Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Featured Article Main Category: Ear, Nose and Throat Also Included In: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 12 Jul 2013 - 2:00 PDT Current ratings for: Researchers Create Inner Ear Using Stem Cells 5 (1 votes) Scientists have developed a way of using stem cells to create key structures of the inner ear in mice, publishing their findings in the journal Nature. The Indiana University researchers found that by using a 3D cell-culture method, they were able to persuade stem cells to develop into inner ear sensory epithelium, which detects head movement, gravity and sound. The epithelium contains hair cells, supporting cells and neurons. A 3D cell-culture method can more closely copy natural tissues and organs than cells grown two-dimensionally. In 3D cell culture, cells can attach to each other and form natural cell-to-cell attachments. Karl R. Koeheler, one of the researchers in the study, explains: "The three-dimensional culture allows the cells to self-organize into complex tissues using mechanical cues that are found during embryonic development." "We were surprised to see that once stem cells are guided to become inner ear precursors and placed in 3D culture, these cells behave as if they knew not only how to become different cell … Continue reading →

Public release date: 12-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Yixian Zheng zheng@ciwemb.edu 410-246-3032 Carnegie Institution Baltimore, MDProper tissue function and regeneration is supported by stem cells, which reside in so-called niches. New work from Carnegie's Yixian Zheng and Haiyang Chen identifies an important component for regulating stem cell niches, with impacts on tissue building and function. The results could have implications for disease research. It is published by Cell Stem Cell. Lamins are proteins that the major structural component of the material that lines the inside of a cell's nucleus. Lamins have diverse functions, including suppressing gene expression. It has been difficult to understand how mutations in lamins cause diseases in specific tissues and organs, such as skeletal muscles, heart muscle, and fat. A group of human diseases called laminopathies, which include premature aging, are caused by defects in proteins called lamins. Zheng and her team, which included Xin Chen of Johns Hopkins University, decided to examine whether lamins would link stem cell niche function to healthy tissue building and maintenance. To understand the tissue-specific effects of lamin mutations, the team focused on fruit fly testis, one of the best-studied stem cell niche systems. In the fruit fly … Continue reading →

Stem Cell Research Policy Of President Bush Adult Versus Embryonic Video By: DocumentaryRadio … Continue reading →

Parliament of The Bahamas ~ Stem Cell Bill Debate ~ July 03, 2013 Morning Parliament of The Bahamas Stem Cell Bill Debate Wednesday, July 03, 2013 Morning Session . By: abetterbahamas … Continue reading →

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 10, 2013 Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., a leader in adult allogeneic stem cell manufacturing, research and development, announced today the completion of enrollment and treatment of patients in a Phase I study with Stemedicas lead product Stemedyne-MSC. These specially formulated ischemic adult allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells have been manufactured at Stemedicas cGMP compliant facility and have been successfully used to treat patients in an ischemic stroke study: A Phase I/II, Multi-Center, Open-Label Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability and Preliminary Treatment Efficacy of a Single Intravenous Dose of Allogeneic Mesenchymal Bone Marrow Cells to Subjects with Ischemic Stroke. The primary goal of the Phase I study was to assess the safety and tolerability of treatment with Stemedyne-MSC as determined by the incidence and severity of adverse events, clinically-significant changes on clinical laboratory tests, vital signs, physical and neurologic examinations in patients with a clinical diagnosis six months post ischemic stroke. The secondary goal was to assess the clinical effects of treatment on neurologic, functional, and motor deficits. Fifteen patients were treated in this dose escalation Phase I study. Patients received one dose of Stemedyne-MSC via intravenous administration. An Independent Data Safety Monitoring Board reviewed safety … Continue reading →

