Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Science Daily Time-lapse video reveals cells essential for 'birth' of blood stem cells Science Daily "The research will likely open new avenues of investigation in stem cell biology and blood development and provide insight to aid efforts to make transplantable hematopoietic stem cells in the lab," said corresponding author Wilson Clements, Ph.D., ... and more » See the rest here: Time-lapse video reveals cells essential for 'birth' of blood stem cells - Science Daily … Continue reading →

M ice that walk straight and fluidly dont usually make scientists exult, but these did: The lab rodents all had a mouse version of Parkinsons disease and only weeks before had barely been able to lurch and shuffle around their cages. Using a trick from stem-cell science, researchers managed to restore the kind of brain cells whose death causes Parkinsons. And the mice walked almost normally.The same technique turned human brain cells, growing in a lab dish, into the dopamine-producing neurons that are AWOL in Parkinsons, scientists at Swedens Karolinska Institute reportedon Monday in Nature Biotechnology. Success in lab mice and human cells is many difficult steps away from success in patients. The study nevertheless injected new life into a promising approach to Parkinsons that has suffered setback after setback replacing the dopamine neurons that are lost in the disease, crippling movement and eventually impairing mental function. advertisement This is not going to happen in five years or possibly even 10, but Im excited about the potential of this kind of cell replacement therapy, said James Beck, chief scientific officer of the Parkinsons Foundation, which was not involved in the study. It could really give life back to someone with … Continue reading →

Renal and Urology News Stem Cell-Sheet Transplantation Possible for Heart Failure Renal and Urology News (HealthDay News) Stem cell-sheet transplantation shows promise in the treatment of cardiomyopathy, according to research published online in the Journal of the American Heart Association. In the new study, researchers used stem cells from the ... Autism stem cell trial reports improvement in symptomsBioNews Pioneering work on stem-cell therapies at UW deserves state supportThe Seattle Times Scientists develop technology that could preserve fertility in boys with cancerCTV News Japan Today -satPRnews (press release) all 13 news articles » Link: Stem Cell-Sheet Transplantation Possible for Heart Failure - Renal and Urology News … Continue reading →

Stem cell cures are real, and more are on the way. Thats part of the message Californias stem cell agency will deliver in a special patient advocate event in La Jolla on Thursday, April 20. To be held from noon to 1 p.m., the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) event will take place at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Its across the street from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Stem cell experts will describe the work done and in progress with the numerous kinds of stem cells, embryonic and non-embryonic, and the public will be able to ask questions. Those interested in attending can RSVP via the Web at j.mp/cirmsd1. The event, Stem Cell Therapies and You, is sponsored by CIRM and UC San Diego, which hosts one of CIRMs alpha stem cell clinics. Four speakers are to present their perspectives on stem cell research: -- Catriona Jamieson, director of the CIRM UC San Diego Alpha Stem Cell Clinic and an expert on blood cancers -- Jonathan Thomas, chairman of CIRMs governing board -- Jennifer Briggs Braswell, executive director of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center -- David … Continue reading →

NEWSLETTERS Receive the latest local updates in your inbox NBC 6's Julia Bagg tells us about the Duke University study showing stem cell research playing a role in possibly helping those kids. (Published Wednesday, April 5, 2017) A first of its kind study from Duke University is targeting autism with the goal being to see if stem cells could be used to help treat children dealing with the disorder. Researchers used umbilical cord blood infusions to help ease autism symptoms in children. They found that using the youngsters own rare stem cells resulted in significant improvements in their behavior. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as one in 45 American children has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Symptoms vary from mild social awkwardness to serious mental handicap, debilitating repetitive behaviors, and an inability to communicate. Theres no cure, but researchers hope their findings could lead to long-term treatment. Skeptics point out there are many unanswered questions in this study, but now a second trial is underway. Published at 6:02 AM EDT on Apr 5, 2017 | Updated at 7:13 AM EDT on Apr 5, 2017 Continue reading here: Recent Study Shows Stem Cell … Continue reading →

