Scientists have succeeded in generating new stem cells in living mice. They say their success opens up possibilities for the regeneration of damaged tissue in people with conditions ranging from heart failure to spinal cord injury. The researchers used the same "recipe" of growth-boosting ingredients normally used for making stem cells in a Petri dish, but introduced them instead into living laboratory mice and found they were able to create so-called reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). "This opens up new possibilities in regenerative medicine," said Manuel Serrano, who led the study at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre in Madrid. Stem cell experts who were not directly involved in the study said its success was exciting, but noted that the technique as it stands could not be used in humans since the reprogrammed cells also lead to tumours forming in the mice. "Clearly nobody wishes to do this for therapeutic purposes because this leads to the formation of tumours called teratomas," said Ilaria Bellantuono, a reader in Stem Cell and Skeletal Ageing at Britain's University of Sheffield. But she added that Serrano's work was a "a proof of concept" that opened up the opportunity to investigate ways to … Continue reading →

Researchers have reprogrammed cells inside living mice -- and have discovered that the pluripotent stem cells created in the process are even more flexible than those derived from embryos or grown in laboratory dishes. Someday the achievement might help scientists devise ways to treat human disease by directly regenerating tissues within human patients, said Manuel Serrano, an investigator at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center in Madrid and senior author of a study (abstract here) detailing the research, published online Wednesday by the journal Nature. But that won't happen immediately, he added during a call with reporters Tuesday. The pluripotent stem cells are highly flexible and have the potential to develop into nearly any cell type in the body. Researchers hope to take advantage of them to rebuild tissues that don't regenerate on their own, such as neurons, the insulin-producing islet cells that are destroyed in patients with Type I diabetes, or heart muscle killed during the oxygen deprivation of a heart attack. Interest in stem cells pushed scientists first to figure out ways to isolate them from embryos and then to rewind mature cells into a more flexible state. The Spanish team set out to see if it was … Continue reading →

(Refiles to remove incorrrect picture) By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have succeeded in generating new stem cells in living mice and say their success opens up possibilities for the regeneration of damaged tissue in people with conditions ranging from heart failure to spinal cord injury. The researchers used the same "recipe" of growth-boosting ingredients normally used for making stem cells in a petri dish, but introduced them instead into living laboratory mice and found they were able to create so-called reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). "This opens up new possibilities in regenerative medicine," said Manuel Serrano, who led the study at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre in Madrid. Stem cell experts who were not directly involved in the study said its success was exciting, but noted that the technique as it stands could not be used in humans since the reprogrammed cells also lead to tumours forming in the mice. "Clearly nobody wishes to do this for therapeutic purposes because this leads to the formation of tumours called teratomas," said Ilaria Bellantuono, a reader in Stem Cell and Skeletal Ageing at Britain's University of Sheffield. But she added that Serrano's work was a "a proof … Continue reading →

DGAP-News: Evotec AG / Key word(s): Alliance Evotec and Harvard Stem Cell Institute form CureMN collaboration to advance ALS research 12.09.2013 / 07:30 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamburg, Germany - 12 September 2013: Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) today announced a strategic partnership with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute ('HSCI') to identify compounds that prevent or slow down the loss of motor neurons, which is characteristic of the human disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ('ALS'). The collaboration 'CureMN' (CureMotorNeuron) will leverage human motor neuron assays based on ALS patient-derived induced pluripotent stem ('iPS') cells that were developed by Dr Lee Rubin, HSCI Principal Faculty member and professor in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard, and Dr Kevin Eggan, Early Career Scientist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, HSCI Principal Faculty member and professor in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard as well as Evotec's leading drug discovery infrastructure and expertise to identify compounds that will have therapeutic value against this life-threatening disease. Dr Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec, commented: 'Kevin and Lee have made significant contributions to our understanding of the underlying pathology of motor neuron diseases. Their laboratories have … Continue reading →

HAMBURG, Germany, Sept. 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evotec AG (EVT.F) (TecDAX) (ISIN:DE0005664809) today announced a strategic partnership with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute ("HSCI") to identify compounds that prevent or slow down the loss of motor neurons, which is characteristic of the human disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ("ALS"). The collaboration "CureMN" (CureMotorNeuron) will leverage human motor neuron assays based on ALS patient-derived induced pluripotent stem ("iPS") cells that were developed by Dr Lee Rubin, HSCI Principal Faculty member and professor in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard, and Dr Kevin Eggan, Early Career Scientist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, HSCI Principal Faculty member and professor in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard as well as Evotec's leading drug discovery infrastructure and expertise to identify compounds that will have therapeutic value against this life-threatening disease. Dr Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec, commented: "Kevin and Lee have made significant contributions to our understanding of the underlying pathology of motor neuron diseases. Their laboratories have developed a large array of ALS patient-derived motor neuron models that allow screening of diseased human cells in culture -- an approach that is sometimes referred … Continue reading →