Stem cell research took a few surprising twists during 2012, and California's $3 billion stem cell program completed its last building to support stem cell research. Here are some of the highlights for this year. -- People are composed of a genetic mosaic of cells, which slightly differ from each other. -- The 12th and last stem cell facility funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, in Santa Barbara, has opened. -- Geron's embryonic stem cell therapy for spinal cord damage, dropped in the middle of clinical trials, has been picked up by another biotech company, StemCells Inc. You can find out much more about each finding from the three stem cell blogs I got them from. They are: -- Knoepfler Lab Stem Cell Blog, run by prolific blogger and stem cell scientist Paul Knoepfler -- California Stem Cell Report, by veteran journalist David Jensen -- CIRM's official blog. But if you would rather read the gist of these findings here, read on. Plus, you'll get a video of one of the top scientists in the field giving his vision of where stem cell science should go. Read more: The year (so far) in stem cells … Continue reading →

ReportsnReports.com adds new market research report Complete 2012-13 Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Industry Report to its store. Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) November 23, 2012 It is clear that iPSCs represent a lucrative product market for research supply companies to pursue - and this report is your guide to claiming maximal profits from this sector. The most distinctive feature of this report is a survey of 293 iPSC researchers (181 U.S. / 112 International). It reveals the wants/needs, technical preferences, and key factors influencing buying decisions among iPSC researchers. Stem cell research and experimentation has been in process for well over five decades. Stem cells have the unique characteristics whereby they are able to divide and replicate repeatedly in addition to their being unspecialized with the ability to differentiate into specialized cell types. The possibilities that arise with the perfecting of cell replication has caused this area of exploration to remain on the forefront of scientific research, with ongoing hope that cures and treatment of diseases as well as reparative cell therapy, tissue regeneration and pharmacological testing on cell-specific tissue will one day become viable options within the medical community. Diseases such as Huntingtons Chorea, Parkinsons Disease, and spinal cord injuries are … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4tdv84/complete_201213) has announced the addition of the "Complete 2012-13 Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Industry Report" report to their offering. Stem cell research and experimentation has been in process for well over five decades. Stem cells have the unique characteristics whereby they are able to divide and replicate repeatedly in addition to their being unspecialized with the ability to differentiate into specialized cell types. The possibilities that arise with the perfecting of cell replication has caused this area of exploration to remain on the forefront of scientific research, with ongoing hope that cures and treatment of diseases as well as reparative cell therapy, tissue regeneration and pharmacological testing on cell-specific tissue will one day become viable options within the medical community. Diseases such as Huntington's Chorea, Parkinson's Disease, and spinal cord injuries are just some examples of potential clinical applications where stem cells can offer potential benefits in halting or even reversing medical conditions that previously had no positive outcome potential - and induced pluripotent stem cells represent a preferred cell type for this type of disease reversal research. Traditionally, scientists have worked with both embryonic and adult stem cells. While the appeal of embryonic cells … Continue reading →

By Jimmy Woulfe, Mid-West Correspondent Friday, November 23, 2012 A Limerick quantity surveyor left blind and paralysed after a brutal assault, has taken the first steps from his wheelchair following stem cell treatment in China. Brian Hogan, 35, was working in Nottingham in Jul 2009, when on a night out with friends, he was knocked to the ground without provocation, hitting his head on the pavement. When an ambulance was called, he declined help. Some time later that night his condition deteriorated rapidly. When he came out of a coma, some weeks later, he was left blind and paralysed. On his discharge from hospital in England, Brians parents and siblings gave him round-the-clock care at the family home in Ballykeeffe Estate, in Limerick. His sister Siobhn Hogan said: "We did a lot of research and discovered a clinic in Bejing which offered stem cell infusions. "It is a controversial treatment, but we decided Brian should have the opportunity to see if it could help him." Now after the treatment, Brians family have seen a dramatic improvement in his condition. "We were all teary-eyed last Tuesday when we watched him walk for a few steps after being helped out of the … Continue reading →

THIS IS in reference to the latest Department of Health warning on the use of stem cells from aborted fetuses (DOH warns against use of stem cells from aborted babies, Inquirer, 11/11/12). It is my humble opinion as a Filipino medical practitioner that the most logical and effective way for the DOH to fulfill its function of protecting and safeguarding the health of Filipino patients from dubious stem cell treatment is to immediately impose a moratorium on stem cell therapy in the country. In developed countries, novel stem cell treatment can only be tried on patients under a strict clinical trial environment. For example, if one tries to treat cancer or diabetes mellitus with stem cells using a protocol not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), one has to submit first to the US FDA voluminous scientific documents supporting or justifying the trial, based on pre-clinical studies. The trial is undertaken only after approval by the US FDA and institutional review boards, and usually the patients are treated for free or at a minimal patient expense. The treatment protocol is also open for review and the treatment results, both positive and negative, are meticulously monitored, reported … Continue reading →