Blood stem cells can only thrive in the bone marrow, from which they turn into different kinds of blood cells that are needed in the body, including red and white blood cells, which transport oxygen and fight disease. For years, researchers around the world have been trying to find a way to replicate the bone marrow so that they are able to harvest blood stem cells in the laboratory because stem cells cease to be what they are once they are removed from the body.

Now researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the University of Tbingen say that they have designed porous material in which blood stem cells can multiply for as long as four days.

A bath sponge with cells inside

Natural bone marrow is a very complex structure, making it difficult to imitate. Its three-dimensional porous architecture resembles a bath sponge and contains bridging proteins that the stem cells can dock on.

Precisely-sized pores host many cell types that interact with each other and produce chemical messages, allowing the blood stem cells to multiply.

Researchers put a porous polymer into a nutrient solution to cultivate stem cells inside

"We assume that stem cells [do] not only notice the chemical composition of their surroundings. They can probably also feel if their environment is soft or hard, rough or smooth," Cornelia Lee-Thedieck, a researcher at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology tells DW.

She and her colleagues put everything together that researchers already know about bone marrow and their preferred environment. They replicated the sponge-like structure of bone marrow using a simple polymer. They linked proteins to it and added other cell types.

Treating leukemia

The researchers would like to see the artificial bone marrow help cure leukemia one day. Since new, healthy blood stem cells are needed to treat leukemia, stem cells could be harvested in the lab and transplanted into patients. Currently, the stem cells are isolated from the blood or the bone marrow of a suitable donor.

The rest is here:
Scientists create artificial bone marrow that helps stem cells thrive

Washington, Jan. 11 : Researchers have developed a prototype of artificial bone marrow that may be used to reproduce hematopoietic stem cells.

The porous structure developed by the scientists of KIT, the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, and Tubingen University, possesses essential properties of natural bone marrow and can be used for the reproduction of stem cells at the laboratory.

This might facilitate the treatment of leukemia in a few years.

Blood cells, such as erythrocytes or immune cells, are continuously replaced by new ones supplied by hematopoietic stem cells located in a specialized niche of the bone marrow.

Hematopoietic stem cells can be used for the treatment of blood diseases, such as leukemia. The affected cells of the patient are replaced by healthy hematopoietic stem cells of an eligible donor.

However, not every leukemia patient can be treated in this way, as the number of appropriate transplants is not sufficient. This problem might be solved by the reproduction of hematopoietic stem cells.

The stem cell niche is a complex microscopic environment having specific properties. The relevant areas in the bone are highly porous and similar to a sponge.

This three-dimensional environment does not only accommodate bone cells and hematopoietic stem cells but also various other cell types with which signal substances are exchanged. Moreover, the space among the cells has a matrix that ensures certain stability and provides the cells with points to anchor. In the stem cell niche, the cells are also supplied with nutrients and oxygen.

The newly developed artificial bone marrow that possesses major properties of natural bone marrow can now be used by the scientists to study the interactions between materials and stem cells in detail at the laboratory.

The study was published in the Biomaterials journal.

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Artificial bone marrow development brings leukemia treatment closer to reality

Posted: Thursday, January 9, 2014, 9:00 AM

THURSDAY, Jan. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A patient's own bone marrow stem cells might someday be used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, a new study suggests.

The phase 1 study to assess the safety of the treatment included 30 patients, aged 21 to 65, with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis or the even more dangerous extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. They received standard tuberculosis antibiotic treatment and an infusion of about 10 million of their own bone marrow stem cells.

A comparison group of 30 patients with either type of tuberculosis received standard treatment only.

After 18 months, 16 patients treated with bone marrow stem cells were cured, compared with five patients in the standard group, the study authors said. The most common side effects in the stem cell group were high cholesterol (14 patients), nausea (11), and lymphopenia (low white blood cell count) or diarrhea (10).

There were no serious side effects, according to the study, which was published Jan. 8 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

Conventional treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis uses a combination of antibiotics that can cause harmful side effects in patients, study leader Markus Maeurer, a professor at Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden, said in a journal news release.

"Our new approach, using the patients' own bone marrow stromal cells, is safe and could help overcome the body's excessive inflammatory response, repair and regenerate inflammation-induced damage to lung tissue, and lead to improved cure rates," Maeurer said in the news release.

Longer follow-up with more patients is needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the stem cell therapy, he said.

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Could Stem Cells Cure Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis?

24OrasGMA January 10, 2014, 7:34 pm Friday Bawal na bawal ang magsakay sa motorsiklo ng batang 8 taong gulang pababa, may helmet

24OrasGMA January 10, 2014, 7:30 pm Friday Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, nagsumite na rin ng counter-affidavit kaugnay ng pork barrel scam. #BantayKaban

24OrasGMA January 10, 2014, 7:29 pm Friday China, ipinagtanggol ang bagong patakaran ng Hainan province sa pangingisda sa pinag-aagawang teritoryo.

24OrasGMA January 10, 2014, 7:23 pm Friday Ngayon nga, may halos 3,000 container ng mga bigas sa Manila Port, na hinihinalang ipinuslit

24OrasGMA January 10, 2014, 7:23 pm Friday Mainit ngayon ang mata ng BOC sa pagpupuslit ng bigas sa bansa pero mayroon pa

24OrasGMA January 10, 2014, 7:21 pm Friday #ChikaMinute: Laking pasalamat ni Geoff Eigenmann dahil sa mga bago niyang projects kasunod ng pagbabawas

24OrasGMA January 10, 2014, 7:20 pm Friday Mga prepaid card ang gagamitin sa pagbabayad ng pasahe sa COMET.

