BETHLEHEM, Pa., June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Saladax Biomedical, Inc., a privately held company developing and commercializing novel diagnostic assays to achieve the promise of personalized medicine for new and existing therapeutics, announced today that Kevin M. Harter has been appointed as the company's president and chief executive officer effective June 18, 2012.

Mr. Harter, who is a co-founder and senior vice president of the Life Science Greenhouse (LSG), a public-private life sciences investment partnership, has been serving as interim CEO of Saladax since January 2012.

Gregory Critchfield, M.D., chairman of the board at Saladax, commented, "After a careful search of highly qualified candidates over the last four months, we are delighted to have Kevin lead Saladax through its growth at this time. Kevin's expertise and connections to the pharmaceutical and investment communities will be invaluable in achieving the company's objectives. We look forward to Saladax's continued progress in financing its operations, commercializing its products and building strategic partnerships, as we achieve the company's mission to personalize the approach to patients."

Most recently, Mr. Harter has been serving as interim CEO of Saladax Biomedical. From 2007 to 2011, Mr. Harter served as executive chairman of Saladax, a LSG-portfolio company, where he led multiple, successful funding rounds and strategic deals for the company. Mr. Harter previously co-founded Keystone Medical Systems in 1990 and managed the company through significant growth until its acquisition by publicly-held Continental Medical Systems. Prior to Keystone, Mr. Harter held several positions within the Pennsylvania Blue Shield organization, including vice president, technology, and has contributed significantly to the development of the field of electronic claims, electronic medical records and physician practice management. He has held more than two dozen board seats in healthcare, technology and financial companies. Recognition for his professional and volunteer achievements include the Entrepreneur of the Year award and the Alumni Fellow and Philip Philip Mitchell Service Awards from the Pennsylvania State University. He holds a B.S. and MBA from Pennsylvania State University.

"I'm honored to be part of a team that is delivering on the promise of personalized medicine," said Mr. Harter. "Given the impressive caliber of the management team and compelling science behind Saladax's technology, I'm eager to work with this group that is having a real impact on patients. Healthcare is increasingly being enabled by information and Saladax's assays provide patients, providers and pharmaceutical companies with answers to important questions about their care and their drugs."

About Saladax Biomedical, Inc.

Saladax Biomedical develops novel diagnostic assays for the practical delivery of personalized medicine. Our proprietary line of MyCare assays improves the efficacy of existing drugs by optimizing the dose administered for each individual patient. Saladax's initial focus is oncology, with a portfolio of 13 chemotherapy drug assays in various stages of development. Three MyCare assays are currently offered to the oncology community: My5-FU, MyPaclitaxel and MyDocetaxel.

The company's MyCare technology platform is broad and flexible, enabling wide application in many therapeutic categories. This technology capability also enables Saladax to serve as a valuable partner to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the development of companion diagnostics (CDx), addressing multiple risks and challenges encountered in drug development.

The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Saladax is ISO 13485:2003 certified.

Saladax Biomedical, Inc. Adrienne Choma, Esq. Sr. VP & Chief Marketing Officer achoma@saladax.com

Continue reading here:
Saladax Biomedical, Inc. Appoints Kevin M. Harter as President and Chief Executive Officer

Recommendation and review posted by sam

A company specializing in diagnostic assays for personalized chemotherapy drug dosages has made its interim CEO permanent as it prepares for a national expansion. It is also developing an assay for early detection of Alzheimers disease.

Kevin Harter, the co-founder of the Life Sciences Greenhouse, stepped in as interim CEO at Saladax Biomedical in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania earlier this year following the resignation of Edward Erickson, who stepped down for personal reasons. Life Sciences Greenhouse is an incubator and investor in the biotechnology startup. Harter had served as executive chairman of Saladax from 2007 to 2011.

Harter has developed a broad background in healthcare and life sciences having co-founded Keystone Medical Systems in 1990, which was later acquired by Continental Medical Systems. He also worked in several roles at Pennsylvania Blue Shield, which later became part of Blue Cross Blue Shield, and helped develop electronic claims, electronic medical records and physician practice management.

