Stem cell therapy 'turns back clock'
MANILA, Philippines Stem cell therapy, aside from being a potential cure for a wide range of illnesses, can also make a patient look and feel younger, a stem cell therapist said.
Dr. Ricardo Quiones, a cosmetic surgeon and dermatologist, has trained to conduct stem cell therapy, which he describes as the future of medicine.
Quiones said stem cell therapy has become popular for its ability to regenerate and heal properties of adult stem cells.
As we grow old, our stem cells dramatically decline. When we were children, we had 80 million stem cells. As we reach the age of 40, our stem cells decline to 35 million, he told Mornings@ANC on Friday.
Quiones explained that the procedure is similar to turning back the clock because it can increase a persons stem cells to 100 million.
Ive done two patients from Zamboanga City. I called them up after the procedure and they told me they look younger. They have the stamina, the vigor and they have felt an increase in short-term memory, powers of attention and concentration, he said.
Quiones also said the procedure has the potential to cure diabetes, heart damage, brain damage such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers, osteoarthritis, stroke, baldness and even sports injuries.
3-hour procedure
Quiones said any patient, except those diagnosed with cancer, can undergo the procedure, which he said will only last for about 3 to 4 hours.
After receiving clearance from a physician and passing medical and laboratory tests, anesthesia will be administered to a patient before stem cells are harvested.
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Research Funded by Health Enhancement Products Published in Peer-Reviewed Journal of Nutrition & Dietary Supplements
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI--(Marketwire -07/06/12)- Arizona-based algae producer Health Enhancement Products (HEPI) was notified by Dr. Smiti Gupta, associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Wayne State University that research conducted by her team has been recently published in the Journal of Nutrition & Dietary Supplements, an international, peer-reviewed journal focused on academic research.
The article "ProAlgaZyme and its sub-fractions increase plasma HDL-cholesterol via up regulation of ApoA1, ABCA1 and SRB1 and inhibition of CETP in hypercholesterolemic hamsters," is authored by the team of Andreea Geamanu, Nadia Saadat, Arvind Goja, Monika Wadehra, Xiangming Ji and Smiti V. Gupta, all researchers associated with the Smiti Gupta laboratory at Wayne State University.
"Our data suggests that dietary intake of the algal extract ProAlgaZyme and its specific sub-fractions result in an improved cholesterol distribution in hamsters, primarily via its effects on multiple gene targets in the HDL (or reverse cholesterol transport) pathway," states Dr. Gupta. "Thus the potential for ProAlgaZyme to raise HDL, i.e. the 'good' cholesterol, warrants further investigation."
The article covers more than two years of work conducted by Dr. Gupta and her team. She continues to consult and work with the Company as various compounds and candidate molecules are isolated and analyzed, and is a member of an interdisciplinary working group of scientists and researchers.
Incoming Chief Science Officer Dr. Scott Freeman had this to say: "We congratulate Dr. Gupta and her team for achieving this milestone. These preliminary results commit us to further investigation in order to maximize future market potential."
About Wayne State University
Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting, ranking in the top 50 in R & D expenditures of all public universities by the National Science Foundation. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit http://www.research.wayne.edu.
About Health Enhancement Products, Inc.
Health Enhancement Products, Inc. (HEPI) is a health & wellness company engaged in the development of natural products derived from algae cultures for use as dietary supplements and food ingredients. These natural products are extracted from living algae grown in purified water.
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Gene-Altering Lotion Could Fight Cancer, Skin Disease
Researchers have developed a moisturizing lotion with the potential to treat deadly skins cancers, psoriasis and promote diabetic wound healing.
The cream's unique molecular properties were engineered using nanotechnology, allowing its active ingredients to penetrate deeply into the skin to switch off disease-causing genes.
Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of miniscule particles, a thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. The nanoparticles in the new lotion consist of nucleic acids of messenger RNA, a chain of genetic material designed to target the disease-causing genes in the skin cells.
Because these nucleic acids cannot get into cells in their normal linear form, researchers rearranged them into spherical structures. Then they organized the RNA spheres into a kind of densely-packed shell surrounding a gold nanoparticle.
The result was an object that could easily penetrate the deepest layers of skin cells and disable disease-causing genes responsible for conditions such as melanoma, a deadly skin cancer, and help the healing of diabetic foot wounds.
The gold in the structures allowed scientists to easily follow the movement of the nanoparticles. Chad Mirkin, director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University in Illinois, developed the disease-fighting skin cream and says the nanoparticle-containing moisturizer opens up the possibility of what he calls topical gene regulation.
And what that means is we can take disease cells and flip genetic switches that correct the disease or, in the case of even things like cancer, cause cancer cells to selectively die," Mirkin says. "And thats really, really exciting because theres no other game in town in that regard.
Mirkin notes that at the same time they target disease-promoting genes, the so-called interfering RNA leaves the genes in the nuclei of healthy cells alone.
The nanoparticles were mixed in a thick, soothing cream called Aquaphor that can be applied directly to the skin. There, the cream enhances the skin's natural protective barrier to keep in bodily fluids, such as water, and keep out disease-causing molecules.
Amy Paller, head of Northwestern University's department of dermatology and its skin disease research center, worked with Mirkin on the cream. She says lab experiments in mice and with human skin samples showed the nanoparticles switched off a protein on skin-cell surfaces thats important to how they function. Shockingly, there was almost no change at all in any genes we were trying to suppress," Paller says. "We did not activate the immune system. So, we think we have a unique system that not only gets through the barrier and is taken up beautifully by cells and, to date doesnt seem to have any problem.
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Sequenom Addresses Preliminary Injunction Decision, Reaffirms Defense of Patent
SAN DIEGO, July 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequenom, Inc. (SQNM), a life sciences company providing innovative genetic analysis solutions, today confirmed that the United States District Court for the Northern District of California has denied a motion by Sequenom for a preliminary injunction against Ariosa Diagnostics.
"While obviously a disappointing preliminary outcome in our efforts to enforce an issued US patent against infringement, yesterday's decision is by no means a final ruling on the infringement or the validity of the '540 patent, but is one step in a long process to enforce our patent and protect our proprietary rights in the non-invasive prenatal testing marketplace," said Harry F. Hixson, Jr., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Sequenom, Inc.