Research | Policy | Events | Funding | Trend watch | Coming up Jasons quest ends NASA last week decommissioned the long-running ocean-observation satellite Jason-1, following a terminal system failure. The successful mission had exceeded its nominal lifetime by more than six years. Equipped with instruments that measured tiny changes in sea-level heights, the satellite has orbited Earth more than 53,500 times since its 2001 launch. French and US ground stations lost contact with Jason-1 on 21 June, and subsequent attempts to repair its last remaining transmitter proved unsuccessful. A technically advanced successor mission, Jason-2, has been in orbit since 2008; Jason-3 is scheduled for launch in 2015. Polio vaccines Countries in and near the Horn of Africa, including Ethiopia and Yemen, have launched emergency polio-immunization campaigns in response to an ongoing outbreak. The outbreak, traced to viruses from northern Nigeria, is centred in the Banaadir region of Somalia, which includes Mogadishu. Officials from the World Health Organization have recorded 48 cases of polio in Somalia and Kenya since April. Jean Revillard/Rezo.ch/SOLAR IMPULSE Solar plane completes coast to coast The first aeroplane to fly day and night powered only by solar energy landed in New York city on 6July after … Continue reading →

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered the registration of human stem cell and cell-based or cellular therapies in the country. "Pursuant to Administrative Order 2013-0012 known as 'Rules and Regulations Governing the Accreditation of Health Facilities Engaging in Human Stem Cell and Stem-Cell Based or Cellular Therapies in the Philippines' strengthening of the regulatory framework to ensure access to safe and quality health facilities engaging in human stem cell and cell-based or cellular therapies in the Philippines has been promulgated," the FDA said. It said the circular "does not cover cellular or cell-based therapeutic products intended to replace blood volume or alter the coagulative properties of blood." The order also does not cover human embryos for research, human embryonic stem cells, aborted human fetal stem cells and plant parts labeled as stem cell as the creation, importation, promotion and marketing of these products are banned in the country. Stem-cell based products of animal origin are also prohibited from being registered with the FDA. Under the guidelines, companies have to submit various documents, including the good manufacturing practice certificate of the stem-cell based manufacturer, information of the product and its manufacture and scientific evidence to support each claimed indication, … Continue reading →

stem cell intro By: Jennifer Reynolds … Continue reading →

Public release date: 9-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Dwight Angell dwight.angell@hfhs.org 313-850-3471 Henry Ford Health System DETROIT While stem-cell therapy offers great promise for the treatment of stroke, much research remains to be done to show its long-term effectiveness and to understand the potential for dangerous side effects. These are the conclusions drawn by Henry Ford Hospital neurologists Jing Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., and Michael Chopp, Ph.D., scientific director of the Henry Ford Hospital Neuroscience Institute, in a review of their own and other current research into the next-generation treatment of one of the leading causes of death and disability around the world. The article has been accepted for publication by Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy. Most strokes are ischemic, meaning they occur when an artery to the brain is blocked, stopping the flow of vital, oxygen-rich blood. The blockage can be caused by a blood clot, air bubble or other mass in the blood stream. "This touches off many complicated reactions," Dr. Zhang explains. "Nerve circuits are disrupted. Chemical processes within cells are disturbed. The blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from a wide range of harmful invasions, including infection, is damaged. "As a result, many stroke … Continue reading →

Newswise Before scientists and engineers can realize the dream of using stem cells to create replacements for worn out organs and battle damaged body parts, theyll have to develop ways to grow complex three-dimensional structures in large volumes and at costs that wont bankrupt health care systems. Researchers are now reporting advances in these areas by using gelatin-based microparticles to deliver growth factors to specific areas of embryoid bodies, aggregates of differentiating stem cells. The localized delivery technique provides spatial control of cell differentiation within the cultures, potentially enabling the creation of complex three-dimensional tissues. The local control also dramatically reduces the amount of growth factor required, an important cost consideration for manufacturing stem cells for therapeutic applications. The microparticle technique, which was demonstrated in pluripotent mouse embryonic cells, also offers better control over the kinetics of cell differentiation by delivering molecules that can either promote or inhibit the process. Based on research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, the developments were reported online July 1 in the journal Biomaterials and were presented at the 11th Annual International Society for Stem Cell Research meeting held in Boston June 12-15, 2013 . By trapping these … Continue reading →