Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

For the first time, researchers have used stem cells from a patient’s own heart to repair the damage to the muscle that occurs during heart attack. Dr. Eduardo Marban, director of the Cedars Sinai Heart Institute, and his team report in the journal Lancet that 17 patients who received an injection of their own heart cells grown from their stem cells saw the scarring on their hearts shrivel by 50% over a year. Eight patients who received usual care had no change. During a heart attack, some of the heart’s muscle is cut off from its oxygen supply, so within seconds these cells start to die. The body’s immune system treats the change like a trauma and begins to wall off the dying tissue, creating an ever-thickening layer of scarring; eventually, the scar tissue hampers the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently throughout the body. Keeping this scarring to a minimum, or even reversing it is the Holy Grail of heart attack research: maintaining as much healthy and active heart muscle as possible increases patients’ chances of recovering quickly and completely. “Heart disease is still the number one killer of men and women, so there is a dire need for … Continue reading →

ANN ARBOR — The University of Michigan’s first human embryonic stem cell line will be placed on the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s registry, making the cells available for federally funded research. It is the first of the stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan to be placed on the registry. The line, known as UM4-6, is a genetically normal line, derived in October 2010 from a cluster of about 30 cells removed from a donated five-day-old embryo roughly the size of the period at the end of this sentence. That embryo was created for reproduction through in-vitro fertilization but was no longer needed for that purpose and was therefore about to be discarded. “This is significant, because acceptance of these cells on the registry demonstrates our attention to details of proper oversight, consenting, and following of NIH guidelines established in 2009,” says Gary Smith, who derived the line and also is co-director of the U-M Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies, part of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute. “It now makes the line available to researchers who can apply for federal funding to use it in their work; this is an important step.” The line is … Continue reading →

A Michigan stem cell line developed from a 5-day-old embryo has been approved by the U.S. National Institutes of Health for federally-funded research ? a move that strengthens Michigan?s foothold in the growing field of embryonic stem cell science. At the University of Michigan, the line known as UM4-6 was cultivated by Gary Smith, co-director of the U-M Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies ? part of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute. In October 2010, Smith took the tiny clump of about 30 cells from a 5-day-old embryo that had been created for reproduction but was no longer needed, according to U-M. Nurtured in what Smith has called "a very precise culture and the right nutrients,? those cells continued to replicate into millions, even as they remained in their embryonic state. The line was approved Feb. 2 and now appears on the NIH registry, listed as the 147th stem cell line. UM4-6 is believed to be disease-free. Though other stem cell lines have been derived elsewhere, only those available on the registry are approved for federally-funded research. Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2008 permitting researchers to use surplus embryonic stem cells in research. That cleared the … Continue reading →

Newswise — ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan’s first human embryonic stem cell line will be placed on the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s registry, making the cells available for federally-funded research. It is the first of the stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan to be placed on the registry. The line, known as UM4-6, is a genetically normal line, derived in October 2010 from a cluster of about 30 cells removed from a donated five-day-old embryo roughly the size of the period at the end of this sentence. That embryo was created for reproduction but was no longer needed for that purpose and was therefore about to be discarded. “This is significant, because acceptance of these cells on the registry demonstrates our attention to details of proper oversight, consenting, and following of NIH guidelines established in 2009,” says Gary Smith, Ph.D., who derived the line and also is co-director of the U-M Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies, part of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute. “It now makes the line available to researchers who can apply for federal funding to use it in their work; this is an important step.” The line is … Continue reading →

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Animal Cell Therapies (ACT), a company specializing in veterinary diagnostics and cell-based therapies, today announced that its stem cell inventory is valued at more than $6 million. The evaluation, conducted by Cheetahlink and Capital Consulting Services, demonstrates the importance of this first step in the company’s mission to improve and extend the lives of dogs through innovative stem cell products and services. When Animal Cell Therapies was created, the company partnered with a select group of researchers, scientists and collaborators from the U.S. and abroad to create an in-house program to grow and expand well-characterized animal stem cells in a scientific setting. The company’s founder, Dr. Kathryn Petrucci, recognized that in order to provide pure, potent, reliable, pathogen-free animal stem cells, ACT must optimize stem cell storage while improving stem cell transportation procedures and delivery techniques. “This valuation essentially validates that the foundation we’ve set for this company – in the creation and maintaining of this stem cell inventory – is sound and will support the next steps in our strategy,” said Adam Irving, chief executive officer of Animal Cell Therapies. “Our capabilities are far reaching with broad applications.” In maintaining its stem cell inventory, Animal Cell … Continue reading →

