StemCell Therapy

California's $3 billion stem cell agency, now more than 7 years old, has joined research partnerships with science and health agencies in eight foreign countries, the San Francisco institute announced.

The agreements call for collaboration in efforts aimed at speeding stem cell research from the laboratory to the hospital, where researchers hope that basic human cells will be programmed to treat scores of human degenerative diseases.

Research partnerships between American and foreign stem cell scientists are encouraged, but the California institute's funds would only be spent within the state, institute officials said.

Alan Trounson, president of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, signed agreements with stem cell funding agencies in Brazil and Argentina last week, he said Thursday.

"Both Brazil and Argentina have strong and robust stem cell research communities in basic science and transitional clinical science, which should create exciting synergies with many scientists in California," Trounson said in a statement.

He has signed similar pacts with stem cell agencies in Canada, Britain, France, Spain, Australia, Japan, China and Indiana.

The California institute was created in 2004 after Proposition 71, a $3 billion bond issue, was approved by California voters at a time when use of federal funds was barred for research into the promising field of embryonic stem cells.

So far the state agency has committed $1.2 billion to scientists and training centers at 56 California institutions, and the rest of the bond money should last until 2020, a spokesman said.

This article appeared on page C - 9 of the SanFranciscoChronicle

Original post:
Stem cell institute to work with foreign agencies

(HealthDay News) -- Obesity surgery-related complications in the United States declined 21 percent between 2001 and 2006, and payments to hospitals for obesity surgery decreased by as much as 13 percent, partly because there were fewer patient readmissions due to complications, a new study reports.

The findings from a study by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality are based on an analysis of more than 9,500 patients under age 65 who had obesity surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, at 652 hospitals between 2001 and 2002 and between 2005 and 2006.

The researchers found that the complication rate among obesity surgery patients dropped from 24 percent to about 15 percent. Contributing to that decrease were declines in post-surgical infection rates (58 percent lower), abdominal hernias, staple leakage, respiratory failure and pneumonia (29 percent to 50 percent lower).

There was little change in rates of other complications such as ulcers, dumping (involuntary vomiting or defecation), hemorrhage, wound re-opening, deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, heart attack and stroke, the researchers noted. Read more...

AyurGold for Healthy Blood

Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/integratedmedicine

Via Scoop.it – inPharmatics

On March 29, 2012, Oracle announced that it has agreed to acquire ClearTrial, a leading provider of cloud-based Clinical Trial Operations and analytics products that make the planning, sourcing, and tracking of clinical projects and financial performance…

Via http://www.oracle.com

Source:
http://microarray.wordpress.com/feed/

The California stem cell agency has issued a statement from its president, Alan Trounson, concerning the cancellation of a Vatican stem cell conference at which Trounson was scheduled to speak.

According to the Catholic News Agency, the meeting was terminated because of the scheduled appearances of researchers such as Trounson, who support hESC research. The Catholic church opposes such research.

The news agency last week quoted one Vatican insider as saying the conference had generated a scandal within the higher echelons of the church. However, the Vatican later claimed it was cancelling the meeting because of "organizational, logistical and economic factors."

Trounson's statement said,

"I am disappointed that the decision was made to cancel the conference because it offered the opportunity for a constructive dialogue on all types of stem cell research.

"Open dialogue can enhance the field as a whole and accelerate our efforts to provide new therapies for patients in need."

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

The proposed $17.8 million operational budget for the California stem cell agency will receive more public scrutiny at a meeting next week in San Francisco, with additional public participation sites ranging from Boston to La Jolla.

The spending plan for 2012-13 is 7.2 percent higher than the estimated expenditures for the current year. By law, CIRM's budget is not subject to cuts by the legislature or the governor, who are trying to find solutions to the state's ongoing financial crisis.

Next week's hearing will be the last before approval of the budget in late May by the directors of the $3 billion research program. No significant changes are expected from the document to be presented on Monday.

Public sites where the public can participate in the CIRM directors' Finance Subcommittee meeting include South San Francisco, Stanford, Berkeley and Boston. You can find more information about the specific locations on the meeting agenda, but if you are interested in attending you need even more details from CIRM prior to the actual meeting. Email a request to info@cirm.ca.gov.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

(HealthDay News) -- Obesity surgery-related complications in the United States declined 21 percent between 2001 and 2006, and payments to hospitals for obesity surgery decreased by as much as 13 percent, partly because there were fewer patient readmissions due to complications, a new study reports.

