Stem Cell Headlines: Thursday, 2.4.10

Madison teen advocate for diabetes research dies - 2.4.10

• 13 year old Jesse Alswager died yesterday.  Alswager worked tirelessly to find a cure. In 2004, he appeared with Governor Doyle advocating for stem cell research. Alswager also testified before congress, pushing for diabetes and stem cell research funding.
  
  

 

Study: Politics affects views on stem-cell research - 2.4.10

• A recent UW-Madison study found that Wisconsin voters’ level of political activism on the issue of stem-cell research is more likely to be correlated to political ideology and media exposure than religion.

 

Plastic Surgery with No Knives No Scars on "Extra" - 2.4.10

• Women who are looking to reduce the appearance of wrinkles but are afraid of the pain and recovery time associated with traditional facelift now have a new option - the Stem Cell Lift (TM).

 

Vatican newspaper calls new stem cell source 'future of medicine' - 2.4.10

• 'We are studying a particular type of stem cell, the amniotic stem cell, that represents a 'first' in the course of our existence'

 

Cryo-Save appoints CEO - 2.4.10

• Stem cell bank Cryo-Save Group has appointed Arnoud van Tulder as chief executive from 1 May.

 

Fate Therapeutics, MIT Scientist Get Stem Cell Patent - 2.4.10

• Rudolf Jaenisch, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientist, will be granted a U.S. patent for conceiving a way to turn cells from mammals’ bodies into stem cells, a discovery also claimed by two other scientists.

 

CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank Featured Internationally on CNN en Espanol - 2.4.10

• CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank and its program at South Miami Hospital are being featured on CNN en Espanol's show "Salud."  This story on the importance of cord blood donation aired this week and can be seen Friday, February 5 at 9:30 a.m. EST and Sunday, February 7 at 9 a.m. EST and 3 p.m. EST on CNN en Espanol.  Additionally, the story can be viewed at www.corduse.com by clicking on this press release on the front page.

 

Bioheart Launches First US FDA Approved Clinical Trial that Tests Gene-Modified Stem Cell Therapy in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure - 2.4.10

• Bioheart, Inc., (BHRT) announced today that the company has commenced work on its REGEN trial, a Phase I Clinical Trial to test genetically modified MyoCell(R) in patients suffering from Congestive Heart Failure (CHF).

 

International Stem Cell Corporation Opens Facility for Development and Production of Clinical-Grade Stem Cell Products - 2.4.10

• International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) announced today that its new cell production facility has passed final building inspection, which will enable development and manufacturing of the company and its partners' clinical-grade stem cell products.

 

Regenocyte Successfully Treats Cardiomyopathy Patient Using His Own Adult Stem Cells - 2.4.10

• Six months following the procedure, his Ejection Fraction – the rate at which the heart is able to expel blood - has improved a remarkable 18 percentage points.

 

South Dakota Senate Rejects Effort to Undermine Embryonic Stem Cell Ban - 2.4.10

• The South Dakota Senate voted down a bill Tuesday that would have sabotaged the state’s ban on embryonic stem-cell research. The Senate rejected S.B. 74 by a 21 - 12 margin, after the bill was substantially revised to permit South Dakotans to access embryonic stem cell treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 

Seeking hope for child's eyes, parents turn to China - 2.4.10

• If they can raise $35,000, they will take their daughter to China later this year so she can get at least six infusions of umbilical cord stem cells.

 

ThermoGenesis Signs Distribution Agreement With GE Healthcare - 2.4.10

• ThermoGenesis Corp. (KOOL) signed a new enhanced distribution agreement with GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Co. (GE), for its AXP AutoXpress System used in the processing of cord blood.
• ThermoGenesis trim Q2 loss, boosts revenue

 

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics To Present At 12th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference On Tuesday, February 9th - 2.4.10

• ImmunoCellular Therapeutics (OTCBB: IMUC) announced today that Manish Singh, Ph.D., President and CEO will be presenting at the 2010 BIO CEO & Investor Conference on Tuesday, February 9 th at 10 a.m. eastern time. Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the 12th Annual CEO & Investor Conference will take place at the Waldorf Astoria in New York.

