(Phys.org)Embryonic stem cells hold great promise as a potential cell-based therapy for a myriad of serious diseases, but there is still much to learn before they become a regular part of the doctor's toolkit. Scientists do not yet fully understand the complex processes that take place during the earliest stages of development when stem cells in the embryo begin to transform into specialized cells that can be used to regenerate bones, tissues and nerves. Now, researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered new changes in molecule structures on the cell surface that may play critical roles in this stage of embryonic growth. Their work not only promises to further the understanding of basic human development, but it may also speed the creation of effective stem cell therapies. Their study, published recently in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, demonstrated how the genetic expression of specific enzymes resulted in significant changes to the complex chains of sugar molecules that densely coat the outside of cells. Known as glycans, these molecules were once thought to be a relatively unimportant part of the cell, scientists now recognize that glycans play essential roles in the regulation of cell behavior, and ultimately, human health and … Continue reading →

KUALA LUMPUR: EXISTING guidelines on stem cell research are sufficient to regulate the industry and the Health Ministry sees no need for a stem cell Act for now. Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said guidelines on stem cell research were clear and were drafted with the help of stakeholders, including religious bodies. He said the ministry had produced four guidelines: * National Guidelines for Haemopoietic Stem Cell Therapy; * National Standards for Cord Blood Banking and Transplantation; * National Standards for Stem Cell Transplantation; and * Guidelines on Stem Cell Research and Therapy "We hope researchers follow these guidelines. The ministry does not intend to introduce any Act yet," he said after officiating the First National Stem Cell Congress here yesterday. Liow said guidelines would be enough to provide a sound and ethical environment for researchers to carry out work. He said the public should also be informed of stem cell services available and be aware that stem cell research here was encouraging. "In 2009 alone, 213 haemopoitic stem cell transplants were performed and registered in the country," he said. See the original post: No need for stem cell Act, says health minister … Continue reading →

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 29): The Health Ministry has no intention of introducing a Stem Cell Act as the current guidelines are believed to be sufficient to regulate the research being carried out in this growing field. Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said his ministry has taken the lead to regulate this field by producing four guidelines that provide framework for researchers, clinicians and companies involved in research, clinical trials as well as manufacturing of stem cells. These four guidelines and standards cover haemopoietic stem cell therapy; cord blood banking and transplantation; stem cell transplantation; and stem cell research and therapy. Liow stressed that these guidelines, which were introduced in December 2006, with a second edition in July 2009, serve as standards to which practitioners and scientists must abide to in order to ensure no harm is done to the patient. As such, he said there was no need to table a Stem Cell Bill in Parliament to monitor research and transplants in this field. Liow said the ministry set up a National Sub-Committee for Ethics in Stem Cell Research and Therapy (NSCERT) as an oversight body for all stem cell research in the country, and religious authorities were consulted … Continue reading →

MANILA, Philippines Its supposed to cure various illnesses such as cancer, spinal cord injury and Parkinsons disease. Is stem cell therapy the cure-all that it is touted to be? Health Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa said it is important to note that stem cell treatments are still at the experimental stage. "The advisory is very clear. This is still an investigative form of therapy. Anecdotal reports are not enough evidence to say there is treatment, he said in an interview on ANC's Talkback with Tina Palma. He said there are only two standard stem cell therapies considered effective and acceptable to the medical community. "To date, I can only name two cases that are considered standard therapy. That is bone marrow transplantation--one for severe cancer, blood cancer and the other one is bone marrow transplantation after chemotherapy for any type of cancer, he said. Herbosa said the Department of Health cannot confirm yet if stem cell treatment is indeed effective against certain diseases. Dr. Tranquilino Elicao Jr., an oncologist who availed of the treatment in April in Frankfurt, Germany, said stem cell therapy cured his high blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol and uric acid. He had 12 injections of cells, which came from … Continue reading →

Under fire from the Food and Drug Administration, the Houston-area company that facilitated Gov. Rick Perry's controversial 2011 stem-cell treatment has stopped providing doctors with the cells patients banked at its facility for the procedure. In a response to an FDA warning that it is acting illegally by marketing the unlicensed therapy, Celltex Therapeutics Corp. wrote the federal agency this week that it has ceased enrolling patients in the clinical trials the state requires of stem-cell providers. Celltex was the Houston area's primary sponsor of such for-profit trials. "We're telling potential patients that we will still bank their stem cells and will enroll them in trials once new investigational drug applications have been submitted and reviewed by the FDA," said Amdrea Ferrenz, Celltex's executive vice president and legal counsel. "We hope that will be in a matter of months." Ferrenz called the FDA warning letter, publicly posted Tuesday, "a disappointment" but said it actually just moves up Celltex's plan to move into agency-approved trials targeting specific disease conditions. The Sugar Land company had been operating for nearly 18 months facilitating adult stem-cell procedures with little regulation. The Texas Medical Board in July began requiring that any stem-cell procedure be reviewed … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Autologous Stem Cell and Non-Stem Cell Based Therapies Market (2012-2017) (Neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, cancer & autoimmune, skin and infectious diseases) http://www.reportlinker.com/p01022392/Autologous-Stem-Cell-and-Non-Stem-Cell-Based-Therapies-Market-2012-2017-Neurodegenerative-cardiovascular-cancer--autoimmune-skin-and-infectious-diseases.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Biological_Therapy Autologous cell therapies are new therapeutic intervention where it introduces or uses cells or tissues from the individual, cultured, expanded and re-introduced at the site of the disease of the donor. They are widely promoted as next pillar or advancement in medical care. Growth of the market is very rapid especially in regulatory approvals, applications areas and rapid improvements in efficacy of treatment; it has enormous advantages over allogenic stem cell therapies. Autologous transplants are relatively safe procedures, with less rates of complications and infections compared with allogenic transplants. In many instances, much of the procedure can be done on an outpatient basis. It helps in treating various dreadful diseases by transplanting their own body cells where it results in meager chances of transplant rejection. We have also profiled leading players of this industry with their recent developments and other strategic industry activities. These include: Neostem (U.S.), Tengion (U.S.), Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (U.S.), Dendreon Corporation (U.S.), Georgia Health Sciences University … Continue reading →

SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Irvine Scientific, a leading cell culture media/ medical device company for more than 40 years, announced their newly launched cell therapy PRIME-XV product portfolio as part of the companys commitment to accelerate basic research and clinical applications in cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Using their expertise in cell culture media development, PRIME-XV products were designed to function as part of an integrated workflow solution in culturing primary cells, where all products have been pre-validated to decrease end user qualification time. Initially, PRIME-XV products will comprise of a serum-free medium for the expansion of human mesenchymal stromal/ stem cells (MSCs), biopreservation solutions and extracellular matrix proteins. However, Irvine Scientific intends to expand this product line to offer other cell culture media and reagents, such as stem cell qualified fetal bovine serum, tumorsphere and neural progenitor cell expansion media. Examples of existing PRIME-XV products include: PRIME-XV MatrIS F: a recombinant human matrix protein intended for the culture of human stem/ progenitor cells under serum-free conditions. PRIME-XV MatrIS F provides an alternative substrate to the PRIME-XV Human Fibronectin product, which has a wide variety of applications in primary cell spreading and attachment. PRIME-XV MSC EXPANSION SFM: a complete, serum-free … Continue reading →

Doctors and researchers have long said that stem cell therapy has the potential to change the face of human disease. But what if stem cells could be used to reverse the aging process as well? Plastic surgeons say they can use stem cells to make women look years younger without the pain of an invasive surgery. "I lost weight, loss of volume in face, I looked gaunt and I said, so I said, 'okay what do we do to fix this?'" said Sarah, a patient. The fix for this was a stem-cell face lift. Dr. Steve Szczerba of Chicago Aesthetic Surgery Institute recommended that Sarah undergo a procedure, where he'd use her own adult stem cells to turn back the clock. "A stem cell facelift is rejuvenating the face using grafted fat. Grafted fat has stem cells in it," Dr. Szczerba explains. Grafted fat is transferred fat. Dr. Szczerba typically gets it from the patient's abdomen or inner thigh during liposuction. "During that process of liposuction, we save the fat and take the fat and prepare it for grafting by removing the fluid. And the stem cells along with other grafted fat cells are injected into the face," says Dr. … Continue reading →

PROSTATE CANCER and stem cells.wmv ramirezdelrio.com Business entrepreneur Larry Howard's 77 year old father was in deep trouble. He had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer by his doctors at Kaiser Permanente. Their treatments had failed to check it and it was spreading. As-a-result the elder Howard had lost a great deal of weight and was running out of time. Larry had heard that a team of doctors in Mexico was using umbilical cord stem cells that had been genetically modified to fight cancer. One of the chief medical consultants to this program, in fact, was actually a friend of Larry's; namely, pioneering physician and stem cell medicine expert David Steenblock. Larry took his father to see Dr. Steenblock, who sent them both to Mexico. The senior Mr. Howard was infused with the genetically engineered stem cells and wound up in total remission within 3 month's time. He went on to regain all the weight he had lost previously and soon felt so good that he resumed socializing and dating. In this very short video segment Larry Howard shares how his father went from gravely ill to free of any detectable cancer.From:btancredi1Views:153 0ratingsTime:01:10More inScience Technology See original … Continue reading →

University of Melbourne announce Stem Cells Discovery Researchers have completed the study by using skin biopsies from patients with the rare genetic disease Friedreich Ataxia (FA). The discovery will allow for the development of new treatments for FA and related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. For more information, see the following websites: University of Melbourne Stem Cell Laboratory: http://www.cns.unimelb.edu.au Monash Institute of Medical Research: http://www.monashinstitute.org Friedreich Ataxia Research Association: http://www.fara.org.au Friedreich Ataxia Research Alliance: http://www.curefa.org Credits Produced by Rebecca Scott Camera by Clive Banfield Editing by Rob Cross, Corporate Video Video of heart cells provided courtesy of: Duncan E Crombie. Senior Research Assistant Stem Cell Medicine, O'Brien Institute With thanks to: Dr. Alice Pbay Group Leader, Stem Cell Lab, Centre for Neuroscience and Dept of Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne Senior Research Fellow, O'Brien Institute Dr Mirella Dottori Group Leader, Stem Cell Lab. Centre for Neuroscience and Dept of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne Dr Paul Verma Senior Scientist, Head of the Reprogramming of Somatic Cells Lab, Centre for Reproduction and Development, Monash Institute of Medical Research Dr Jun Liu, Post-doc fellow Centre for Reproduction and Development, Monash Institute of Medical Research Ms Varlli Beetham, Executive Director, … Continue reading →