Archive for March, 2012

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO.OB - News) http://www.internationalstemcell.com, a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic, cosmetic and research products, announced today that it had obtained new capital financing and made important changes in the composition of its Board of Directors to ensure that Independent Directors hold the majority of Board seats.

The financing consists of $5 million in newly issued Series G Convertible Preferred Stock (without warrants), convertible into Common Stock at a conversion price of $0.40/share, the market price of the Companys Common Stock on the date the offer to purchase was made. This financing was made by AR Partners LLC, a healthcare investment firm owned by Dr. Andrey Semechkin, ISCOs CEO and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Concurrently with the closing of this financing, the Company elected to its Board of Directors Dr. James Berglund, co-founder of Enterprise Partners Venture Capital - one of the premier venture capital firms in the field of healthcare technology founded in 1985. Dr. Berglund, with his extensive professional experience, continues as an active participant in the biotech and healthcare industries. Dr. Berglund will replace Kenneth C. Aldrich, co-founder and former CEO of the Company during the period 2008-2009, who is stepping down as ISCO Board of Directors Co-Chairman. Although Mr. Aldrich is retiring from our Board, he will remain as one of ISCOs largest shareholders and an active consultant to the Board and executive management and will continue to represent the Company as Chairman Emeritus in a variety of public and private venues.

According to Mr. Aldrich, In my view, Dr. Semechkins willingness to commit such a significant amount of capital to ISCO at the market price of the Companys stock on the date of his offer represents a major vote of confidence in ISCOs future by its most senior executive. We are thankful to Dr. Semechkin for his support that will further advance ISCOs parthenogenetic stem cell-based therapeutic programs and income generating businesses.

Having a majority of independent directors on our companys Board represents an important step in ISCOs development and in transforming ISCO into a leading public company in the field of regenerative medicine.

I want to thank Mr. Aldrich for his long-standing dedication and continued involvement in guiding the Company, said Dr. Semechkin. This long-term investment, along with the new executive management team recruited over the previous twelve months, will provide ISCO with the necessary economic stability and resources to pursue its goals of consolidating our leadership position and accelerating our therapeutic programs, continued Dr. Semechkin.

About International Stem Cell Corporation

International Stem Cell Corporation is focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). HpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal immune rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing genders, ages and racial backgrounds. This offers the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology, and cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care. More information is available at http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

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International Stem Cell Corporation Completes $5 Million Financing and Elects Jim Berglund to the Board of Directors

Public release date: 12-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kim Irwin kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu 310-206-2805 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

Researchers at the UCLA stem cell center and the departments of chemistry and biochemistry and pathology and laboratory medicine have identified, for the first time, a generic way to correct mutations in human mitochondrial DNA by targeting corrective RNAs, a finding with implications for treating a host of mitochondrial diseases.

Mutations in the human mitochondrial genome are implicated in neuromuscular diseases, metabolic defects and aging. There currently are no methods to successfully repair or compensate for these mutations, said study co-senior author Dr. Michael Teitell, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Between 1,000 and 4,000 children per year in the United States are born with a mitochondrial disease and up to one in 4,000 children in the U.S. will develop a mitochondrial disease by the age of 10, according to Mito Action, a nonprofit organization supporting research into mitochondrial diseases. In adults, many diseases of aging have been associated with defects of mitochondrial function, including diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and cancer.

"I think this is a finding that could change the field," Teitell said. "We've been looking to do this for a long time and we had a very reasoned approach, but some key steps were missing. Now we have developed this method and the next step is to show that what we can do in human cell lines with mutant mitochondria can translate into animal models and, ultimately, into humans."

The study appears March 12, 2012 in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The current study builds on previous work published in 2010 in the peer-reviewed journal Cell, in which Teitell, Carla Koehler, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and a Broad Stem Cell Research Center scientist, and their team uncovered a role for an essential protein that acts to shuttle RNA into the mitochondria, the energy-producing "power plant" of a cell.

Mitochondria are described as cellular power plants because they generate most of the energy supply within a cell. In addition to supplying energy, mitochondria also are involved in a broad range of other cellular processes including signaling, differentiation, death, control of the cell cycle and growth.

The import of nucleus-encoded small RNAs into mitochondria is essential for the replication, transcription and translation of the mitochondrial genome, but the mechanisms that deliver RNA into mitochondria have remained poorly understood.

Link:
Correcting human mitochondrial mutations

CLEARWATER, FL--(Marketwire -03/12/12)- Biostem U.S., Corporation (OTCQB: BOSM.PK - News) (Pinksheets: BOSM.PK - News) (Biostem, the Company), a fully reporting public company in the stem cell regenerative medicine sciences sector, announced today the addition of cardiothoracic surgeon Thomas W. Prendergast, M.D. to its Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors (SAMBA).

