Category Archives: Stem Cell Human Trials

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (“ACT”; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today the dosing of third patient in its Phase 1/2 trial for Stargardt’s macular dystrophy (SMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The patient was treated on Monday (Feb. 6) by Steven Schwartz, M.D., Ahmanson Professor of Ophthalmology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and retina division chief at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute. The outpatient transplantation surgery was performed successfully and the patient is recovering uneventfully. “With the treatment of this third Stargardt’s patient at Jules Stein Eye Institute, we have now completed the treatment of the first cohort of patients under our clinical protocol for phase I/II of our U.S. SMD trial,” said Gary Rabin, chairman and chief executive officer of ACT. “We will continue to regularly monitor the three SMD patients in this trial, and by early spring anticipate review of their progress and safety-related data by the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). With approval of the DSMB, we would then advance to the next cohort of patients and administer a … Continue reading →

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Stem Cell Research Also Included In: Eye Health / Blindness Article Date: 23 Jan 2012 - 12:00 PST email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions   Current Article Ratings: Patient / Public: 4.43 (7 votes) Healthcare Prof: Article Opinions:  1 posts The first published results of trials using cells derived from human embryonic stem cells appear to show they have passed an initial safety hurdle. In The Lancet this week, researchers report that two nearly blind patients, one with Stargardt's macular dystrophy and the other with dry age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in developed countries), showed measurable improvements in vision that lasted for more than four months after receiving injections of retinal pigment epithelium cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells were developed by the US stem cell company Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), and the trials were conducted at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. The report appeared online in The Lancet on Monday 23 January. Both trials are designed as prospective "open label" trials to test the safety and tolerability of sub-retinal transplantation of RPE cells … Continue reading →

McMaster University is on its way to moving stem cell research “from the bench to the bedside” thanks to a $30 million boost from a local family. The Marta and Owen Boris Foundation made the large donation to establish a human stem cell therapy centre and a unique clinic for patients with complex health conditions. Owen, the founder of Mountain Cablevision, was in talks with McMaster about investing in their work before he died last April. His children and wife contacted the university a month later and carried out his vision, firming up their commitment last November. The Boris Family Centre in Human Stem Cell Therapies will be developed as part of the McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute using $24 million of the funds. “It’s getting over that chasm from the bench to the bedside that this (donation) is going to allow us to do,” the institute’s scientific director Dr. Mick Bhatia said. The centre will give scientists the resources to focus on converting McMaster’s breakthroughs — such as the ability to make blood or types of neural cells with stem cells — into clinical applications through investigative trials, Bhatia said. “In the absence of this donation, I … Continue reading →

NEWARK, Calif., Jan. 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM - News) today announced the publication of preclinical data demonstrating that its proprietary HuCNS-SC(R) cells (purified human neural stem cells) protect host photoreceptors and preserve vision in an animal model of retinal disease. The preclinical results are highly relevant to human disorders of vision loss, the most notable of which is dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The study is available online at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2011.07970.x/abstract and will be featured as the cover article in the February issue of the international peer-reviewed European Journal of Neuroscience. This research was conducted in collaboration with a team of researchers led by Raymond Lund, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Ophthalmology, and Trevor McGill, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor at the Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University. The results of the study show that photoreceptors, the key cells of the eye involved in vision, were protected from degeneration following transplantation of HuCNS-SC cells into the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat. The RCS rat is a well-established model of retinal disease which has been used extensively to evaluate potential cell therapies. Moreover, the number of cone photoreceptors, which are responsible for central vision, remained constant over … Continue reading →

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESSWIRE)-- Second Site for First Human Embryonic Stem Cell Trial in Europe Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (“ACT”; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the largest of the Grampian University Hospitals in Scotland, has been confirmed as a site for its Phase 1/2 human clinical trial for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The Phase 1/2 trial is a prospective, open-label study designed to determine the safety and tolerability of the RPE cells following sub-retinal transplantation into patients with SMD. “A leading medical institution in the United Kingdom, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is an ideal partner for our European clinical trial for SMD,” said Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of ACT. “Moreover, we are particularly pleased that the lead investigator is Dr. Noemi Lois, a leading expert in SMD. We continue to forge ties with some of the best eye surgeons and hospitals in the world and work towards bringing this cutting-edge therapy closer to fruition. Our preliminary results to date keep us optimistic that we are on the right path both in terms of our science and the clinical team … Continue reading →

28-12-2011 09:16 The Biologics Production Facility provides investigators with the isolation, environmental control and security required for the manufacture of drugs, vaccines, human cells, tissues, cellular or tissue-based products to test and develop new medical therapies. With a reputation for cutting-edge research and treatment, The Nebraska Medical Center is home to the region's largest Biologics Production Facility See the rest here: Research at The Nebraska Medical Center Biologics Production Facility - Video … Continue reading →

30-12-2011 14:05 Partick Lee's world renowned 1998 discovery of the cancer cell killing potential of a benign human virus called reovirus spurred research on the use of viruses in the treatment of cancer. More here: 2010 Professional of Distinction - Discovery Awards - Video … Continue reading →

16-12-2011 11:02 Genomics in Medicine Lecture Series December 2, 2011 Read more from the original source: The Human Genome and Individualized Medicine - David Valle, MD - Video … Continue reading →

18-11-2011 05:34 UCL Lunch Hour Lecture: Prometheus and I: building new body parts from stem cells Professor Martin Birchall (UCL Ear Institute) Prometheus created life from clay, and within many biologists and surgeons there is a primal desire to do the same from the materials at hand, in an effort to stave off death and disease. Organ transplantation has been one Promethean solution, but a lack of donor organs, ethical and other issues limits the stretch of this technology. We performed the world's first stem cell based organ transplants in an adult and then in a child, and the results suggest a new future for organ replacement More here: Prometheus and I: building new body parts from stem cells (15 Nov 2011) - Video … Continue reading →

18-11-2011 09:30 Website http://www.christian.org.uk Facebook http Twitter twitter.com YouTube http://www.youtube.com Over 70 of Scotland's largest evangelical churches have signed an open letter to First Minister Alex Salmond urging him not to redefine marriage -- Tesco has sparked outrage after deciding to drop its support for the Cancer Research 'Race for Life', and then announcing that it will become a headline sponsor of Britain's largest gay festival -- Liverpool has become the first city in the UK to carry a homosexual rainbow emblem on some of its street signs -- The world's first official trial using human embryonic stem cells has been shelved -- The Welsh Assembly Government wants to change the law so that doctors can take organs from dead people who did not give explicit consent before they died -- The Prime Minister has selected his own choice of Bible verses to write out as part of the Peoples Bible celebration of 400 years of the King James Version -- And the Queen has attended a special anniversary service at Westminster Abbey this week, also part of the King James Bible anniversary celebrations. Original post: News Bulletin 18 November 2011 -- The Christian Institute - Video … Continue reading →