Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

BOSTON The University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center have agreed to phase out operation of the embryonic stem cell bank in Shrewsbury, saying the facility, which is 4 years old, has largely outlived its usefulness. The stem cell bank, slated for closure at the end of the year, was established at the medical school alongside a stem cell registry that collects stem cell research data, to store embryonic stem cell lines from an array of research centers and make them available to scientists around the world. It was set up at a time when the federal government had banned use of federal funds for research using embryonic stem cells. That ban put in place by President George W. Bush was withdrawn by President Barack Obama after he took office in 2009. State funding for the bank came as part of a larger state effort to expand life science research across Massachusetts using targeted state grants, tax benefits and by supporting facilities such as the stem cell bank. Angus G. McQuilken, spokesman for the Life Sciences Center that awarded the project $8.6 million to open and operate, said yesterday that the school and Life Sciences officials … Continue reading →

SHREWSBURY, Mass.The stem cell bank at the University of Massachusetts is set to run out of cash and close at the end of this year. State and university officials tell The Boston Globe (http://bo.st/LQi71Z ) that changes in technology and federal policies around stem cell research have made obsolete the facility at the U-Mass Medical Center's Shrewsbury campus. The stem cell bank was established in 2008 with the help of $8.6 million state funding, part of Gov. Deval Patrick's effort to boost the life sciences industry in Massachusetts. Human stem cells were kept and distributed to researchers working on potential cures for diseases and spinal cord injuries. Experts say new technologies for producing stem cells and the loosening of federal restrictions on research have significantly altered the need for facilities like the one at U-Mass. Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The rest is here: Stem cell bank at UMass to close at year's end … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (June 28, 2012) An international consortium of Huntington's disease experts, including several from the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at UC Irvine, has generated a human model of the deadly inherited disorder directly from the skin cells of affected patients. The re-created neurons, which live in a petri dish, will help researchers better understand what disables and kills brain cells in people with HD and let them gauge the effects of potential drug therapies on cells that are otherwise locked deep in the brain. UCI scientists were part of a consortium that in 1993 identified the autosomal dominant gene mutation responsible for HD, but there is still no cure, and no treatments are available to even slow its onset or progression. The research, published online June 28 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, is the work of the Huntington's Disease iPSC Consortium. Participants examined several other cell lines and control cell lines to ensure that their results were consistent and reproducible in different labs. "Our discovery will enable us for the first time to test therapies on human Huntington's disease neurons," said Leslie Thompson, UCI professor of psychiatry & human behavior and neurobiology & behavior, one … Continue reading →

CARLSBAD, CA--(Marketwire -06/28/12)- International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) http://www.internationalstemcell.com today announced that its Research and Development team has advanced its program to create a functional and transplantable human cornea by developing a new method to derive corneal endothelium-like cells from human pluripotent stem cells. This work represents a significant step towards the creation of complete cornea tissue that can be used for transplantation and supports prior data showing indications of corneal endothelium generated by ISCO's collaborators at Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital, India. Such cells by themselves may potentially promote wound healing and regeneration of the cornea and therefore could be used as a standalone medical treatment. Development and commercialization of ISCO's stem cell-derived cornea tissue along with manufacturing of Lifeline Cell Technology's media and cellular products are the foundation for our expansion to the Asian markets and for clinical collaboration with Indian biomedical organizations including Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital and All-India Institute for Medical Sciences. Asia represents a huge potential growth market for ISCO's Cornea program. For example, in India alone there are more than 4 million people suffering from corneal vision impairment with limited access to corneal tissue. ISCO's intention is to work with our clinical affiliate in India … Continue reading →

Public release date: 27-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Rolf Kemler kemler@ie-freiburg.mpg.de 49-761-510-8471 Max-Planck-Gesellschaft This release is available in German. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg have gained important insights for stem cell research which are also applicable to human tumours and could lead to the development of new treatments. As Rolf Kemler's research group discovered, a molecular link exists between the telomerase that determines the length of the telomeres and a signalling pathway known as the Wnt/-signalling pathway. Telomeres are the end caps of chromosomes that play a very important role in the stability of the genome. Telomeres in stem cells are long and become shorter during differentiation or with age, but lengthen again in tumour cells. The Wnt/-catenin signalling pathway controls numerous processes in embryonic development, such as the formation of the body axis and of organ primordia, and is particularly active in embryonic and adult stem cells. The -catenin protein plays a key role in this signalling pathway. The incorrect regulation or mutation of -catenin leads to the development of tumours. Rolf Kemler's research group has now shown that -catenin regulates the telomerase gene directly, and has explained the … Continue reading →