24OrasGMA January 10, 2014, 7:20 pm Friday Mainam daw ito sa kalikasan dahil 'di nagbubuga ng maitim na usok.

24OrasGMA January 10, 2014, 7:19 pm Friday City Optimized Managed Environmental Transport o COMET, mas pina-high tech daw na e-jeepney. Nakatutok si

24OrasGMA January 10, 2014, 7:18 pm Friday Nasa okasyon din sina Sarangani Representative @MannyPacquiao at BIR Commissioner Kim Henares na nakita pang

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Bone marrow stem cells could defeat drug-resistant TB, trial study finds

LONDON (Reuters) - Patients with potentially fatal "superbug" forms of tuberculosis (TB) could in future be treated using stem cells taken from their own bone marrow, according to the results of an early-stage trial of the technique.

The finding, made by British and Swedish scientists, could pave the way for the development of a new treatment for the estimated 450,000 people worldwide who have multi drug resistant (MDR) or extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB.

In a study in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal on Thursday, researchers said more than half of 30 drug-resistant TB patients treated with a transfusion of their own bone marrow stem cells were cured of the disease after six months.

"The results ... show that the current challenges and difficulties of treating MDR-TB are not insurmountable, and they bring a unique opportunity with a fresh solution to treat hundreds of thousands of people who die unnecessarily," said TB expert Alimuddin Zumla at University College London, who co-led the study.

TB, which infects the lungs and can spread from one person to another through coughing and sneezing, is often falsely thought of as a disease of the past.

In recent years, drug-resistant strains of the disease have spread around the world, batting off standard antibiotic drug treatments.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in Eastern Europe, Asia and South Africa 450,000 people have MDR-TB, and around half of these will fail to respond to existing treatments.

TB bacteria trigger an inflammatory response in immune cells and surrounding lung tissue that can cause immune dysfunction and tissue damage.

Bone-marrow stem cells are known to migrate to areas of lung injury and inflammation and repair damaged tissue. Since they also modify the body's immune response and could boost the clearance of TB bacteria, Zumla and his colleague, Markus Maeurer from Stockholm's Karolinska University Hospital, wanted to test them in patients with the disease.

In a phase 1 trial, 30 patients with either MDR or XDR TB aged between 21 and 65 who were receiving standard TB antibiotic treatment were also given an infusion of around 10 million of their own stem cells.

Read more:
Bone marrow transfusion could cure drug resistant tuberculosis

22 hours ago by Jennifer Dimas

Chronic kidney disease in older cats is the focus of a fifth clinical trial under way at Colorado State University's James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, where veterinarians are exploring novel stem-cell therapy that could, for the first time, hold promise for treating one of the most perplexing feline diseases.

CSU researchers seek area cats with the disease to participate in the clinical trial; cats with concurrent diseases are not eligible. For information about the trial and to determine eligibility for enrollment, visit col.st/1lB4KHf .

Studies suggest that about 50 percent of cats older than 10 suffer from chronic kidney disease.

Although the disease is very common, risk factors are poorly understood and it is tough to treat: Chronic kidney disease is considered irreversible, and treatment typically centers on slowing progression of the disease through supportive care, such as dietary changes, injected fluids and blood-pressure medication.

Yet in a pilot study last year, CSU veterinarians determined that stem-cell therapy could provide a new treatment option for cats. After preliminary results, the research team is further investigating the ability of stem cells to repair damaged kidneys.

Veterinarians are intrigued by use of stem-cell therapy for chronic kidney failure in cats because earlier studies demonstrated that the approach could decrease inflammation, promote regeneration of damaged cells, slow loss of protein through urine and improve kidney function, said Dr. Jessica Quimby, a veterinarian leading the CSU research.

"In our pilot study last year, in which stem cells were injected intravenously, we found stem-cell therapy to be safe, and we saw evidence of improvement among some of the cats enrolled in the trial," Quimby said. "In this study, we will further explore stem-cell therapy with the new approach of injecting the cells close to the damaged organs. We hope this proximity could yield even better results."

For the CSU study, the stem cells used have been cultivated from the fat of young, healthy cats; donor animals are not harmed.

The study will track cats with chronic kidney disease for about two months, with a variety of diagnostic tests conducted before and after stem-cell treatment to analyze kidney function.

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Researchers study stem-cell therapy for feline kidney disease

Abstract

The skin constantly renews itself throughout adult life, and the hair follicle undergoes a perpetual cycle of growth and degeneration. Stem cells (SCs) residing in the epidermis and hair follicle ensure the maintenance of adult skin homeostasis and hair regeneration, but they also participate in the repair of the epidermis after injuries. We summarize here the current knowledge of epidermal SCs of the adult skin. We discuss their fundamental characteristics, the methods recently designed to isolate these cells, the genes preferentially expressed in the multipotent SC niche, and the signaling pathways involved in SC niche formation, SC maintenance, and activation. Finally, we speculate on how the deregulation of these pathways may lead to cancer formation.

Keywords: hair follicle, multipotency, self-renewal, cell fate determination, Wnt signaling, Bmp, cancer

Skin and its appendages ensure a number of critical functions necessary for animal survival. Skin protects animals from water loss, temperature change, radiation, trauma, and infections, and it allows animals to perceive their environment through tactile sense. Through camouflage, the skin provides protection against predators, and it also serves as decoration for social and reproductive behavior.

