February 2006 Archives
Stem Cell Therapy International, Inc Treats Multiple Sclerosis
Stem Cell Therapy International, Inc. (OTC: SCII),is reporting today that they have had successful results from stem cell transplantation therapy that was performed last November on a 42-year-old man. The man was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) three years ago.
Shop owner Samuel Bonnar, from Newtownabbey, Ireland, was experiencing debilitation that included difficulty speaking and poor circulation. He was walking with crutches and was able to climb stairs only by lifting his left leg with each step. Traditional treatment for MS at two different hospitals in Ireland resulted in little to no effect.
SCTI arranged for Mr. Bonnar to be treated with injections of a stem cell biological solution at the SCTI affiliate medical facility in Kiev, Ukraine on November 27th, 2005.
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Posted on February 28, 2006 07:25 PM | Comments (0)
Cord Blood Collection Company Biocord Ltd Seeking Capital
Cord blood as we all know is one of the hot "controversy free" methods of collecting umbilical cord stem cells for both research and a growing variety of stem cell therapies.
Biocord Ltd. has entered the growing number of cord blood collection companies with a medical device that it hopes to market to hospitals and health care facilities.
This one however, gets away from the "traditional" (hate to traditional .. makes it sound like this has been going on for decades) needle extraction methods.
...Continue reading "Cord Blood Collection Company Biocord Ltd Seeking Capital"
Posted on February 28, 2006 06:52 PM | Comments (0)
Geron Corp Announces Fourth Quarter and Annual 2005
I guess its time to get back into the investment side of things again. I know .. sometimes is not that interesting, but for those of us that watch both sides of the fence of stem cell research .. (that being the science and the stocks) .. we all can likely recognize from investment comes discoveries.
Geron is one of the big boys in stem cell research and stem cell therapy development. So ...
Geron is reporting a net loss for the fourth quarter of 2005 was $8.9 million or $(0.14) per share, compared to $9.5 million or $(0.20) per share for the comparable 2004 period. For fiscal 2005, the company had a net loss of $33.5 million or $(0.58) per share, compared to a net loss of $80.4 million or $(1.79) per share in fiscal 2004.
Not too sexy that .. but more ...
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Posted on February 28, 2006 03:37 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cell Therapy To Treat Huntington's Disease
It is going to soon be very difficult to track all the different stem cell therapy studies out there. So many different diseases and conditions are being evaluated for treatement using stem cells.
The latest case in point, news of a new study is going to come out in this month's Lancet Neurology journal. This latest news regards stem cell transplants in treating Huntington's disease.
Researchers are evaluating the benefits of an experimental stem cell therapy in reducing the most common symptoms Huntington's like muscle stiffness and memory loss. However, based on the current results, the benefits peaked after two years and then faded four to six years after the procedure.
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Posted on February 27, 2006 11:34 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cells To Combat Peripheral Arterial Disease?
Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis are running a study to look into the possibility of using adult stem cell injections to promote blood vessel repair and the growth of new blood vessels.
The idea is that the stem cell injections may someday be used to treat the cardiovascular condition called peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
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Posted on February 27, 2006 05:04 PM | Comments (0)
California Institute for Regenerative Science Heads to Trial
The California Institute for Regenerative Science, which was voted into existence by passing a $3 billion California state bond, heads to trial today.
The lawsuit, is pretty straight forward: Institute for Regenerative Science opponents claim that lack of direct state management of the institute's finances is unconstitutional.
Naturally, the state and the institute's lawyers claim that it is not unconstitutional since the original measure amended the state constitution to allow for this kind of independence.
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Posted on February 27, 2006 04:35 PM | Comments (0)
Prostate Tissue Grown From Stem Cells
Scientists in Australia, are reporting that they grown a human prostate gland from embryonic stem cells.
Monash Institute of Medical Research scientists are saying that it took them 12 weeks to develop human embryonic stem cells into human prostate tissue.
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Posted on February 26, 2006 07:44 PM | Comments (0)
Pre-clinical Data From ReNeuron With ReN004 Human Stem Cell Lines For Parkinson's Disease
ReNeuron Group plc has announced that initial testing of its candidate stem cell lines, ReN004, proved to have attributes that may help fixing the neurological deficits seen in Parkinson's disease.
C-mycERTAM stem cell expansion technology was used to generate the human cell lines, which were pre-screened for both genetic stability and their ability to differentiate into tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)- a marker for a dopaminergic stem cell phenotype.