The findings from a study by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality are based on an analysis of more than 9,500 patients under age 65 who had obesity surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, at 652 hospitals between 2001 and 2002 and between 2005 and 2006.

The researchers found that the complication rate among obesity surgery patients dropped from 24 percent to about 15 percent. Contributing to that decrease were declines in post-surgical infection rates (58 percent lower), abdominal hernias, staple leakage, respiratory failure and pneumonia (29 percent to 50 percent lower).

There was little change in rates of other complications such as ulcers, dumping (involuntary vomiting or defecation), hemorrhage, wound re-opening, deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, heart attack and stroke, the researchers noted. Read more...

AyurGold for Healthy Blood

Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/integratedmedicine

Via Scoop.it – inPharmatics

On March 29, 2012, Oracle announced that it has agreed to acquire ClearTrial, a leading provider of cloud-based Clinical Trial Operations and analytics products that make the planning, sourcing, and tracking of clinical projects and financial performance…

Via http://www.oracle.com

Source:
http://microarray.wordpress.com/feed/

The California stem cell agency has issued a statement from its president, Alan Trounson, concerning the cancellation of a Vatican stem cell conference at which Trounson was scheduled to speak.

According to the Catholic News Agency, the meeting was terminated because of the scheduled appearances of researchers such as Trounson, who support hESC research. The Catholic church opposes such research.

The news agency last week quoted one Vatican insider as saying the conference had generated a scandal within the higher echelons of the church. However, the Vatican later claimed it was cancelling the meeting because of "organizational, logistical and economic factors."

Trounson's statement said,

"I am disappointed that the decision was made to cancel the conference because it offered the opportunity for a constructive dialogue on all types of stem cell research.

"Open dialogue can enhance the field as a whole and accelerate our efforts to provide new therapies for patients in need."

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

The proposed $17.8 million operational budget for the California stem cell agency will receive more public scrutiny at a meeting next week in San Francisco, with additional public participation sites ranging from Boston to La Jolla.

The spending plan for 2012-13 is 7.2 percent higher than the estimated expenditures for the current year. By law, CIRM's budget is not subject to cuts by the legislature or the governor, who are trying to find solutions to the state's ongoing financial crisis.

Next week's hearing will be the last before approval of the budget in late May by the directors of the $3 billion research program. No significant changes are expected from the document to be presented on Monday.

Public sites where the public can participate in the CIRM directors' Finance Subcommittee meeting include South San Francisco, Stanford, Berkeley and Boston. You can find more information about the specific locations on the meeting agenda, but if you are interested in attending you need even more details from CIRM prior to the actual meeting. Email a request to info@cirm.ca.gov.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Daniel Leonard is doing all he can to walk again, and after a recent course of stem cell treatment hes as close as he has been since a few months after the 2005 injury that put him a wheelchair.

He was 22 years old and about to begin his third year of college when he woke up one August morning on the floor at his familys Johnson City home unable to move and struggling to breathe.

While the cause of his injury remains a mystery, what is known is that three vertebrae near the top of his spine had been crushed, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down, on a ventilator and not expected to never walk or even breathe on his own again.

Six months after undergoing surgery to remove the bone fragments from his spinal cord, Leonard, who had played several sports in high school and was boxing at the Johnson City Athletic club prior to his injury, was exceeding all expectations.

In treatment at the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center in Knoxville, he was not only breathing independently, he was pulling himself up on parallel bars and being fitted with leg braces to help him take his first steps.

Then the unthinkable happed, again. Because there had been nothing done to stabilize his damaged vertebrae, his spine collapsed at the site of his injury and all of his progress was lost.

I worked my butt off to get to the point I was about to start walking, he said. But the gains he had made in upper body strength were erased and there was no longer any movement in his legs.

After a second surgery to fuse the bones, his condition was labeled as incomplete paraplegia characterized by limited movement and sensation in all the muscles below his neck and none at all in his legs. Doctors told his family he would never be able to move his legs, and for many years he could not.

For a while, he lived independently with the assistance of a caregiver. When his caregiver left, he moved to a nursing home, expecting to stay only long enough to find another place and another caregiver. But without money to finance that plan, months turned into years and the Four Oaks Health Care Center in Jonesborough became his home for the long term.

