Monthly Archives: February 2012

Harvard scientists are challenging traditional medical logic that dictates that women are born with a finite amount of eggs.  The scientists said they have discovered the ovaries of young women harbor rare stem cells that are in fact capable of producing new eggs. If properly harnessed, those stem cells may someday lead to new treatments for women suffering from infertility due to cancer or other diseases – or for those who are simply getting older, according to the researchers.  Lead researcher Jonathan Tilly of Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital has co-founded a company, OvaScience Inc., to try to develop the findings into fertility treatments. The idea that women are born with all the egg cells – called oocytes – they’ll ever have has been called into question by past research, which found egg-producing stem cells in adult mice. In this latest study, Harvard researchers, in collaboration with Japanese scientists, used donated frozen ovaries from 20 year olds and ‘fished out’ the purported stem cells.   The researchers inserted a gene into the stem cells, which caused them to glow green.  If the cells produced eggs, those would glow green, too. The researchers first watched through a microscope as new eggs grew … Continue reading →

by WHAS editors WHAS11.com Posted on February 27, 2012 at 1:22 PM TUSCON, Ariz. (WHAS11) -- A famous horse has a new lease on life thanks to a cutting-edge stem cell treatment. He's the half-brother to Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro and he’s known around the world as Dynaking, but the people who rescued him in Tucson, Ariz. call him "Gifted." He was born to run, but now he can barely walk. "Gifted" suffers from a condition that affects horses feet, an inflammation of the hoof that kills if left untreated. Veterinarian Dr. Vernon Dryden flew to Arizona from Kentucky to help. “What he has is a very difficult thing to overcome and really truly we're not going to cure him but we're going to try to prolong his life,” Dryden said. Now the recovery is up to "Gifted." “He's got the will to live like no horse I’ve ever seen before. He is a fighter,” Judy Glore, Heart of Tucson president, said.     Follow this link: Stem cells give Barbaro's half-brother a chance to run again … Continue reading →

NEW YORK & PETACH TIKVAH--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB: BCLI.OB - News), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced today that the prestigious Nature Reviews Neurology, a Nature Publishing Group Journal, highlighted recently published preclinical research results indicating that stem cells, generated with Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ technology, provide hope for Huntington disease's patients. In the preclinical studies conducted by leading scientists including Professors Melamed and Offen of Tel Aviv University and originally reported in Experimental Neurology, patients' bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells secreting neurotrophic factors (MSC-NTF) that were transplanted into an animal model of Huntington disease showed therapeutic benefits. Addressing the role of these MSC-NTF cells in Huntington disease, Professor Daniel Offen explains, "the premise is that such cells can be transplanted safely into affected areas of the brain, and thereby serve as vehicles for delivering neurotrophic factors." Offen expressed his hope that this cell-based therapy may eventually progress to the clinic. BrainStorm is currently conducting a Phase I/II Human Clinical Trial for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease at the Hadassah Medical center. Initial results have shown that Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ therapy is safe, does not show any significant treatment-related … Continue reading →

NEWARK, Calif., Feb. 27, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM - News) today announced that it will participate in the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy, which is being held in Qatar from February 27 to March 1, 2012. The Company, which is the leader in development of cell-based therapeutics for central nervous system disorders, was specifically invited by the conference's sponsors, the State of Qatar and Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, as well as the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy of Rice University, and is the only company to be invited. Ann Tsukamoto, Ph.D., StemCells' Executive Vice President, Research and Development, will make a presentation on the clinical translation of human neural stem cells. StemCells was the first company to receive authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct a clinical trial of purified human neural stem cells, and the Company is currently conducting two clinical trials with a third anticipated to start later this year. Dr. Tsukamoto will also be the moderator of the panel session on neurological disorders, which is scheduled to be held on March 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. … Continue reading →

Stigma, independence, social and work barriers among top challenges to be addressed TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - Results released today from The Impact of Epilepsy on Canadians survey reveal that Canadian adults struggling to control the common seizure disorder face serious health obstacles, including access to specialized care and treatment options, as well as numerous social impacts. They list stigma, independence, and social and work barriers among the top challenges that need to be addressed. Conducted by Leger Marketing in late 2011, The Impact of Epilepsy on Canadians survey is the first of its kind in Canada to explore the impact on life and health among adults living with the disorder. "We are grateful to the many Canadians from St. John's to Victoria who shared their experiences living with epilepsy through this important survey," says Gail Dempsey, President of the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance (CEA). "Their insights confirm that many are still struggling to live well with epilepsy, and importantly, they point to where changes are needed most across the country to improve lives." Restricted independence and discrimination Every day, many Canadians living with epilepsy experience social isolation, work barriers and relationship issues, according to The Impact of Epilepsy on … Continue reading →