CHICAGO -- The International Society for Stem Cell Research's 13th annual meeting will take place June 24-27, 2015 at the Stockholmsmssan Exhibition and Convention Center in Stockholm, Sweden. The meeting will bring together approximately 4,000 stem cell scientists, bioethicists, clinicians and industry professionals from over 50 countries to present and discuss the latest discoveries and technologies within the field.

"The ISSCR is excited to bring its annual meeting to Stockholm, a city that shares our passion and reputation for great scientific research and collaboration," said ISSCR President Rudolf Jaenisch, M.D., Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. "We look forward to learning more about the strong work being done in Sweden and across Europe."

The meeting will open with the Presidential Symposium on June 24 from 1:15-3:15 p.m. local time. The symposium sets the stage for the meeting with world renowned speakers, including Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka. It is also the platform for the formal recognition of the 2015 recipients of the McEwen Award for Innovation and the ISSCR Public Service Award. Another prestigious award, the ISSCR-BD Biosciences Outstanding Young Investigator Award, will be presented during Plenary VI on June 27 from 9-11:20 a.m. and followed by an award lecture.

"I look forward to the Presidential Symposium setting the tone for the entire program," Jaenisch said. "A thread throughout will be the use of stem cells to drive our understanding of development and disease, as we explore disease modeling, gene and tissue engineering technologies and other important advances that are bringing stem cells into the clinic."

Presidential Symposium speakers will include:

Fred H. Gage, Ph.D., Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, U.S.

Jrgen Knoblich, Ph.D., Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Austria

Shinya Yamanaka, M.D., Ph.D., Center for iPS Cell Research & Application, Japan

Jeannie Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, U.S.

The McEwen Award for Innovation award winners (Presidential Symposium):

See the original post:
The International Society for Stem Cell Research announces annual meeting details

IMAGE:Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons from an ALS patient (left) compared with normal cells (right). The cells are being used to study the role of the genes TBK1 and... view more

NEW YORK, NY (February 19, 2015)--Using advanced DNA sequencing methods, researchers have identified a new gene that is associated with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that results in the loss of all voluntary movement and is fatal in the majority of cases. The next-generation genetic sequencing of the exomes (protein-coding portions) of 2,874 ALS patients and 6,405 controls represents the largest number of ALS patients to have been sequenced in a single study to date.

Though much is known about the genetic underpinnings of familial ALS, only a handful of genes have been definitively linked to sporadic ALS, which accounts for about 90 percent of all ALS cases. The newly associated gene, called TBK1, plays a key role at the intersection of two essential cellular pathways: inflammation (a reaction to injury or infection) and autophagy (a cellular process involved in the removal of damaged cellular components). The study, conducted by an international ALS consortium that includes scientists and clinicians from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), Biogen Idec, and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, was published today in the online edition of Science.

"The identification of TBK1 is exciting for understanding ALS pathogenesis, especially since the inflammatory and autophagy pathways have been previously implicated in the disease," said Lucie Bruijn, PhD, Chief Scientist for The ALS Association. "The fact that TBK1 accounts for one percent of ALS adds significantly to our growing understanding of the genetic underpinnings of the disease. This study, which combines the efforts of over two dozen laboratories in six countries, also highlights the global and collaborative nature of ALS research today.

"This study shows us that large-scale genetic studies not only can work very well in ALS, but that they can help pinpoint key biological pathways relevant to ALS that then become the focus of targeted drug development efforts," said study co-leader David B. Goldstein, PhD, professor of genetics and development and director of the new Institute for Genomic Medicine at CUMC. "ALS is an incredibly diverse disease, caused by dozens of different genetic mutations, which we're only beginning to discover. The more of these mutations we identify, the better we can decipher--and influence--the pathways that lead to disease." The other co-leaders of the study are Richard M. Myers, PhD, president and scientific director of HudsonAlpha, and Tim Harris, PhD, DSc, Senior Vice President, Technology and Translational Sciences, Biogen Idec.

