February 2005 Archives
StemCells, Inc. Names Alan Jacobs Chief Medical Officer and VP of Clinical Research, Neural Program
StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ: STEM) today announced that Dr. Alan Jacobs will join the company as chief medical officer and vice president of clinical research, neural program.
Formerly the senior director of clinical development at Titan Pharmaceuticals, Jacobs offers valuable experience in managing clinical trial development of cell-based therapies for indications such as Parkinson's disease and stroke.
In his current capacity, Jacobs will lead the company's adult human neural (brain) stem cell (HuCNS-SC) program through the clinical development process.
...Posted on February 28, 2005 03:56 PM | Comments (0)
Switzerland Set To Start New Stage of Stem Cell Research
A new law regarding embryonic stem cell research comes into force on March 1 of this year, putting Switzerland on similar footing with other European nations.
The new legislation, approved by two thirds of voters last November after a sometimes bitter debate, offers the hope of overcoming some incurable diseases.
The law allows researchers to take stem cells from "supernumerary" human embryos, in other words embryos created for in vitro fertilisation but not actually needed for implantation....
...Continue reading "Switzerland Set To Start New Stage of Stem Cell Research"
Posted on February 28, 2005 03:16 PM | Comments (0)
ThromboGenics Ltd. Corp. Sheet
Corporate Summary (site quote):
ThromboGenics Ltd is a privately held company founded in Dublin, Ireland in 1998, focused on discovery and development of biotherapeutics for treatment of vascular diseases (including cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular disease).
...Continue reading "ThromboGenics Ltd. Corp. Sheet"
Posted on February 28, 2005 03:02 PM | Comments (0)
Australia's Catholic Bishops Campaigning To Prevent the Lifting Stem Cell Ban
Australia's Catholic bishops are campaigning to prevent lifting a partial ban on human embryos being used for stem cell research. The Federal Government is set to review laws with the goal of permitting experimentation on embryos created through IVF before April 2002.
The Catholic Leader reports that the sunset clause, which prevents researchers using embryos created through IVF after April 2002, expires on April 5 but a report on the review of the legislation is not due until the end of the year.
...Continue reading "Australia's Catholic Bishops Campaigning To Prevent the Lifting Stem Cell Ban"
Posted on February 28, 2005 02:04 PM | Comments (0)
CHEMICON International Corp. Sheet
Corporate Summary (site quote):
CHEMICON International, Inc. has been in operation since 1981, supplying immunological reagents to the biomedical research community. In 1992, CHEMICON expanded into the area of diagnostic kits and reagents by supplying immunodiagnostic products for antigen detection of infectious disease. CHEMICON recently launched a line of molecular biology products designed for research and clinical applications. Our mission is to provide quality products and services to advance science within the research, diagnostic and the pharmaceutical communities.
...Continue reading "CHEMICON International Corp. Sheet"
Posted on February 28, 2005 01:29 PM | Comments (0)
Clemson Professor Receives Grant For Stem Cell Research From Michael J. Fox Foundation
A Clemson University professor has received a grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation to look for a cure for Parkinson's disease through stem cell research.
Clemson professor Xuejun Wen is one of four to receive part of the nearly $1 million grant. Wen's lab hopes its research can reduce a number of diseases including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and diabetes.
...Posted on February 27, 2005 11:53 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cells Generate Huge Debate in Maryland
Mrs. Pollock and Mr. Lynch represent starkly divergent positions on the emotional issue of embryonic stem cell research.
Sandy Pollock struggles daily with the frustrating effects of Parkinson's disease; she has participated in drug trials and undergone two brain surgeries in hopes of easing her symptoms and living a more normal life. She'd be willing to participate in experiments using stem cells taken from frozen embryos.
Thomas M. Lynch is uneasy with the idea of using stem cells from embryos in medical research. He strongly believes that those tiny clusters of cells, left over from fertilization procedures, are human beings at their earliest stage...
...Continue reading "Stem Cells Generate Huge Debate in Maryland"
Posted on February 27, 2005 11:18 PM | Comments (0)
Cancer Killing Cells Can Be Produced
South Korean scientists reported that they have found a way to produce the human body's own cancer-killing cells through gene therapy.
A team of scientists from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology in Daejeon, report they had found that a gene called Vitamin D3 Upregulated Protein 1 (VDUP1) which plays a crucial role in directing stem cells to diversify into immune cells known as natural killer cells.
Natural killer (NK) cells are large, granular blood cells known as lymphocytes that are able to eliminate virus infected cells as well as tumour cells.
"Stem cells can develop into various cells and organs in the body," Inpyo Choi said, leader of the team. "We have found that when hematopoietic stem cells diversify into NK cells, the gene, Vitamin D3 Upregulated Protein 1 (VDUP1), plays a decisive role.
...Continue reading "Cancer Killing Cells Can Be Produced"
Posted on February 27, 2005 11:05 PM | Comments (0)
Orrin Hatch "embryos created in a petri dish are not people"
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, who holds staunch anti-abortion views, offered some explanation Friday about his position as an outspoken supporter of expanding federal funding for stem cell research.
"I believe that life begins in a mother's womb, not in a science lab," Hatch said.
Some of Hatch's congressional colleagues oppose funding this research on new stem cell lines, based upon differing views on when life begins.
...Continue reading "Orrin Hatch "embryos created in a petri dish are not people""
Posted on February 26, 2005 08:05 PM | Comments (0)
Fernandes Approved for Stem Cell Surgery in Portugal
Mr. Cisco Fernandes injured his spine in a diving accident in New York state June 17, 2000, and became a quadriplegic, being paralyzed from the chest down.
He is hopeful that by undergoing an experimental surgery he will regain at least some of the physical functions he lost.
Mr. Fernandes has been approved for stem-cell surgery in Portugal. The procedure is called olfactory tissue transplantation...
...Continue reading "Fernandes Approved for Stem Cell Surgery in Portugal"
Posted on February 26, 2005 06:57 PM | Comments (0)
Signal-joint TRECs May Predict Stem Cell Transplant Success
Measuring the quantity of a particular type of immune cell DNA in the blood could help physicians predict whether a bone marrow stem cell transplant will restore a population of T lymphocytes (T Cells) in a child.
This finding could help physicians predict if children receiving such a transplant will experience either failure or a delay in the reconstitution of the T cell population. Furthermore, if the transplant is successful, T cells arising from donated stem cells will be available to launch attacks on the patient’s cancer cells—the so-called “graft-versus-tumor” response.
This will further improve the patient’s outcome following initial therapy (chemotherapy, irradiation and surgery).
...Continue reading "Signal-joint TRECs May Predict Stem Cell Transplant Success"
Posted on February 25, 2005 09:15 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cell Effort Could Have Headquarters by May 6
The Site Search Committee of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (Prop 71) on Thursday chose the speedy schedule for evaluating sites around the state for the headquarters of the Institute.
The full board, meeting March 1, is expected to approve the schedule.
The Institute, which is also searching for a president, has not approved a date for issuing grants, but Ed Penhoet, president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and a founder of Chiron Corp. (NASDAQ: CHIR), and vice chairman of the oversight committee, said he expects the Institute to be able to make a May deadline for the first grant approval.
...Continue reading "Stem Cell Effort Could Have Headquarters by May 6"
Posted on February 25, 2005 08:56 PM | Comments (0)
Check the Lively Debate on Slashdot Regarding Stem Cell Research
Granted, this is not really the usual science and news kind of post, but one can count on Slashdot to really jazz things up and kick a subject around.
Considering that Slashdot has such a wide audience within the technical field, its good to see the "leet geeks" kicking the ball around as it were.
...Posted on February 25, 2005 08:52 PM | Comments (0)
Ireland: Stem Cell Cesearch Enter Opens in Galway
A brand spanking new stem cell research facility at NUI Galway will establish Ireland’s reputation in a pioneering and exciting area of clinical research, the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment Micheál Martin TD said this morning.