...Posted on February 23, 2006 11:55 AM | Comments (0)
Adult Stem Cells Possible Solution for Diabetes
Been a while since we have dug into stem cells and diabetes related research. Seems suitable then to find this latest article discussing adult stem cells in the pancreas that can be transformed into insulin-producing cells.
Researchers at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and the Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center at the University of California at San Diego have discovered that endocrine progenitor stem cells in the adult human pancreas may be key to developing new treatments for diabetes.
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Posted on February 21, 2006 04:10 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cells Root Cause Of All Cancers?
Well, if there was ever a reason to write that article on what the advantage of stem cell research is .. here is a classic example.
Researcher Robert Weinberg, a cancer geneticist at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts is pointing out that they believe the root of every cancerous tumor, is madeup of a handful of aberrant stem cells.
This concept could help explain why tumors can regenerate even after being almost completely destroyed. Furthermore, this could also point medical researchers towards developing new strategies in anticancer drugs and treatments. Effectively, new drugs should be selected based on their lethality to cancer stem cells. Simply shrinking tumors would no longer be seen as effective if these theories prove to be true.
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Posted on February 21, 2006 03:35 PM | Comments (0)
The Advantage of Stem Cell Research ..
I guess this has been a long time in coming. As we go through our stats, it seems that many many folks want a nice and clear answer to this question, and we haven't clearly addressed it.
So lets put together a few clear cut examples of some of the advantages of stem cell research, without contributing to the controversy. There are many advantages without even without entering into the overall debate that rages on Capital Hill and in the news.
Let's keep it simple. The greatest advantage of stem cell research would is that it gives the world the possible opportunity to extend human life. This is the foundation of all medical principles, and if we can all agree that medicine has been of benefit thusfar, then we can obviously see that stem cell research.. regardless of its application .. has tremendous advantage.
...Continue reading "The Advantage of Stem Cell Research .."
Posted on February 20, 2006 10:40 PM | Comments (0)
Tretinoin Stem Cells and Balding
We get a good many queries regarding stem cell research and cosmetic procedures. Specifically, we have lots of users that are looking for stem cells and balding, both for purely cosmetic reasons and for hair growth options following chemotherapy.
To address this, we started looking around and found references to tretinoin stem cell treatments.
The current research involves well known products such as Retin-A and Minoxidil which are widely used products for hair loss treatment procedures. Keeping this in mind, we will not promote any particular products other than these, as beyond this, we cannot find any stem cell related research that targets these products. However, we can look at the stem cell research that does focus on hair regrowth and balding.
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Posted on February 20, 2006 05:00 PM | Comments (0)
Video of Journal "Science" Editor on the Hwang Woo-Suk Stem Cell Research Frauds
Well, since we get so many queries regarding the fraudulent stem cell research published by Hwang Woo-Suk at Seoul University, we figured it would be relevant to include a video of Science editor-in-chief Donald Kennedy's brief statement of the journal's position of Woo-suk's problems.
Furthermore, Kennedy discusses the journal's plans regarding retractions of the two papers by Hwang.
Since we didn't want the video right smack on the front page of the site ... click for the video:
...Continue reading "Video of Journal "Science" Editor on the Hwang Woo-Suk Stem Cell Research Frauds"
Posted on February 16, 2006 06:32 PM | Comments (0)
Bioethicist at Stanford University's Releases Book: Stem Cells Now
NPR's Fresh Air has a in detail article following up their radio show about author and bioethics expert Christopher Thomas Scott. His book on stem cell research and its future. The Scott even goes so far as to say that the discovery of stem cells is as ground breaking as the discovery of nuclear fusion.
However, though Scott is fascinated by the promise of stem cells, his main concern is the actual science behind stem-cell research. The article discusses how Scott in his book reviews in detail issues around the ethical and moral debate surround how the advances are used.
For those who are against stem cell research, and those that support stem cell research, it appears that this may be a book well worth reading.
...Continue reading "Bioethicist at Stanford University's Releases Book: Stem Cells Now"
Posted on February 16, 2006 12:50 PM | Comments (0)
New Stem Cell Found In Cord Blood
UPI is reporting that a new form of stem cell has been isolated in cord blood. University of Minnesota Medical School scientists have discovered new cord blood stem cells that may be useful in regenerating nerve tissue.