Adult skin is composed of a diverse organized array of cells emanating from different embryonic origins. In mammals, shortly after gastrulation, the neurectoderm cells that remain at the embryo surface become the epidermis, which begins as a single layer of unspecified progenitor cells. During development, this layer of cells forms a stratified epidermis (sometimes called interfollicular epidermis), the hair follicles (HRs), sebaceous glands, and, in nonhaired skin, the apocrine (sweat) glands. Mesoderm-derived cells contribute to the collagen-secreting fibroblasts of the underlying dermis, the dermovasculature that supplies nutrients to skin, arrector pili muscles that attach to each hair follicle (HF), the subcutaneous fat cells, and the immune cells that infiltrate and reside in the skin. Neural crestderived cells contribute to melanocytes, sensory nerve endings of the skin, and the dermis of the head. Overall, approximately 20 different cell types reside within the skin.

In the adult, many different types of stem cells (SCs) function to replenish these various cell types in skin as it undergoes normal homeostasis or wound repair. Some SCs (e.g., those that replenish lymphocytes) reside elsewhere in the body. Others (e.g., melanoblasts and epidermal SCs) reside within the skin itself. This review concentrates primarily on epidermal SCs, which possess two essential features common to all SCs: They are able to self-renew for extended periods of time, and they differentiate into multiple lineages derived from their tissue origin (Weissman et al. 2001).

Mature epidermis is a stratified squamous epithelium whose outermost layer is the skin surface. Only the innermost (basal) layer is mitotically active. The basal layer produces, secretes, and assembles an extracellular matrix (ECM), which constitutes much of the underlying basement membrane that separates the epidermis from the dermis. The most prominent basal ECM is laminin5, which utilizes 31-integrin for its assembly. As cells leave the basal layer and move outward toward the skin surface, they withdraw from the cell cycle, switch off integrin and laminin expression, and execute a terminal differentiation program. In the early stages of producing spinous and granular layers, the program remains transcriptionally active. However, it culminates in the production of dead flattened cells of the cornified layer (squames) that are sloughed from the skin surface, continually being replaced by inner cells moving outward ().

Epidermal development and hair follicle morphogenesis. The surface of the early embryo is covered by a single layer of ectodermal cells that adheres to an underlying basement membrane of extracellular matrix. As development proceeds, the epidermis progressively ...

The major structural proteins of the epidermis are keratins, which assemble as obligate heterodimers into a network of 10-nm keratin intermediate filaments (IFs) that connect to 64-integrin-containing hemidesmosomes that anchor the base of the epidermis to the laminin5-rich, assembled ECM. Keratin IFs also connect to intercellular junctions called desmosomes, composed of a core of desmosomal cadherins. Together, these connections to keratin IFs provide an extensive mechanical framework to the epithelium (reviewed in Omary et al. 2004). The basal layer is typified by the expression of keratins K5 and K14 (also K15 in the embryo), whereas the intermediate suprabasal (spinous) layers express K1 and K10. Desmosomes connected to K1/K10 IFs are especially abundant in suprabasal cells, whereas basal cells possess a less robust network of desmosomes and K5/K14. Rather, basal cells utilize a more dynamic cytoskeletal network of microtubules and actin filaments that interface through -and -catenins to E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell (adherens) junctions, in addition to the 1-integrin-mediated cell-ECM junctions (reviewed in Green et al. 2005, Perez-Moreno et al. 2003). Filaggrin and loricrin are produced in the granular layer. The cornified envelope seals the epidermal squames and provides the barrier that keeps microbes out and essential fluids in (Candi et al. 2005, Fuchs 1995) (). The program of terminal differentiation in the epidermis is governed by a number of transcription factor families, including AP2, AP1, C/EBPs, Klfs, PPARs, and Notch (reviewed in Dai & Segre 2004).

Although the molecular mechanisms underlying the process of epidermal stratification are still unfolding, several studies have recently provided clues as to how this might happen. Increasing evidence suggests the transcription factor p63 might be involved. Mice null for the gene encoding p63 present an early block in the program of epidermal stratification (Mills et al. 1999, Yang et al. 1999).

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Epidermal Stem Cells of the Skin

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

9-Jan-2014

Contact: Robert Miranda cogcomm@aol.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair

Putnam Valley, NY. (Jan. 9, 2014) Using skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) and a previously developed collagen tube designed to successfully bridge gaps in injured nerves in rat models, the research team in Milan, Italy that established and tested the procedure has successfully rescued peripheral nerves in the upper arms of a patient suffering peripheral nerve damage who would have otherwise had to undergo amputations.

The study will be published in a future issue of Cell Transplantation but is currently freely available on-line as an unedited early e-pub at: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/pre-prints/content-ct1096.

"Peripheral nerve repair with satisfactory functional recovery remains a great surgical challenge, especially for severe nerve injuries resulting in extended nerve defects," said study corresponding author Dr. Yvan Torrente, of the Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation at the University of Milan. "However, we hypothesized that the combination of autologous (self-donated) SDSCs placed in collagen tubes to bridge gaps in the damaged nerves would restore the continuity of injured nerves and save from amputation the upper arms of a patient with poly-injury to motor and sensory nerves."

Although autologous nerve grafting has been the 'gold standard' for reconstructive surgeries, these researchers felt that there were several drawbacks to that approach, including graft availability, donor site morbidity, and neuropathic pain.