Biostem CEO, Dwight Brunoehler stated, "The Company is now positioned for growth and international expansion. Adding a world class team of clinical, laboratory, and regulatory experts for our Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors to guide our pursuits is essential. Dr. Prendergast brings a wealth of experience not only in the scientific aspects of stem cell use in regenerative medicine, but also in forging research and international economic development opportunities."

Dr. Prendergast is a busy clinical cardiothoracic surgeon, who performs 200-250 open-heart operations and 5 to 15 heart transplants each year. He is deeply involved in numerous clinical and research activities associated with stem cells and heart repair. He is presently Director of Cardiac Transplantation at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey where he holds an Associate Professorship of Surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. In addition to being an active participant in stem cell research program development and teaching medical students and residents, his other interests include medical research funding and humanitarian development of programs for Disabled American Veterans.

Dr. Prendergast received his undergraduate degrees in biophysics and Psychology, as well as his medical degree, at Pennsylvania State University. His general surgery residency was for five years at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. His cardiothoracic surgery training was at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, including the Los Angeles County Medical Center. Subsequent fellowship training included pediatric cardiac surgery at Children's Hospital of LA, along with thoracic transplant fellowships at University of Southern California in Los Angeles and at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. He spent three years at the University of Kansas establishing thoracic transplant programs until returning to Temple University Hospital as one of their staff heart and lung transplant surgeons. Subsequent to his time at Temple, he joined up with Newark Beth Israel/St. Barnabas Hospitals, where he assumed directorship as the Chief of Cardiac Transplantation and Mechanical Assistance.

Regarding his appointment to the Biostem U.S. Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors, Dr. Prendergast said, "I am looking forward with excitement to working again with Dwight at Biostem. The expansion plan is sound, well paced, and will afford improved quality of life opportunities to many people around the world."

About Biostem U.S., Corporation

Biostem U.S., Corporation (OTCQB: BOSM.PK - News) (Pinksheets: BOSM.PK - News) is a fully reporting Nevada corporation with offices in Clearwater, Florida. Biostem is a technology licensing company with proprietary technology centered around providing hair re-growth using human stem cells. The company also intends to train and license selected physicians to provide Regenerative Cellular Therapy treatments to assist the body's natural approach to healing tendons, ligaments, joints and muscle injuries by using the patient's own stem cells. Biostem U.S. is seeking to expand its operations worldwide through licensing of its proprietary technology and acquisition of existing stem cell related facilities. The company's goal is to operate in the international biotech market, focusing on the rapidly growing regenerative medicine field, using ethically sourced adult stem cells to improve the quality and longevity of life for all mankind.

More information on Biostem U.S., Corporation can be obtained through http://www.biostemus.com, or by calling Kerry D'Amato, Marketing Director at 727-446-5000.

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Biostem U.S., Corporation Appoints Heart Surgeon, Thomas W. Prendergast, M.D. to Its Scientific and Medical Board of ...

NEW YORK & PETACH TIKVAH, ISRAEL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB: BCLI.OB - News), a developer of adult stem cell technologies and CNS therapeutics, announces plans to initiate a preclinical study assessing the efficacy of its NurOwn stem cell technology in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Positive proof-of-concept results for MS have been confirmed in a set of in-vitro and in-vivo experiments, and the Company is working to advance MS into preclinical development in Q2 2012.

Based on initial promising pre-clinical data published by the Company's Chief Scientist, Prof. Daniel Offen of Tel Aviv University, BrainStorm has decided to explore MS as an additional indication for its NurOwn technology. The Company will draw plans to initiate pre-clinical safety trials, after which it will seek a leading medical center specializing in MS for clinical trials.

We have been focused on growing our pipeline of indications using our NurOwn stem-cell technology, commented Dr. Adrian Harel, Acting CEO of BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics. As we continue our ongoing trials to evaluate the safety, tolerability and therapeutic effects of NurOwn in ALS patients, we have determined through positive preliminary animal data that MS will be the next indication to pursue using our technology.

About NurOwn BrainStorms core technology, NurOwn, is based on the scientific achievements of Professor Eldad Melamed, former Head of Neurology, Rabin Medical Center, and Tel-Aviv University, and Professor Daniel Offen, Head of the Neuroscience Laboratory, Felsenstein Medical Research Center at the Tel-Aviv University.

The NurOwn technology processes adult human mesenchymal stem cells that are present in bone marrow and are capable of self-renewal as well as differentiation into many cell types. The research team is among the first to have successfully achieved the in-vitro differentiation of adult bone marrow cells (animal and human) into cells capable of releasing neurotrophic factors, such as glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), by means of a specific differentiation-inducing culture medium.

About Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Multiple sclerosis (MS) is believed to be an autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system (CNS). Autoimmune means that the bodys immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissue, in this case, the tissues of the CNS. With MS, autoimmune damage to neurons disrupts the bodys ability to send and receive signals, thus causing MS-related symptoms. Symptoms may vary due to the location and extent of the damage. Worldwide, MS may affect more than 2 million individuals, including approximately 400,000 people in the United States.

