StemCell Therapy

The stem cell controversy is the consideration of the ethics of research involving the development, usage, and destruction of human embryos. Most commonly, this controversy focuses on embryonic stem cells. Not all stem cell research involves the creation, usage and destruction of human embryos. For example, adult stem cells, amniotic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells do not involve creating, using or destroying human embryos and thus are minimally, if at all, controversial.

The use of stem cells has been happening for decades. In 1998, scientists discovered how to extract stem cells from human embryos. This discovery led to moral ethics questions concerning research involving embryo cells, such as what restrictions should be made on studies using these types of cells? At what point does one consider life to begin? Is it just to destroy an embryo cell if it has the potential to cure countless numbers of patients? Political leaders are debating how to regulate and fund research studies that involve the techniques used to remove the embryo cells. No clear consensus has emerged. Other recent discoveries may extinguish the need for embryonic stem cells.[1]

Since stem cells have the ability to differentiate into any type of cell, they offer something in the development of medical treatments for a wide range of conditions. Treatments that have been proposed include treatment for physical trauma, degenerative conditions, and genetic diseases (in combination with gene therapy). Yet further treatments using stem cells could potentially be developed thanks to their ability to repair extensive tissue damage.[2]

Great levels of success and potential have been shown from research using adult stem cells. In early 2009, the FDA approved the first human clinical trials using embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can become all cell types of the body which is called totipotent. Adult stem cells are generally limited to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue of origin. However, some evidence suggests that adult stem cell plasticity may exist, increasing the number of cell types a given adult stem cell can become. In addition, embryonic stem cells are considered more useful for nervous system therapies, because researchers have struggled to identify and isolate neural progenitors from adult tissues[citation needed]. Embryonic stem cells, however, might be rejected by the immune system - a problem which wouldn't occur if the patient received his or her own stem cells.

Some stem cell researchers are working to develop techniques of isolating stem cells that are as potent as embryonic stem cells, but do not require a human embryo.

Some believe that human skin cells can be coaxed to "de-differentiate" and revert to an embryonic state. Researchers at Harvard University, led by Kevin Eggan, have attempted to transfer the nucleus of a somatic cell into an existing embryonic stem cell, thus creating a new stem cell line.[3] Another study published in August 2006 also indicates that differentiated cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state by introducing four specific factors, resulting in induced pluripotent stem cells.[4]

Researchers at Advanced Cell Technology, led by Robert Lanza, reported the successful derivation of a stem cell line using a process similar to preimplantation genetic diagnosis, in which a single blastomere is extracted from a blastocyst.[5] At the 2007 meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR),[6] Lanza announced that his team had succeeded in producing three new stem cell lines without destroying the parent embryos. "These are the first human embryonic cell lines in existence that didn't result from the destruction of an embryo." Lanza is currently in discussions with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine whether the new technique sidesteps U.S. restrictions on federal funding for ES cell research.[7]

Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University says that the fluid surrounding the fetus has been found to contain stem cells that, when utilized correctly, "can be differentiated towards cell types such as fat, bone, muscle, blood vessel, nerve and liver cells". The extraction of this fluid is not thought to harm the fetus in any way. He hopes "that these cells will provide a valuable resource for tissue repair and for engineered organs as well".[8]

The status of the human embryo and human embryonic stem cell research is a controversial issue as, with the present state of technology, the creation of a human embryonic stem cell line requires the destruction of a human embryo. Stem cell debates have motivated and reinvigorated the pro-life movement, whose members are concerned with the rights and status of the embryo as an early-aged human life. They believe that embryonic stem cell research instrumentalizes and violates the sanctity of life and is tantamount to murder.[9] The fundamental assertion of those who oppose embryonic stem cell research is the belief that human life is inviolable, combined with the belief that human life begins when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell to form a single cell.

A portion of stem cell researchers use embryos that were created but not used in in vitro fertility treatments to derive new stem cell lines. Most of these embryos are to be destroyed, or stored for long periods of time, long past their viable storage life. In the United States alone, there have been estimates of at least 400,000 such embryos.[10] This has led some opponents of abortion, such as Senator Orrin Hatch, to support human embryonic stem cell research.[11] See Also Embryo donation.

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Stem cell controversy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MIAMI (PRWEB) June 08, 2015

Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiary Stem Cell Training, Inc. have announced plans to conduct a hands-on, two day intensive stem cell training course for physicians and qualified medical professionals Sept. 18 -19, 2015. The training course will be led by anti-aging specialist John P. Salerno, M.D. in Downtown Manhattan.

The founder of The Salerno Center, Salerno practices integrative medicine, combining traditional and alternative healing methods. The course will focus on stem cell therapies for a variety of conditions and treatments including anti-aging therapies. Salerno trained in anti-aging medicine and has opened more than 20 anti-aging medical centers worldwide, including 10 in Japan, three in Brazil and two in Korea.

The Adipose and Bone Marrow Stem Cell Training Course was developed for physicians and high-level practitioners to learn the process through an intensive, hands-on training session that arms participants with clinical protocols and state-of-the-art techniques for isolating and re-integrating adipose- and bone marrow-derived stem cells.

The objective of the training is to teach effective regenerative medicine techniques that can be used to treat patients in-office.

Global Stem Cells Group's Stem Cell Training, Inc. courses have been extended to approximately 35 countries, allowing a global community of physicians to learn how to apply these new stem cell technologies. For more information, visit the Stem Cell Training, Inc. website, email info(at)stemcelltraining(dot)net, or call 305-224-1858.

