Category Archives: Cell Medicine

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online Invasive bladder cancer (IBC), a malignant disease that currently affects more than 375,000 people worldwide, has been found to be caused by a single type of cell in the lining of the bladder, according to researchers with the Stanford University School of Medicine. The researchers say this is the first study to pinpoint the normal cell type that can give rise to IBC. It is also the first study to show that most bladder cancers and their precancerous lesions arise from just one cell, which could also explain why many bladder cancers recur after therapy. Weve learned that, at an intermediate stage during cancer progression, a single cancer stem cell and its progeny can quickly and completely replace the entire bladder lining, Philip Beachy, PhD, professor of biochemistry and of developmental biology, said in a statement. All of these cells have already taken several steps along the path to becoming an aggressive tumor. Thus, even when invasive carcinomas are successfully removed through surgery, this corrupted lining remains in place and has a high probability of progression. Beachy and colleagues found that while cancer stem cells and the precancerous lesions they form express an … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 21-Apr-2014 Contact: Lee-Ann Donegan leeann.donegan@uphs.upenn.edu 215-349-5660 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (PHILADELPHIA) Despite decades of common use for surgeries of all kinds, the precise mechanism through which general anesthesia works on the body remains a mystery. This may come as a surprise to the millions of Americans who receive inhaled general anesthesia each year. New research led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania investigated the common anesthetic sevoflurane and found that it binds at multiple key cell membrane protein locations that may contribute to the induction of the anesthetic response. Their findings will appear online in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science). Previous studies have suggested that inhaled general anesthetics such as sevoflurane might work by inactivating sodium channels, specialized protein conduits that open in response to stimuli, like voltage changes, and allow sodium ions to cross the cell membranes of nerve cells. Despite the physiological importance of sodium channels and their possible role as general anesthetic targets, little is known about interaction sites or the mechanism of action. Penn's Roderic Eckenhoff, MD, vice chair for Research and the Austin Lamont Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care leads a … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 17-Apr-2014 Contact: Vladimir L. Kolossov viadimer@illinois.edu Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine In the April issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine a multidisciplinary research team led by Drs. Rex Gaskins and Paul Kenis in the Institute of Genomic Biology (IGB) on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign describe their recent work on subcellular redox homeostasis. Intracellular reduction-oxidation reactions underlie a variety of cell functions including energy metabolism, signaling, and transcriptional processes. Due to these crucial roles in regulating normal cellular behavior, redox status has been recognized as a key area of biological research in various diseases, including cancer. Oxidative states are generally considered to be indicative of cellular stress; however, cells inherently release harmful reactive oxygen species during energy production, neutralized by intracellular antioxidative buffering systems. The recent development of genetically-encoded fluorescent biosensors specific to glutathione (GSH), the most abundant cellular redox buffer, has facilitated the IGB research group's discovery of distinct alterations of glutathione redox potentials in the cytosol versus mitochondria within the cell. "The highly sensitive probe Grx1-roGFP2 enabled us to monitor rapid compartmentalized changes in the glutathione redox potentials in live cells. The complex redox interactions between organelles are significant to maintaining … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 17-Apr-2014 Contact: Dorsey Griffith dorsey.griffith@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 916-734-9118 University of California - Davis Health System (SACRAMENTO, Calif.) An international team led by researchers at UC Davis has shown that the cyclin B1/Cdk1 protein complex, which plays a key role in cell division, also boosts the mitochondrial activity to power that process. This is the first time the complex has been shown to perform both jobs. This newfound ability could make cyclin B1/Cdk1 an excellent target to control cellular energy production, potentially advancing cancer care and regenerative medicine. The research was published online today in the journal Developmental Cell. "These proteins not only control the cell cycle, but they also moonlight to increase mitochondrial energy," said lead author Jian Jian Li, director of Translational Research at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology. "They synchronize these processes because the cell cycle cannot proceed without the extra energy." The cyclin B1/Cdk1 complex has long been known to intervene at a critical point in the cell cycle, the G2 phase, during which cell division pauses after DNA replication to check for genetic damage. Once any damage has been repaired, the cell can move into mitosis … Continue reading →

Home >> Publication: Cell Medicine The importance of translating original, peer-reviewed research and review articles on the subject of cell therapy and its application to human diseases to society has led to the formation of the journal Cell Medicine. To ensure high-quality contributions from all areas of transplantation, the same rigorous peer review will be applied to articles published in Cell Medicine. Articles may deal with a wide range of topics including physiological, medical, preclinical, tissue engineering, and device-oriented aspects of transplantation of nervous system, endocrine, growth factor-secreting, bone marrow, epithelial, endothelial, and genetically engineered cells, and stem cells, among others. Basic clinical studies and immunological research papers may also be featured if they have a translational interest. To provide complete coverage of this revolutionary field, Cell Medicine will report on relevant technological advances and their potential for translational medicine. Cell Medicine will be a purely online Open Access journal. There will therefore be an inexpensive publication charge, which is dependent on the number of pages, in addition to the charge for color figures. This will allow your work to be disseminated to a wider audience and also entitle you to a free PDF, as well as prepublication of an … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 16-Apr-2014 Contact: Sarah Cavanaugh scavanaugh@celldex.com 508-864-8337 Celldex Therapeutics HAMPTON, NJ (April 16, 2014): Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLDX) announced today that final data from its Phase 1 study of CDX-1401 in solid tumors, including long-term patient follow-up, have been published in Science Translational Medicine (Vol 6 Issue 232). The data demonstrate robust antibody and T cell responses and evidence of clinical benefit in patients with very advanced cancers and suggest that CDX-1401 may predispose patients to better outcomes on subsequent therapy with checkpoint inhibitors. CDX-1401 is an off-the-shelf vaccine consisting of a fully human monoclonal antibody with specificity for the dendritic cell receptor DEC-205 linked to the NY-ESO-1 tumor antigen. The vaccine is designed to activate the patient's immune system against cancers that express the tumor marker NY-ESO-1. While the function of NY-ESO-1 continues to be explored, references in the literature suggest that its expression might reflect the acquisition of properties that cancers find useful, such as immortality, self-renewal, migratory ability and the capacity to invade. The Phase 1 study of CDX-1401 is the first clinical study to demonstrate that an off-the-shelf vaccine that targets dendritic cells in vivo through DEC-205 can safely lead to robust humoral … Continue reading →

