(CBS News) There may be hope for people who are unable to smell. Using gene therapy, scientists have successfully restored the sense of smell in mice that had a genetic mutation that took away their olfactory senses. Smell disorders or olfactory dysfunction affect one to two percent of people living in North America, according to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). They partially funded the study along with the National Institute on Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Eye Institute (NEI). However, smell problems increase with age. A study showed that about 25 percent of men between the ages of 60 to 69 and 11 percent of women in that age group had developed a problem with their sense of smell, NIDCD said. Scientist hypothesize that olfactory dysfunction may be due to a group of genetic disorders called ciliopathies, which include diseases such as polycystic kidney disease and retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision impairment and blindness. Problems with cilia, antenna-like projections on cells that help sense what's around, are the root of these … Continue reading →

For the first time, people with broken spines have recovered feeling in previously paralysed areas after receiving injections of neural stem cells. Three people with paralysis received injections of 20 million neural stem cells directly into the injured region of their spinal cord. The cells, acquired from donated fetal brain tissue, were injected between four and eight months after the injuries happened. The patients also received a temporary course of immunosuppressive drugs to limit rejection of the cells. None of the three felt any sensation below their nipples before the treatment. Six months after therapy, two of them had sensations of touch and heat between their chest and belly button. The third patient has not seen any change. "The fact we've seen responses to light touch, heat and electrical impulses so far down in two of the patients is very unexpected," says Stephen Huhn of StemCells, the company in Newark, California, developing and testing the treatment. "They're really close to normal in those areas now in their sensitivity," he adds. "We are very intrigued to see that patients have gained considerable sensory function," says Armin Curt of Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, where the patients were treated, and principal … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Global Human Embryonic Stem Cell (hESC) Research Industry http://www.reportlinker.com/p0960425/Global-Human-Embryonic-Stem-Cell-hESC-Research-Industry.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Biological_Therapy This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Human Embryonic Stem Cell (hESC) Research in US$ Million. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Europe, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2009 through 2018. The report profiles 26 companies including many key and niche players such as Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., BD Biosciences, BioTime, Inc., Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd., Cellartis AB, GE Healthcare, Millipore Corporation, Molecular Transfer, Inc., PerkinElmer, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Research & Diagnostics Systems, Inc., Reliance Life Sciences Ltd., Stem Cell Network, Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Inc., UK Stem Cell Bank, and ViaCyte, Inc. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are primarily based upon search engine sources in the public domain. I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & PRODUCT DEFINITIONS Study Reliability and Reporting Limitations I-1 Disclaimers I-2 Data Interpretation & Reporting Level I-2 Quantitative Techniques & Analytics I-3 Product Definitions and Scope of Study I-3 See the rest here: Global Human Embryonic Stem Cell (hESC) Research Industry … Continue reading →

For the first time, people with broken spines have recovered feeling in previously paralysed areas after receiving injections of neural stem cells. Three people with paralysis received injections of 20 million neural stem cells directly into the injured region of their spinal cord. The cells, acquired from donated fetal brain tissue, were injected between four and eight months after the injuries happened. The patients also received a temporary course of immunosuppressive drugs to limit rejection of the cells. None of the three felt any sensation below their nipples before the treatment. Six months after therapy, two of them had sensations of touch and heat below their belly button. The third patient has not seen any change. "The fact we've seen responses to light touch, heat and electrical impulses so far down in two of the patients is very unexpected," says Stephen Huhn of StemCells, the company in Newark, California, developing and testing the treatment. "They're really close to normal in those areas now in their sensitivity," he adds. "We are very intrigued to see that patients have gained considerable sensory function," says Armin Curt of Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, where the patients were treated, and principal investigator in … Continue reading →