Short article, but interesting .. will follow up on this if we can find more news .. Scientists find new cord blood stem cells
...Posted on February 16, 2006 12:44 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cell Heart Procedures Getting Feedback
In the stem cell research field, we generally read mainly pure research articles, as so much out there is still in development.
However, there are have been some studies abroad that are showing results. With all the controversy with researchers like Hwang Woo-suk falsifying documents and research breakthroughs, I thought it a good time to look at some actual procedures that real people are reporting as positive.
...Continue reading "Stem Cell Heart Procedures Getting Feedback"
Posted on February 14, 2006 03:09 PM | Comments (0)
Breast Grown From Stem Cells
The Harvard University Gazette is reporting that stem cell researchers in Australia have developed a complete and functioning breast grown from a single stem cell.
This procedure was done using mouse cells. However, most experts believe it won't be long before it this technology is available for humans.
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Posted on February 9, 2006 10:29 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cells To Be Used To Treat Artery Disease
Indiana University School of Medicine researchers are starting a clinical trial that tests stem cells as a treatment option for peripheral artery disease.
This trial involves using injections of stem cell as a treatment that could offer hope to tens of thousands of people who face sores, ulcers and amputations that are due to severe peripheral artery disease.
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Posted on February 9, 2006 10:13 PM | Comments (0)
Protein Plays Crucial Role In Embryonic Stem Cells Become Specialised
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh when studying mouse cells found that a protein called Mbd3 plays role in the process by which embryonic stem cells become specialised cells.
It appears in this study that cells require Mbd3 to stop self-renewing and then become specialised cells.
The protein has been know to be necessary for an embryo to develop. However, in this study the researchers found the precise stage that protein is needed.
...Continue reading "Protein Plays Crucial Role In Embryonic Stem Cells Become Specialised"
Posted on February 8, 2006 05:25 PM | Comments (0)
Cytori Therapeutics Develops Stem Cell Solution From Fat Cells
Cytori Therapeutics has developed a new piece of medical equipment that literally pulls stem cells out of fat tissue so that the cells can then be re-injected into the body to repair tissue damaged by heart attack or disease.
Several studies over the past couple of years have shown that stem cells and other regenerative material from fat can help restore blood flow to the cardiac muscle that has been damaged by a heart attack.
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Posted on February 7, 2006 03:23 PM | Comments (0)
Stem Cell Therapy For Heart Disease News
Forbes is covering reports by participants at major conference in New York on stem-cell therapy who agree that such a cure for heart disease is proving elusive.
Though some studies are showing a modest benefit from these cell-transplant therapies for heart disease, significant improvements in heart function have yet to be seen.
"Nothing that I've seen at this meeting, with regard to cell therapy, show that it prolongs the life of heart-failure patients," said Dr. Eric Rose, chairman of the department of surgery and associate dean of translational research at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York City.
...Continue reading "Stem Cell Therapy For Heart Disease News"
Posted on February 3, 2006 07:12 PM | Comments (0)
Prions May Be the Stem Cell Secret
A new study coming out of the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, looks at how stem cells may be dependant on prions... the proteins made famous by mad cow disease.
The research is showing that adult stem cells in bone marrow may gradually lose their ability to regenerate a complement of membrane-bound prions...
...Continue reading "Prions May Be the Stem Cell Secret"
Posted on February 3, 2006 02:51 PM | Comments (0)
It Was Only a Matter of Time .. Hwang Woo-suk's House Raided
South Korean investigators have raided the home of fallen stem-cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk Thursday. The raid stems from their investigation into his research fraud.
This is now the second time prosecutors have searched Hwang's home to seize evidence after Korea's top university concluded that he had faked research results.
...Continue reading "It Was Only a Matter of Time .. Hwang Woo-suk's House Raided"
Posted on February 2, 2006 08:14 PM | Comments (0)
Lupus Stem Cell Treatment Study in Chicago Shows Promise
News is coming out of Chicago about rebuilding the immune system of patients suffering from Lupus with their own stem cells can promote remission in some of the most severely ill, when other forms of treatment have failed .. this based on a new study out of the US.
Medical researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago are reporting that they have found that half of the patients treated with stem-cell transplants were disease-free after five years. Addtitionally, the overall survival rate for the patients in the study was 84 per cent.
...Continue reading "Lupus Stem Cell Treatment Study in Chicago Shows Promise"
Posted on February 2, 2006 12:32 AM | Comments (0)