Biological Industries (BI), a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of life science products for the biopharmaceutical industry, has launched innovative hMSC differentiation kits for research and stem cell based therapies. This is a unique line of serum-free and xeno-free differentiation kits, providing the ability to efficiently differentiate hMSC from various sources into adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteoblasts, said David Fiorentini, Director of Research & Development. All three kits are serum free and xeno free: MSC Go Osteogenic XF - Rapid differentiation of osteogenic (Complete, ready-to-use) MSC Go Adipogenic XF -Basal medium and supplements mix MSC Go Chondrogenic XF -Basal medium and supplement mix The Differentiation media contain all the growth factors and supplements necessary for the direct differentiation of hMSC, Fiorentini said. The kits are designed to be user friendly with all necessary ingredients included. They offer a complete system for multipotency evaluation of hMSCs and reliable induction of hMSCs into adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteoblasts/osteocytes. No adaptation is required from cell expansion cultures using MSC NutriStem XF Medium. The kits were validated for hMSC from various tissues including BM-hMSC, AT-hMSC, and UCT-hMSC. BIs previous release was the MSC NutriStem XF Medium, a gold standard serum-free, xeno-free medium developed for … Continue reading →

TORONTO - Two Canadian research centres are gearing up for a clinical trial to determine if a type of stem cell can help alleviate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Researchers at the Ottawa Hospital and Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre will each recruit 20 MS patients for the trial that will test whether mesenchymal stem cells can reduce inflammation and even help repair damage already caused by the disease. MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease that creates inflammation in the central nervous system, resulting in injury to myelin, the protective sheath that covers nerves. This damage can create a host of symptoms, leading to varying degrees of physical disability and cognitive impairment. Mesenchymal stem cells, which are found in bone marrow, fat, skin tissue and umbilical cord blood, have the ability to modify the immune system and reduce inflammation, said neurologist Dr. Mark Freedman of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, who is leading the clinical trial. Freedman said researchers want to determine if these stem cells can demonstrate anti-inflammatory properties in patients with MS. "But that's not why we're doing it," he said of the study, called MESCAMS ("MEsenchymal Stem cell therapy for CAnadian MS patients"). "We have lots … Continue reading →