About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a biotechnology company engaged in the development of adult stem cell therapeutic products derived from autologous bone marrow cells and intended for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The Company holds the rights to develop and commercialize its NurOwn technology through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Ramot, the technology transfer company of Tel-Aviv University. For more information, visit the companys website at http://www.brainstorm-cell.com.

Safe Harbor Statement Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'s actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include risks associated with BrainStorm's limited operating history, history of losses; minimal working capital, dependence on its license to Ramot's technology; ability to adequately protect the technology; dependence on key executives and on its scientific consultants; ability to obtain required regulatory approvals; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements made by us.

Originally posted here:
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Expands Pipeline with the Initiation of a Study for Multiple Sclerosis

For months we've been following the story of a Little Rock mom diagnosed with leukemia just hours before giving birth to a healthy baby boy. Sunday dozens turned out at a bone marrow drive for her.

Leslie Harris, 29, is now on a mission to get as many people as she can to swab their mouths to see if they could be a potential donor match not just for her but for the thousands of others in need of a transplant.

Doctors have told her she has only months to live unless she has a bone marrow transplant.

Leslie Harris said, "They told me my odds were 1 in 21,000 of finding a donor and my mom got real worried and I told her all we need is one."

Sunday she stopped by a bone marrow drive in North Little Rock to thank everyone who got swabbed to see if they could be a match.

View post:
Community Rallies Behind LR Mom Battling Leukemia

7:52 PM news By Sheila Anne Feeney Commuter crusader Gene Russianoff offers unexpected Rx to fix NYC

Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Gene Russianoff

Gene Russianoff, 58, the staff lawyer and public face of the New York Public Interest Research Group's Straphangers Campaign, lives with his wife, Pauline Toole, and their daughters, Jennie, 15 and Natalie, 13 in a Park Slope townhouse that they bought "seconds before it became impossible."

Q: We always ask, "what would you most like to see changed or accomplished in NYC?" You must have a great suggestion on how to improve public transportation!

A: The most important thing NYC needs is better schools. Im a parent before Im anything else and while my family has been lucky, the majority of schools are not what they should be. Schools need more resources - smaller class size, arts and music teaching and better teacher training. NYPIRG is a college-directed organization and students who can lead, create and think are the future for solving all our problems, including transit problems. It's an ugly word these days, but we may need higher taxes for this. In exchange we should be able to demand some kind of accountability.

Q: What do you think about the Albany bill that would ban eating in the subway?

A: Its not enforceable or practical. Is fried chicken not okay but Oreos from the newsstand permissible? Is there a constitutional difference between KFC and licorice? The MTA already has the arsenal it needs in the litter laws, but some responsibility rests with riders, too. If you see people littering, you should say something. We need to express community unhappiness with people who litter.

Q: How do you spend your 21-minute commute from Park Slope to City Hall on the R Train?

A: It's sacrosanct to me to read newspapers in the morning because it's the only time of day I'm not interrupted with phone calls. On the way back, I read short snippets of whatever novel I'm on in my book club. We just read "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes, which is all about how people remember themselves and how they really are, which I recommend. There's a great line in there "history is the intersection of diminished memory and faulty documentation."

Q: And how do you want history to remember you?

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Commuter crusader Gene Russianoff offers unexpected Rx to fix NYC

Public release date: 11-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Karin Eskenazi ket2116@columbia.edu 212-342-0508 Columbia University Medical Center

NEW YORK, NY -- A study by Columbia researchers suggests that cells in the patient's intestine could be coaxed into making insulin, circumventing the need for a stem cell transplant. Until now, stem cell transplants have been seen by many researchers as the ideal way to replace cells lost in type I diabetes and to free patients from insulin injections.

The researchconducted in micewas published 11 March 2012 in the journal Nature Genetics.

Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The pancreas cannot replace these cells, so once they are lost, people with type I diabetes must inject themselves with insulin to control their blood glucose. Blood glucose that is too high or too low can be life threatening, and patients must monitor their glucose several times a day.

A longstanding goal of type I diabetes research is to replace lost cells with new cells that release insulin into the bloodstream as needed. Though researchers can make insulin-producing cells in the laboratory from embryonic stem cells, such cells are not yet appropriate for transplant because they do not release insulin appropriately in response to glucose levels. If these cells were introduced into a patient, insulin would be secreted when not needed, potentially causing fatal hypoglycemia.

The study, conducted by Chutima Talchai, PhD, and Domenico Accili, MD, professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, shows that certain progenitor cells in the intestine of mice have the surprising ability to make insulin-producing cells. Dr. Talchai is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Accili's lab.

The gastrointestinal progenitor cells are normally responsible for producing a wide range of cells, including cells that produce serotonin, gastric inhibitory peptide, and other hormones secreted into the GI tract and bloodstream.