About Global Stem Cells Group:

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions.

With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

Global Stem Cells Group's corporate mission is to make the promise of stem cell medicine a reality for patients around the world. With each of GSCG's six operating companies focused on a separate research-based mission, the result is a global network of state-of-the-art stem cell treatments.

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Global Stem Cells Group, Stem Cell Training and Anti-aging ...

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1 Stem Cell Treatments can help you today! Stem cells can actually help with a variety of conditions like Cerebral Palsy, ALS, Parkinsons, Stroke, TBI and more! read more.

2 Bone Marrow Stem Cells can be used as a safe & effective treatment for degenerative diseases. Dr. Steenblock has successfully performed/consulted on over 3,000 bone marrow stem cell therapy cases. read more

3Stemgevity was developed by physician Dr. David Steenblock to help mobilize your bodys own stem cells. Stemgevity is an all natural supplement that can help you start healing todayread more

4 In this revolutionizing book, both Dr. Steenblock & Dr. Payne describe the benefits of healthy umbilical cord stem cells and their ability to treat conditions like Cerebral Palsy.read more

The use of fat stem cells is not without risk, something brought into sharp focus late last year (2012) when stories surfaced in the media concerning a lady in Los Angeles who had a cosmetic procedure in which mesenchymal stem cells isolated from her own harvested fat were injected around her eyes along with a FDA approved dermal filler used to reduce wrinkles. The dermal filler contained calcium hydroxylapatite Read More

To hear critics of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) tell it, wholistic doctors such as myself are having a pervasive and insidious influence not only among medical consumers (aka the public) but weve managed to thoroughly infiltrate academia and hospitals and as a result are poised to catapult medicine back into the prescientific Middle Ages. If you compare the language and reasoning of many modern day quackbusters and so-called skeptics alongside newspaper articles from the 1950s McCarthy era Read More

DISCLAIMER: The use of stem cells or stem cell rich tissues as well as the mobilization of stem cells by any means, e.g., pharmaceutical, mechanical or herbal-nutrient is not FDA approved to combat aging or to prevent, treat, cure or mitigate any disease or medical condition mentioned, cited or described in any document or article on this website. This website and the information featured, showcased or otherwise appearing on it is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Those who visit this web site should not rely on information provided on it for their own health problems. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your physician or other duly licensed healthcare provider. This website makes no guarantees, warranties or express or implied representations whatsoever with regard to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative or controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced on this Web site. This website and its owners and operators do not assume any risk whatsoever for your use of this website or the information posted herein. Health-related information and opinions change frequently and therefore information contained on this Website may be outdated, incomplete or incorrect. All statements made about products, drugs and such on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, any testimonials appearing on this website are based on the experiences of a few people and you are not likely to have similar results. Use of this Website does not create an expressed or implied professional relationship.

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Stem Cells Adult Stem Cells & Stem Cell Treatments ...

Arthritic knees; 7 months after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D.
Barbara describes her outcome seven months after her stem cell injections for her arthritic knees by Harry Adelson, N.D. http://www.docereclinics.com.

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

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Arthritic knees; 7 months after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D. - Video

Stem Cell Treatment for COPD | StemRx Bioscience Solutions
Dr.P V Mahajan expertise in Stem Cell Therapy | For More details please visit http://www.stemrx.in.

By: StemRx BioScience

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Stem Cell Treatment for COPD | StemRx Bioscience Solutions - Video

Findings from animal study have implications for disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

IMAGE:Adult lung cells regenerating: Type 1 cells are green. Type 2 cells are red. New Type 2 derived from Type 1 cells are yellow. Nuclei are blue view more

Credit: Jon Epstein, MD & Rajan Jain, MD, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Christina Barkauskas & Brigid Hogan, Duke University

PHILADELPHIA - A new collaborative study describes a way that lung tissue can regenerate after injury. The team found that lung tissue has more dexterity in repairing tissue than once thought. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University, including co-senior authors Jon Epstein, MD, chair of the department of Cell and Developmental Biology, and Brigid L.M Hogan, Duke Medicine, along with co-first authors Rajan Jain, MD, a cardiologist and instructor in the Department of Medicine and Christina E. Barkauskas, also from Duke, report their findings in Nature Communications

"It's as if the lung cells can regenerate from one another as needed to repair missing tissue, suggesting that there is much more flexibility in the system than we have previously appreciated," says Epstein. "These aren't classic stem cells that we see regenerating the lung. They are mature lung cells that awaken in response to injury. We want to learn how the lung regenerates so that we can stimulate the process in situations where it is insufficient, such as in patients with COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]."

The two types of airway cells in the alveoli, the gas-exchanging part of the lung, have very different functions, but can morph into each other under the right circumstances, the investigators found. Long, thin Type 1 cells are where gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) are exchanged - the actual breath. Type 2 cells secrete surfactant, a soapy substance that helps keep airways open. In fact, premature babies need to be treated with surfactant to help them breathe.

The team showed in mouse models that these two types of cells originate from a common precursor stem cell in the embryo. Next, the team used other mouse models in which part of the lung was removed and single cell culture to study the plasticity of cell types during lung regrowth. The team showed that Type 1 cells can give rise to Type 2 cells, and vice-versa.

The Duke team had previously established that Type 2 cells produce surfactant and function as progenitors in adult mice, demonstrating differentiation into gas-exchanging Type 1 cells. The ability of Type I cells to give rise to alternate lineages had not been previously reported.

