PALO ALTO , Calif. , October 19, 2009 - StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ: STEM) announced today new preclinical data showing that its human neural stem cells protect cone photoreceptors (cones) in the eye from progressive degeneration and preserve visual function long term. Cones are light sensing cells that are highly concentrated within the macula of the human eye, and the ability to protect these cells suggests a promising approach to treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in people over the age of 55. These important findings were presented today in Chicago, Illinois at the Society for Neuroscience 2009 Annual Meeting, one of the leading forums for neuroscientists from around the world to present and discuss cutting-edge research in the field.

Scientists have overcome a key barrier to the clinical use of stem cells with a technique which transforms regular body cells into artificial stem cells without the need for introducing foreign genetic materials, which could be potentially harmful. The research, published in STEM CELLS, suggests that cells taken from a patient's eye can be "reprogrammed" to replace or restore cells lost to degenerative diseases.

The research, led by Professor Iqbal Ahmad and co-authors from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is the first proof in principle that somatic, or body cells, can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) simply through the influence of the microenvironment in which the sampled cells are cultured. Until now genetic materials were introduced into somatic cells to re-programme them to become pluripotent, enabling them to generate cells of all three embryonic lineages.

Scientists have for the first time produced liver cells from adult skin cells using the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology.

The study, led by the University of Edinburgh's MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, paves the way for the creation of a stem cell library that can be used for in vitro hepatic disease models.

Presently primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) are the ‘gold standard' cell type used in predictive drug toxicology. These cells are derived from dead or donor tissue. The cells can only survive for three to five days and do not have the ability to multiply. PHH cells are therefore a scarce and expensive resource.

This study shows an alternative way of sourcing hepatocytes, by creating hepatic endoderm using the iPSC technology and then differentiating it into hepatocytes.

Harvest Technologies Corp. announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval to commence its BMAC Enhanced CABG Trial. This is a two phase 42-patient ‘feasibility' clinical trial using the company's BMAC System to concentrate autologous bone marrow cells to treat patients with congestive heart failure undergoing treatment with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) Surgery. The BMAC System is a point-of-care device used in the operating room to concentrate patient's own (autologous) bone marrow stem cells in approximately 15 minutes. The study's design provides for randomization of subjects into two study cohorts: Treatment Group who will have the Harvest cellular composition injected into the myocardium after CABG surgery and Control Group who will receive only the CABG surgery.

South Florida Business Journal - by Brian Bandel

How do you mend a broken heart? Many scientists say stem cells are the answer, but they're not sure how best to use them and make money doing it.

Clinical trials by the University of Miami and Sunrise-based Bioheart (OTCBB: BHRT) are among a wave of studies searching for ways to repair damaged hearts using stem cells. Numerous animal tests have shown stem cells can transform into new heart muscle to repair tears after a heart attack or partially replace scar tissue from old cardiac episodes.

There are about 1 million heart attacks a year in the U.S., with about two-thirds of the victims surviving, said Dr. Joshua M. Hare, a cardiologist and director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at UM's Miller School of Medicine. Many survivors have their lives cut short by congestive heart failure.

UM is running four clinical trials that inject stem cells from bone marrow into damaged hearts. One uses a unique catheter designed by BioCardia instead of major surgery. Another compares stem cells taken from patients to donor stem cells.

Monya Baker

An overview of the not-so-distant past, and an outlook for the not-so-distant future

It is easy to forget how rapidly stem cell science has developed over the past few years. A glance at the stem cell papers published in leading journals hints at both the pace of progress and the competition within the field. It has only been three years since Shinya Yamanaka, at Kyoto University in Japan, published his famous paper showing that differentiated mouse cells could be engineered to behave like embryonic stem (ES) cells - able to make almost every cell type in the body¹. Only a handful of genes had to be introduced and overexpressed in these cells to make this possible. By June 2007, three papers had confirmed that such 'reprogrammed' mouse cells, now known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, could indeed become all body tissues^2,3,4. By the end of 2007, a trio of papers was published that demonstrated the reprogramming of human cells^5,6,7. The summer of 2009 has brought three papers showing that live, fertile mice can be generated from iPS cells - a further demonstration of the cells' similarity to ES cells (For references, see iPS cells make mice that make mice). And another five papers published in August 2009 identified molecular pathways that both link reprogramming to cancer and prevent reprogramming from being more efficient^8,9,10,11,12.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Nerve stem cell transplants may help slow the progression of macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in the developed world, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

They said putting nerve stem cells from StemCells Inc near the retinas of rats with a form of macular degeneration helped keep the disease from advancing to blindness for several months.

"These cells improve the chemical environment in the back of the eye," said Ray Lund of the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, whose findings were presented at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Chicago.

Lund said the mechanism is not clear, but he suspects that when immature nerve cells are placed near the retina, they produce growth factors that protect the cells from damage by the disease.

Contact: Shari Leventhal
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American Society of Nephrology

Several cell-based therapy approaches could provide new treatments for patients with Alport syndrome, reports an upcoming paper in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). "Our study opens up many considerations of how new therapies related to the use of stem cells can be devised for our kidney patients with chronic disease," comments Raghu Kalluri, MD, PhD (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA).