Drs. Talchai and Accili found that when they turned off a gene known to play a role in cell fate decisionsFoxo1the progenitor cells also generated insulin-producing cells. More cells were generated when Foxo1 was turned off early in development, but insulin-producing cells were also generated when the gene was turned off after the mice had reached adulthood.

"Our results show that it could be possible to regrow insulin-producing cells in the GI tracts of our pediatric and adult patients," Dr. Accili says.

View post:
A new approach to treating type I diabetes? Gut cells transformed into insulin factories

ScienceDaily (Mar. 11, 2012) A study by Columbia researchers suggests that cells in the patient's intestine could be coaxed into making insulin, circumventing the need for a stem cell transplant. Until now, stem cell transplants have been seen by many researchers as the ideal way to replace cells lost in type I diabetes and to free patients from insulin injections.

The research -- conducted in mice -- was published 11 March 2012 in the journal Nature Genetics.

Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The pancreas cannot replace these cells, so once they are lost, people with type I diabetes must inject themselves with insulin to control their blood glucose. Blood glucose that is too high or too low can be life threatening, and patients must monitor their glucose several times a day.

A longstanding goal of type I diabetes research is to replace lost cells with new cells that release insulin into the bloodstream as needed. Though researchers can make insulin-producing cells in the laboratory from embryonic stem cells, such cells are not yet appropriate for transplant because they do not release insulin appropriately in response to glucose levels. If these cells were introduced into a patient, insulin would be secreted when not needed, potentially causing fatal hypoglycemia.

The study, conducted by Chutima Talchai, PhD, and Domenico Accili, MD, professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, shows that certain progenitor cells in the intestine of mice have the surprising ability to make insulin-producing cells. Dr. Talchai is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Accili's lab.

The gastrointestinal progenitor cells are normally responsible for producing a wide range of cells, including cells that produce serotonin, gastric inhibitory peptide, and other hormones secreted into the GI tract and bloodstream.

Drs. Talchai and Accili found that when they turned off a gene known to play a role in cell fate decisions -- Foxo1 -- the progenitor cells also generated insulin-producing cells. More cells were generated when Foxo1 was turned off early in development, but insulin-producing cells were also generated when the gene was turned off after the mice had reached adulthood. "Our results show that it could be possible to regrow insulin-producing cells in the GI tracts of our pediatric and adult patients," Dr. Accili says.

"Nobody would have predicted this result," Dr. Accili adds. "Many things could have happened after we knocked out Foxo1. In the pancreas, when we knock out Foxo1, nothing happens. So why does something happen in the gut? Why don't we get a cell that produces some other hormone? We don't yet know."

Insulin-producing cells in the gut would be hazardous if they did not release insulin in response to blood glucose levels. But the researchers say that the new intestinal cells have glucose-sensing receptors and do exactly that.

The insulin made by the gut cells also was released into the bloodstream, worked as well as normal insulin, and was made in sufficient quantity to nearly normalize blood glucose levels in otherwise diabetic mice.

More:
New approach to treating type 1 diabetes? Transforming gut cells into insulin factories

"We hope this study could help us at least identify those at greatest risk of disease"... Professor Paul Haber. Photo: Nic Walker

SCIENTISTS in Sydney will investigate why some heavy drinkers are more likely than others to suffer the potentially fatal long-term effects of alcohol. It will be a world-first study, as concern increases about the failure of public health campaigns to curb drinking rates.

Up to 5000 people with alcohol-induced cirrhosis of the liver will be tested to try to identify genetic triggers of the disease. The $2.5 million international study is the largest undertaken into the deadly condition.

A professor of addiction medicine at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Paul Haber, said funding for cirrhosis research was ''relatively neglected''. It is hoped the study will also show why some people develop the disease despite relatively moderate alcohol consumption, Professor Haber said.

Advertisement: Story continues below

''People are drinking more for a number of reasons, and we hope this study could help us at least identify those at greatest risk of disease,'' he said.

He compared cirrhosis to lung cancer, in that people were ''unlucky'' to develop either disease, despite the contribution of their own behaviour.

The lead researcher, Dr Devanshi Seth, said there was ''convincing evidence'' for a genetic basis predisposing some people to develop cirrhosis from all levels of alcohol consumption.

''We think there are several genes that together can work in such a way to cause liver disease, which is also influenced by diet, mental health, viral infection and gender,'' Dr Seth said.

The US National Institutes of Health is funding the study, which will include participants from six countries, including the US, Britain and France. Patients with cirrhosis will be examined alongside decade-long heavy drinkers without the disease.

