Public release date: 22-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Yivsam Azgad news@weizmann.ac.il 972-893-43856 Weizmann Institute of Science Hiding deep inside the bone marrow are special cells. They wait patiently for the hour of need, at which point these blood forming stem cells can proliferate and differentiate into billions of mature blood immune cells to help the body cope with infection, for example, or extra red blood cells for low oxygen levels at high altitudes. Even in emergencies, however, the body keeps to a long-term plan: It maintains a reserve of undifferentiated stem cells for future needs and crises. A research team headed by Prof. Tsvee Lapidot of the Institute's immunology Department recently discovered a new type of bodyguard that protects stem cells from over-differentiation. In a paper that appeared in Nature Immunology, they revealed how this rare, previously unknown sub-group of activated immune cells keeps the stem cells in the bone marrow "forever young." Blood forming stem cells live in comfort in the bone marrow, surrounded by an entourage of support cells that cater to their needs and direct their development the mesenchymal cells. But the research team, which included postdoctoral fellow Dr. Aya Ludin, Prof. Steffen Jung … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2012) Hiding deep inside the bone marrow are special cells. They wait patiently for the hour of need, at which point these blood-forming stem cells can proliferate and differentiate into billions of mature blood immune cells to help the body cope with infection, for example, or extra red blood cells for low oxygen levels at high altitudes. Even in emergencies, however, the body keeps to a long-term plan: It maintains a reserve of undifferentiated stem cells for future needs and crises. A research team headed by Prof. Tsvee Lapidot of the Institute's immunology Department recently discovered a new type of bodyguard that protects stem cells from over-differentiation. In a paper that appeared in Nature Immunology, they revealed how this rare, previously unknown sub-group of activated immune cells keeps the stem cells in the bone marrow "forever young." Blood-forming stem cells live in comfort in the bone marrow, surrounded by an entourage of support cells that cater to their needs and direct their development -- the mesenchymal cells. But the research team, which included postdoctoral fellow Dr. Aya Ludin, Prof. Steffen Jung of the Immunology Department and his group, and Ziv Porat of the Biological Services Unit, discovered … Continue reading →

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced treatment of the fourth patient, the first in the second patient cohort, in its European clinical trial for Stargardts Macular Dystrophy (SMD). The patient was injected with 100,000 human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, as compared with 50,000 cells in the three patients comprising the first cohort. The outpatient transplantation surgery was performed successfully and the patient is recovering uneventfully. Our progress continues in our European clinical trial and both our trials in the U.S., as seen most recently with last weeks announcement of treatment of the second patient in the second patient cohort of our U.S. trial for SMD, said Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of ACT. As I mentioned last week, we have mapped out the series of patients to complete the second cohort of both our trials for SMD, as well as for our trial for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD), pending DSMB review, and we anticipate generating patient data at a faster pace. Initiated in January of this year, the Phase I/II trial is designed to determine the safety and tolerability of … Continue reading →

By JOJO P. PANALIGAN Ricky Reyes swears that two injections of fresh stem cell were all it took to bid his athritis adieu (Photo courtesy of rickyreyes.ph) MANILA, PhilippinesYouve been eating the right food, getting complete sleep, taking vitamins, avoiding stress and exercising regularly but you still dont have the glow of Madonna, Angelina Jolie and Sandra Bullock. To quote the title of a song from Miss Saigon, you ask, Why, God? But you dont have to wait for the clouds to part and for a booming voice from heaven to know the answer, just read on: Youve not had stem cell therapy. Bulletin Entertainment found out about this at the recent press conference tendered by Villa Medica. The doctors, experts and patients flown in by the leading provider of fresh cell therapy, revealed that while many stars say its this diet or that fitness craze that has got them looking much, much younger, these celebs have actually undergone the therapy many times to fantastic results. Asked why they dont get these big stars to endorse them, Villa Medica simply said that theyd rather use the money for research and helping the less fortunate. Anyway, the results speak for itself … 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 but that we can't sponsor the required trials until we're in compliance with the FDA," said Andrea 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 for patient safety by … Continue reading →

Bangkok (The Nation/ANN) - The Thai Medical Council has given the green light for medical schools to conduct 11 types of stem-cell research with the aim of finding clues for regenerative medication. Since the council issued a regulation to tighten control over controversial stem-cell research in 2010, approval has been sought for some 17 studies. But the council has approved only 11 studies, which will include research into the most common diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, retina irregularities and the spinal chord, Dr Somsak Lohlekha, who chairs the council's stem-cell research regulatory panel, said. Separately, the council has been asked to certify two other studies related to heart disease as standard treatment, but it has put them on hold due to opposition from Thailand's Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Surgeons. "These two medical colleges found that patients with heart disease did not feel any better after getting stem-cell injections," Somsak said. Moreover, stem-cell treatment for heart disease had yet to be accepted by the international medical community as standard treatment. "We found that many patients spent more than a million baht for this treatment and their condition did not improve," he said. Of the 11 stem-cell studies … Continue reading →

Home national Medical Council okays 11 stem-cell studies Health Chularat Saengpassa, Pongphon Sarnsamak The Nation October 23, 2012 7:38 pm But the council has approved only 11 studies, which will include research into the most common diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, retina irregularities and the spinal chord, Dr Somsak Lohlekha, who chairs the council's stem-cell research regulatory panel, said. Separately, the council has been asked to certify two other studies related to heart disease as standard treatment, but it has put them on hold due to opposition from Thailand's Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Surgeons. "These two medical colleges found that patients with heart disease did not feel any better after getting stem-cell injections," Somsak said. Moreover, stem-cell treatment for heart disease had yet to be accepted by the international medical community as standard treatment. "We found that many patients spent more than a million baht for this treatment and their condition did not improve," he said. Of the 11 stem-cell studies approved by the council, one is being conducted at the Police General Hospital. The research team, led by Pol.Mai.Gen Dr Thana Turajane, has succeeded in developing adult stem cells derived from blood that can develop … Continue reading →