According to the researchers, autologous SDSCs have advantages over other stem cells as they are an accessible source of stem cells rapidly expandable in culture, and capable of survival and integration within host tissues.

While the technique of using the collagen tubes - NeuraGen, an FDA-approved device - to guide the transplanted cells over gaps in the injured nerve had been previously developed and tested by the same researchers with the original research successfully saving damaged sciatic nerves on rats, the present case, utilizing the procedure they developed employing SDSCs and a nerve guide, is the first to be carried out on a human.

Over three years, the researchers followed up on the patient, assessing functional recovery of injured median and ulnar nerves by pinch gauge test and static two-point discrimination and touch test with monofiliments along with electrophysiological and MRI examinations.

Originally posted here:
Stem cells injected into nerve guide tubes repair injured peripheral nerve

18 hours ago This is a set of chromosomes in haploid mouse embryonic stem cells. Credit: Martin Leeb

A fast and comprehensive method for determining the function of genes could greatly improve our understanding of a wide range of diseases and conditions, such as heart disease, liver disease and cancer.

The method uses stem cells with a single set of chromosomes, instead of the two sets found in most cells, to reveal what causes the "circuitry" of stem cells to be rewired as they begin the process of conversion into other cell types. The same method could also be used to understand a range of biological processes.

Embryonic stem cells rely on a particular gene circuitry to retain their original, undifferentiated state, making them self-renewing. The dismantling of this circuitry is what allows stem cells to start converting into other types of cells - a process known as cell differentiation - but how this happens is poorly understood.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge Wellcome Trust-MRC Stem Cell Institute have developed a technique which can pinpoint the factors which drive cell differentiation, including many that were previously unidentified. The method, outlined in the Thursday (9 January) edition of the journal Cell Stem Cell, uses stem cells with a single set of chromosomes to uncover how cell differentiation works.

Cells in mammals contain two sets of chromosomes one set inherited from the mother and one from the father. This can present a challenge when studying the function of genes, however: as each cell contains two copies of each gene, determining the link between a genetic change and its physical effect, or phenotype, is immensely complex.

"The conventional approach is to work gene by gene, and in the past people would have spent most of their careers looking at one mutation or one gene," said Dr Martin Leeb, who led the research, in collaboration with Professor Austin Smith. "Today, the process is a bit faster, but it's still a methodical gene by gene approach because when you have an organism with two sets of chromosomes that's really the only way you can go."

Dr Leeb used unfertilised mouse eggs to generate embryonic stem cells with a single set of chromosomes, known as haploid stem cells. These haploid cells show all of the same characteristics as stem cells with two sets of chromosomes, and retain the same full developmental potential, making them a powerful tool for determining how the genetic circuitry of mammalian development functions.

The researchers used transposons "jumping genes" to make mutations in nearly all genes. The effect of a mutation can be seen immediately in haploid cells because there is no second gene copy. Additionally, since embryonic stem cells can convert into almost any cell type, the haploid stem cells can be used to investigate any number of conditions in any number of cell types. Mutations with important biological effects can then rapidly be traced to individual genes by next generation DNA sequencing.

"This is a powerful and revolutionary new tool for discovering how gene circuits operate," said Dr Leeb. "The cells and the methodology we've developed could be applied to a huge range of biological questions."

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Rewiring stem cells

Stem Cell therapy for Cartilage Regeneration in Orthopaedic Surgery
Prof. A A Shetty and Prof. Seok Jung Kim, founders of Shetty - Kim Research Foundation were here at MediCiti to perform 5 stem cell therapy surgeries on 31st...

By: Mediciti Hospitals

Originally posted here:
Stem Cell therapy for Cartilage Regeneration in Orthopaedic Surgery - Video

VAIL The Vail Symposium hosts Dr. Scott Brandt, Dr. Kristin Comella and Dr. Stan Jones who will lead an interactive discussion on the history, evolution, practical applications and clinical results around stem cell treatments Friday evening in Vail.

The program is part of the Symposiums ongoing Living at Your Peak series, which is dedicated to exploring new breakthroughs in medicine and helping people live healthier, more active lives.

This program fits perfectly with our Living at Your Peak series, said Tracey Flower, the Symposiums executive director. There is a lot surrounding this topic, and has been for quite some time. With recent research in a changing medical industry, it is a great topic to discuss.

An example of breakthroughs in stem cell therapy comes in the form of the record-shattering Broncos quarterback, Peyton Manning. After failed surgeries, Manning traveled to Germany to undergo stem cell treatment on his cervical spine. At 37, Manning is playing his best football.

During this educational program, panelists will discuss the evolution of the stem cell field, explain current procedures, present research and clinical findings, and talk about the potential for stem cell applications in the future.

Join the Vail Symposium at 5 p.m. Friday at the Antlers Hotel in Vail for this event, titled: Stem Cells: The Future of Medicine is Now. Space is limited; reserve your tickets at http://www.vailsymposium.org/calendar or call the Vail Symposium at 970-476-0954.

More about the panelists

Dr. Scott Brandt: Brandt, the medical director of ThriveMD in Edwards, specializes in regenerative and restorative medicine. Brandt completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and attended medical school at Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He then completed his anesthesiology residency training and internship at the University of Illinois and Michael Reese Hospitals in Chicago. As a resident in anesthesiology, Brandt specialized in interventional pain management. Since 1997, this focus has kept him on the leading edge of medical innovations that provide longer lasting solutions for acute and chronic pain. The advancement of stem cell therapy, coupled with Brandts expertise in image-guided injections, has made joint rejuvenation an important part of his practice.