"These findings demonstrate the power of exome sequencing in the search for rare variants that predispose individuals to disease and in identifying potential points of intervention. We are following up by looking at the function of this pathway so that one day this research may benefit the patients living with ALS," said Dr. Harris. "The speed with which we were able to identify this pathway and begin our next phase of research shows the potential of novel, focused collaborations with the best academic scientists to advance our understanding of the molecular pathology of disease. This synergy is vital for both industry and the academic community, especially in the context of precision medicine and whole-genome sequencing."

"Industry and academia often do things together, but this is a perfect example of a large, complex project that required many parts, with equal contributions from Biogen Idec. Dr. Tim Harris, our collaborator there, and his team, as well as David Goldstein and his team, now at Columbia University, as well as our teams here at HudsonAlpha, said Dr. Myers. "I love this research model because it doesn't happen very frequently, and it really shows how industry, nonprofits, and academic laboratories can all work together for the betterment of humankind. The combination of those groups with a large number of the clinical collaborators who have been seeing patients with this disease for many years and providing clinical information, recruiting patients, as well as collecting DNA samples for us to do this study, were all critical to get this done."

Searching through the enormous database generated in the ALS study, Dr. Goldstein and his colleagues found several genes that appear to contribute to ALS, most notably TBK1 (TANK-Binding Kinase 1), which had not been detected in previous, smaller-scale studies. TBK1 mutations appeared in about 1 percent of the ALS patients--a large proportion in the context of a complex disease with multiple genetic components, according to Dr. Goldstein. The study also found that a gene called OPTN, previously thought to play a minor role in ALS, may actually be a major player in the disease.

"Remarkably, the TBK1 protein and optineurin, which is encoded by the OPTN gene, interact physically and functionally. Both proteins are required for the normal function of inflammatory and autophagy pathways, and now we have shown that mutations in either gene are associated with ALS," said Dr. Goldstein. "Thus there seems to be no question that aberrations in the pathways that require TBK1 and OPTN are important in some ALS patients."

The researchers are currently using patient-derived induced pluripotent embryonic stem cells (iPS cells) and mouse models with mutations in TBK1 or OPTN to study ALS disease mechanisms and to screen for drug candidates. Several compounds that affect TBK1 signaling have already been developed for use in cancer, where the gene is thought to play a role in tumor-cell survival.

See the original post here:
New ALS gene and signaling pathways identified

(March 5, 2015) - Gender equality has not yet been achieved in science, medicine, and engineering, but The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF), through its Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering, is committed to making sure progress is made. NYSCF convened the Inaugural Meeting of its Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering (IWISE) Working Group in February 2014, where the group put forward seven actionable strategies for advancing women in science, medicine, and engineering, and reconvened in February 2015 to further develop the strategies.

NYSCF began this initiative after an analysis of its own programs. "We found that the ratio of men and women in our own programs was OK but it could certainly be improved," said Susan L. Solomon, CEO and Co-Founder, of NYSCF. "We wanted to take action and actually make tangible progress, so we brought together many of the leading men and women who have already committed time, energy, and resources towards this problem."

Today, the recommendations were published in Cell Stem Cell. They were divided into three categories: direct financial support strategies, psychological and cultural strategies, and major collaborative and international initiatives. The group chose to highlight the most high-impact and implementable strategies from a larger list developed during the meeting. They also sought to promote promising, long-term initiatives that will require significant collaboration among multiple stakeholders with the aim of connecting potential partners.

"Advancing women in science and medicine is of critical importance to the academic and research enterprise in our country," said Dr. Marc Tessier-Lavigne, President of Rockefeller University. "This paper is important as it not only brings attention to this key issue but also outlines creative strategies that can help break down barriers to gender equality in science."

Changing financing structures, embedded cultural norms, and tying funding to gender balance to enact real change are the pillars underlying the seven strategies recommended by the Working Group.

"The brain power provided by women in science is essential to sustaining a thriving US society and economy. It is time to move beyond just lamenting its loss and embrace the actions called for in this timely report," Dr. Claire Pomeroy, President, the Lasker Foundation and a member of the IWISE Working Group.