Early last year, things took a turn for the better when for reasons unknown he began to regain some movement in his legs. Encouraged, Leonard once again threw all his effort into physical therapy. In October, he began working out regularly with Amy Caperton, a personal trainer at the Tri-Cities Lifestyles fitness center in Johnson City, and coupled that with physical therapy at the new Mountain States Rehabilitation Center.

Visit link:
The fight to walk

By Suling Liu, Hasan Korkaya, and Max S. Wicha | April 1, 2012

Inthe 30-year battle waged since the initiation of the war on cancer, there have been substantial victories, with cures for childhood malignancies among the most important. Our ever-expanding understanding of cellular and molecular biology has provided substantial insights into the molecular underpinnings of the spectrum of diseases we call cancer. Yet, while researchers view this as tremendous progress, many patients have seen only limited improvement. In fact, the relatively modest gains achieved in treating the most common malignancies have caused some to say that we are actually losing the war on cancer.

Based on new intelligence, oncologists are making informed battle plans to attack a particularly pernicious enemythe cancer stem cell. Controversial though they are, cancer stem cells are an incredibly promising target. If treatment-resistant cancer, and the metastases that transplant the cancer throughout the body, could be attributed to the actions of a single cell type, it could explain many of the treatment failures and provide a novel way to attack the disease.

The idea that cancers are driven by cells with embryonic features is an old one. Many cancers regress to a less differentiated state, expressing proteins that are usually expressed only in the embryo or during early development. It is only in the past 20 years or so, however, that additional observations led to the hypothesis that these embryonic-like cells were a separate subpopulation that fueled tumor expansion, much the same way that stem cells churn out the cells that make up a particular organ.

A number of groups, including our own, have identified cancer stem cell markers enabling the isolation and characterization of these cells. In addition, the development of in vitro and mouse functional assays has led to a veritable explosion of research on cancer stem cells from both blood-derived malignancies and solid tumors., However, the limitations of these markers and assays have generated heated debate regarding which tumors follow a stem cell model, and which do not. New data from our lab and from others is helping to clarify some of these areas of debate with the goal of better understanding how these cells can be identified and characterized.

A cancer stem cell (CSC) is defined as a cell that has the ability to self-renew, dividing to give rise to another malignant stem cell, as well as to produce the phenotypically diverse, differentiated tumor cells that form the bulk of the tumor. Evidence for CSCs was first documented in leukemia, where it was clear that only a small subset of cancer cells was capable of perpetuating the cancer upon serial transplantation from one mouse to another. Extensive knowledge of normal blood stem cells facilitated our recognition and understanding of leukemia stem cells. Evidence for CSCs in solid tumors has been more controversial, because it is more technically challenging to divide a solid mass into individual cells without damage or alteration, and knowledge of the properties of normal-tissue stem cells in these organs is more limited. However, some of the areas of contention may be resolved by continuing research into the biology of these CSCs.

Relatively modest gains achieved in treating the most common malignancies have caused some to say that we are actually losing the war on cancer.

One of the points of confusion in CSC biology is the question of where these cells come from. Do they arise from normal stem cells that have become cancerous through mutation, or do they arise from partially differentiated tissue-progenitor cells that have acquired the ability to self-renew? Recent evidence suggests CSCs may arise from either source.

A second misconception is that the definition of CSCs precludes the possibility that cancers arise from sequential mutations that accumulate over many cell generations and are selected for through a Darwinian processthe so-called clonal evolution model. Some have proposed that the CSC model is a competing theory of carcinogenesis. In fact, both models may be correct. There is evidence that CSCs may also be genetically unstable, resulting in clonal evolution that generates several distinct CSC clones in a tumor.

While the identification of CSC markers and the development of in vitro and mouse models have led to important advances in the field, each of these markers and models has limitations that have fueled debate. Markers used to isolate cancer stem cells, such as CD44, CD24, CD133, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), and Hoechst dye exclusion, have proven useful for identifying these cell populations in tumor samples. However, expression of these markers is highly dependent on experimental conditions such as culture medium and oxygen concentration. Similarly, in vitro assays that rely on the ability to form spherical colonies in suspension can be useful, but are notoriously inaccurate. Since the definition of CSCs is ultimately an operational one, the most reliable assay for these cells has been their ability to initiate tumors when transplanted into mouse models. Because the immune system will reject any implanted foreign tissue, researchers have had to use immunosuppressed mice to test for human CSCs. In some tumor types, such as melanoma, the proportion of cells capable of initiating tumors is dependent on the degree of immunosuppression in the mouse models utilized. However, the more immunosuppressed mouse models may actually overestimate the true frequency of CSCs.