A new strategy to produce human T cells has been developed by researchers at UCLA. T-cells are the white blood cells that fight against disease-causing intruders in the body. The system could be used to engineer T cells to search for and destroy cancer cells. It could be a valuable step toward manufacturing a readily available supply of T cells for treating many different types of cancer. The thymus, located in the front of the heart, plays an important role in the immune system. It uses blood stem cells to make T cells, which help the body fight infections and have the ability to eliminate cancer cells. But as people grow older or become ill, the thymus isnt as efficient at making T cells. In your body, T-cells produced by the thymus are assigned receptor molecules, which act as guides towards cells infected by viruses or cancers. Leveraging that process is emerging as a promising area of cancer research. Scientists have found that arming large numbers of T cells with specific cancer-finding receptors an approach known as adoptive T cell immunotherapy has shown exceptional results in clinical trials. Adoptive T cell immunotherapy commonly involves collecting T cells from people who … Continue reading →

April 6, 2017 7:01 PM NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) Theres potentially exciting news for the two and a half million people around the world struggling with multiple sclerosis. There is no known cure, but now an experimental treatment in Israel may be able to reverse the symptoms, CBS2s Dr. Max Gomez reports. MS is a progressive degenerative disease where the insulation around nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord starts to break down. Its the immune system attacking the insulation. Medications can slow the disease but dont stop it. Stem cells may be much better. As Dr. Max reports, walking on a treadmill is a big step for Malia Litman. She had been a top trial attorney in Dallas until she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 18 years ago. Slowly, the disease robbed her of her balance, her mobility and her energy. You can imagine how contracted my world had become, she says. After she fell and broke her leg, she was in a wheelchair for weeks. Her MS medicines werent really working anymore. Her search for alternative treatments led toDr. Dimitrios Karussis. Answers for our diseases and our medical problems are hidden inside our body, hesays. Karussis heads the … Continue reading →

Laijun Lai, an Associate Research Professor at the University of Connecticut is currently doing research to find treatment for cancers, autoimmune deficiencies and genetic diseases through the use of T cells and stem cells. The first area of his research focuses on gene engineering approaches to treating cancers and autoimmune diseases. Lais research has resulted in two patents and several grants from NIH, the American Cancer Society and the Connecticut Regenerative Medicine Fund. We are very excited with our results. We believe that our research will eventually lead to the new approach in the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases or genetic diseases, such as (DGS), Lai said. The progression of cancerous tumors is accompanied by a very significant suppression of the immune system, which interferes with the bodys ability to send an effective immune response in order to eliminate chemotherapy, Lai said. In terms of autoimmune disease, disorders develop when the immune system targets and destroys the bodys own tissues, Lai said. Therefore, the study investigates new approaches to enhance T cell function for use in the treatment of cancer, while also looking for new ways to inhibit T cell function to treat autoimmune disease, Lai said. Several T cell … Continue reading →

April 6, 2017 -- A stem cell treatment for autism shows promise, according to a new study, but the investigators and other experts emphasize that the therapy is still in the early stages and much more research is needed. The Duke University study included 25 children, ages 2-6, with autism and assessed whether a transfusion of the youngsters' own umbilical cord blood containing rare stem cells would help treat their autism, CNN reported. Behavioral improvements were reported in 70 percent of the patients, according to the study in the journal Stem Cells. A second, larger trial is now underway and the researchers hope they will find a long-term treatment for autism, CNN reported. Some experts say many unanswered questions remain and the study authors agree much more work needs to be done. This initial trial was a safety study, meaning doctors and the children's families knew the therapy was being administered and there was no comparison between treated and non-treated children. "Some children, who were not speaking very much, had big increases in their vocabulary and their functional speech," study author Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, head of the Robertson Clinical and Translational Cell Therapy Program, told CNN. "Many children were able … Continue reading →

National Institutes of Health (press release) NHLBI stem cell consortium provides new insights into genetics of heart disease, other conditions National Institutes of Health (press release) A group of NIH-funded scientists has published the first studies using the largest, most diverse stem cell collection of its kind ever made available to researchers. The results provide fresh insights into the genetic underpinnings of common conditions ... and more » Follow this link: NHLBI stem cell consortium provides new insights into genetics of heart disease, other conditions - National Institutes of Health (press release) … Continue reading →