SAN DIEGO, Calif., Sept. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., a leader in adult allogeneic stem cell manufacturing, research and development, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its application for an Investigational New Drug (IND) to assess the safety, tolerability and clinical effects of Stemedyne-MSC (Stemedica's human bone marrow-derived ischemia tolerant mesenchymal cells) in subjects with cutaneous photoaging resulting from overexposure to ultraviolet radiation. Curt M. Littler, M.D., F.A.A.D., dermatologist at Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, Inc., is the principal investigator of the study. Dr. Littler commented, "This study is an important step forward in the field of dermatology. Photoaging is a universal condition. Damage from the sun's rays alters the skin's underlying structures, such as collagen, elastin, and blood vessels, and contributes to the creation of abnormal epidermal cells, which can become precancerous. By administering stem cells systemically, this study has the potential to target skin damage throughout the body and promises to pave the way for new treatment approaches for photoaged skin." The IND approval allows Stemedica to initiate a clinical trial at medical centers within the United States. The clinical trial will be a Phase I/IIa multi-center … Continue reading →

By Jeffrey M. O'Brien, contributor Stem cells stored in liquid nitrogen at Advanced Cell Technology in Marlborough, Mass. FORTUNE -- Imagine yourself the proud but rueful owner of an ancient Jaguar. Every day you dread the uncertainty that comes with trying to get from here to there -- there, more often than not, being the shop. No sooner does one ailment find repair than another appears. At best, it's a slow, uncomfortable ride. Lonely too. There's really no one around who fully understands your plight. That is how Patricia Riley describes life in a 95-year-old body. Riley, who reached that milestone birthday last St. Patrick's Day, lives alone in the same 1,100-square-foot house in Plainfield, Conn., that she's called home for 64 years, having survived her husband (heart disease), a daughter (breast cancer), and every friend she ever had. "All the people I knew have all gone, Jeffrey," she says in a quivering voice laced with melancholy. "They've all died. I go to church and I never see people my age." Her remaining family includes two daughters, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren, including my two young sons. In a nod to her French-Canadian heritage, we call her Mme. Mme attributes … Continue reading →

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Stem Cell Research Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry Article Date: 28 Sep 2012 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for: Purging Stem Cells To Make Therapy Safer 4.67 (3 votes) 5 (1 votes) The study appears in a 27 September issue of the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. iPS cells have properties similar to embryonic stem cells, which are "master cells" with an unlimited capacity to differentiate into any type of tissue in the body, such as brain, lung, skin, heart, and liver. Thus their potential in regenerative medicine, where damaged or diseased tissue can be repaired or replaced by growing new tissue, is huge, as senior author Timothy Nelson explains in a press release: "Pluripotent stem cells show great promise in the field of regenerative medicine; however, the risk of uncontrolled cell growth will continue to prevent their use as a therapeutic treatment." Nelson is Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology and works in the General Internal Medicine department and the Transplant Center at the Mayo. The idea of using iPS cells is for doctors to be able to take some adult tissue, for example skin cells, from the patient who needs the … Continue reading →

By Ryan Flinn - 2012-09-28T16:23:41Z Cytori Therapeutics Inc. (CYTX), a biotechnology company with $10 million in annual revenue, rose the most in more than a year after the company won a $4.7 million U.S. government contract to develop a stem cell therapy to treat burns caused by thermal or radioactive bombs. Cytori jumped 19 percent to $4.58 at 12:11 p.m. New York time, after earlier reaching $4.93 for the biggest intraday increase since August 2011. The shares of the San Diego-based company rose 75 percent this year through yesterday. Were seeing a lot of momentum, Chief Executive Officer Christopher Calhoun said today in an interview with Bloomberg Television. This contract is one more major thing that we are delivering on, and there is more to come. This is an important year for us. The two-year contract with the Department of Health and Human Services Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority may be worth $106 million over five years if certain milestones are met, Cytori said today in a statement. The company had a net loss last year of $32 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Cytoris experimental therapy takes adipose tissue, or body fat, from a patient and through … Continue reading →