Follow this link:
Are Cancer Stem Cells Ready for Prime Time?

Washington, Mar 31 : Intestinal crypts have been found to hold a special population of intestinal stem cells that respond to damage and help prevent cancer, a study says.

These crypts are small areas of the intestine where new cells are formed to continuously renew the digestive tract. Researchers from Vanderbilt University, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and their colleagues are focusing on one protein expressed in our intestines called Lrig1.

Their research also shows the diversity of stem cells in the intestines is greater than previously thought.

"Identification of these cells and the role they likely play in response to injury or damage will help advance discoveries in cancer," said Shawn Levy, PhD, faculty investigator at the HudsonAlpha Institute and an author of the study.

The intestines and colon are normally lined with a single layer of cells to absorb nutrients from food. There are regular small pockets in the intestines called crypts, where stem cells are gathered. Rapid turnover of the lining cells and replacement by new lining cells made in the crypt, keep the intestines and colon healthy and keep damaged cells from turning into cancerous ones.

The new paper demonstrates that, although the makeup of stem cells in the crypt is still controversial, the Lrig1 protein can distinguish a group of long-lived cells at the base of the crypt. These Lrig1-positive stem cells do not regularly replace lining cells, but instead are only activated when there is damage or injury to the intestine.

In addition, the researchers show that the Lrig1 protein functions to prevent cancer as a tumour suppressor molecule. When the protein is completely absent from a mouse model, the mice all develop adenomas and then tumours. This suggests that Lrig1 is an important target for understanding and treating intestinal and colon cancer.

"RNA sequencing work at HudsonAlpha found that the Lrig1-positive stem cells are molecularly different in multiple ways from previously identified crypt stem cells, in keeping with their role in responding to damage," said Levy.

He added that further work on genes expressed or silenced in this population of cells will increase understanding of both normal and cancer cell progression in the intestines.

Go here to read the rest:
Now, tales from the crypt could help in fight against cancer

A leukemia patient who was twice turned down by a Shanghai stem cell donor recovered from the disease after receiving her mother's half-match stem cells and a unit of umbilical cord blood from Shanghai.

Jiang Jing, a 23-year-old Jiangsu Province native, left the transplant cabin at No. 1 Hospital affiliated with Suzhou University yesterday, fully recovered.

Jiang's saga was dramatic. She was diagnosed with acute leukemia on April 1 last year and was informed by the hospital that a full match donor was found in September. The transplant was scheduled for March 6 this year.

Jiang started to undergo therapy for stem cell transplant on February 24 to suppress her immune system, paving the way for the healthy stem cells from the donor, a Shanghai university student.

However the donor backed out on March 1. She agreed a second time to give a donation on March 5 but again backed away, this time leaving the hospital secretly at midnight after receiving an injection as preparation for the donation. There were reports that the would-be donor, who was not named, faced pressure from her family to forego the procedure.

Since medication had stopped Jiang's blood-forming function on March 6, she could survive for only seven days if not undergoing transplant. Doctors decided to transplant her mother's half-match stem cells and a unit of umbilical cord blood from the Shanghai Cord Blood Bank.

The umbilical cord blood, which had an 80 percent match to Jiang, was used to reduce rejection and streamline the transplant.

Though the incident had a happy ending, it has stirred wide discussion online as some web users accused the student of putting the patient's life in danger through her actions.

But health insiders said people must have the right to change their minds.

Read more:
Eastday-Rejected by donor, leukemia patient saved by mother

Dublin - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/bac5f5c5/strategic_developm) has announced the addition of the "Strategic Development of Neural Stem & Progenitor Cell Products" report to their offering.

Overview: Neurogenesis is the process by which neurons are created. This process is most active during pre-natal development when neurogenesis is responsible for populating the growing brain. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are the self-renewing, multipotent cells that differentiate into the main phenotypes of the nervous system. These cell types include neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) are the progeny of stem cell division that normally undergo a limited number of replication cycles in vivo.

The terms neuronal and neural also need to be defined. Technically speaking, neuronal means pertaining to neurons, and neural means pertaining to nerves, which are the cordlike bundles of fibers made up of neurons. Since both terms ultimately are descriptive of neurons, the scientific community uses the terms "neuronal" and "neural" interchangeably. The complexity of this issue is explored from a marketing perspective within this report.