"We decided to test that hypothesis about Type 1 cells," says Jain. "We found that Type 1 cells give rise to the Type 2 cells over about three weeks in various models of regeneration. We saw new cells growing back into these new areas of the lung. It's as if the lung knows it has to grow back and can call into action some Type 1 cells to help in that process."

This is one of the first studies to show that a specialized cell type that was thought to be at the end of its ability to differentiate can revert to an earlier state under the right conditions. In this case, it was not by using a special formula of transcription factors, but by inducing damage to tell the body to repair itself and that it needs new cells of a certain type to do that.

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One type of airway cell can regenerate another lung cell type

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Newswise PHILADELPHIA A new collaborative study describes a way that lung tissue can regenerate after injury. The team found that lung tissue has more dexterity in repairing tissue than once thought. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University, including co-senior authors Jon Epstein, MD, chair of the department of Cell and Developmental Biology, and Brigid L.M Hogan, Duke Medicine, along with co-first authors Rajan Jain, MD, a cardiologist and instructor in the Department of Medicine and Christina E. Barkauskas, also from Duke, report their findings in Nature Communications.

Its as if the lung cells can regenerate from one another as needed to repair missing tissue, suggesting that there is much more flexibility in the system than we have previously appreciated, says Epstein. These arent classic stem cells that we see regenerating the lung. They are mature lung cells that awaken in response to injury. We want to learn how the lung regenerates so that we can stimulate the process in situations where it is insufficient, such as in patients with COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

The two types of airway cells in the alveoli, the gas-exchanging part of the lung, have very different functions, but can morph into each other under the right circumstances, the investigators found. Long, thin Type 1 cells are where gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) are exchanged the actual breath. Type 2 cells secrete surfactant, a soapy substance that helps keep airways open. In fact, premature babies need to be treated with surfactant to help them breathe.

The team showed in mouse models that these two types of cells originate from a common precursor stem cell in the embryo. Next, the team used other mouse models in which part of the lung was removed and single cell culture to study the plasticity of cell types during lung regrowth. The team showed that Type 1 cells can give rise to Type 2 cells, and vice-versa.

The Duke team had previously established that Type 2 cells produce surfactant and function as progenitors in adult mice, demonstrating differentiation into gas-exchanging Type 1 cells. The ability of Type I cells to give rise to alternate lineages had not been previously reported.

We decided to test that hypothesis about Type 1 cells, says Jain. We found that Type 1 cells give rise to the Type 2 cells over about three weeks in various models of regeneration. We saw new cells growing back into these new areas of the lung. Its as if the lung knows it has to grow back and can call into action some Type 1 cells to help in that process.

This is one of the first studies to show that a specialized cell type that was thought to be at the end of its ability to differentiate can revert to an earlier state under the right conditions. In this case, it was not by using a special formula of transcription factors, but by inducing damage to tell the body to repair itself and that it needs new cells of a certain type to do that.

The team is also applying the approaches outlined in this paper to cells in the intestine and skin to study basic ideas of stem cell maintenance and differentiation to relate back to similar mechanisms in the heart. They also hope to apply this knowledge to such other lung conditions as acute respiratory distress syndrome and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, where the alveoli cannot get enough oxygen into the blood.

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Limber Lungs: One Type of Airway Cell Can Regenerate Another Lung Cell Type

PHILADELPHIA -- The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is honoring Owen N. Witte, MD, founding director of the Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research and distinguished professor of microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles, with the 55th annual AACR G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award at the AACR Annual Meeting 2015, to be held in Philadelphia, April 18-22.

Witte, who is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and an elected fellow of the AACR Academy, is being recognized for his many contributions to the understanding of human leukemias, immune disorders, and epithelial cancer stem cells. Witte's work, which contributed to the development of several approved targeted therapies, has transformed the lives of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias and B-cell malignancies. He will present his lecture, "Finding Therapeutic Targets for Aggressive Prostate Cancer," Monday, April 20, 5:30 p.m. ET, in the Grand Ballroom of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The AACR and Eli Lilly and Company established the G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award in 1961 to honor Dr. G.H.A. Clowes, a founding member of the AACR and research director at Eli Lilly. This award recognizes an individual with outstanding recent accomplishments in basic cancer research.

Witte's innovative work helped revolutionize modern cancer treatment by defining tyrosine kinases as crucial drug targets in human disease. Most notably, he pinpointed the molecular consequences of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome abnormality present in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and related types of leukemia and defined the tyrosine kinase activity of the ABL gene product. These findings played a crucial role in the subsequent development of ABL kinase-targeted therapies, including imatinib (Gleevec), which remains the front-line treatment for Ph-positive CML.

In addition to his research involving ABL, Witte also co-discovered Bruton agammaglobulinemia tyrosine kinase (BTK). This particular kinase is essential for B-cell maturation and when mutated, results in the onset of the immunodeficiency disease, X-linked agammagloblulinemia. Recent studies involving this protein have resulted in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of ibrutinib (Imbruvica), a selective BTK inhibitor, for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia mantle cell lymphoma, and Waldenstrm macroglobulinemia.

More recently, Witte's work has focused on defining the epithelial stem cell populations that contribute to prostate cancer. He is currently using mass spectrometry approaches to identify kinases that could be potential therapeutic targets for human prostate cancer.

