From Heels to Wheels: My fight from paralysis
I #39;m a c-5 spinal cord injury survivor.. I was never supposed to feel or move anything below my chest ever again... this is my journey to defying the odds.From:taccettaableViews:1436 38ratingsTime:08:40More inPeople Blogs

Follow this link:
From Heels to Wheels: My fight from paralysis - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Trey McClendon
Trey McClendon, a young man in Florida, broke his neck during a diving accident in September 12, and is now living with a spinal cord injury. Trey wrote and recorded this song "Press On". You can get your own copy of the song for just a dollar at helptrey.forabuck.com All proceeds go to help Trey and his family.From:AtlantaProjectWalkViews:0 0ratingsTime:05:46More inNonprofits Activism

Read the original:
Trey McClendon - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Friends of Belmiro #39;s
A fundraising event to benefit the Friends of The Path Spinal Cord Injury AssociationFrom:Charlotte WViews:3 0ratingsTime:03:56More inTravel Events

See original here:
Friends of Belmiro's - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_Equalix
Eqalix has received exclusive commercial licensing rights from three prominent institutions for several groundbreaking technologies in Regenerative Medicine which have the potential to revolutionize the unmet needs in multiple commercial and therapeutic applications. These technologies introduce the second generation of products into development and address previously unmet medical needs in the Regenerative Medicine space. Using these technologies, Eqalix plans to develop and commercialize (a) plant-protein based nano-fiber scaffold for use in wound healing and aesthetic dermatology; (b) small-diameter hybrid vessels that foster the creation of a functional endothelium (c) 3-Dimensional tissue scaffolds with adjustable properties for organ and tissue replacement and repair. http://www.eqalix.com Presenter: Joseph Connell, CEO, EqalixFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:0 0ratingsTime:16:47More inScience Technology

View post:
SCMOM 2012_Equalix - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_ViaCyte
ViaCyte, Inc., a leader in the emerging field of regenerative medicine, is headquartered in San Diego, California. ViaCyte #39;s innovative product is based on the differentiation of stem cells into pancreatic beta cell precursors (PEC-01), with subcutaneous implantation in a retrievable and immune-isolating encapsulation medical device. Once implanted, the precursor cells mature into endocrine cells that secrete insulin in a regulated manner to control blood glucose levels. ViaCyte #39;s goal is a product that can free Type 1 and 2 diabetic patients from long-term insulin dependence. ViaCyte has received substantial financial support from both CIRM and JDRF. http://www.viacyte.com Presenter: Paul Laikind, President and CEO, ViaCyteFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:5 1ratingsTime:16:42More inScience Technology

Visit link:
SCMOM 2012_ViaCyte - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_MaxCyte
MaxCyte is the leader in scalable and clinical cell transfection, bringing to market its patented flow electroporation technology. MaxCyte is applying its significant capabilities in the discovery, development, and manufacturing of virtually all classes of innovative therapeutics targeting a broad range of diseases. MaxCyte #39;s customers and partners utilize its technologies in the development and commercialization of cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine and active cell immunotherapies and in the discovery and development of protein drugs, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and small molecule drugs. This clinical-grade cell loading technology is fully developed, well validated and has received MF designation with CBER at US FDA. http://www.maxcyte.com Presenter: Douglas Doerfler, President and CEO, MaxCyteFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:2 1ratingsTime:13:14More inScience Technology

Read more:
SCMOM 2012_MaxCyte - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_Ensuring Maximum Reimbursement for a Regen Med Product
How to ensure that your regenerative medicine product is appropriately reimbursed is an increasingly difficult task for company executives. Thriving in both the private insurance and Medicare markets requires careful and long-range planning. Using a case-study approach, these panelists will discuss reimbursement challenges, goals, and strategies. They will discuss how to get products covered and reimbursed by payers in an environment that demands cost effectiveness and value.From:AllianceRegenMedViews:7 0ratingsTime:58:34More inScience Technology

Follow this link:
SCMOM 2012_Ensuring Maximum Reimbursement for a Regen Med Product - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_The Regen Med Investment Hypothesis
This session will examine the regenerative medicine investment hypothesis from the perspective of the primary sources of capital at key stages in the development process from discovery to late-stage clinical development. Additionally, panelists will discuss different parts of the sector -- therapeutics, devices, tools, and services - and different types of business models to explore how they evaluate risk and why some models are more compelling than others. Investor perspectives represented on the panel will include traditional venture, angels, institutional investors and corporate strategics.From:AllianceRegenMedViews:3 0ratingsTime:56:18More inScience Technology