Dr. Kristin Comella: In 2013, Comella was named as one of the 25 most influential people in the stem cell field. She has more than 14 years of experience in regenerative medicine, training and education, research, product development and has served in a number of senior management positions with stem cell related companies. Comella has more than 12 years of cell culturing experience including building and managing the stem cell laboratory at Tulane Universitys Center for Gene Therapy. She has also developed stem cell therapies for osteoarthritis at Osiris Therapeutics. Comella has been a member of the Bioheart senior management team since 2004 and is currently serving as its chief scientific officer.

Dr. Stan Jones: Widely known for performing a ground-breaking stem cell infusion on Governor Rick Perry during a spinal surgery in 2011, Jones is a surgeon and stem cell expert. He received his bachelors degree from Texas Tech in Lubbock before earning his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. Jones continued his medical training at the University of Utah Medical School in Salt Lake City and a residency at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Jones was awarded a fellowship to study the lower back at Wellseley Hospital in Toronto, Canada. In addition, he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corp as a Captain. He is licensed to practice in the state of Texas and is certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.

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Learn about stem cell therapy and application at Vail event

By Jennifer Thomas HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Certain types of chemotherapy can damage the heart while thwarting cancer, a dilemma that has vexed scientists for years. But a new study in rats finds that injecting the heart with stem cells can reverse the damage caused by a potent anti-cancer drug.

The findings could one day mean that cancer patients could safely take higher doses of a powerful class of chemotherapy drugs and have any resulting damage to their hearts repaired later on using their own cardiac stem cells, the researchers said.

The study was published online Dec. 28 in advance of print publication in the journal Circulation.

Doxorubicin is a common chemotherapy drug used to treat many types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, lung, thyroid, neuroblastoma, lymphoma and leukemia.

But the drug can have serious side effects, including heart damage that can lead to congestive failure years after cancer treatment ends.

In the study, researchers removed cardiac stem cells from rodents before chemotherapy. The stem cells were isolated and expanded in the lab.

Rats were then given the chemo drug doxorubicin, inducing heart failure. Afterward, the rats' stem cells were re-injected into their hearts, and the damage was reversed.

"Theoretically, patients could be rescued using their own stem cells," said study author Dr. Piero Anversa, director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

A Phase 1 clinical trial using a similar procedure in people is already under way, said Dr. Roberto Bolli, chief of cardiology and director of the Institute of Molecular Cardiology at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, who is heading the trial.

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Stem Cells Might Reverse Heart Damage From Chemo - Cancer ...

Sugar Land orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Maffet of Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is the first orthopedic surgeon in Fort Bend County who is using stem cells to help accelerate healing and recovery after surgery.

Stem cells hold a great deal of promise in orthopedics, Dr. Maffet said. Right now, their use is cutting edge but I believe they will ultimately play a huge role in making surgical repair more successful.

Stem cells are found in bone marrow, blood and various types of tissue. Because they can differentiate into specialized cells and continuously divide, stem cells act as a repair system for the body and can replenish damaged tissue.

Dr. Maffet used stem cells to surgically repair Amy Statlers ACL tear. ACL tears are a common sports injury that often requires reconstruction of the knee.Statleris an active woman who enjoys playing softball and exercising and wanted to get back to her active lifestyle quickly.

Dr. Maffet made me feel comfortable by explaining the process and answering all of my questions about the surgery;it was important for me to have a quick recovery,"Statlerexplained."I am currently in physical therapy and am expected to be back on the softball field for our first practice in February. I am so happy with my recovery thus far and I feel better every day.

During ACL reconstruction surgery, orthopedic surgeons take a tendon from the knee or hamstring (either a patient's own or from a donor) and use it to replace the damaged ACL ligament. Dr. Maffet has begun using stem cells to help the body accept the new tendon and to speed the healing process.

The new ACL graft is soaked in a concentrate full of stem cells and other growth factors prior to fixation, he explained. In other cases, we can simply suture the torn ligament and inject the stem cell concentrate into the affected area.

Dr. Maffet is also using stem cells in rotator cuff repairs of the shoulder. By creating vascular channels down into the bone at the repair site, his goal is to trigger the stem cells located there and improve tendon healing. Other physicians throughout Houston Methodist, including Dr. David Lintner in the Medical Center, are also offering this procedure.

In time, I believe we will be able to show that the use of stem cells in orthopedic applications is making a difference in the lives of our patients, he said. The potential to repair and regenerate damaged tissue or bone, using the patients own stem cells, will give us a fantastic new tool in treating sports injuries and other orthopedic issues. The ability to make our patients recoveries easier and more successful is exciting.

For more information about Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine located in Sugar Land, visit methodistorthopedics.com. For an appointment, call 281.690.4678 or emailmostappts@houstonmethodist.org.

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Sugar Land surgeon becomes first in Fort Bend to use stem cells in orthopedic surgery

Stem cell technology in skin care is relativity new to most skin care consumers, while consumers are keen to have new technology as part of their skin care regime, cosmeceutical companies have taken a very in-depth approach to educating their clients on everything stem cell.

Dermelect who are based in New York, have a complete line of skincare stem cell technology whereby each product links and connects to the next, covering all the aspects of skincare a client asks for. Key ingredients across the three products are Alpine Rose, AHA, Mushroom Extract, Algisium C, Ecoskin and Vitamin C.