Speaking at the official opening of the Regenerative Medicine Institute (Remedi), the minister said:
"The Remedi centre brings together a top team in gene therapy and stem cell research, continuing the Government’s investment in the clinical and academic infrastructure in the west and putting Ireland on the world map in this ground-breaking area of scientific research and development (R&D)."
Now lets see the stem cell debate move to Ireland ;).
...Continue reading "Ireland: Stem Cell Cesearch Enter Opens in Galway"
Posted on February 25, 2005 08:51 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cell Injection Into Patients With Congestive Heart Failure Show Marked Improvement
University of Pittsburgh researchers are now reporting the results of a randomized trial which is a new approach at Society for Thoracic Surgery meeting.
Patients with severe congestive heart failure showed significantly improved heart function following a procedure in which their own stem cells were deployed directly into the heart by way of four tiny incisions in the chest, according to results of a trial presented today at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Thoracic Surgery. The study, led by Amit N. Patel, M.D., M.S., of the University of Pittsburgh McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, is the first to use a minimally invasive surgical technique.
Posted on February 25, 2005 07:04 PM | Comments (0)
Geron Corporation Reports Fourth Quarter 2004
Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) today reported financial results and highlights for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2004.
Net loss for the 2004 fourth quarter was $9.5 million or $(0.20) per share, compared to $7.6 million or $(0.21) per share for the 2003 comparable period. For fiscal 2004, the company had a net loss of $80.4 million or $(1.79) per share, compared to a net loss of $29.9 million or $(0.97) per share in fiscal 2003.
For the 2004 fourth quarter, the company had revenues of $338,000, compared to $155,000 for the comparable 2003 period. For fiscal 2004, the company had revenues of $1.1 million, compared to revenues of $1.2 million in fiscal 2003. Revenues for 2004 included royalty revenues under license agreements with companies for sales of telomerase detection and measurement kits, and license fee revenues recognized from license agreements with multiple companies for nuclear transfer and telomerase technology.
...Continue reading "Geron Corporation Reports Fourth Quarter 2004"
Posted on February 25, 2005 03:16 PM | Comments (0)
Latest Stem Cell News From Johns Hopkins
In a study that’s reversed some of the ravages of more neuron disease, at least in animals, neurologist Douglas Kerr and his Johns Hopkins co-researchers suggest stem cells may prove more broadly useful than ever before.
Kerr recently created a rat model of spinal motor atrophy (SMA) using Sinbis virus—a potent one that destroys rodents’ motor neurons. True to that neurological disease, the rats lost lower motor neurons, dragging their paralyzed lower trunks and hind legs behind otherwise normal bodies.
...Continue reading "Latest Stem Cell News From Johns Hopkins"
Posted on February 24, 2005 11:34 PM | Comments (0)
Spain Approves Stem Cell Research Projects
The Spanish government has given the green light for four research projects using human stem cells, joining only three of the other European countries that allow such research.
The government issued a decree late last year allowing the research, and then on Wednesday the health ministry approved four specific projects.
One of them is led by Bernat Soria, one of Spain's top medical researchers. His project is designed to use stem cells to create insulin-secreting pancreatic tissue to treat diabetes.
...Continue reading "Spain Approves Stem Cell Research Projects"
Posted on February 24, 2005 08:18 PM | Comments (0)
Geron Wins Favorable Final Judgment in Third Nuclear Transfer Patent Interference
Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) announced today that the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a final judgment in interference number 105,192 between Geron and Advanced Cell Technology Corporation ("ACT") of Worcester, Mass.
In its ruling, the Board found all claims of U.S. Patent No. 6,235,970, which is licensed to ACT from the University of Massachusetts, to be unpatentable, effectively invalidating the patent.
Previously, Geron received similarly favorable judgments in patent interferences with ACT and Infigen, Inc. of DeForest, Wis. Each of these interferences involved patent claims to nuclear transfer technology.
Geron holds a worldwide license to this technology from the Roslin Institute...
Continue reading "Geron Wins Favorable Final Judgment in Third Nuclear Transfer Patent Interference"
Posted on February 24, 2005 03:50 PM | Comments (0)
Utah: Sen. Orin Hatch Concerned With Utah Falling Behind
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch told the State House Tuesday that Utah can't afford to fall behind other states in embryonic stem cell research.
Knowing he was addressing some Republicans "who disagree with me," Hatch, R-Utah, said he had studied the issue for a year, talked to all kinds of experts, for and against it, before taking a stand that was later opposed by GOP President Bush.
Hatch said that the University of Utah (and the Huntsman Cancer Institute) does currently have some of the U.S. leaders in stem cell research. Futher that Utah State University and Brigham Young University, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also are doing important work in the area, Hatch said.
...Continue reading "Utah: Sen. Orin Hatch Concerned With Utah Falling Behind"
Posted on February 24, 2005 03:19 PM | Comments (0)
Hadassah Pushing Stem-cell Legislation
In a move that is likely to bring it into conflict with Catholic and Evangelical Christian groups, the largest Jewish organization in America is launching a push for pro-stem-cell-research legislation in state houses around the country.
Hadassah, the 300,000-member women's Zionist organization, is bringing hundreds of advocates to the capitals of 47 states this spring to agitate for legislation authorizing state funding for stem-cell research, which scientists hope will lead to cures for many chronic diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's...
...Continue reading "Hadassah Pushing Stem-cell Legislation"
Posted on February 24, 2005 12:59 PM | Comments (0)
Massachusetts: Boston City Councilor Promotes Cord Blood Banking
A Boston city councilor is considering a measure to promote the controversial practice of storing the blood from umbilical cords as a source of stem cells for future medical treatments for the child, parent, or sibling.
Councilor John Tobin stated that he wants the city to mandate all Boston hospitals to tell mothers-to-be about the options available to store or donate umbilical cord blood, rather than discard it.
Tobin pointed to the potential that cord blood holds to treat some cancers and genetic diseases, and he wants more families to know the option exists.
...Continue reading "Massachusetts: Boston City Councilor Promotes Cord Blood Banking"
Posted on February 24, 2005 12:46 PM | Comments (0)
Serologicals Corporation Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2004 Results
Serologicals Corporation (NASDAQ:SERO) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and twelve months ended January 2, 2005.
Fourth quarter revenues increased 49.2%, to $69.2 million, compared to $46.4 million in the same period last year. Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were $0.12 per share compared to $0.23 per share in the same period in the prior year.
Revenues for the year ended January 2, 2005 increased 33.4% to $195.9 million, compared to $146.9 million in the year ended December 28, 2003. Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations increased 25.5% to $0.59 per share compared to $0.47 per share for 2003.
...Continue reading "Serologicals Corporation Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2004 Results"
Posted on February 24, 2005 02:39 AM | Comments (0)
Are Cord Blood Banks Exploiting Parents?
Private companies that offer to store the umbilical cord blood of babies as an insurance policy against future serious illnesses were criticised yesterday for exploiting vulnerable parents.
Cord blood, which remains in the placenta after birth, can be frozen for use as an alternative to bone marrow to rebuild the blood and immune system to treat leukaemia, thalassaemia and other blood disorders. There is however some evidence that it can be turned into muscle, nerve and other tissues.
Many women donate cord blood for unrelated recipients to Britain's four public banks. There are also private banks offering parents the option to pay for the storage of blood for use by the child (known as autologous transplant) or siblings.
...Continue reading "Are Cord Blood Banks Exploiting Parents?"
Posted on February 24, 2005 02:31 AM | Comments (0)
Scientists Identify Switch That Can Turn Stem Cells On and Off
The therapeutic promise of stem cells lies in the fact that they begin as undifferentiated cells, but can develop into any cell type in the body.
