Archive for February, 2012

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

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB: BCLI.OB - News), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced today that the prestigious Nature Reviews Neurology, a Nature Publishing Group Journal, highlighted recently published preclinical research results indicating that stem cells, generated with Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ technology, provide hope for Huntington disease's patients.

In the preclinical studies conducted by leading scientists including Professors Melamed and Offen of Tel Aviv University and originally reported in Experimental Neurology, patients' bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells secreting neurotrophic factors (MSC-NTF) that were transplanted into an animal model of Huntington disease showed therapeutic benefits.

Addressing the role of these MSC-NTF cells in Huntington disease, Professor Daniel Offen explains, "the premise is that such cells can be transplanted safely into affected areas of the brain, and thereby serve as vehicles for delivering neurotrophic factors." Offen expressed his hope that this cell-based therapy may eventually progress to the clinic.

BrainStorm is currently conducting a Phase I/II Human Clinical Trial for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease at the Hadassah Medical center. Initial results have shown that Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ therapy is safe, does not show any significant treatment-related adverse events, and have also shown certain signs of beneficial clinical effects.

Follow this link for the Research Highlights page in Nature Reviews Neurology (starts Feb. 28th ): http://www.nature.com/nrneurol/journal/vaop/ncurrent/index.html

To read the Original Article entitled ‘Mesenchymal stem cells induced to secrete neurotrophic factors attenuate quinolinic acid toxicity: A potential therapy for Huntington's disease’ by Sadan et al. follow this link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014488612000295

About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a biotech company developing adult stem cell therapeutic products, derived from autologous (self) bone marrow cells, for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Ltd., holds rights to develop and commercialize the technology through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Ramot (www.ramot.org) at Tel Aviv University Ltd., the technology transfer company of Tel-Aviv University. The technology is currently in a Phase I/II clinical trials for ALS in Israel.

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, including, inter alia, regarding safety and efficacy in its human clinical trials and thereafter; the Company's ability to progress any product candidates in pre-clinical or clinical trials; the scope, rate and progress of its pre-clinical trials and other research and development activities; the scope, rate and progress of clinical trials we commence; clinical trial results; safety and efficacy of the product even if the data from pre-clinical or clinical trials is positive; uncertainties relating to clinical trials; risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of our proposed product candidates; dependence on the efforts of third parties; failure by us to secure and maintain relationships with collaborators; dependence on intellectual property; competition for clinical resources and patient enrollment from drug candidates in development by other companies with greater resources and visibility, and risks that we may lack the financial resources and access to capital to fund our operations. 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 its 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.

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Nature: BrainStorm's NurOwn™ Stem Cell Technology Offers Hope for Treating Huntington Disease

An experiment that has produced human eggs from stem cells could be a boon for women desperate to have a baby, scientists claim.

New research has swept away the belief women only have a limited stock of eggs and replaces it with the theory the supply is continuously replenished from precursor cells in the ovary.

'The prevailing dogma in our field for the better part of the last 50 or 60 years was that young girls at birth were given a bank account of eggs at birth that's not renewable,' says Jonathan Tilly, director of the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital, who led the research.

'As they become mature and become a woman, they use those eggs up (and) the ovaries will fail when they enter menopause.'

Tilly first challenged the 'bank account' doctrine eight years ago, suggesting female mammals continue producing egg-making cells into adulthood rather than from a stock acquired at birth.

His theory ran into a firestorm.

Other scientists challenged the accuracy of his experiments or dismissed their conclusions as worthless, given they were only conducted on lab mice.

But Tilly says the new work not only confirms his controversial idea, it takes it further.

In it, his team isolated egg-producing stem cells in human ovaries and then coaxed them into developing oocytes, as eggs are called.

Building on a feat by Chinese scientists, they pinpointed the oocyte stem cells by using antibodies which latched onto a protein 'handle' located on the side of these cells.

The team tagged the stem cells with a fluorescent green protein - a common trick to help figure out what happens in lab experiments.

The cells were injected into biopsied human ovarian tissue which was then grafted beneath the skin of mice.

Within 14 days, the graft had produced a budding of oocytes. Some of the eggs glowed with the fluorescent tag, proving that they came from the stem cells. But others did not, which suggested they were already present in the tissue before the injection.

Tilly said 'the hairs were standing up on my arm' when he saw time-elapse video showing the eggs maturing in a lab dish.

Further testing needs to be done but Tilly says the work could be far-reaching.

Go here to read the rest:
Human eggs produced from stem cells

ScienceDaily (Feb. 26, 2012) — For the first time, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have isolated egg-producing stem cells from the ovaries of reproductive age women and shown these cells can produce what appear to be normal egg cells or oocytes. In the March issue of Nature Medicine, the team from the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology at MGH reports the latest follow-up study to their now-landmark 2004 Nature paper that first suggested female mammals continue producing egg cells into adulthood.

"The primary objective of the current study was to prove that oocyte-producing stem cells do in fact exist in the ovaries of women during reproductive life, which we feel this study demonstrates very clearly," says Jonathan Tilly, PhD, director of the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology in the MGH Vincent Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, who led the study. "The discovery of oocyte precursor cells in adult human ovaries, coupled with the fact that these cells share the same characteristic features of their mouse counterparts that produce fully functional eggs, opens the door for development of unprecedented technologies to overcome infertility in women and perhaps even delay the timing of ovarian failure."

The 2004 report from Tilly's team challenged the fundamental belief, held since the 1950s, that female mammals are born with a finite supply of eggs that is depleted throughout life and exhausted at menopause. That paper and a 2005 follow-up published in Cell showing that bone marrow or blood cell transplants could restore oocyte production in adult female mice after fertility-destroying chemotherapy were controversial; but in the intervening years, several studies from the MGH-Vincent group and other researchers around the world have supported Tilly's work and conclusions.

These supporting studies include a 2007 Journal of Clinical Oncology report from the MGH-Vincent team that showed female mice receiving bone marrow transplants after oocyte-destroying chemotherapy were able to have successful pregnancies, delivering pups that were their genetic offspring and not of the marrow donors. A 2009 study from a team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, published in Nature Cell Biology, not only isolated and cultured oocyte-producing stem cells (OSCs) from adult mice but also showed that those OSCs, after transplantation into the ovaries of chemotherapy-treated female mice, gave rise to mature oocytes that were ovulated, fertilized and developed into healthy offspring.

"That study singlehandedly deflated many of the arguments from critics of our earlier Nature paper by showing that oocyte-producing stem cells exist in mice and could develop into fully functional eggs," says Tilly. Another paper from a west-coast biotechnology company, published in Differentiation in 2010, provided further independent confirmation of Tilly's earlier conclusions regarding the presence of oocyte-producing stem cells in ovaries of adult mice.

Tilly is quick to point out, however, "These follow-up studies, while providing definitive evidence that oocyte-producing stem cells exist in ovaries of adult female mammals, were not without their limitations, leaving the question open in some scientific circles of whether the adult oocyte pool can be renewed. For example, the protocol used to isolate OSCs in the 2009 Nature Cell Biology study is a relatively crude approach that often results in the contamination of desired cells by other cell types." To address this, the MGH-Vincent team developed and validated a much more precise cell-sorting technique to isolate OSCs without contamination from other cells.

The 2009 study from China also had isolated OSCs based on cell-surface expression of a marker protein called Ddx4 or Mvh, which previously had been found only in the cytoplasm of oocytes. This apparent contradiction with earlier studies raised concerns over the validity of the protocol. Using their state-of-the-art fluorescence-activated cell sorting techniques, the MGH-Vincent team verified that, while the marker protein Ddx4 was indeed located inside oocytes, it was expressed on the surface of a rare and distinct population of ovarian cells identified by numerous genetic markers and functional tests as OSCs.

To examine the functional capabilities of the cells isolated with their new protocol, the investigators injected green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled mouse OSCs into the ovaries of normal adult mice. Several months later, examination of the recipient mouse ovaries revealed follicles containing oocytes with and without the marker protein. GFP-labeled and unlabeled oocytes also were found in cell clusters flushed from the animals' oviducts after induced ovulation. The GFP-labeled mouse eggs retrieved from the oviducts were successfully fertilized in vitro and produced embryos that progressed to the hatching blastocyst stage, a sign of normal developmental potential. Additionally, although the Chinese team had transplanted OSCs into ovaries of mice previously treated with chemotherapy, the MGH-Vincent team showed that it was not necessary to damage the recipient mouse ovaries with toxic drugs before introducing OSCs.

In their last two experiments, which Tilly considers to be the most groundbreaking, the MGH-Vincent team used their new cell-sorting techniques to isolate potential OSCs from adult human ovaries. The cells obtained shared all of the genetic and growth properties of the equivalent cells isolated from adult mouse ovaries, and like mouse OSCs, were able to spontaneously form cells with characteristic features of oocytes. Not only did these oocytes formed in culture dishes have the physical appearance and gene expression patterns of oocytes seen in human ovaries -- as was the case in parallel mouse experiments -- but some of these in-vitro-formed cells had only half of the genetic material normally found in all other cells of the body. That observation indicates that these oocytes had progressed through meiosis, a cell-division process unique to the formation of mature eggs and sperm.

