Archive for November, 2014

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

4-Nov-2014

Contact: Garth Hogan ghogan@asmusa.org American Society for Microbiology @ASMnewsroom

WASHINGTON, DC November 4, 2014 Filoviruses like Ebola "edit" genetic material as they invade their hosts, according to a study published this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The work, by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Galveston National Laboratory, and the J. Craig Venter Institute, could lead to a better understanding of these viruses, paving the way for new treatments down the road.

Using a laboratory technique called deep sequencing, investigators set out to investigate filovirus replication and transcription, processes involved in the virus life cycle. They studied the same Ebola virus species currently responsible for an outbreak in West Africa, and also analyzed a related filovirus, Marburg virus, that caused a large outbreak in Angola in 2005 and recently emerged in Uganda. The scientists infected both a monkey and human cell line with both viruses, and analyzed the genetic material produced by each virus, called RNA.

Their results highlight regions in Ebola and Marburg virus RNAs where the polymerase of the virus (a protein that synthesizes the viral RNA) stutters at specific locations, adding extra nucleotides (molecules that form the building blocks of genetic material like DNA and RNA), thereby "editing" the new RNAs. The study found new features at a described RNA editing site in the Ebola glycoprotein RNA, which makes the protein that coats the surface of the virus. Their work also identified less frequent but similar types of editing events in other Ebola and Marburg virus genes the first time this has been demonstrated. Because of these messenger RNA modifications, Ebola and Marburg are potentially making proteins "that we previously didn't realize," said Christopher F. Basler, PhD, senior study author and professor of microbiology at Mount Sinai.

"The bottom line is we know these changes occur but we don't yet know what it really means in the biology of the virus," Basler said. There are many aspects of how the viruses replicate that aren't yet understood, he said, "so we need a complete description of how they grow to develop new strategies used to treat the infections."

The study also illustrated how the filoviruses express their genes, and deep sequencing identified all seven messenger RNAs within six hours of infection.

"Our study suggests that the Ebola virus is making forms of proteins previously undescribed," said lead author Reed Shabman, PhD, an assistant professor at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Md. Shabman was at Mount Sinai when the study was initiated. "Understanding the products of these viruses is critical to understanding how to target them."

In addition, he said, proteins produced by the glycoprotein editing site are associated with virulence in animals, "so it's of great interest to understand how that protein is made, and in as much detail as possible."

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Ebola, Marburg viruses edit genetic material during infection

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Newswise Asthma may be more harmful than was previously thought, according to UCLA researchers who found that genetic damage is present in circulating, or peripheral, blood. Doctors previously thought that the genetic damage it caused was limited to the lungs.

In the study, researchers looked for the overexpression of a cytokine called interleukin 13 (IL-13), which is known to mediate inflammation, a critical problem for people with asthma.

The study, which was conducted in an animal model that mimicked human asthma, was the first to assess the role of IL-13 in genetic damage to cells, or genotoxicity, said its senior author, Robert Schiestl, a professor of pathology and radiation oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Asthma is a very widespread disease, and we show for the first time an association between asthma and genotoxicity in peripheral blood, said Schiestl, who also is a professor of environmental health sciences at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. This is important because it shows a whole-body effect from asthma, not just damage in the lungs.

The findings were published today in the peer-reviewed journal Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis.

Schiestl said it appears that IL-13 increases important elements of the inflammatory response, including reactive oxygen species molecules ions or very small molecules that include free radicals. His research team found that ROS-derived oxidative stress induced genetic damage with four types of systemic effects in the peripheral blood: Oxidative DNA damage. Single and double DNA strand breaks. Micronucleus formation. Protein damage.

Schiestl said all four effects causes the chromosomes to become unstable, which could result in a variety of other diseases.

We found four different markers of DNA damage and one marker of protein damage in blood cells in the body periphery, which was very surprising, Schiestl said. This could indicate that other organs in asthmatics have a higher risk of developing disease.

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Genetic Damage Caused by Asthma Shows Up in Circulating Blood Stream, Too

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

4-Nov-2014

Contact: Bob Nellis newsbureau@mayo.edu 507-284-5005 Mayo Clinic @MayoClinic

ROCHESTER, Minn. In an international study, Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have identified genetic markers that may help in identifying individuals who could benefit from the alcoholism treatment drug acamprosate. The findings, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, show that patients carrying these genetic variants have longer periods of abstinence during the first three months of acamprosate treatment.