One day, doctors hope to be able to harness this process to grow replacement cells for patients who've lost tissues because of injury or disease.
However, once a stem cell differentiates into a brain, heart, muscle or other body cell, there's no turning back. That key change is what the fuss is all about, and it seems part of what scientists have now found ...
...Continue reading "Scientists Identify Switch That Can Turn Stem Cells On and Off"
Posted on February 23, 2005 10:54 PM | Comments (0)
Protein That Promotes Survival of Stem Cells Might Be Key To Poor Leukemia Prognosis
The complex and life-sustaining series of steps by which hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) give rise to all of the body's red and white blood cells and platelets has now been discovered to depend in large part on a single protein called Mcl-1. This finding, from an investigator at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, is published in the February 18 issue of Science.
Mcl-1 blocks the biochemical cascade of reactions that trigger apoptosis ("cell suicide") of HSCs, according to Joseph Opferman, Ph.D., assistant member of St. Jude Biochemistry. Expression of Mcl-1 thus ensures that HSCs continue to thrive and multiply so they can complete the task of making huge numbers of blood cells. This process is extremely important during the initial development of the blood system before birth. Expression of Mc1-1 is also crucial for maintaining blood cells throughout life as red and white cells and platelets die and must be replaced. HSCs are also needed to rebuild the blood system of patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for cancer. Opferman completed work on this project while a member of Stanley Korsmeyer's laboratory at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston).
Posted on February 23, 2005 07:10 PM | Comments (0)
Human Kidney Cloned In Rats From Bone Marrow Stem Cells
Researchers in Japan report that they have cloned a human kidney by cultivating human stem cells extracted from adult bone marrow into rat embryos.
The development is expected to increase the likelyhood of expanding regenerative medicine to anatomically complicated organs such as the kidney and the lung as a potential means to treat patients with disorders of those organs.
A report of the study, headed by Takashi Yokoo of the department of internal medicine and gene therapy at Jikei University School of Medicine in Japan, will be published in the online edition of US publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, dated March 1.
...Continue reading "Human Kidney Cloned In Rats From Bone Marrow Stem Cells"
Posted on February 23, 2005 02:42 PM | Comments (0)
Plant Derivative FeverFew Attacks Leukemia Stem Cells
A plant known as Feverfew or Bachelor's Button, which found in gardens across North America, has been found as the source of an agent that kills human leukemia stem cells like no other single therapy. Scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center have discovered that Feverfew has a compound in it that blocks development more than anything else ever seen. Their investigation is reported in the online edition of the journal, Blood.
It will take months before a useable, pharmaceutical compound can be made from parthenolide, the main component in Feverfew. However, UR stem cell expert Craig T. Jordan, Ph.D., and Monica L. Guzman, Ph.D., lead author on the Blood paper, say their group is collaborating with University of Kentucky chemists, who have identified a water-soluble molecule that has the same properties as parthenolide.
Continue reading "Plant Derivative FeverFew Attacks Leukemia Stem Cells"
Posted on February 23, 2005 01:49 PM | Comments (0)
Vitro Diagnostics Quarterlies and Announces New Stem Cell Lines for Diabetes Research
Vitro Diagnostics, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: VODG) announced the filing of its annual report for fiscal year 2004 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
For the year ended October 31, 2004, the Company reported a net loss of $186,858 or $0.02/share on product revenue of $929. The 2004 net loss was a reduction of $75,420 from the net loss reported in 2003. Also, the Company's fiscal year 2004 report details the status of the initial commercialization of its VITROCELL(TM) product line and its current research regarding the development of new methods for the growth and development of human pancreatic beta islets (Islets of Langerhans) from human stem cells.
...Posted on February 23, 2005 01:40 PM | Comments (0)
California: Christian Groups Sue To Stop California Stem Cell Research Initiative
Conservative public-interest groups with ties to Christian organizations have filed lawsuits Tuesday seeking to invalidate the $3 billion stem-cell research institution approved by California voters in November.
One lawsuit alleges that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine violates California state law because it's not governed exclusively by the state government, and the committee that controls the disbursements of research money isn't publicly elected.
The institute was created by California voters when they approved a $3 billion bond to fund stem-cell research over the next decade. Proposition 71 was passed by 59 percent of voters.
...Continue reading "California: Christian Groups Sue To Stop California Stem Cell Research Initiative"
Posted on February 23, 2005 12:53 PM | Comments (0)
Virgina: State House and Senate Passes Stem Cell Bill
The Virgina State House and Senate have passed a bill that would create a new stem-cell research fund in memory of actor Christopher Reeve.
The measure, which does not apply to embryonic stem-cell research, passed in the House 76-22 vote with no debate.
The Senate has approved the legislation, and it will now go to Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat, for consideration.
Under the measure, the "Christopher Reeve Stem Cell Research Fund" would be created and would pay for Virginia college research on ailments such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
...Continue reading "Virgina: State House and Senate Passes Stem Cell Bill"
Posted on February 23, 2005 12:36 PM | Comments (0)
Early Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants Benefit Acute Myeloid Leukemia
French researchers are reporting that allogeneic stem cell transplants in first complete remission (CR) benefit intermediate- but not good- or poor-risk patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The details of an analysis of 17 years of study were presented at the 2005 Tandem BMT meetings in Keystone Colorado, February 10-14, 2005.
The role of consolidation therapy with allogeneic stem cell transplants for patients with AML has been evolving and controversial.
Allogeneic stem cell transplants are associated with more treatment related mortality than alternative therapies such as high dose cytarabine or autologous stem cell transplants but the rates of disease relapse are always lower than such alternatives. Recently, the decision to perform an allogeneic stem cell transplant in first remission has been based primarily on age and risk factors for relapse.
Continue reading "Early Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplants Benefit Acute Myeloid Leukemia"
Posted on February 23, 2005 03:28 AM | Comments (0)
Chemicon Expands Stem Cell Franchise
Serologicals Corporation (NASDAQ: SERO) announced today that Chemicon International, Inc., its wholly-owned subsidiary, has acquired the assets of Specialty Media, a division of Cell & Molecular Technologies, owned by Sentigen Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: SGHL). Specialty Media, based in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, develops and supplies a variety of specialty stem cell culture media formulations and supplements, cells and research reagent tools to the life sciences industry. Serologicals acquired all of the assets of Specialty Media for $6.5 million in cash.
...Continue reading "Chemicon Expands Stem Cell Franchise"
Posted on February 23, 2005 03:26 AM | Comments (0)
Michigan: Stem Cells Implanted In 16 Year Old Who Suffered Heart Attack
Doctors at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., are first in the world to use stem cells from a patient's own blood to try to repair damage caused by a heart attack.
The patient, 16-year-old Dimitri Bonnville, had a massive heart attack in mid-February after being shot in the heart with a nail gun. The Almont, Mich., native is recuperating at home. Doctors hope these stem cells will regenerate damaged heart tissue and stimulate the growth of new blood vessels.
...Continue reading "Michigan: Stem Cells Implanted In 16 Year Old Who Suffered Heart Attack"
Posted on February 22, 2005 04:18 PM | Comments (0)
MultiCell Technologies Completes $4 Million Private Placement
MultiCell Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: MUCL), a leading supplier of functional non-tumorigenic immortalized human hepatocytes, announced on Feb. 14, 2005, that it has completed a $4 million private placement with institutional and other accredited investors.
"The completion of this financing will allow us to develop our stem cell technology," said Jerry Newmin, MultiCell's Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
...Continue reading "MultiCell Technologies Completes $4 Million Private Placement"
Posted on February 22, 2005 02:02 PM | Comments (0)
Cord Blood Bank List
With stem cell research so closely tied to Umbilical Cord Blood, we thought it a good idea to get a somewhat comprehensive list of Cord Blood Banks put together.