The researchers next injected GFP-labeled human OSCs into biopsied human ovarian tissue that was then grafted beneath the skin of immune-system-deficient mice. Examination of the human tissue grafts 7 to 14 days later revealed immature human follicles with GFP-negative oocytes, probably present in the human tissue before OSC injection and grafting, as well as numerous immature human follicles with GFP-positive oocytes that would have originated from the injected human OSCs.

"These experiments provide pivotal proof-of-concept that human OSCs reintroduced into adult human ovarian tissue performed their expected function of generating new oocytes that become enclosed by host cells to form new follicles," says Tilly, a professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School and chief of Research at the MGH Vincent Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "These outcomes are exactly what we see if we perform the same experiments using GFP-expressing mouse OSCs, and GFP-expressing mouse oocytes formed that way go on to develop into fully functional eggs.

"In this paper we provide the three key pieces of evidence requested by those who have been skeptical of our previous work," he adds. "We developed and extensively validated a cell-sorting protocol to reliably purify OSCs from adult mammalian ovaries, proving once again that these very special cells exist. We tested the function of mouse oocytes produced by these OSCs and showed that they can be fertilized to produce healthy embryos. And we identified and characterized an equivalent population of oocyte-producing stem cells isolated from adult human ovaries."

Among the many potential clinical applications for these findings that Tilly's team is currently exploring are the establishment of human OSC banks -- since these cells, unlike human oocytes, can be frozen and thawed without damage -- the identification of hormones and factors that accelerate the formation of oocytes from human OSCs, the development of mature human oocytes from OSCs for in vitro fertilization, and other approaches to improve the outcomes of IVF and other infertility treatments.

Tilly notes that an essential part of his group's accomplishment was collaboration with study co-author Yasushi Takai, MD, PhD, a former MGH research fellow on Tilly's team and now a faculty member at Saitama Medical University in Japan. Working with his clinical colleagues at Saitama, Takai was able to provide healthy ovarian tissue from consenting patients undergoing sex reassignment surgery, many in their 20s and early 30s. Co-lead authors of the Nature Medicine report are Yvonne White, PhD, and Dori Woods, PhD, of the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology at MGH. Additional co-authors are Osamu Ishihara, MD, PhD, and Hiroyuki Seki, MD, PhD, of Saitama Medical University.

The study was supported by a 10-year MERIT Award to Tilly from the National Institute on Aging, a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health, the Henry and Vivian Rosenberg Philanthropic Fund, the Sea Breeze Foundation, and Vincent Memorial Hospital Research Funds.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Massachusetts General Hospital.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Yvonne A R White, Dori C Woods, Yasushi Takai, Osamu Ishihara, Hiroyuki Seki, Jonathan L Tilly. Oocyte formation by mitotically active germ cells purified from ovaries of reproductive-age women. Nature Medicine, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nm.2669

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Read this article:
Egg-producing stem cells isolated from adult human ovaries

(CBS/AP) Stem cells in young women's ovaries are capable of producing new eggs, according to a new study. The findings challenge 60 years of dogma that women are born with all the eggs they'll ever have.

PICTURES: Human eggs: 9 fascinating facts

For the study, published in the Feb. 26 issue of Nature Medicine and led by Jonathan Tilly of Massachusetts General Hospital, researchers examined healthy human ovaries donated by 20-something Japanese women who were undergoing a sex-change operation. The researchers fished out stem cells by searching for a protein found only on the surface of stem cells. The researchers then injected those stem cells into pieces of human ovary, transplanting the tissue under the skin of mice, to provide the tissue with a nourishing blood supply.

What happened? New egg cells formed within two weeks.

That's still a long way from showing they'll mature into usable, quality eggs, David Albertini, director of the University of Kansas' Center for Reproductive Sciences, cautioned.

Still, these findings could lead to better treatments for women left infertile because of disease - or simply because they're getting older.

"Our current views of ovarian aging are incomplete. There's much more to the story than simply the trickling away of a fixed pool of eggs," Tilly, who has long hunted these cells in a series of controversial studies, said.

Tilly's previous work has drawn skepticism, and independent experts urged caution about the latest findings, so the next step is to see whether other laboratories can verify the work. If the findings are confirmed, then it would take years of additional research to learn how to use the cells, Teresa Woodruff, fertility preservation chief at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, said.

"This is experimental," Dr. Avner Hershlag, chief of the Center for Human Reproduction at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Manhasset, N.Y., told HealthDay. He said the study is "exciting" but emphasized the work is still very preliminary. "This is a beginning of perhaps something that could bring in new opportunities, but it's going to be a long time in my estimation until clinically we'll be able to actually have human eggs created from stem cells that make babies."

Still, even a leading critic said such research may help dispel some of the enduring mystery surrounding how human eggs are born and mature.

"This is going to spark renewed interest, and more than anything else it's giving us some new directions to work in," Albertini said. While he has plenty of questions about the latest work, "I'm less skeptical," he said.

Scientists have long taught that all female mammals are born with a finite supply of egg cells, called ooctyes, that runs out in middle age. Tilly, Mass General's reproductive biology director, first challenged that notion in 2004, reporting that the ovaries of adult mice harbor some egg-producing stem cells. Recently, Tilly noted, a lab in China and another in the U.S. also have reported finding those rare cells in mice.

More work is needed to tell exactly what these cells are, cautioned reproductive biologist Kyle Orwig of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who has watched Tilly's work with great interest.

But if they're really competent stem cells, Orwig asked, then why would women undergo menopause? Indeed, something so rare wouldn't contribute much to a woman's natural reproductive capacity, added Northwestern's Woodruff.

Tilly argues that using stem cells to grow eggs in lab dishes might one day help preserve cancer patients' fertility. Today, Woodruff's lab and others freeze pieces of girls' ovaries before they undergo fertility-destroying chemotherapy or radiation. They're studying how to coax the immature eggs inside to mature so they could be used for in vitro fertilization years later when the girls are grown. If that eventually works, Tilly says stem cells might offer a better egg supply.

See the article here:
Study: Stem cells in ovaries may grow new eggs

For 60 years, doctors have believed women were born with all the eggs they'll ever have. Now Harvard scientists are challenging that dogma, saying they've discovered the ovaries of young women harbour very rare stem cells capable of producing new eggs.

If the report is confirmed, harnessing those stem cells might one day lead to better treatments for women left infertile because of disease — or simply because they're getting older.

"Our current views of ovarian aging are incomplete. There's much more to the story than simply the trickling away of a fixed pool of eggs," said lead researcher Jonathan Tilly of Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital, who has long hunted these cells in a series of controversial studies.

Tilly's previous work drew fierce skepticism, and independent experts urged caution about the latest findings.

A key next step is to see whether other laboratories can verify the work. If so, then it would take years of additional research to learn how to use the cells, said Teresa Woodruff, fertility preservation chief at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

Still, even a leading critic said such research may help dispel some of the enduring mystery surrounding how human eggs are born and mature.

"This is going to spark renewed interest, and more than anything else it's giving us some new directions to work in," said David Albertini, director of the University of Kansas' Center for Reproductive Sciences. While he has plenty of questions about the latest work, "I'm less skeptical," he said.

Scientists have long taught that all female mammals are born with a finite supply of egg cells, called ooctyes, that runs out in middle age. Tilly, Mass General's reproductive biology director, first challenged that notion in 2004, reporting that the ovaries of adult mice harbour some egg-producing stem cells. Recently, Tilly noted, a lab in China and another in the U.S. also have reported finding those rare cells in mice.

But do they exist in women? Enter the new work, reported Sunday in the journal Nature Medicine.

First Tilly had to find healthy human ovaries to study. He collaborated with scientists at Japan's Saitama Medical University, who were freezing ovaries donated for research by healthy 20-somethings who underwent a sex-change operation.

Egg quality questions

Tilly also had to address a criticism: How to tell if he was finding true stem cells or just very immature eggs. His team latched onto a protein believed to sit on the surface of only those purported stem cells and fished them out. To track what happened next, the researchers inserted a gene that makes some jellyfish glow green into those cells. If the cells made eggs, those would glow, too.

"Bang, it worked — cells popped right out" of the human tissue, Tilly said.

Researchers watched through a microscope as new eggs grew in a lab dish. Then came the pivotal experiment: They injected the stem cells into pieces of human ovary. They transplanted the human tissue under the skin of mice, to provide it a nourishing blood supply.

Within two weeks, they reported telltale green-tinged egg cells forming.

That's still a long way from showing they'll mature into usable, quality eggs, Albertini said.

And more work is needed to tell exactly what these cells are, cautioned reproductive biologist Kyle Orwig of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who has watched Tilly's work with great interest.

But if they're really competent stem cells, Orwig asked, then why would women undergo menopause? Indeed, something so rare wouldn't contribute much to a woman's natural reproductive capacity, added Northwestern's Woodruff.