Led by Valerie LeBleu, PhD (also of Harvard Medical School), the researchers tested various types of cell-based therapy in mice with a gene defect similar to that causing Alport syndrome, a genetic kidney disease. Most often occurring in boys, Alport syndrome causes progressive kidney disease leading to kidney failure at a young age. Patients may develop hearing loss and eye disease as well. Although treatment can slow the progression of kidney disease, there is currently no cure for Alport syndrome.

Newswise - Research scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, have developed a novel bioengineered treatment that has shown promise in targeting pancreatic cancer without causing damage to healthy noncancer cells, a typical problem of chemotherapy. They presented their findings at the 95th annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

According to author Claudius Conrad, MD, PhD, the bioengineered construct used in the treatment is made of engineered, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and a gene product toxic to tumor growth that is expressed when the tumor actively recruits the stem cells.

October 8, 2009
B. D. Colen
Harvard Staff Writer

A team of Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers has made a major advance toward producing induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, that are safe enough to use in treating diseases in patients.

"This demonstrates that we're halfway home, and remarkably we got halfway home with just one chemical," said Kevin Eggan, an HSCI principal faculty member who is the senior author of the paper being published online today by the journal Cell Stem Cell.

"There are four genes that do this, and with just one chemical we replaced half the genes," said Eggan, who is also an assistant professor in Harvard's Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology. "The one chemical replaces those two genes in different ways at different times in the experiment. The experiments we performed not only led to discovery of the chemical, but they also explained how it works," he said.

A new study by a Wayne State University School of Medicine researcher details the outcome of adult stem cell grafts in spinal cord injuries and how the procedure led to increased mobility and quality of life for patients.

Associate Professor Jean Peduzzi-Nelson of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology conducted the study, "Olfactory Mucosal Autografts and Rehabilitation for Chronic Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury," which was published online in the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair.

The process involves the use of adult stem-like progenitor cells in the patient's own nasal tissue. The use of a person's own stem cells, Peduzzi-Nelson said, lessens the problems of rejection, tumor formation and disease transmission.

In the study, 20 patients with severe chronic spinal cord injuries received a treatment combination of partial scar removal, transplantation of nasal tissue containing stem cells to the site of the spinal cord injury and rehabilitation. All of the patients had total paralysis below the level of their spinal cord injury before the treatment.

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) October 15, 2009 -- Todd K. Malan, M.D., board certified cosmetic surgeon, has pioneered a revolutionary new procedure, the Natural Breast Augmentation, which employs the latest technologic advances in fat harvesting, adult stem cell transfers and breast splinting technology to provide women the option of enlarging their breasts using their own fat. The technique results in breasts that look and feel smoother than conventional cosmetic surgery using implants. Stem cells enable the fat to grow its own blood supply, thus becoming an integral part of the breast rather than a foreign lump. Stem cells have the potential to change into any cells in the body; they are found in most tissues, especially fat.

Oct. 12, 2009-

Brad Guilkey, 15, was born without cheekbones and, for him, a typical sporting activity such as basketball carries tremendous risks.

Brad suffers from Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic disorder in which the bones and other tissues in the face don't develop.

So, for Brad, a shot to the face during a game of basketball could crush his eyeball. His mother, Christine Guilkey, said the lack of bone meant the lack of vital protection.

But the Cincinnati teen has undergone groundbreaking experimental surgery that is allowing him to grow new cheekbones, a procedure that could help others who have lost bone as a result of similar genetic conditions or traumatic injuries.

They say it is the first time a complex, anatomically-sized bone has been accurately created in this way.

It is hoped the technique could be used not only to treat disorders of the specific joint, but more widely to correct problems with other bones too.

The Columbia University study appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The bone which has been created in the lab is known as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

Problems with the joint can be the result of birth defects, arthritis or injury.

Although they are widespread, treatment can be difficult.

The joint has a complex structure which makes it difficult to repair by using grafts from bones elsewhere in the body.

The latest study used human stem cells taken from bone marrow.

Celling Technologies, an innovator in stem cell therapy, launched its latest technology for the isolation of adult stem cells. The Res-Q device was developed by ThermoGenesis Corporation to provide an easy to use, point-of-care system to compliment their MXP system currently being marketed in the United States and several international markets.

The Res-Q device is the second point-of-care cell processing system by Celling that utilizes a functionally closed system to eliminate sterility issues while providing consistent, reliable adult stem cell concentrations within minutes.

Medical College of Wisconsin

Scientists at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have successfully produced liver cells from patients' skin cells opening the possibility of treating a wide range of diseases that affect liver function. The study was led by Stephen A. Duncan, D. Phil., Marcus Professor in Human and Molecular Genetics, and professor of cell biology, neurobiology and anatomy, along with postdoctoral fellow Karim Si-Tayeb, Ph.D., and graduate student Ms. Fallon Noto.