Additionally, since we have been tracking a many stem cell research companies and organizations we will try to keep this list up to date as we go. New cord blood banking firms and cord blood research centers seem to be popping up everywhere, so this list will obviously change over time.
...Continue reading "Cord Blood Bank List"
Posted on February 22, 2005 01:55 PM | Comments (0)
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Launches into Next Phase with the Lease of New R&D Facility and Office Space
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Ltd. (BrainStorm), the Israeli subsidiary of BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BCLI), an emerging company in the cell therapy space, has announced that it has leased new space in Kiryat Ha'Mada Ve Ha'Technologia in Petach Tikva, Israel.
The new space will be used as a research and development facility, as well as for the corporate offices...
...Posted on February 22, 2005 01:50 PM | Comments (0)
Curis Reports Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2004 Financial Results
Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRIS), a therapeutic drug development company, reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2004.
For the fourth quarter of 2004, we reported a net loss of $1,659,000, or ($0.04) per share, as compared to a net loss of $6,936,000, or ($0.17) per share for the same period in the prior year.
Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2004 were $1,491,000 as compared to $755,000 for the fourth quarter of 2003, an increase of $736,000 or 97%...
...Continue reading "Curis Reports Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2004 Financial Results"
Posted on February 22, 2005 01:42 PM | Comments (0)
PharmaFrontiers Makes Key Research Advances in Multiple Sclerosis
Cell therapy developer PharmaFrontiers Corp. (OTCBB:PFTR) has completed the second traunch of its interim financing, issuing a total of $6.1 million in convertible notes, and reached critical milestones in two Phase I/II clinical trials to evaluate the application of its T Cell therapy in multiple sclerosis.
The $6.1 million convertible notes will be automatically exchanged for stock if PharmaFrontiers raises $10 million through the sale of common stock or common stock equivalent securities prior to the notes' maturity on November 30, 2005...
...Continue reading "PharmaFrontiers Makes Key Research Advances in Multiple Sclerosis"
Posted on February 22, 2005 01:36 PM | Comments (0)
Geron Corporation to Present at BIO CEO Conference
Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) will be present a company overview on Wednesday, February 23, 2005, at the Biotechnology Industry Organization's CEO and Investor Conference at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time.
The presentation will highlight the company's current product development efforts in oncology and human embryonic stem cell therapies.
The review of Geron's portfolio of telomerase-based anti-cancer therapies will include an update on GRN163L and progress on the ex vivo telomerase vaccine...
...Continue reading "Geron Corporation to Present at BIO CEO Conference"
Posted on February 22, 2005 01:23 PM | Comments (0)
What Are Hematopoietic Stem Cells?
The name is derived from Hematopoiesis, which is simply the formation of blood or blood cells in the body.
Hematopoietic Stem Cells are simply stem cells involved in the body's process of creating blood related cells. They are ultimately responsible for the constant renewal of blood which to give some scope is the production of billions of new blood cells each day.....
...Continue reading "What Are Hematopoietic Stem Cells?"
Posted on February 22, 2005 01:02 PM | Comments (0)
Bio-Matrix Files Provisional Patent with U.S. Patent Office
Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc.(Pink Sheets:BMXG) today announced that it has filed its first provisional patent with the U.S. Patent Office.
The Company believes there are numerous utility patents that will result from this filing. A Company spokesperson said the Company has already identified more than 12 utility patent applications it believes will be filed over the next 12 months.
"This recently filed provisional patent further strengthens the intellectual property surrounding Bio-Matrix's technological platform," said Dr. Philip Watts, Director of Research & Development.
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Posted on February 22, 2005 12:23 PM | Comments (0)
What Is Altered Nuclear Transfer?
With the politics and hype around stem cell research, the latest buzz phrase being passed around is "altered nuclear transfer".
Alterned nuclear transfer is being put forward by bioethicists as a possible ethical work-around to embryonic stem cell research and the creation of embryos involved in Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT)....
Continue reading "What Is Altered Nuclear Transfer?"
Posted on February 22, 2005 11:20 AM | Comments (0)
Altered Nuclear Transplant ... A Solution?
The New England Journal of Medicine thinks not...
William Hurlbut, M.D., of Stanford University and a member of the President's Council on Bioethics has recently proposed to the council an alternative way to derive embryonic stem cells that, he argues, circumvents this objection. The chair of the council, Leon Kass, M.D., Ph.D., favors Hurlbut's proposal. We believe that it is flawed.
Hurlbut's proposal is based on the observation that mouse embryos carrying a mutation in the Cdx2 gene die at the blastocyst stage because they fail to form a trophectoderm (from which the placenta normally develops). These embryos though fataly flawed, can give rise to mouse embryonic stem cells, and Hurlbut argues that a human embryo with a similar mutation would lack the capacity to become a human being and would thus represent an ethically uncontroversial source of human embryonic stem cells.
He proposes that embryonic stem cells could be derived by a process he calls altered nuclear transfer, in which a CDX2 mutation would be introduced in vitro into a human cell that would then be used as a nuclear donor to obtain embryonic stem cells by nuclear transfer.
...Continue reading "Altered Nuclear Transplant ... A Solution?"
Posted on February 22, 2005 11:14 AM | Comments (0)
As With Any New Breakthroughs, The First To Hit The Masses are the Snake Oil Dealers
It would appear that Stem Cell Research is no different than the many frightenling AIDS "treatments" of the 80's, the hack platic surgery of the 90's and some the "holistic" cancer treatments that hit the market.
Here we are at the dawn of some of the most promising breakthroughs in biotechnology and some less than legitimate clinics are jumping straight to profit ahead of science using the desperation of patients and the fantasies of science as a business opportunity....
...Posted on February 22, 2005 10:24 AM | Comments (0)
California: San Jose Attempts to Woo California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
San Jose, always known as the land of IT and part of the area many of us in IT know as Silicon Valley is on a quest to land the headquarters for the new California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. This is the same agency charged with disbursing $3 billion in state money for stem-cell research as part of Proposition 71.
San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, speaking at his seventh State of the City address earlier this month, has added luring the new state agency to a long list of goals for his final two years in office.
...Posted on February 22, 2005 10:18 AM | Comments (0)
California: More on Stem Cell Research and Fertility Clinics
It appears that the first areas of clinical medicine to derive any practical benefit from human embryonic stem cell research will likely be the fertility clinics that provided the embryos used to generate the stem cells.
In vitro fertilization clinics were who gave rise to the stem cell field in the first place, by generating large numbers of excess human embryos being kept in frozen storage
Now, scientists and researchers say that the burgeoning interest in stem cell research is producing insights already circling back into IVF practice...
...Continue reading "California: More on Stem Cell Research and Fertility Clinics"
Posted on February 21, 2005 05:35 PM | Comments (0)
Wisconsin: Foundation Looking To Tap into California Spending
California may be the state ready to spend $3 billion on stem cell research, but Wisconsin is looking to get a piece of that pie.
A Wisconsin foundation is positioning to play a major role in, and perhaps even profit from, the massive investment California is making in embryonic stem cell research.
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF, has two basic patents that broadly cover the preparation of embryonic stem cells, the basic material from which virtually all organs, cells and other body tissues are formed...
...Continue reading "Wisconsin: Foundation Looking To Tap into California Spending"
Posted on February 21, 2005 05:08 PM | Comments (0)
What Are Mesenchymal Stem Cells?
First, the mesenchyme where Mesenchymal Stem Cellsare found, is the part of the embryonic mesoderm and consists of loosely packed, unspecialized cells set in a gelatinous ground substance.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells are unspecialized cells (stem cells) from which connective tissue, bone, cartilage, and the circulatory and lymphatic systems develop.
Continue reading "What Are Mesenchymal Stem Cells?"
Posted on February 21, 2005 04:59 PM | Comments (0)
What Is Stem Cell Research?