See the article here:
Search for genetic clues to cruel lottery of drink-induced cirrhosis

24-02-2012 07:37 This is a beautiful image of human brain cells, which can now be grown from adult skin cells. Under the Microscope is a collection of videos that show glimpses of the natural and man-made world in stunning close-up. They are released every Monday and Thursday and you can see them here: bit.ly Yichen Shi: "Brain neural stem cells derived from human skin cells: these stem cells express typical marker genes of brain neocortical stem cells, such as Pax6 (Red fluorescent labeled), and form a rosette structure resembling the transection of the neural tube." The entire image is about 250 ?m across (a really thick bit of human hair). More info: http://www.cam.ac.uk en.wikipedia.org Picture taken by Yichen Shi in the Livesey Lab http://www.gurdon.cam.ac.uk Voice over by Fred Lewsey. Music by Peter Nickalls: http://www.peternickalls.com

Excerpt from:
Under the Microscope #12 - Video

ScienceDaily (Mar. 11, 2012) A study by Columbia researchers suggests that cells in the patient's intestine could be coaxed into making insulin, circumventing the need for a stem cell transplant. Until now, stem cell transplants have been seen by many researchers as the ideal way to replace cells lost in type I diabetes and to free patients from insulin injections.

The research -- conducted in mice -- was published 11 March 2012 in the journal Nature Genetics.

Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The pancreas cannot replace these cells, so once they are lost, people with type I diabetes must inject themselves with insulin to control their blood glucose. Blood glucose that is too high or too low can be life threatening, and patients must monitor their glucose several times a day.

A longstanding goal of type I diabetes research is to replace lost cells with new cells that release insulin into the bloodstream as needed. Though researchers can make insulin-producing cells in the laboratory from embryonic stem cells, such cells are not yet appropriate for transplant because they do not release insulin appropriately in response to glucose levels. If these cells were introduced into a patient, insulin would be secreted when not needed, potentially causing fatal hypoglycemia.

The study, conducted by Chutima Talchai, PhD, and Domenico Accili, MD, professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, shows that certain progenitor cells in the intestine of mice have the surprising ability to make insulin-producing cells. Dr. Talchai is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Accili's lab.

The gastrointestinal progenitor cells are normally responsible for producing a wide range of cells, including cells that produce serotonin, gastric inhibitory peptide, and other hormones secreted into the GI tract and bloodstream.

Drs. Talchai and Accili found that when they turned off a gene known to play a role in cell fate decisions -- Foxo1 -- the progenitor cells also generated insulin-producing cells. More cells were generated when Foxo1 was turned off early in development, but insulin-producing cells were also generated when the gene was turned off after the mice had reached adulthood. "Our results show that it could be possible to regrow insulin-producing cells in the GI tracts of our pediatric and adult patients," Dr. Accili says.

"Nobody would have predicted this result," Dr. Accili adds. "Many things could have happened after we knocked out Foxo1. In the pancreas, when we knock out Foxo1, nothing happens. So why does something happen in the gut? Why don't we get a cell that produces some other hormone? We don't yet know."

Insulin-producing cells in the gut would be hazardous if they did not release insulin in response to blood glucose levels. But the researchers say that the new intestinal cells have glucose-sensing receptors and do exactly that.

The insulin made by the gut cells also was released into the bloodstream, worked as well as normal insulin, and was made in sufficient quantity to nearly normalize blood glucose levels in otherwise diabetic mice.

See original here:
New approach to treating type 1 diabetes? Transforming gut cells into insulin factories

Public release date: 11-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Karin Eskenazi ket2116@columbia.edu 212-342-0508 Columbia University Medical Center

NEW YORK, NY -- A study by Columbia researchers suggests that cells in the patient's intestine could be coaxed into making insulin, circumventing the need for a stem cell transplant. Until now, stem cell transplants have been seen by many researchers as the ideal way to replace cells lost in type I diabetes and to free patients from insulin injections.

The researchconducted in micewas published 11 March 2012 in the journal Nature Genetics.

Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The pancreas cannot replace these cells, so once they are lost, people with type I diabetes must inject themselves with insulin to control their blood glucose. Blood glucose that is too high or too low can be life threatening, and patients must monitor their glucose several times a day.

A longstanding goal of type I diabetes research is to replace lost cells with new cells that release insulin into the bloodstream as needed. Though researchers can make insulin-producing cells in the laboratory from embryonic stem cells, such cells are not yet appropriate for transplant because they do not release insulin appropriately in response to glucose levels. If these cells were introduced into a patient, insulin would be secreted when not needed, potentially causing fatal hypoglycemia.

The study, conducted by Chutima Talchai, PhD, and Domenico Accili, MD, professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, shows that certain progenitor cells in the intestine of mice have the surprising ability to make insulin-producing cells. Dr. Talchai is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Accili's lab.

The gastrointestinal progenitor cells are normally responsible for producing a wide range of cells, including cells that produce serotonin, gastric inhibitory peptide, and other hormones secreted into the GI tract and bloodstream.

Drs. Talchai and Accili found that when they turned off a gene known to play a role in cell fate decisionsFoxo1the progenitor cells also generated insulin-producing cells. More cells were generated when Foxo1 was turned off early in development, but insulin-producing cells were also generated when the gene was turned off after the mice had reached adulthood.

