Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise Designing nanomedicine to combat diseases is a hot area of scientific research, primarily for treating cancer, but very little is known in the context of atherosclerotic disease. Scientists have engineered a microchip coated with blood vessel cells to learn more about the conditions under which nanoparticles accumulate in the plaque-filled arteries of patients with atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of myocardial infarction and stroke. In the research, microchips were coated with a thin layer of endothelial cells, which make up the interior surface of blood vessels. In healthy blood vessels, endothelial cells act as a barrier to keep foreign objects out of the bloodstream. But at sites prone to atherosclerosis, the endothelial barrier breaks down, allowing things to move in and out of arteries that shouldnt. In a new study, nanoparticles were able to cross the endothelial cell layer on the microchip under conditions that mimic the permeable layer in atherosclerosis. The results on the microfluidic device correlated well with nanoparticle accumulation in the arteries of an animal model with atherosclerosis, demonstrating the devices capability to help screen nanoparticles and optimize their design. Its a simple model a microchip, not cell culture dish … Continue reading →

REGULATED INFORMATION FEBRUARY 4, 2014 TiGenix reaches major cell therapy milestone with 1000th implant of ChondroCelect Leuven (BELGIUM) - February 4, 2014 - TiGenix (NYSE Euronext: TIG), a leader in the field of cell therapy, announced today that it reached a major milestone with the performance of the 1000th ChondroCelect implantation for cartilage repair in the knee. ChondroCelect is the first cell therapy that was granted approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP). Today it is routinely used in orthopedic centers of excellence across several European countries. "A 1000 patients have already benefited from this innovative therapy, further supporting its efficacy and safety profile," said Eduardo Bravo, CEO of TiGenix. "A milestone such as today's is a clear demonstration of how far the cell therapy field has progressed over recent years, and I have no doubt that it is on its way to become a mainstay in clinical practice. We will continue to work towards turning our ChondroCelect franchise into a cash flow positive asset, and to push the clinical development of our pipeline of stem cell programs to a successful conclusion." About ChondroCelect An innovative treatment, ChondroCelect has been shown to result … Continue reading →

Prof. Alexander Smikodub MD Ph.D Alexander Smikodub jr. MD Ph.D Our clinic offers the advanced and patented methods of fetal stem cell treatment for various conditions and diseases. This method of treatment can be found in wikipedia: Stem cell therapy. Fetal stem cells are non-specialized cells that differentiate (turn) into any other cell type of the body that form organs and tissues. Fetal stem cells that we use for treatment have huge potential for growth, differentiation and are not rejected by the patients body, which allows to achieve unique long-term clinical effects. We have more than 15 years of experience in stem cell therapy and are the leaders of the industry. Most of the methodic used in the clinic are unique and patent protected in many countries including USA. Since 1994 prof. Alexander Smikodub Sr. was the main researcher, doctor and administrator of the clinic. Now his son, Alexander Smikodub Jr. M.D. continues his fathers venture. During these years more than 6500 patients from all over the world received fetal stem cell treatment, resulting in significant improvement of their conditions, and in case of timely contact with us in complete cure of the diseases still considered lethal by most medical … Continue reading →