For those of you regularly reading our site, this question has already been answered.
However, sometimes people see an article and are looking for a general discription of stem cell research.
So how we go:
What Is Stem Cell Research?
In a nutshell, as we know, stem cells are cells within an organism that have start out their life as undifferentiaed cells.
For instance, eye cells and heart cells are effectively the same genetically within one organism. Test the DNA of one and you see essentially the same DNA as the other.
However, these 2 different cell types have differentiated to fill two very different roles. One to see with, and another to pump blood with....
...Continue reading "What Is Stem Cell Research?"
Posted on February 21, 2005 04:22 PM | Comments (0)
What Are Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells?
Simply, umbilical cord blood is the blood and tissues left over during the removal of the umbilical cord of new born babies.
Blood retrieved from the umbilical cord after birth is a rich source of stem cells.
Stem cells being the unspecialized blood cells that produce all other a number of other types of cells, include blood-clotting platelets and red and white blood cells.
Similar to bone marrow that is currently donated, umbilical cord blood is being researched for treament of various disorders and diseases that affect the blood and immune system, leukemia and certain cancers, and some inherited disorders of body chemistry. Thusfar, more than 45 disorders have been found that can be treated with stem cells from umbilical cord blood.
...Continue reading "What Are Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells?"
Posted on February 21, 2005 03:37 PM | Comments (0)
California: San Mateo Wants to Be Home to Stem-Cell Group
California's new stem-cell research institute is searching for a home, and a group of San Mateo County power brokers aim to throw out the red carpet.
However, they know that they are headed for a tough fight to win the bid, but the San Mateo County Economic Development Association (Samceda) is honing its presentation to lure the new stem-cell institute to a Peninsula headquarters.
The group plans to finish the bid by the end of the month.
...Continue reading "California: San Mateo Wants to Be Home to Stem-Cell Group"
Posted on February 21, 2005 02:01 PM | Comments (0)
Massachusetts: Bioethicist Romney on Stem Cell Research Opposition
Gov. Mitt Romney's opposition to cloning human stem cells for research was reenforced by a bioethicist's plan to create stem cells without a human embryo.
"Both sides of this debate are defending important human goods," said Dr. William Hurlbut, a Stanford ethicist... I personally think a decent society does not build the foundations of its biological science with intentional creation and destruction of human embryos."...
Continue reading "Massachusetts: Bioethicist Romney on Stem Cell Research Opposition"
Posted on February 21, 2005 01:50 PM | Comments (0)
California: Stem Cell Critics Demand More Open Meetings
Critics of the state's stem cell program have filed a petition seeking to have more open meetings, salary caps and tighter-conflict-of-interest rules for paid executives.
The petition also calls for the stem cell oversight committee to develop grant guidelines before handing out any of the $3 billion in bond money Californians voted in November to spend on embryonic stem cell research.
The Independent Citizens Oversight Committee must act on the petition within 30 days under the state's administrative procedure act, public interest lawyer Charles Halpern said.
...Continue reading "California: Stem Cell Critics Demand More Open Meetings"
Posted on February 21, 2005 01:45 PM | Comments (0)
More on Stem Cells and Bones - Cartilix on Scaffolds for Stem Cells
Despite the high hopes surrounding stem cells’ potential to form replacement tissue for medical use, biologists are still struggling in the lab to get these finicky cells to transform into the needed tissues. Now Cartilix, a startup in San Carlos, CA, is offering a technology that might help: polymer materials that direct the growth and development of stem cells.
The startup is working on polymer gels that would be implanted into the joints of arthritic patients and serve as scaffolds upon which the patients’ own bone marrow stem cells would form new cartilage.
...Continue reading "More on Stem Cells and Bones - Cartilix on Scaffolds for Stem Cells"
Posted on February 21, 2005 01:38 PM | Comments (0)
California: UBDE at the Internationalizing Early-Stage Clinical Drug Research & Development Conference
U.S. BioDefense, Inc. (OTCBB:UBDE) announces that they will be attending the Internationalizing Early-Stage Clinical Drug Research & Development Conference, being hosted at The Stadium Club at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on Thursday, March 3rd, 2004.
"We are very excited to be a part of this event which will allow us the opportunity to meet face-to-face with developers, scientists, investors and executives of hand-selected biotech and gene-therapy companies with tremendous potential for growth. Recent changes to regulations governing clinical research in Canada are allowing researchers and biotech companies to see new opportunities and experience positive results," said David Chin, CEO of U.S. BioDefense.
...Posted on February 21, 2005 01:32 PM | Comments (0)
Kansas: EDC Decry Stem Cell Opposition
Officials from the Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City on Friday blasted attempts to ban stem cell research in Missouri and lamented the Kansas City Royals' decision to remain at Kauffman Stadium.
Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes called the Missouri General Assembly's proposed legislation "the most heart-rending" she has seen.
"People are cowering before the Catholic Church and the right-to-life groups," Barnes said at the EDC's monthly board meeting.
...Continue reading "Kansas: EDC Decry Stem Cell Opposition"
Posted on February 21, 2005 01:23 PM | Comments (0)
Korea: Korea to Continue Cloning Research
South Korea will continue its stem cell research despite the anti-cloning resolution of a U.N. committee, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Monday.
"It is just a non-binding declaration and we have no plan to review our policy of allowing therapeutic cloning," the ministry’s manager Kim Heon-joo said.
Over the weekend, a U.N. committee decided to call on nations to ban all forms of human cloning incompatible with respecting human dignity and protecting human life.
The panel voted for the total prohibition by 71-35 with 43 nations, including many Islamic countries, abstaining. The decision will be referred to the U.N. General Assembly for a final vote.
Kim claimed the anti-cloning resolution would lack clout because the U.N. committee put it to a vote instead of reaching agreement by consensus.
...Continue reading "Korea: Korea to Continue Cloning Research"
Posted on February 21, 2005 12:47 PM | Comments (0)
Washington: Stem Cells May Me Used to Grow New Teeth
Afflicted with a rare genetic disorder, ectodermal dysplasia, which affects teeth, skin, hair and nails, Schuermann, 27, had only four pointed teeth and sparse hair at age 3, when he got his first set of dentures after his natural teeth were removed.
Although he got dental implants at age 12 and has a seemingly perfect smile, now, as then, harder foods are a problem "I could not eat peanuts," said Schuermann, of San Antonio.
He is excited about a scientific discovery announced Thursday - that adult stem cells harvested from baby or wisdom teeth may allow him and others to grow new teeth naturally.
Pamela Gehron Robey, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research's chief of craniofacial and skeletal diseases branch, said the institute discovered the potential of cells from deciduous, or baby teeth, and third molars to replace missing teeth.
...Continue reading "Washington: Stem Cells May Me Used to Grow New Teeth"
Posted on February 21, 2005 12:34 PM | Comments (0)
Illinois: UofI in Chicago Evaluates Stem Cells for Breast Implants
Silicone or Saline breast implants could one day be a thing of the past. The latest research looks at replacing the current implants with tissue grown from a person's own stem cells within a decade, suggests new research.
Jeremy Mao of the University of Illinois, in Chicago, US, took human stem cells and used these to grow fat tissue using a biologically compatible scaffolding. He then successfully implanted the tissue into mice with an immune deficiency to prevent them from rejecting the implants. The implants had maintained their size and shape after four weeks.
"This is a project that builds on previous knowledge to develop a stem cell material that could be useful in society," says Mao. "It seems promising and could soon be making an impact."
...Continue reading "Illinois: UofI in Chicago Evaluates Stem Cells for Breast Implants"
Posted on February 21, 2005 12:27 PM | Comments (0)
China: Continuing Embryonic Stem Cell Research
While maintaining its opposition to human reproductive cloning, embryonic stem cell research in China will continue to be allowed, though closely monitored,for the treatment and prevention of disease, a senior Chinese expert said.