Earlier this year, Sequenom filed the motion against Ariosa (formerly Aria) Diagnostics to stop the company from making, using, selling or offering for sale, importing or exporting, infringing tests for detecting fetal chromosomal aneuploidy, such as Ariosa's Harmony Prenatal Test, pending the ultimate resolution of the litigation.
Sequenom's request for preliminary injunctive relief followed its counterclaims filed in the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, which allege that Ariosa is infringing U.S. Patent No. 6,258,540 ("'540 patent"). The case is ongoing and Sequenom will be seeking a full trial on the merits of its claims and all relief, including damages and a permanent injunction against Ariosa.
Using circulating cell free fetal nucleic acid as the analyte, as covered in the issued '540 patent, Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine (Sequenom CMM) was the first fully certified clinical diagnostic laboratory to develop, fully validate in a major clinical study and bring to market a high precision non-invasive prenatal diagnostics laboratory developed test (LDT) for chromosomal aneuploidy. Sequenom CMM's MaterniT21 PLUS LDT detects a genetic chromosomal anomaly known as Trisomy 21, the most common cause of Down syndrome, as well as trisomies 18 and 13, in single, twin or triplet pregnancies. MaterniT21 PLUS is available as a testing service to physicians through Sequenom CMM.
About SequenomSequenom, Inc. (SQNM) is a life sciences company committed to improving healthcare through revolutionary genetic analysis solutions. Sequenom develops innovative technology, products and diagnostic tests that target and serve discovery and clinical research, and molecular diagnostics markets. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Sequenom maintains a Web site at http://www.sequenom.com to which Sequenom regularly posts copies of its press releases as well as additional information about Sequenom. Interested persons can subscribe on the Sequenom Web site to email alerts or RSS feeds that are sent automatically when Sequenom issues press releases, files its reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission or posts certain other information to the Web site.
About Sequenom Center for Molecular MedicineSequenom Center for Molecular Medicine (Sequenom CMM) has two CAP accredited and CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics reference laboratories dedicated to the development and commercialization of laboratory developed tests for prenatal and eye conditions and diseases. Utilizing innovative proprietary technologies, Sequenom CMM provides test results that can be used as tools by clinicians in managing patient care. Testing services are available only upon request to physicians. Sequenom CMM works closely with key opinion leaders and experts in obstetrics, retinal care and genetics. Sequenom CMM scientists use a variety of sophisticated and cutting-edge methodologies in the development and validation of tests. Sequenom CMM is changing the landscape in genetic diagnostics. Visit http://www.scmmlab.com for more information on laboratory testing services.
Forward-Looking StatementsExcept for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding the process to enforce Sequenom's patent and protect its rights, that Sequenom will be seeking a full trial on the merits of its claims and all relief, including damages and a permanent injunction, the ultimate resolution of the litigation, Sequenom's commitment to improving healthcare through revolutionary genetic analysis solutions, and Sequenom CMM's dedication to the development and commercialization of laboratory developed tests and changing the landscape in genetic diagnostics, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the risks and uncertainties associated with ongoing patent litigation, Sequenom's ability to develop and commercialize new technologies and products, particularly new technologies such as prenatal and other diagnostics and laboratory developed tests, Sequenom's ability to manage its existing cash resources or raise additional cash resources, competition, intellectual property protection and intellectual property rights of others, government regulation particularly with respect to diagnostic products and laboratory developed tests, obtaining or maintaining regulatory approvals, ongoing litigation, and other risks detailed from time to time in Sequenom, Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10-K and other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that may change and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Sequenom, Inc. undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release.
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An economical, effective and biocompatible gene therapy strategy promotes cardiac repair
ScienceDaily (July 6, 2012) Dr Changfa Guo, Professor Chunsheng Wang and their co-investigators from Zhongshan hospital Fudan University, Shanghai, China have established a novel hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) (hPAMAM) nanoparticle based hypoxia regulated vascular endothelial growth factor (HRE-VEGF) gene therapy strategy which is an excellent substitute for the current expensive and uncontrollable VEGF gene delivery system.
This discovery, reported in the June 2012 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, provides an economical, feasible and biocompatible gene therapy strategy for cardiac repair.
Transplantation of VEGF gene manipulated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been proposed as a promising therapeutic method for cardiac repair after myocardium infarction. However, the gene delivery system, including the VEGF gene and delivery vehicle, needs to be optimized. On one hand, long-term and uncontrollable VEGF over-expression in vivo has been observed to lead to hemangioma formation instead of functional vessels in animal models. On the other hand, though non-viral gene vector can circumvent the limitations of virus, drawbacks of the current non-viral vectors, such as complex synthesis procedure, limited transfection efficiency and high cytotoxicity, still needs to be overcome.
Co-investigators, Drs. Kai Zhu and Hao Lai, said "Hypoxia response elements were inserted into the promoter region of VEGF gene to form HRE-VEGF, which provided a safer alternative to the conventionally available VEGF gene." "The HRE-VEGF up-regulates gene expression under hypoxic conditions caused by ischemic myocardium and turns it off under normoxia condition when the regional oxygen supply is adequate."
The hPAMAM nanoparticles, which exhibit high gene transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity during the gene delivery process, can be synthesized by a simpler and more economical one-step/pot polymerization technique. Drs. Zhu and Lai, said "Using the hPAMAM based gene delivery approach, our published and unpublished results explicitly demonstrated that it was an economical, effective and biocompatible gene delivery vehicle."
Dr Guo concluded that "Treatment with hPAMAM-HRE-VEGF transfected MSCs after myocardium infarction improved the myocardial VEGF level, which improved graft MSC survival, increased neovascularization and ultimately improved heart function. And this novel VEGF gene delivery system may have clinical relevance for tissue repair in other ischemic diseases."
Dr. Steve Goodman, Editor-in-Chief of Experimental Biology and Medicine said "Guo and colleagues have provided an exciting new nanoparticle based gene therapy for cardiac repair. This novel approach has great promise for repair of the heart after myocardial infarction."