Read the original here:
SCMOM 2012_The Regen Med Investment Hypothesis - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Stem Cells 101 - Mayo Clinic
Stem cells and their use in regenerative medicine have been in the media a lot lately. But, what exactly does it mean? Physicians and researchers in the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Mayo Clinic say it has to do with developing completely new ways to treat and manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart failure or even degenerative nerve, bone and joint conditions. Experts worldwide will meet this December for the World Stem Cell Summit, where they #39;ll explore and share ideas about regenerative medicine. Here are the basics of how this research benefits patients.From:mayoclinicViews:654 8ratingsTime:02:20More inScience Technology

Read the original:
Stem Cells 101 - Mayo Clinic - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine
http://www.ucsf.edu Stem cell banks might one day be used to meet the tissue-transplant needs of most of the population. Just as there are universal blood donors, cells from universal donors could be used to develop induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) or adult stem cells for use in repairing the nervous system, the heart or other organs. Off-the-shelf cell lines could be made available for recipients in a timely way, with matching likely to lower risk of transplant rejection. UCSF stem cell scientist Bruce Conklin, MD, discusses.From:UCSFPublicAffairsViews:20 1ratingsTime:03:29More inEducation

View original post here:
Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Stem Cells and Insurance
The current state of the economy is uncertain and cause for concern for any business. Stem cell banks are no exception. When banks close down for any reason, its customers are immediately outraged about the money they have deposited. In the event of a stem cell bank failure, the investment is much more precious. These cells are of great interest in research because of their immense potential in regenerative medicine and other applications. A contingency plan needs to be implemented in order to protect these resources that are being used to find valuable treatments for otherwise incurable diseases.From:Alexandra KellyViews:2 0ratingsTime:02:53More inPeople Blogs

Continued here:
Stem Cells and Insurance - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Washington, November 28 (ANI): A new method, which transforms aged stem cells into cells that function like much younger ones, may one day enable scientists to grow cardiac patches for damaged or diseased hearts from a patient's own stem cells-no matter what age the patient-while avoiding the threat of rejection.

Stem cell therapies involving donated bone marrow stem cells run the risk of patient rejection in a portion of the population, argues Milica Radisic, Canada Research Chair in Functional Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) and Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto.

One method of avoiding the risk of rejection has been to use cells derived from a patient's own body. But until now, clinical trials of this kind of therapy using elderly patients' own cells have not been a viable option, since aged cells tend not to function as well as cells from young patients.

Now, Radisic and her co-researcher, Dr. Ren-Ke Li, have come closer to solving this problem, by creating the conditions for a 'fountain of youth' reaction within a tissue culture.

Radisic and Li first create a "micro-environment" that allows heart tissue to grow, with stem cells donated from elderly patients at the Toronto General Hospital.

The cell cultures are then infused with a combination of growth factors-common factors that cause blood vessel growth and cell proliferation-positioned in such a way within the porous scaffolding that the cells are able to be stimulated by these factors.

Dr. Li and his team then tracked the molecular changes in the tissue patch cells.

"We saw certain aging factors turned off," states Li, citing the levels of two molecules in particular, p16 and RGN, which effectively turned back the clock in the cells, returning them to robust and healthy states.

"It's very exciting research," said Radisic, who was named one of the top innovators under 35 by MIT in 2008 and winner of the 2012 Young Engineers Canada award.

Li and Radisic hope to continue their goal to create the most effective environment in which cells from older patients can be given new life.

Read this article:
'Fountain of youth' technique may help create heart patches from old cells

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Toronto, Nov 28 (IANS) A new discovery that tricks aging stem cells into rejuvenating mode could enable scientists to create youthful patches for damaged or diseased hearts and heal them, according to a Canadian study.

The breakthrough may enable scientists to create such life giving patches from a patient's own stem cells regardless of the patient's age while avoiding the threat of rejection, the study claims.

Stem cell therapies involving donated bone marrow stem cells run the risk of patient rejection in a portion of the population, argues Milica Radisic, associate professor of chemical engineering and applied chemistry at the University of Toronto, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports.