"Therapeutic cloning opens up prospects for the replacement of dead stem cells and will improve the health of individuals and mankind as a whole," said Wang Hongguang, president of the China National Centre for Biotechnology Development.
Wang told China Daily that China's technology in embryo stem cell research is currently taking a leading role among developing countries and "several products in the field of skin are facing clinical examinations now."
...Continue reading "China: Continuing Embryonic Stem Cell Research"
Posted on February 21, 2005 12:01 PM | Comments (0)
Not Really News .. But the Question Is, Are We Curing Aging?
I have just finished re-reading an article I read back at the end of last year concerning aging. I am sure anyone that has kept on top of regenerative medicine, has at least once come across the name Dr Aubrey de Grey, a theoretical biologist (of sorts) over at Cambridge University. His thoughts of how humans can and actually will live well beyond the life expectancy we have come to expect (he predicts .. yes I know .. that we could live beyond 1000 years of age) seem to me to be attached in some ways to stem cell research as well.
Having read some about him in the past, from a strictly biological sense, I agree that in theory it is possible. We are, after all, extrememly complex machines that over time stop repairing ourselves properly and eventually poison ourselves with out own waste products.
I know, thats really a gross over simplification really, but the question is, how do we reverse the damage we are doing to ourselves and actually repair it....
...Continue reading "Not Really News .. But the Question Is, Are We Curing Aging?"
Posted on February 18, 2005 04:55 PM | Comments (0)
Connecticut : Mayor says Rell budget will hurt city's programs
More from Connecticut, Mayor John DeStefano Jr. has loudly voiced his opinion that Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell's state budget proposal would have a negative economic impact on New Haven, and some of the city's business leaders agree.
Rell's proposal would cut funding for the arts statewide and would end a program that provides millions of dollars in state funding for research and development in biotechnology every year, a move DeStefano said will offset the economic impact of the governor's proposed investment in stem cell research...
...Continue reading "Connecticut : Mayor says Rell budget will hurt city's programs"
Posted on February 18, 2005 01:02 PM | Comments (0)
Connecticut : $20 million Investment In Stem Cell Research Recommended
HARTFORD, CT. (AP) - State lawmakers in Harford were urged Thursday to make at a $20 million investment in stem cell research in hopes of transforming Connecticut into one of the top biotech states in the country.
"The future is now and it is our duty to act," said Rep. Jeffrey Berger, D-Waterbury, co-chairman of the legislature's Commerce Committee.
...Continue reading "Connecticut : $20 million Investment In Stem Cell Research Recommended"
Posted on February 18, 2005 12:05 PM | Comments (0)
Missouri: Stem Cell Research Must Move Forward
On Thursday at a forum on innovation and prosperity in the St. Louis area, speakers hammered home a crucial theme: efforts to ban stem cell research in Missouri must be stopped.
If not, St. Louis' budding biotech sector, which has been pegged as a key to the region's economic growth, faces a bleak future, the speakers said.
Continue reading "Missouri: Stem Cell Research Must Move Forward"
Posted on February 18, 2005 12:01 PM | Comments (0)
Connecticut : Dean Alpern Answers Stem Cell Questions On State Legislature Panel
Yale Medical School Dean Robert Alpern testified yesterday on the economic and medical benefits of stem cell research at a hearing of the joint Commerce and Higher Education Committees of the Connecticut General Assembly.
The hearing proceeds from debate over a bill to legalize and fund the research.
"I told them why I believe stem cell research is so important... I spoke about how it is likely to lead to major advances in medical care and biotechnology."...
Continue reading "Connecticut : Dean Alpern Answers Stem Cell Questions On State Legislature Panel"
Posted on February 18, 2005 11:54 AM | Comments (0)
New Hampshire: House Representatives Bass and Bradley Back Stem Cell Research
Rep. Charles Bass members from New Hampshire yesterday threw their weight behind a bill that would expand federal funds for embryonic stem cell research. Their Senate colleagues have opposed such legislation in the past.
“Every year thousands of Americans die from illnesses that embryonic stem cell research could potentially prevent, treat and cure,” Rep. Charles Bass said in a written statement. “The legislation introduced today is crucial to our community, because it would lift some of these restrictions and pave the way for medical breakthroughs for many debilitating, painful and deadly diseases.”.....
...Continue reading "New Hampshire: House Representatives Bass and Bradley Back Stem Cell Research"
Posted on February 18, 2005 01:04 AM | Comments (0)
Insception Biosciences and Protana Announce Stem Cell Collaboration
Insception Biosciences Inc., operator of Canada's largest private umbilical cord blood storage bank and a leading stem cell research company today announced that they have entered into an agreement to collaborate with Protana Inc. on a project related to biomarker identification in stem cells isolated from umbilical cord blood.
Dr. Laura Grey, VP Business Development and Research Strategy of Insception Biosciences said:
"We are pleased to collaborate with Protana. Their depth and breadth of mass spectrometry instrumentation and expertise in applying these technologies to protein analysis is unparalleled. This relationship complements our stem cell technologies under development. Combining our technologies represents a unique and promising approach toward identifying novel biomarkers responsible for influencing stem cell fates."...
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Posted on February 18, 2005 12:54 AM | Comments (0)
Decontaminating the Contaminated Stem Cell Lines
As a consequence of the pressing and controversial technical barrier in stem cell biology, scientists at the WiCell Research Institute and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a recipe that allows researchers to grow human embryonic stem cells in the absence of mouse-derived "feeder" cells, long thought to be a source of potential contamination for the therapeutically promising cells.
These new findings, appeared today (Feb. 17) in the journal Nature Methods and is welcomed after a recent University of California study showing that existing stem cell lines are already contaminated with an animal molecule. The potential threat of animal pathogens tainting human stem cell lines poses a problem for the safe clinical use of many, if not all, of the current cell lines now in use....
...Continue reading "Decontaminating the Contaminated Stem Cell Lines"
Posted on February 18, 2005 12:29 AM | Comments (0)
Aastrom Biosciences Announces FDA Approval for Expanded Clinical Trials
Aastrom Biosciences Inc. reported Thursday that it will expanded its clinical trial on the use of stem cells for the repair of bone fractures to a fourth U.S. site.
With news of this, Aastrom's shares rose 27 cents, or 9.4 percent, to $3.14 in morning trading on the Nasdaq.
Continue reading "Aastrom Biosciences Announces FDA Approval for Expanded Clinical Trials"
Posted on February 18, 2005 12:21 AM | Comments (0)
Maryland: Stem Cell Summit Sponsored by Arent Fox, Md.
The ethical and scientific debates over stem-cell research will be front and center at a daylong forum in April when a host of business leaders, politicians, academic researchers and industry experts are expected to come together to discuss stem cell research.
Slated for April 25 in Rockville, Md at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center, the conference hopes to attract more than 150 participants, sponsors of the event say.
...Continue reading "Maryland: Stem Cell Summit Sponsored by Arent Fox, Md."
Posted on February 17, 2005 07:53 PM | Comments (0)
Chicago: Stem Cell Research May Provide Better Looking Cosmetic Surgery
Stem cell researchers have shown that cosmetic surgery, such as wrinkle removal and breast augmentation, may actually beimproved with natural implants that keep their original size and shape better rather than the current synthetic implants.
In the near future cosmetic surgery might be performed with stem-cell generated natural tissues instead of synthetic implants.
As is well known, saline and silicone implants for breast augmentation can rupture, leak, and interfere with breast cancer detection on mammograms.
Stem cell generated natural tissue implants should avoid these problems...
...Continue reading "Chicago: Stem Cell Research May Provide Better Looking Cosmetic Surgery"
Posted on February 17, 2005 07:44 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cell Debate at the Statehouse
Boston - Legislators, professors and church leaders debated embryonic stem cell research at a public hearing Wednesday at the Statehouse, arguing whether the research was essential in curing diseases and stimulating the state economy or an unethical practice that destroys life.
