Osiris Therapeutics has won a second nations imprimatur for its stem cell treatment for a deadly complication of bone marrow transplants in children. Following Canada's lead last month, New Zealand this week gave the Columbia company marketing approval for Prochymal to treat pediatric graft-vs.-host disease, Osiris reported. Canada was the first internationally recognized regulatory body to approve a stem cell drug. The disease kills up to 80 percent of children who contract it, many within weeks of diagnosis. "With each of our approvals it becomes clearer that the time for life-saving stem cell therapies in the practice of medicine has arrived, and we are humbled to have a leading role, CEO C. Randal Mills said in a company statement. More cases of the disease are expected "as the demographic profile of our transplant population evolves," Hans Klingemann, professor of medicine and director of the Bone Marrow & Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Program at Tufts University School of Medicine, said in the statement. "Effective strategies to manage the often lethal consequences of [graft-vs.-host disease] reduce the overall risk to transplantation ..." Osiris applied for marketing approval in New Zealand in May 2011 and was given priority review the following month. Besides … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (June 14, 2012) Six new human embryonic stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan have just been placed on the U.S. National Institutes of Health's registry, making the cells available for federally-funded research. U-M now has a total of eight cell lines on the registry, including five that carry genetic mutations for serious diseases such as the severe bleeding disorder hemophilia B, the fatal brain disorder Huntington's disease and the heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes sudden death in athletes and others. Researchers at U-M and around the country can now begin using the stem cell lines to study the origins of these diseases and potential treatments. Two of the cell lines are believed to be the first in the world bearing that particular disease gene. The three U-M stem cell lines now in the registry that do not carry disease genes are also useful for general studies and as comparisons for stem cells with disease genes. In all, there are 163 stem cell lines in the federal registry, most of them without major disease genes. Each of the lines was derived from a cluster of about 30 cells removed from a donated five-day-old embryo roughly … Continue reading →

Carlous Drake, photographed in his father's recording studio Thursday, will host a gospel concert at Olivet Baptist Church on Saturday to raise funds for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Tennessee. HOW TO HELP Passion of Praise Concert at Olivet Baptist Church. 6 p.m. Saturday. Donations requested. Sickle Cell Awareness Carnival at Coolidge Park. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Local Bone Marrow Registry office is at 423-752-5951. What it is: Sickle cell disease is an inherited group of red blood cell disorders. Abnormally shaped red blood cells get stuck in small blood vessels and block the flow of blood and oxygen to organs in the body. The blockages can cause repeated episodes of severe pain, organ damage, serious infections and stroke. Who it affects: Sickle cell affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the United States, mainly blacks. It occurs among one out of every 36,000 Hispanic-American births. It is especially common among people who have ancestry in sub-Saharan Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Central America, Saudi Arabia, India and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey. Source: Centers for Disease Control The pain from sickle cell is like placing your thumb on the table and having someone slam a hammer on it, … Continue reading →

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that the company is presenting at two upcoming conferences: the 2012 Bio International Convention and Clinical Outlooks for Regenerative Medicine meeting, both in Boston, on Tuesday, June 19. The presentations will cover the companys three ongoing clinical trials using human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells to treat macular degeneration, and other programs. Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO, will present at the 2012 Bio International Convention on Tuesday, June 19 at 8:15 a.m. EDT, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Matthew Vincent, Ph.D., director of business development, will present at the Clinical Outlooks for Regenerative Medicine meeting at 9:15 a.m. EDT on the same date, at the Starr Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute, at 185 Cambridge Street in Boston. Both presentation slide decks will be available on the conference presentations section of the ACT website. About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., is a biotechnology company applying cellular technology in the field of regenerative medicine. For more information, visit http://www.advancedcell.com. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating results, future growth in … Continue reading →