Category Archives: Stem Cell Human Trials

Americord Registry Offers Exclusive Service Preserving Stem Cells From Cord Tissue and Placenta Tissue New York, NY (PRWEB) November 26, 2012 MSCs, which can easily be harvested from umbilical cord tissue and placenta tissue when a baby is born, are in fact currently the subject of over 200 clinical trials. While MSCs are not yet being used for medical therapies, research has indicated that they hold the promise of being able to someday treat debilitating conditions such as heart disease, type 1 diabetes, lung cancer, Parkinsons Disease, and injuries to bones and cartilage. Americord Registry offers the ability to preserve MSCs. We are committed to helping parents-to-be expand their babys options for future medical treatment, said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. Offering the option to preserve MSCs from umbilical cord tissue and placenta tissue is just one of the ways that we are pioneering best-in-class services in the cord blood industry. We are also working closely with scientists to develop a proprietary product that will significant increase the volume of stem cells that can be preserved when a baby is born. Americord Registry also offers the ability to preserve stem cells from umbilical cord blood. Parents-to-be can preserve stem cells from … Continue reading →

TORONTO, ON When repairing damage from a heart attack, an injection of cells derived from human umbilical cord tissue is better than one of cells derived from bone marrow, University of Toronto researchers say. Most stem cell therapies use cells harvested from bone marrow to stimulate tissue repair and control inflammation. But a new study published in Cell Transplantation found that, when injected directly into damaged heart tissue, cells originating from the tissues surrounding the blood vessels of the human umbilical cord are superior to those of marrow. Were hoping that this translates into fewer people developing complications of heart failure because their muscle function after a heart attack is better, said Dr. Armand Keating, Professor of Medicine, Director, Division of Hematology and Epstein Chair in Cell Therapy and Transplantation, cross-appointed to the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME). The study used standard heart function tests to measure the effect of the therapy after the cells were injected.Umbilical cord cells improved cardiac function by 40% compared with no treatment, while bone marrow cells improved function by only 18.3%. The umbilical cord cells were120% more effective in improving heart function than bone marrow cells a statistically significant difference, researchers said. … Continue reading →

NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE:NBS ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the fast growing cell therapy industry, today announced that it has been awarded a two year grant totaling $1,221,854 for "Repair of Bone Defects with Human Autologous Pluripotent Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSEL)", grant number 2R44DE022493-02A1, from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This peer reviewed grant is to support a Phase 2 investigation and first approved NIH clinical study of VSELsTM in humans. The study will be headed by Denis O. Rodgerson, Ph.D., Director of Grants and Academic Liaison for NeoStem, in collaboration with co-investigators Drs. Russell Taichman and Laurie McCauley of the University of Michigan. Enrollment for this study is expected to begin in 2013. This award will fund the evaluation of VSELTM stem cells as a potential treatment for periodontitis. The product candidate, an autologous therapy derived from a patient's own stem cells, is to be developed for use in the regeneration of bone tissue damaged by this disease. The award includes $706,682 for the first year and $515,172 for the second year of the project, and will cover the cost of the … Continue reading →

Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., a leader in adult allogeneic stem cell manufacturing, research and development, announced today that Joseph C. Maroon, MD, FACS Neurosurgeon, Vice Chairman and Professor of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has agreed to serve as Chairman of the Companys Medical and Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Maroon is also the Heindl Scholar in Neuroscience at UPMC. San Diego, CA (PRWEB) November 19, 2012 Dr. Maroon is widely regarded as a premiere specialist in the surgical treatment of injuries and diseases of the brain and spine. His research into brain tumors, concussions and diseases of the spine have led to many innovative techniques for diagnosing and treating these disorders. He is the author of more than 250 peer-reviewed papers and 55 books or book chapters. Dr. Maroon commented, Stem cells are taking on an increasingly important role in the treatment of multiple neurological conditions. I have been impressed with Stemedicas credentials as a cGMP manufacturer of its proprietary lines of ischemic tolerant neural and mesenchymal stem cells that are licensed for use in clinical trials. These cells possess the important safety, potency, purity and immune-privileged characteristics that are needed in … Continue reading →

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BioTime, Inc. (NYSE MKT: BTX) and its subsidiary LifeMap Sciences have announced the launch of LifeMap BioReagents (http://bioreagents.lifemapsc.com/), a new portal offering researchers access to BioTimes research product lines including PureStem human progenitor cell lines, PureStem packages, clinical and research grade human embryonic stem cell lines (hES), HyStem hydrogels, culture media, and cell differentiation kits. LifeMap Sciences will be the principle marketing and sales arm for BioTimes cell-based products and related reagents for the research community in academia, research hospitals, and biotech and pharma companies. LifeMap Sciences holds the exclusive, worldwide license to market GeneCards (www.genecards.org), with over 12 million page visits per year from hundreds of thousands of unique users worldwide, and MalaCards (www.malacards.org), and plans to launch LifeMap Discovery, its database for biomedical and stem cell research, later this quarter. LifeMap BioReagents is integrated with the GeneCards, MalaCards, and LifeMap Discovery databases, thereby providing a large number of biomedical researchers accessing these databases a means of identifying stem cell reagents that can enhance research and discovery efforts in a variety of fields, including stem cell research, developmental biology, mechanisms of various human diseases, drug discovery and therapeutic discovery and development. There has been growing interest … Continue reading →