Reconstruction, regeneration and firmness to begin with the first product in this series in Dermelect Resurface Stem Cell Reconstructing Serum, this serum utilizes the extracted stem cells of the Swiss Alpine Rose, this stem cell works well when the skin is subject to high oxidative, UV stress and environment aggressors. Consider your living and working environment where unseen free radicals are roaming in the atmosphere, reconstruction serum will boost the facial skin stem activity to stimulate the skins protein production.

Post Dermelect Resurface Stem Cell Reconstructing Serum, there is a rich treatment cream Dermelect Resilient Stem Cell Regenerating Treatment that works on the providing a barrier against damaging factors that attack the skins cells ,that try to break down the stem cell production. This luxurious cream has the potential to reverse skin damage as it works to stimulate new skin from the stem cell reservoirs.

At this point in the treatment the stem cells increase their potency to promote cell regenerating, so that tissue is reconstructed to a denser quality and a more elastic skin. In the anti aging skin care lines gaining a better skin density can bring back a more youthful look.

Post Dermelect Resilient Stem Cell Regenerating Treatment, is followed by Dermelect Resurgent Stem Cell Firming Activator this acts as a finishing application to promote stem cell protection, while the activator continues to prevent further free radical damage. Each layer that is easily absorbed into the skin is applied in the gentle circular motion in the morning and evening, each product in the series is light to the touch, but packed with active ingredients.

The founder of Dermelect Cosmeceuticals, Amos Lavian considered the exaggerated claims and prices in skincare when he put together the Dermelect line, Lavian comments We do not exaggerate about benefits nor do we make outrageous claims. We give you an honest approach to skincare with cutting edge ingredients, excellent delivery systems and innovative treatments that focus on targeted solutions of key areas of concern. We empower you with the tools to be more confident in your appearance and to elevate your self-esteem.

The Dermelect line can be experienced in New York at C.O Bigelow 414 6 Avenue New York, NY 10011-8495. It s worth reviewing the Dermelect web site to see the depth of research and knowledge they offer their clients on stem cell skincare.

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Dermelect cosmeceuticals stem cells to reconstruct, regenerate ...

T he International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS) is an international non-profit dedicated to patient safety through strict evaluation of protocols and rigorous oversight of clinics and facilities engaged in the translation of point-of-care cell-based treatments.As a Professional Medical Association, the ICMS represents Physiciansand Researchersfrom over 35 countries who share a mission to provide Scientifically Credible and Medically Appropriate Treatments to Informed Patients.Join the ICMS.

The ICMS Works Tirelessly for the Clincial Translation of Field of Cell-Based Point-of-Care Treatments through:

Comprehensive Medical Standards and Best Practice Guidelines for Cell Based Medicine,

Strict Evaluation and Rigerous Oversight of Stem Cell Clinics and Facilities through aGlobal Accreditation Process,

Physician Education through daily updates on the latest Research on Stem Cells, the monthly Currents In Stem Cell Medicine and the annual International Congress for Regenerative and Stem Cell Medicine.

Join the ICMSto receive the latest news and research from cell-based medicne, including the bi-monthly publication, Currents in Stem Cell Medicine.

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ICMS International Cell Medicine Society

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jan-2014

Contact: David McKeon DMckeon@nyscf.org 212-365-7440 New York Stem Cell Foundation

NEW YORK, NY (January 8, 2014) Scientists at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute in collaboration with scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) successfully generated a stem cell model of familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). Using this stem cell model, researchers identified fourteen genes that may be implicated in the disease and one gene in particular that shows the importance that inflammation may play in the brain of Alzheimer's patients.

In this study, published today in PLOS ONE, the team of scientists produced stem cells and neural precursor cells (NPCs), representing early neural progenitor cells that build the brain, from patients with severe early-onset AD with mutations in the Presenilin 1 (PSEN1) gene. These NPCs had elevated Abeta42/Abeta40 ratios, indicating elevation of the form of amyloid found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. These levels were greater than those in adult cells that did not have the PSEN1mutation. This elevated ratio showed that these NPCs grown in the petri dish were accurately reflecting the cells in the brains of FAD patients.

"Our ability to accurately recapitulate the disease in the petri dish is an important advance for this disease. These genes provide us with new targets to help elucidate the cause of sporadic forms of the disease as well provide targets for the discovery of new drugs," said Susan L. Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of The New York Stem Cell Foundation.

"The gene expression profile from Noggle's familial Alzheimer's stem cells points to inflammation which is especially exciting because we would not usually associate inflammation with this particular Alzheimer's gene. The greatest breakthroughs come with 'unknown unknowns', that is, things that we don't know now and that we would never discover through standard logic," said Sam Gandy, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Cognitive Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a co-author on the study. Gandy is also Associate Director of the NIH-Designated Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

The researchers generated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from affected and unaffected individuals from two families carrying PSEN1 mutations. After thorough characterization of the NPCs through gene expression profiling and other methods, they identified fourteen genes that behaved differently in PSEN1 NPCs relative to NPCs from individuals without the mutation. Five of these targets also showed differential expression in late onset Alzheimer's disease patients' brains. Therefore, in the PSEN1 iPS cell model, the researchers reconstituted an essential feature in the molecular development of familial Alzheimer's disease.