Senate President Robert Travaglini, a co-sponsor of a bill to remove obstacles to stem cell study, argued that stem cell research presents Massachusetts with "an unprecedented opportunity to save lives."
The proposal would attract biotechnology companies that have been lured abroad and to other states back to Massachusetts, Travaglini said.
...Continue reading "Stem Cell Debate at the Statehouse"
Posted on February 17, 2005 06:40 PM | Comments (0)
Ian Wilmut (Creator of Dolly) Plans to Obtain Stem Cells for Lou Gehrig's Disease Research
Professor Ian Wilmut, who led the team behind the world's first cloned mammal at Edinburgh's Roslin Institute in 1996, plans to obtain stem cells for research into motor neuron disease.
The disease is known in Canada and in the United States as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.
...Posted on February 17, 2005 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
Teva to Commercialize Gamida-Cell's StemEx
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA; TASE: TEVA) and Gamida-Cell Ltd. have announced that Teva has exercised the option to enter into a joint venture with Gamida-Cell Ltd. The two companies will develop and commercialize Gamida-Cell's StemEx for the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma.
As part of its investment in Gamida-Cell in 2003, Teva has held an option to jointly complete the development and globally commercialize StemEx. Teva will invest under certain conditions up to $25 million in the joint venture.
Currently, only 15% of patients requiring bone marrow transplantation, who do not have genetically matched relatives, are able to find matching donors. StemEx, which is based on inventions made in the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem, is cord blood highly enriched with stem cells.
...Continue reading "Teva to Commercialize Gamida-Cell's StemEx"
Posted on February 17, 2005 03:48 PM | Comments (0)
What Are Adult Stem Cells?
Adult Stem Cells are again another category of Stem Cells. We have coveredso far:
What Stem Are Cells?
and
What Are Embryonic Stem Cells?
Now lets get a simple but solid answer to this one.
Adult Stem Cells are stem cells that are found among already differentiated cells in a tissue or organ. Like other stem cells, these cells can renew themselves, and can differentiate to yield the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ.
The primary role of adult stem cells is to maintain and repair the specific tissue in which they are found.
Additional names for Adult Stem Cells are Somatic Stem Cells.
...Continue reading "What Are Adult Stem Cells?"
Posted on February 17, 2005 03:45 PM | Comments (0)
What Are Embryonic Stem Cells?
Ok, we have covered in a nutshell, What Stem Cells Are. Now lets deal with the controversial one.
What Are Embryonic Stem Cells?
Embryonic stem cells are cells that are derived from embryos. To be more precise, embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that developed from eggs that have been fertilized in fertilization clinics which were then donated for research purposes (with consent of the donors).
...Continue reading "What Are Embryonic Stem Cells?"
Posted on February 17, 2005 03:05 PM | Comments (0)
What Are Stem Cells?
First, lets settle one thing.
Stem Cells are NOT necessarily Embryonic Stem Cells.
Often these two terms are used interchangably, which is generally a ploy for political and ethical debates.
Stem Cells are a a general class of cells whereas Embryonic Stem Cells are a category of stem cells.
Now that thats covered:
What Are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are cells within an organism that have ability to develop into many different cell types within the body in a process known as differentiation.
Stem Cells serve as part of the repair system for the body. These cells can theoretically divide without limit to replace other cells for as long as the person or animal is still alive.
When a stem cell divides, each resulting cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another more specialized type of cell, such as a heart muscle cell, a bone cell, or even a brain cell....
Continue reading "What Are Stem Cells?"
Posted on February 17, 2005 02:35 PM | Comments (0)
Genzyme Swings To 4Q Loss On Acquisition Charges
Genzyme earned $1.82 a share before items for 2004. The company generated revenue of $2.2 billion and ended the year with cash and equivalents of about $ 1.1 billion.
For 2005, the company expects net income of $1.67 to $1.75 a share including amortization and other items. Before the effect of contingent convertible debt and other items, the company expects earnings of $2.08 to $2.16 a share.
Wall Street, on average, expects the company to earn $2.11 a share for 2005.
Genzyme expects capital expenditures of about $180 million to $200 million for 2005, as it continues to build its global infrastructure...
...Continue reading "Genzyme Swings To 4Q Loss On Acquisition Charges"
Posted on February 17, 2005 02:15 PM | Comments (0)
Genzyme Delivers Excellent Fourth-Quarter and 2004 Performance
Genzyme Corporation (Nasdaq: GENZ) today reported strong fourth-quarter and year-end financial results and issued guidance for 2005 that underscored its continued momentum.
The company confirmed its previous revenue guidance of $2.5-$2.7 billion and its non-GAAP earnings guidance of $2.08-$2.16 per share for the year.
Fourth-quarter revenue grew 24 percent to $591.1 million, up from $476.1 million in the same quarter a year earlier.
Revenue for the year totaled $2.2 billion, 40 percent greater than revenue of $1.6 billion in 2003...
...Continue reading "Genzyme Delivers Excellent Fourth-Quarter and 2004 Performance"
Posted on February 17, 2005 02:11 PM | Comments (0)
Massachusetts Support of Stem Cell Research
The Massachusetts Medical Society, the statewide association of physicians with some 18,000 members, has offered testimony before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies in support of Senate Bill 25, An Act Promoting Stem Cell Research.
Eric Ruby, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician from Taunton who has been practicing in Massachusetts for 28 years, testified on behalf of the Medical Society.
Written testimony was also provided to the Joint Committee.
Dr. Ruby, who was also a catalyst for the establishment of the state’s Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund now coordinated by the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Public Health, offered the perspectives of not only a physician but also a parent: his 29-year old son is a T-6 paraplegic...
...Continue reading "Massachusetts Support of Stem Cell Research"
Posted on February 17, 2005 02:10 PM | Comments (0)
Research Crunch at University of Washington
In a University of Washington laboratory gleaming with stainless steel, Kristen Helton carefully dips a pipette into neat rows of tiny vials. She's testing spit, trying to figure out how to use saliva instead of blood for medical tests.
It's part of a $3.8 million research project brimming with potential for lucrative commercial spinoffs, and bigger and better labs.
The UW is a behemoth in the fields of science and medicine - No. 2 in the nation in research funding, at nearly $1 billion a year...
...Continue reading "Research Crunch at University of Washington"
Posted on February 17, 2005 01:59 PM | Comments (0)
Aastrom Biosciences Announces FDA Approval for Clinical Trials
Using their patented and proprietary method of replicating stem cells gathered from bone marrow, Aastrom Biosciences (Nasdaq: ASTM) announced it has received FDA approval to expand clinical trials of its bone graft repair product. This marks another milestone in the progress of stem cell research, a field of study that is often shrouded in misunderstanding and politics.
Aastrom's Tissue Repair Cells were initially used in patients who had fractures of their tibias that would not heal even after extended periods of time. Using a mix of bone marrow stem cells and progenitor cells -- a sort of advanced form of stem cell -- the company was able to meet the FDA's clinical safety standards and can now expand the use to patients suffering from fresh fractures.
...Continue reading "Aastrom Biosciences Announces FDA Approval for Clinical Trials"
Posted on February 17, 2005 01:57 PM | Comments (0)
Canada: Connective Tissue Stem Cells To Treat Cartilage and Bone
Stem cells in the umbilical cord's connective tissue, called mesenchymal progenitor cells, are those that go on to become bone, cartilage, muscle and other connective-tissue cells.
The stem cells are found in the connective tissue surrounding blood vessels in the umbilical cord and can be removed and grown in a few weeks to provide an abundant number of cells, said John Davies, a professor of biomaterials at the University of Toronto and head of the research team.
