Category Archives: Cell Medicine

Stem cells have assumed near-mythical status in the popular imagination as a possible cure for every disease under the sun. But while public attention has focused on their potential in regenerative medicine, stem cells have quietly gained a foothold in drug development a move that may hail a huge but unheralded shake-up of the biological sciences. I think there are tremendous parallels to the early days of recombinant DNA in this field, says James Thomson, director of regenerative biology at the Morgridge Institute for Research in Madison, Wisconsin, and one of the founders of Cellular Dynamics International, also in Madison. I dont think people appreciated what a broad-ranging tool recombinant DNA was in the middle '70s." At the same time, he says, they underestimated the difficulty of using it in treatments. Now stem cells are in a similar situation, he says, and although therapeutic use is likely to come to fruition eventually, people underappreciate how broadly enabling a research tool it is, he says. Laboratory-grown stem cells hold much promise for regenerative medicine, but are being increasingly used in drug testing. MASSIMO BREGA, THE LIGHTHOUSE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Drug companies began dipping a tentative toe into the stem-cell waters about two … Continue reading →

CLEARWATER, FL--(Marketwire -05/24/12)- Biostem U.S., Corporation, (HAIR.PK) (HAIR.PK) (Biostem, the Company), a fully reporting public company in the stem cell regenerative medicine sciences sector, announces a $5,000,000 financing agreement through private placement of stock. CEO, Dwight Brunoehler, announced today that the company has signed an agreement with a funder to issue 20,000,000 shares of the company's common stock in exchange for $5,000,000 in cash or 25 cents ($.25) per share. No other considerations will be granted to the funder in exchange for the cash payment. In announcing the funding agreement, Mr. Brunoehler commented, "We consider the eagerness of the funder to acquire Biostem shares at a price above the current market to be a tribute to our proven proprietary technology to enhance hair re-growth using human stem cells. Although we anticipated funding the company through the sale of a convertible debenture, the funder insisted on being able to acquire stock at a set price now, rather than risk having to convert at higher prices later. Although Rule 144 sale restrictions usually cause private placements of stock to be executed at a discount to the market, Biostem feels that its current share price is not truly reflective of the value of … Continue reading →

Newswise Every year, approximately 795,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke and the late U.S. Senator and Democratic Party vice presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen was one of them. As the senator and his wife, B. A., dealt with the challenges of stroke, they developed the idea for a stroke research center. The couples efforts led to the 2009 opening of the Senator Lloyd and B.A. Bentsen Center for Stroke Research at The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM), a part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Sen. Bentsen died prior to the centers opening. In April at the IMM, B.A. Bentsen and one of the couples sons, Lan, got updates on six projects funded by the stroke center. The center was launched with a generous gift from the Bentsen family and the center distributes up to $1 million annually for research. The primary focus of the Bentsen Stroke Center is to develop cell-based therapeutics, including the use of certain populations of stem cells, to reduce secondary brain injury and enhance recovery, said Brian R. Davis, Ph.D., interim director of Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine … Continue reading →

Newswise About 3 percent of the babies born in the United States have a birth defect. Children without a birth defect are also susceptible to injury or disease. At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), regenerative medicine researchers are exploring innovative ways to treat these conditions. The Department of Pediatric Surgery at the UTHealth Medical School operates a research program devoted to childhood conditions that is seeking to harness the bodys regenerative powers to repair malformed organs and to mitigate injury from illness or trauma. It is called the Childrens Regenerative Medicine Program. Kevin Lally, M.D., chairman of the Department of Pediatric Surgery at the UTHealth Medical School and surgeon-in-chief at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, announced the recruitment of four stem cell scientists to the program. The researchers are associate professor Yong Li, M.D., Ph.D., and assistant professors Scott Olson, Ph.D., Fabio Triolo, M.Phil., D.d.R., Ph.D., and Pamela Wenzel, Ph.D. We were able to recruit outstanding investigators thanks in part to the generous support of Mrs. Clare Glassell and Mrs. Evelyn Griffin, said Lally, who is the A.G. McNeese Chair in Pediatric Surgery and the Richard Andrassy, M.D., Endowed Distinguished Professor at UTHealth. Our program in … Continue reading →

Tim and Padma Vellaichamy of Parramatta have had their new born child's umbilical cord stored cryogenically for future treatment. Pictured with their as yet unnamed three week old daughter. Picture: Adam Ward Source: The Daily Telegraph IT'S current preservation for the future regeneration - and now umbilical cord tissue is going on ice in Australia for the first time. Usually discarded after birth, umbilical tissue from newborn babies is being collected and cryogenically frozen to be used one day for regenerative and stem cell medicine. And it doesn't just have potential for the babies involved, either. Experts say stem cells could also be used for family members who are genetically compatible. It is hoped the cells will eventually be able to be used to repair damaged tissues and organs, with researchers investigating its uses for treating diseases like multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and diabetes, as well as for bone and cartilage repair. Although cord blood storage has been available for many years, Cell Care Australia has added cord tissue storage in anticipation of new discoveries in the regenerative medicine field. Cell Care Australia medical director associate professor Mark Kirkland said the storage process - already popular in the US, Europe … Continue reading →

