A new type of controlled-release drug-delivery vehicle made from nanostructured polymer membranes has been unveiled by researchers at the University of California at San Francisco in the US. The device, which releases its therapeutic payload slowly and continuously over a period of several months, could come in useful for a wide variety of drug-delivery applications in the body including in difficult-to-access areas like the back of the eye and limb joints. One of the most important applications of nanomedicine is drug delivery using tiny drug-carrying vehicles. Such vehicles are normally made of hollow nanoparticles in which therapeutic molecules can easily be transported. However, nanostructured membranes in which the drug is loaded between a nanofilm and a backing layer also show promise. The advantage of the membrane option is that drug molecules around the same size as the membrane pores (which can range from tens of nanometres to hundreds of nanometres across) can be released slowly thanks to the fact that they travel through the pores in a single file. Until now, most such nanostructured membranes have been made from inorganic materials, such as silicon, alumina or titania because they are relatively easy to fabricate. However, the problem is that these … Continue reading →

PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) announced today that Bernard Siegel, Executive Director of GPI, will make two keynote presentations this month at regional conferences: Midwest Conference on Stem Cell Biology and Therapy October 5-7 in Rochester, Michigan and BioFlorida Conference 2012 October 7-9 in Miami, Florida. Siegel will present a keynote address titled The Power of Advocacy at the Midwest Conference on Stem Cell Biology and Therapy. The Genetics Policy Institute joined with the Oakland University William Beaumont Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM) as a collaborating partner for the event. Researchers from hospitals, medical organizations, academic institutions and the business community throughout the Midwest will discuss not only the latest advances in this rapidly expanding field of medical science, but the ethical and moral issues that surround it. "I am pleased to participate in these important conferences, which showcase the latest scientific developments in their respective regions and beyond. ISCRM and the World Stem Cell Summit have a strong connection, as the Institute was officially launched at our 2010 Summit in Detroit, said Bernard Siegel, GPI's Executive Director and founder of the annual World Stem Cell Summit. BioFloridas 15th annual Conference is the premier … Continue reading →

Mouse pups from induced pluripotent stem cell-derived eggs; image courtesy of Katsuhiko Hayashi Stem cells have been coaxed into creating everything from liver cells to beating heart tissue. Recently, these versatile cells were even used to make fertile mouse sperm, suggesting that stem cell technology might eventually be able to play a role in the treatment of human infertility. Now two types of stem cells have been turned into viable mouse egg cells that were fertilized and eventually yielded healthy baby mice. Details of this achievement were published online October 4 in Science. Mouse oocytes; image courtesy of Katsuhiko Hayashi Katsuhiko Hayashi, of Kyoto Universitys School of Medicine, were able to create the eggs with embryonic stem cells as well as with induced pluripotent stem cells (formed from adult cells). The team started with female embryonic stem cells and then coaxed them genetically to revert to an earlier developmental stage (primordial germ cell-like cells). These cells were blended with gonadal somatic cells, important in the development of sexual differentiation, to create reconstituted ovaries. The researchers then transplanted these cultured assemblages into female mice (in either the actual ovary or the kidney) for safekeeping and to allow the stem cells to … Continue reading →