The development of new drugs for improving treatment of Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease is a step closer after recent research into how stem cells migrate and form circuits in the brain. The results from a study by researchers at The University of Aucklands Centre for Brain Research may hold important clues into why there is less plasticity in brains affected by Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease, and links to insulin resistance and diabetes. The major five-year project to understand how stem cells start and stop migrating in the brain has also helped to unlock the secrets of how stem cells migrate during development and in adulthood. The study revealed new information on how connectivity between brain cells is improved or worsened, says senior study author, Dr Maurice Curtis who conceived and directed the research. The experiments were carried out at the Centre for Brain Research laboratories by Dr Hector Monzo. Collaborators included a director of the CBR, Distinguished Professor Richard Faull, Dr Thomas Park, Dr Birger Dieriks, Deidre Jansson and Professor Mike Dragunow. We have begun testing new novel drug compounds that target how polysialic acid is removed from the cell in the hope of improving neuron connectivity, says Dr Curtis. … Continue reading →

PARIS: Blind mice have been able to see once more in a laboratory exploit that marks a further boost for the fast-moving field of retinal therapy, according to a study published on Sunday. Scientists in Britain used stem cells -- early-stage, highly versatile cells -- taken from mice embryos, and cultured them in a lab dish so that they differentiated into immature photoreceptors, the light-catching cells in the retina. Around 200,000 of these cells were then injected into the mice's retinas, some of which integrated smoothly with local cells to restore sight. The rodents were put through their paces in a water maze and examined by optometry to confirm that they responded to light. Embryonic stem cells "could in future provide a potentially unlimited supply of health photoreceptors for retinal transplantations to treat blindness in humans," Britain's Medical Research Council (MRC) said in a press release. Photoreceptor loss lies behind degenerative eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, also called AMD. Stem cells have triggered a huge interest and investment on the back of hopes that they can become replacement tissue, grown in a lab dish, for cells damaged by disease or accident. But the exciting field … Continue reading →

(PRWEB) July 22, 2013 The Institute of Regenerative and Molecular Orthopaedics (IRMO), world-renowned stem cell therapy experts, applauds the use of stem cell therapy for treatment of spinal injuries. In recent times, stem cell therapy has been increasingly sought after to support treatments of various injuries, especially in the sports world. Its use in repairing spinal injuries comes as good news to the thousands of Americans currently living with spinal cord injuries who are seeking the latest in breakthrough medical solutions. Stem cell therapy is of the most exciting and promising treatments in modern medicine. Inroads are made every day, as the many applications of stem cell treatments become better understood by medical professionals around the world. Experts, like Dr. Joseph Purita of the Institute of Regenerative and Molecular Orthopaedics, have been utilizing stem cell treatments for many years to treat sports injuries. Recent scientific and technological advancements have made stem cell extraction relatively inexpensive and accessible. Today, medical professionals have unprecedented access to these remarkable cells and are increasingly applying them in new ways to better aid in the bodys repair process. This includes advances in platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP), a process that takes a concentration of a … Continue reading →

Financial assistance from the Government in Wales and the promise of long-term support has played a key role in persuading ReNeuron, a leading clinical stage stem cell business, to make the move from Guildford. The aid forms part of a 33m financing package the company says will transforms its prospects. The company is raising 25.35m through an over- subscribed placing of just over a billion shares at 2.5p, a 20pc discount on recent trading, to fund therapeutic programmes through trials and development. Major new investors, including Invesco where chief investment officer Neil Woodford manages extensive medical funds and Abingworth have subscribed to the placing while directors are chipping in 110,000 for 4.4m shares. Michael Hunt, ReNeuron chief executive, said the fund raising would transform the financial position of the business and its future prospects. The Welsh grant package would enable the company to take control over the manufacture of stem cell therapy candidates as they get closer to market. Sir Chris Evans, Welsh born serial entrepreneur, a ReNeuron shareholder and chairman of Arthurian Life Sciences which arranged the Welsh funding, has played a key role in persuading ReNeuron to make the switch. He helped the company get off the ground … Continue reading →