Tim and Padma Vellaichamy of Parramatta have had their new born child's umbilical cord stored cryogenically for future treatment. Pictured with their as yet unnamed three week old daughter. Picture: Adam Ward Source: The Daily Telegraph IT'S current preservation for future regeneration - and now umbilical cord tissue is going on ice in Australia for the first time. Usually discarded after birth, umbilical tissue from newborn babies is being collected and cryogenically frozen to be used one day for regenerative and stem cell medicine. And it doesn't just have potential for the babies involved, either. Experts say stem cells could also be used for family members who are genetically compatible. It is hoped the cells will eventually be able to be used to repair damaged tissues and organs, with researchers investigating its uses for treating diseases like multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and diabetes, as well as for bone and cartilage repair. Although cord blood storage has been available for many years, Cell Care Australia has added cord tissue storage in anticipation of new discoveries in the regenerative medicine field. Cell Care Australia medical director associate professor Mark Kirkland said the storage process - already popular in the US, Europe and … Continue reading →

NEW HAVEN, Conn., (WPRI) - A new study links radiation from cell phones to behavioral problems in the offspring of pregnant mice. The study does not say whether or not cell phone radiation may also be dangerous for pregnant women. A professor at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Dr. Hugh Taylor, led a team of researchers who studied pregnant mice and their babies. They wanted to find out what happens to mice whose mothers were exposed during pregnancy to electro magnetic radiation from a cell phone. We had a control (group) that had a cell phone on top of the cage that was turned off, and the experimental group had a cell phone on top of the cage that was turned on, Dr. Taylor explained. Researchers learned that the offspring of the pregnant mice exposed to radiation developed behavioral problems. They also learned that the longer the mice were exposed to radiation, the more problems they developed. They were more hyperactive. They were running around the cage a lot more than the mice that weren't exposed to cell phones, said Dr. Taylor. Dr. Taylor and his team of researchers did not learn whether or not the radiation … Continue reading →

NEW HAVEN, Conn., (WPRI) - A new study links radiation from cell phones to behavioral problems in the offspring of pregnant mice. The study does not say whether or not cell phone radiation may also be dangerous for pregnant women. A professor at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Dr. Hugh Taylor, led a team of researchers who studied pregnant mice and their babies. They wanted to find out what happens to mice whose mothers were exposed during pregnancy to electro magnetic radiation from a cell phone. We had a control (group) that had a cell phone on top of the cage that was turned off, and the experimental group had a cell phone on top of the cage that was turned on, Dr. Taylor explained. Researchers learned that the offspring of the pregnant mice exposed to radiation developed behavioral problems. They also learned that the longer the mice were exposed to radiation, the more problems they developed. They were more hyperactive. They were running around the cage a lot more than the mice that weren't exposed to cell phones, said Dr. Taylor. Dr. Taylor and his team of researchers did not learn whether or not the radiation … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Foundation Medicine, Inc., a molecular information company that brings comprehensive cancer genomic analysis to routine clinical care, today announced that new clinical data highlighting the companys comprehensive cancer genomic profile and next-generation sequencing approach in clinical oncology will be presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) being held June 1-5, 2012 in Chicago. The data to be presented at ASCO support Foundation Medicines deep sequencing approach to simultaneously detect all classes of genomic alterations across hundreds of genes known to be related to cancer, said Michael J. Pellini, M.D., president and chief executive officer, Foundation Medicine. In our clinical experience abstract, this approach detected actionable alterations those associated with available targeted treatments or ongoing clinical trials for 74% of tumor samples in the study. Foundation Medicines test has also been shown to identify novel genomic alterations in multiple tumor types, including potentially druggable gene fusions. The combined evidence presented in these studies suggests that fully informative genomic profiling can now become a routine component of cancer patient care. The schedule for Foundation Medicines oral presentation is as follows: Date & Time: Session: Abstract Number: Title: Discovery of recurrent KIF5B-RET fusions … Continue reading →

ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASTM - News), the leading developer of patient-specific expanded multicellular therapies for the treatment of severe chronic cardiovascular diseases, today announced that company president and CEO Tim Mayleben will be presenting at the World Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine Congress at the Park Plaza hotel in London, UK. The presentation entitled "Phase 3 Development of a Cellular Therapy Product" will take place on Monday, May 21, 2012 at 4:40 pm (BST). The Aastrom presentation will cover the benefits of a special protocol assessment and offer insights on achieving manufacturing readiness. The presentation will also address the role of clinicians and patients in the Phase 3 development process. About Aastrom Biosciences Aastrom Biosciences is the leader in developing patient-specific, expanded multicellular therapies for use in the treatment of patients with severe, chronic cardiovascular diseases. The company's proprietary cell-processing technology enables the manufacture of ixmyelocel-T, a patient-specific multicellular therapy expanded from a patient's own bone marrow and delivered directly to damaged tissues. Aastrom has advanced ixmyelocel-T into late-stage clinical development, including a Phase 3 clinical program to study patients with critical limb ischemia and a planned Phase 2b clinical trial … Continue reading →