 

BioShock 2: Secret Messages, Packages and Telegrams - 2.4.10

• The game, to be released February 9, is set in Rapture, a fictional underwater city that was designed in 1946 as a utopia for the intellectual elite. The city breaks down after scientists discover they can genetically re-engineer themselves through stem cells harvested from a sea slug that are mass-produced in the stomachs of young girls. The first BioShock game was set after that breakdown in 1960.

 

Gene doping risky for athletes - 2.4.10

• The Science article points to an Associated Press report that described an incident prior to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in which a Chinese doctor offered to sell stem-cell therapy to a German reporter posing as a swimming coach.

 

Majority of Parkinson’s Patients Improved After German Stem Cell Treatment - 2.4.10

• The XCell-Center, Europe’s leading stem cell therapy provider has released results from a follow-up study of 50 Parkinson’s disease patients treated with autologous bone marrow stem cells. Overall, almost 60% improved following treatment.

 

Medical Council issues new rules on stem-cell research - 2.4.10

• A law professor Thursday slammed the Medical Council for issuing a new regulation requiring stem-cell researchers to seek additional approval from a newly set up national regulatory body, saying that the new rule would benefit private hospitals rather than foster research.

 

New State-Of-The-Art Technology To Accelerate Stem Cell Research At UC Riverside - 2.4.10

• Stem cell research at the University of California, Riverside is about to gather speed thanks to the establishment of a new Stem Cell Core Facility (SCCF) - a shared facility providing infrastructure, equipment, and trained personnel for doing stem cell research that ordinarily would not be available in most laboratories.

 

Scientists Map Epigenome of Human Stem Cells During Development - 2.4.10

• Scientists at The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) led an international effort to build a map that shows in detail how the human genome is modified during embryonic development.

 

New Scaffold for Stem-Cell Growth Developed - 2.3.10

• A science group at the University of Washington has recently developed a new system of growing stem cells in the laboratory, without the risk of contamination. Their scaffold eliminates the possibility of these cells being invaded by animal byproducts, as was often the case in various studies. In fact, it was recently discovered that all embryonic stem cells (ESC) that scientists used in 2005 were contaminated, from the medium that was used in Petri dishes to grow them. Animal-based “feeder layers” are still widely used, and the new scaffold is designed specifically to eliminate them, ScienceDaily reports.

 

LifeTech Capital Initiates Research Coverage of StemCells, Inc. With Strong Speculative Buy Recommendation - 2.3.10

• StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM) announced today that LifeTech Capital has initiated independent research coverage on the Company with a "Strong Speculative Buy" recommendation and a 12-18 month price target of $2.20 per share.

 

Stem cells: Science, economy edge religion at the polls - 2.3.10

• When it comes to stem cell research as a political issue, Wisconsin voters are more likely to be motivated by ideas of economic benefit and scientific progress than by religious objections, according to a new report.

 

Research and Markets: Investing in Stem Cell Companies in 2010 and Beyond - 2.3.10

• The first approval of stem cell-based therapeutic product will push the whole market forward not only financially but also acceptance of stem cells as the mode of therapy and eventually prevention of a variety of diseases by general public will increase.

 

'Clique' of scientists skewing stem cell research by influencing high-profile journals - 2.3.10

• A small clique of scientists are skewing stem cell research by unduly influencing which breakthroughs get published in high-profile journals, experts have warned.

Stem Cell Headlines: Tuesday, 2.2.10

Scientists successfully treat rats' injured spinal cords - 2.2.10

• Czech scientists have succeeded in treating spinal cord chronic injuries in rats and want to start testing hydrogel with stem cells in people as soon as possible.