Tilly argues that using stem cells to grow eggs in lab dishes might one day help preserve cancer patients' fertility. Today, Woodruff's lab and others freeze pieces of girls' ovaries before they undergo fertility-destroying chemotherapy or radiation. They're studying how to coax the immature eggs inside to mature so they could be used for in vitro fertilization years later when the girls are grown. If that eventually works, Tilly says stem cells might offer a better egg supply.

Further down the road, he wonders if it also might be possible to recharge an aging woman's ovaries.

The new research was funded largely by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Tilly co-founded a company, OvaScience Inc., to try to develop the findings into fertility treatments.

See the original post:
Egg-producing stem cells found in women's ovaries

M I Walker / Getty Images

Are women born with all the eggs they'll ever have? Harvard scientists say possibly not. Their discovery of stem cells in human ovaries could someday help infertile women produce new eggs.

For 60 years, doctors have believed women were born with all the eggs they’ll ever have. Now Harvard scientists are challenging that dogma, saying they’ve discovered the ovaries of young women harbor very rare stem cells capable of producing new eggs.

If Sunday’s report is confirmed, harnessing those stem cells might one day lead to better treatments for women left infertile because of disease — or simply because they’re getting older.

“Our current views of ovarian aging are incomplete. There’s much more to the story than simply the trickling away of a fixed pool of eggs,” said lead researcher Jonathan Tilly of Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital, who has long hunted these cells in a series of controversial studies.

Tilly’s previous work drew fierce skepticism, and independent experts urged caution about the latest findings.

A key next step is to see whether other laboratories can verify the work. If so, then it would take years of additional research to learn how to use the cells, said Teresa Woodruff, fertility preservation chief at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Still, even a leading critic said such research may help dispel some of the enduring mystery surrounding how human eggs are born and mature.

“This is going to spark renewed interest, and more than anything else it’s giving us some new directions to work in,” said David Albertini, director of the University of Kansas’ Center for Reproductive Sciences. While he has plenty of questions about the latest work, “I’m less skeptical,” he said.

Scientists have long taught that all female mammals are born with a finite supply of egg cells, called ooctyes, that runs out in middle age. Tilly, Mass General’s reproductive biology director, first challenged that notion in 2004, reporting that the ovaries of adult mice harbor some egg-producing stem cells. Recently, Tilly noted, a lab in China and another in the U.S. also have reported finding those rare cells in mice.

But do they exist in women? Enter the new work, reported Sunday in the journal Nature Medicine.

First Tilly had to find healthy human ovaries to study. He collaborated with scientists at Japan’s Saitama Medical University, who were freezing ovaries donated for research by healthy 20-somethings who underwent a sex-change operation.

Tilly also had to address a criticism: How to tell if he was finding true stem cells or just very immature eggs. His team latched onto a protein believed to sit on the surface of only those purported stem cells and fished them out. To track what happened next, the researchers inserted a gene that makes some jellyfish glow green into those cells. If the cells made eggs, those would glow, too.

“Bang, it worked — cells popped right out” of the human tissue, Tilly said.

Researchers watched through a microscope as new eggs grew in a lab dish. Then came the pivotal experiment: They injected the stem cells into pieces of human ovary. They transplanted the human tissue under the skin of mice, to provide it a nourishing blood supply. Within two weeks, they reported telltale green-tinged egg cells forming.

That’s still a long way from showing they’ll mature into usable, quality eggs, Albertini said.

And more work is needed to tell exactly what these cells are, cautioned reproductive biologist Kyle Orwig of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who has watched Tilly’s work with great interest.

But if they’re really competent stem cells, Orwig asked, then why would women undergo menopause? Indeed, something so rare wouldn’t contribute much to a woman’s natural reproductive capacity, added Northwestern’s Woodruff.

Tilly argues that using stem cells to grow eggs in lab dishes might one day help preserve cancer patients’ fertility. Today, Woodruff’s lab and others freeze pieces of girls’ ovaries before they undergo fertility-destroying chemotherapy or radiation. They’re studying how to coax the immature eggs inside to mature so they could be used for in vitro fertilization years later when the girls are grown. If that eventually works, Tilly says stem cells might offer a better egg supply.

Further down the road, he wonders if it also might be possible to recharge an aging woman’s ovaries.

The new research was funded largely by the National Institutes of Health. Tilly co-founded a company, OvaScience Inc., to try to develop the findings into fertility treatments.

Continued here:
Rethinking Infertility: Study Shows Women Have Egg-Producing Stem Cells

THE WOODLANDS, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Opexa Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPXA - News), a biotechnology company developing a novel T-cell therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), today reported financial results for the year ended December 31, 2011 and provided an overview of corporate developments during the last year.

2011 highlights include:

Clinical and Regulatory Granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Tovaxin® for the treatment of patients with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS); Published the results of the Company’s prior Phase IIb TERMS clinical trial of Tovaxin in a leading peer-reviewed publication, Multiple Sclerosis Journal; Executed strategic agreements with the American Red Cross and the Blood Group Alliance, Inc. to streamline blood procurement for future clinical trials; and Met with Health Canada’s Biologics and Genetics Therapies Directorate as part of the process to secure approval for Opexa to conduct a portion of future clinical development in Canada. Operational Optimized the manufacturing process through the implementation of a functionally closed system and single cycle cGMP process; Advanced overall clinical plans for Tovaxin and clearly defined the study protocol for the planned Phase IIb clinical trial in SPMS; Increased employee headcount thereby strengthening our overall cell therapy expertise in preparation for the planned clinical trial in SPMS; and Designed and implemented a proprietary Web-based system to manage patient and product flow throughout future clinical studies. Financial Closed a financing of $8.5 million in gross proceeds through an underwritten public offering in February 2011.

“2011 was a very productive year for Opexa as we remained clearly focused on the preparations for our next clinical trial with Tovaxin,” commented Neil K. Warma, President and Chief Executive Officer of Opexa. “We made a firm decision, based on numerous conversations with key MS opinion leaders, clinicians, pharmaceutical companies, and the FDA to target Secondary Progressive MS. We remain on track to initiate the Phase IIb clinical trial in SPMS within a period of several months subject to securing the necessary resources. We are most pleased with our recruiting efforts as we have been able to hire numerous experts in cell therapy in the areas of manufacturing, quality assurance, quality control and R&D. It is our belief that Tovaxin could be the therapy of choice for many MS patients; and if we are able to demonstrate success, especially in SPMS patients, we will change the course of how MS is treated and will have built significant value in the company.”

“We ended the year with approximately $7.1 million in cash and cash equivalents. Our monthly cash burn during 2011 was approximately $470,000. As we prepare for and proceed toward the initiation of a Phase IIb clinical study in North America, we expect substantial increases in our monthly cash burn. Moving forward, in order to initiate the trial we will need to secure additional financing either through a potential partnership or additional capital raise, and this will be an important focus for us over the coming months,” commented Mr. Warma.

Year Ended December 31, 2011 Financial Results

Opexa reported no commercial revenues in the year ended December 31, 2011 or in the comparable prior-year period.

Research and development expenses were $3,340,038 for 2011, compared with $2,584,734 for 2010. The increase in expenses was primarily due to an increase in personnel, an increase in development fees, an increase in facilities costs and the initiation of key experiments in preparation for our next clinical trial, and was partially offset by a decrease in the engagement of consultants and a decrease in stock compensation expense. The increase in expenses compared to the prior year was also due in part to a one-time $244,479 credit received from the Internal Revenue Service during 2010 for the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Grant for qualifying 2009 research and development expenses.

General and administrative expenses for 2011 were $2,406,269 compared with $2,216,043 for 2010. The increase in expense is due to an increase in business development costs, an increase in investor relations outreach, an increase in stock compensation expense and an increase in facilities costs, and was partially offset by a reduction in professional service fees.

Depreciation and amortization expenses for 2011 were $210,252 compared with $168,843 for 2010. The increase in expense is due to an increase in depreciation for facility build out costs incurred during 2011, an increase in depreciation for laboratory and manufacturing equipment acquired during 2011 and an increase in depreciation for information technology equipment acquired during 2011.

Interest expense was $3,135 for 2011, compared with $500,648 for 2010. The decrease in interest expense was primarily related to the non-cash amortization of the remaining discount and deferred financing fees in connection with the June 23, 2010 conversion to common stock of $1,250,000 in principal amount of convertible promissory notes.

Opexa reported a net loss for the year ended December 31, 2011 of $5,968,448, or $0.26 per share, compared with a net loss for the year ended December 31, 2010 of $5,469,067, or $0.32 per share. The increase in net loss is primarily due to the increases in research and development, general and administrative, and depreciation expenses, and was partially offset by a decrease in interest expense.

Cash and cash equivalents were $7,109,215 as of December 31, 2011 compared to $3,812,535 as of December 31, 2010.

For additional information please see Opexa’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed today with the SEC.

