Category Archives: Cell Medicine

Science U!: Science and Aging Tinabeth Pina explores how advances in science and medicine are contributing to all of us living longer lives. Lisa Beth Kovetz investigates stem cell medicine and its cutting edge breakthroughs in helping to cure disease and slow down aging. Marlene Peralta has the latest on the scientific advances in treating Parkinson's disease. Carol Anne Riddell explains why exercise is one of the most effective things we can do for healthy aging. Ernabel Demillo looks at aging pets - and how we can help them through the process and learn something about our own aging. For More Information: STEM CELL RESEARCH (Lisa Beth Kovetz) http://www.us.penguingroup.com http://www.amazon.com PARKINSON'S DISEASE (Marlene Peralta) http://www.pdf.org http://www.brooklynparkinsongroup.org EXERCISE (Carol Anne Riddell) workout911.com http://www.cdc.gov http://www.cdc.gov AGING DOGS (Ernabel Demillo) http://www.hopevet.com http://www.humanesocietyny.org CAREGIVER INFORMATION http://www.aarp.org http://www.nyc.gov Taped: 10-23-12 Science U! explores the world of science, taking the headlines and information you need and showing its importance in our everyday life. From technology, research and health to kids, humor and the arts each program explores these topics in clear, concise and engaging presentations designed for audiences of all backgrounds and ages! Watch more Science U! at http://www.cuny.tv/show/scienceanduFrom:cunytv75Views:113 1ratingsTime:29:38More inScience Technology Read this … Continue reading →

StemCells Inc. has a history not much different from those of dozens, even hundreds, of biotech companies all around California. Co-founded by an eminent Stanford research scientist, the Newark, Calif., firm has struggled financially while trying to push its stem cell products through the research-and-development pipeline. It collects about $1 million a year from licensing patents and selling cell cultures but spends well more than $20 million annually on R&D, so it runs deeply in the red. On the plus side, StemCells Inc. has had rather a charmed relationship with the California stem cell program, that $3-billion taxpayer-backed research fund known formally as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The firm ranks first among all corporate recipients of approved funding from CIRM, with some $40 million in awards approved this year. That's more than has gone to such established California nonprofit research centers as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. The record of StemCells is particularly impressive given that one of the two proposals for which the firm received a $20-million funding award, covering a possible Alzheimer's treatment, was actually rejected by CIRM's scientific review panel twice. Nevertheless, the stem cell … Continue reading →

StemCells Inc. has a history not much different from those of dozens, even hundreds, of biotech companies all around California. Co-founded by an eminent Stanford research scientist, the Newark, Calif., firm has struggled financially while trying to push its stem cell products through the research-and-development pipeline. It collects about $1 million a year from licensing patents and selling cell cultures but spends well more than $20 million annually on R&D, so it runs deeply in the red. On the plus side, StemCells Inc. has had rather a charmed relationship with the California stem cell program, that $3-billion taxpayer-backed research fund known formally as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The firm ranks first among all corporate recipients of approved funding from CIRM, with some $40 million in awards approved this year. That's more than has gone to such established California nonprofit research centers as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. The record of StemCells is particularly impressive given that one of the two proposals for which the firm received a $20-million funding award, covering a possible Alzheimer's treatment, was actually rejected by CIRM's scientific review panel twice. Nevertheless, the stem cell … Continue reading →

COLLIER COUNTY - A Southwest Florida doctor spent another day in court fighting for his right to practice medicine. Bonita Springs cardiologist Zannos Grekos' license is currently suspended because two of his patients died after undergoing a controversial stem cell procedure. Wednesday was day two of what's scheduled to be a four day trial. The courtroom was again filled with patients supporting Grekos and his stem cell treatment. This hearing focuses only on the first patient that died after getting that treatment. Her family was also in attendance and wants Grekos' medical license revoked. Dr. Richard Roland spoke about a call he got from Grekos in 2010. He had just performed a stem cell procedure on his patient Domenica Fitgzerald and something went wrong. Roland was Fitzgerald's ICU doctor. "I was quite shocked. My first comment was, 'You did what?' His response was, 'Yes. We've been having good luck with these procedures,'" Dr. Roland said. "I had concerns that this was criminal." Fitzgerald's family says the breast cancer survivor was looking for a cure for nerve damage caused by chemotherapy. They say Grekos gave her false hope. See the article here: Stem cell doctor in court: Day 2 … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Oct 17, 2012) - The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the international organization representing the interests of the regenerative medicine community, announced the publication today of an article on FDA communications to help companies developing cell-based therapies by clarifying the development pathway. The article, entitled "Communications with the FDA on the Development Pathway for a Cell-Based Therapy: Why, What, When, and How?" will be published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. It is co-authored by representatives from ARM, Janssen R&D, GE Healthcare and Life Technologies, with the lead author from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). "There are a number of ways cell-based therapy companies can communicate with FDA that will help them navigate the road from the bench to a regulatory submission," said Michael Werner, Executive Director of ARM. "We hope that our combined experience as co-authors, and our attempt to create a single source of guidance on the regulatory process, will help companies bring new cell-based therapies through clinical trials and the regulatory review process more quickly so they can reach patients faster," added Mr. Werner. Lead author Ellen Feigal, MD, Senior Vice President for Research and Development at the California Institute for … Continue reading →