In 1992, Reynolds and Weiss were the first to isolate neural stem cells from the striatal tissue of adult mice brain tissue, including the subventricular zone, which is a neurogenic area. Since then, neural progenitor and stem cells have been isolated from various areas of the adult brain, including non-neurogenic areas like the spinal cord, and from other species, including humans. During the development of the nervous system, neural progenitor cells can either stay in the pool of proliferating undifferentiated cells or exit the cell cycle and differentiate.

This market report focuses on recent advances in NSC research applications, explores research priorities by market segment, highlights individual labs and end-users of neuronal stem cell research products, explores the competitive environment for NSC research products, and provides 5-year growth and trend analysis. It provides detailed guidance for companies that wish to offer strategically positioned NSC research products, including cells, kits, assays, and related media and reagents.

This Market Report Includes:

- Recent advances in NSC research applications

- Research priorities by market segment

- Competitive analysis of NSC research supply companies

- Segmentation of existing NSC products

Read the original:
Research and Markets: Strategic Development of Neural Stem & Progenitor Cell Products

Readmore: Local, Health, Bpa, Bisphenol a, Vom Saal, Food Packaging, Obesity, Soup Cans, Tin Cans, Plastic, Dangerous Chemical, Fda, Government Ruling

TheFood and Drug Administrationhas rejected a petition from environmentalists that would have banned the plastic-hardening chemical BPA, orbisphenol-afrom all food and drink packaging.

The agency said petitioners fromThe Natural Resources Defense Council'sdid not present compelling scientific evidence that the much-debated chemical is dangerous when used in tin food cans, bottles and other packaging. It's also found in other items like dental sealants, household appliances, and even sports equipment.

As federal scientists continue to study the issue, sowill Mid-Missouri researchers. MU biology professorFrederick vom Saalis a leading researcher into bpa. He's expected to release new research soon linking the chemical to obesity in babies.Fox Newsreports vom Saal believes pregnant women who expose their fetuses to BPA run the risk of having obese children.

"During the development of the fetus, BPA exposure alters the development of stem cells,"explains vom Saal. "Think of it as tripping a switch in the DNA. BPA turns out to be a major factor in the number of fat cells that a person will have later in life."

The Natural Resources Defense Council's petition was the latest attempt by safety advocates to prod regulators into taking action against the chemical, which is found in hundreds of household items.

Some scientists believe exposure to bpa, can harm the reproductive and nervous systems, potentially leading to cancer and other diseases. About 90 percent of americans have traces of bpa in their bodies, mainly because it leaches out of food containers. TheEnvironmental Working Grouphas run tests and found the highest concentrations of bpa in cans of soup, pasta and infant formula. The group offers tipsto reduce your exposure, including using metal water bottles, glass baby bottles, or those laeled bpa-free.

Read more from the original source:
FDA rejects ban on BPA found in food packaging

Is your child about to lose her milk tooth? Instead of throwing it away, you can now opt to use it to harvest stem cells in a dental stem cell bank for future use in the face of serious ailments. Now thats a tooth fairy story coming to life.

Still relatively new in India, dental stem cell banking is fast gaining popularity as a more viable option over umbilical cord blood banking.

Stem cell therapy involves a kind of intervention strategy in which healthy, new cells are introduced into a damaged tissue to treat a disease or an injury.

The umbilical cord is a good source for blood-related cells, or hemaotopoietic cells, which can be used for blood-related diseases, like leukaemia (blood cancer). Having said that, blood-related disorders constitute only four percent of all diseases, Shailesh Gadre, founder and managing director of the company Stemade Biotech, said.

For the rest of the 96 percent tissue-related diseases, the tooth is a good source of mesenchymal (tissue-related) stem cells. These cells have potential application in all other tissues of the body, for instance, the brain, in case of diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons; the eye (corneal reconstruction), liver (cirrhosis), pancreas (diabetes), bone (fractures, reconstruction), skin and the like, he said.

Mesenchymal cells can also be used to regenerate cardiac cells.

Dental stem cell banking also has an advantage when it comes to the process of obtaining stem cells.