 

Are stem cell scientists sabotaging rivals' work? - 2.2.10

• Although short of proof, a group of senior stem cell researchers warn that it may be happening. They are calling for journal editors to be alert to referees who might abuse their position in the peer-review process to discredit or block rival research.
• Bad reviewers block good research, say stem cell scientists
• Journal stem cell work 'blocked'

 

Mother hoping for stem cell miracle - 2.2.10

• For a Calgary mother hoping to see her seven-year-old son walk again, $30,000 is the price of a miracle — that’s how much it will cost to have Joey McNeil injected with stem cells to repair his damaged spine.

 

Stem Cells May Help Heart Attack Patients - 2.2.10

• Research underway in Baltimore could someday change the way doctors treat heart attack victims.  Healthwatch reporter Kellye Lynn tells us why Maryland scientists are looking to stem cells to extend the lives of these patients.

 

Eric Prince and David Prentice: The Blackwater/Anti-Stemcell Connection - 2.2.10

• What is the connection between Erik Prince, owner of Blackwater/Xe, perhaps the world's largest private army, and David Prentice, Ph.D, widely-known opponent of embryonic stem cell research? Money.

 

G.S. Cosmeceutical Plants the Seeds to Anti-Aging Skincare's Future with Stem Cells - 2.2.10

• Today, the arrival of plant stem cells in topical skincare carries a new mission: the ability to not only protect, prevent and repair aging skin cells but to actually replace lost and damaged cells with healthy new skin cells. Already, the applications are yielding dramatic results with newfound promise of revolutionizing the skincare industry in ways never before realized.

 

Stem cells aid nerve cells by contact - 2.2.10

• A Swedish-led team of medical scientists says it has discovered how transplanted stem cells can connect with and rescue threatened neurons and brain tissue.

 

Regenocyte Successfully Treats Cardiomyopathy Patient Using His Own Adult Stem Cells - 2.2.10

• Les Nachman had been battling severe heart disease for more than 10 years by the time he met Dr. Zannos Grekos, a Florida-based pioneer in the field of adult stem cell therapy which utilizes the patient’s own stem cells to treat heart disease and other disorders. Six months following the procedure, his Ejection Fraction – the rate at which the heart is able to expel blood - has improved a remarkable 18 percentage points.

 

Science center announces new stem cell exhibit - 2.2.10

• The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center announced on Monday an exhibition currently in development, tentatively titled, “Cellular Journey: Stem Cells and the Cells of the Human Body.”

 

National Institutes Of Health Approves Wisconsin H1 Stem-Cell Line For Continued Use In Federally Funded Research - 2.2.10

• The WiCell Research Institute, a private nonprofit that has advanced stem cell science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and served researchers around the world since 1999, can continue to provide stem cell scientists one of the earliest and most popular human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines in the field for their use in federally funded research projects.

 

ALS TDI extends partnership with Calif. stem cell firm - 2.2.10

• ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) has extended and grown its collaboration with California Stem Cell Inc. (CSC) in an effort to develop a potential stem cell treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

 

UC Riverside’s New State-of-the-art Technology to Accelerate Stem Cell Research - 2.2.10

• Stem cell research at the University of California, Riverside is about to gather speed thanks to the establishment of a new Stem Cell Core Facility (SCCF) – a shared facility providing infrastructure, equipment, and trained personnel for doing stem cell research that ordinarily would not be available in most laboratories.

 

Athersys to Present at 12th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference - 2.2.10

• Athersys, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATHX) announced today that it will present at the 12th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference to be held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, February 8-9, 2010, in New York City.  The conference will provide a forum to discuss breakthrough therapeutic developments and issues that affect the biotech industry.

 

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group's Majority Owned Subsidiary Entest BioMedical Initiates Studies to Support Stem Cell / Laser Regenerative Therapy for COPD - 2.2.10

• Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. (OTCBB: BMSN) announced that its majority owned subsidiary, Entest BioMedical Inc. (OTCBB: ENTB) has initiated studies to support the Company's stem cell / laser regenerative therapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

 

International Stem Cell Surges Higher - 2.2.10

• International Stem Cell Corp. (ISCO), a biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products, jumped 40% during Monday’s trading session, extending a rally that dates all the way back to the beginning of January.