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An economical, effective and biocompatible gene therapy strategy promotes cardiac repair
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Facts about ACTL targeted cancer cell therapy.wmv – Video
05-07-2012 03:11 Facts about ACTL by a Polish Doctor escorting her patient from Poland to China, and the very truth experiences presented by patient's relative.
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Chinese scientists identify yield-boosting rice gene
Chinese scientists identify yield-boosting rice gene
Li Jiao
5 July 2012 | EN |
Scientists say the new gene could improve both rice yields and quality, in China and across the world
Flickr/randomwire
[BEIJING] Researchers in China have identified a rice gene that could improve both the quality and yield of the staple crop.
Xiangdong Fu, a geneticist at the Institute of Genetics and Development Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China, and colleagues first discovered the gene known as GW8 while studying basmati rice in Pakistan.
Basmati rice is well known for its good grain quality. The researchers found that this feature is influenced by the presence of a gene known as GW8, which can also improve the appearance and flavour of rice.
Fu and his colleagues hypothesised that high-quality Chinese rice varieties might also have the GW8 gene.
Following a series of field studies in Beijing, Guangzhou and Hainan in 2009, the researchers found that a variant of the GW8 gene does exist in certain varieties of high-yielding rice in China.
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Chinese scientists identify yield-boosting rice gene
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Getting fetus' genetic makeup from a blood test 0
NEW YORK - The days of pregnant women having a 3-inch-long (8-centimetre-long) hollow needle jabbed into their abdomens may be numbered.
For the second time in a month, scientists have announced that a simple blood test, rather than more invasive tests such as amniocentesis, can determine a fetus's genetic make-up, identifying mutations causing any of about 3,000 inherited disorders that arise from a glitch in a single gene, such as cystic fibrosis.
Unlike a procedure unveiled last month, the one announced Wednesday in the journal Nature can be done without knowing who the father is, much less obtaining a sample of his DNA. Since paternity is unknown or incorrect in an estimated 3 to 10% of births in the United States, the father-free method promises to make fetal DNA sequencing possible in every pregnancy, if hurdles including cost and accuracy are overcome.
"We're really on the verge of an enormous increase in our ability to understand what an infant will be like," said Dr Michael Katz, a senior adviser to the March of Dimes, a foundation that supports research on pregnancy and birth defects. Katz was not involved in the study. "You'll be able to detect any kind of abnormality early, quickly, without distress and safely. This is the way of the future."
Determining a fetus's genome might give women more reasons to end a pregnancy. But it would also let physicians identify conditions that can be treated before birth or immediately after, said Stephen Quake of Stanford University in California, who led the new study: "The way it's done now, parents wait until a newborn gets sick and suffers in the first weeks of life, and only then does the doctor start figuring out the baby has a metabolic or immune disorder."
With prenatal genetic testing, in contrast, the parents would know by the end of the first trimester (12 to 13 weeks) if the fetus has a genetic or chromosomal defect. That way, they can be ready if the baby has special needs, which can be as simple as a certain diet.
Knowing so early that something has gone wrong might also allow physicians to treat a fetus. Prenatal surgery, introduced 30 years ago, is currently performed at a few specialized hospitals to correct just a few heart, bladder or other defects.
"Now we can challenge our colleagues in surgery and pharmacology," said Quake. "We'll soon be able to diagnose all these genetic disorders; what are you going to do about them?"
ABORTING UNWANTED TRAITS?
Knowing every detail of a fetus's genome could open the door to more controversial steps, however. In China and India, parents use ultrasound for sex selection, aborting 1.3 million to 1.6 million female fetuses every year, according to estimates in a 2011 study in the journal Lancet and a 2009 study in the World Bank Economic Review.
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Researchers Working Hard To Unlock Alzheimer's Genetic Secrets
Editor's Choice Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia Also Included In: Genetics Article Date: 05 Jul 2012 - 10:00 PDT
Current ratings for: Researchers Working Hard To Unlock Alzheimer's Genetic Secrets
The study, which will be conducted by researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine and colleagues across the country, could significantly affect the development of treatments for Alzheimer's.
The researchers will sequence and examine genomes of more than 800 adults taking part in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). The study, supported by the Brin Wojcicki Foundation and the Alzheimer's Association, will provide a listing of all 3 billion segments (base pairs) of genetic code in each participant's DNA.
Andrew Saykin, Psy.D., director of the Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging and lead researcher for the genetics core of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, explained: "This is the equivalent of going from a good quality map of the United States to having the detailed blueprints for everything within our borders."
The DNA samples gathered from participants are stored at the National Cell Repository for Alzheimer's Disease at the IU School of Medicine. The repository, directed by Tatiana Foroud, Ph.D., P. Michael Conneally Professor of Medical and Molecular Genetics, prepared the DNA samples that will be used in the study.
Dr. Foroud and Li Shen are co-lead researchers for the genetics core. Shen, Ph.D., is a computer scientist and assistant professor of radiology and imaging sciences. Illumina, a biotechnology equipment and services company will conduct the sequencing.
Martin Farlow, M.D., professor of neurology and associate director of the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Center, explained:
At present, researchers around the world use data produced by the ADNI, but the new study will provide next-generation sequencing data on a significantly larger and refined scale.
Dr. Saykin, Raymond C. Beeler Professor of Radiology and Imaging Sciences. said:
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Matthew Reeve Flies Down Under for Spinal Cord Injury Research: Continues Superman’s Legacy
SHORT HILLS, NJ--(Marketwire -07/05/12)- The late actor Christopher Reeve's son, Matthew Reeve, will make a Keynote Address at the upcoming Connections 2012 conference held by the Spinal Cord Injury Network at Sydney's Convention and Exhibition Centre on 13th August 2012.
Christopher Reeve's attendance at the Making Connections: NSW Premier's Forum in 2003 put the spotlight on spinal cord injury research including embryonic stem cell research.
Award-winning filmmaker Matthew Reeve said he hoped his visit would inspire collaboration towards a healthier, participative and more inclusive community for people with spinal cord injury.
