Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Stem cells are the foundation of all our body cells before they differentiate to become specialised cells that grow into our tissues and organs, such as kidney cells, muscle cells, nerve cells, and so on. They commonly come from two sources: The embryo (embryonic stem cells formed in early development after the human egg is fertilised by a sperm); and adult tissue (adult stem cells, such as those existing in bone marrow to later differentiate to form red blood cells, white blood cells and other components of the blood). The use of human embryonic stems cells for treatment or research is often frowned upon by some people, as they regard the human embryo as a person that should not be discarded after such endeavours. Consequently, much scientific work has recently been focused on the use of adult stem cells. THE USE OF STEM CELLS Stem cells may be beneficial in treating diseases that are amenable to cell replacement. However, this is still a young science, and belief that a particular treatment helps two or three people does not convince the scientific community or the whole society that the treatment will work for everyone so afflicted. Scientific proof comes from conducting … Continue reading →

OAKLAND PARK, FL--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2017) - BioStem Technologies, Inc. ( OTC PINK : BSEM ) ("BSEM" or "the company"), an emerging International BioTech company, celebrated the opening of its new laboratory and corporate offices with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the BioStem Technologies executive team. BSEM's Founder and CEO, Henry Van Vurst, commented, "With the recent regulation changes we amended our original facility design to comply with FDA 503b regulations, which caused an extension to our timeline, but I couldn't be prouder of this new state-of-the-art facility. Cutting the ribbon with Mayor Lamar Fisher (City of Pompano Beach) was a very proud moment for the entire BSEM team, and it is a testament to how far we have come since the Company's inception in 2014." The facility is a showcase of quality that will enable BSEM to leverage its vertical integration strategy in the Health, Wellness and Biotechnology sectors. The lab will serve as the Quality, R&D, and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Laboratory, not only for the Company's in-house operations, but also for its contract formulation and contract manufacturing services. The Company is in the process of finalizing its certifications for the ISO 8, 7, and 5 suites, as … Continue reading →

There's new hope for men with erectile dysfunction. Danish researchers have found that stem cell therapy can help previously impotent men have spontaneous intercourse. The team led by Martha Haahr from Odense University Hospital in Denmark presented their findings at the European Association of Urology conference in London. Haahr: First to use man's own stem cells in ED treatment Haahr's team used stem cells taken from abdominal fat cells via liposuction and injected them into the penises of 21 trial participants. The men were able to be discharged from the clinic on the day of the procedure. Within six months of the initial treatment, eight of the men reported they had regained the ability to participate in penetrative sexual activity without using drugs like Viagra. "What we have done establishes that this technique can lead to men recovering a spontaneous erection - in other words, without the use of other medicines, injections or implants," Haahr said. Participants reported that the improvement has been maintained for a year. While the results presented at the conference only come from the early phase of the trial, the research team is beginning phase two with more participants to better evaluate the effectiveness and confirm … Continue reading →

News by DAVID JENSEN posted 03.24.2017 The man often called the father of the California stem cell agency all but said he is set to launch an effort to pump an additional $5 billion in state funding into the research effort, which is scheduled to run out of cash in about three years. Robert Klein, a wealthy real estate investment banker, told a packed audience on Thursday at the City of Hope inthe Los Angeles area that a public opinion poll would be taken next fall in California to gauge support for a new bond measure to support the agency. He said that California has the opportunity and privilege to lift the human condition. A revolution is underway, Klein said. The agency has yet to produce a stem cell therapy for widespread public use despite the expectations raised by Kleins campaign 12 years ago. Klein managed the 2004 campaign that created the stem cell agency, and he oversaw the writing of the 10,000-word initiative that placed the agencys spending outside of the control of the Legislature and governor. Klein spoke at a day-long symposium involving the states soon-to-be $40 million, Alpha stem cell clinic network, which is scheduled to grow … Continue reading →

A small stem cell trial in which patients with severe spinal injuriesappeared to make remarkable progress is still showing excellent results, according to the company conductingthe research. One of the patients in the trial is 21-year-old Kris Boesen, from Bakersfield, California, whose story we reported on last year.A car crash had left theBakersfield, California native with three crushed vertebrae, almost no feeling below his neck, and a grimprognosis. Doctors believed he would live the rest of his life as a paraplegic. Enter stem cell therapy. Most treatments for serious spinal injuries concentrate on physical therapy to expand the range of the patients remainingmotor skills and to limit further injury, not to reverse the actual damage. But last April, as part of an experimental phase 2 clinical trial called SCiStar, researchers injected Boesen with 10 million stem cells. By July, hehad recovered use of his hands to the point where he could use a wheelchair, a computer and a cellphone, and could take care of most of his daily living needs.In recent months his progress has continued, says his father. Boesen is not the only patient to have improved in the trial, according toAsterias Biotherapeutics, which is conducting the research. Boesen … Continue reading →