Acamprosate is a commonly prescribed drug used to aid patients in recovery from alcoholism. Mayo researchers studied the association between variation in candidate genes and the length of sobriety in alcohol-dependent patients treated with acamprosate in community-based programs. They found that, when other environmental and physiological factors were considered, patients with the common allele of the genetic variant rs2058878 located in the GRIN2B gene, stayed sober more days than those with a variant allele of the same polymorphism. This finding was replicated in a sample of alcohol-dependent patients treated with acamprosate in a study conducted by collaborators from Germany.

"This association finding is a first step towards development of a pharmacogenetic test allowing physicians to choose appropriate treatment for specific subgroups of alcohol-dependent patients," says Victor Karpyak, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic psychiatrist and lead author of the article. "We believe that individualized treatment selection will eliminate the need for trial-and-error approaches and improve treatment efficacy in patients with alcohol use disorders."

The Mayo findings support evidence implicating an important role of the N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the treatment effects of acamprosate. The researchers say more studies are needed to determine potential importance of identified genetic variants in the longer-term effects of acamprosate, as well as the molecular and physiological mechanisms behind the drug's action.

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The study was funded in part by the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine; the SC Johnson Genomics of Addiction Program at Mayo Clinic; the National Institutes of Health; the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; the National Genome Research Network of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research; the Bundesministerium fr Bildung und Forschung; and the Alfred Krupp von Bolen und Halbach-Stiftung (Foundation).

Other authors include J. M. Biernacka, Ph.D., Jennifer Geske, G.D. Jenkins, J.M. Cunningham, Ph.D., A.A. Leontovich, Ph.D., O.A. Abulseoud, M.D., Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D., L.L. Loukianova, M.D., Ph.D., T.D. Schneekloth, M.D., M.K. Skime, Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., Mark Frye, M.D., and D.S. Choi, Ph.D., of Mayo Clinic; J. Ruegg, Karolinska Institutet; O. Kononenko, Uppsala University; J. Frank, M.D., M. Rietschel, M.D., F. Kiefer, M.D., and K. F. Mann, M.D., Mannheim-Heidelburg University; and M.M. Nthen, M.D., University of Bonn.

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Mayo Clinic researchers discover genetic markers for alcoholism recovery

BI280 Chapter 9 Microbial Genetics - Part 3 of 5

By: Heidi Bulfer

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BI280 Chapter 9 Microbial Genetics - Part 3 of 5 - Video

Equine DNA Sampling How To - Etalon Diagnostics Horse Genetics
A simple video on how to pull your horses tail or mane sample for the purposes of DNA submission to ETALON DIAGNOSTICS. Pulling a DNA sample with good health...

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Equine DNA Sampling How To - Etalon Diagnostics Horse Genetics - Video

Let #39;s Play The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge - Episode 46
VampireClan #VampireClan4Life.

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Let's Play The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge - Episode 46 - Video

Body Transformation 2 Years -Tolga Gn - Iron-Genetics
Hier mchte ich euch meine Transformation zeigen, viel Spa beim schauen! Instagram: Iron_Genetics.

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Body Transformation 2 Years -Tolga Gn - Iron-Genetics - Video

By Cyndi Root

RetroSense Therapeutics announced in a press release that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug status to RST-001. The treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) combines gene therapy and optogenetics. RetroSense developed the proprietary technology from research conducted at Wayne State University and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Sean Ainsworth, RetroSense CEO, said, We are hopeful that the benefits associated with Orphan Drug status will better enable us to advance RST-001 through development and ultimately into the marketplace where it may benefit many who are suffering from blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa.

Optogenetics

Retinitis pigmentosa causes the degeneration and loss of rod and cone photoreceptors in the retina, causing severe vision loss and blindness. Currently there are no FDA-approved drugs to treat RP. RetroSenses work in optogenetics involves making the retina more light sensitive, thereby improving vision. The company expects RST-100 to have broad applications and to be useful in heredity or acquired RP.

RST-001 uses a photosensitivity gene, channelrhodopsin-2, and creates new photosensors in the retinal cells. Channelrhodopsin-2 has been shown in numerous animal studies to restore light perception and vision, and in primate studies, the agent was well tolerated. RetroSense is using optogenetics and channelrhodopsin-2 in the pre-clinical stage and hopes to begin clinical trials soon.

Retinitis Pigmentosa and Gene Therapy

Astellas and Harvard recently announced a new partnership to use gene therapy in the study for retinitis pigmentosa. The collaboration is led by Constance L. Cepko, a professor of Genetics and Ophthalmology at Harvard. Using adeno-associated virus vectors (AAVV), the team will identify and characterize genes implicated in RP.

The UKs Telegraph reported early in 2014 that researchers at Oxford University have replaced a missing gene in the retina and reversed blindness. The results startled the investigators who did not expect to see such dramatic improvements. In the study on choroideremia, inherited blindness, scientists put the missing REP-1 protein back in the retina by inserting it into the DNA of a harmless virus and then injecting that DNA into the cells beneath the retina.

Since, a third of eye diseases are hereditary, the researchers are hopeful that the treatment is applicable to various eye diseases and conditions. The research team at Oxford is developing a Phase 2 trial on the investigational therapy.

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FDA Awards Orphan Status To RetroSense's RST-001 For Retinitis Pigmentosa

MIAMI (PRWEB) November 04, 2014

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. has been named exclusive distributor for Adistem medical solutions, and Adilyfe, a new regenerative medicine products company founded by Adistem Ltd. Scientific Founder Vasilis Paspaliaris, M.D. in Melbourne, Australia and set to launch in early 2015. Paspaliaris made the announcement at the First International Symposium on Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine held in Buenos Aires, Argentina Oct. 2-4 and hosted by Global Stem Cells Group.

Adistem-Adilyfe will manufacture a group of products for use in stem cell treatments, therapies and training through the Adimarket Division of the Global Stem Cells Group. The timing is perfect for GSCGs current expansion into Latin American countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico and Peru, according to Global Stem Cells Group CEO Benito Novas.

Vasilis, an accomplished biotech scientist, stem cell researcher and pharmaceutical consultant joined the Global Stem Cells Group Scientific Advisory Board, part of the Regenestem Network.

As always, Dr. Paspaliaris brings excellence to stem cell research, Novas says. His work has already proven critical to improving the quality of life for a range of chronically ill patients all over the world.

We are honored to be representing Adistem and AdiLyfe products in Latin America; we consider the opportunity a strategic commitment to world class stem cell research.

Vasilis says he knew Global Stem Cells Group would be the only choice to represent Adistem and AdiLyfe in Latin America.

We are proud of our relationship with Global Stem Cells Group, we couldnt ask for better partners, Vasilis says.

To learn more about the Global Stem Cells Group, visit the website at http://www.stemcellsgroup.com, email bnovas(at)stemcellsgroup(dot)com, or call 305.224.1858.

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Global Stem Cells Group Named Exclusive Distributor for Adistem and Adilyfe Companies and Product Lines

Genecoin - a group of young US entrepreneurs are developing a DNA storage service that uses bitcoin technology to encrypt and store the data(Genecoin)

A group of young entrepreneurs from the US is offering to take peoples' sequenced DNA, convert it into data, and then back it up using the cryptocurrency bitcoin to keep it safe for future genetic engineering and even cloning. It's the stuff of dystopian nightmare futures with clone armies marching around demanding bitcoin for your life.

The Genecoinservice will offer users an easy-to-use DNA sampling kit which can be sent back to the startup through the mail. The firm will then perform the necessary DNA tests and then upload the genome data into a bitcoin storage network.

The creators, based in the Pacific Northwest, say that using bitcoin blockchain technology as a storage tool has great potential for the future far beyond being merely a ledger for bitcoin transactions.

"Bitcoin's core innovation is the idea of a blockchain, which is a decentralised ledger. Bitcoin isn't a currency rather it is a protocol for writing to a blockchain, and this opens the door to lots of disruptive software innovations," Genecoin's creators computer science graduates who currently want to remain anonymous told IBTimes UK.

"There are so many use cases for the blockchain, and 'currency' is only the first one. People are working on all sorts of ideas: smart property, proof of existence, assurance contracts, data storage these are all possible with bitcoin."

There are already other companies using this technique, such as Storj.io, a startup aiming to provide a super secure private cloud, but so far none focusing on genomics.

A physical representation of a Bitcoin(Reuters)

But the question is: would anyone really want to store their DNA to be used to make clones of themselves in the future, and will Bitcoin even be around for long enough to make it a reliable storage format?