Public release date: 15-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Karen Robinson karobinson@som.umaryland.edu 410-706-7590 University of Maryland Medical Center A new method of using adult stem cells as a model for the hereditary condition Gaucher disease could help accelerate the discovery of new, more effective therapies for this and other conditions such as Parkinson's, according to new research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine reprogrammed stem cells to develop into cells that are genetically similar to and react to drugs in a similar way as cells from patients with Gaucher disease. The stem cells will allow the scientists to test potential new therapies in a dish, accelerating the process toward drug discovery, according to the paper published online in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on Oct. 15 (Panicker et.al.). The study was funded with $1.7 million in grants from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund; researchers received a start-up grant for $200,000 in 2007 and a larger, five-year grant for $1.5 million in 2009. "We have created a model for all three types of Gaucher disease, and used stem cell-based tests to … Continue reading →

SEATTLE, Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Cell Therapeutics, Inc. ("CTI") (Nasdaq and MTA: CTIC) announced today that CT-1578's (previously known as SB-1578) unique kinase spectrum that selectively inhibits JAK2 over JAK1 or JAK3, coupled with its inhibition of FLT-3 and c-Fms, produced potency in not only preventing the development of rheumatoid arthritis ("RA"), but also in its treatment and reversal of bone and joint destruction after the onset of RA in preclinical models according to results published in the October 15, 2012 issue of the Journal of Immunology. The authors concluded that CT-1578's selective inhibition of JAK2, FLT-3 and c-Fms, which are the three kinases that are critical to the pathogenesis of RA, is unprecedented in the current stable of kinase inhibitors. "These results support the hypothesis that inhibition of JAK1 and JAK3 is not mandatory for therapeutic benefit in RA," noted Jack W. Singer, M.D., EVP Global Medical Affairs and Translational Medicine at CTI. "The results demonstrate that CT-1578's unique kinase spectrum not only blocks the inflammatory response, but prevents the infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils into affected joints, while inhibiting antigen presenting dendritic cells and the autoimmune component of the disease. These attributes resulted in prevention of joint synovial … Continue reading →

SEATTLE, Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Cell Therapeutics, Inc. ("CTI") (Nasdaq and MTA: CTIC) announced today that CT-1578's (previously known as SB-1578) unique kinase spectrum that selectively inhibits JAK2 over JAK1 or JAK3, coupled with its inhibition of FLT-3 and c-Fms, produced potency in not only preventing the development of rheumatoid arthritis ("RA"), but also in its treatment and reversal of bone and joint destruction after the onset of RA in preclinical models according to results published in the October 15, 2012 issue of the Journal of Immunology. The authors concluded that CT-1578's selective inhibition of JAK2, FLT-3 and c-Fms, which are the three kinases that are critical to the pathogenesis of RA, is unprecedented in the current stable of kinase inhibitors. "These results support the hypothesis that inhibition of JAK1 and JAK3 is not mandatory for therapeutic benefit in RA," noted Jack W. Singer, M.D., EVP Global Medical Affairs and Translational Medicine at CTI. "The results demonstrate that CT-1578's unique kinase spectrum not only blocks the inflammatory response, but prevents the infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils into affected joints, while inhibiting antigen presenting dendritic cells and the autoimmune component of the disease. These attributes resulted in prevention of joint synovial … Continue reading →

Printing off a kidney or another human organ may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but with the advancements in 3D printing technology, the idea may not be so far-fetched. BioprintingWhile 3D printing has been successfully used in the health care sector to make prosthetic limbs, custom hearing aids and dental fixtures, the technology is now being used to create more complex structures - particularly human tissue. Organovo (onvo), a San Diego-based company that focuses on regenerative medicine, is one company using 3D printers, called bioprinters, to print functional human tissue for medical research and regenerative therapies. "This is disruptive technology," said Mike Renard, Organovo's vice president of commercial operations. "It's always interesting and fun, but never easy." (More From CNBC: 15 Surprising Global Technology Cities) Traditional 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using additive processes, in which an object is created by laying down successive layers of material such as plastic, ceramics, glass or metal to print an object. Companies including Boeing (ba), General Electric (ge) and Honeywell (hon) use this type of 3D printing to manufacture parts. … Continue reading →

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 12th, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Prominent stem cell scientists, physicians, and advocates from leading medical facilities and research institutions across Texas and California will highlight the 3rd Annual Stem Cell Research Symposium: Spotlight on Texas, on October 19, 2012, at the Texas State Capitol. This free, public symposium, produced and co-hosted by the Austin-based nonprofit Texas Cures Education Foundation (Texas Cures), is designed to educate the public about the exciting stem cell research andclinical trials currently under way in Texas.The event will also include a discussion of recent Texas laws affecting stem cell research, the potential economic impact of stem cell research and highlight the current progress in one of the most promising areas of medicine. This year, more than a dozen local and national advocacy groups, institutions and foundations showed their support for the efforts of the hosting organizations Texas Cures and Texans for Stem Cell Research including the Genetics Policy Institute, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine and Texans for Advancement of Medical Research. The symposium begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Capitol Extension Auditorium (E1.004), located at the Texas State Capitol Building. Admission is free and open to the public.Registration is recommended. This program unites the diverse … Continue reading →