Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

July 29, 2012, 3 a.m. Up for a walk ... Denise Stuckey, with her dog, Bella, who has had stem cell treatment from vet Joe Sulyok. Stem cell injections in dogs will become routine in the next two years and will probably cost less than $1000. The first data, collated last week, into the use of the procedure where cultured cells are injected into the joints of dogs with hip dysplasia or canine osteoarthritis has shown a success rate of 96 per cent. The procedure will be made available to veterinary clinics, promoted at dog shows and possibly in a television campaign. It has been transformed in little more than a year with stem cells from one animal used to treat other dogs. Previously, an invasive procedure was necessary, with incisions to remove subcutaneous or fatty tissue from the affected dog and stem cells isolated in a laboratory before being injected back into the dog. The procedure resulted in a culture containing only about 10 per cent to 15 per cent stem cells, while the culture from a donor in a breed with a genetic line clear of arthritis can been screened to provide a culture containing 100 per cent … Continue reading →

OKLA. CITY Each time a significant breakthrough occurs in the field of human or veterinary medicine it is followed by great excitement in both endeavors. But no prior surge has produced the impact and optimism like that created with the moderately recent introduction to the world of stem cell research and therapy. And few new medical theories have been as controversial from the human standpoint. The term stem cell probably means very little to the average layman, so let me start with a medical dictionary definition: Stem cells are one of a human or animal bodys master cells, with the ability to grow into any one of the bodys more than 200 cell types. They retain the ability to divide throughout life and give rise to cells that can become highly specialized and take the place of cells that die or are lost. Unlike mature cells, stem cells can both renew themselves as well as create new cells of whatever tissue they originally belong or to other tissue alike. Their use in veterinary medicine the past four or five years has been exciting and dynamic. In the U.S., at least, veterinary medical advancement in this area has out-distanced that of … Continue reading →

Stem cell injections in dogs will become routine in the next two years and will probably cost less than $1000. The first data, collated last week, into the use of the procedure where cultured cells are injected into the joints of dogs with hip dysplasia or canine osteoarthritis has shown a success rate of 96 per cent. The procedure will be made available to veterinary clinics, promoted at dog shows and possibly in a television campaign. It has been transformed in little more than a year with stem cells from one animal used to treat other dogs. Previously, an invasive procedure was necessary, with incisions to remove subcutaneous or fatty tissue from the affected dog and stem cells isolated in a laboratory before being injected back into the dog. The procedure resulted in a culture containing only about 10 per cent to 15 per cent stem cells, while the culture from a donor in a breed with a genetic line clear of arthritis can been screened to provide a culture containing 100 per cent stem cells. The figures were collected from vets by Australian Veterinary Stem Cells, which supplies stem cell treatments and has a partnership with the immunology and … Continue reading →

NEWARK, Calif., July 31, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM) today announced that the Japan Patent Office has granted to the Company Patent Number 5007003, titled "Enriched Central Nervous System Stem Cell and Progenitor Cell Populations, and Methods for Identifying, Isolating and Enriching for Such Populations." The patent broadly covers the prospective isolation and enrichment of neural stem and progenitor cells using antibody selection, as well as the use of these cells to treat disorders of the central nervous system. Some of the more noteworthy claims in the '003 patent include methods for isolating human neural stem cells, as well as compositions of matter comprising enriched neural stem cells, such as the Company's proprietary HuCNS-SC cells, and the use of enriched neural stem cells as a medicament for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, acute brain injury and dysfunction of the central nervous system. The invention claimed by the '003 patent was the result of groundbreaking research conducted by the Company's stem cell researchers, including Nobuko Uchida, Ph.D., Vice President of Stem Cell Biology at StemCells, Inc., who is a named inventor on the patent. The patent term of the '003 patent extends into 2020. "The issuance of the '003 … Continue reading →

NEWARK, Calif., July 31, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM), a leading stem cell company developing and commercializing novel cell-based therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery, announced today that it will release financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012 after the market close on Thursday, August 2. In connection with this announcement, StemCells will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its results and an update on its business at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) the same day. Interested parties are invited to listen to the call over the Internet by accessing the Investors section of the Company's website at http://www.stemcellsinc.com. Webcast participants should allot extra time before the webcast begins to register and, if necessary, download and install audio software. An archived version of the webcast will also be available for replay on the Company's website beginning approximately two hours following the conclusion of the live call and continuing for a period of 30 days. About StemCells, Inc. StemCells, Inc. is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of cell-based therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery. The Company's lead … Continue reading →

COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (OSIR), the leading stem cell company focused on developing and marketing products to treat medical conditions in inflammatory, cardiovascular, orthopedic and wound healing markets, announced today its results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012. Highlights and Recent Developments This past quarter was not only memorable, but monumental, for Osiris, stated C. Randal Mills, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Osiris Therapeutics. We have set a new benchmark to measure our success, and remain as committed as ever to extending the reach of this remarkable technology. Whether through our Biosurgery or Therapeutics units, we will continue to develop innovative cell therapy solutions for patients in need. Second Quarter Financial Results Biosurgery product revenue rose 43% from the previous quarter to $1.63 million. As of June 30, 2012, Osiris had $40.1 million of cash, receivables and short-term investments. Research and development expenses for the second quarter of 2012 were $4.1 million, compared to $5.2 million incurred in the second quarter of 2011. General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $1.4 million for the second quarter of 2012 compared to $3.3 million for the same period of the prior year. The 2011 G&A expense included … Continue reading →

The quest to save her grandson's eyesight began more than four years ago when Carmie Carr discovered a business on the Internet offering experimental stem cell injections in China. At 4 months old, Cayden Baggett was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia, a condition where the nerves in the eyes never fully develop. His family was told he would eventually go blind. Right now, Cayden can see light and dark, but little else. Soon after learning about the stem cell treatments, the Carr family launched a campaign to raise $50,000 to cover the costs. The 2010 Gulf oil spill, coupled with the 2011 tornadoes in Tuscaloosa that destroyed their retail business, made collecting the funds next to impossible, they said. Then, a friend told the family about a construction project he was working on just down the street. It was for a local radiologist who planned to offer stem cell injections to athletes with sports-related injuries. He introduced the Carrs to Dr. Jason Williams. After talking with the family and researching the procedures, Williams agreed to help. "There is no doubt in my mind this is the road the Lord has been leading us down," said Carmie Carr. "It connected like … Continue reading →

American Cancer Society/Getty Images File photo: Close up of cancer cells in the cervix. CIRM awarded UCLA $20 million for the university's study on the reprogramming of cancer cells. This week, Californias public stem-cell agency awarded more than $150 million to advance research into eight diseases now under study by researchers at several California universities, one L.A. hospital and a biotech company. The University of California Davis received the largest share of stem cell research grants from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine. The voter-approved agency, also known as CIRM, awarded nearly $50 million to three UC Davis research teams studying treatments for the bone disease osteoperosis, for the genetic brain disorder known as Huntingtons Disease and for Critical Limb Ischemia, a painful condition caused by severe blockage of arteries. CIRM gave $20 million to a UCLA study on the reprogramming of cancer cells. And the agency awarded UC-Irvine and the biotech firm, StemCells, Inc. of Newark, California $20 million for their joint study into treatments for cervical spinal injuries. Cedar Sinai Medical Center also made the list with an $18 million grant to speed their research into possible treatments for Lou Gehrigs disease, a neuromuscular condition that leads to … Continue reading →

Stem cells for neck injury: $20 million July 27th, 2012, 3:45 pm posted by Pat Brennan, science, environment editor Human neural stem cell. Image courtesy StemCells Inc. The states stem-cell institute has awarded $20 million to UC Irvine researchers, along with a private company, to prepare the way for human testing of a treatment for spinal-cord injuries in the neck region one that could restore movement and independence for some of the 1.3 million spinal-cord injury sufferers in the United States. The treatment, developed by the husband and wife research team, Aileen Anderson and Brian Cummings, along with StemCells Inc. of Newark, Ca., would involve injecting versatile human neural stem cells into the neck area. The cells, capable of transforming themselves based on cues from the body, could then migrate to the injured area and perhaps repair the protective sheaths, known as myelin, around nerve cells. If the treatment works as expected, it would restore movement and body control for patients with debilitating injuries. While the treatment has the potential to allow the paralyzed to walk again, more modest gains are more likely and well worth the effort, Anderson said Friday. UC Irvine husband-wife research team, Brian Cummings and Aileen … Continue reading →

July 27, 2012 Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online Stem cell research has made yet another stride, as one boy who received a trachea is showing a remarkable recovery. Researchers writing in the journal The Lancet said the child who received a new windpipe built with his own stem cells is doing well and is back in school. Ciaran Finn-Lynch was born with long-segment tracheal stenosis, which causes breathing difficulties. Due to his condition, his lungs collapsed on the day he was born, so he had to have major surgery to reconstruct his airways when he was just six days old. In 2009, one of the metal tubes that were used to hold open his airways damaged the main blood vessel coming out of his heart. Finn-Lynch had to undergo ground-breaking surgery at Londons Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2010. Doctors said that this procedure was the boys only option. The doctors took a donor windpipe, and stripped it of all the donors cells. Stem cells were then taken from Ciarans bone marrow, and were sprayed onto the newly transplanted windpipe. Tiny sections of lining from his original windpipe were patched on to the replacement. This prompted the stem … Continue reading →