"Most people think of Bitcoin as a currency but it is much more. Bitcoin stores records of transactions. Imagine if you sent Morse code messages by giving your friends money. If you're clever about it, you can encode data based on how you make those transactions," Genecoin's creators said.

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Genecoin: Bitcoin DNA Backup Could be Used to Forge Your Clone Army

One of the countrys premiere pediatric hospitals is challenging the notion that human genes can be patented by filing a lawsuit that, if successful, could lead to a rewriting of patent law and sharply advance the advent of personalized medicine.

The Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario argues in court filings that restricting access to genetic information by researchers and clinicians undermines patient care and is morally and legally untenable.

No one should be able to patent human DNA. Its like trying to patent water or air, said Alex Munter, chief executive officer of CHEO. He noted that Canada is one of the only jurisdictions in the Western world that still allows gene patenting.

This poses a significant obstacle to diagnosing and caring for children with a genetic condition and that cant be tolerated, he said. Conversely, striking down the law, will open the door to an era of personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to specific genetic characteristics.

Mr. Munter said CHEO is taking on the case because it is a leader in genetic research, particularly in the field of rare diseases, but many institutions will benefit if it is successful.

Lawyers for the hospital who are working pro bono filed papers in the Federal Court of Canada on Monday challenging five patents related to genes associated with a heart condition called long QT syndrome.

It is a test case that the hospital hopes will result in parts of the Patent Act being struck down. There are about 7,000 disease genes that are amenable to patenting under existing legislation in Canada.

This is the first Canadian court case to ask the question: Are human genes patentable? said Nathaniel Lipkus of the law firm Gilberts LLP.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that genes can no longer be patented. Biotech companies want to patent genes so they can profit from testing of those genes. When patents are struck down as in the U.S. a company can still market tests but cannot do so exclusively, so the price drops significantly.

The patents being challenged by CHEO are held by the University of Utah but were filed in Canada.

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Bad patents on human genes hinder health care, hospital says

Seth Weinberg, assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, looks at a three-dimensional image of his head. He is involved in genetic research into clefting.

PITTSBURGH | Cleft lips and palates in newborns can frighten parents at first, while at the same time the cause of such dramatic impacts on function and appearance has long mystified doctors and scientists.

Those factors led Mary Marazita, who holds a doctoral degree in genetics, to begin researching the genetic causes of clefts in the 1980s.

Since then her research team has widened its focus to include many physical and health impacts that blood relatives of people with clefts can experience from shared gene variants.

While the cleft lip is the most obvious consequence of those variants, Marazita and her team at the Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine have been working to understand the genetic causes of the more hidden physical and health impacts.

Such abnormalities can include alterations and weaknesses in facial structure and tissue, with a higher risk of developing problems such as poor wound healing and even ovarian, breast and prostate cancers, among others.

A 2011 study she led and published in Nature described it this way:

Studies into the cause of clefts "may well enhance our understanding of other common, complex traits and allow us to move beyond the attitude that cleft lip and palate are only a structural birth defect," the study stated. "Instead, it is a lifelong disorder for which therapies and prevention can promise a fuller and healthier lifespan."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that clefts affect 1 in every 940 live births, about two-thirds of whom are boys, with 8,000 American children born each year with the defect.

The condition occurs in utero when the upper lip and jaw and palate tissue from both sides of the face fail to come together fully during the first trimester, said Weinberg, a research assistant professor at the center.

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Health Risks Hidden in Cleft Palate Gene

Genetics; XY system vs XO and haplodiploidy explaned
The X0 sex-determination system is a system that determines the sex of offspring among grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches, and some other insects. In this system, there is only one sex chromosome,.

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Project Walk Client Milestone - Robert Hughes T-12 Spinal Cord Injury
Robert came to Project Walk 10 years post injury from Australia. On his first day, Specialist Bri got Robert up in a walker to gauge his ability. 5 weeks lat...

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Project Walk Client Milestone - Robert Hughes T-12 Spinal Cord Injury - Video

Insurance Denial Letter - Recovering from Spinal Cord Injury
Chris Leeuw reads an insurance denial letter that claims he wasn #39;t making progress in spite of a slow recovery from total paralysis. A moving testimony that ...

By: Chris Leeuw

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Insurance Denial Letter - Recovering from Spinal Cord Injury - Video

Pioneers of transplantation John Gurdon
Interview with Sir John Gurdon, developmental biologist and forefather of stem cell medicine. The footage, produced by Figment Productions, formed part of an exhibition organised by the MRC...

