Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

StemCells' human neural stem cell But, promising new research from a phase 1 study conducted at the University of Zurich sponsored by StemCells, Inc. shows that six months after the implantation of neural stem cells, two out of three complete injury patients - meaning they had no neurological function below the point of injury - were able to gain some sensory function. "We haven't made progress in how to address injury after they occur, but using neural stem cells in a transplant lets us, for the first time, think we can repair this," Dr. Stephen Huhn, a neurosurgeon and the vice president and head of the CNS program at StemCells, Inc. said to HealthPop. The phase 1 study was intended to see if the implantation treatment had any unwanted side effects. For the procedure, 20 million neural stem cells were implanted directly into the spinal cord, something that has never been done before. Then, any reactions were monitored including complex examinations of sensory function - for example light touch, sensitivity to temperature and sensitivity to subtle electronic stimulation - as well as electrostimulation of the spinal cord itself. What researchers were surprised to find was that the neural stem cell … Continue reading →

Public release date: 2-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Kim Irwin kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu 310-206-2805 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences UCLA researchers have discovered a type of cell that is the "missing link" between bone marrow stem cells and all the cells of the human immune system, a finding that will lead to a greater understanding of how a healthy immune system is produced and how disease can lead to poor immune function. The studies were done using human bone marrow, which contains all the stem cells that produce blood during postnatal life. "We felt it was especially important to do these studies using human bone marrow as most research into the development of the immune system has used mouse bone marrow," said study senior author Dr. Gay Crooks, co-director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and a co-director of the Cancer and Stem Cell Biology program at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. "The few studies with human tissue have mostly used umbilical cord blood, which does not reflect the immune system of postnatal life." The research team was "intrigued to find this particular bone marrow cell because it opens up a lot … Continue reading →

Research Program Will Focus on Developing the Next Generation of Pediatric Hematology and Cancer Treatments Newswise NEW YORK (August 27, 2012) - Dr. Andrew L. Kung has joined the Department of Pediatrics at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center as director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation. In this role he will oversee clinical care and develop a research program aimed at harnessing the next generation of therapies for cancer and blood disorders in pediatric patients. "I am pleased to welcome Dr. Kung, who is an exceptional clinician and renowned worldwide for his basic and translational oncology research," says Dr. Lawrence Stanberry, pediatricianin-chief at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and the Rueben S. Carpentier Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. "Dr. Kung's ambitious plan to launch a comprehensive program designed to tailor treatments to individual patients and speed the development of new pediatric therapies will further establish New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center as a preeminent leader in cancer research. The entire cancer research community at the medical center is thrilled to welcome Dr. Kung to our ranks," says … Continue reading →

BEVERLY, MA and TORONTO--(Marketwire -08/30/12)- Hamilton Thorne Ltd. (HTL.V), a leading provider of precision laser devices and advanced image analysis systems for the fertility, stem cell and developmental biology research markets, today reported operational and financial results for the second quarter and six months year-to-date ended June 30, 2012. "During the second quarter of 2012, Hamilton Thorne sales declined versus the prior year, interrupting the trend of nine consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth. Laser sales were down slightly, while CASA sales were off substantially, due in part to cyclical fluctuations in demand, particularly for toxicology products, and due in part to purchase deferrals in anticipation of new product announcements," said David Wolf, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hamilton Thorne Ltd. "While our year-to-date sales decline was disappointing, we expect to see a return to steady growth as the demand for new products such as our LYKOS and XYRCOS lasers continues to grow, as the refreshed CASA product line roll-out proceeds, and as our new IMSI-Strict software captures market share." Mr. Wolf continued, "In order to utilize our resources more effectively, we have reduced our R&D and marketing spending in new market development and have refocused our resources on penetrating … Continue reading →

CARLSBAD, CA--(Marketwire -08/30/12)- International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) (www.internationalstemcell.com) ("ISCO" or "the Company"), a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products, today announced that the Company will attend and present at the following investor conferences in September. Wall Street Analyst Forum Investor ConferenceDate: Friday, September 7, 2012 Time: 10:35 am ET Location: Omni Parker House - Boston, MA Rodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment ConferenceDate: Monday, September 10, 2012 Time: 11:40 am ET Location: The Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York, NY Please contact the conference organizers if you have an interest in attending these conferences or if you would like to arrange a meeting with International Stem Cell's management team. You may also contact Mark McPartland with MZ Group via email markmcp@mzgroup.us or phone 1-212-301-7130 to arrange a meeting with management. Additional information of the investor presentations will be available on the investor relations section of the Company's website http://www.internationalstemcell.com. About International Stem Cell Corporation International Stem Cell Corporation is focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes … Continue reading →