About Opexa

Opexa Therapeutics, Inc. is dedicated to the development of patient-specific cellular therapies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The Company’s leading T-cell therapy is a personalized cellular immunotherapy treatment that is in late stage clinical development targeting both Secondary Progressive and Relapsing Remitting MS. The T-cell therapy is derived from T-cells isolated from peripheral blood, expanded ex vivo, and reintroduced into the patients via subcutaneous injections. This process triggers a potent immune response against specific subsets of autoreactive T-cells known to attack myelin and, thereby, reduces the risk of relapse over time.

For more information visit the Opexa Therapeutics website at http://www.opexatherapeutics.com.

Cautionary Statement Relating to Forward-Looking Information for the Purpose of "Safe Harbor" Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “may,” “could,” “intends,” “exploring,” “evaluating” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release which are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the development of the Company’s product candidate, Tovaxin, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, without limitation, risks associated with: our capital position, the ability of the Company to enter into and benefit from a partnering arrangement for the Company's product candidate, Tovaxin, on reasonably satisfactory terms (if at all), our dependence (if partnered) on the resources and abilities of any partner for the further development of Tovaxin, our ability to compete with larger, better financed pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, new approaches to the treatment of our targeted diseases, our expectation of incurring continued losses, our uncertainty of developing a marketable product, our ability to raise additional capital to continue our treatment development programs and to undertake and complete any further clinical studies for Tovaxin, the success of our clinical trials, the efficacy of Tovaxin for any particular indication, such as for relapsing remitting MS or secondary progressive MS, our ability to develop and commercialize products, our ability to obtain required regulatory approvals, our compliance with all Food and Drug Administration regulations, our ability to obtain, maintain and protect intellectual property rights (including for Tovaxin), the risk of litigation regarding our intellectual property rights, the success of third party development and commercialization efforts with respect to products covered by intellectual property rights that the Company may license or transfer, our limited manufacturing capabilities, our dependence on third-party manufacturers, our ability to hire and retain skilled personnel, our volatile stock price, and other risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. We assume no obligation or undertaking to update any forward-looking statements to reflect any changes in expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. You should, however, review additional disclosures we make in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

OPEXA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

(a development stage company)

    Statements of Expenses Data:  

Twelve Months Ended

December 31,

2011   2010 Research and development $ 3,340,038 $ 2,584,734 General and administrative 2,406,269 2,216,043 Depreciation and amortization 210,252 168,843 Loss on disposal of assets   9,686     459   Operating loss (5,966,245 ) (4,970,079 )   Interest income 932 1,660 Interest expense   (3,135 )   (500,648 ) Net loss $ (5,968,448 ) $ (5,469,067 )   Basic and diluted loss per share $ (0.26 ) $ (0.32 )   Weighted average shares outstanding 22,532,498 17,071,691         Selected Balance Sheet Data: 2011 2010 Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,109,215 $ 3,812,535 Other current assets 124,773 85,525 Fixed assets, net 1,029,236 815,958 Total assets 8,263,224 4,714,018 Total current liabilities 1,067,860 745,305 Total long term liabilities - - Total stockholders' equity 7,195,364 3,968,713

See the article here:
Opexa Therapeutics Reports Year End 2011 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

GIA announces the release of a comprehensive global report on Gene Amplification Technologies market. The global market for Gene Amplification Technologies is forecast to reach US$2.2 billion by the year 2017. The gene amplification technologies market received a significant impetus in the wake of the successful completion of the Human Genome Project, which continues to be a growth factor in addition to development of molecular diagnostics. With significant role in the area of diagnostics, factors such as aging population and increasing prevalence of age-related diseases are driving the gene amplification technologies market worldwide.

San Jose, California (PRWEB) February 27, 2012

Follow us on LinkedIn – Gene Amplification Technology addresses applications, such as molecular biology research, gene therapy, drug discovery, forensic identification and diagnosis, and is one of the rapidly growing markets in the area of life sciences. Molecular diagnostics and the Human Genome Project (HGP) have been the major growth drivers for gene amplification technology over the years. The industry continues to be affected with issues such as patent expiry, and competitive advantages associated with the existing and emerging technologies. Aging population, and the increasing incidence and prevalence of age-related diseases press the need for new diagnostics. Genetic testing is one such solution that makes use of gene amplification technology, which bodes the potential larger role that gene amplification technology could play in the area of diagnostics. With the growing improvements in the diagnostics market, DNA diagnostic technologies are set to achieve superior efficiencies and improved activity in numerous application areas, including healthcare, biomedical research, toxicology, bioremediation, forensics and personnel identification, environmental monitoring, quality control in the food industry, animal husbandry, and agriculture.

Polymerase Chain Reaction represents a major technique in the gene amplification space, with substantial penetration in the market. The market has been witnessing significant growth rate over the years, and has successfully weathered the recent economic downturn posting accelerated growth even during the period. Continued growth in the market, despite the external pressure, bodes well for the future growth of this technology in terms of market opportunities. Growth in the PCR market is, however, threatened in the wake of increasing application and the development of alternative technologies. Some of the alternative technologies existing in the market include Strand Displacement Amplification (SDA) and Ligase Chain Reaction (LCR). Growth in the PCR market, in the foreseeable future, is projected to be mainly driven by qPCR technique, closely followed by RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription PCR). Fuelled by the introduction of novel PCR instruments for the detection of several critical diseases, PCR continues to dominate the gene therapy market. Qualitative PCR is used for applications, such as monitoring gene expression levels and viral load. Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) is a powerful tool for gene expression analysis because of its sensitivity, speed, ease of use, and versatility.

Burgeoning demand for molecular diagnostics in clinical settings is expected to drive the miniaturization of DNA-amplification technologies. Popularly known as DNA-amplification-on-a-chip, the technology encompasses a microfluidic device with sensors, heating aids, and a reaction container. Being portable, the device can be used in a doctor’s clinic or at a patient bedside. The technology is still in development and many companies are actively conducting research to develop a final solution/process for commercial use.

Global market for gene amplification technologies is led by the US, which is also the fastest growing market worldwide, as stated by the new market research report on Gene Amplification Technologies. Segment wise, PCR continues to dominate the gene therapy market, supported by roll out of several novel PCR instruments used for detecting most critical diseases. PCR allows amplification of genetic material in large quantities, and also enables the diagnosis of widespread diseases such as HIV. However, growth in the gene amplification technologies market would be driven by other gene amplification technologies, which are forecast to display stronger growth worldwide.

Major players profiled in the report include Abbott Laboratories; Becton, Dickinson and Company; bioMérieux; Bio-Rad Laboratories; Cepheid; Life Technologies Corporation; QIAGEN N.V; Roche Diagnostics; Rubicon Genomics; and Takara Bio, Inc.

The research report titled "Gene Amplification Technologies: A Global Strategic Business Report" announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., provides a comprehensive review of the gene amplification technologies market, current market trends, key growth drivers, new product innovations/launches, recent industry activity, and profiles of major/niche global market participants. The report provides annual sales estimates and projections for the global gene amplification technologies market for the years 2009 through 2017. The study also provides historic data for an insight into market evolution over the period 2003 through 2008.

For more details about this comprehensive market research report, please visit –

http://www.strategyr.com/Gene_Amplification_Technologies_Market_Report.asp

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a leading publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company currently employs over 800 people worldwide. Annually, GIA publishes more than 1300 full-scale research reports and analyzes 40,000+ market and technology trends while monitoring more than 126,000 Companies worldwide. Serving over 9500 clients in 27 countries, GIA is recognized today, as one of the world's largest and reputed market research firms.

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Global Gene Amplification Technologies Market to Reach US$2.2 Billion by 2017, According to New Report by Global ...

An insect that plagues coffee plants likely got its bean-digesting gene from a bacterium.

Horizontal or lateral gene transfers—the swap of genetic material between different species—are relatively rare in animals and, when they are identified, they frequently have unknown ecological significance. Research published online today (February 27) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that a coffee-devouring insect pest has a bacterial gene embedded in its DNA that encodes a coffee-digesting protein.

“What’s novel in this case is a bacterial gene going into the insect that actually allows the insect to feed off of a new food source,” said Julie Dunning Hotopp, a genomicist who studies lateral gene transfer at the University of Maryland and was not involved in the research. “It’s a gene that’s been transferred and it’s functional.”

Coffee berry borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampei) is an insect pest that feeds on coffee beans, causing industry losses of around $500 million each year and affecting more than 17 million coffee-farming families. A few years ago, a group of researchers at Cenicafé, Colombia’s National Center for Coffee Research, contacted Jocelyn Rose, a plant biologist at Cornell University, to study what proteins are secreted by the pest that allow it to digest coffee.

Screening the insect’s gut for digestive enzymes, Rose identified a protein similar to mannanase, an enzyme found across kingdoms that can break down coffee-specific sugars. But “there are no mannanase genes in insects,” Rose said. “What was remarkable is that, when we looked at the gene sequence, it looked like a bacterial sequence.”