Obtaining stem cells from the tooth is a non-invasive procedure that requires no surgery, with little or no pain. A child, in the age group of 5-12, is any way going to lose his milk tooth. So when its a little shaky, it can be collected with hardly any discomfort, Savita Menon, a pedodontist, said.

Moreover, in a number of cases, when an adolescent needs braces, the doctor recommends that his pre-molars be removed. These can also be used as a source for stem cells. And over and above that, an adults wisdom tooth can also be used for the same purpose, Gadre added.

Therefore, unlike umbilical cord blood banking which gives one just one chance - during birth - the window of opportunity in dental stem cell banking is much bigger.

Read more:
Your child’s milk tooth can save her life

28-03-2012 10:17 Dr Joshua Hare is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami. The interview was conducted on 25 March 2012 at the American College of Cardiology's (ACC's) 61st Annual Scientific Session & Expo in Chicago. See more ACC.12 Coverage: http://www.getinsidehealth.com

Continue reading here:
Stem cell therapy for the repair of myocardium in heart failure patients - Video

The Catholic Church has never had a particularly easy relationship with science. After all, this is the institution that sentenced Galileo Galilei as a heretic for his theories on the universe during the Roman Inquisition. Two thousand years later, the church forgave Galileo and called the whole misunderstanding a tragic mutual incomprehension but it remains safe to say the Vatican doesnt have a great track record when it comes to empirical open-mindedness.

So onlookers were surprised when the Vatican announced it would be hosting a global conference on the highly controversial issue of stem-cell research in Rome over four days in late April. The church held a similar conference in 2010 and 2011, which focused on its recommendation that stem-cell research should be limited to adult cells that can be harvested from live donors, not embryonic cells that destroy the source. But this years conference schedule featured some of the worlds foremost experts in embryonic research as keynote speakersleading some scientists to think that the Vatican might actually be looking for enlightenment on the topic.

That was not exactly case. Instead, the Vatican seems to have hoped that by including embryonic researchers in the program, it would appear that these scientists actually endorsed the Vaticans stance.

It might have worked to some extent, but after some of the speakers declined to censor their speeches, the Vatican abruptly canceled the conference altogether. According to the conference website, the event was canceled due to serious economic and logistic-organizational reasons that have completely jeopardized the success of the 3rd International Congress on Responsible Stem Cell Research. The scientists who were planning to attend say they are being stifled instead. I think the only interpretation is that we are being censored, Alan Trounson, president of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine in San Francisco, said in a statement. It is very disappointing that they are unwilling to hear the truth.

Just what was the Vatican thinking? Inviting embryonic stem-cell researchers to a conference and then denying them the right to talk about their field of expertise was a major gamble. Had the speakers agreed to avoid reference to embryonic research, it would have given the disingenuous impression that they endorse the Holy Sees recommendation on adult stem-cell research only. Did the Vatican really think they could control the scientific community? Apparently so. Father Scott Borgman of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which co-organized the conference, had reportedly asked the speakers to limit their discussions to adult stem-cell research only. George Daly, a leading embryonic researcher with the Childrens Hospital in Boston, says he was actually told not to make embryonic researchhis field of expertisea focal point of his talk. When he told Borgman that he would still be touching on the topic in a historical context, higher-ups in the Vatican reportedly panicked. I had been encouraged to think that the Congress would be a forum for discussion of many areas of common interest to the Vatican and stem cell scientists, regardless of the disagreements over embryonic stem cells, Daly told The Daily Beast. We should all agree that clinical trials of new medical treatments based on stem cells should proceed according to rigorous principles to ensure patients are kept as safe as possible and free from exploitation. And we should all agree that premature claims of therapeutic efficacy and direct marketing of unproven interventions to vulnerable patients is a threat to legitimate attempts to develop experimental stem cell medicines.

Pope Benedict looks on during the mass in solemnity of the chair of St. Peter with new Cardinals in St. Peter's basilica at the Vatican on February 19, 2012. The Vatican stands by its decision to cancel the controversial conference as having a purely business motive. , Alberto Pizzoli, AFP / Getty Images

With the cancelation of the event, discourse between the two diverse entities will not have a venue. One Vatican official told the Catholic News Service that many of the Vaticans leaders were secretly glad the conference failed. I am infinitely relieved that the church has avoided a major blunder which would have confused the faithful for decades to come, the unnamed source said. The Holy Spirit has certainly shown to be present through those faithful members who drew attention to the ambiguity of the choice of speakers. I hope and pray that a review will be affected of the basis on which these congresses are planned.