Although the majority of Alzheimer's disease cases are late onset and likely result from a mixture of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, there are genetic forms of the disease that affect patients at much earlier ages. PSEN1 mutations cause the most common form of inherited familial Alzheimer's disease and are one hundred percent penetrant, resulting in all individuals with this mutation getting the disease.

The identification of genes that behaved differently in patients with the mutation provides new targets to further study and better understand their effects on the development of Alzheimer's disease. One of these genes, NLRP2, is traditionally thought of as an inflammatory gene.

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Stem cell research identifies new gene targets in patients with Alzheimer's disease

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 08, 2014

A stem cell model of familial Alzheimers disease (FAD) was successfully generated, allowing researchers to identify 14 genes potentially implicated in the disease. One gene in particular demonstrates the important role inflammation may play in the brain of Alzheimers patients. The study was completed by scientists at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute in collaboration with scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) and funded in part by the Cure Alzheimers Fund(CAF).

In the study published today in PLOS ONE, a team of scientists produced stem cells and neural precursor cells (NPCs), representing early neural progenitor cells that build the brain from patients with severe early-onset AD with mutations in the Presenilin 1 (PSEN1) gene. These NPCs had elevated Abeta42/Abeta40 ratios, indicating elevation of the form of amyloid found in the brains of Alzheimers patients. These levels were greater than those in adult cells that did not have the PSEN1 mutation. This elevated ratio shows that the NPCs grown in the petri dish accurately reflected the cells in the brains of FAD patients.

"The gene expression profile from the familial Alzheimers stem cells points to inflammation, which is especially exciting because we would not usually associate inflammation with this particular Alzheimer's gene," said Sam Gandy, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Cognitive Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a co-author on the study. Gandy is also Associate Director of the NIH-Designated Mount Sinai Alzheimers Disease Research Center and leader of the Cure Alzheimers Fund Stem Cell Consortium.

"This is the kind of innovative science that will help us better understand the cause of Alzheimers and how to approach the disease with effective therapies," said Tim Armour, President and CEO of Cure Alzheimers Fund (CAF). "It also showcases how targeted investment of critical resources can make a difference in finding solutions to this debilitating disease."

The researchers generated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from affected and unaffected individuals from two families carrying PSEN1 mutations. After thorough characterization of the NPCs through gene expression profiling and other methods, they identified 14 genes that behaved differently in PSEN1 NPCs relative to NPCs from individuals without the mutation. Five of these targets also showed differential expression in late onset Alzheimers disease patients brains. Therefore, in the PSEN1 iPS cell model, the researchers reconstituted an essential feature in the molecular development of familial Alzheimers disease.

The studys co-lead authors Sam Gandy, MD, PhD and Scott Noggle, PhD are both members of CAFs Stem Cell Consortium, which supported this research. The Stem Cell Consortium is an international group of scientists collaborating on innovative research that investigates, for the first time, the brain cells from individuals with the common form of Alzheimers disease. Other members of the Consortium include Kevin Eggan, PhD, of Harvard University, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, PhD, of Rockefeller University, Doo Kim, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, and Tamir Ben-Hur, MD, PhD, of Hadassah University.

Stem cells are the least mature cells in the body. This means they can be treated with a defined cocktail of factors that can cause maturation of cells along discrete cell types. With iPS cells, which are cells that can become any cell type in the body, it now is possible to take skin cells from adults and return them to an immature state. By redirecting skin cells from Alzheimers patients and turning them into nerve cells, investigators are able to study adult Alzheimers neurons (nerve cells) in the lab.

Although the majority of Alzheimers disease cases are late onset and likely result from a mixture of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, there are genetic forms of the disease that affect patients at much earlier ages. PSEN1 mutations cause the most common form of inherited familial Alzheimers disease and are one hundred percent penetrant, resulting in all individuals with this mutation getting the disease.

Identifying genes that behaved differently in patients with the mutation provides new targets to further study and better understand their effects on the development of Alzheimers disease. One of these genes, NLRP2, is traditionally thought of as an inflammatory gene.

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Breakthrough Research Provides Valuable Insight On Cause Of Alzheimer’s

Researchers have developed a new way to study bone disorders and bone growth, using stem cells from patients afflicted with a rare, genetic bone disease. The approach, based on Nobel-Prize winning techniques, could illuminate the illness, in which muscles and tendons progressively turn into bone, and addresses the similar destructive process that afflicts a growing number of veterans who have suffered blast injuries including traumatic amputations or injuries to the brain and nervous system. This insidious hardening of tissues also grips some patients following joint replacement or severe bone injuries.

The disease model, described in a new study by a UC San Francisco-led team, involves taking skin cells from patients with the bone disease, reprogramming them in a lab dish to their embryonic state, and deriving stem cells from them.

Edward Hsiao, MD, PhD

Once the team derived the stem cells, they identified a cellular mechanism that drives abnormal bone growth in the thus-far untreatable bone disease, calledfibrodysplasiaossificansprogressiva(FOP). Furthermore, they found that certain chemicals could slow abnormal bone growth in the stem cells, a discovery that might help guide future drug development.

Clinically, the genetic and trauma-caused conditions are very similar, with bone formation in muscle leading to pain and restricted movement, according to the leader of the new study, Edward Hsiao, MD, PhD, an endocrinologist who cares for patients with rare and unusual bone diseases at the UCSF Metabolic Bone Clinic in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

The human cell-based disease model is expected to lead to a better understanding of these disorders and other illnesses, Hsiao said.