One method of avoiding such a risk has been to use cells derived from a patient's own body. But until now, clinical trials of this kind of therapy using elderly patients' own cells have not been a viable option, since aged cells tend not to function as well as cells from young patients, according to a Toronto statement.

"If you want to treat these people with their own cells, how do you do this?" asks Radisic. It's a problem that Radisic and coresearcher RenKe Li think they might have an answer for: by creating the conditions for a 'fountain of youth' reaction within a tissue culture. Li is a professor in the division of cardiovascular surgery.

Radisic and Li first create a "microenvironment" that allows heart tissue to grow, with stem cells donated from elderly patients at the Toronto General Hospital, where Li works.

Li and his team then tracked the molecular changes in the tissue patch cells. "We saw certain aging factors turned off," states Li, citing the levels of two molecules in particular, p16 and (regucalcin) RGN, which effectively turned back the clock in the cells, returning them to robust and states.

"It's very exciting research," says Radisic, who was named one of the top innovators under 35 by MIT in 2008 and winner of the 2012 Young Engineers Canada award.

View post:
Stem cell discovery may revive damaged heart

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ScienceDaily (Nov. 27, 2012) A new method of growing cardiac tissue is teaching old stem cells new tricks. The discovery, which transforms aged stem cells into cells that function like much younger ones, may one day enable scientists to grow cardiac patches for damaged or diseased hearts from a patient's own stem cells -- no matter what age the patient -- while avoiding the threat of rejection.

Stem cell therapies involving donated bone marrow stem cells run the risk of patient rejection in a portion of the population, argues Milica Radisic, Canada Research Chair in Functional Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) and Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto.

One method of avoiding the risk of rejection has been to use cells derived from a patient's own body. But until now, clinical trials of this kind of therapy using elderly patients' own cells have not been a viable option, since aged cells tend not to function as well as cells from young patients.

"If you want to treat these people with their own cells, how do you do this?"

It's a problem that Radisic and her co-researcher, Dr. Ren-Ke Li, think they might have an answer for: by creating the conditions for a 'fountain of youth' reaction within a tissue culture.

Li holds the Canada Research Chair in Cardiac Regeneration and is a Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, cross-appointed to IBBME. He is also a Senior Scientist at the Toronto General Research Institute.

Radisic and Li first create a "micro-environment" that allows heart tissue to grow, with stem cells donated from elderly patients at the Toronto General Hospital.

The cell cultures are then infused with a combination of growth factors -- common factors that cause blood vessel growth and cell proliferation -- positioned in such a way within the porous scaffolding that the cells are able to be stimulated by these factors.

Dr. Li and his team then tracked the molecular changes in the tissue patch cells. "We saw certain aging factors turned off," states Li, citing the levels of two molecules in particular, p16 and RGN, which effectively turned back the clock in the cells, returning them to robust and healthy states.

"It's very exciting research," says Radisic, who was named one of the top innovators under 35 by MIT in 2008 and winner of the 2012 Young Engineers Canada award.

More:
'Fountain of youth' technique rejuvenates aging stem cells

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SCMOM 2012_NeoStem
NeoStem, Inc. is an emerging technology leader in the fast-developing cell therapy market. Its business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC, with a medically important cell therapy product development program. NeoStem #39;s most clinically advanced therapeutic, AMR-001, is being developed at its Amorcyte subsidiary, which is enrolling patients in a Phase 2 trial for preservation of heart function after a heart attack. Athelos Corporation, also a NeoStem subsidiary, is in early stage clinical exploration of a T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions. Pre-clinical assets include our VSELTM Technology platform and our mesenchymal stem cell product candidate for regenerative medicine. http://www.neostem.com Presenter: Jonathan Sackner-Bernstein, NeoStem, Inc.From:AllianceRegenMedViews:4 1ratingsTime:14:54More inScience Technology