Some stem-cell researchers are also relieved the conference wont go on. I personally am very uncomfortable with a scientific meeting run by a church, and one at which only certain types of science and scientists are allowed to attend, blogged Paul Knoepfler, an associate professor of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy at UC Davis School of Medicine who blogs about stem cell research at IPCell.com. Also I cant help but wonder, what would be the reaction if someone like Daley spent a few minutes of his talk discussing his embryonic cell research in a very nonconfrontational way? Would he be tasered or drop through some trap door straight to Hell?

Still, Knoepfler was hopeful. I view the canceled Vatican stem-cell meeting as a missed opportunity for a very much needed, open dialogue about stem cells, he told The Daily Beast. More specifically, I believe the reasons for the cancellation reflect an anti-scientific attitude by the highest level of Vatican leaders. More simply put, the attitude might be summed up by the phrase If you do not think like us, you are not welcome at our meeting, and well go so far as to cancel the whole thing to avoid your presence.

Inviting embryonic stem-cell researchers to a conference and then denying them the right to talk about their field of expertise was a major gamble.

Read more:
Vatican’s Stem-Cell Censorship Sham

Dr. Derek So and Dr. Jason Roberts. (CNW Group/OTTAWA HEART INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA)

OTTAWA, March 29, 2012 /CNW/ - Developed in Canada and conducted by researchers from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI), in partnership with Spartan Bioscience, the world's first bedside genetic test has received acknowledgment by The Lancet, the world's leading general medical journal.

The article Point-of-care genetic testing for personalisation of antiplatelet treatment (RAPID GENE): a prospective, randomised, proof-of-concept trial, reports on the use of a simple cheek swab test, the Spartan RX CYP2C19, performed by nurses at the patient's bedside. This revolutionary technology allows doctors to rapidly identify patients with a genetic variant known as CYP2C19*2. Cardiac stent patients with this variant are at risk of reacting poorly to standard anti-platelet therapy with Plavix (clopidogrel).

The study demonstrated that tailored drug treatment therapy made possible by the genetic testing successfully protected all of the patients with the at-risk genetic variant from subsequent adverse events, while 30 per cent of patients treated with standard therapy did not receive adequate protection.

"For the first time in medicine, nurses were able to perform DNA testing at the patient's bedside. This is a significant step towards the vision of personalized medicine," said Dr. Derek So, Interventional Cardiologist at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI), and principal investigator of the RAPID GENE study.

Study Details The RAPID GENE study enrolled 200 patients who were being treated with cardiac stenting for an acute coronary syndrome or stable angina. Patients were randomized to a treatment strategy of rapid point-of-care genotyping and Effient (prasugrel) for CYP2C19*2 carriers, or to standard therapy with Plavix (clopidogrel). The Spartan RX CYP2C19 bedside DNA test was performed by nurses who received a 30-minute training session, but had no prior laboratory training. The test had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 99.4% compared with DNA sequencing. For CYP2C19*2 carriers, treatment with prasugrel completely eliminated High on-treatment Platelet Reactivity (HPR). HPR is a marker for patients at risk of complications after stenting. In contrast, 30.4% of carriers receiving clopidogrel had HPR at 1 week.

About UOHI As Canada's largest and foremost cardiovascular health centre, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute is dedicated to understanding, treating, and preventing heart disease. We deliver high-tech care with a personal touch, shape the way cardiovascular medicine is practiced, and revolutionize cardiac treatment and understanding. We build knowledge through research and translate discoveries into advanced care. We serve the local, national, and international communities as we pioneer a new era in heart health.

Image with caption: "Dr. Derek So and Dr. Jason Roberts. (CNW Group/OTTAWA HEART INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120329_C8698_PHOTO_EN_11670.jpg

INFORMATION AND INTERVIEWS Vincent Lamontagne Senior Manager Public Affairs University of Ottawa Heart Institute 613-761-4427 613-899-6760 (cell) vlamontagne@ottawaheart.ca

Follow this link:
World's first bedside genetic test gets green light by prestigious medical publication

The Catholic Church has never had a particularly easy relationship with science. After all, this is the institution that sentenced Galileo Galilei as a heretic for his theories on the universe during the Roman Inquisition. Two thousand years later, the church forgave Galileo and called the whole misunderstanding a tragic mutual incomprehension but it remains safe to say the Vatican doesnt have a great track record when it comes to empirical open-mindedness.