The new FOP model already has shed light on the disease process in FOP by showing that the mutated gene can affect different steps of bone formation, Hsiao said. These different stages represent potential targets for limiting or stopping the progression of the disease, and may also be useful for blocking abnormal bone formation in other conditions besides FOP. The human stem-cell lines we developed will be useful for identifying drugs that target the bone-formation process in humans."

The teams development of, and experimentation with, the human stem-cell disease model for FOP, published in the December issue of theOrphanetJournal of Rare Diseases, is a realization of the promise of research using stem cells of the type known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, immortal cells of nearly limitless potential, derived not from embryos, but from adult tissues.

Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, a UCSF professor of anatomy and a senior investigator with the UCSF-affiliated Gladstone Institutes, as well as the director of the Center foriPSCell Research and Application (CiRA) and a principal investigator at Kyoto University, shared the Nobel Prize in 2012 for discovering how to makeiPScells from skin cells using a handful of protein factors. These factors guide a reprogramming process that reverts the cells to an embryonic state, in which they have the potential to become virtually any type of cell.

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Stem Cells Used to Model Disease that Causes Abnormal Bone Growth

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) January 08, 2014

The top Phoenix stem cell clinic in the Valley, Arizona Pain Stem Cell Institute, is now offering PRP therapy for joint arthritis relief. Platelet rich plasma therapy offers the potential for relieving the pain from knee, hip, shoulder and spinal arthritis. For more information and scheduling with the Board Certified Phoenix pain management doctors, call (602) 507-6550.

Platelet rich plasma therapy, known as PRP therapy, involves a simple blood draw. The blood is then spun in a centrifuge, which then concentrates platelets and growth factors for immediate injection into the arthritic joint. The PRP therapy then acts as an attractant for the body's stem cells.

Recent published studies have shown that PRP therapy offers significant pain relief for arthritic knees and helps preserve existing cartilage. One to three injections may be necessary to obtain optimal results, which are performed as an outpatient and entail minimal risk.

In addition to PRP therapy, the Arizona Pain Stem Cell Institute offers several other regenerative medicine treatments for both joint and spinal arthritis. This includes bone marrow and fat derived stem cell injections along with amniotic stem cell rich injections. These injections are offered for patients as part of numerous clinical research studies.

The stem cell injection studies are enrolling now at the Institute. The studies are industry subsidized, with the procedures performed by the Board Certified pain management physicians.

The Arizona Pain Stem Cell Institute is part of Arizona Pain Specialists. With 5 locations accepting over 50 insurances, the pain clinics offer comprehensive treatment options for patients with both simple and complicated pain conditions.

Call (602) 507-6550 for more information and scheduling.

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Arizona Pain Stem Cell Institute Now Offering PRP Therapy for Joint Arthritis Relief

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

7-Jan-2014

Contact: David McKeon DMckeon@nyscf.org 212-365-7440 New York Stem Cell Foundation

NEW YORK, NY (January 7, 2014) Scientists at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute, working in collaboration with scientists from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), for the first time generated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells lines from non-cryoprotected brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

These new stem cell lines will allow researchers to "turn back the clock" and observe how Alzheimer's develops in the brain, potentially revealing the onset of the disease at a cellular level long before any symptoms associated with Alzheimer's are displayed. These reconstituted Alzheimer's cells will also provide a platform for drug testing on cells from patients that were definitively diagnosed with the disease. Until now, the only available method to definitively diagnose Alzheimer's disease that has been available to researchers is examining the brain of deceased patients. This discovery will permit scientists for the first time to compare "live" brain cells from Alzheimer's patients to the brain cells of other non-Alzheimer's patients.

NYSCF scientists successfully produced the iPS cells from frozen tissue samples stored for up to eleven years at the New York Brain Bank at Columbia University.

This advance, published today in Acta Neuropathologica Communications , shows that disease-specific iPS cells can be generated from readily available biobanked tissue that has not been cryoprotected, even after they have been frozen for many years. This allows for the generation of iPS cells from brains with confirmed disease pathology as well as allows access to rare patient variants that have been banked. In addition, findings made using iPS cellular models can be cross-validated in the original brain tissue used to generate the cells. The stem cell lines generated for this study included samples from patients with confirmed Alzheimer's disease and four other neurodegenerative diseases.

This important advance opens up critical new avenues of research to study cells affected by disease from patients with definitive diagnoses. This success will leverage existing biobanks to support research in a powerful new way.

iPS cells are typically generated from a skin or blood sample of a patient by turning back the clock of adult cells into pluripotent stem cells, cells that can become any cell type in the body. While valuable, iPS cells are often generated from patients without a clear diagnosis of disease and many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, often lack specific and robust disease classification and severity grading. These diseases and their extent can only be definitively diagnosed by post-mortem brain examinations. For the first time we will now be able to compare cells from living people to cells of patients with definitive diagnoses generated from their banked brain tissue.

Brain bank networks, which combined contain tens of thousands of samples, provide a large and immediate source of tissue including rare disease samples and a conclusive spectrum of disease severity among samples. The challenge to this approach is that the majority of biobanked brain tissue was not meant for growing live cells, and thus was not frozen in the presence of cryoprotectants normally used to protect cells while frozen. NYSCF scientists in collaboration with CUMC scientists have shown that these thousands of samples can now be used to make living human cells for use in disease studies and to develop new drugs or preventative treatments for future patients.

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NYSCF scientists make living brain cells from Alzheimer's patients biobanked brain tissue