"Much progress has been made in the area of personalized cancer medicine due to the dedication of scientists and physicians around the world, many of whom I've had the pleasure of working with through the AACR's innovative initiatives," said Witte. "But much more work is needed as we seek to understand cancer, which is not a single disease but rather many diseases that develop differently. I thank the AACR for their leadership in this effort and am honored to receive the Clowes Memorial Award."

An active AACR member, Witte has served on the AACR board of directors and several grant review committees. He is a past recipient of the AACR-Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Award and a co-leader of the Stand Up to Cancer Dream Team: Targeting Adaptive Pathways in Metastatic Treatment-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Additionally, he is also serving an appointed term on the President's Cancer Panel.

Witte has been recognized throughout his career with numerous honors. He has received the Nakahara Memorial Lecture Prize, the Cotlove Lectureship from the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists, the de Villiers International Achievement Award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Warren Alpert Prize, and is elected member of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, and fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Microbiology.

Witte received his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine in California, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. He joined the UCLA faculty in 1980.

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Dr. Owen Witte recognized with AACR G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award

Miami, FL (PRWEB) April 06, 2015

Regenestem Network, a subsidiary of the Global Stem Cells Group, has announced plans to attend the 23rd Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine (a4m) at the Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, Fla. Hosted by the American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine, the conference will be attended by physicians and medical practitioners from around the world.

Regenestem Network plans to showcase its upcoming stem cell training course, Adipose Derived and Bone Marrow Stem Cell course, with classes scheduled to be held May 9-10 and June 15-16, 2015 in Miami. The intensive, two-day course covers the latest technology and procedures in adipose and bone marrow stem cell therapies. Participants learn skills that can be used in their own practice and for career advancement.

A4m Conference Keynote speakers include Daniel G. Amen, MD, David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM, and Gary Small, MD. All three will focus on disease prevention and optimized health through a proactive treatment approach. These world-renown speakers are scheduled to deliver insightful presentations, the latest research and breakthrough therapies in anti-aging medicine.

To learn more about the 23rd Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine, visit the a4m website. For more information on the Regenestem Network, visit the website at regenestemnetwork.com. For more information on the stem cell training classes, visit the http://www.stemcelltraining.net website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 849.943.2988.

About Regenestem Network:

Regenestem Network, a division of the Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., is an international medical practice association committed to researching and producing comprehensive stem cell treatments for patients worldwide. Having assembled a highly qualified staff of medical specialistsprofessionals trained in the latest cutting-edge techniques in cellular medicineRegenestem continues to be a leader in delivering the latest protocols in the adult stem cell arena. Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem Network are expanding the companys clinical presence worldwide by partnering with experienced and qualified regenerative medicine physicians to open new clinics licensed and developed under the Regenestem banner. In 2014, Global Stem Cells Group expanded the Regenestem Networks global presence to 20 countries.

Regenestem offers stem cell treatments to help treat a variety of diseases and conditions including arthritis, autism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and pain due to injuries at various facilities worldwide. Regenestem Oaxaca will have an international staff experienced in administering the latest in cellular therapies.

Regenestem is certified for the medical tourism market, and staff physicians are board-certified or board-eligible. Regenestem clinics provide services in more than 10 specialties, attracting patients from the United States and around the world.

About the Global Stem Cell Group:

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Regenestem Network Announces Plans to Attend the 23rd Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine May 7-9, 2015

Researchers map chromosomal changes that must take place before stem cells can be used to produce pancreatic and liver cells

IMAGE:These are pancreatic cells derived from embryonic stem cells. view more

Credit: UC San Diego School of Medicine

Stem cells hold great promise for treating a number of diseases, in part because they have the unique ability to differentiate, specializing into any one of the hundreds of cell types that comprise the human body. Harnessing this potential, though, is difficult. In some cases, it takes up to seven carefully orchestrated steps of adding certain growth factors at specific times to coax stem cells into the desired cell type. Even then, cells of the intestine, liver and pancreas are notoriously difficult to produce from stem cells. Writing in Cell Stem Cell April 2, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered why.

It turns out that the chromosomes in laboratory stem cells open slowly over time, in the same sequence that occurs during embryonic development. It isn't until certain chromosomal regions have acquired the "open" state that they are able to respond to added growth factors and become liver or pancreatic cells. This new understanding, say researchers, will help spur advancements in stem cell research and the development of new cell therapies for diseases of the liver and pancreas, such as type 1 diabetes.

"Our ability to generate liver and pancreatic cells from stem cells has fallen behind the advances we've made for other cell types," said Maike Sander, MD, professor of pediatrics and cellular and molecular medicine and director of the Pediatric Diabetes Research Center at UC San Diego. "So we haven't yet been able to do things like test new drugs on stem cell-derived liver and pancreatic cells. What we have learned is that if we want to make specific cells from stem cells, we need ways to predict how those cells and their chromosomes will respond to the growth factors."

Sander led the study, together with co-senior author Bing Ren, PhD, professor of cellular and molecular medicine at UC San Diego and Ludwig Cancer Research member.

Chromosomes are the structures formed by tightly wound and packed DNA. Humans have 46 chromosomes - 23 inherited from each parent. Sander, Ren and their teams first made maps of chromosomal modifications over time, as embryonic stem cells differentiated through several different developmental intermediates on their way to becoming pancreatic and liver cells. Then, in analyzing these maps, they discovered links between the accessibility (openness) of certain regions of the chromosome and what they call developmental competence - the ability of the cell to respond to triggers like added growth factors.

