Monthly Archives: February 2012

21 February 2012 Last updated at 16:32 ET A businessman is accused of stealing £16,500 from a trust fund set up to pay for his son to have stem cell treatment in China for motor neurone disease. Cardiff Crown Court heard people raised £55,000 in sponsored runs after Julian Emms, 46, of Caerwent, Monmouthshire, established a charity for son Michael. A blank cheque he obtained to take him on a £3,000 trip to New York was cashed for the larger amount, the jury heard. Mr Emms denies fraud. The trial continues. The jury was told on Tuesday that Michael Emms was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, a degenerative neurological condition, while in his teens. Continue reading the main story Emms went to their home and burned the cheques in front of them in a way which was deliberately theatrical” End Quote Meirion Davies Prosecuting The fundraising allowed him to go abroad for stem cell treatment but this failed. After this, the jury was told, Mr Emms told his family he wanted £3,000 to fulfil Michael's dream of visiting New York. He approached Michael's grandmother, Anne Brandon, one of the four people authorised to sign the charity's cheques, the court heard. … Continue reading →

Global leader in animal stem cell technology is poised for significant expansion through new partnership with top U.S. companion animal health distribution company. Las Vegas, Nevada (PRWEB) February 22, 2012 MediVet-America, the global leader in veterinary stem cell technology and regenerative medicine, has entered into a distribution partnership with Butler Schein Animal Health, a division of Henry Schein, the leading companion animal health distribution company in the U.S., to sell and distribute stem cell kits and equipment to veterinarians serving the nation’s fast-growing $50 billion pet industry. The announcement was made today at the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas by Jeremy Delk, CEO of MediVet-America. The two companies will partner to sell and distribute MediVet-America’s advanced stem cell technology to more than 26,000 veterinary clinics nationwide. Adult animal stem cell technology uses the body’s own regenerative healing power to help treat dogs, cats, horses and other animals suffering from painful arthritis, hip dysplasia and tendon, ligament and cartilage injuries and other ailments. The Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Procedure Kit and state of the art equipment, co-developed with Medical Australia, enable veterinarians to remove a small sample of fat, separate the stem cells, then activate and inject them into affected areas. … Continue reading →

Monkeys suffering from Parkinson's disease show a marked improvement when human embryonic stem cells are implanted in their brains, in what a Japanese researcher said Wednesday was a world first. A team of scientists transplanted the stem cells into four primates that were suffering from the debilitating disease. The monkeys all had violent shaking in their limbs -- a classic symptom of Parkinson's disease -- and were unable to control their bodies, but began to show improvements in their motor control after about three months, Kyoto University associate professor Jun Takahashi told AFP. About six months after the transplant, the creatures were able to walk around their cages, he said. "Clear improvements were confirmed in their movement," he said. Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological illness linked to a decrease in dopamine production in the brain. There is currently no medical solution to this drop off in a key neurotransmitter. The condition, which generally affects older people, gained wider public recognition when Hollywood actor Michael J. Fox revealed he was a sufferer. Takahashi said at the time of the implant about 35 percent of the stem cells had already grown into dopamine neuron cells, with around 10 percent still alive … Continue reading →

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Celling Biosciences announces a sponsorship of the 7th Annual Stem Cell Summit being held on February 21st at Bridgewaters New York in New York City. The Stem Cell Summit is consistently the premiere venue for the world's leaders in regenerative medicine to network and promote next generation technologies and cell therapies. The meeting will feature more than 30 thought leaders in stem cell therapy including Dr. Kenneth Pettine of the Orthopedic Stem Cell Institute in Loveland, Colorado.  Dr. Pettine has teamed up with Celling Biosciences' SpineSmith Division to present "Adult Stem Cell Therapy for Orthopedic and Spine Conditions Resulting from Injury or Aging."  Dr. Pettine has become an innovator in the regenerative cell therapy market and believes "regenerative therapies will become the next standard of care in treating many orthopedic conditions."  Following the Stem Cell Summit, Dr. Pettine will be presenting a discussion on regenerative therapies to the trainers and medical staff attending this year's NFL combine.  The NFL has recently gained attention from Peyton Manning going oversees to receive a cell therapy treatment for his cervical spine condition.  Dr. Pettine envisions a day when these professional athletes stop going to foreign countries to … Continue reading →

Washington, Feb 22 (ANI): A new chemical compound that has great potential for the possible treatment of brain damage caused by stroke has been designed and produced by researchers at the University of Copenhagen. The compound binds 1,000 times more effectively to the target protein in the brain than the potential drug currently being tested on stroke victims. Stroke causes the brain to release large amounts of glutamate, an activating signal compound, all at once. This overactivates the receptors in the surrounding healthy tissue, causing the level of calcium in the cells to rise dramatically. This then kick-starts a toxic chain reaction causing cell death. Scientists believe that this process is the cause of the brain damage that occurs in the wake of a stroke. Therefore they are looking for compounds that can limit cell death. "Research on animal models shows that the new compound we have designed and produced reduces the dead area in the brain after a stroke by 40 per cent. In addition, we can show that our compound is far more biologically effective than the potential drug currently being tested in clinical trials," explained Anders Bach, medicinal chemist and postdoc at the Faculty of Health and … Continue reading →