As one of the follically-challenged, any new breakthroughs in the area of hair regeneration will generally get my attention. When stem cells first started to gain widespread media attention I, no doubt like many others, thought a full head of hair was just around the corner. But despite numerous developments, years later my dome is still of the chrome variety. Providing the latest cause for cautious optimism, researchers have now developed a way to generate a large number number of hair-follicle-generating stem cells from adult cells. In what they claim is a world first, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and the New Jersey Institute of Technology have developed a technique to convert adult human stem cells into epithelial stem cells (EpSCs). By adding three genes to human skin cells called dermal fibroblasts that live in the dermis layer of the skin and generate connective tissue, a team led by Xiaowei "George" Xu, MD, PhD, at the Perelman School of Medicine was able to convert them into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The iPSCs, which have the ability to differentiate into any cell type, were then converted into epithelial stem cells (EpSCs) that are normally found at the bulge … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 3-Feb-2014 Contact: Juliana Bunim juliana.bunim@ucsf.edu 415-502-6397 University of California - San Francisco A new international multi-center study led by researchers from UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital is the first to evaluate whether purified cannabinoid is effective in treating severe forms of childhood epilepsy that do not respond to standard antiepileptic drugs. "Better treatment for children with uncontrolled seizures is desperately needed," said Maria Roberta Cilio, MD, PhD, principal investigator for the multi-center study and director of research at the UCSF Pediatric Epilepsy Center. "It's important to get seizure control at any age, but in children, uncontrolled seizures may impact brain and neurocognitive development, which can have an extraordinary effect on quality of life and contribute to progressive cognitive impairment." The drug, called Epidiolex, is a purified cannabinoid that comes in a liquid form containing no tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychotropic component in cannabis. Produced by the biopharmaceutical company GW Pharmaceuticals, Epidiolex is considered a schedule 1 substance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is closely monitored and restricted by both the FDA and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. The trial will enroll a total of 150 patients across six centers. The study began earlier this month at … Continue reading →

(WXIA) -- Thousands of people signed a petition for it, and 30,000 Georgia children need it. Now, Ava's Law will get another push at the Georgia State Capitol. Ava's Law would require insurance companies to cover the cost of autism treatment. It's named for Anna Bullard's 9-year-old daughter, who benefited tremendously from the type of treatment the bill would cover. "(Ava) couldn't speak. She didn't know I was her mama. And now ... she's a child that's a part of our family and can speak for herself and make her own choices," Bullard told 11Alive News Tuesday morning. "It's about quality of life," Bullard added of Ava's Law. "It's about a child being able to speak or not. We want that to be available for all children, not just certain children." Georgia State Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) authored Ava's Law. Although the bill failed last year, Albers believes it now has the support it needs to pass. "We can help children, those with special needs, and save money. It just doesn't get any better than that," Albers said. He denied the argument that the bill will drive up insurance costs. "Statistically, it doesn't drive up the cost really at all. … Continue reading →

A study is only as good as the tools used to analyze it. One of those tools is statistics, and while biologists and chemists set up and run the experiments, statisticians are at work tinkering with the math that makes sense of all the data. Researchers at The Rockefeller University have recently developed a novel statistical method for genetic screens, which takes advantage of recent increases in computing power. Applying it to autism, they have uncovered genes that had not been suggested in previous analyses. By crunching data from the genomes of hundreds of individuals with various degrees of autism, the researchers identified several functionally related genetic variations that they say are likely to be linked to autism or to the underlying pathology of neuronal development that may cause it. The work suggests that beginning treatment in infants at the first symptoms, around the age of 12 months, could change the course of the disease. Catching the disorder early, the researchers say, could prevent the permanent "pruning" of neurons, which occurs during the first two years of life, from cementing autistic symptoms in place. The researchers also say that their data-scouring methodology may be used to help identify previously unknown … Continue reading →

Thousand Oaks, CA (PRWEB) February 03, 2014 Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) presents a free two-hour workshop, titled California Insurance Funding for Autism, to help parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) navigate their way through the insurance coverage process. Parents will learn what must be covered under California law and the most effective ways to access coverage. The workshop takes place on Saturday, March 1, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at the CARD treatment center in Thousand Oaks, located at 325 E. Hillcrest Drive, Suite 140. Refreshments and light snacks will be provided. Attendees must register by Feb. 27, 2014 to d(dot)plump(at)centerforautism(dot)com. California is one of the 27 states that, effective Jan. 1, 2014, now offers autism insurance coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy through its state exchange, the insurance marketplace created as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly referred to as Obamacare. In addition, the California autism insurance mandate (SB 946), implemented on July 1, 2012, requires most health plans to cover ABA therapy for individuals with ASD. Many families are struggling to access the treatment that is mandated by California law, said Bryce Miler, CARD director of contracts. … Continue reading →