"Our results show that it could be possible to regrow insulin-producing cells in the GI tracts of our pediatric and adult patients," Dr. Accili says.

Read the original here:
A new approach to treating type I diabetes? Gut cells transformed into insulin factories

05-03-2012 00:04

See original here:
Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Presentation - Video

22-02-2012 21:12 see also sens.org - mitworld.mit.edu - techtv.mit.edu NEW : check out our facebook-community page NEW join and share cutting edge lectures and debates http://www.facebook.com

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Dr. Aubrey de Grey - Regenerative Medicine Against Aging 2/2 - Video

Washington, March 11 (IANS) A genetic deletion helps work up a smarter brain by not only growing more brain cells during ageing but also making anti-depressants more effective in lower doses, a study reveals.

Deleting the Nf1 gene in mice improves neurogenesis (the process by which brain cells are generated), which in turn makes those in the test group more sensitive to the effects of anti-depressants.

"The significant implication of this work is that enhancing neurogenesis sensitizes mice to anti-depressants -- meaning they needed lower doses of the drugs to affect 'mood,'" said Luis Parada, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre.

It also appears to have anti-depressive and anti-anxiety effects of its own that continue over time, added Parada, director of the Kent Waldrep Centre for Basic Research on Nerve Growth and Regeneration and senior study author, The Journal of Neuroscience reported.

Just as in people, mice produce new neurons throughout adulthood, although the rate declines with age and stress, said Parada, according to a university statement.

Studies have shown that learning, exercise, shock therapy and some anti-depressants can increase neurogenesis. The steps in the process are well known but the cellular mechanisms behind those steps are not.

The researchers used a sophisticated process to delete the gene that codes for the Nf1 protein only in the brains of mice, while production in other tissues continued normally.

Researchers found that the test group mice formed more neurons over time compared to others, and that young mice lacking the Nf1 protein required much lower amounts of anti-depressants to counteract stress.

Link:
Delating a gene works up smarter brain

London, March 11 (ANI): Scientists have discovered a gene that triggers plants to become dormant at night and controls flowering.

Computer models of cress plants genes showed how 12 genes work together to set plants' internal clocks, according to University of Edinburgh researchers.

They found that a protein, known as TOC1, previously associated with helping plants to wake up, dampened down gene activity at night.

Professor Andrew Millar said "it was a big change in thinking".

Plants, animals and even bacteria go through a daily 24-hour routine, known as a circadian rhythm, which allow them to make tiny adjustments as daylight changes, and adapt to changing seasons.

"Just like humans you should think about plants having rhythms," said Prof Millar.

"Having a biological clock is particularly important for plants to prepare for daylight and at night-time [to] store energy for growth.

"We now understand how the dozen or so genes work and are typical to particular times of the day," Prof Millar stated.

The Edinburgh-led study was published in Molecular Systems Biology.

Prof Millar said the results would help further research into the flowering of other plants - particularly crops such as wheat, barley and rice.

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Gene that controls flowering in plants identified

DIAMOND BAR - Is it appropriate to use emerging synthetic genomic engineering technology to build new forms of "life"? Should genetic engineering techniques and processes be used in agriculture?

These were some of the issues debated by Brahma Tech students at Diamond Bar High last week. The great debate was part of a week of competition for the Technology Student Association.

The Brahmas recently became the first high school in California to join the national organization, according to technology teacher Alina Gallardo.

More than 150,000 middle and high school students throughout America belong to the association. Members learn about technology through competitions, events and conferences.

Sophomore Alice Jin spearheaded the effort to join the Technology Student Association.

"I found out about it on the Internet, then talked to my classmates about forming a local chapter," the 16-year-old explained.

Diamond Bar has more than 400 students in the Brahma Tech Academy. The academy is a specialized math, science and technology program with four career paths.

"Students also have to do 150-hour internships with high-tech companies," Gallardo explained.

It attracts students like 17-year-old Drew Liu. "I want to major in bioengineering in college," the senior said.

Liu was one of the group of students competing in technology week. Earlier, the techies made videos. Participants had to write, shoot and edit

Continued here:
Students at Diamond Bar's Brahma Tech debate genomic engineering ethics

To: HEALTH, MEDICAL AND NATIONAL EDITORS

MANHASSET, N.Y., March 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A collaborative group of investigators has joined together to identify five genetic variations associated with Crohn's disease (CD) and Jewish individuals of Eastern and Central European decent, who are also known as Ashkenazi Jews. These findings were published in the March issue of PLoS Genetics.

CD causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract and can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications. CD is two-to-four times more prevalent among individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish decent compared to non-Jewish Europeans. The study conducted at multiple institutions across the world, including the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, was an important step toward understanding the genetic reasons for this higher prevalence.