"We're also finding that these chromosomal regions that need to open before a stem cell can fully differentiate are linked to regions where there are variations in certain disease states," Sander says.

In other words, if a person were to inherit a genetic variation in one of these chromosomal regions and his or her chromosome didn't open up at exactly the right time, he or she could hypothetically be more susceptible to a disease affecting that cell type. Sander's team is now working to further investigate what role, if any, these chromosomal regions and their variations play in diabetes.

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'Open' stem cell chromosomes reveal new possibilities for diabetes

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - The state stem cell agency, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM),awarded a pair of grants totaling more than $7 million to UC Davis School of Medicine researchers who are working to develop stem cell therapies for spina bifida and chronic diabetic wounds. The funding is part of what the agency considers "the most promising" research leading up to human clinical trials using stem cells to treat disease and injury. Diana Farmer, professor and chair of surgery at UC Davis Medical Center, is developing a placental stem cell therapy for spina bifida, the common and devastating birth defect that causes lifelong paralysis as well as bladder and bowel incontinence. She and her team are working on a unique treatment that can be applied in utero - before a baby is born -- in order to reverse spinal cord damage. Roslyn Rivkah Isseroff, a UC Davis professor of dermatology, and Jan Nolta, professor of internal medicine and director of the university's Stem Cell Program, are developing a wound dressing containing stem cells that could be applied to chronic wounds and be a catalyst for rapid healing. This is Isseroff's second CIRM grant, and it will help move her research closer to having a product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that specifically targets diabetic foot ulcers, a condition affecting more than 6 million people in the country. The CIRM board, which met in Berkeley today, has high hopes for these types of research that the agency funded in this latest round of stem cell grants. "This investment will let us further test the early promise shown by these projects," said Jonathan Thomas, chair of CIRM's governing board. "Preclinical work is vital in examining the feasibility, potential effectiveness and safety of a therapy before we try it on people. These projects all showed compelling evidence that they could be tremendously beneficial to patients. We want to help them build on that earlier research and move the projects to the next level." The CIRM grants are designed to enable the UC Davis research teams to transition from preclinical research to preclinical development over the next 30 months to be able to meet the FDA's rigorous safety and efficacy standards for Investigative New Drugs. As the former surgeon-in-chief at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Farmer helped pioneer fetal surgery techniques for treating spina bifida before birth. The condition, also known as myelomeningocele, is one of the most common and devastating birth defects worldwide, causing lifelong paralysis as well as bowel and bladder incontinence in newborns. Farmer has been investigating different stem cell types and the best way to deliver stem cell-based treatments in the womb for the past six years. She and her research colleagues recently discovered a placental therapy using stem cells that cures spina bifida in animal models. That discovery requires additional testing and FDA approval before the therapy can be used in humans. With the CIRM funding, Farmer and her team plan to optimize their stem cell product, validate its effectiveness, determine the optimal dose and confirm its preliminary safety in preparation for human clinical trials. Isseroff, who also serves as chief of dermatology and director of wound healing services for the VA Northern California Health Care System, has long been frustrated by the challenges of treating the chronic, non-healing wounds of diabetics. In 2010, she and Nolta received a CIRM grant to begin developing a bioengineered product for treating chronic diabetic wounds. Foot ulcers, in particular, affect about 25 percent of all diabetic patients and are responsible for most lower-limb amputations. Isseroff and her research team created a treatment using stem cells derived from bone marrow (mesenchymal stem cells) along with a FDA-approved scaffold to help regenerate dermal tissue and restart the healing process. Their studies found the technique to be highly effective for healing wounds in animal models. With this latest CIRM grant, Isseroff's team will refine their therapeutic technique by determining the safest dosage for regenerating tissue and testing their product in skin-wound models that closely resemble those in diabetic humans. Nolta also plans to create a Master Cell Bank of pure and effective human mesenchymal stem cells, and establish standard operating procedures for use in diabetic wound repair. The results of their efforts will enable UC Davis to move closer to FDA approval for human clinical trials in the next two and a half years. "These amazing research efforts are giant steps forward in turning stem cells into cures," said Nolta, who also directs the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures in Sacramento. "This preclinical research is the most crucial, and often the toughest, stage before we move scientific discoveries from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside. We are now poised as never before to make a big difference in the lives of people with spina bifida and non-healing diabetic wounds." For more information, visit UC Davis School of Medicine at http://medschool.ucdavis.edu.

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Stem Cell Grants for Spina Bifida and Diabetic Wound Treatments

Madison-based stem cell company Cellular Dynamics InternationalInc. is being acquired by Tokyo-based Fujifilm Holdings Corp., the companies announced in a news release Monday.

The deal was described as "an all-cash tender offer to be followed by a second step merger," with Fujifilm buying all shares of CDI stock for $16.50 per share, valuing the deal at about $307 million.

The offer is a premium of 108 percent to CDI's closing stock price on Friday.

The news sent the stock shooting up in the range of $16.40 to $16.52 a share in morning trading, with more than 2 million shares changing hands by noon, compared with an average volume of 69,000 a day, over the past three months.

When the deal is completed, CDI will continue to run its operations in Madison and Novato, California as a consolidated subsidiary of Fujifilm. CDI had 155 employees at the end of 2014.

The deal, which is expected to close during the second quarter, has been approved by the boards of both companies.