The seven strategies include:

1) Implement flexible family care spending 2) Provide "extra hands" awards 3) Recruit gender-balanced external review committees and speaker selection committees 4) Incorporate implicit bias statements 5) Focus on education as a tool 6) Create an institutional report card for gender equality 7) Partner to expand upon existing searchable databases of women in science, medicine, and engineering

The IWISE Working Group reconvened in February 2015 to continue to work on the Institutional Report Card for Gender Equality. The paper published today includes the proposed Phase 1 Institutional Report Card, and the group plans to release the Phase 2 report card once finalized.

###

See original here:
Achieving gender equality in science, engineering and medicine

Despite the progress made by women in science, engineering, and medicine, a glance at most university directories or pharmaceutical executive committees tells the more complex story. Women in science can succeed, but they are succeeding in fields that may not even be conscious of the gender imbalances. These imbalances manifest themselves in the number of women that are invited to speak at conferences, the percentage of grants awarded to women scientists, and the higher rates of attrition of women at every stage of the career ladder compared to those of men.

In the March 5 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, the Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering Working Group, a collection of more than 30 academic and business leaders organized by the New York Stem Cell Foundation, present seven strategies to advance women in science, engineering, and medicine in this modern landscape.

"We wanted to think about broad ways to elevate the entire field, because when we looked at diversity programs across our organizations we thought that the results were okay, but they really could be better," said Susan L. Solomon, co-founder and CEO of the New York Stem Cell Foundation and a member of the working group. "We've identified some very straightforward things to do that are inexpensive and could be implemented pretty much immediately."

The working group's seven strategies are broken into three categories: the first two are direct financial support strategies, the next three are psychological and cultural strategies, and the final two are major collaborative and international initiatives.

1. Implement flexible family care spending

Make grants gender neutral by permitting grantees to use a certain percentage of grant award funds to pay for childcare, eldercare, or family-related expenses. This provides more freedom for grantees to focus on professional development and participate in the scientific community.

2. Provide "extra hands" awards

Dedicate funds for newly independent young investigators who are also primary caregivers to hire technicians, administrative assistants, or postdoctoral fellows.

3. Recruit gender-balanced review and speaker selection committees

Adopt policies that ensure that peer review committees are conscious of gender and are made up of a sufficient number of women.

Excerpt from:
Seven strategies to advance women in science

Published February 10, 2015

A British biotech company founded by a Nobel prize winner has raised what it says is a record 691,000 pounds ($1 million) via crowdfunding to help launch a stem cell-based regenerative medicine for use following heart trauma.

Cell Therapy, based in the Welsh capital Cardiff, says the medicine has the potential to reduce scarring of the heart muscle caused by a heart attack or failure.

Chief Executive Ajan Reginald, previously at Roche, said crowd funding was a quick way to raise money for final stage trials or commercial launches.

"It was very fast and very efficient," he told Reuters on Monday. "We have spent 5 percent of our time on fundraising, which enables me to spend 95 percent of my time on the business."

The company, whose founder Martin Evans shared the 2007 Nobel Prize for medicine for groundbreaking stem cell research, used website Crowdcube to raise nearly three times its original target from more than 300 investors.

Reginald said the backers included investment bankers, hedge fund employees and scientists.

"Crowd funding allows investors to look in detail at a company in their own time," he said, adding that some 10,000 investors had seen the pitch.

The company would publish data from clinical trials of the drug, called Heartcel, next month, before final stage trials with a view to a launch in 2016.

Read more here:
British biotech firm sets crowdfunding record with heart drug

Hello Doctor - Information about Stem Cell Therapy - [Ep 76]
Hello Doctor - Information about Stem Cell Therapy - [Ep 76] Today in Hello Doctor Cosmotologist Specialist Dr Ratnavel will share information about stem cell therapy. Subscribe to Vendhar...

By: Vendhar TV

Link:
Hello Doctor - Information about Stem Cell Therapy - [Ep 76] - Video

Freeport, Grand Bahama (PRWEB) March 09, 2015

Okyanos, the leader in cell therapy, launched its next in a series of studies today to determine the emotional impact and lifestyle influence orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis and sports-related injuries have had on those affected. The survey focuses on people between the ages of 55 and 75 living with orthopedic health issues and is designed to examine the toll on those afflicted as well as their relationships.