Read the original here:
SCMOM 2012_NeoStem - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SCMOM 2012_Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
Stanford Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) is the nucleus for cardiovascular research at Stanford University. Formed in 2004, the Cardiovascular Institute is home to Stanford #39;s myriad cardiovascular-related adult and pediatric research, clinical, and educational programs, centers and laboratories, as well as over 500 Stanford basic scientists, graduate students, clinician scientists, and other researchers in heart and vessel disease and prevention. Within the area of cardiac regenerative medicine, the Stanford CVI has significant research endeavors involving human pluripotent stem cells for (1) cardiovascular disease modeling, (2) drug screening and discovery, and (3) personalized cell therapy. Recently, Stanford CVI investigators received a $20 million CIRM Disease Team Therapy Award for performing pre-IND work that would enable the first-in-man clinical trial involving injection of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for patients with heart failure. wulab.stanford.edu Presenter Joseph Wu, Associate Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of MedicineFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:3 0ratingsTime:17:06More inScience Technology

Read more here:
SCMOM 2012_Stanford Cardiovascular Institute - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SCMOM 2012_Regen BioPharma, Inc.
The Regen BioPharma business model is to take multiple stem cell therapeutics to and through the human "safety and signal of efficacy" stage (Phase I/II clinical trials). The approach is a highly focused analysis of issued patents in regenerative medicine, identification and acquisition of undervalued assets that have demonstrated proof of concept, and forming companies around these assets. Having assembled a core infrastructure specialized in obtaining regulatory approval and executing clinical trials in cell therapy, we aim to act as a "superincubator" that within 18 - 24 months grows technologies from laboratory to an asset ready for spin-off or sale to feed the pipeline of Big Pharma. http://www.regenbiopharma.com Presenter: J. Christopher Mizer, President, Regen BioPharma, Inc.From:AllianceRegenMedViews:4 1ratingsTime:09:13More inScience Technology

Continued here:
SCMOM 2012_Regen BioPharma, Inc. - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SCMOM 2012_TAP Biosystems
TAP Biosystems provides advanced automated systems for cell therapy scale-up and manufacture. At SCMOM 2012 TAP will be showcasing a range of systems including the CellBase CT trade; automated cell culture system for ex vivo expansion of autologous cell therapy products. Plus the Cellmate trade; system for batch production of cells in rollers bottles and the RAFT trade; system for producing biomimetic 3D tissue models in standard plate formats. Staff from TAP will also be available to discuss our collaborative working process to help businesses create new cell therapy scale-up and GMP manufacturing systems. http://www.tapbiosystems.com Presenter: Rosemary Drake, Chief Scientific Officer, TAP BiosystemsFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:2 0ratingsTime:17:41More inScience Technology

Excerpt from:
SCMOM 2012_TAP Biosystems - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SCMOM 2012_The Clinical Outlook for Regenerative Medicine
As many regenerative medicine and cell therapy products move into clinical trials, a clearer understanding of how these products will perform clinically is critical for achieving regulatory approval and ultimately, for commercialization. This session will discuss the major clinical events expected to drive the regenerative medicine sector over the next two years, as well as address some of the key issues facing these products as they approach the marketplace. Moderator: Greg Lucier, MBA, Chairman and CEO, Life Technologies Panelists: Jay Siegel, MD, Chief Biotechnology Officer and Head, Global Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson Paul Simmons, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Corporate Research and Product Development, Mesoblast Limited Matthias Steger, Ph.D., MBA, Global Head Research and Technology Partnering, Roche Ltd. Dean Tozer, Vice President, Corporate Development, Shire Regenerative MedicineFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:5 1ratingsTime:01:16:22More inScience Technology

More here:
SCMOM 2012_The Clinical Outlook for Regenerative Medicine - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Ovation Cell Therapy- My First Impression!
Hey ya #39;ll. I realize that I am not wearing makeup in this video. If you find that to be frightening, please feel free to go watch something else 🙂 You know how I #39;m growing out my hair and stuff? Well, I stumbled upon Ovation Cell Therapy for like, super cheap, and thought I #39;d let you guys know what I think. I #39;ve read mixed reviews on the product and decided that I #39;d just have to try it for myself. I have naturally wavy, brown, medium-thick hair, just for anyone wondering! Here #39;s my first video on the topic. Hope you enjoy, and as always, thank you SO MUCH for watching :)From:Cristan JoViews:0 0ratingsTime:08:02More inHowto Style

Continue reading here:
Ovation Cell Therapy- My First Impression! - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 27-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Robert Miranda cogcomm@aol.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair

Putnam Valley, NY. (Nov. 27, 2012) A study published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (21:8), now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/, has found that when mesenchymal cells derived from skeletal muscle (SM-MSCs) or adipose tissue (ADSCs) were injected into the heart muscle (myocardium) of separate groups of laboratory rats that had suffered a myocardial infarction, rats in both groups experienced significantly improved left ventricle function and smaller infarct size after cell therapy.