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Pioneers of transplantation John Gurdon - Video

PURTIER LIVE STEM CELL THERAPY
PURTIER INTRODUCTION IN CHINESE Please contact Pearly @ +65 9338 9541 / +65 9189 7351 for more details.

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PURTIER LIVE STEM CELL THERAPY - Video

JANUARY 2014 State of the Industry Briefing at EBD's Biotech Showcase Jan 13. San Francisco, CA EBD's Biotech Showcase: Regenerative Medicine Industry Track Jan 13-15. San Francisco, CA ECI's Conference on Scale-Up and Manufacturing of Cell-Based Therapies Jan 6-9. San Diego, CA International Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease Jan 22-24. New York, NY Phacilitate's Cell and Gene Therapy Forum Jan 27-29. Washington, DC FEBRUARY 2014 RRY's New York Stem Cell Summit Feb 18. New York, NY STEMSO's International Stem Cell Society Conference Feb 19-22. Freeport, Grand Bahama BMT Tandem Meetings Feb 26-Mar.Grapevine (Dallas), TX MARCH 2014 Danish Stem Cell Symposium Mar 7-8. Hillerd, Denmark ISBioTech Spring Mtg - Cellular Therapies Track Mar 10-12. Washington, DC AAT's Advanced Therapies Summit Mar 12-13. Turin, Italy ISSCR/SBE International Conference on Stem Cell Engineering Mar 16-19. Coronado, CA Congress on Stem Cell and Cell Therapies Mar 2023. Koceli, Turkey FDA and the Changing Paradigm for HCT/P Regulation Mar 24-26. Bethesda, MD BIRAXs' UK-Israel Regenerative Medicine Conference Mar 25-26. Haifa, Israel ARM's RegenMed Investor Day Mar 26. New York, NY. Regenerative Medicine Workshop at Hilton Head Mar 26-29 . Hilton Head, SC Cancer Immunotherapy: A Long-Awaited Reality Mar 27. NYC, NY. FDA Workshop: Synergizing Efforts in Standards Development for Cellular Therapies and Regenerative Medicine Public Mar 31. Silver Spring, MD.

APRIL 2014 Select Biosciences' Clinical Translation of Stem Cells Apr 21-22. Palm Springs, AZ ISCT Annual Meeting Apr 23-26. Paris, France GTCBio's Stem Cell Summit Apr 23-25. Boston, MA ARMs Annual Dinner & Legislative Fly-In Apr 28-9. Washington, DC.

MAY 2014 GeneExpression Systems' Stem Cells and Cell Signaling Mtg on Assays to Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering and Therapeutics May 5-6. Waltham-Boston, MA Regenerative Medicine Foundation Symposium May 5-7. San Francisco, CA CHIsAdoptive T Cell Therapy:New Targets and Strategies for Immune Driven Diseases (part of the Tenth Annual PEGS: the essential protein engineering summit) May 7-8. Boston, MA ASGCT - American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Mtg May 21-24. Washington, DC Terrapinn's World Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Congress May 20-22. London, UK JUNE 2014 PDA Europe: Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products Jun 3-4. Madrid, Spain The Orthobiologic Institute's PRP and Regenerative Medicine Symposium Jun 6-7. Los Angeles, CA Israstem Jun 10-11. Ramat, Gan. Israel TERMIS EU Mtg Jun 10-14. Genova, Italy ISSCR - International Society for Stem Cell Research Mtg Jun 18-21. Vancouver, BC, Canada Cell Tracking Symposium June 20. London, ON

BIO International Convention(with BPI BioProcess Theater) Jun 23-26. San Diego, CA ARM Networking Reception @BIO June 24. San Diego, CA OMIC'sCell Science and Stem Cell Research Jun 24-26. Valencia, Spain JULY 2014 The Business of Regenerative Medicine: New Therapies, New Models July 14-16. Toronto, ON Regenerative Medicine Essentials: The Fundamentals to the Future. July 21-25.Winston-Salem, NC

AUGUST 2014 CHI'sCell Therapy Bioproduction (part of the Bioprocessing Summit) Aug 18-22. Boston, MA Rejuvenation Biotechnology: Emerging Regenerative Medicine Solutions for the Diseases of Aging conference Aug 21-23. Santa Clara, CA.