According to Okyanos VP Marketing Carol Montgomery, Millions of people suffer disorders of the joints, bones, muscles and connective ligaments, tendons and cartilage debilitating conditions on a daily basis, ranging from reduced function to crippling pain but have exhausted available methods of treatment. These restrictions affect them in a variety of ways and our ongoing lifestyle surveys measure the effects such chronic conditions have on todays aging population. Many are turning to solutions like adult stem cell therapy for treatment with excellent results.

The Okyanos Lifestyle and Relationship Survey for Heart Disease, of nearly 700 adults, uncovered a staggering 93% were open to alternatives to their existing heart disease treatment plan showing a growing discontent with their current options. A majority 68% were emotionally impacted and felt they were saddled with restrictions imposed by their heart conditions such as chronic fatigue and shortness of breath.

Adult stem cell therapy has emerged as a new treatment alternative for those who are restricted in activities they can no longer do but are determined to live a more normal life. Okyanos cell therapy uses a unique blend of adult stem and regenerative cells derived from a patients own fat tissue, thereby utilizing the bodys own natural biology to heal itself.

Just 50 miles from US shore, Okyanos cell therapy is available to patients suffering with the daily discomfort of orthopedic conditions including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sports-related injuries and spine disease.

Patients with a severe orthopedic condition, interested in participating in the study can go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ortho_Okyanos

For a copy of the Okyanos Heart Disease Lifestyle Report that reveals the emotional toll and lifestyle impact heart disease has on patients in the United States, visit: Heart Disease Lifestyle Report

Patients can contact Okyanos to learn more and request a free consultation at http://www.Okyanos.com or by calling 1-855-659-2667.

About Okyanos: (Oh key AH nos) Based in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Okyanos brings a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease, tissue ischemia, autoimmune diseases, and other chronic neurological and orthopedic conditions. Okyanos Cell Therapy utilizes a unique blend of stem and regenerative cells derived from patients own adipose (fat) tissue which helps improve blood flow, moderate destructive immune response and prevent further cell death. Okyanos is fully licensed under the Bahamas Stem Cell Therapy and Research Act and adheres to U.S. surgical center standards. The literary name Okyanos, the Greek god of the river Okyanos, symbolizes restoration of blood flow.

Read the original here:
Okyanos Stem Cell Therapy Launches Orthopedic Lifestyle Survey

Platelet Rich Plasma - PRP and Adult Stem Cell Therapy
DPM Debra Weinstock discusses #prp and #stemcell injections that may help you avoid surgery and alleviate your foot and ankle pain! #CrossBayFCC is located i...

By: Cross Bay Foot Care Center

Read this article:
Platelet Rich Plasma - PRP and Adult Stem Cell Therapy - Video

Alternative Treatments For COPD - FAT STEM CELL THERAPY in Dallas, Texas
http://www.InnovationsStemCellCenter.com.

By: dallasdrj

Read more from the original source:
Alternative Treatments For COPD - FAT STEM CELL THERAPY in Dallas, Texas - Video

Stem Cell-Enhanced Anterior Collateral Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction
Dr. McKenna discusses how using a patient #39;s own bone marrow stem cells augmented with AlphaGEMS amniotic tissue product can reduce recovery time from ACL sur...

By: Riordan-McKenna Institute

View original post here:
Stem Cell-Enhanced Anterior Collateral Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction - Video

Healing Tendon Tears, Ligamentous Tears and Sprains with Stem Cell Therapy
For more information: http://www.rmiclinic.com or 877-899-7836 (toll-free) Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon discusses treating tendon tears, ligament tears and sprains with Stemnexa, a proprietary...

By: Riordan-McKenna Institute

Here is the original post:
Healing Tendon Tears, Ligamentous Tears and Sprains with Stem Cell Therapy - Video

What Is AlphaGEMS Amniotic Tissue Product And How Does It Augment Bone Marrow Stem Cell Therapy?
Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, Wade McKenna, DO, explains how AlphaGEMS amniotic tissue product can actually enhance the cellular activity of a patient #39;s own bone marrow stem cells.