"CDI has become a leader in the development and manufacture of fully functioning human cells in industrial quantities to precise specifications,"Robert J. Palay, Chairman and CEO of CDI, said in the release. "CDI and Fujifilm share a common strategic vision for achieving leadership in the field of regenerative medicine. The combination of CDI's technology with Fujifilm's technologies, know-how, and resources brings us ever closer to realizing the promise of discovering better, safer medicines and developing new cell therapies based on iPSCs."

CDI was founded in 2004 and listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in July 2013. The company had global revenues of $16.7 million in the year ended Dec. 31, 2014.

Fujifilm has successfully transformed its business structure for growth by expanding from traditional photographic film to other priority business fields. Positioning the healthcare business as one of its key growth areas, Fujifilm is seeking to cover "prevention, diagnosis, and treatment" comprehensively.

CDI's technology platform enables the production of high-quality fully functioning human cells, including induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), on an industrial scale. Customers use CDI's products, among other purposes, for drug discovery and screening, to test the safety and efficacy of their small molecule and biological drug candidates, for stem cell banking, and in the research and development of cellular therapeutics. CDI's proprietary iCell product catalogue encompasses 12 different iPSC based cell types, including iCell Cardomyocytes, iCell Hepatocytes, and iCell Neurons. During 2014 CDI sold to 18 of 20 top biopharmaceutical companies.

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Stem cell firm Cellular Dynamics being acquired by Japanese company for $307 million

Irvine, Calif., March 26, 2015 -- Leslie Thompson of the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at UC Irvine has been awarded $5 million by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to continue her CIRM-funded effort to develop stem cell treatments for Huntington's disease.

The grant supports her next step: identifying and testing stem cell-based treatments for HD, an inherited, incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. In this project, Thompson and her colleagues will establish an HD therapy employing human embryonic stem cells that can be evaluated in clinical trials.

Over the past seven years, Thompson, a UCI professor of psychiatry & human behavior and neurobiology & behavior, and her team have used CIRM funding to produce stem cell lines "reprogrammed" from the skin cells of individuals carrying the Huntington's genetic mutation in order to study the disease. In addition, they conducted basic and early-stage transitional studies to develop a stem cell-based technique to treat areas of the brain susceptible to HD.

"These stem cells offer a possible long-term treatment approach that could relieve the tremendous suffering experienced by HD patients and their families," said Thompson, who's also affiliated with UCI's Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND). "We appreciate CIRM and the millions of people in the state of California for generously supporting breakthrough stem cell research."

With this award, CIRM has granted Thompson $10.3 million for her HD work. Overall, UCI has received $105 million from the state-funded agency.

Thompson said that her group has identified a highly promising neural stem cell line that shows disease-modifying activity in HD mice. These neural stem cells were grown from human embryonic stem cells at UC Davis. The researchers also will conduct essential preclinical efficacy and safety studies in HD mice with these cells.

Over the span of the 2-year grant, Thompson said, the goal is to finalize work that will lead to a pre-investigational-new-drug meeting with the Food & Drug Administration and a path forward for clinical trials with the neural stem cells.

"This investment will let us further test the early promise shown by these projects," said Jonathan Thomas, chair of the CIRM governing board. "Preclinical work is vital in examining the feasibility, potential effectiveness and safety of a therapy before we try it on people. These projects all showed compelling evidence that they could be tremendously beneficial to patients. We want to help them build on that earlier research and move the projects to the next level."

HD is a devastating degenerative brain disorder with no disease-modifying treatment or cure. Current approaches only address certain symptoms of HD and do not change its course.

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UCI team gets $5 million to create stem cell treatment for Huntington's disease

Celprogen Released Stem Cell Active Ingredients for the Cosmetic Industry Tested and Validated in Cosmetic Products for a Decade

The present invention relates to culturing stem cells in animal free conditions has been developed and optimized by Celprogen utilizing single use bioreactor technology. The cosmetic industry has benefited from this technology for their regenerative skin care product lines. The topical application of these skin care products utilizing Celprogens Stem Cell Derived Conditioned Media have been in the market for 10 plus years.

About Celprogen Inc. Celprogen Inc. is a global Stem Cell Research & Therapeutics company which is developing a proprietary portfolio of unique therapeutics products and life science research tools that includes genetic engineering technologies, stem cell technologies for regenerative medicine, as well as bio-engineering products for tissue & organ transplants. Headquartered in Torrance, California, Celprogen is committed to the research, development, and manufacture of quality Stem Cell, Cancer Stem Cell and Primary Cell Culture products to serve our global community. Additional information about Celprogen is available at http://www.celprogen.com.

For additional information on the product line contact: Jay Sharma Phone: 310 542 8822 info@celprogen.com http://www.celprogen.com

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Celprogen Released Stem Cell Active Ingredients for the Cosmetic Industry Tested and Validated in Cosmetic Products ...

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Newswise March 24, 2015, NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation reduced opioid tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia caused by daily morphine injections in rats, according to new research. The results could herald stem cell transplantation as an innovative, safe, efficacious and cost-effective therapy to treat pain and opioid tolerance, said researchers, who presented results in a Plenary Research Highlight session at the 31st Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

Not only was opioid tolerance prevented when the rats were transplanted with MSC before repeated morphine injections, but tolerance was reversed when the rats were treated after opioid tolerance had developed, results demonstrated.

MSCs have a remarkable anti-inflammatory effect and a powerful anti-tolerance effect, said the studys principal investigator, Jianguo Cheng, M.D., Ph.D., who led the research team from the Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio. Although clinical trials are still three to five years away, he said, eventually, The results may apply to millions of patients with a wide range of pain states, including cancer pain and other intractable chronic pain that requires long-term opioid therapy.