 

International Stem Cell Schedules Shareholder Conference Call - 2.2.10

• International Stem Cell Corp. (ISCO.OB), a California-based biotechnology company creating human stem cell lines from unfertilized eggs, announced that it is has scheduled a conference call for February 5, at 10 a.m. PST.

 

Tapping Into Chinese Healthcare Reform Profits with Neostem (AMEX:NBS) - 2.2.10

• Many of today's investors, I'd venture to say a vast majority of them, don't take the time to read through the public filings of some of their favorite companies. As such, they often fall prey to misinformation or rumors that spread on investor message boards.  Worse yet, they fail to recognize great investment opportunities as they are presented in "the most accountable form" with the federal government. Monday's less than overwhelming reaction to the news from NeoStem (NYSE Amex: NBS) that its new pharmaceutical subsidiary (Suzhou Erye) received approval from the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) in China to manufacture more penicillin at their new facility may be due in part to that lack of perspective and research.

 

NeoStem's Eyre Subsidiary Approved to Use New Manufacturing Facility - 2.2.10

• In June 2009, NeoStem signed an exclusive 10-year agreement with Enhance BioMedical Holdings Limited of Shanghai, allowing Enhance to use NeoStem’s techniques to build a stem cell collection and treatment network. Enhance said it plans to build facilities in Shanghai, Taiwan, and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui and Jiangxi. NeoStem is in the stem cell collection business in the US, but its revenues were just $136,000 for the most recent12 months.

 

Mouse Skin Into Neurons Without Need for Pluripotent Stem Cells - 2.2.10

• Conventional wisdom tells us that you can’t teach an old cell new tricks. Scientists at Standard University, however, have been able to change adult mouse skin cells into mouse neurons.

 

Amended Bill Could Allow Stem Cell Treatments in South Dakota - 2.1.10

• As it reads now, the bill would allow patients to receive stem cell treatments in South Dakota. The Health and Human Services committee amended the bill to no longer include the 'research' part of stem cell research.

 

Stem Cell Therapy closes merger with Histostem - 2.1.10

• Stem Cell Therapy International Inc. (SCII) completed its merger with Histostem Ltd of South Korea. The deal forms one of the first fully merged Pacific Rim stem cell companies and cord blood repositories with a U.S. entity, the companies said in a release.

 

Call for legislation around stem cell treatments - 2.1.10

• The Irish Stem Cell Foundation (ISCF) has launched a charter calling for comprehensive legislation around the area of stem cell treatments in Ireland.

 

Geron Explores New Application for Hampered Alzheimer's Drug - 2.1.10

• Geron (GERN) is teaming up with the University of California to investigate the therapeutic potential of its human embryonic stem cell-based product, GRNOPC1, for Alzheimer’s disease.

Stem Cell Headlines: Friday, 1.29.10

President Obama omits stem cells from State of the Union address - 1.29.10

• Even though President Obama claims to be an advocate of stem cell research and has even made efforts to back up those claims, it is now obvious to me that he is afraid to talk about it when addressing the nation. With so much happening in the stem cell industry as of late, I wonder how long Barack Obama will be able to avoid addressing stem cells before it starts to backfire on him politically?

 

Blind girl and family return from China after stem-cell treatments - 1.29.10

• The family returned home to Saranac Lake last week after six weeks in China, where London received stem-cell treatments to try to correct her blindness.  The good news is that 2-year-old London Call's sight has definitely shown signs of improvement.
  
  

 

Scientists Create Brain Cells From Skin Cells - 1.29.10

• In what's being heralded as "a huge leap forward," Stanford researchers have successfully turned mouse skin cells into fully functioning brain cells. The process, which took less than a week, upends thinking on how cells develop specialized roles, and could help minimize the controversial role of embryonic stem cells in treatments for diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

 

1-Star Stocks Poised to Plunge: Cytori Therapeutics? - 1.29.10

• Based on the aggregated intelligence of 145,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, stem-cell technology specialist Cytori Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CYTX) has received the dreaded one-star ranking.