More Photos Click thumbnails to enlarge Some of the automated sampling equipment in the Rensselaer Stem Cell Research Center in Troy. Some of the automated sampling equipment in the Rensselaer Stem Cell Research Center in Troy. (Mike McMahon / The Record) By Danielle Sanzone dsanzone@troyrecord.com Twitter.com/DanielleSanzone State Department of Health Commissioner Nirav Shah, left, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, right, announce the opening of the Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research during a forum at the colleges Troy campus Friday. (Mike McMahon / The Record) TROY During a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute forum on Friday, dozens were able to see their first baby picture: a single cell that eventually multiplied, in part due to stem cells, into an organism with trillions of cells. That, to me, is the most amazing thing in the study of biology, said Glenn Monastersky, director of the Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research. Visit link: VIDEO: Stem cell research facility to open at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute … Continue reading →

Posted at: 06/22/2012 3:10 PM | Updated at: 06/22/2012 5:29 PM By: WNYT Staff TROY - Stem cells have been heralded as the frontier from which great medical treatments will come. Whether or not that materializes, New York wants to be in on the action. So Friday, ground was broken on the Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research. Located on the RPI campus, the state is providing a grant of almost $2.5 million over four years to get it built. And through it's funding, the state is very forward looking and it is foster a strong stem cell research community here in New York State, said Shirley Ann Jackson, president of RPI. RPI has already started working in this area, partnering with Albany Medical College and the University at Albany. This expands the scope of that work, with the hopes of finding new medicines and cures for a variety of illness and traumatic injuries. Go here to see the original: RPI breaks ground on Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research … Continue reading →

Newswise Troy, N.Y. Ground-breaking research to advance the application of stem cells to address critical injuries and diseases will be taking place at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in a new center funded by New York state and opened today (June 22, 2012). The Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research was launched officially by Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson, New York State Department of Health Commissioner Nirav Shah, and Jonathan Dordick, director of the Rensselaer Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS) and the Howard P. Isermann 42 Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering. They were joined at the ribbon cutting by Glenn Monastersky, CBIS operations director and biomedical engineering professor of practice. Monastersky is also principal investigator under the $2.45 million grant awarded to fund the new center, from the New York State Stem Cell Science Program (NYSTEM). The opening of the Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research marks a milestone on the path toward this important area of exploration, which promises so much in terms of alleviating disease and improving health, said Jackson. At the center we will work at the frontiers of this promising discipline in collaboration with New York state and investigators from across the region. This research … Continue reading →

Development of stem cell research for treating human cells damaged through injury, disease or ageing has taken a step forward in Queensland. Stem Cells Ltd, based at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at The University of Queensland, is set to receive $470,000 in Queensland Government science funding. The funding will ensure the growth of stem cell research in Queensland, taking the state's leaders closer to developing cell-based therapies for a host of diseases. Stem Cells Ltd Queensland manager Victoria Turner said her team would work with stem cell scientists to advance research into diseases such as schizophrenia, Down syndrome, Parkinson's disease and heart disease. Ms Turner said Stem Cells Ltd would ensure Queensland remained at the forefront of cutting-edge stem cell research. Stem cell research is an exciting and rapidly expanding field that is vital for basic research and understanding of diseases, she said. Most importantly, stem cells are set to have a major impact on healthcare and innovation, offering novel scientific insights that can be used to direct the treatment of a multitude of diseases and, ultimately in the future development of cell-based therapies when cells become damaged by illness or injury. Stem Cells Ltd is a … Continue reading →

SAN BRUNO, Calif., June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty years ago this month, CBR (Cord Blood Registry) in partnership with the University of Arizona, processed the first cord blood stem cell sample in the world to be stored specifically for family use. Since 1992, the number of conditions treated with cord blood stem cells has greatly expanded, and so has CBR. Today, CBR is the largest family cord blood bank in the world with more than 425,000 samples in storage a population the size of a major city like Miami. What distinguishes the "city of individuals" with newborn stem cells banked at CBR is the exclusive opportunity to participate in a growing number of ground-breaking clinical trials. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120620/SF27549-INFO) (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120216/AQ54476LOGO) "As the leader and innovator in family banking, we believe every newborn deserves a healthy future and that we have a responsibility to lead the way," said Heather Brown, vice president of scientific & medical affairs at CBR. "Looking back, the creation of our bank allowed families for the first time to preserve a genetically-related source of newborn stem cells, ready and available if needed for a lifesaving transplant to regenerate a person's immune system after radiation or chemotherapy. … Continue reading →