Oct. 17, 2013 A Waisman Biomanufacturing specialist examines cells in a culture in the cell therapy clean room. The UW-Madison Waisman Center opened Waisman Biomanufacturing to ease the research and development of biological products and drugs. Photo: Waisman Biomanufacturing Developing a new drug takes enormous amounts of time, money and skill, but the bar is even higher for a promising stem-cell therapy. Many types of cells derived from these ultra-flexible parent cells are moving toward the market, but the very quality that makes stem cells so valuable also makes them a difficult source of therapeutics. "The ability to form many types of specialized cells is at the essence of why we are so interested in stem cells, but this pluripotency is not always good," says Derek Hei, director of Waisman Biomanufacturing, a facility in the Waisman Center at UW-Madison. "The cells we can make from stem cells cells for the heart, brain and liver have amazing potential, but you can also end up with the wrong type of cell. If the cells are not fully differentiated, they can end up differentiating into the wrong cell type," Hei says. Derek Hei Just like drugs, stem cells for clinical trials must be … Continue reading →

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct 17, 2013) - Stem Cell Ther apeutics Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SSS)(SCTPF), a biopharmaceutical immuno-oncology company developing cancer stem cell-related therapeutics, today announced that it has entered into an option agreement to exclusively license worldwide rights to a panel of fully human monoclonal antibodies targeting the SIRPa protein (CD172a). The technology was developed by scientists at the University Health Network, the University of Toronto, through the Toronto Recombinant Antibody Centre (TRAC), and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), in Toronto, Ontario. SIRPa is the ligand of CD47, a molecule upregulated on many hematological and solid tumors. CD47 delivers a "do not eat" signal that su ppresses macrophage phagocytosis, allowing cancer cells, including cancer stem cells, to escape immune-mediated destruction. Stem Cell Therapeutics (SCT) is currently developing a CD47 antagonist, using a modified version of the native SIRPa protein fused to an immunoglobulin Fc region. This SIRPaFc fusion protein has shown remarkable anti-leukemic activity both in vitro and in human xenograft models, and SCT recently announced that the program has entered the IND-enabling phase of drug development. The company expects to report further updates at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (December 7-10, 2013). "Targeting … Continue reading →

TAINAN, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) NMDC (Nanotechnology Materials and Devices Conference) 2013 kicked off, October 7, at Cheng Kung Hall, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan, with nearly 250 scholars and experts from 20 countries including USA, UK, Italy, Australia, Canada, Korea, and Japan. NCKU President Dr. Hwung-Hweng Hwung welcomed the guests from the world in his opening remarks, Nanotechnology has been a daily practice here in NCKU and Tainan. For example, 20-nanometer silicon chips are fabricated every day in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) located at Tainan Science Park. Besides semiconductors, nanotechnology is being studied by our faculty for applications to photonics, medicine, environmental protection, and building materials, added Dr. Hwung, These studies are in close collaboration with industries and have produced students who are most welcome by industries in Taiwan. Nanotechnology is the technology of the future, said Dr. Paul Ching-Wu Chu, the Honorary Chancellor of Taiwan Comprehensive University System (TCUS), who is also an international superconductivity pioneer, invited to deliver his remarks at the opening ceremony. Dr. Chu also said, Nanotechnology has provided authors with opportunities for the development of science and also development of future devices that may determine the … Continue reading →

Here at Maclean's, we appreciate the written word. And we appreciate you, the reader. We are always looking for ways to create a better user experience for you and wanted to try out a new functionality that provides you with a reading experience in which the words and fonts take centre stage. We believe you'll appreciate the clean, white layout as you read our feature articles. But we don't want to force it on you and it's completely optional. Click "View in Clean Reading Mode" on any article if you want to try it out. Once there, you can click "Go back to regular view" at the top or bottom of the article to return to the regular layout. Francis Leroy / Biocosmos / Science Photo Library Reproductive biologists have been working for decades to solve one of the great mysteries of human fertility: why do women produce all the eggs they will ever have while still in the womb, only to have most of those eggs die off before birth, and many more before the woman reaches puberty? Jonathan Tilly, chair of the biology department at Northeastern University in Boston, was among those drawn to studying this enduring puzzle. … Continue reading →

Recently published results from the Harvard Stem Cell Institutes first-ever clinical trials have identified a molecule that could increase the success rates of umbilical cord blood transplants in cancer patients. The trials found that umbilical cord blood cells treated with 16, 16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2, a molecule derived from fatty acids and also called dmPGE2, grew more stem cells than untreated umbilical cord blood. Stem cell growth is particularly promising in the treatment of cancer, which is marked by rapid proliferation of mutated cells and the death of functional, important tissue. Stem cell transplants usually face stringent blood type matching requirements, which can often hinder a patients ability to find a viable donor. Umbilical cord transplants improve flexibility and safety, however, since blood does not need to be exactly matched and has had less exposure to viruses. Successful implementation of the dmPGE2 molecule could help the approximately 50 to 60 percent of stem cell transplant patients who do not have siblings with a matching blood type. Led by Leonard I. Zon, chairman of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute Executive Committee and professor of stem cell and regenerative biology, researchers at the HSCI discovered that dmPGE2 spurred stem cell growth through laboratory … Continue reading →

MIAMI (CBS4) When Vicky Bonilla looks into her 3-year-old son Andrews eyes, she sees his desire to communicate like he used to. The neurologist and therapists tell me that he is more aware than what he is able to express and at times he gets frustrated because he cannot express what he wants, Vicky told CBS4s Natalia Zea. When his older siblings play peekaboo with him they see glimmers of who Andrew used to be. Andrew was born with digestive issues, but functioned like any other toddler. He would walk, talk, play like a regular little boy did, said Bonilla through tears. And he was his dad Tito Bonillas sidekick. He would do everything with me. He knew everybodys names. He knew mommy, pappi, he knew the color of your car. He knew everything. It was just amazing, he was so smart, said Tito. Everything changed in January of 2012. At 2 years old, Andrew went into an emergency room, one of many visits for his digestive problems. But this time, he went into septic shock. Infection took over his body and he flat lined in front of his mom. I had him on his side, I had his hand … Continue reading →

CARLSBAD, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 16, 2013) - International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) (www.internationalstemcell.com) a California-based biotechnology company developing novel stem cell based therapies announced the latest results from its Parkinson's disease program at the American Neurological Association's 2013 Annual Meeting. Neural stem cell (NSC) potentially provide therapeutic benefit through multiple mechanisms of action including migration to the site of injury, secretion of neurotrophic factors, immunomodulation, cell replacement, and finally recovery of the endogenous neurons. The new data obtained as part of ISCO's collaboration with the Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, includes: According to ISCO's, Chief Scientific Officer Dr. R. Semechkin, "These results are important because they establish a solid foundation for the clinical use of neural stem cells for the treatment of Parkinson's diseases. This also potentially opens up a number of other neurological indications, for example Alzheimer's disease, with this cellular product." About ISCO's Parkinson's disease program ISCO's program uses human parthenogenetic neural stem cells (hPNSC), a novel therapeutic cellular product derived from the company's proprietary histocompatible human pluripotent stem cells. The hPNSC are self-renewing multipotent cells that are precursors for the major cells of the central nervous system. The ability of hPNSC to (1) differentiate into dopaminergic … Continue reading →