 

In Reversal, State Says It Will Start Process Of Awarding Stem Cell Grants - 1.29.10

• Connecticut: The state Department of Public Health will move ahead with the process of awarding stem cell research grants, reversing a decision announced earlier this week to postpone the process because of uncertainty about the state budget.

 

New Stem Cell Research Findings Could Lead to Cure of Spinal Cord Injuries, Brain Injuries, & ALS - 1.29.10

• Many people have suffered from spinal cord and brain injuries, not to mention amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig disease, a debilitating disease characterized by muscle weakness in the arms and legs, followed by difficulty swallowing, talking, and breathing, (Dorland´s Medical Dictionary (DMD)). Eventually muscles become completely useless and the patient becomes a quadriplegic, (DMD). With all this said, scientists have discovered how to use stem cells to generate new nerve cells in the brain of mice.

 

Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. Receives 'No Objection Letter' From Health Canada For The Phase IIa Clinical Trial In Traumatic Brain Injury Patients - 1.29.10

• Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SSS) announced it has received a No Objection Letter ("NOL") from Health Canada for the Company supported, investigator-led Phase IIa, single centre, open label study to characterize the safety of human Chorionic Gonadotropin ("hCG") & Erythropoietin ("EPO") in severe traumatic brain injury ("TBI") patients .

 

Fat Tissue May Be a Source of Valuable Blood Stem Cells, Study Says - 1.29.10

• Bone marrow is a leading source of adult stem cells, which are increasingly used for research and therapeutic interventions, but extracting the cells is an arduous and often painful process. Now, researchers have found evidence that fat tissue, known as adipose tissue, may be a promising new source of valuable and easy-to-obtain regenerative cells called hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), according to a study prepublished online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

 

ON THE CUTTING EDGE: Biocell settles at Medford location - 1.29.10

• Based near the Italian city of Milan, Biocell is the world’s only firm to harvest and preserve amniotic stem cells, and the company wanted to expand its tissue bank and research operations to serve families, medical centers and scientists in the United States. They considered several different locations before finally landing in Medford, moving into the 200 Boston Ave. facility.

 

Marshall students work with professor to find cure for Parkinson’s disease - 1.29.10

• Researchers are testing neuron stem cell transplantation to fight the disease, said Elmer Price, professor and chairman of the biology department.

 

Boy's paralysis leads E.V. family to Costa Rica - 1.29.10

• Shaun's father, Robert, and mother, Michelle, believe there is a controversial, $50,000 stem-cell procedure that can restore some feeling to his legs, perhaps even allow him to walk again. And they're planning to spend a month in Costa Rica to get it.
  
  

 

Biologist launches stem cell test to cure Multiple Sclerosis symptoms - 1.29.10

• The hope by molecular biologist Thomas E. Lane and the University of California at Irvine scientific team, is that the stem-cell treatment can repair damage to the myelin and nerves that are damaged by the neurological disease.
  
   

 

South Dakota Panel Hears Bill Monday on Embryonic Stem Cell Research Funding - 1.28.10

• A South Dakota legislative panel will hold a hearing on Monday on legislation that would overturn the state's ban on tax-funding of embryonic stem cell research. While adult stem cells have already helped patients facing more than 100 diseases and conditions, embryonic stem cells have never been as successful.

 

CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank Congratulates Team Member Hal Broxmeyer, Ph.D., on his Election as President of the American Society of Hematology - 1.28.10

• CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, is creating a large, ethnically diverse, high quality inventory of available cord blood stem cell units for the many patients in need of a potentially life-saving transplant.

 

Can Newborn Stem Cells from the Umbilical Cord Help Tiny Lungs Breathe? - 1.28.10

• According to study results published in Cell Transplantation, MSCs derived from human umbilical cord blood reduced injury and inflammation in animal models of neonatal lung damage caused by bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
  
  

 

Cellular Dynamics of Wisconsin raises $31M for pluripotent stem-cell technology - 1.28.10

• Stem cell company Cellular Dynamics International Inc. has received a $31 million investment, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.