"Connections 2012 brings together researchers, healthcare professionals, the paralysis community and other key stakeholders in a single interactive forum to discuss ways to accelerate progress in key areas of spinal cord injury research.
"Together we can build strength and capacities that derive from synergy," he said.
Spinal Cord Injury Network Chief Executive Dr Stephanie Williams said she felt honoured by Matthew's commitment to spinal cord injury research and highlighted the importance of the upcoming Connections 2012 conference.
"Each day in Australia one person sustains a spinal cord injury. Life is changed forever with devastating consequences.
"Connections 2012 aims to facilitate discussion and knowledge transfer between a range of multi-disciplinary stakeholders to work towards better solutions for people with spinal cord injury," Dr Williams said.
International speakers also include cellular transplantation expert Dr James Guest from the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and rehabilitation research expert Emeritus Professor Volker Dietz from the Balgrist Hospital in Zurich. Together with Australian experts, the speakers will review key issues in spinal cord injury research today which include:
The Spinal Cord Injury Network is an alliance of leading scientists, healthcare professionals, community members and other key stakeholders who are working together to improve treatments and find a cure for spinal cord injuries.
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Matthew Reeve Flies Down Under for Spinal Cord Injury Research: Continues Superman's Legacy
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Therapy Trends: Alzheimer`s Disease – Breaking new ground in disease modification
NEW YORK, July 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:
Therapy Trends: Alzheimer`s Disease - Breaking new ground in disease modificationhttp://www.reportlinker.com/p0924465/Therapy-Trends-Alzheimer`s-Disease---Breaking-new-ground-in-disease-modification.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Therapy
An incisive, dynamic analytical report that uses insight from the most influential key opinion leaders (KOLs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) to map the current treatment landscape and identify future trends.Alzheimer's Disease: Breaking new ground in disease modification
By the end of 2012, the Alzheimer's disease market will reach a pivotal stage with the expected release of Phase III results of disease-modifying therapies, and new research into biomarkers to aid early AD diagnosis. If positive, these results will represent a ground-breaking milestone in AD treatment. Recent trends in the AD market also represent a clear shift in researchers' approaches to detecting, treating and preventing AD.
'Therapy Trends: Alzheimer's Disease' is compiled from exclusive, in-depth interviews with the world's leading KOLs in AD. It identifies and analyses the major factors, advances and trends currently influencing the AD treatment landscape. The report focuses on late-stage pipeline products, and how these could modify future AD management.Drive your strategic decision-making with inside intelligence'Therapy Trends: Alzheimer's Disease' disseminates the critical opinions of KOLs, giving you greater insight to the latest AD market advances. This information includes:
The most relevant factors driving the global AD market, allowing you to start planning your business strategies without delay
First-hand feedback from the most influential AD KOLs, giving you the strategic head-start you need for informed market decision-making
KOL consensus on the future AD treatment algorithm helping you identify the clinical evidence and potential use of new AD therapies
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Therapy Trends: Alzheimer`s Disease - Breaking new ground in disease modification
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Ultragenyx Initiates Phase 2 Study of UX001 in Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy, a Rare Neuromuscular Disease
NOVATO, Calif., July 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders, today announced the dosing of the first two patients in a Phase 2 study of UX001 for hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM). HIBM is a rare, severe, neuromuscular disease caused by sialic acid deficiency. UX001 is an extended-release oral tablet formulation of sialic acid (SA-ER) intended as a substrate replacement therapy for HIBM.
The Phase 2 clinical trial is an international, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of UX001 in HIBM patients. The study plans to enroll up to 45 patients between 18 and 65 years of age with a previously demonstrated mutation in the GNE gene causing HIBM. The subjects will receive either of two dose levels of SA-ER or placebo over 24 weeks, with all patients continuing on active treatment after 24 weeks. The study's primary objectives are evaluating safety, and improvements in sialylation biochemistry of muscle (pharmacodynamic endpoint). Clinical and patient-reported outcomes will also be evaluated, though the study is not powered for these endpoints. Study sites are located in the US and Israel. The total duration of the Phase 2 study is up to 48 weeks, with data expected in 2013.
Emil D. Kakkis, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Ultragenyx commented: "The initiation of this Phase 2 study is a critical milestone for our team in developing a therapeutic for HIBM patients who currently lack treatment options for this devastating disease. It follows quickly upon the positive results from our Phase 1 trial. This Phase 2 study should help us determine if UX001 is improving the biochemistry of the muscle in these patients and help us learn more about the disease. We look forward to seeing top line results next year."
About HIBM
HIBM is also known as GNE myopathy, Quadriceps Sparing Myopathy (QSM), Inclusion Body Myopathy type 2, Distal Myopathy with Rimmed Vacuoles (DMRV) and Nonaka myopathy. HIBM is a severe, adult-onset, progressive, genetic neuromuscular disease caused by a deficiency of an enzyme in the first step of sialic acid biosynthesis needed for the modification of proteins and fats. Patients with HIBM typically begin to have weakness and abnormal walking at 18 to 30 years of age. Over the ensuing 10 to 20 years, many patients progressively lose significant functional ability and become wheelchair-bound. There are no current treatments for this disease.
About Ultragenyx
Ultragenyx is a privately held, developmental stage biotechnology company committed to bringing life-enhancing therapeutics for patients with rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases, also known as orphan and ultra-orphan diseases, to market. The company focuses on rare metabolic diseases that affect small numbers of patients, but for which the unmet medical need is high and there are no effective treatments. Ultragenyx intends to build a sustainable pipeline of safe and effective therapies to address these underserved diseases. Ultragenyx' lead program, UX001, is being evaluated as a potential treatment for hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM), also known as GNE myopathy. The UX001 program has been granted orphan drug designation in the US and the EU.
The company is led by an experienced management team in rare disease therapeutics. Ultragenyx is striving toward an improved model for successful rare disease drug development, which has the potential to increase efficiency while maintaining appropriate safety and efficacy standards. The company believes that it can deliver significant value to patients by building a high-quality pipeline of rare disease therapeutics and efficiently transforming good science into great medicine.