Public release date: 22-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Robert Miranda cogcomm@aol.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair Putnam Valley, NY. -- When melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, was used as a pre-treatment for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) prior to their transplantation into the brains of laboratory animals to repair damage from stroke, researchers in China found that the stem cells survived longer after transplantation. Previous studies had shown that 80 percent of transplanted MSCs died within 72 hours of transplantation. By contrast, the melatonin pre-treatment "greatly increased" cell survival, said the researchers. The study appears as an early e-publication for the journal Cell Transplantation, and is now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/pre-prints/ct0998tang The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland located in the center of the brain, but outside of the bloodbrain barrier. The melatonin it secretes acts as a signal and forms part of the system that regulates the sleepwake cycle by chemically causing drowsiness and lowering body temperature. Melatonin is also known to be a powerful antioxidant and has been used clinically to treat sleep disorders. In this study, the researchers used a melatonin pre-treatment on MSCs they … Continue reading →

July 23, 2013 Blind mice have been able to see once more in a laboratory exploit that marks a further boost for the fast-moving field of retinal therapy, according to a study published on Sunday. Scientists in Britain used stem cells -- early-stage, highly versatile cells -- taken from mice embryos, and cultured them in a lab dish so that they differentiated into immature photoreceptors, the light-catching cells in the retina. Around 200,000 of these cells were then injected into the mice's retinas, some of which integrated smoothly with local cells to restore sight. The rodents were put through their paces in a water maze and examined by optometry to confirm that they responded to light. Embryonic stem cells "could in future provide a potentially unlimited supply of health photoreceptors for retinal transplantations to treat blindness in humans," Britain's Medical Research Council (MRC) said in a press release. Photoreceptor loss lies behind degenerative eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, also called AMD. Stem cells have triggered a huge interest and investment on the back of hopes that they can become replacement tissue, grown in a lab dish, for cells damaged by disease or accident. But the … Continue reading →

BLIND mice have been able to see once more in a laboratory exploit that marks a further boost for the fast-moving field of retinal therapy, according to a study. Scientists in Britain used stem cells - early-stage, highly versatile cells - taken from mice embryos, and cultured them in a lab dish so that they differentiated into immature photoreceptors, the light-catching cells in the retina. Around 200,000 of these cells were then injected into the mice's retinas, some of which integrated smoothly with local cells to restore sight. The rodents were put through their paces in a water maze and examined by optometry to confirm that they responded to light. Embryonic stem cells "could in future provide a potentially unlimited supply of health photoreceptors for retinal transplantations to treat blindness in humans", Britain's Medical Research Council (MRC) said in a press release. Photoreceptor loss lies behind degenerative eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, also called AMD. Stem cells have triggered a huge interest and investment on the back of hopes that they can become replacement tissue, grown in a lab dish, for cells damaged by disease or accident. But the exciting field has to overcome big … Continue reading →

Scientists turn embryonic stem cells into photoreceptors that can integrate into a live retina. Transplanted photoreceptors derived from embryonic stem cells (green) integrate into the damaged retina of an adult mouse and touch the next neuron in the retinal circuit (red). Scientists in the U.K. have produced rod-like photoreceptors from embryonic stem cells, and successfully transplanted them into the retinas of mice. The work suggests that embryonic stem cells could perhaps one day be used as a treatment for patients who have lost their vision to retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, or other degenerative conditions in which the light-detecting rods and cones of the retina die over time. Currently, there are few treatment options for these conditions; electronic implanted devices are available for some patients in some countries, but their efficacy is limited (see A Second Artificial Retina Option for the E.U. and What Its Like to See Again with an Artificial Retina).The new work,reported in Nature Biotechnology on Sunday, offers hope for a more effective, comprehensive treatment. The researchers used a new method for growing embryonic stem cells that enables them to turn into immature eye cells and self-organize into three-dimensional structures similar to those seen in a developing retina … Continue reading →

Scientists turn embryonic stem cells into photoreceptors that can integrate into a live retina. Transplanted photoreceptors derived from embryonic stem cells (green) integrate into the damaged retina of an adult mouse and touch the next neuron in the retinal circuit (red). Scientists in the U.K. have produced rod-like photoreceptors from embryonic stem cells, and successfully transplanted them into the retinas of mice. The work suggests that embryonic stem cells could perhaps one day be used as a treatment for patients who have lost their vision to retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, or other degenerative conditions in which the light-detecting rods and cones of the retina die over time. Currently, there are few treatment options for these conditions; electronic implanted devices are available for some patients in some countries, but their efficacy is limited (see A Second Artificial Retina Option for the E.U. and What Its Like to See Again with an Artificial Retina).The new work,reported in Nature Biotechnology on Sunday, offers hope for a more effective, comprehensive treatment. The researchers used a new method for growing embryonic stem cells that enables them to turn into immature eye cells and self-organize into three-dimensional structures similar to those seen in a developing retina … Continue reading →