Despite its sequence similarity to bacterial genes, the gene did show some hallmarks of eukaryotes, such as the addition of a poly-A tail on the resulting RNA and the loss of the Shine-Delgarno sequence, a prokaryotic-specific sequence found upstream of the gene. The researchers confirmed that the gene was not present due to gut bacteria contamination by carefully sequencing the regions on either side of the gene. The flanking areas were eukaryotic transposons, pieces of DNA that can jump around the genome, not bacterial sequences, indicating the sequence wasn’t from a bacterium living in the gut.

If the gene did indeed come from a bacterium, it would mark one of only a few cases of lateral gene transfer in animals.

Rose and his team also sequenced this same region of the genome in coffee berry borers collected from 16 countries, and found that the gene was present in all of them, suggesting that the gene acquisition preceded its invasion as a pest. He then harvested the enzyme from the beetle’s gut to show that it could, in fact, break down coffee beans. In contrast, the gut enzymes and proteins from closely related beetle species could not digest the coffee, suggesting they did not carry the mannanase or related genes.

But how the borer beetles acquired the gene is unclear. The presence of flanking transposons could be one explanation, Rose noted. However, “a lot of DNA is composed of transposons, so [a gene is] more likely to be [inserted] adjacent to a transposon” just by chance, Dunning Hotopp said. Plus, gene insertion into transposon-heavy DNA regions is less likely to “disrupt a gene needed by the organism,” she added, preventing its quick elimination by natural selection.

Regardless of the mechanism, the evidence for both lateral gene transfer and ecological significance are compelling, said Patrick Keeling, a molecular evolutionary biologist at the University of British Columbia who did not participate in the study. However, “the distribution of an enzyme like this is critical to understanding any ecological implications.” Because few insect genomes are sequenced, scientists simply don’t know how widespread the enzyme is. If as more insect genomes are sequenced, the gene starts “popping up all over the place, this could get more complicated, maybe in a really interesting way,” he added.

R. Acuña et al., “Adaptive horizontal transfer of a bacterial gene to an invasive insect pest of coffee,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1121190109, 2012.

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Coffee Pest Gene Transfer

The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, headquartered in Trieste, Italy, is facing its first budget cut in 25 years.

ICGEB

An international biotechnology research centre is facing lay-offs and equipment shortages following budget cuts by Italy, one of its main funders.

The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) was set up in 1987 by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to advance research and training in biomedicine and plant biotechnology for the developing world. The centre is now an autonomous, intergovernmental organization in the UN system. It has 61 member states, many of which are developing countries, and employs more than 500 scientists at campuses in Trieste, Italy; New Delhi; and Cape Town, South Africa. The Italian site focuses on biomedicine and molecular biology, the Indian one on virology, immunology and plant biotechnology, and the South African campus on infectious diseases and cancer.

Marc Van Montagu, founder of the Institute of Plant Biotechnology for Developing Countries in Ghent, Belgium, and a scientific advisor to the ICGEB, says that the UN centre has an important role in international development. “The time of giving aid money to developing countries should come to an end; the ICGEB teaches these countries how to have access to their own agricultural resources,” he says. 

The governments of the countries that host the research campuses together cover 95% of the nearly €17-million (US$22.8-million) core budget. But this year, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is cutting €2 million from its €12.4-million contribution, as part of a multi-billion-euro package of austerity measures approved by the Italian parliament last November.

“This is the first time we have suffered cuts in 25 years,” says Francisco Baralle, a molecular biologist and director-general of the ICGEB. “Some personnel reduction will be necessary in Trieste and New Delhi.” The Cape Town campus has a separate budget provided by the South African government, and won’t be affected by the funding squeeze.

“No member state seems prepared to take over from Italy.”

Austerity measures

The cuts will be distributed equally between the Italian and Indian sites, which will have to lay off some of the 171 staffers who are paid from the core budget. The ICGEB has already asked for voluntary resignations, with a non-voluntary phase to follow if necessary.

Pierre Chambon, founder of the Institute for Genetics and Cellular and Molecular Biology in Strasbourg, France, and a former scientific adviser to the ICGEB, says that the Trieste campus is “one of the best research centres in Italy, but these cuts will hit it hard”.

Fabian Feiguin, a neurobiologist and group leader at the Trieste site, is worried. “These measures will affect the number and length of fellowships, and are already affecting equipment affordability,” he says.

The New Delhi campus is facing further problems. Its budget is already too small to cover electricity and maintenance expenses, says Baralle; researchers must seek authorization to perform experiments at night not only for security reasons, but also to reduce electricity costs.

In a statement to Nature, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Italy is asking for more cooperation from other member states. “We are supporting the ICGEB mainly on a voluntary basis and will continue to do so, but it is desirable to reach a new equilibrium among donors,” it said. Italy is also urging member states that are behind with their dues to pay up.

Baralle hopes to mitigate the effects of the cuts by expanding the centre’s non-core budget, which currently makes up 30% of the total and comes from external research grants. But, warns Chambon, “it’s not easy to cover such a sum with extra grants”.

The ICGEB will also ask other member countries to increase their contributions. However, Van Montagu fears that it will prove difficult to get more money. “No member state seems prepared to take over from Italy,” he says.

See the rest here:
Budget cuts force lay-offs at UN biotechnology centre

There is a tremendous opportunity in genetic medicine for innovation and for new players to make significant contributions, because it is still experimental, noted biologist and Nobel Laureate Dr David Baltimore said yesterday.
“Today, it is mainly the province of biotechnology companies and universities, not big pharmaceutical companies,” he observed in a keynote presentation at the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy 2012.
There are new genetic tools available – though they are still experimental - to treat diseases which involve adding, subtracting or modifying genes in the cells of the body.
“However, they are powerful tools and I am confident they will be an important part of the medicine of the future,” he said.
Speaking on ‘The hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) as a target for therapy against cancer and Aids,’ Dr Baltimore explained that HSCs are one of the few cell types routinely used for bone marrow transplant.
The HSCs are easily accessible, retroviruses can be used to carry genes into these stem cells, the genes are then expressed in all of cells that derive from the HSC and can correct inherited defects and bring genes that perform therapy under a programme called engineering immunity.
“Though the human immune system is a wondrous creation of evolution yet it is not without certain limitations. One, in particular, is its poor ability to stop the growth of cancer cells– another is its hosting of HIV.
“In the case of cancer, the machinery of immunity can attack cancers but it rarely attacks with the necessary power. For HIV, the ability of the virus to use the CD4 and CCR5 proteins as receptors means that CD4 cells are the major cell type in which the virus grows.
“We have been trying to supply genes to the immune system by gene transfer methods that would improve its ability to block cancer and block infection of CD4 cells by HIV.
“For cancer, we have focused on T cell receptor genes. For HIV, we have used a small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) targeted to CCR5. We have been quite successful in mice with both strategies and are now moving to humans.
“In both cases, our experiments with mice have focused on putting genes into HSCs as, once these cells are altered, they provide modified blood cells to the body for life.
“In our human cancer trials we first used peripheral T cells for modification with dramatic effect but it has been transient.
“We are now moving to stem cells. For the siRNA against CCR5, we plan to initiate trials within six months using autologous, gene-modified stem cells,” he added.
The ensuing panel discussion on ‘Opportunities and challenges for stem cell research,’ saw Prof Irving Weissman (Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine) cautioning against ‘phoney organisations engaged in stem cell therapy.’
Prof Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte (Salk Institute for Biological Studies, US) stated that stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood should be considered as one of the key cells for use in regenerative medicine.
The session also featured Dr Alan Trounson (California Institute of Regenerative Medicine), Prof Roger Pedersen (The Anne McLaren Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, University of Cambridge), Dr Lawrence Corey (University of Washington) and with Dr Richard Klausner (managing partner of biotechnology venture capital firm The Column Group) as moderator.
Earlier, Ambassador Edward P Djerejian (founding director, James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, US) spoke about the collaboration with Qatar Foundation on stem cell research.

View original post here:
‘Scope for innovation in genetic medicine’

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -02/27/12)- Advances in cancer screening and treatment has caused the death rate from cancer to drop dramatically in recent years. Cancer death rates dropped by 1.8 percent per year in men and 1.6 percent per year in women between 2004 and 2008, according to the American Cancer Society's annual report on cancer statistics. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for companies in the Biotechnology industry and provides equity research on Exelixis Inc. (NASDAQ: EXEL - News) and Seattle Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGEN - News). Access to the full company reports can be found at:

http://www.fivestarequities.com/EXEL

http://www.fivestarequities.com/SGEN

Death rates fell in all four of the most common cancers, lung, colon, breast and prostate, with lung cancer accounting for nearly 40 percent of the total drop in men and breast cancer account for 34 percent of the total decline in women, the American Cancer Society report finds.

The U.S. FDA has been approving cancer drugs at a faster rate than its European counterpart (the EMA), Friends of Cancer Research reports. Between 2003 and 2010, the FDA not only approved more new cancer drugs than did the EMA, it approved these drugs more quickly: of 23 drugs approved by both agencies, the median time from marketing submission to FDA approval was 182 days vs. EMA approval of 350 days according to the report.

