Wed May 9, 2012 3:35pm BST (Reuters) - Pluristem Therapeutics Inc said a 7-year old girl suffering from a bone marrow disease experienced a reversal of her condition after receiving its experimental stem cell therapy, sending the Israeli company's shares up 32 percent. The girl, suffering from aplastic bone marrow in which the patient has no blood-forming stem cells, had a significant rise in her red cells, white cells and platelets following an injection of Pluristem's therapy -- PLacental eXpanded cells. "The results of this unique case indicate that PLX cells may be effective in treating other diseases that affect the bone marrow," Reuven Or, the child's physician at Hadassah Medical Center, was quoted in a statement by Pluristem. Last September, the company said animal studies showed that the therapy had the potential to treat blood tissue complications related with acute radiation syndrome, commonly called radiation sickness. Last month, the U.S. health regulators gave a go ahead to the company to start a mid-stage trial of the therapy for treating Intermittent Claudication -- a subset of peripheral artery disease. Pluristem shares, which have gained 5 percent since receiving the FDA nod for the mid-stage trial, were up 15 percent at … Continue reading →

Public release date: 8-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: David Eve celltransplantation@gmail.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair Tampa, Fla. (May. 8, 2012) Two studies appearing in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation (20:11-12), now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/, evaluate stem cells derived from dental tissues for characteristics that may make them therapeutically useful and appropriate for transplantation purposes. Induced pluripotent stem cells from immature dental pulp stem cells A Brazilian and American team of researchers used human immature dental pulp stem cells (IDPSCs) as an alternative source for creating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), stem cells that can be derived from several kinds of adult tissues. According to the study authors, production of iPSCs "opens new opportunities for increased understanding of human genetic diseases and embryogenesis" and will likely have a "great impact on future drug screening and toxicology tests." The authors note, however, that the reprogramming methodology for making iPSCs is relatively new and "needs refining" in terms of technique, efficiency and cell type choice. The researchers report that they easily, and in a short time frame, programmed human immature dental pulp stem cells into iPSCs with the hallmarks of pluripotent … Continue reading →

A stem cell breakthrough at UCLA could mark a big step for a biopharmaceutical company to use its proprietary technology to forge partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and other research institutions. Fibrocell Sciences technology isolates, purifies and multiplies a patients fibroblast cells, connective skin cells that make collagen. In a research collaboration with the company, UCLA used the technology to isolate, identify and increase the number of different skin cell types, which lead to two rare adult stem cell-like subpopulations being identified in adult human skin SSEA3-expressing regeneration-associated cells associated with skin regeneration after injuries and mesenchymal adult stem cells. The findings could have broad applications for personalized medicine. Currently, adult stem cells are derived from adipose tissue and bone marrow. Using mesenchymal stem cells would be less invasive and could be more efficient. Mesenchymal stem cells are being used in research to develop osteoblasts, or bone cells; chondrocytes, or cartilage cells; and adipocytes, or fat cells. David Pernock, the chairman and CEO of Fibrocell, said the move could mark a significant step in the companys growth. Advertisement Pernock added: Once we have shown we can produce these stem cells in meaningful quantities safely and efficiently, I think well be in … Continue reading →