March 23, 2017 Immunofluorescence microscopy reveals the different protein profiles of immature stem cells (coloured pink) and mature stem cells (coloured green). Credit: Sarita Panula Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified cell surface markers specific for the very earliest stem cells in the human embryo. These cells are thought to possess great potential for replacing damaged tissue but until now have been difficult to distinguish from classical embryonic stem cells. The study is published in the prestigious journal Cell Stem Cell. During the first week of fertilisation, the embryo grows from a single cell into a blastocyst, a hollow cluster of a few hundred cells. The blastocyst then attaches itself to the wall of the uterus (implantation), and for a limited period from fertilisation to a few days after implantation the embryo contains pluripotent stem cells. These cells can develop into all the body's cell types and are therefore of considerable interest to the field of regenerative and reparative medicine. A few years ago, it was discovered that there are two stages for human pluripotent stem cells, corresponding to the pre-implanted and post-implanted embryonic cells. Although the classical stem cells used in regenerative medicine are isolated from the pre-implanted embryo, … Continue reading →

Science Daily Stem cell therapy is safe for stroke patients, study shows Science Daily In an accompanying commentary, Dr. Steven C. Cramer, from the Departments of Neurology, Anatomy and Neurobiology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine, ... Beware the hype on stem-cell breakthroughsThe Globe and Mail 8th World Congress on Cell & Stem Cell ResearchThe Hudson Reporter Sunrise stem cell clinic behind blindness cases is largely unregulatedSun Sentinel Phys.Org -Futurism -American Council on Science and Health all 34 news articles » See more here: Stem cell therapy is safe for stroke patients, study shows - Science Daily … Continue reading →

Challenging a long-held model about how blood is formed, a study led by UC San Francisco researchers has found that the lungs play a crucial role in the process, producing half of blood platelets and also storing blood-forming stem cells. The study, performed in mice, also found that blood stem cells and progenitor cells travel freely between the lungs and bone marrow, long considered the primary source of blood production. If found to occur in humans, this discovery about the lungs role in blood production could provide new approaches for treating blood diseases, pulmonologist Mark R. Looney, M.D., senior author of the study, said in a statement. Moreover, the success of lung transplantation might be increased by better understanding this process. Immune reaction between donor blood cells in the lungs and the host could contribute to transplant rejection, the study stated. The study was published Wednesday in the journal Nature. When placed online, the study can be found at j.mp/lungblood. "This finding definitely suggests a more sophisticated view of the lungs -- that they're not just for respiration but also a key partner in formation of crucial aspects of the blood," Looney said. "What we've observed here in mice strongly … Continue reading →

Health science gets a lot of attention in the popular press. People love hearing about breakthroughs, paradigm shifts and emerging cures. The problem is, these stories are almost always misleading. While optimistic miscalculations of the state of biomedical research may seem as if it were a harmless distraction, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests it can be the source of real social harm. It can drive unrealistic expectations, affect the public utilization of health-care resources and even shape a less-than-ideal research agenda. It can also help to legitimize the marketing of unproven therapies. This week, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reported on three individuals who went blind after receiving an unproven stem cell treatment at a Florida clinic. The patients paid thousands of dollars for what they thought was a clinical trial on the use of stem cells to treat macular degeneration. The primary fault, both legally and morally, for the marketing and use of unproven stem-cell therapies lies with the providers who are involved with the practice. We need national regulators (e.g., Health Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and the bodies that oversee the relevant health-care professionals (e.g., the colleges that regulate … Continue reading →

REDWOOD CITY, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 21, 2017) - Synthego, a leading provider of genome engineering solutions, today announces the availability of chemically modified synthetic guide RNA in the CRISPRevolution product family, including modified full length 100-mer synthetic single guide RNA (sgRNA). Critical for editing challenging cell types such as primary and stem cells, modified guide RNAs provide protection against intracellular immune responses present in primary cells, such as stem cells. Additionally, chemically modified RNA improves in vivo stability by protecting RNA molecules against exonuclease attack -- allowing it to persist longer in certain cell types and regions of genomic DNA that can be challenging to edit using conventional guide RNAs. Synthego's modified sgRNA are synthesized with 2'-O-methyl analogs and 3' phosphorothioate internucleotide linkages in the first three nucleotides at both the 5' and 3' end of the RNA molecule. It's currently impossible to make chemical modifications to plasmid or in vitro transcription (IVT) based guide RNAs. Synthetic sgRNA is chemically synthesized to the highest levels of purity, eliminating the risk of introducing toxins that may be present in IVT-based guide RNAs. In addition, the use of modified synthetic sgRNA also safeguards against the accidental incorporation of DNA into edited stem … Continue reading →