For more information on Ultragenyx, please visit the company's website at http://www.ultragenyx.com.
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Mother's blood shows birth defects in fetal DNA
Researchers said Wednesday they were able to sequence the entire genome of a fetus using only a blood sample from the mother, an advance in the effort to find noninvasive ways for expectant parents to determine if their babies will be born with genetic conditions.
The findings, from researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, reflect intense interest in finding fast, relatively inexpensive and accurate ways to predict genetic conditions without the risks associated with currently available tests. Amniocentesis, for instance, which many couples rely on to obtain some genetic information about the fetus, requires insertion of a needle through the walls of a pregnant woman's abdomen and uterus, and has a small risk of miscarriage. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The Stanford technique, researchers said, doesn't require DNA from the father, an advantage given that a child's paternity may not be known in as estimated 3% to 10% of births in the U.S., according to sources cited in the Nature paper. "It is not that practical to assume you can get DNA from dad or you even know who dad is,'' said Stephen R. Quake, a professor of applied physics and bioengineering at Stanford and senior author of the study. The findings were published in the July 4 issue of the journal Nature.
The study grew out of a discovery made in the late 1990s that a fetus releases DNA into the mother's blood during pregnancy. A number of companies, including two co-founded by Dr. Quake, are already using molecular counting techniques to measure the presence of elevated amounts of chromosome 21 relative to other chromosomes in a mother's blood to determine if a fetus has Down syndrome, a genetic condition that causes cognitive disabilities. The current study takes the method "and applies it to the whole genome,'' said Dr. Quake.
It will probably take a few more years before such noninvasive whole genome tests are ready for use in the clinic, said Jay A. Shendure, associate professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington, who wasn't involved in the latest research. He was principal investigator in a study published last month in Science Translational Medicine that sequenced the fetal genome using a blood sample from the mother and saliva from the father.
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Genetics Could Explain Parrots Ability To Parrot
July 5, 2012
redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports Your Universe Online
Scientists say they have put together a more complete string of genetic letters that may control how well parrots learn to imitate their owners and other noises.
Researchers unraveled the certain regions of the parrots genome using a new technology, single molecule sequencing, and fixing its flaws with data from older DNA-decoding devices. Researchers also decoded hard-to-sequence genetic material from corn and bacteria as proof of their new sequencing approach. The results of the study appeared online recently in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
Single molecule sequencing got a lot of hype last year because it generates long sequencing reads, supposedly making it easier to assemble complex parts of the genome, said Duke University neurobiologist Erich Jarvis, a co-author of the study.
Jarvis is interested in the sequences that regulate parrots imitation abilities because they could give neuroscientists information about the gene regions that control speaking development in humans.
Jarvis began his project with others by trying to piece together the genome regions with what are known as next-generation sequencers, which read chunks of 100 to 400 DNA base pairs at a time and then take a few days to put them together into a draft genome. After doing the sequencing, the scientists noticed that the read lengths were not long enough to assemble the regulatory regions of some of the genes that control brain circuits for vocal learning.
University of Maryland computational biologists Adam Phillippy and Sergey Koren experts at assembling genomes heard about Jarviss sequencing struggles at a conference and approached him with a possible solution of adjusting the algorithms that order the DNA base pairs. But the fix was still not sufficient.
Last year, 1000 base-pair reads by Roch 454 became available, as did the single molecule sequencer by Pacific Biosciences. The Pacbio technology generates strands of 2,250 to 23,000 base pairs at a time and can draft an entire genome in about a day.
Jarvis and others assumed the new technologies would solve the genome-sequencing challenges. Through a competition, called the Assemblathon, the scientists discovered that the Pacbio machine had trouble accurately decoding complex regions of the parrot, Melopsittacus undulates, genome. The machine had a high error rate, generating the wrong genetic letter at every fifth or sixth spot in a string of DNA. The errors made it nearly impossible to create a genome assembly with the very long reads, Jarvis said.
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Stanford researchers move fetal genome testing ahead
(07-04) 12:00 PDT Stanford -- In a discovery that widens a lens into lives not yet lived, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have for the first time determined an unborn child's genome with nothing but a blood sample from the mother.
This new approach to genetic testing, the scientists say, could expand families' ability to screen for potential disorders in fetuses without the risk of miscarriage that comes with conventional tests. In a few years, the testing could be part of a routine trip to the doctor.
But outside experts argue it raises an ethical question that physicians and parents are not prepared to answer: Who deserves to be born?
"Many families would dread having a child with Down syndrome," said Marcy Darnovsky, associate executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society, a public interest group in Berkeley. "And, absolutely no questions asked, that would be a reason for them to terminate."
The latest development in genome testing, outlined Wednesday in the science journal Nature, falls in the same vein as a June study from the University of Washington. Scientists there sequenced a fetus's DNA using both a blood sample from the pregnant woman and a saliva sample from the father.
The Stanford team accomplished the same feat with Dad out of the picture. Their method is advantageous, they say, when a child's paternity is unknown, as it is for an estimated 3 to 10 percent of births in the United States.
"Oftentimes, the person who thinks he's a father is not the biological father," said the study's senior author, Stephen Quake, a professor of bioengineering and applied physics.
With his approach, which can be used any time during the pregnancy, parents could screen for a range of medical conditions, allowing them to prepare for proper care, Quake said.
"Things like metabolic disorders and immune disorders you could find out ahead of time, so when the baby's born, you know exactly what to feed them or, more importantly, not to feed them so they don't get sick; or what environment they need to be in to protect them from germs," Quake said.
But one ethicist pointed to a potential dark side.
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Stanford researchers move fetal genome testing ahead
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Genetic 911: Study examines how cells exploit gene sequences to cope with toxic stress
Toxic chemicals wreak havoc on cells, damaging DNA and other critical molecules. A new study from researchers at MIT and the University at Albany reveals how a molecular emergency-response system shifts the cell into damage-control mode and helps it survive such attacks by rapidly producing proteins that counteract the harm.
