Category Archives: Mesenchymal Stem Cells

LAS VEGAS, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- An investigational therapyderived from a patient's own bone marrow stem cells improves heart function in some patients with progressive heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), according to the results of a Phase 2a study presented today as a late-breaking clinical trial at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions. Ixmyelocel-T is developed by culturing a patient's bone marrow for 12 days to increase the numbers of immune cells including macrophages and monocytes, as well as mesenchymal cells, stem cells that can differentiate into several different cell types. The resulting cell treatment is then injected into the patient's heart muscles to encourage growth of new tissue and improve inflammation. "An increasing number of patients have progressive heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy, even after treatment with drug therapy and surgical intervention," said Timothy Henry, MD, FSCAI, director of research and an interventional cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, and the study's principal investigator. "In this study, patients treated with ixmyelocel-T showed repair in damaged heart muscle and some reversal in heart failure symptoms." The trial included 22 ischemic (IDCM) and non-ischemic (NIDCM) patients with a New York Heart Association (NYHA) heart … Continue reading →

Dr. Julio C. Voltarelli, who made a significant impact in cell transplantation, dies at 63 Distinguished Brazilian professor pioneered bone marrow transplantation Newswise Tampa, Fla. (May. 9th , 2012) Julio C. Voltarelli, MD, PhD, professor at the Ribeiro Preto School of Medicine at the University of So Paulo, Brazil, died March 21, 2012 at the age of 63. Dr. Voltarelli, who was on the editorial board of the Cell Transplantation journal, published by Cognizant Communication Corporation, and an important factor in the journals success, was a distinguished stem cell researcher and head of the bone marrow transplantation unit at the Ribeiro Preto School of Medicine. Dr. Voltarelli had a significant impact on Brazilian stem cell transplantation science, said Dr. Maria C. O. Rodrigues, Dr. Voltarellis longtime colleague. He was driven to bring the benefits of the newest cellular therapies to those with ALS, MS and type 1 diabetes. His efforts and dedication will be greatly missed. Dr. Voltarelli, a graduate of the Ribeiro Preto School of Medicine, served post-doctoral fellowships at the University of California San Francisco, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego. He returned to Brazil in 1992 and … Continue reading →

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 →

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- UC Davis Health System researchers are a step closer to launching human clinical trials involving the use of an innovative stem cell therapy to fight the virus that causes AIDS. In a paper published in the May issue of the Journal of Virology, the UC Davis HIV team demonstrated both the safety and efficacy of transplanting anti-HIV stem cells into mice that represent models of infected patients. The technique, which involves replacing the immune system with stem cells engineered with a triple combination of HIV-resistant genes, proved capable of replicating a normally functioning human immune system by protecting and expanding HIV-resistant immune cells. The cells thrived and self-renewed even when challenged with an HIV viral load. "We envision this as a potential functional cure for patients infected with HIV, giving them the ability to maintain a normal immune system through genetic resistance," said lead author Joseph Anderson, an assistant adjunct professor of internal medicine and a stem cell researcher at the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures. "Ideally, it would be a one-time treatment through which stem cells express HIV-resistant genes, which in turn generate an entire HIV-resistant immune system." To establish immunity in mice whose immune … Continue reading →

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that Massachusetts Eye and Ear (Mass. Eye and Ear) has received institutional review board (IRB) approval to be a site for the companys Phase I/II clinical trial for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD), using human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. We are delighted to announce that Mass. Eye and Ear will participate as a site for our clinical trial for dry AMD, said Gary Rabin, ACTs chairman and CEO. Dr. Dean Eliott and his team are deeply committed to finding new treatments for preventing blindness, and we very much look forward to tapping into his expertise and insight into the progression of macular degenerative disorders. The primary teaching hospital for ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, Mass. Eye and Ear is ranked as among the top ophthalmology hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report and has a reputation that is unrivaled. The Phase I/II trial is a prospective, open-label study designed to determine the safety and tolerability of the hESC-derived RPE cells following sub-retinal transplantation into patients with dry AMD. The trial will … Continue reading →

PHILADELPHIA HIV patients treated with genetically modified T cells remain healthy up to 11 years after initial therapy, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report in the new issue of Science Translational Medicine. The results provide a framework for the use of this type of gene therapy as a powerful weapon in the treatment of HIV, cancer, and a wide variety of other diseases. "We have 43 patients and they are all healthy," says senior author Carl June, MD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Penn Medicine. "And out of those, 41 patients show long term persistence of the modified T cells in their bodies." Early gene therapy studies raised concern that gene transfer to cells via retroviruses might lead to leukemia in a substantial proportion of patients, due to mutations that may arise in genes when new DNA is inserted. The new long-term data, however, allay that concern in T cells, further buoying the hope generated by work June's team published in 2011 showing the eradication of tumors in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia using a similar strategy. "If you have a safe way to modify cells in patients with HIV, … Continue reading →

01-05-2012 12:12 This video, is a testimonial of a patient from Uruguay that went to Progencell, to get treatment Juvenile Parkinson's . Talks about his experience, the procedure, the outcome and some suggestions. Language spanish with English subtitles, 7:10 min duration aprox. Read more here: Juvenile Parkinson's - Stem cell therapy - Video … Continue reading →

South San Francisco, CA (Marketwire) - VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCBB:VSTA) (OTCQB:VSTA), a biotechnology company applying stem cell technology for drug rescue and cell therapy, has licensed breakthrough stem cell culture technology from the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine located at the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, Canada. VistaGen will be utilizing the licensed technology to develop hematopoietic precursor stem cells from human pluripotent stem cells, with the goal of developing drug screening and cell therapy applications for human blood system disorders. The breakthrough technology is included in a new United States patent application. Hematopoietic precursor stem cells give rise to all red and white blood cells and platelets in the body. VistaGen will use the UHN invention to improve the cell culture methods used to efficiently produce hematopoietic stem cell populations. "This technology dramatically advances our ability to produce and purify this important blood stem cell precursor for both in vitro drug screening and in vivo cell therapy applications," said H. Ralph Snodgrass, PhD, VistaGen's President and Chief Scientific Officer. "In addition to defining new cell culture methods for our use, the technology describes the surface characteristics of stem cell-derived adult hematopoietic stem cells. Most groups study embryonic blood … Continue reading →