SEPTEMBER 2014 Terrapinn's Stem Cells USA and Regenerative Medicine Congress Sep 15-16. Boston, MA IBC's Cell Therapy Bioprocessing Sep 15-16. Arlington, VA TERMIS Asia Pacific Mtg Sep 24-17. Daegu, S. Korea

OCTOBER 2014 Cancer Immunotherapy 2014 Oct. 6. New York City, NY ARM's Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa Oct 7-9. La Jolla, CA Fraunhofer Life Science Symposium"Medicinal Stem Cell Products Oct 9-10. Leipzig, Germany Translational Regenerative Medicine Congress Oct 21-22. Leipzig, Germany CCRM-SCN Till and McCulloch Meetings Oct 27-29. Ottawa, ON, Canada OMICS' International Conference and Exhibition on Cell and Gene Therapy Oct 27-29. Las Vegas, NV

NOVEMBER 2014 ISSCR/SSCS Global Controls in Stem Cells Nov 5-7, 2014. Singapore Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Annual Meeting Nov 6-9. National Harbor, MD International Conference on Stem Cells and Cancer (ICSCC-2014): Proliferation, Differentiation and Apoptosis Nov 8-10. New Delhi, India IFATS Annual Mtg Nov 13-16. Amsterdam, NL BIT's World Congress of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cells (RMSC2014) Nov 13-16.Haikou, China Commercial Translation of Regenerative Medicine Nov/Dec ??. London, UK DECEMBER 2014 Cell Therapy Manufacturing Dec 3-4. Brussels, Belgium World Stem Cell Summit Dec 3-5. San Antonio, TX TERMIS Americas Mtg Dec 13-16. Washington, DC If I've missed an event you'd like to see added, please email me at lbuckler [at] celltherapygroup [dot] com.

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Cell Therapy Blog: Cell Therapy Conferences 2014

Heart Disease

With respect to the heart, stem cells have the ability to not only home into the damaged areas but also to initiate a cascade of biological events which both culminate in healing of the heart muscle. For example, animal studies have demonstrated that stem cell therapy will cause new muscle cells to be formed through stimulation of dormant stem cells that are already inside the heart muscle. In these studies, the administered stem cell also transformed into new heart muscle cells.

At Stem Cell Institute, our stem cell treatment protocol for heart failure involves administration of mesenchymal stem cells harvested from human umbilical cord tissue.

The adult stem cells used to treat heart failure at the Stem Cell Institute come from human umbilical cord tissue (allogeneic mesenchymal). These stem cells are expanded at Medistem Panamas state-of-the-art laboratory.

The mesenchymal stem cells we use are recovered from donated umbilical cords following normal, healthy births. Each mother has her medical history screened and is tested for infectious diseases. Proper consent is received from each family prior to donation.

All umbilical cord-derived stem cells are screened for infectious diseases to International Blood Bank Standards before they are cleared for use in patients.

Approximately 1 in 10 donated umbilical cords pass our rigorous screening process.

Through retrospective analysis of our cases, weve identified proteins and genes that allow us to screen several hundred umbilical cord donations to find the ones that we know are most effective. We only use these cells and we call them golden cells.

We go through a very high throughput screening process to find cells that we know have the best anti-inflammatory activity, the best immune modulating capacity, and the best ability to stimulate regeneration.

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Stem Cell Therapy || Heart Failure || Stem Cell Treatment ...

How Sickle Cell Anemia Is Treated by Bone Marrow Transplant
Sickle Cell Anemia is Successfully treated by Bone Marrow Transplant in India. A bone marrow transplant is a procedure to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem.

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Febrile seizures are the most frequent form of childhood epileptic attacks and affect roughly two to four per cent of all children worldwide. They often occur between the ages of three months and five years and can even appear upon mild hyperthermia. What is apparently even more decisive than the fever level, however, is the speed with which the fever rises. "This explains why children can experience a febrile seizure even before the parents have noticed that the child is ill," says Professor Holger Lerche, M.D., Director of the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH) and Medical Director of the Department of Neurology and Epileptology at the University of Tbingen.

Parents naturally become worried when a small child shows a tendency to fever attacks. However, the prospects in most cases are good: the attacks subside by the time of school age, and damaging aftereffects remain present only in rare and exceptional cases.

The factors which contribute to the development of epilepsy from simple febrile seizures are still largely unknown. "Genetic predisposition plays an important role. But up to now there has been an inadequate understanding of which genomic mutations are involved in detail," says the study's co-initiator, Professor Yvonne Weber, M.D., Assistant Medical Director of the Department of Neurology and Epileptology at the University of Tbingen.