...Continue reading "Canada: Connective Tissue Stem Cells To Treat Cartilage and Bone"
Posted on February 17, 2005 01:51 PM | Comments (0)
Free Rent an Obstacle for San Francisco Stem Cell Bid
It's crunch time for San Francisco's effort to become the home for the state's new stem cell research center -- and now the city is behind and scrambling.
Unlike rivals San Diego and Sacramento, San Francisco can't seem to get a competitive bid together -- the main problem being an inability to find a landlord willing to come up with 15,000 square feet of free office space.
One would think that the stars ought to be aligned in San Francisco's favor. After all...
...Continue reading "Free Rent an Obstacle for San Francisco Stem Cell Bid"
Posted on February 17, 2005 01:44 PM | Comments (0)
Michigan: Stem Cells and Gene Therapy To Treat Deafness
A new form of gene therapy has apparently cured deafness in guinea pigs.
"It's the first time anyone has biologically repaired the hearing of animals," says Yehoash Raphael at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and head of the US-Japanese team that developed the technique.
The therapy promotes the regrowth of the crucial hair cells in the cochlea, the part of the inner ear which registers sound. After treatment, the researchers electrodes around the animals' heads to demonstrate that the auditory nerves of treated - but not untreated - animals were now registering sound....
Continue reading "Michigan: Stem Cells and Gene Therapy To Treat Deafness"
Posted on February 17, 2005 01:42 PM | Comments (0)
California: New Blood Revives Old Muscles
Researchers out at Stanford University have found that an infusion of young blood into older "patients" has some pretty significant benefits.
The scientists have linked the blood supply of young mice to old mice, and what they have found will impact stem-cell research as well as the scientific study of aging: The young blood activated stem cells in the old muscles that allowed them to recover from injury and deterioration.
Continue reading "California: New Blood Revives Old Muscles"
Posted on February 17, 2005 11:48 AM | Comments (0)
Biotechnology Industry Organization(BIO) Supports Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act
Jim Greenwood, president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), issued the following statement on the proposed Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act:
"Representatives Mike Castle and Diana DeGette today joined Senators Arlen Specter, Tom Harkin and Orrin Hatch to introduce a bill that could go a long way toward making embryonic stem cell therapies a reality for the more than 100 million Americans who could potentially benefit from them.
...Posted on February 17, 2005 01:00 AM | Comments (0)
Washington: More on the Latest U.S. Bills Seek to Promote Stem Cell Research
Attempting to circumvent President Bush's limits on the use of stem cells from human embryos, members of Congress on Wednesday introduced bills to allow federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
Supporters from BOTH major parties joined the coordinated introduction in the House of Representatives and Senate, saying they have given up on persuading Bush to change his policy.
"If the federal government doesn't act, we're going to have a patchwork of state laws -- and that's already happening," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat helping to sponsor the bill...
...Continue reading "Washington: More on the Latest U.S. Bills Seek to Promote Stem Cell Research"
Posted on February 17, 2005 12:05 AM | Comments (0)
House Senate Ask for Further Research on Embryonic Stem Cells
Bills that were introduced in both the House and Senate on Wednesday call for President Bush to expand research on embryos, by allowing federal funding of cell lines derived from "excess fertilized eggs."
These eggs would be donated by fertility clinics instead of being discarded.
A group called The Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR) is behind the legislative push. CAMR, a coalition of patient groups, universities and scientific societies, believes that embryonic stem cell research eventually will cure diseases and alleviate suffering, although it has not happened yet...
...Continue reading "House Senate Ask for Further Research on Embryonic Stem Cells"
Posted on February 16, 2005 10:36 PM | Comments (0)
Canada: Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. Announces New Chief Clinical and Regulatory Office
Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. (TSX-V: SSS) today announced that Alan F. Moore, Ph.D., has joined the company as Chief Clinical and Regulatory Officer. Dr. Moore will be responsible for overseeing and implementing Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp.'s clinical programs focused on the development of stem cell therapies for major unmet medical needs.
Dr. Moore brings extensive drug development and clinical expertise to the company's development team. He has 26 years of senior management experience in pharmaceutical research and development including 23 years with increasingly senior responsibilities at Procter & Gamble. During his extensive working history, Dr. Moore has completed 11 investigational new drug (IND) applications or supplemental INDs, 15 phase I studies, 12 phase II studies, 7 phase III studies (plus 2 additional phase III studies that are still in progress) and 2 new drug applications. One of Dr. Moore's completed phase III studies enrolled 4,000 patients and included centres in 26 countries.
Posted on February 16, 2005 09:48 PM | Comments (0)
California: Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Applies for Cryogenic Stem Cell Bank Certification
Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. (Pink Sheets:BMXG) is applying for Cryogenic Stem Cell Bank certification in California. The Company anticipates this being the first step in establishing a Cryogenic Stem Cell Bank in California.
President Brian Pockett stated, "Once certification for the Company is achieved, the Company will have demonstrated that it has met all strict criteria and regulations for Stem Cell Banking in California. Stringent laboratory protocols, record keeping, quality control and quality assurance of registry are major requirements in this process. This is the starting point for us in pursuing our goal of establishing an Adult Stem Cell Cryogenic Bank."
...Posted on February 16, 2005 08:36 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cells' Promise Pits Jobs vs. Values
States have long worried about how far to go in attracting jobs, with the debate focused mainly on tax incentives and other corporate giveaways.
Now, as states gamble billions on controversial stem cell research to attract coveted biotech jobs, they're confronting an issue rare in job development: moral values.
The battle for supremacy over the emerging biotech industry will help define ambitious politicians, especially Republican governors Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, Jeb Bush of Florida, Rick Perry of Texas and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts...
...Continue reading "Stem Cells' Promise Pits Jobs vs. Values"
Posted on February 16, 2005 02:31 PM | Comments (0)
California Scrambles to Pay for Stem Cell Research
The clock counts down to May for California's audacious $3 billion experiment in funding stem cell research.
That's when Robert Klein, the architect of the program and acting president of the newly organized California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, hopes to begin cutting the first checks.
Not that the institute actually has decided to fund any grants or even has an application process.
That's all still in the works...
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Posted on February 16, 2005 01:08 PM | Comments (0)
Kennedy rips Romney over Stem Cell Policy
Washington - Senator Edward M. Kennedy yesterday blasted Governor Mitt Romney's proposal to ban the cloning of embryos for stem cell research, saying the governor's approach would rob Massachusetts of the benefits of one of the most promising areas of scientific research.
Romney, meanwhile, indicated he is open to new research as a compromise on the thorny ethical issue.
On Friday, he is scheduled to be briefed on a method of generating embryonic stem cells without creating embryos.
Kennedy, in his first public comments on Romney's approach, said a blanket ban on such cloning would be a major setback to Massachusetts by forcing researchers to leave the state...
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Posted on February 16, 2005 12:56 PM | Comments (0)
La Jolla Man Cured of Heart Disease Using Stem Cells from His Own Blood
A California man who suffered from a form of heart disease called Myocardial Ischemia has been successfully treated with his own stem cells and enjoyed Valentine’s Day with his wife with a romantic dinner.
Mildred Salas said, "My heart is singing now. I have my best friend back. He has so much energy, so much passion. What's happened is a miracle."
Her husband, Anthony Salas, was in pain from angina and was taking nitroglycerine tablets and morphine...
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Posted on February 16, 2005 12:48 PM | Comments (0)
Students Debate on Stem-Cell Research
The University of Saint Mary held its annual Lincoln-Douglas Debate Monday.
And like the earlier debates, Monday's event dealt with questions of human rights, ethics and the role of government, said Mulliken, history and political science professor.
Four Saint Mary students argued whether the federal government should fully fund biomedical research including embryonic stem-cell research and therapeutic cloning...
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Posted on February 16, 2005 01:11 AM | Comments (0)