Furthermore, Cheng characterized the procedure as practical, in light of readily available sources of stem cells, reliable stem cell technology, the simplicity of transplantation procedures and the fact that clinical trials are already underway involving autoimmune and other diseases.

The Institute of Medicine report on pain in America documented millions who suffer with chronic pain (Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. National Academies Press [US]; 2011). Opioid therapy is a cornerstone component of pain management for many people with severe, ongoing pain; however, side effects such as tolerance and the risks posed by abuse, addiction and drug overdose limit its utility. Tolerance, a physiologic process in which the patients body adjusts to a dose and no longer achieves pain relief, is a common limitation with opioid therapy. The higher doses that result can limit effectiveness and compromise safety.

Glial cells are of growing interest in pain research and have been implicated in the development of tolerance. Glial cell activity also produces pain through the release of products that excite the nervous system, playing an important role in the spinal cord during nerve injury. Furthermore, the opioids used to treat pain, also can induce glial activity, causing pain relief to drop and unwanted opioid effects, including tolerance, dependence, reward and decreased breathing, to grow. A focus of research, then, is to separate the desired effect of pain relief from the unwanted opioid effects (Watkins et al, Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 2009;30(11): 581-91).

Interest in transplant of stem cells is another maturing research avenue (Hsu et al, Cell Transplant 2007;16(2):133-50). MSCs can differentiate into a variety of cell types and have been investigated for potential repair of damaged neural cells and for calming inflammation in the immune system to promote recovery after traumatic brain injury (Zhang et al, J Neuroinflammation 2013;10(1):106).

Following this line of research, the study investigators wondered whether they could create an anti-tolerance therapy by transplanting MSCs into the intrathecal space surrounding the spinal cord. With approval by the Cleveland Clinic Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and funding through the Department of Defenses Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, they compared the withdrawal thresholds of the hind paws in response to painful mechanical and thermal stimuli in two groups of rats that received daily morphine injections. The first group was treated with MSC transplantation and the control group with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS).

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Cleveland Clinic Researchers First to Demonstrate Significant Blocking of Opioid Tolerance With Mesenchymal Stem Cell ...

Boston, MA (PRWEB) March 24, 2015

The opening keynote address presented by Asymmetrex, LLC to an assembled audience of about 100 international experts in stem cell science, medicine, and engineering challenged attendees to consider whether the past 10 years of rapid growth of heterologous stem cell transplantation trials was the best path to achieving effective regenerative medicines. Among the participants there were a number of clinical and industry experts who pursued heterologous stem cell treatments. To a large extent, heterologous stem cell transplantation treatments involve evaluating bone marrow-derived or fat-derived cells as possible therapies for illnesses and disorders in other organs and tissues. Sherley suggested that such clinical trials were motivated primarily by the easier access and greater availability of these types of cell preparations instead of good biological rationale. This intentional provocation got the conference off to energetic discussion that continued throughout the day.

As the co-chair of the conferences first-days focus on stem cell medical engineering, Sherley shared with attendees Asymmetrexs essential technological basis, which is the asymmetric self-renewal of adult tissue stem cells. Sherley related how all Asymmetrexs innovative technologies for advancing stem cell medicine were derivative of the companys superior research position on asymmetric self-renewal, which is the unique property of adult tissue stem cells that defines their function in the body. Adult tissue stem cells multiply to continuously replenish expired mature tissue cells without losing their own stem cell identity. Because embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells do not have asymmetric self-renewal, they are incapable of providing lasting cellular therapies.

Sherley described how each of Asymmetrexs patented technologies for stem cell medicine was based on asymmetric self-renewal. Asymmetrex holds patents for the only method described for routine production of natural human tissue stem cells that retain their normal function. The company also holds patents for biomarkers that can be used to count tissue stem cells for the first time. The companys most recently developed technology was invented with computer-simulation leader, AlphaSTAR Corporation. In partnership, the two companies created a first-of-its-kind method for monitoring adult tissue stem cell number and function for any human tissue that can be cultured. This advance is the basis for the two companies AlphaSTEM technology for detecting adult tissue stem cell-toxic drug candidates before conventional preclinical testing in animals or clinical trials. Asymmetrex and AlphaSTAR plan to market the new technology to pharmaceutical companies. The implementation of AlphaSTEM technology would accelerate drug development and reduce adverse drug events for volunteers and patients. At full capacity use, AlphaSTEM could reduce U.S. drug development costs by $4-5 billion each year.

About Asymmetrex (http://asymmetrex.com/)

Asymmetrex, LLC is a Massachusetts life sciences company with a focus on developing technologies to advance stem cell medicine. Asymmetrexs founder and director, James L. Sherley, M.D., Ph.D. is an internationally recognized expert on the unique properties of adult tissue stem cells. The companys patent portfolio contains biotechnologies that solve the two main technical problems production and quantification that have stood in the way of successful commercialization of human adult tissue stem cells for regenerative medicine and drug development. In addition, the portfolio includes novel technologies for isolating cancer stem cells and producing induced pluripotent stem cells for disease research purposes. Currently, Asymmetrexs focus is employing its technological advantages to develop facile methods for monitoring adult stem cell number and function in clinically important human tissues.

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Asymmetrex Opens Up 5th World Congress on Cell and Stem Cell Research in Chicago with a Focus on Its New Technologies ...