University of Queensland scientists have developed a world-first method for producing adult stem cells that will substantially impact patients who have a range of serious diseases. The research is a collaborative effort involving UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) and is led by UQ Clinical Research Centre's (UQCCR) Professor Nicholas Fisk. It revealed a new method to create mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can be used to repair bone and potentially other organs. ?We used a small molecule to induce embryonic stem cells over a 10 day period, which is much faster than other studies reported in the literature,? Professor Fisk said. ?The technique also worked on their less contentious counterparts, induced pluripotent stem cells. ?To make the pluripotent mature stem cells useful in the clinic, they have to be told what type of cell they need to become (pre-differentiated), before being administered to an injured organ, or otherwise they could form tumours. ?Because only small numbers of MSCs exist in the bone marrow and harvesting bone marrow from a healthy donor is an invasive procedure, the ability to make our own MSCs in large number in the laboratory is an exciting step in the future widespread clinical … Continue reading →

The research is a collaborative effort involving UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) and is led by UQ Clinical Research Centre's (UQCCR) Professor Nicholas Fisk. It revealed a new method to create mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can be used to repair bone and potentially other organs. “We used a small molecule to induce embryonic stem cells over a 10 day period, which is much faster than other studies reported in the literature,” Professor Fisk said. “The technique also worked on their less contentious counterparts, induced pluripotent stem cells. “To make the pluripotent mature stem cells useful in the clinic, they have to be told what type of cell they need to become (pre-differentiated), before being administered to an injured organ, or otherwise they could form tumours. “Because only small numbers of MSCs exist in the bone marrow and harvesting bone marrow from a healthy donor is an invasive procedure, the ability to make our own MSCs in large number in the laboratory is an exciting step in the future widespread clinical use of MSCs. “We were able to show these new forms of stem cells exhibited all the characteristics of bone marrow stem cells and we are … Continue reading →

PIEDMONT, Okla. -- Stem cell research is one of the newest and most exciting areas of study. Experts believe these tiny unwritten cells hold the keys to curing a number of diseases and debilitating injuries. But here in the U.S., stem cell research isn't moving fast enough for a growing number of families. This is the story of an Oklahoma family that traveled to China for cutting-edge stem cell treatment not offered in the US. Cora Beth Taylor walks a different road than most will ever travel. Her journey is filled with obstacles, heartbreak and triumph. Cora, William and Tate Taylor are triplets born premature. The brothers have never shown any signs of prematurity. But Cora, at about a year old, started falling behind developmentally. By 18 months she had been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Cora has never had any cognitive delays. She's a super-smart little gal but her muscles haven't developed properly. It's devastating; they just won't cooperate. Cora's parents, Kevin and Beth Taylor, have tried everything for their little girl; that is, everything available in the U.S. Last year, Piedmont Schools raised the money to help the Taylors take Cora to China for treatment, close to $50,000. Research … Continue reading →

05-02-2012 17:57 Kevin Eggan, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, USA, presentation at the Ask the Experts session in Sydney on 28 November 2011. The Ask the Experts session is held each year, in association with the International ALS/MND Symposium, to give people living with MND an opportunity to hear about the latest research from experts in the field. It is organised by the host association, MND Australia in 2011, and the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations. It is supported by the ALS Hope Foundation. Read the original post: 2011, Kevin Eggan, How might stem cell research lead to a cure for ALS/MND? - Video … Continue reading →

20-01-2012 10:50 University of Pittsburgh announces a new finding from their stem cell research. The aging process is stalled using young stem cells from the fat of young mice. Published in Nature Communications and reported on Fox TV, Dr. Niedernhofer and Dr. Huard expressed their excitement on the possibilities of this new research. Read more: New Report from University of Pittsburgh Regarding Stem Cells and Anti Aging - Video … Continue reading →