Peter Dedon, a professor of biological engineering at MIT, and colleagues had previously shown that cells treated with poisons such as arsenic alter their chemical modification of molecules known as transfer RNA (tRNA), which deliver protein building blocks within a cell. In their new paper, appearing in the July 3 issue of Nature Communications, the research team delved into how these modifications help cells survive.
The researchers found that toxic stresses reprogram the tRNA modifications to turn on a system that diverts the cell's protein-building machinery away from its routine activities to emergency action. "In the end, a stepwise mechanism leads to selective expression of proteins that you need to survive," says Dedon, senior author of the Nature Communications paper.
The findings offer insight into not only cells' response to toxins, but also their reactions to all kinds of stimuli, such as nutrients or hormones, Dedon says. "We're proposing that any time there's a stimulus, you're going to have a reprogramming [of tRNA] that causes selective translation of proteins you need for the next step in whatever you're going to do," he says.
Lead author of the paper is recent MIT PhD recipient Clement Chan. Other MIT authors are postdocs Yan Ling Joy Pang and Wenjun Deng and research scientist Ramesh Indrakanti. Authors from the University at Albany are Thomas Begley, an associate professor of nanobioscience, and research scientist Madhu Dyavaiah.
A new role for RNA
Transfer RNA is made of 70 to 90 ribonucleotide building blocks. After synthesis, the ribonucleotides usually undergo dozens of chemical modifications that alter their structure and function. The primary job of tRNA is to bring amino acids to the ribosomes, which string them together to make proteins.
In a 2010 paper, Dedon and colleagues exposed yeast cells to different toxic chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide, bleach and arsenic. In each case, the cells responded by uniquely reprogramming the location and amount of each tRNA modification. If the cells lost the ability to reprogram the modifications, they were much less likely to survive the toxic attack.
In the new study, the researchers focused on a particular tRNA modification, known as m5C, which occurs when cells encounter hydrogen peroxide, a chemical produced by white blood cells.
They first discovered that this modification occurs predominantly in one of the tRNAs that carry the amino acid leucine. Every amino acid is encoded by three-letter sequences in the genome called codons. Each tRNA corresponds to one amino acid, but most amino acids can be coded by several tRNA sequences. For example, leucine can be coded by six different genome sequences: TTA, TTG, CTT, CTC, CTA and CTG.
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Genetic 911: Study examines how cells exploit gene sequences to cope with toxic stress
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Tomato’s Genetic Secrets Are Peeled Away – Video
02-07-2012 14:16 This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, from | http Scientists have made a genetic map of the tomato. Tomatoes are second only to potatoes as the world's most valuable vegetable crop. Eight years of work went into making the map, or genome. Three hundred scientists around the world took part in the project to sequence the tomato's DNA code. Giovanni Giuliano, a researcher in Italy, is part of the Tomato Genome Consortium. He says they started as ten countries and now have fourteen. Having the tomato's genetic map will help growers who are always trying to produce a better tomato. Mr. Giuliano says they now know not only what genes are there, but their order. Researchers published the genome of a tomato used by Heinz, the American food company famous for its tomato ketchup. Ketchup is a thick sauce used on hamburgers, hot dogs and other foods. Heinz's research manager, Rich Ozminkowski, says the company knows what it wants in a tomato. "Traits like sugars and, for Heinz, viscosity, or the juice thickness, and the redness of the tomatoes are all very critical traits for us," he says. Those are all controlled by a lot of different genes within the tomato. Mr. Ozminkowski says genome sequencing takes away much of the guesswork for breeders of tomatoes or other crops that have been mapped. In his words, "By having the genome information, we can pick out those tomato plants that have more of those genes." Until the late nineteen sixties, the ...
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Tomato's Genetic Secrets Are Peeled Away - Video
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Bone marrow plea to save eight-month-old Danny Bryan
Normanby family organises stem cell donor recruitment day at Middlesbrough FC
9:00am Wednesday 4th July 2012 in News By Graeme Hetherington
THE family of an eight-month-old baby is calling on young people to step up to the challenge in an attempt to save his life.
Danny Bryan, who needs a blood stem cell often known as bone marrow transplant to stay alive, was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, which means he cannot fight infection.
Doctors have told his mother, Claire Bryan, 26, that he will not survive childhood without a transplant, but the speed of his deterioration has come as a shock to the family.
His mother said: We knew that it would hit him one day, but we had no idea it would be so quick.
Wiskott-Aldrich usually starts to affect children when they are one or two years old, but the doctors have told us Danny is a particularly severe case.
Hes in hospital at the moment as hes had a virus which his immune system just cant fight off and is having specialist treatment to try to get things under control.
We know that the quicker he has a transplant the better for him and, thankfully, a couple of possible matches have come up with the Anthony Nolan charity. Were just praying that one of these comes off.
The family, of Keats Road, Normanby, is holding a donor recruitment day with the charity, which matches people with donors willing to donate their blood stem cells for transplant, at an event at Middlesbrough Football Club on Tuesday, July 10.
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Bone marrow plea to save eight-month-old Danny Bryan
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North Vancouver family urges people to become bone marrow donors
North Vancouver mother Erica Harris needs a bone-marrow transplant to survive, and her family is urging people to become donors to try to save her life, as well as the lives of other patients desperately seeking a match.
Harley Harris hopes his plea to join the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) online donation registry will resonate across B.C. and beyond.
The message is the importance of how getting on this registry can save lives. Can save Ericas life. Can save friends, family, loved ones, said Harris, who has two young sons with his wife, Erica.
Every one can save a mothers life, can bring a mother home to her children. Our boys are two and five. They need their mama.
Erica Harris is one of 211 B.C. residents waiting for stem cell and bone marrow donations; there are 977 waiting across Canada.
Harris, a chiropractor, was diagnosed less than a month ago with acute myeloid leukemia. Her first chemotherapy treatment didnt work and she is now pegged as high risk. She is undergoing more aggressive chemotherapy, which must be followed by an urgent bone marrow transplant, Harley Harris said.
His wifes brother was not a match, and so far, a search of the 11 million names on all the international bone marrow donor registries has not found a suitable candidate.