The study, carried out by researchers at Oslo University Hospital and the Norwegian Center for Stem cell Research, Oslo University, sought to determine if MSCs from different organs would result in different functional outcomes.

"Despite advances in revascularization and medical therapy, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart failure are still important causes of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries," said study co-author Dr. Jan E. Brinchmann of the Norwegian center for Stem Cell Research at Oslo University Hospital, Oslo. "AMI leads to a permanent loss of contractile elements in the heart and the formation of fibrous scarring. Regeneration of contractile myocardium has been a target of cell therapy for more than a decade."

According to Dr. Brinchmann, MSCs tolerate hypoxia, secrete angiogenic factors and have been shown to improve vascularization; thus, they have properties suggesting that they may beneficially impact AMI, chronic heart failure and angina pectoris after cell transplantation. Following injection into the "border zone" and infarct area of immunodeficient rats one week after induced myocardial infarction, the researchers used echocardiography to measure myocardial function and other analyses to measure the size of scaring, density of blood vessels in the scar, and the health of myocardial tissues.

"Our results showed that intramyocardial injection of both ADSCs and SM-MSCs one week after AMI led to a substantial decrease in infarct size and a significant improvement in left ventricle function when compared with injections of cell culture medium alone," concluded the authors. "There was a trend toward better functional improvement in the SM-MSC group when compared to the ADSC group, but this did not reach significance."

They concluded that many questions remain unanswered, including the question of whether MSCs isolated from different organisms could result in different functional outcomes. Other unanswered questions relate to the optimal time delay between the onset of myocardial infarction and injection of MSCs. These cells do, however, still appear to be "a potentially interesting adjuvant treatment modality for selected patients following acute myocardial infarction," they concluded.

###

Contact: Dr. Jan E. Brinchmann, Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet and University of Oslo, PO Box 1121 Blindern 0317 Oslo, Norway. Tel. +42-22-84-04-89 Fax. +42-22- 85-10-58 Email: jan.brinchmann@rr.research.no

More here:
Study suggests different organ-derived stem cell injections improve heart function

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Washington, November 28 (ANI): When mesenchymal cells derived from skeletal muscle (SM-MSCs) or adipose tissue (ADSCs) were injected into the heart muscle (myocardium) of separate groups of laboratory rats that had suffered a myocardial infarction, rats in both groups experienced significantly improved left ventricle function and smaller infarct size after cell therapy, a study has found.

The study, carried out by researchers at Oslo University Hospital and the Norwegian Center for Stem cell Research, Oslo University, sought to determine if MSCs from different organs would result in different functional outcomes.

"Despite advances in revascularization and medical therapy, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart failure are still important causes of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries," said study co-author Dr. Jan E. Brinchmann of the Norwegian center for Stem Cell Research at Oslo University Hospital, Oslo.

"AMI leads to a permanent loss of contractile elements in the heart and the formation of fibrous scarring. Regeneration of contractile myocardium has been a target of cell therapy for more than a decade," he added.

According to Dr. Brinchmann, MSCs tolerate hypoxia, secrete angiogenic factors and have been shown to improve vascularization; thus, they have properties suggesting that they may beneficially impact AMI, chronic heart failure and angina pectoris after cell transplantation.

Following injection into the "border zone" and infarct area of immunodeficient rats one week after induced myocardial infarction, the researchers used echocardiography to measure myocardial function and other analyses to measure the size of scaring, density of blood vessels in the scar, and the health of myocardial tissues.

"Our results showed that intramyocardial injection of both ADSCs and SM-MSCs one week after AMI led to a substantial decrease in infarct size and a significant improvement in left ventricle function when compared with injections of cell culture medium alone," concluded the researchers.

"There was a trend toward better functional improvement in the SM-MSC group when compared to the ADSC group, but this did not reach significance," they added.

They concluded that many questions remain unanswered, including the question of whether MSCs isolated from different organisms could result in different functional outcomes.

