OKLA. CITY Each time a significant breakthrough occurs in the field of human or veterinary medicine it is followed by great excitement in both endeavors. But no prior surge has produced the impact and optimism like that created with the moderately recent introduction to the world of stem cell research and therapy. And few new medical theories have been as controversial from the human standpoint. The term stem cell probably means very little to the average layman, so let me start with a medical dictionary definition: Stem cells are one of a human or animal bodys master cells, with the ability to grow into any one of the bodys more than 200 cell types. They retain the ability to divide throughout life and give rise to cells that can become highly specialized and take the place of cells that die or are lost. Unlike mature cells, stem cells can both renew themselves as well as create new cells of whatever tissue they originally belong or to other tissue alike. Their use in veterinary medicine the past four or five years has been exciting and dynamic. In the U.S., at least, veterinary medical advancement in this area has out-distanced that of … Continue reading →

Stem cell injections in dogs will become routine in the next two years and will probably cost less than $1000. The first data, collated last week, into the use of the procedure where cultured cells are injected into the joints of dogs with hip dysplasia or canine osteoarthritis has shown a success rate of 96 per cent. The procedure will be made available to veterinary clinics, promoted at dog shows and possibly in a television campaign. It has been transformed in little more than a year with stem cells from one animal used to treat other dogs. Previously, an invasive procedure was necessary, with incisions to remove subcutaneous or fatty tissue from the affected dog and stem cells isolated in a laboratory before being injected back into the dog. The procedure resulted in a culture containing only about 10 per cent to 15 per cent stem cells, while the culture from a donor in a breed with a genetic line clear of arthritis can been screened to provide a culture containing 100 per cent stem cells. The figures were collected from vets by Australian Veterinary Stem Cells, which supplies stem cell treatments and has a partnership with the immunology and … Continue reading →

NEWARK, Calif., July 31, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM) today announced that the Japan Patent Office has granted to the Company Patent Number 5007003, titled "Enriched Central Nervous System Stem Cell and Progenitor Cell Populations, and Methods for Identifying, Isolating and Enriching for Such Populations." The patent broadly covers the prospective isolation and enrichment of neural stem and progenitor cells using antibody selection, as well as the use of these cells to treat disorders of the central nervous system. Some of the more noteworthy claims in the '003 patent include methods for isolating human neural stem cells, as well as compositions of matter comprising enriched neural stem cells, such as the Company's proprietary HuCNS-SC cells, and the use of enriched neural stem cells as a medicament for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, acute brain injury and dysfunction of the central nervous system. The invention claimed by the '003 patent was the result of groundbreaking research conducted by the Company's stem cell researchers, including Nobuko Uchida, Ph.D., Vice President of Stem Cell Biology at StemCells, Inc., who is a named inventor on the patent. The patent term of the '003 patent extends into 2020. "The issuance of the '003 … Continue reading →