Canadians can register online with CBSs OneMatch registry at onematch.ca.
In the majority of cases, there is no pain or long-term recovery for the donors, said Dr. John Shepherd, director of the Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program of BC, located at Vancouver General Hospital.
Last year, donations were collected from more than 200 people in B.C. using a minimally invasive procedure to collect stem cells from the blood with a needle.
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Should people be allowed to sell their organs?
Some worry that a ruling giving donors the ability to sell their bone-marrow tissue will encourage legal sale of other body parts.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
(Time.com) -- How much would it take for you to consider selling your bone marrow? A U.S. appeals court puts the price at about $3,000 in a ruling that now makes it legal to pay donors for their bone-marrow tissue.
The court's decision may well help thousands of sick patients who need bone-marrow transplants to survive, but it also begs the question, What other body parts might next be up for sale?
The ruling came about at the end of 2011, in a decision to an October 2009 lawsuit brought by a group of cancer patients, parents and bone-marrow-donation advocates against the government over the federal law banning the buying and selling of bodily organs. The plaintiffs were led by Doreen Flynn, who has three daughters who suffer from Fanconi anemia, a blood disorder that requires bone-marrow transplants to treat.
Flynn and the other plaintiffs said that too many such patients die waiting for transplants and argued that we should be allowed to pay people to donate their marrow as a way of ensuring a more reliable supply. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed.
Time.com: Facebook now lets organ donors tell their friends
At the core of the plaintiffs' argument was the National Organ Transplantation Act (NOTA), which since 1984 has forbid the buying and selling of human organs, including bone marrow. But new developments in bone-marrow extraction have made marrow donation not much different from donating blood.
Traditionally, bone-marrow donation required anesthesia and long needles to extract the marrow from the hip bones of donors. Now, a technique called peripheral apheresis allows doctors to extract blood stem cells directly from the blood, instead of the bone -- patients first take a drug that pulls stem cells from the bone and into the blood -- meaning that the marrow cells should be considered a fluid like blood, rather than an organ, the plaintiffs argued. NOTA doesn't prohibit payments for blood or other fluids, such as plasma or semen.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder decided not to ask the Supreme Court to review the appellate court's decision, which would have been the next step in overturning it. That means the ruling stands -- and that people can now be paid up to $3,000 for their marrow, as long as it is collected by apheresis. In a concession to the spirit of NOTA, however, the compensation can't be in cash; it needs to be in the form of a voucher that can be applied to things such as scholarships, education, housing or a donation to a charity.
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Should people be allowed to sell their organs?
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Should you be allowed to sell organs?
Some worry that a ruling giving donors the ability to sell their bone-marrow tissue will encourage legal sale of other body parts.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
(Time.com) -- How much would it take for you to consider selling your bone marrow? A U.S. appeals court puts the price at about $3,000 in a ruling that now makes it legal to pay donors for their bone-marrow tissue.
The court's decision may well help thousands of sick patients who need bone-marrow transplants to survive, but it also begs the question, What other body parts might next be up for sale?
The ruling came about at the end of 2011, in a decision to an October 2009 lawsuit brought by a group of cancer patients, parents and bone-marrow-donation advocates against the government over the federal law banning the buying and selling of bodily organs. The plaintiffs were led by Doreen Flynn, who has three daughters who suffer from Fanconi anemia, a blood disorder that requires bone-marrow transplants to treat.
Flynn and the other plaintiffs said that too many such patients die waiting for transplants and argued that we should be allowed to pay people to donate their marrow as a way of ensuring a more reliable supply. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed.
Time.com: Facebook now lets organ donors tell their friends
At the core of the plaintiffs' argument was the National Organ Transplantation Act (NOTA), which since 1984 has forbid the buying and selling of human organs, including bone marrow. But new developments in bone-marrow extraction have made marrow donation not much different from donating blood.
Traditionally, bone-marrow donation required anesthesia and long needles to extract the marrow from the hip bones of donors. Now, a technique called peripheral apheresis allows doctors to extract blood stem cells directly from the blood, instead of the bone -- patients first take a drug that pulls stem cells from the bone and into the blood -- meaning that the marrow cells should be considered a fluid like blood, rather than an organ, the plaintiffs argued. NOTA doesn't prohibit payments for blood or other fluids, such as plasma or semen.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder decided not to ask the Supreme Court to review the appellate court's decision, which would have been the next step in overturning it. That means the ruling stands -- and that people can now be paid up to $3,000 for their marrow, as long as it is collected by apheresis. In a concession to the spirit of NOTA, however, the compensation can't be in cash; it needs to be in the form of a voucher that can be applied to things such as scholarships, education, housing or a donation to a charity.
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Should you be allowed to sell organs?
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Adult stem cells from bone marrow: Cell replacement/tissue repair potential in adult bone marrow stem cells in animal …
ScienceDaily (July 3, 2012) searchers from the University of Maryland School of Maryland report promising results from using adult stem cells from bone marrow in mice to help create tissue cells of other organs, such as the heart, brain and pancreas -- a scientific step they hope may lead to potential new ways to replace cells lost in diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.
The research in collaboration with the University of Paris Descartes is published online in the June 29, 2012 edition of Comptes Rendus Biologies, a publication of the French Academy of Sciences.
"Finding stem cells capable of restoring function to different damaged organs would be the Holy Grail of tissue engineering," says lead author David Trisler, PhD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
He adds, "This research takes us another step in that process by identifying the potential of these adult bone marrow cells, or a subset of them known as CD34+ bone marrow cells, to be 'multipotent,' meaning they could transform and function as the normal cells in several different organs."
University of Maryland researchers previously developed a special culturing system to collect a select sample of these adult stem cells in bone marrow, which normally makes red and white blood cells and immune cells. In this project, the team followed a widely recognized study model, used to prove the multipotency of embryonic stem cells, to prove that these bone marrow stem cells could make more than just blood cells. The investigators also found that the CD34+ cells had a limited lifespan and did not produce teratomas, tumors that sometimes form with the use of embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells cultivated from other methods that require some genetic manipulation.