Other unanswered questions relate to the optimal time delay between the onset of myocardial infarction and injection of MSCs. These cells do, however, still appear to be "a potentially interesting adjuvant treatment modality for selected patients following acute myocardial infarction," they concluded.

Read more from the original source:
Different organ-derived stem cell injections improve heart function in rats

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A panel at the Harvard Law School Wednesday discussed the ethical debate over the use of embryonic stem cells in the United States, focusing on the burgeoning controversy surrounding the role of stem cell therapy in medical tourism.

Medical tourism, in which patients travel internationally to gain access to specific health care services, has become increasingly common, panelists said. They said that reasons for medical tourism range from basic hip replacement surgery to black market organ sales. As most stem cell therapies are not approved in the United States, numerous patients are going abroad to countries like China and Russia where treatment is legal.

Panelist I. Glenn Cohen, an assistant professor at the Law School, said that it was probable that a Chinese stem cell facility performs several hundred thousand of these treatments yearly. He said that numerous celebrities, including football quarterback Peyton Manning, have reportedly traveled abroad to receive stem cell treatment not approved by the FDA.

A number of facilities claim to use stem cells to cure a wide array of diseases. University of Alberta law professor Timothy Caulfield, another panelist, pointed out that a simple Google search leads potential patients to a plethora of websites which claim that diseases such as autism and cancer can be cured through stem cell therapy.

Its being offered as routine, its being offered as safe, its being offered as effective, Caulfield said, citing his own 2008 study on the subject, Of course, none of them being offered matched what the scientific literature said.

According to American history professor Jill Lepore, the hyper-acceleration of enthusiasm for stem cell therapy is reminiscent of a century ago when science journalism and government funding for science research began to blossom. Lepore pointed out how public excitement over scientific procedures has affected society in the past, popularizing cryonics research and the work of Eugene Steinach, who claimed his vasectomy operation reversed the aging process.

Panelists said that one issue with stem cell tourism is the number of health risks associated with such procedures, citing a number of instances where stem cell therapy caused serious harm.

They also noted that public discussion about stem cell therapy has been markedly positive, lending an air of legitimacy to stem cell therapy that hasnt been validated by research.

Articles criticizing stem cell tourism, on the other hand, have generally received a less favorable response. Caulfield told the audience that when he co-wrote an article in The Atlantic criticizing stem cell therapy, he was accused as being a nutball Canadian socialist bioethicist.

The panelists emphasized that more accurate information should be provided to the public regarding stem cell treatments.

Visit link:
Professors Critique Stem Cell Medical Tourism

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ScienceDaily (Nov. 28, 2012) A new study by an international team of investigators led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists is the first to demonstrate that chemotherapy and a new, targeted therapy work better in combination than chemotherapy alone in treating patients with the most common genetic subtype of lung cancer.

Published online November 28 in The Lancet Oncology, the combination of chemotherapy and the targeted drug selumetinib was more effective than chemotherapy alone in a clinical trial involving patients with a form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that carries a mutation in the gene KRAS -- a variety that represents about 20 percent of all NSCLC cases. Previously, no targeted agent, either alone or in combination with another drug, had proven beneficial in a trial involving patients with this type of NSCLC.

The 87 patients who participated in the new, phase II trial -- conducted at 67 sites around the world -- had advanced, KRAS-mutant NSCLC that had failed initial chemotherapy. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either selumetinib and the chemotherapy agent docetaxel or docetaxel alone.

Investigators found that while 37 percent of the patients in the selumetinib group experienced some shrinkage of their tumor, none of the patients in the docetaxel-only group did. Of particular significance, patients receiving selumetinib lived a median of 5.3 months before their cancer began to worsen, compared to 2.1 months for those receiving chemotherapy alone. (Patients in the selumetinib group also survived longer, on average, than those in the docetaxel group -- 9.4 months compared to 5.2 months -- but the improvement was not considered statistically significant.)

"Our findings suggest that selumetinib and docetaxel work synergistically -- each enhancing the effect of the other," says the study's lead author, Pasi A. Jnne, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber. "This opens the possibility that there may finally be a therapeutic strategy using a targeted therapy which could be clinically effective in this population of KRAS-mutant lung cancer patients."

Some side effects, including neutropenia (a white blood cell deficiency), neuropenia plus fever, shortness of breath, and loss of strength, were more common in the selumetinib group than the other. Researchers and physicians will need to work on ways of managing these problems with patients, Jnne said.