The team of researchers came upon the track of these genetic mutations via exome sequencing, a special technique for examining a partial section of the genetic material. Even though the exome makes up only about one per cent of the human genotype, it also contains most of the pathogenic genetic alterations (mutations) which have been found to date. Analysis of genetic material first revealed STX1B mutations in two large families whose members are prone to both febrile seizures and epileptic attacks. The analysis was then widened to include further patients, which led to the discovery of four further mutations. Here too, the affected persons suffered from febrile seizures and serious epileptic attacks, which had resulted over and above this in mental disabilities. "In other words, the STX1B mutations gave us an important clue: they do more than trigger epileptic febrile seizures, which of themselves often subside in these small patients by the time of the first school year; the mutations may also be the cause of serious cases of epilepsy, with consequent impairment of intellectual development," as Lerche explains. The researchers now hope to turn these insights to practical advantage in the form of better methods of treatment and even, in the ideal case, to successfully prevent the development of epilepsy.

Together with experts in the field of zebrafish research from the University of Leuven, Belgium and the University of Luxembourg's Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), the neuroscientists were able to confirm the impact of the newly discovered STX1B mutations with the aid of a model system. Zebrafish provide an excellent model for the study of epilepsy. In the zebrafish, the development of organs such as the brain takes place at the level of molecular mechanisms in much the same way as in humans. "We were able to show not only that similar patterns of epileptiform attacks also occur in zebrafish with genetically altered STX1B genes, but also that brainwave changes appeared which were clearly aggravated by hyperthermia -- as in the case of fever," says Dr. Camila Esguerra, the principal investigator who led this part of the study at the University of Leuven and is now in the process of forming a new research team at the University of Oslo, Norway.

Zebrafish are also especially well-suited for the development of new avenues of treatment. Together with Dr. Alexander Crawford (Luxembourg), Dr. Esguerra has already found a substance which can prevent the most violent form of attacks in zebrafish. "We hope that from this we will be able to develop a new drug in a few years which will prevent the development of certain forms of serious epilepsy in childhood," says Crawford. In addition, a search for new substances will also be carried out in STX1B mutations.

The project also included clinical and genetic experts of the EuroEPINOMICS Consortium, a European Science Foundation network initiated and directed by scientists in Tbingen, Kiel and Antwerp and funded in Germany with 2.5 million Euros from the German Research Foundation. This has brought clinicians together with scientists in the field of basic research to study both the genetic mechanisms of epilepsy and avenues for new methods of therapy. Still another network, "IonNeurONet" is part of this project and is carrying on a search for the causes of rare forms of epilepsy and other nervous disorders (e.g. rare forms of migraine as well as retinal and muscular diseases). With the help of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), which has provided support for the network, patients with the corresponding impairments have been gained as test subjects for the study. Such large-scale networks, with the corresponding numbers of patients, are essential for the discovery and confirmation of new genetic defects. They are also a prerequisite for later clinical trials to confirm research results in patients. The work described here has brought the scientists and physicians of the present study a step closer to a discovery of new therapeutic options.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Universitaet Tbingen. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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New mechanism for febrile seizures in young children discovered

MANILA, Philippines An academician wants the countrys hospitals to employ genetics counselors for the effective treatment and care of patients with rare diseases.

Carmencita Padilla, a member of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and a professor at the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila College of Medicine, said the move would address both the gaps in medical services given to such patients and the small number of geneticists in the Philippines.

According to Padilla, there are only nine geneticists in the country, seven of whom are in Luzon and one each in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Padilla, who spoke in a NAST forum in Manila last week, proposed that genetics counselors be included in the plantilla of secondary and tertiary hospitals nationwide to increase the number of geneticists in the country.

A geneticist is a biologist specializing in the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms, managing and diagnosing patients with hereditary conditions or congenital deformities.

We dont have enough geneticists and we dont need a geneticist in every hospital. At least, a genetics counselor can take care of counseling the patient and his family. The counselor is not limited to genetic conditions alone, Padilla said.

She pointed out that increasing the number of geneticists in the country could happen with the help of the Department of Health and the Department of Science and Technology, which could offer scholarships for this particular field of science.

The academician said some rare diseases could be treated if timely proper care was given to patients.