"This is a crucial step forward towards developing therapies that can potentially replace the need for scarce liver transplants, currently the only treatment for most advanced liver disease," says Dr. Duncan.

Liver disease is the fourth leading cause of death among middle aged adults in the United States. Loss of liver function can be caused by several factors, including genetic mutations, infections with hepatitis viruses, by excessive alcohol consumption, or chronic use of some prescription drugs. When liver function goes awry it can result in a wide variety of disorders including diabetes and atherosclerosis and in many cases is fatal.

GOLDEN, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vitro Diagnostics, Inc. (OTCBB: VODG), dba Vitro Biopharma, announced completion of a research report concerning its fluorescent stem cells, http://www.vitrobiopharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/fluorescent-msc-10-3.pdf. This report revealed transfer of fluorescent to differentiated cells including chondrocytes, cells responsible for making cartilage. Fluorescent stem cells allow tracking of stem cells following transplantation and studies of stem cell homing or migration to cancer stem cells, sites of cellular injury or inflammation. This work may lead to new developments for targeting drug delivery and stem cell therapy. Vitro Biopharma's new research shows that its fluorescent stem cells also have application to studies of stem cell differentiation and thus to expanded investigations of the therapeutic uses of stem cells.

Canadians Ernest McCulloch and James Till were believed to be the top contenders for the prize for their discovery of stem cells in the 1960s.

However, Blackburn, Greider and Szostak solved a big problem in biology: how chromosomes can be "copied in a complete way during cell divisions and how they are protected against degradation," the Nobel citation said.

It said the laureates have shown that the solution is to be found in the ends of the chromosomes - the telomeres - and in an enzyme that forms them. Telomeres are often compared to the plastic tips at the end of shoe laces that keep those laces from unravelling.

"The discoveries by Blackburn, Greider and Szostak have added a new dimension to our understanding of the cell, shed light on disease mechanisms, and stimulated the development of potential new therapies," the prize committee said in its citation.

Researchers at UCSF Medical Center have begun enrollment for an early-stage clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an adult stem cell therapy for patients who have just experienced their first acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack. The trial is part of a multi-center national study.

The cells used, known as mesenchymal stem cells, were obtained from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors. Depending on their location in the body, mesenchymal stem cells give rise to bone, cartilage, fat, muscle and connective tissue.

The experimental therapy is intended to combat the symptoms related to heart damage that continue to develop following a heart attack, including low pumping capacity, inflammation and increased scar tissue. Although the exact mechanisms of the stem cells' actions in this setting are not yet known, previous studies have suggested that they could reduce the amount of scar tissue and inflammation caused by heart attack.

Umbilical cord blood as a readily available source for off-the-shelf, patient-specific stem cells

LA JOLLA, CA-Umbilical cord blood cells can successfully be reprogrammed to function like embryonic stem cells, setting the basis for the creation of a comprehensive bank of tissue-matched, cord blood-derived induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for off-the-shelf applications, report researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Center for Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona, Spain.

"Cord blood stem cells could serve as a safe, "ready-to-use" source for the generation of iPS cells, since they are easily accessible, immunologically immature and quick to return to an embryonic stem cell-like state," says Juan-Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte, Ph.D., a professor in the Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory, who led the study published in the October issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Worldwide, there are already more than 400,000 cord blood units banked along with immunological information. Due to their early origin, cells found in umbilical cord blood contain a minimal number of somatic mutations and possess the immunological immaturity of newborn cells, allowing the HLA donor-recipient match to be less than perfect without the risk of immune rejection of the transplant.

The two-year Phase II trial - the first stem cell clinical trial in cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco - will use mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow of health adult donors. It is designed to combat symptoms related to heart damage that continue to develop following a heart attack, including low pumping capacity, inflammation and increased scar tissue.

UCSF will enroll 10 patients in the trial. Overall, about 220 patients will be enrolled nationally.

Those follow-on factors are believed to increase the risk of another heart attack. According to the American Heart Association, more than 500,000 Americans will experience their first heart attack in 2009 and 18 percent of men and 35 percent of women will have another heart attack within six years.

The Bioheart Adipose Derived Stem Cells "ASC`s Treatment":

* The Fat Tissue in the Patient`s Body is Used to Generate Adipose Derived Stem Cells (ASC`s)
* ASC`s Are Capable of Limiting Damage Due to a Cardiac Event and Promoting Additional Blood Vessel Formation
* Bioheart's TGI 1200 System, Recovers Regenerative Stem Cells in 60 Minutes, with Minimal Operator Intervention

SUNRISE, Fla.--(Business Wire)--
Bioheart, Inc. (OTCBB:BHRT) offers yet another medical breakthrough with the next-level stem cell treatment for cardiac patients. The stem cells aid in limiting damage due to a cardiac event and promote angiogenesis or formation of new blood vessels.

Bioheart, in collaboration with Hospital de Clinicas Caracas in Caracas, Venezuela, has already begun three different studies utilizing the ASCs: surgical delivery of cells during a coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedure, percutaneous delivery of cells in chronic heart ischemia and delivery of cells in critical limb ischemia.