"This large collaborative study made it possible to define more precisely the genetic contributions to Crohn's disease that are enriched in the Ashkenazi Jewish population, which has carried a higher risk for this disorder," said Peter K. Gregersen, head of the Robert S. Boas Center for Genomics and Human Genetics at the Feinstein Institute. "The study identified genetic regions that hadn't been discovered before, and if additional studies of these regions are conducted there is a chance that biological pathways affecting susceptibility to Crohn's disease could be found and novel treatments could be developed."

About Crohn's Disease (CD)

CD causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and malnutrition. CD can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications. There currently is no cure for CD, but available therapies can greatly reduce the signs and symptoms of CD.

About the Study

About The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research

SOURCE The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research

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Researchers Discover Five Genetic Variations Associated with Crohn's Disease in Ashkenazi Jews

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Research sheds new light on human evolution and will help with gorilla conservation

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY For the first time, scientists have been able to compare the genomes of all four living great apes humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans after completing the genome sequence for the gorilla the last genus of the living great apes to have its genome decoded.

Researchers announced the completion of the genome process last week, confirming that chimpanzee are our closest living relatives, but they also said that much of the human genome more closely resembles the gorilla than it does the chimpanzee genome.

The gorilla genome is important because it sheds light on the time when our ancestors diverged from our closest evolutionary cousins, said Aylwyn Scally, of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. It also lets us explore the similarities and differences between our genes and those of gorilla, the largest living primate, said Scally, lead author of the paper that announced the findings.

Using DNA from Kamilah, a female western lowland gorilla, we assembled a gorilla genome sequence and compared it with the genomes of the other great apes. We also sampled DNA sequences from other gorillas in order to explore genetic differences between gorilla species.

The study provides a unique perspective on human origins and is an important resource for research into human evolution and biology, as well as for gorilla biology and conservation.

The team searched more than 11,000 genes in human, chimpanzee and gorilla for genetic changes important in evolution. Humans and chimpanzees are genetically closest to each other over most of the genome, but the team found many places where this is not the case. 15 percent of the human genome is closer to the gorilla genome than it is to chimpanzee, and 15 percent of the chimpanzee genome is closer to the gorilla than human.

In all three species, genes relating to sensory perception, hearing and brain development showed accelerated evolution and particularly so in humans and gorillas.

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Genetics: Scientists finish mapping gorilla genome

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF. In Silicon Valley, the line between computing and biology has begun to blur in a way that could have enormous consequences for human longevity.

Bill Banyai, an optical physicist at Complete Genomics, has helped make that happen. When he began developing a gene sequencing machine, he relied heavily on his background at two computer networking startup companies. His digital expertise was essential in designing a factory that automated and greatly lowered the cost of mapping the three billion base pairs that form the human genome.

The promise is that low-cost gene sequencing will lead to a new era of personalized medicine, yielding new approaches for treating cancers and other serious diseases. The arrival of such cures has been glacial, however, although the human genome was originally sequenced more than a decade ago.

Now that is changing, in large part because of the same semiconductor industry manufacturing trends that opened up consumer devices such as the PC and the smartphone: exponential increases in processing power and transistor density are accompanied by costs that fall at an accelerating rate.

As a result, both new understanding and new medicines will arrive at a quickening pace, according to the biologists and computer scientists.

For all of human history, humans have not had the readout of the software that makes them alive, said Larry Smarr, director of the California Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technology, a research centre that is jointly operated by the University of California, San Diego, and the University of California, Irvine.

Once you make the transition from a data poor to data rich environment, everything changes, said Smarr, who is a member of the Complete Genomics scientific advisory board.

Complete Genomics, based in Mountain View, is one of more than three dozen firms hastening to push the cost of sequencing an entire human genome below $1,000. The challenge is part biology, part chemistry, part computing, and in Complete Genomics case, part computer networking.

Complete Genomics is a classic Silicon Valley startup story. Even the gene sequencing machines, which are housed in a 4,000-square-foot room bathed in an eerie blue light, appear more like a traditional data centre than a biology lab.

In 2005, when Clifford Reid, a successful Silicon Valley software entrepreneur, began to assemble his team, he approached Banyai and asked if he was interested in joining a gene sequencing startup. Reid, who was also trained in physics and math, had spent a year as an entrepreneur-in-residence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he had become a convert to bioinformatics, the application of computer science and information technologies to biology and medicine.

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Gene sequencing falls to $5,000

06-03-2012 19:59 Visit http://www.pmwcintl.com for more info

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Brett Davis: Personalized Medicine: Humanity's Ultimate Big Data Challenge - Video

06-03-2012 07:55 In the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Mayo Clinic, interdisciplinary teams of physicians and scientists are developing treatments aimed at healing damaged tissues and organs from within, offering solutions and hope for people who have conditions that today are beyond repair. The Center for Regenerative Medicine is developing treatments to regrow damaged cells in patients with diabetes; heart, liver and lung diseases; neurological disorders; hand, face and other injuries; and congenital anomalies.