So onlookers were surprised when the Vatican announced it would be hosting a global conference on the highly controversial issue of stem-cell research in Rome over four days in late April. The church held a similar conference in 2010 and 2011, which focused on its recommendation that stem-cell research should be limited to adult cells that can be harvested from live donors, not embryonic cells that destroy the source. But this years conference schedule featured some of the worlds foremost experts in embryonic research as keynote speakersleading some scientists to think that the Vatican might actually be looking for enlightenment on the topic.

That was not exactly case. Instead, the Vatican seems to have hoped that by including embryonic researchers in the program, it would appear that these scientists actually endorsed the Vaticans stance.

It might have worked to some extent, but after some of the speakers declined to censor their speeches, the Vatican abruptly canceled the conference altogether. According to the conference website, the event was canceled due to serious economic and logistic-organizational reasons that have completely jeopardized the success of the 3rd International Congress on Responsible Stem Cell Research. The scientists who were planning to attend say they are being stifled instead. I think the only interpretation is that we are being censored, Alan Trounson, president of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine in San Francisco, said in a statement. It is very disappointing that they are unwilling to hear the truth.

Just what was the Vatican thinking? Inviting embryonic stem-cell researchers to a conference and then denying them the right to talk about their field of expertise was a major gamble. Had the speakers agreed to avoid reference to embryonic research, it would have given the disingenuous impression that they endorse the Holy Sees recommendation on adult stem-cell research only. Did the Vatican really think they could control the scientific community? Apparently so. Father Scott Borgman of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which co-organized the conference, had reportedly asked the speakers to limit their discussions to adult stem-cell research only. George Daly, a leading embryonic researcher with the Childrens Hospital in Boston, says he was actually told not to make embryonic researchhis field of expertisea focal point of his talk. When he told Borgman that he would still be touching on the topic in a historical context, higher-ups in the Vatican reportedly panicked. I had been encouraged to think that the Congress would be a forum for discussion of many areas of common interest to the Vatican and stem cell scientists, regardless of the disagreements over embryonic stem cells, Daly told The Daily Beast. We should all agree that clinical trials of new medical treatments based on stem cells should proceed according to rigorous principles to ensure patients are kept as safe as possible and free from exploitation. And we should all agree that premature claims of therapeutic efficacy and direct marketing of unproven interventions to vulnerable patients is a threat to legitimate attempts to develop experimental stem cell medicines.

Pope Benedict looks on during the mass in solemnity of the chair of St. Peter with new Cardinals in St. Peter's basilica at the Vatican on February 19, 2012. The Vatican stands by its decision to cancel the controversial conference as having a purely business motive. , Alberto Pizzoli, AFP / Getty Images

With the cancelation of the event, discourse between the two diverse entities will not have a venue. One Vatican official told the Catholic News Service that many of the Vaticans leaders were secretly glad the conference failed. I am infinitely relieved that the church has avoided a major blunder which would have confused the faithful for decades to come, the unnamed source said. The Holy Spirit has certainly shown to be present through those faithful members who drew attention to the ambiguity of the choice of speakers. I hope and pray that a review will be affected of the basis on which these congresses are planned.

Some stem-cell researchers are also relieved the conference wont go on. I personally am very uncomfortable with a scientific meeting run by a church, and one at which only certain types of science and scientists are allowed to attend, blogged Paul Knoepfler, an associate professor of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy at UC Davis School of Medicine who blogs about stem cell research at IPCell.com. Also I cant help but wonder, what would be the reaction if someone like Daley spent a few minutes of his talk discussing his embryonic cell research in a very nonconfrontational way? Would he be tasered or drop through some trap door straight to Hell?

Still, Knoepfler was hopeful. I view the canceled Vatican stem-cell meeting as a missed opportunity for a very much needed, open dialogue about stem cells, he told The Daily Beast. More specifically, I believe the reasons for the cancellation reflect an anti-scientific attitude by the highest level of Vatican leaders. More simply put, the attitude might be summed up by the phrase If you do not think like us, you are not welcome at our meeting, and well go so far as to cancel the whole thing to avoid your presence.

Inviting embryonic stem-cell researchers to a conference and then denying them the right to talk about their field of expertise was a major gamble.

Link:
Vatican’s Stem-Cell Censorship Sham