By: Riordan-McKenna Institute

Read more:
What Is AlphaGEMS Amniotic Tissue Product And How Does It Augment Bone Marrow Stem Cell Therapy? - Video

What Is Stemnexa Stem Cell Therapy For Orthopedics And Is It Safe?
Dr. McKenna explains how AlphaGEMS amniotic tissue product is used to augment the metabolic activity of a patient #39;s own bone marrow stem cells. He talks about how Stemnexa bone marrow harvest.

By: Riordan-McKenna Institute

See the original post here:
What Is Stemnexa Stem Cell Therapy For Orthopedics And Is It Safe? - Video

Regenerative Medicine | Graziella Pellegrini
http://www.weforum.org/ Graziella Pellegrini, from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy, showcases personalised, regenerative medicine that uses stem cell therapy to help restore sight.

By: World Economic Forum

More:
Regenerative Medicine | Graziella Pellegrini - Video

Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy
Mention you saw Solstice Health on The Morning Blend and get a FREE consultation for Stem Cell Therapy. Solstice Health is also hosting a FREE Stem Cell Therapy Seminar on Wednesday, March...

By: todaystmj4

Read more:
Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy - Video

World Over - 2015-02-26 - Vatican latest, ISIS, stem cell therapy, Ray Flynn with Raymond Arroyo
RAY FLYNN, former Mayor of Boston and former US Ambassador to the Vatican on the latest papal news from Rome and his efforts to work with the medical communi...

By: EWTN

Read more:
World Over - 2015-02-26 - Vatican latest, ISIS, stem cell therapy, Ray Flynn with Raymond Arroyo - Video

Stem Cell Therapy in Heart Failure
Prof. G Feitosa for World Heart Failure Congress 2014.

By: World Heart Failure Congress

Read the rest here:
Stem Cell Therapy in Heart Failure - Video

How do Stemnexa Stem Cell Procedures Heal Orthopedic Damage? - Dr. Wade McKenna, Orthopedic Surgeon
Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. McKenna explains how Stemnexa bone marrow stem cells augmented with AlphaGEMS amniotic tissue product works in the hu...

By: Riordan-McKenna Institute

The rest is here:
How do Stemnexa Stem Cell Procedures Heal Orthopedic Damage? - Dr. Wade McKenna, Orthopedic Surgeon - Video

Stem Cell Therapy for Achilles Tendon Repair - Dr. Wade McKenna
Dr. McKenna discusses non-surgical treatment of acute and chronic tendon problems using bone marrow stem cells augmented with amniotic tissue. He cites an ex...

By: Riordan-McKenna Institute

Excerpt from:
Stem Cell Therapy for Achilles Tendon Repair - Dr. Wade McKenna - Video

CHICAGO (CBS) More than four years after she was close to dying from leukemia, an 8-year-old girl from Mount Prospect is healthy again, and will meet the German man who helped save her life by supplying a stem cell donation.

Sabrina Chahir was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009, and 80 percent of her blood was filled with cancer cells. To survive, she needed a stem cell/bone marrow transplant, but finding a donor was going to be very difficult.

At the beginning, it was we didnt know if we were able to find one, because Sabrina is half Arabic and half Hispanic, and that is not a usual combination, Sabrinas mother, Natalia Wehr said.

Sabrinas DNA match turned out to be 30-year-old Maximilian Eule, a German supermarket manager living in Austria. He quickly agreed to donate

For me, I was close to crying, because it was like a little girl who was almost close to dying, and has no chance without my blood, he said. You give the girl another chance to stay alive.

Sabrinas mother said, thanks to Eules bone marrow donation, her daughter is healthy again, and like any other 2nd grade girl.

This whole thing is like a dream, she said.

Eule said its awesome Sabrina is now happy, healthy, and taking ballet classes and piano lessons. The two will meet for the first time Thursday night.

Link:
Girl With Leukemia To Meet Stem Cell Donor Who Helped Save Her Life