University School of Medicine, were published in the on-line version of the British Journal of Haematology on June 15, 2010 and are scheduled to be published in print in the August 1, 2010 issue.

13 Jul 2010

Mesoblast schedules formal meeting with FDA to discuss proposed Phase 3 clinical trial program

Australian regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited, today announced that based on positive results from its bone marrow transplant clinical trial conducted at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, a formal meeting has been scheduled with the United States Food and Drug Administration to discuss a proposed Phase 3 clinical trial program.

12 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

Researchers develop first model of hormone-induced human prostate cancer initiation and progression

Progress toward understanding the role of sex hormones in the growth of prostate cancer—the most common cancer in U.S. men—has been hindered by the lack of a suitable laboratory research model. Now researchers say they have developed the first model of hormone-induced human prostate cancer initiation and progression.

2 Jul 2010

Children's Hospital Boston researchers reprogram adult blood cells into iPS cells

In findings likely to make it easier and faster for stem cell biologists to generate patient-specific embryonic-like stem cells, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have reprogrammed adult blood cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

2 Jul 2010

Fate Therapeutics recognized with Red Herring's North America 100 award

Fate Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that the Company received Red Herring's North America 100 award, a prestigious list honoring the year's most promising private and innovative companies from the North American business region. The nominees were evaluated by the Red Herring editorial team on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, technology innovation, quality of management, execution of strategy and integration into their respective industries.

28 Jun 2010

CHOC Children's receives royalty-free research license to certain StemCells' patents

StemCells, Inc. and the Children's Hospital of Orange County ("CHOC Children's") announced today that they have entered into an agreement that provides CHOC Children's with a royalty-free research license to certain of StemCells' patents. This license authorizes CHOC Children's to proliferate, maintain and use human neural stem cells for non-commercial purposes.

4 Jun 2010

Synthetic peptide repairs, regenerates stroke-injured brain tissue

A synthetic version of a naturally occurring peptide promoted the creation of new blood vessels and repaired damaged nerve cells in lab animals, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

2 Jun 2010

New study provides cause-and-effect link between immune system cells and mental illness

A Nobel Prize-winning University of Utah geneticist discovered that bone marrow transplants cure mutant mice who pull out their hair compulsively. The study provides the first cause-and-effect link between immune system cells and mental illness, and points toward eventual new psychiatric treatments.

28 May 2010

Researchers discover genetic variant that raises risk of CHD

Although congenital heart disease represents the most common major birth defect, scientists have not previously identified the common variation in the genes that give rise to it. Now genetics and cardiology researchers, two of them brothers, have discovered a genetic variant on chromosome 5 that strongly raises the risk of congenital heart disease.

27 May 2010

Researchers study how hematopoietic cells react when Epo levels increase

Our body reacts to blood loss by stimulating the production of red blood cells (erythrocytes). The cells of the hematopoietic (blood-forming) system in the bone marrow do so upon receipt of a signal by a hormone called erythropoietin, or Epo for short. This hormone is produced mainly by the kidney that increases the Epo level by up to a thousand-fold as a response to falling oxygen saturation of the blood.

25 May 2010

Aastrom Biosciences initiates treatment in Phase 2 catheter-based clinical trial for dilated cardiomyopathy

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., the leading developer of autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases, today announced that the first patient has been treated in the company's U.S. Phase 2 catheter-based clinical trial to treat dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Treatment was performed by interventional cardiologist Timothy D. Henry, M.D., FACC, at the Minneapolis Heart Institute® at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN.

17 May 2010

New way to coax embryonic stem cells and reprogrammed adult cells to develop sensory cells

After ten years of effort, researchers reporting in the May 14th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, say they have found a way to coax embryonic stem cells as well as reprogrammed adult cells to develop into sensory cells that normally reside in the mammalian inner ear. Those mechanosensitive sensory hair cells are the linchpin of hearing and balance.

14 May 2010