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MIAMI (PRWEB) March 19, 2015

Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiary, Stem Cells Training, has coordinated with Emil Arroyo, M.D. and Horacio Oliver, M.D. to conduct the first of four stem cell training courses planned for Bolivia in 2015. Devised to meet the increasing demand for regenerative medicine techniques in the region, the first adipose derived harvesting, isolation and re-integration training course will take place April 4 and 5, 2015, in Santa Cruz.

The two-day, hands-on intensive training course was developed for physicians and high-level practitioners to learn the techniques in harvesting and reintegrating stem cells derived from adipose tissue and bone marrow. The objective of the training is to provide physicians with practical stem cell medicine techniques they can use in-office to treat a variety of conditions in their patients.

For more information, visit the Global Stem Cells Group website, email info(at)stemcelltraining(dot)net, or call 305-224-1858.

About Global Stem Cells Group:

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions.

With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

Global Stem Cells Groups corporate mission is to make the promise of stem cell medicine a reality for patients around the world. With each of GSCGs six operating companies focused on a separate research-based mission, the result is a global network of state-of-the-art stem cell treatments.

About Stem Cell Training, Inc.:

Stem Cell Training, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary company offering coursework and training in 35 cities worldwide. The coursework offered focuses on minimally invasive techniques for harvesting stem cells from adipose tissue, bone marrow and platelet-rich plasma. By equipping physicians with these techniques, the goal is to enable them to return to their practices, better able to apply these techniques in patient treatments.

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Global Stem Cells Group to Hold Practical Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Harvesting, Isolation and Re-integration Training ...

HACKENSACK, N.J.and PETACH TIKVAH, Israel, March 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies for neurodegenerative diseases, announced today that CEO Tony Fiorino, MD, PhD, will present at the 3rd Annual Regen Med Investor Day to be held Wednesday, March 25, 2015 in New York City.

Organized by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) and co-hosted with Piper Jaffray, this one-day investor meeting provides institutional, strategic and venture investors with unique insight into the financing hypothesis for advanced therapies-based treatment and tools. The program includes clinical and commercial experts who are on-hand to address specific questions regarding the outlook for these products, as well as offer insight into how advanced therapies could impact the standard of care in key therapeutic areas. In addition to presentations by more than 30 leading companies from across the globe, the event includes dynamic, interactive panels featuring research analysts covering the space, key clinical opinion leaders and top company CEOs. These discussions will explore themes specific to cell and gene therapy such as commercialization, market access and pricing for breakthrough technologies, gene therapy delivery and upcoming milestones in the adoptive T-cell therapy space.

The following are specific details regarding BrainStorm's presentation:

Event:

ARM's Regen Med Investor Day

Date:

March 25, 2015

Time:

4:20 PM EST

Location:

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BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics to Present at 3rd Annual Regen Med Investor Day on March 25 in New York

Boston, MA (PRWEB) March 18, 2015

In the vast flow of new scientific research, discoveries, and information, it is not uncommon for important scientific advances to go unappreciated, or even just unnoticed, for surprisingly long periods of time. The Boston stem cell medicine technology start-up company, Asymmetrex is working to make sure that its growing portfolio of adult tissue stem cell technology patents obtains wide notice, appreciation, and investment.

In late 2014, the company started a digital media campaign to achieve greater visibility for its patented technologies that address the major barriers to greater progress in stem cell medicine. These include technologies for identifying, counting, and mass-producing adult tissue stem cells. The two presentations scheduled for the 5th World Congress on Cell and Stem Cell Research in Chicago continue Asymmetrexs efforts to better inform medical, research, and industrial communities focused on advancing stem cell medicine of the companys vision for implementation of its unique technologies.

Asymmetrex holds patents for the only method described for routine production of natural human tissue stem cells that retain their normal function. The company also holds patents for biomarkers that can be used to count tissue stem cells for the first time. The companys most recently developed technology was invented with computer-simulation leader, AlphaSTAR Corporation. In partnership, the two companies created a first-of-its-kind method for monitoring adult tissue stem cell number and function for any human tissue that can be cultured. This advance is the basis for the two companies AlphaSTEM technology for detecting adult tissue stem cell-toxic drug candidates before conventional preclinical testing in animals or clinical trials. Asymmetrex and AlphaSTAR plan to market the new technology to pharmaceutical companies. The implementation of AlphaSTEM technology would accelerate drug development and reduce adverse drug events for volunteers and patients. At full capacity use, AlphaSTEM could reduce U.S. drug development costs by $4-5 billion each year.

About Asymmetrex (http://asymmetrex.com/)

Asymmetrex, LLC is a Massachusetts life sciences company with a focus on developing technologies to advance stem cell medicine. Asymmetrexs founder and director, James L. Sherley, M.D., Ph.D. is an internationally recognized expert on the unique properties of adult tissue stem cells. The companys patent portfolio contains biotechnologies that solve the two main technical problems production and quantification that have stood in the way of successful commercialization of human adult tissue stem cells for regenerative medicine and drug development. In addition, the portfolio includes novel technologies for isolating cancer stem cells and producing induced pluripotent stem cells for disease research purposes. Currently, Asymmetrexs focus is employing its technological advantages to develop facile methods for monitoring adult stem cell number and function in clinically important human tissues.

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Boston Stem Cell Biotech Start-up Asymmetrex Will Present Essential Technologies for Stem Cell Medical Engineering at ...