"When taken at an early stage, we found that the CD34+ cells exhibited similar multipotent capabilities as embryonic stem cells, which have been shown to be the most flexible and versatile. Because these CD34+ cells already exist in normal bone marrow, they offer a vast source for potential cell replacement therapy, particularly because they come from a person's own body, eliminating the need to suppress the immune system, which is sometimes required when using adults stem cells derived from other sources," explains Paul Fishman, MD, PhD, professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
The researchers say that proving the potential of these adult bone marrow stem cells opens new possibilities for scientific exploration, but that more research will be needed to see how this science can be translated to humans.
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Adult stem cells from bone marrow: Cell replacement/tissue repair potential in adult bone marrow stem cells in animal ...
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Study Results: Adult Stem Cells From Bone Marrow
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 3, 2012
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE INVESTIGATORS FIND CELL REPLACEMENT/ TISSUE REPAIR POTENTIAL IN ADULT BONE MARROW STEM CELLS IN ANIMAL MODEL
Scientists Looking for Potential Avenue to Grow Cells of Different Organs
Newswise Baltimore, MD July 3, 2012. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Maryland report promising results from using adult stem cells from bone marrow in mice to help create tissue cells of other organs, such as the heart, brain and pancreas - a scientific step they hope may lead to potential new ways to replace cells lost in diseases such as diabetes, Parkinsons or Alzheimers. The research in collaboration with the University of Paris Descartes is published online in the June 29, 2012 edition of Comptes Rendus Biologies, a publication of the French Academy of Sciences.
Finding stem cells capable of restoring function to different damaged organs would be the Holy Grail of tissue engineering, says lead author David Trisler, PhD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
He adds, This research takes us another step in that process by identifying the potential of these adult bone marrow cells, or a subset of them known as CD34+ bone marrow cells, to be multipotent, meaning they could transform and function as the normal cells in several different organs.
University of Maryland researchers previously developed a special culturing system to collect a select sample of these adult stem cells in bone marrow, which normally makes red and white blood cells and immune cells. In this project, the team followed a widely recognized study model, used to prove the multipotency of embryonic stem cells, to prove that these bone marrow stem cells could make more than just blood cells. The investigators also found that the CD34+ cells had a limited lifespan and did not produce teratomas, tumors that sometimes form with the use of embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells cultivated from other methods that require some genetic manipulation.
When taken at an early stage, we found that the CD34+ cells exhibited similar multipotent capabilities as embryonic stem cells, which have been shown to be the most flexible and versatile. Because these CD34+ cells already exist in normal bone marrow, they offer a vast source for potential cell replacement therapy, particularly because they come from a persons own body, eliminating the need to suppress the immune system, which is sometimes required when using adults stem cells derived from other sources, explains Paul Fishman, MD, PhD, professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
The researchers say that proving the potential of these adult bone marrow stem cells opens new possibilities for scientific exploration, but that more research will be needed to see how this science can be translated to humans.
The results of this international collaboration show the important role that University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers play in advancing scientific understanding, investigating new avenues for the development of potentially life-changing treatments, says E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
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Study Results: Adult Stem Cells From Bone Marrow
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Stem Cell Therapy Shown to be Effective in Treating Liver Cirrhosis
SHENZHEN, China, July 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/-- A study conducted by Beike Biotechnology Company (http://www.beikebiotech.com) in conjunction with physicians and researchers at two Chinese hospitals, documents the effectiveness of cord blood-derived stem cells in treating primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The study, which was published in the April 2012 issue of the Stem Cell Discovery, was the first of its kind. Researchers noted that additional clinical trials would be required before stem cells can become an accepted therapy for liver cirrhosis.
Prof. Jin-hui Yang, Director of the Department of Hepatology in the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College stated, "Given the severity of liver cirrhosis and its related conditions, and the limited number of options available to treat those who suffer from it, this finding represents an important, potentially significant breakthrough."
PBC is a chronic, progressive liver disease that leads eventually to fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver. It affects 1 in 1,000 women over the age of 40.Approximately one-third of those who suffer from PBC and its related conditions do not respond well to Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment, which is the only currently FDA-approved standard medical treatment for the condition. Many of those patients ultimately require liver transplantation.
Beike Chairman, Dr. Sean Hu, commented, "With a growing body of research that demonstrates the effectiveness of cord blood-derived stem cell therapies in treating a broad range of chronic conditions, this latest study is a milestone in the continuing effort to gain broad acceptance and recognition of regenerative medicine as a mainstream treatment option.We look forward to conducting more comprehensive clinical trials to attempt to validate the positive outcomes we have already observed."
The case study reported in the Stem Cell Discovery involved a 58 year old woman suffering from PBC who developed an incarcerated hernia and uncontrolled hydrothorax after undergoing UDCA treatment.One week after completing two stem cell transplantations with no observed adverse effects, the patient showed improvement in both liver function and in her general condition. She was released from the hospital but continued to receive twice-daily UDCA treatments. Six months after her discharge, doctors observed continued improvements in her liver function and overall condition.
To review the full text of the published study, please visit: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?paperID=18710. Study authors included physicians and researchers from the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College, Beike Biotechnology Company, and the Yunnan Provincial 1st People's Hospital in Kunming, China.
About Beike Biotechnology Company
Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is China's leading biotechnology company focusing on the production of adult stem cells for use in medical therapies. Headquartered in Shenzhen (near Hong Kong) with a flagship regenerative medicine facility at the China Medical City in Jiangsu province, Beike produces a full line of stem cell products derived from umbilical cord, cord blood and autologous bone marrow.
For any questions regarding this release, please call:
Contact Person: T. Gutmann Phone Number: +86-532-6677-6659
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Stem Cell Therapy Shown to be Effective in Treating Liver Cirrhosis
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Biotechnology and Gene Manipulation: is R
03-07-2012 01:43 Panel "Biotechnology and Gene Manipulation: is R&D worth the price?" at Latitude59 conference. Moderator Stephan Gutzeit, participants Toomas Neuman, Mart Ustav & Claes Post.
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Biotechnology and Gene Manipulation: is R
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