Five Star Equities releases regular market updates on the biotechnology industry so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Take a few minutes to register with us free at http://www.fivestarequities.com and get exclusive access to our numerous stock reports and industry newsletters.

Seattle Genetics, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company, focuses on the development and commercialization of monoclonal antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases in the United States. Earlier this month the company reported fourth quarter net loss for 2011 was $27.2 million, or a loss of 24 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $34.5 million, or a loss 34 cents per share, for the same period in 2010.

Exelixis' lead compound, cabozantinib, was recently highlighted in a new peer-reviewed publication "demonstrating that simultaneous inhibition of MET and VEGF signaling reduces tumor invasiveness and metastasis in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer," the company announced in a press release.

Five Star Equities provides Market Research focused on equities that offer growth opportunities, value, and strong potential return. We strive to provide the most up-to-date market activities. We constantly create research reports and newsletters for our members. Five Star Equities has not been compensated by any of the above-mentioned companies. We act as an independent research portal and are aware that all investment entails inherent risks. Please view the full disclaimer at:

http://www.fivestarequities.com/disclaimer

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Cancer Treatments Evolve - Exelixis and Seattle Genetics Look to Lead

Harvard scientists are challenging traditional medical logic that dictates that women are born with a finite amount of eggs.  The scientists said they have discovered the ovaries of young women harbor rare stem cells that are in fact capable of producing new eggs.

If properly harnessed, those stem cells may someday lead to new treatments for women suffering from infertility due to cancer or other diseases – or for those who are simply getting older, according to the researchers.  Lead researcher Jonathan Tilly of Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital has co-founded a company, OvaScience Inc., to try to develop the findings into fertility treatments.

The idea that women are born with all the egg cells – called oocytes – they’ll ever have has been called into question by past research, which found egg-producing stem cells in adult mice.

In this latest study, Harvard researchers, in collaboration with Japanese scientists, used donated frozen ovaries from 20 year olds and ‘fished out’ the purported stem cells.  

The researchers inserted a gene into the stem cells, which caused them to glow green.  If the cells produced eggs, those would glow green, too.

The researchers first watched through a microscope as new eggs grew in a lab dish.  They then implanted the human tissue under the skin of mice to provide a nourishing blood supply.  Within two weeks, they observed green-tinged cells forming.

While the work of the Harvard scientists does show potential, there are still questions as to whether the cells are capable of growing into mature, usable eggs.

If so, researchers said, it might be possible one day to use the stem cells in order to grow eggs in lab dishes to help preserve cancer patients’ fertility, which can be harmed by chemotherapy.

Now, I just want to say, while this would be a remarkable discovery – if it pans out – I do have a few concerns. 

I think for specific patients in prime, childbearing ages, who are at risk of losing their fertility for one reason or another, this could be a fruitful discovery for them.

Be that as it may, I am totally against commercializing this technology to the point where women going through menopause look at this as another way of getting pregnant.  For many, this could create incredibly high-risk pregnancies, among other medical problems.

While science is capable of great discovery and innovation – particularly in the field of stem cells – I believe that with reproductive medicine, we should move forward with great caution to minimize any risk to mother and baby.

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Stem cell fertility treatments could be risky for older women

NEWARK, Calif., Feb. 27, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM - News) today announced that it will participate in the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy, which is being held in Qatar from February 27 to March 1, 2012. The Company, which is the leader in development of cell-based therapeutics for central nervous system disorders, was specifically invited by the conference's sponsors, the State of Qatar and Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, as well as the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy of Rice University, and is the only company to be invited.

Ann Tsukamoto, Ph.D., StemCells' Executive Vice President, Research and Development, will make a presentation on the clinical translation of human neural stem cells. StemCells was the first company to receive authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct a clinical trial of purified human neural stem cells, and the Company is currently conducting two clinical trials with a third anticipated to start later this year. Dr. Tsukamoto will also be the moderator of the panel session on neurological disorders, which is scheduled to be held on March 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Arabian Standard Time (AST).

In addition, Irving Weissman, M.D., Chairman of StemCells' Scientific Advisory Board, will make a keynote presentation to the conference on Tuesday, February 28 at 9:00 a.m. AST. Dr. Weissman, who is Virginia and Daniel K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research, Professor of Pathology and Professor of Developmental Biology at the Stanford School of Medicine, and Director of the Stanford Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, will speak on normal and neoplastic stem cells. Dr. Weissman will also participate in a panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges for stem cell research, and will moderate a panel discussion on pluripotent stem cells.

The Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy will bring together more than 400 international participants from industry, academia and public policy, including leading experts from each of these sectors. The conference's objectives are to showcase the latest stem cell research from around the world, while promoting discussion and awareness of scientific, ethical and regulatory issues related to this innovative and dynamic field.

About StemCells, Inc.

StemCells, Inc. is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of cell-based therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery. The Company's lead therapeutic product candidate, HuCNS-SC(R) cells (purified human neural stem cells), is currently in development as a potential treatment for a broad range of central nervous system disorders. The Company recently completed a clinical trial in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder in children, and expects to report the trial results soon. The Company is also conducting a Phase I/II clinical trial in chronic spinal cord injury, and expects to initiate a Phase I/II clinical trial in dry age- related macular degeneration in the near future. In addition, the Company is pursuing preclinical studies of its HuCNS-SC cells in Alzheimer's disease. StemCells also markets stem cell research products, including media and reagents, under the SC Proven(R) brand, and is developing stem cell-based assay platforms for use in pharmaceutical research, drug discovery and drug development. Further information about StemCells is available at http://www.stemcellsinc.com.

The StemCells, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7014

Apart from statements of historical fact, the text of this press release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws, and is subject to the safe harbors created therein. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the clinical development of its HuCNS-SC cells; the Company's ability to commercialize drug discovery and drug development tools; and the future business operations of the Company. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. Such statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain assumptions that may or may not ultimately prove valid. The Company's actual results may vary materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties to which the Company is subject, including those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.

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StemCells, Inc. to Participate in Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy 2012

There is a tremendous opportunity in genetic medicine for innovation and for new players to make significant contributions, because it is still experimental, noted biologist and Nobel Laureate Dr David Baltimore said yesterday.
“Today, it is mainly the province of biotechnology companies and universities, not big pharmaceutical companies,” he observed in a keynote presentation at the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy 2012.
There are new genetic tools available – though they are still experimental - to treat diseases which involve adding, subtracting or modifying genes in the cells of the body.
“However, they are powerful tools and I am confident they will be an important part of the medicine of the future,” he said.
Speaking on ‘The hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) as a target for therapy against cancer and Aids,’ Dr Baltimore explained that HSCs are one of the few cell types routinely used for bone marrow transplant.
The HSCs are easily accessible, retroviruses can be used to carry genes into these stem cells, the genes are then expressed in all of cells that derive from the HSC and can correct inherited defects and bring genes that perform therapy under a programme called engineering immunity.
“Though the human immune system is a wondrous creation of evolution yet it is not without certain limitations. One, in particular, is its poor ability to stop the growth of cancer cells– another is its hosting of HIV.
“In the case of cancer, the machinery of immunity can attack cancers but it rarely attacks with the necessary power. For HIV, the ability of the virus to use the CD4 and CCR5 proteins as receptors means that CD4 cells are the major cell type in which the virus grows.
“We have been trying to supply genes to the immune system by gene transfer methods that would improve its ability to block cancer and block infection of CD4 cells by HIV.
“For cancer, we have focused on T cell receptor genes. For HIV, we have used a small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) targeted to CCR5. We have been quite successful in mice with both strategies and are now moving to humans.
“In both cases, our experiments with mice have focused on putting genes into HSCs as, once these cells are altered, they provide modified blood cells to the body for life.
“In our human cancer trials we first used peripheral T cells for modification with dramatic effect but it has been transient.
“We are now moving to stem cells. For the siRNA against CCR5, we plan to initiate trials within six months using autologous, gene-modified stem cells,” he added.
The ensuing panel discussion on ‘Opportunities and challenges for stem cell research,’ saw Prof Irving Weissman (Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine) cautioning against ‘phoney organisations engaged in stem cell therapy.’
Prof Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte (Salk Institute for Biological Studies, US) stated that stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood should be considered as one of the key cells for use in regenerative medicine.
The session also featured Dr Alan Trounson (California Institute of Regenerative Medicine), Prof Roger Pedersen (The Anne McLaren Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, University of Cambridge), Dr Lawrence Corey (University of Washington) and with Dr Richard Klausner (managing partner of biotechnology venture capital firm The Column Group) as moderator.
Earlier, Ambassador Edward P Djerejian (founding director, James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, US) spoke about the collaboration with Qatar Foundation on stem cell research.

