Hisashi Moriguchi presented his work at the New York Stem Cell Foundation meeting this week. AP/Press Association From the beginning, it seemed too good to be true. Days after Kyoto University biologist Shinya Yamanaka won a Nobel prize for his 2006 discovery of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells (see 'Cell rewind wins medicine Nobel'), Hisashi Moriguchi a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo claimed to have modified that technology to treat a person with terminal heart failure. Eight months after surgical treatment in February, said a front-page splash in the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun yesterday, the patient was healthy. But after being alerted to the story by Nature, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where Moriguchi claimed to have done the work, denied that the procedure had taken place. No clinical trials related to Dr Moriguchi's work have been approved by institutional review boards at either Harvard University or MGH, wrote David Cameron, a spokesman for Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. The work he is reporting was not done at MGH, says Ryan Donovan, a public-affairs official at MGH, also in Boston. A video clip posted online by the Nippon News Network and subsequently removed showed … Continue reading →

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Bay Area stem cell researchers are reporting early, encouraging results from two clinical trials. The first, involves patients, paralyzed with spinal cord injuries and a treatment that could offer new hope for their future. Nearly 20 years after the football injury that left him paralyzed, Roman Reed still holds onto the hope that he will someday walk again. "One hundred percent, without a doubt. I've been wrong about the date, but not the fact I will walk again," said Reed. Reed now runs a foundation to promote stem cell research and has been closely watching a clinical trial being conducted by Bay Area based Stem Cells Inc. Its goal is to use stem cell therapy to restore motor function in patients with spinal cord injuries. "We're on the road on to being able to cure paralysis, it's so important, and stem cells are the way to do it," said Reed. Stephen Huhn, M.D., Ph.D., from Stem Cells Inc., says the test procedure began a two hour surgery to clear a path to the spinal cord. Researchers then injected the cells directly into the damaged area. "So the first three patients in the trial were designed to … Continue reading →

Collaboration will initiate preclinical research aimed at developing a treatment for Human Papilloma Virus after infection has occurred Scottsdale, Arizona (PRWEB) October 13, 2012 In the companys news yesterday, Genetic Immunity, a wholly owned subsidiary of Power of the Dream Ventures, has inked an agreement with DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany) to develop a DNA-based vaccine for the treatment of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection that causes cervical and other cancers. The companies are addressing a gap in the market between vaccines such as Cervarix and Gardasil, which have no therapeutic effect on HPV-related diseases, and the need for a product to treat diseases or conditions caused by HPV. There is a huge unmet medical need for such cancer vaccine, because vaccines we have developed earlier do not provide protection against cancer when used for treatment of existing conditions caused by HPV. Our goal is to provide protection against cancer for patients after the onset of sexual activity, after they might be exposed to HPV, Dr. Julianna Lisziewicz, CEO of Genetic Immunity stated in the press release. The Division of Genome Modifications and Carcinogenesis will commence a preclinical research program to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the DKFZs … Continue reading →

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Bay Area stem cell researchers are reporting early, encouraging results from two clinical trials. The first, involves patients, paralyzed with spinal cord injuries and a treatment that could offer new hope for their future. Nearly 20 years after the football injury that left him paralyzed, Roman Reed still holds onto the hope that he will someday walk again. "One hundred percent, without a doubt. I've been wrong about the date, but not the fact I will walk again," said Reed. Reed now runs a foundation to promote stem cell research and has been closely watching a clinical trial being conducted by Bay Area based Stem Cells Inc. Its goal is to use stem cell therapy to restore motor function in patients with spinal cord injuries. "We're on the road on to being able to cure paralysis, it's so important, and stem cells are the way to do it," said Reed. Stephen Huhn, M.D., Ph.D., from Stem Cells Inc., says the test procedure began a two hour surgery to clear a path to the spinal cord. Researchers then injected the cells directly into the damaged area. "So the first three patients in the trial were designed to … Continue reading →