NSCLC tumors with KRAS mutations are more common in current and former smokers than in those who have never smoked, and occur at a higher rate in Caucasians than in others. The study findings are especially noteworthy because mutated KRAS -- regardless of the type of tumor it appears in -- has been one of the most difficult genes to block with targeted therapies.

Selumetinib circumvents that problem by targeting not KRAS itself, but one of the gene's co-conspirators, a protein called MEK that is indirectly activated by KRAS.

"The opportunity now is to validate this approach in further clinical trials so it can be developed into a real therapy for patients," Jnne remarks. "Given that KRAS mutations are common in other cancers (found in 90 percent of pancreatic cancers and 40 percent of colon cancers), our findings may be useful in developing therapies for patients with these cancers as well."

The co-authors of the study are Alice Shaw, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital; Jos Rodrigues Pereira, MD, of Instituto Brasileiro de Cancerologia Torcica, in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Galle Jeannin, MD, of Hpital Gabriel Montpied, in Clermont-Ferrand, France; Johan Vansteenkiste, MD, of University Hospital Gasthuisberg, in Leuven, Belgium; Carlos Barrios, MD, of PUCRS School of Medicine in Porto Alegre, Brazil; Fabio Andre Franke, MD, of Hospital de Caridade de Ijui, in Iju, Brazil; Victoria Zazulina, MD, Paul Smith, PhD, Ian Smith, MD, and Lynda Grinsted, of AstraZeneca UK, in Macclesfield, United Kingdom; and Lucio Crin, MD, of Hospital S Maria della Misericordia, in Perugia, Italy.

See more here:
First success of targeted therapy in most common genetic subtype of non-small cell lung cancer

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SILVER SPRING, Md. and SALZBURG, Austria, Nov. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nuvilex, Inc. (NVLX), an international biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions, announced today that its partner gave a presentation at the 40th Annual Conference of the Austrian Diabetes Society (ODG) based on the successful animal model studies for treating diabetes using the Company's proprietary cell encapsulation technology.

The three day event held in November at the Salzburg Congress Center in Salzburg, Austria, hosted an international group of researchers working on treatments for diabetes. Dr. Eva Brandtner, our partner who made the presentation at the meeting, is presently working at the Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment (VIVIT) located in Feldkirch, Austria. She continues to maintain close ties to and is collaborating with Austrianova Singapore (ASPL) and Nuvilex to help advance the diabetes treatment. Dr. Brandtner, formerly Chief Scientist at ASPL before moving back to her native Austria, presented the study data on the use of pancreatic islet cells encapsulated using the Company's proprietary technology for the treatment of diabetes that was completed when she was working at ASPL.

Dr. Brian Salmons, CEO of ASPL said, "We are pleased Dr. Brandtner was invited to give a presentation at this prestigious event. She is a recognized expert in this field and we are very excited to be able to continue working together with Dr. Brandtner and VIVIT to develop new treatments for diabetes."

The Chief Executive of Nuvilex, Dr. Robert Ryan, stated: "Dr. Brandtner's presentation at this important diabetes event in Austria underscores our commitment to novel cell encapsulation based treatments for diabetes. The market potential for such a therapeutic is enormous, still growing dramatically worldwide, and we see the value for patients as priceless."

About Nuvilex

Nuvilex, Inc. (NVLX) is an international biotechnology provider of live therapeutically valuable, encapsulated cells and services for research and medicine. Important advances are moving Nuvilex and Austrianova Singapore forward. New developments by our companies will be substantial as we have been working on many fronts to move us forward. Our company's clinical offerings will include cancer, diabetes and other treatments using the company's cell and gene therapy expertise and live-cell encapsulation technology.

The Nuvilex, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=13494

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements described within the 1995 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act involving risks and uncertainties including product demand, market competition, and meeting current or future plans which may cause actual results, events, and performances, expressed or implied, to vary and/or differ from those contemplated or predicted. Investors should study and understand all risks before making an investment decision. Readers are recommended not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Nuvilex is not obliged to publicly release revisions to any forward-looking statement, reflect events or circumstances afterward, or disclose unanticipated occurrences, except as required under applicable laws.

Continue reading here:
Nuvilex Continues Advancements in Diabetes Research

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith