Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise A research team at UC San Francisco has discovered an RNA molecule called Pnky that can be manipulated to increase the production of neurons from neural stem cells. The research, led by neurosurgeon Daniel A. Lim, MD, PhD, and published on March 19, 2015 in Cell Stem Cell, has possible applications in regenerative medicine, including treatments of such disorders as Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease and traumatic brain injury, and in cancer treatment. Pnky is one of a number of newly discovered long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are stretches of 200 or more nucleotides in the human genome that do not code for proteins, yet seem to have a biological function. The name, pronounced Pinky, was inspired by the popular American cartoon series Pinky and the Brain. Pnky is encoded near a gene called Brain, so it sort of suggested itself to the students in my laboratory, said Lim. Pnky also appears only to be found in the brain, he noted. Co-first authors Alex Ramos, PhD, and Rebecca Andersen, who are students in Lims laboratory, first studied Pnky in neural stem cells found in mouse brains, and also identified the molecule in neural … Continue reading →

Durham, NC (PRWEB) March 19, 2015 A new study appearing in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine has moved science one step closer to finding a simple treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) after prostate cancer surgery, eschewing the usual pharmaceutical drug route with potential for harmful side effects, in favor of stem cell therapy that can help the body regenerate. The study, conducted in rats, compares the effectiveness of using a byproduct of liposuction uncultured stromal vascular fraction (SVF) with adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) cultured in the lab to treat ED caused by injury to the cavernous nerve (CN). This nerve, which facilities erection, is sometimes injured during a radical prostatectomy to treat prostate cancer. ADSCs are harvested from fat and are an attractive source of stem cells for several reasons: They are abundant and can be easily obtained using minimally invasive liposuction. Also, they have characteristics similar to bone marrow-derived stem cells in terms of self-renewal and multipotency. Furthermore, ADSCs retain their ability to divide and grow longer than bone marrow-derived stem cells, which may be beneficial in treating chronic conditions. On the other hand, cultured ADSCs have limitations, including the cost and time of culturing them, the potential for contamination, … Continue reading →

HACKENSACK, N.J.and PETACH TIKVAH, Israel, March 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies for neurodegenerative diseases, announced today that CEO Tony Fiorino, MD, PhD, will present at the 3rd Annual Regen Med Investor Day to be held Wednesday, March 25, 2015 in New York City. Organized by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) and co-hosted with Piper Jaffray, this one-day investor meeting provides institutional, strategic and venture investors with unique insight into the financing hypothesis for advanced therapies-based treatment and tools. The program includes clinical and commercial experts who are on-hand to address specific questions regarding the outlook for these products, as well as offer insight into how advanced therapies could impact the standard of care in key therapeutic areas. In addition to presentations by more than 30 leading companies from across the globe, the event includes dynamic, interactive panels featuring research analysts covering the space, key clinical opinion leaders and top company CEOs. These discussions will explore themes specific to cell and gene therapy such as commercialization, market access and pricing for breakthrough technologies, gene therapy delivery and upcoming milestones in the adoptive T-cell therapy space. The following are … Continue reading →

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise March 19, 2015 Dr. Sanjay Guptaa practicing neurosurgeon and Chief Medical Correspondent for CNNrecently received the prestigious Alfred I. duPont Award for his work on a pair of influential documentaries on medical marijuana, according to a cover feature in the April issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer. A special cover essay highlights Dr. Gupta's achievement in informing the ongoing debate over the hazards and potential benefits of medical marijuana. The essay also draws attention to emerging research on marijuana's effects on the brainfocusing on the hope that medical marijuana will provide an effective new approach for patients with certain types of treatment-resistant epilepsy. WEED Documentaries Raise Awareness of Medical Marijuana In a January ceremony, the CNN documentary WEED: Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports was named one of 14 winners of the 2015 Alfred I. duPontColumbia University Awards for excellence in broadcast, digital, and documentary news. The duPont-Columbia Awards were created in 1935 to honor excellence in broadcast journalism. Two years in the making, WEED offered a critical look at the research on medical marijuana and its effects on the patients and … Continue reading →

FEAT: Fund A Need Video 2015- ELP Project Families for Effect Autism Treatment (http://www.featwa.org) hosted "Reach for the Stars" dinner auction. This video was presented to promote their Experienced Learning Project. Filmed/Edited... By: Zen Wohlers … Continue reading →