San Diego biotechnology and civic leaders threw their support behind stem cell research eight years ago, when the states voters approved Proposition 71, the $3 billion state stem cell initiative. Californians were promised that the research would lead to therapies for diseases and injuries that had no cure, such as spinal paralysis and diabetes. Once scientists had done the research, biotech companies in the field known as regenerative medicine would take over and bring the therapies to market. San Diego research centers banded together to bring in stem cell grants, getting more than $261 million. Local leaders calculated there would be commercial benefits as well, reinforcing San Diegos stature as one of the worlds top biotech centers. Now, that commercialization is starting to take place. Local biotechs are testing stem cell therapies in patients, in the United States, in Europe and in China. Cures for diabetes, heart failure, and even baldness are being developed by San Diego companies; the last two already being tested in patients. While these treatments are still experimental success is far from certain they provide a preliminary indication that regenerative medicine is on the road to becoming a new growth area for the regions large biotechnology … Continue reading →

LINCOLN The results of last week's election pose a new risk for embryonic stem cell research at the University of Nebraska, but the risk does not appear imminent. Five of the eight members of the new board that takes office in January are on record opposing the use of such cells in medical research, but none has disclosed plans to stop it. Opponents say the research is unethical because embryos were destroyed to provide the cells used for study. Proponents say scientists need to study embryonic stem cells as part of their search for life-saving cures. They also note that scientists don't actually use embryos in their research. Rather, they purchase and use cells grown and replicated from an original embryonic sample. Last week's election marked the most significant overhaul of the NU Board of Regents in more than 40 years. Since an expansion of the board to eight members in 1970, no more than two seats have changed hands in any election. This year's three-seat turnover resulted from Regents Jim McClurg of Lincoln, Randy Ferlic of Omaha and Chuck Hassebrook of Lyons not seeking re-election. Their replacements include Jim Pillen, 56, of Columbus, and LaVon Heidemann, 53, of Elk … Continue reading →

MENLO PARK, Calif., November 15, 2012 -- Geron Corporation (GERN) today announced that the company has entered into a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with BioTime, Inc. (BTX) and BioTime`s recently formed subsidiary, BioTime Acquisition Corporation (BAC). The LOI contains broad terms of a potential transaction through which Geron would contribute to BAC its intellectual property and other assets related to Geron`s discontinued human embryonic stem cell programs. BioTime would contribute to BAC $5 million in cash, $30 million of BioTime common shares, warrants to purchase eight (8) million shares of BioTime at a pre-specified price (the "BioTime Warrants"), rights to use certain human embryonic stem cell lines, and minority stakes in two of BioTime`s subsidiaries. Following consummation of the potential transaction, Geron stockholders would receive shares representing 21.4% of the common stock of BAC as well as warrants to purchase eight (8) million shares of BioTime common stock at a pre-specified price. BioTime would own approximately 71.6%, and a private investor would own approximately 7.0% of the outstanding BAC common stock for an additional $5 million investment. BioTime would also receive warrants that would enable it to increase its ownership in BAC by approximately 2%, which would dilute the … Continue reading →

JERUSALEM, Nov.12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Hadasit Bio-Holdings Ltd. (OTC: HADSY, TASE: HDST) a publicly traded portfolio of biotech companies, all based on intellectual property developed by the Hadassah University Hospital, Israel's foremost medical research center, announced that its portfolio company CellCure NeuroSciences and BioTime, Inc. (NYSE MKT: BTX) have entered into a share purchase agreement through which BioTime will provide Cell Cure with $3.5 million of BioTime stock in exchange for shares of Cell Cure that will increase BioTime's ownership interest in Cell Cure to 62.6%. With this investment, Hadasit Bio's ownership will go from 23% to 21.3%. Cell Cure will use the proceeds from the sale of the BioTime shares initially to fund the development of Cell Cure's lead product, OpRegen, a cell replacement treatment for age-related macular degeneration. Plans for the development of OpRegen include filing an application to commence human clinical trials in 2013. Under the share purchase agreement, BioTime will initially issue to Cell Cure 906,735 BioTime common shares. Cell Cure may, from time to time, sell some or all of the BioTime shares it receives and will use proceeds from the sale of the shares to fund its development program for OpRegen and for the development … Continue reading →

Public release date: 12-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Christine Beyaert cbeyaert@ontariogenomics.ca 416-673-6597 Ontario Genomics Institute TORONTO, ON, Nov. 12, 2012 The Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI), through its Pre-Commercialization Business Development Fund (PBDF), has invested in Toronto-based Tissue Regenerative Therapeutics (TRT), a company that aims to use umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat a variety of serious medical conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes and Crohn's disease, to name a few. TRT will use this investment to conduct studies required to apply for approval to initiate human clinical trials. MSCs are cells that can differentiate into musculoco-skeletal tissues such as bone, cartilage and muscle. Their ability to generate replacement tissues and affect cellular processes such as inflammation makes them an exciting potential therapy for a variety of conditions. Unlike other cells, MSCs can be used without the need for tissue matching and can be accumulated in large numbers. TRT has developed new methods to extract MSCs from umbilical cords, eliminating many of the challenges related to MSC harvesting from other tissue sources. "Stem cell research is a promising area of biomedical research and it could have significant impact for people suffering from many conditions," said Mark Poznansky, President … Continue reading →