View post:
‘Scope for innovation in genetic medicine’

30-01-2012 10:10 In this four-minute video interview conducted at the Arab Health Congress, Dr Ravi Nair reports that the potential for stem cell transplantation to be employed routinely in the repair of myocardium damaged by ischemic events remains substantial. See more Arab Health Congress 2012 Coverage: http://www.getinsidehealth.com

Continued here:
Concept of stem cell transplant for treating cardiovascular disease advancing slowly - Video

08-03-2011 18:28 Bone marrow/ stem cell donor recruitment drive for Zoha Butt held at St Hilda's College, University of Oxford by Oxford University Pakistan Society and Oxford Marrow on Friday, 4th February 2011. Hoping more Pakistanis [and other ethnic minorities] will join bone marrow/ stem cell registries like Anthony Nolan to save the lives of individuals like Zoha. To join the Anthony Nolan register, sign-up at http://www.anthonynolan.org/register. Credits for this video: Mo Baig Zayna Butt Ushma Mistry Vinod Motiani and the BBC Asian Network

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Bone Marrow Donor Recruitment Drive for Zoha Butt at the University of Oxford - Video

February 27, 2012

Japanese scientists have recently discovered that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) – the chemical responsible for such malodorous phenomena as human flatulence, bad breath and rotten eggs – can be used to efficiently convert stem cells from human teeth into liver cells.

While the fetid chemical compound is produced in small quantities by the human body for use in a variety of biological signaling mechanisms, at high concentrations it is highly poisonous and extremely flammable.

A team of researchers at the Nippon Dental University in Tokyo collected stem cells from the teeth of patients undergoing extractions. The cells were harvested from the central part of the tooth known as the pulp which is made up predominantly of connective tissue and cells.

Stem cells recovered from the pulp were then divided into two groups and incubated in sealed chambers, one filled with hydrogen sulfide and the other a control group.

The cells from each chamber were then examined at three-day intervals to look for signs of transformation into liver cells. One such indicator is the ability to store glycogen, a compound that can be converted to glucose when the body needs energy.

According to a report of their findings that appeared this week in the Journal of Breath Research, the team was able to convert the stem cells to liver cells in relatively high numbers. And what’s more, said the team, H2S appears to help produce comparatively high quality, functional liver cells.

Lead researcher Ken Yaegaki explained that “[h]igh purity means there are less ‘wrong cells’ that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells … These facts suggest that patients undergoing transplantation with the hepatic cells may have almost no possibility of developing teratomas (malignant tumors) or cancers.”

For the thousands of people around the world with chronic liver disease, this is a most welcome discovery, one that Yaegaki believes could potentially revolutionize this field of medicine.

“Until now, nobody has produced the protocol to regenerate such a huge number of hepatic cells for human transplantation,” added Yaegaki.

“Compared to the traditional method or suing fetal bovine serum to produce the cells, our method is productive and, most importantly, safe.”

Yaegaki’s hope is that his team’s discovery may eventually be fine-tuned to allow scientists to produce ample liver cells in a lab for use in repairing liver damage in human patients.

Moreover, this and similar studies in recent years have also gotten researchers in other fields questioning the possibilities for using hydrogen sulfide with other types of stem cells.

A team of researchers in China, for instance, recently reported using H2S to increase the survival rate of mesenchymal stem cells extracted from the bone marrow of rats.

—

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Researchers Use Noxious Gas To Convert Stem Cells To Liver Cells

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

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB: BCLI.OB - News), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced today that the prestigious Nature Reviews Neurology, a Nature Publishing Group Journal, highlighted recently published preclinical research results indicating that stem cells, generated with Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ technology, provide hope for Huntington disease's patients.

In the preclinical studies conducted by leading scientists including Professors Melamed and Offen of Tel Aviv University and originally reported in Experimental Neurology, patients' bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells secreting neurotrophic factors (MSC-NTF) that were transplanted into an animal model of Huntington disease showed therapeutic benefits.

Addressing the role of these MSC-NTF cells in Huntington disease, Professor Daniel Offen explains, "the premise is that such cells can be transplanted safely into affected areas of the brain, and thereby serve as vehicles for delivering neurotrophic factors." Offen expressed his hope that this cell-based therapy may eventually progress to the clinic.

BrainStorm is currently conducting a Phase I/II Human Clinical Trial for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease at the Hadassah Medical center. Initial results have shown that Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ therapy is safe, does not show any significant treatment-related adverse events, and have also shown certain signs of beneficial clinical effects.

Follow this link for the Research Highlights page in Nature Reviews Neurology (starts Feb. 28th ): http://www.nature.com/nrneurol/journal/vaop/ncurrent/index.html

To read the Original Article entitled ‘Mesenchymal stem cells induced to secrete neurotrophic factors attenuate quinolinic acid toxicity: A potential therapy for Huntington's disease’ by Sadan et al. follow this link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014488612000295

About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a biotech company developing adult stem cell therapeutic products, derived from autologous (self) bone marrow cells, for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Ltd., holds rights to develop and commercialize the technology through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Ramot (www.ramot.org) at Tel Aviv University Ltd., the technology transfer company of Tel-Aviv University. The technology is currently in a Phase I/II clinical trials for ALS in Israel.

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, including, inter alia, regarding safety and efficacy in its human clinical trials and thereafter; the Company's ability to progress any product candidates in pre-clinical or clinical trials; the scope, rate and progress of its pre-clinical trials and other research and development activities; the scope, rate and progress of clinical trials we commence; clinical trial results; safety and efficacy of the product even if the data from pre-clinical or clinical trials is positive; uncertainties relating to clinical trials; risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of our proposed product candidates; dependence on the efforts of third parties; failure by us to secure and maintain relationships with collaborators; dependence on intellectual property; competition for clinical resources and patient enrollment from drug candidates in development by other companies with greater resources and visibility, and risks that we may lack the financial resources and access to capital to fund our operations. 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 its 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.

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Nature: BrainStorm's NurOwn™ Stem Cell Technology Offers Hope for Treating Huntington Disease

Washington, Feb 27 (ANI): The odorous compound responsible for halitosis - otherwise known as bad breath - may play a key role in harvesting stem cells taken from human dental pulp, a new study has suggested.

In the study, Japanese scientists showed that hydrogen sulphide (H2S) increased the ability of adult stem cells to differentiate into hepatic (liver) cells, furthering their reputation as a reliable source for future liver-cell therapy.

This is the first time that liver cells have been produced from human dental pulp and, even more impressively, have been produced in high numbers of high purity.

"High purity means there are less 'wrong cells' that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells. Moreover, these facts suggest that patients undergoing transplantation with the hepatic cells may have almost no possibility of developing teratomas or cancers, as can be the case when using bone marrow stem cells," said lead author of the study Dr. Ken Yaegaki.

The remarkable transforming ability of stem cells has led to significant focus from research groups around the world and given rise to expectations of cures for numerable diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

In this study, Dr. Yaegaki and his group, from Nippon Dental University, Japan, used stem cells from dental pulp - the central part of the tooth made up of connective tissue and cells - which were obtained from the teeth of dental patients who were undergoing routine tooth extractions.

Once the cells were sufficiently prepared, they were separated into two batches (a test and a control) and the test cells incubated in a H2S chamber.

They were harvested and analysed after 3, 6 and 9 days to see if the cells had successfully transformed into liver cells.

To test if the cells successfully differentiated under the influence of H2S, the researchers carried out a series of tests looking at features that were characteristic of liver cells.

In addition to physical observations under the microscope, the researchers investigated the cell's ability to store glycogen and then recorded the amount of urea contained in the cell.

"Until now, nobody has produced the protocol to regenerate such a huge number of hepatic cells for human transplantation. Compared to the traditional method of using fetal bovine serum to produce the cells, our method is productive and, most importantly, safe," Dr. Yaegaki added.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) has the characteristic smell of rotten eggs and is produced throughout the body in the tissues.

Although its exact function is unknown, researchers have been led to believe that it plays a key role in many physiological processes and disease states.

The study has been published in IOP Publishing's Journal of Breath Research. (ANI)

Excerpt from:
'Bad breath' chemical may fuel development of dental pulp stem cells

24-01-2012 11:14 Skincare Guru Sonya Dakar (www.sonyadakarskinclinic.com) on Good Morning America (GMA) Bizarre Beauty Segment showcases her Snake Venom Facial Treatment at the Sonya Dakar Skin Clinic in Beverly Hills utilizing her new NutraSphere Stem Cell Transformer. Made with synthetic snake venom the Stem Cell Transfomer works to inhibit muscle contraction giving skin a natural botox-like effect on the skin. Learn more at http://www.sonyadakarskinclinic.com

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Sonya Dakar Snake Venom Facial on Good Morning America - with NutraSphere Stem Cell Transformer - Video

An experiment that has produced human eggs from stem cells could be a boon for women desperate to have a baby, scientists claim.

New research has swept away the belief women only have a limited stock of eggs and replaces it with the theory the supply is continuously replenished from precursor cells in the ovary.

'The prevailing dogma in our field for the better part of the last 50 or 60 years was that young girls at birth were given a bank account of eggs at birth that's not renewable,' says Jonathan Tilly, director of the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital, who led the research.

'As they become mature and become a woman, they use those eggs up (and) the ovaries will fail when they enter menopause.'