Regulation of cell volume is critical for the body's cells, for example during cellular exposure to fluids of varying salt concentrations, in cell division and cell growth, but also in diseases such as cancer, stroke and myocardial infarction. A certain chloride channel, a membrane protein that allows the passage of the chloride ion, is of crucial importance in volume regulation. It is activated by the swelling of the cell and then releases chloride ions and organic matter (osmolytes) from the cell. Researchers led by Professor Thomas J. Jentsch (Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine, MDC, Berlin-Buch / Leibniz-Institut fr Molekulare Pharmakologie, FMP) have now succeeded for the first time in elucidating the molecular identity of this volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC). The researchers identified a molecule, LRRC8A, which is an essential constituent of the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC). This protein needs to be assembled with related proteins (LRRC8B to E) to form channels with probably six subunits. They could also show for the first time that these chloride channels are also permeable to small organic molecules such as taurine or amino acids. For over 20 years, research groups across the globe have been seeking to elucidate the molecular structure of the … Continue reading →

Washington (PRWEB) April 15, 2014 Research that resulted in the first stem cells that are pluripotentthose that have the potential to differentiate into almost any cell in the bodywill be the backdrop for a discussion about trends in regulation in the field of regenerative medicine at the DIA 2014 50th Annual Meeting, June 15 to 19 in San Diego. Chaired by Shinji Miyake, professor of clinical research for the Keio University School of Medicine in Japan, the session Pioneering Regenerative Medicine: Trends in Regulations for New Therapy will introduce the worlds first clinical research of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell products, conducted in Japan, and review updated regulatory guidance to bring regenerative medicine to patients who need healthy tissue or organs. The session will be held June 16 at 8:30 a.m. in the San Diego Convention Center. iPS cells are stem cells that can be generated directly from adult cells. These cells can multiply indefinitely and represent a single source of cells, such as heart, neural, pancreatic and liver, that can be used to replace damaged cells. In 2006, Japanese physician and researcher Shinya Yamanaka led a team to generate iPS cells from adult mouse tissue using gene therapy. This … Continue reading →

T he International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS) is an international non-profit dedicated to patient safety through strict evaluation of protocols and rigorous oversight of clinics and facilities engaged in the translation of point-of-care cell-based treatments.As a Professional Medical Association, the ICMS represents Physiciansand Researchersfrom over 35 countries who share a mission to provide Scientifically Credible and Medically Appropriate Treatments to Informed Patients.Join the ICMS. The ICMS Works Tirelessly for the Clincial Translation of Field of Cell-Based Point-of-Care Treatments through: Comprehensive Medical Standards and Best Practice Guidelines for Cell Based Medicine, Strict Evaluation and Rigerous Oversight of Stem Cell Clinics and Facilities through aGlobal Accreditation Process, Physician Education through daily updates on the latest Research on Stem Cells, the monthly Currents In Stem Cell Medicine and the annual International Congress for Regenerative and Stem Cell Medicine. Join the ICMSto receive the latest news and research from cell-based medicne, including the bi-monthly publication, Currents in Stem Cell Medicine. Original post: Stem Cells | ICMS -- Advancing Stem Cell Treatments, Stem ... … Continue reading →

Beverly Hills, CA (PRWEB) April 14, 2014 Top Los Angeles and Beverly Hills orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Raj, is now working with R3 Stem Cell at his Beverly Hills Orthopedic Institute to offer comprehensive regenerative medicine treatment. The stem cell procedures for shoulder, knee, and hip conditions typically work great for degenerative arthritis, tendonitis, and ligament injuries. For more information and scheduling with the top stem cell clinic in LA and Beverly Hills, call (310) 438-5343. Dr. Raj treats athletes, celebrities, executives, grandparents, and everything in between. Oftentimes, the stem cell procedures are able to help athletes heal tendon and ligament injuries quickly, without surgery and get back to competition quickly. In addition, the stem cell procedures work well the majority of the time for degenerative arthritis of the hip, knee, and shoulder. The stem cell material is either bone marrow derived from the patient or comes from amniotic fluid. The bone marrow derived stem cell injections are performed as an outpatient procedure. The bone marrow is harvested from the patient, immediately processed, and then injected into the problem area. The processing concentrates the stem cells and growth factors to increase the potential for repair and regeneration. The amniotic fluid derived … Continue reading →