Lynn Kotz, a longtime Pikesville event planner who later became a staunch supporter for stem cell research, died Aug. 8 following a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). She was 58. Kotzs battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease, began about three years ago when she noticed a slight slur in her speech. She and her family expected the worst as her mother also succumbed to the disease in 1992. We immediately were concerned it was ALS because our bubbie had the same symptoms, said Kotzs daughter, Megan Campbell. Despite the diagnosis, she continued to live a full life and worked hard to try and help find a cure so future generations may have a chance to beat the disease. In the final years of her life, Kotz participated in various ALS studies and she worked to raise awareness of ALS and stem cell research in general, which many medical experts believe may hold the key to beating ALS and a host of other neurological diseases. Two years ago, Hadassah of Greater Baltimore began a fundraiser for stem cell research in her honor. That event attracted more than 800 people. Lorin Kline, Kotzs other daughter, said seeing … Continue reading →

By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff Federal authorities concluded that a former Joslin Diabetes Center stem cell scientist and postdoctoral researcher copied images from unrelated experiments and presented identical plots of data as different experimental results in two scientific papers, which were retracted over the last two years. The scientist, Shane Mayack, agreed to a settlement with the federal government, but neither admits nor denies the finding of research misconduct, according to the finding, published Tuesday in the Federal Register. But she has agreed to a number of restrictions, including supervision of her research, if she receives funding from the U.S. Public Health Service to do research within the next three years. Any instituition that employs Mayack within three years will be required to submit, along with any grant application or scientific report, a certification to the Office of Research Integrity that the data are based on actual experiments or otherwise legitimately derived and that the data, procedures, and methodology are accurately reported, according to the order. Mayack was a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Amy Wagers, a prominent stem cell researcher. The problems were discovered in two papers that examined the aging of blood stem cells, including one … Continue reading →

A US Appeal court rules that the National Institutes of Health is legally allowed to fund human embryonic stem cell research. By Hayley Dunning | August 27, 2012 The decision by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit confirms a previous ruling by a lower court, which threw out a lawsuit accusing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of violating a 1996 law prohibiting taxpayer funding of research that destroys human embryos. NIH funding of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research hinges on ambiguity in the 1996 Dickey-Wicker law, which permits federal funding of research projects that utilize already-derived ESCswhich are not themselves embryosbecause no human embryo or embryos are destroyed in such projects, Chief Judge David B. Sentelle said in todays ruling. The lawsuit was brought by two adult stem cell researchers, whose lawyers said today that their clients are considering taking the issue to the US Supreme Court. Although the Supreme Court accepts only about 1 percent of cases, experts say the fact that the three judges involved in this decision ruled in favor of the NIH for different reasons means the legal wrangling might not be over yet. NIH will continue to move … Continue reading →

August 26, 2012 April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online A three-judge panel at the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia refused to order the Obama administration to stop funding embryonic stem cell research on Friday. This ruling comes despite complaints that the research is dependent on destroyed human embryos. Opponents to the research claim the National Institutes for Health (NIH) is violating the 1996 Dickey-Wicker law which prohibits taxpayer financing for work that harms an embryo. The judges were unanimous, however, in upholding the lower courts decision to throw out the case entirely. This is the second time the appeals court has said that federal funding of stem cell research was permissible. Dickey-Wicker permits federal funding of research projects that utilize already-derived ESCs [Embryonic Stem Cells] which are not themselves embryos because no human embryo or embryos are destroyed in such projects, Chief Judge David B. Sentelle said in the ruling, adding that the plaintiffs made the same argument the last the time the court reviewed the issue. Therefore, unless they have established some extraordinary circumstance, the law of the case is established and we will not revisit the issue. NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins … Continue reading →

August 24, 2012 in Health Jesse J. Holland Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) A federal appeals court on Friday refused to order the Obama administration to stop funding embryonic stem cell research, despite complaints the work relies on destroyed humanembryos. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld a lower court decision throwing out a lawsuit that challenged federal funding for the research, which is used in pursuit of cures to deadly diseases. Opponents claimed the National Institutes of Health was violating the 1996 Dickey-Wicker law that prohibits taxpayer financing for work that harms anembryo. But a three-judge appeals court panel unanimously agreed with a lower court judges dismissal of the case. This is the second time the appeals court has said that the challenged federal funding of embryonic stem cell research waspermissible. Dickey-Wicker permits federal funding of research projects that utilize already-derived ESCs which are not themselves embryos because no human embryo or embryos are destroyed in such projects, Chief Judge David B. Sentelle said in the ruling, adding that the plaintiffs made the same argument the last the time the court reviewed the issue. Therefore, unless they have established some extraordinary circumstance, the law of … Continue reading →