Tilly first challenged the 'bank account' doctrine eight years ago, suggesting female mammals continue producing egg-making cells into adulthood rather than from a stock acquired at birth.

His theory ran into a firestorm.

Other scientists challenged the accuracy of his experiments or dismissed their conclusions as worthless, given they were only conducted on lab mice.

But Tilly says the new work not only confirms his controversial idea, it takes it further.

In it, his team isolated egg-producing stem cells in human ovaries and then coaxed them into developing oocytes, as eggs are called.

Building on a feat by Chinese scientists, they pinpointed the oocyte stem cells by using antibodies which latched onto a protein 'handle' located on the side of these cells.

The team tagged the stem cells with a fluorescent green protein - a common trick to help figure out what happens in lab experiments.

The cells were injected into biopsied human ovarian tissue which was then grafted beneath the skin of mice.

Within 14 days, the graft had produced a budding of oocytes. Some of the eggs glowed with the fluorescent tag, proving that they came from the stem cells. But others did not, which suggested they were already present in the tissue before the injection.

Tilly said 'the hairs were standing up on my arm' when he saw time-elapse video showing the eggs maturing in a lab dish.

Further testing needs to be done but Tilly says the work could be far-reaching.

More here:
Human eggs produced from stem cells

For 60 years, doctors have believed women were born with all the eggs they'll ever have. Now Harvard scientists are challenging that dogma, saying they've discovered the ovaries of young women harbour very rare stem cells capable of producing new eggs.

If the report is confirmed, harnessing those stem cells might one day lead to better treatments for women left infertile because of disease — or simply because they're getting older.

"Our current views of ovarian aging are incomplete. There's much more to the story than simply the trickling away of a fixed pool of eggs," said lead researcher Jonathan Tilly of Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital, who has long hunted these cells in a series of controversial studies.

Tilly's previous work drew fierce skepticism, and independent experts urged caution about the latest findings.

A key next step is to see whether other laboratories can verify the work. If so, then it would take years of additional research to learn how to use the cells, said Teresa Woodruff, fertility preservation chief at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

Still, even a leading critic said such research may help dispel some of the enduring mystery surrounding how human eggs are born and mature.

"This is going to spark renewed interest, and more than anything else it's giving us some new directions to work in," said David Albertini, director of the University of Kansas' Center for Reproductive Sciences. While he has plenty of questions about the latest work, "I'm less skeptical," he said.

Scientists have long taught that all female mammals are born with a finite supply of egg cells, called ooctyes, that runs out in middle age. Tilly, Mass General's reproductive biology director, first challenged that notion in 2004, reporting that the ovaries of adult mice harbour some egg-producing stem cells. Recently, Tilly noted, a lab in China and another in the U.S. also have reported finding those rare cells in mice.

But do they exist in women? Enter the new work, reported Sunday in the journal Nature Medicine.

First Tilly had to find healthy human ovaries to study. He collaborated with scientists at Japan's Saitama Medical University, who were freezing ovaries donated for research by healthy 20-somethings who underwent a sex-change operation.

Egg quality questions

Tilly also had to address a criticism: How to tell if he was finding true stem cells or just very immature eggs. His team latched onto a protein believed to sit on the surface of only those purported stem cells and fished them out. To track what happened next, the researchers inserted a gene that makes some jellyfish glow green into those cells. If the cells made eggs, those would glow, too.

"Bang, it worked — cells popped right out" of the human tissue, Tilly said.

Researchers watched through a microscope as new eggs grew in a lab dish. Then came the pivotal experiment: They injected the stem cells into pieces of human ovary. They transplanted the human tissue under the skin of mice, to provide it a nourishing blood supply.

Within two weeks, they reported telltale green-tinged egg cells forming.

That's still a long way from showing they'll mature into usable, quality eggs, Albertini said.

And more work is needed to tell exactly what these cells are, cautioned reproductive biologist Kyle Orwig of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who has watched Tilly's work with great interest.

But if they're really competent stem cells, Orwig asked, then why would women undergo menopause? Indeed, something so rare wouldn't contribute much to a woman's natural reproductive capacity, added Northwestern's Woodruff.

Tilly argues that using stem cells to grow eggs in lab dishes might one day help preserve cancer patients' fertility. Today, Woodruff's lab and others freeze pieces of girls' ovaries before they undergo fertility-destroying chemotherapy or radiation. They're studying how to coax the immature eggs inside to mature so they could be used for in vitro fertilization years later when the girls are grown. If that eventually works, Tilly says stem cells might offer a better egg supply.

Further down the road, he wonders if it also might be possible to recharge an aging woman's ovaries.

The new research was funded largely by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Tilly co-founded a company, OvaScience Inc., to try to develop the findings into fertility treatments.

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Egg-producing stem cells found in women's ovaries

M I Walker / Getty Images

Are women born with all the eggs they'll ever have? Harvard scientists say possibly not. Their discovery of stem cells in human ovaries could someday help infertile women produce new eggs.

For 60 years, doctors have believed women were born with all the eggs they’ll ever have. Now Harvard scientists are challenging that dogma, saying they’ve discovered the ovaries of young women harbor very rare stem cells capable of producing new eggs.

If Sunday’s report is confirmed, harnessing those stem cells might one day lead to better treatments for women left infertile because of disease — or simply because they’re getting older.

“Our current views of ovarian aging are incomplete. There’s much more to the story than simply the trickling away of a fixed pool of eggs,” said lead researcher Jonathan Tilly of Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital, who has long hunted these cells in a series of controversial studies.

Tilly’s previous work drew fierce skepticism, and independent experts urged caution about the latest findings.

A key next step is to see whether other laboratories can verify the work. If so, then it would take years of additional research to learn how to use the cells, said Teresa Woodruff, fertility preservation chief at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Still, even a leading critic said such research may help dispel some of the enduring mystery surrounding how human eggs are born and mature.

“This is going to spark renewed interest, and more than anything else it’s giving us some new directions to work in,” said David Albertini, director of the University of Kansas’ Center for Reproductive Sciences. While he has plenty of questions about the latest work, “I’m less skeptical,” he said.

Scientists have long taught that all female mammals are born with a finite supply of egg cells, called ooctyes, that runs out in middle age. Tilly, Mass General’s reproductive biology director, first challenged that notion in 2004, reporting that the ovaries of adult mice harbor some egg-producing stem cells. Recently, Tilly noted, a lab in China and another in the U.S. also have reported finding those rare cells in mice.

But do they exist in women? Enter the new work, reported Sunday in the journal Nature Medicine.

First Tilly had to find healthy human ovaries to study. He collaborated with scientists at Japan’s Saitama Medical University, who were freezing ovaries donated for research by healthy 20-somethings who underwent a sex-change operation.

Tilly also had to address a criticism: How to tell if he was finding true stem cells or just very immature eggs. His team latched onto a protein believed to sit on the surface of only those purported stem cells and fished them out. To track what happened next, the researchers inserted a gene that makes some jellyfish glow green into those cells. If the cells made eggs, those would glow, too.

“Bang, it worked — cells popped right out” of the human tissue, Tilly said.

Researchers watched through a microscope as new eggs grew in a lab dish. Then came the pivotal experiment: They injected the stem cells into pieces of human ovary. They transplanted the human tissue under the skin of mice, to provide it a nourishing blood supply. Within two weeks, they reported telltale green-tinged egg cells forming.

That’s still a long way from showing they’ll mature into usable, quality eggs, Albertini said.

And more work is needed to tell exactly what these cells are, cautioned reproductive biologist Kyle Orwig of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who has watched Tilly’s work with great interest.

But if they’re really competent stem cells, Orwig asked, then why would women undergo menopause? Indeed, something so rare wouldn’t contribute much to a woman’s natural reproductive capacity, added Northwestern’s Woodruff.

Tilly argues that using stem cells to grow eggs in lab dishes might one day help preserve cancer patients’ fertility. Today, Woodruff’s lab and others freeze pieces of girls’ ovaries before they undergo fertility-destroying chemotherapy or radiation. They’re studying how to coax the immature eggs inside to mature so they could be used for in vitro fertilization years later when the girls are grown. If that eventually works, Tilly says stem cells might offer a better egg supply.

Further down the road, he wonders if it also might be possible to recharge an aging woman’s ovaries.

The new research was funded largely by the National Institutes of Health. Tilly co-founded a company, OvaScience Inc., to try to develop the findings into fertility treatments.

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Rethinking Infertility: Study Shows Women Have Egg-Producing Stem Cells

21-02-2012 06:08 The guest of is episode of http://www.PersonalizedMedicineTV.com is Andrew Schorr, the author of the book "The Web-savvy Patient". Andrew Schorr is a pioneer in Internet health and medical programs who became a patient himself, participating in a clinical trial and surviving leukemia. This followed 25 years as a reporter, producer and national reality television programmer. Andrew shares his views and advise on the relationship between patient and doctor and on personalized medicine. Please watch the episode and post your comments and questions.

See original here:
"The Web-savvy Patient" book author Andrew Schorr on Personalized Medicine - Video