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Regenerative medicine: Healing from within - Mayo Clinic - Video

Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Heart Disease Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology;Stem Cell Research Article Date: 09 Mar 2012 - 4:00 PST

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The paper's lead author, Kenneth Chien from Harvard University in the USA explains:

Until now, clinical trials have been based on heart attacks, chronic heart failure as well as dilated cardiomyopathy, but regardless of the fact that regenerative therapies that are based on various non-cardiac cell types seem to be safe, their efficacy has not yet been tested in a clinical trial.

However, possible new targets and treatment strategies are now emerging due to recent progress in cardiac stem cell research and regenerative biology.

Scientists used to think that the heart only has a minimal capacity for self-renewal and saw no prospect in reversing the loss of healthy heart muscle and function. This perception has been altered because of recent findings, such as the discovery of several distinct embryonic progenitor cell types of which some are found in the heart.

A certain number of these cells can be activated in people with cardiac injuries and are now targeted by scientists to develop novel cardiac regenerative therapeutics either by delivery of the cells, or by new methods that activate expansion and conversion of functioning heart cells.

For instance, clinical studies conducted a short while ago demonstrated that scar formation following a heart attack can be reduced by taking cells from the patient's own heart tissue. Even though it remains uncertain whether the delivered cells are indeed stem cells, these studies nevertheless demonstrate that this is a small, educational step towards the goal of utilizing the heart's potential for self-healing.

There is still a lot of work to be done. The complexity of the heart means that in order to restore its function requires more than just regenerating one cell type, it also means that the native structure of the heart needs to be recreated.

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Heart Disease Stem Cell Therapies - Development Must Come From Several Specialties

Stem cells are widely researched for their therapeutic use. An important potential application of human stem cells, through a more complete understanding of the genetic and molecular controls of cell division and differentiation, is the generation of cells and tissues that could be used for cell-based therapies. The use of embryonic and adult-derived stem cells for cardiac repair is a particularly active area of research. The first Series paper highlights insights gained from clinical trials of adult stem cells, together with fundamental scientific advances in cardiac stem cell and regenerative biology. New targets and strategies for regenerative therapies are being identified, including discoveries related to intrinsic cardiac regeneration, renewal factors that can trigger regeneration, and tissue-engineering technology. These discoveries are beginning to change the way investigators view the scientific and clinical position of cardiovascular regenerative therapy. Furthermore, advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have established a foundation on which the functional replacement of whole organs and complex tissues such as skeletal muscle, trachea, and oesophagus seems possible.

The second paper discusses a novel approach for the replacement of complex tissues and whole organs involving the use of three-dimensional biological scaffolds made of allogeneic or xenogeneic extracellular matrix derived from non-autologous sources. End-stage organ failure is a key challenge for the medical community because of the ageing population and the severe shortage of suitable donor organs available. Equally, few therapeutic options are available for injuries to or congenital absence of complex tissues such as the trachea, oesophagus, or skeletal muscle. Three-dimensional extracellular matrix scaffolds populated with autologous cells have been used successfully for the repair and reconstruction of complex tissues and provide a promising basis for the engineering of whole organs and other tissues.

Stephen F Badylak, Daniel J Weiss, Arthur Caplan, Paolo Macchiarini

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Stem Cells

(CNN) -

A Florida cardiologist could have his medical license revoked by state authorities who have accused him of performing illegal stem cell therapy on a patient who died during the procedure.

Florida's Department of Health ordered the emergency suspension of Zannos Grekos' medical license Wednesday, accusing the Bonita Springs doctor of violating an emergency order against using stem cell treatments in Florida and causing the death of an unidentified elderly patient. Grekos can appeal the order.

According to the license suspension order, Grekos performed a stem cell treatment this month on the patient, who was suffering from pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary fibrosis. Both diseases restrict blood flow to the heart.

"During said stem cell treatment, patient R.P. suffered a cardiac arrest and died," the suspension order said.

CNN first investigated Grekos' activities in 2009, when he said he was using stem cell therapy for a company called Regenocyte Therapeutic. His profile, listed on the company's website, describes Grekos as having "extensive experience in the field of stem cell therapy" and says he "was recently appointed to the Science Advisory Board of the United States' Repair Stem Cell Institute."

At the time of CNN's interview, Grekos said he extracted stem cells from patients and then sent the blood to Israel for laboratory processing. That processing, he said, resulted in "regenocytes," which he said would help heal crippling diseases, mostly associated with lung problems.

The president of the International Society of Stem Cell Research, Dr. Irving Weissman, told CNN at the time that "there is no such cell."

"There is nothing called a regenocyte," he said.

After CNN's initial report, Grekos said the name was "advertising" and was not intended to be scientific.

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Patient dies during procedure