In the same NAST forum, Mary Anne Chiong of UP Manilas National Institute of Health explained that most of the 7,000 identified rare diseases are genetic and involve functional and physical birth defects.

The diseases are chronic, progressive, degenerative and often disabling. They also cause heavy social, emotional and financial burden on patients and their families.

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Public hospitals urged to hire more genetics counselors to treat rare diseases

Personalized Medicine in Primary Care
Mount Sinai Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Grand Rounds October 10, 2014 Personalized Medicine in Primary Care Erwin Bottinger, MD (Director, The Charles Bronfman...

By: The Institute for Family Health

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Personalized Medicine in Primary Care - Video

Adult stem cells can change the healthcare landscape

A recent Colorado political advertisement highlighting a candidates stance on stem cell research shows the issue is still at the forefront of public consciousness. Part of what makes stem cell research such a hot button issue is the number of persistent myths that propagate many of the heated emotions surrounding the topic.

Much of the stem cell controversy comes from the fact many people only know of embryonic stem cells, which are generated from fertilized, frozen eggs at in-vitro fertilization centers. These are not the only type of stem cells. Other types include umbilical cord blood and adult stem cells.

Umbilical cord blood is extracted from birth and preserved for the future benefit of the child. While this type of stem cell technique is safe and it is becoming commonplace to store the cells, there is currently no way to utilize these cells beyond compassionate care cases which are few and far between. However, adult stem cells are currently in clinical use today and are easily and safely harvested from the patients fat and bone marrow reserves. The adult stem cells can be utilized for a variety of treatment options, which include joint, ligament and tendon injuries, back pain, and autoimmune diseases.

Polls indicate a shifting paradigm in how people view stem cell use and research. A Pew Research survey conducted in 2013 revealed only 16 percent believed non-embryonic stem cell research was immoral. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI recently gave his approval on adult stem cell research, I pray that your commitment to adult stem cell research will bring great blessings for the future of man and genuine enrichment to his culture.

Those with an understanding of adult stem cells know there is no controversy as they do not require the harming of an embryo. While progress in the realm of public opinion is being made, regulatory and administrative difficulties are still hampering medical innovation according to some healthcare experts.

Adult stem cells hold great promise for the future of medicine because of their potential to improve cartilage health, repair lumbar discs, and slow progression of autoimmune diseases. The ability to utilize stem cells from ones own body to safely and naturally heal itself from many different ailments is beginning to revolutionize healthcare.

With more public support and cooperative regulatory policies, adult stem cells have the potential to forever change the healthcare landscape as profoundly as the mark antibiotics made on medicine.

Dr. Scott Brandt

ThriveMD Aspen

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Letter: Adult stem cells can change the healthcare landscape

Blue Horizon's Special Skin Serum Stem Product Fact Sheet

Our Stem Cell Skin Care is a potent anti-aging innovation derived from non-embryonic human stem cell research. Blue Horizon International has infused medicines most promising clinical advances into this powerful skin care product.

Cytokine action, epidermal growth factors (EGFs), short and long-chained hyaluronic acid and ceramides combat the effects of aging and deliver unique skin benefits without surgery.

Our formulation is safe, having passed toxicology tests in accordance with European Union regulation 1223/2009/EC.

Patents are pending.

Our skin care is derived from what stem cell scientists call a conditioned medium. Here, human stem cells from placentas and umbilical cords condition the culture medium by releasing cytokines and other skin regenerating proteins that become available for skin repair. We stabilize the liberated cytokines, rendering them safe and accessible for aesthetic skin improvement. The conditioned medium is the base for our stem cell skin care products.

An independent skin test on twenty individuals aged 46 to 81 found a 23% reduction in skin roughness, including a decrease in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and scars.

Cytokines are one of todays most exciting captured biological processes, because they govern so many regenerative functions. The cytokine group of chemical regulators includes a diverse assortment of interleukins, interferons and growth factors that control anti-aging and activate the bodys immune system.

Cytokines stimulate, propagate and regulate new cell production in human skin. These messaging molecules mobilize cell division to help heal age related damage. Cytokines have powerful influence over skin texture and quality because they regulate cell shape, metabolism and migration from one location to another.

Several stem cell skin care ranges claim cytokine-style benefits. However, human stem cell cytokines are more biologically compatible with human skin than cytokine proteins from other sources.

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Stem Cell Skin Care - BlueHorizonSkinCare.com