Acknowledging his healthcare technology and investing background in life sciences, Harter told MedCity News in a phone interview, he comes to the company with a different skill set.

Additionally, the company has forged a number of partnerships with pharmaceutical companies using its personalized dosage assays to improve the effectiveness of their drugs as part of their clinical trials.

What we are finding with pharmaceutical companies is they prefer not to have their drugs go to market using expensive molecular diagnostic tests because it can create an additional barrier. We offer a solid, tried and true technology that can get answers for a magnitude less cost than a molecular diagnostic test, so we are getting good interest from pharmaceutical companies because we can make valuable diagnostic tests available at reasonable costs for patients and at a reasonable cost for pharmaceutical companies.

Harter noted that he has seen a shift in attitudes from pharmaceutical companies in working with companies like Saladax to use assays for inclusion criteria to develop more effective clinical trials.

Weve had more conversations with pharmaceutical companies in the past two months than in the entire history of the company, Harter said. We are going to really be building out a full commercial team. Thats really one of my main goals this year. We will continue to grow in Pennsylvania but we would also add quite a bit around the country.

Saladax has been developing an Alzheimers disease assay to detect the onset of the degenerative neurological disease in collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb and more recently Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics.

The biotechnology company also has another 13 chemotherapy drug assays in various phases of development.

Link:
New CEO leads expansion of personalized medicine dosing assay company

Recommendation and review posted by sam

From staff reports

DURHAM -- The N.C. Biotechnology Center approved a $100,000 grant to explore the states readiness for a Center of Innovation to capitalize on the growing field of personalized medicine, according to an announcement from the center.

The center awarded the grant to a statewide consortium of business and academic institutions represented by Dr. Geoffrey Ginsburg, a Duke University professor of medicine, the executive director of the health systems Center for Personalized Medicine and director of genomic medicine in the Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy.

The grant will help the group develop a business plan for an independent Center of Innovation to accelerate the states efforts to commercialize personalized medicine, the announcement states.

If that plan is subsequently approved, it will trigger a four-year, $2.5 million Phase II grant to launch the future Center of Innovation.

Personalized medicine is a health-care model that uses information about an individuals genes, environment, lifestyle and personal preferences to tailor treatments, according to the announcement.

Its creating a new set of businesses providing a wide range of products and services including data collection and processing, diagnostics and therapeutics.

North Carolinas knowledge-based economy is well-positioned to take advantage of the coming growth in personalized medicine, said Mary Beth Thomas, vice president for the Center of Innovation Program at the center.

The center is a private, non-profit corporation supported by the N.C. General Assembly. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to the state by supporting biotechnology research, business, education and strategic policy

Continued here:
Grant to aid planning of personalized medicine innovation center

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire -06/15/12)- Bio-Matrix Scientific Group (BMSN) (BMSN) announced today the appointment of David Audley to the advisory board of Its Regen BioPharma subsidiary. Mr. Audley will advise Regen BioPharma on strategic leveraging of national and international clinical research resources. Mr. Audley is viewed by the Company as a key component in the commercialization of stem cell intellectual property. Additionally, it is anticipated that he will assist in raising international awareness for the regenerative therapies being developed by the Company.

In his function as executive director and CEO of the International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS), Mr. Audley has spearheaded development and implementation of global guidelines for accreditation of stem cell clinics. Under his leadership, the ICMS has grown from a loose association of a handful of physicians to a major international standards organization with over 3500 members from 36 countries. He is a strong advocate for stem cell therapy development and implementation, and is the chief architect of the ICMS accreditation program that is currently evaluating the practices of nearly 20 facilities in a dozen countries. Mr. Audley also has strong professional relationships with Ministries of Health and governmental agencies in South America, Asia and the Middle East.

"My work at ICMS exposes me to the tremendous ability of stem cell therapeutics to alleviate human suffering. Unfortunately, business models have not caught up with the medical reality. Regen BioPharma is unique in that to my knowledge they are the first group to develop a model that accelerates development of stem cell therapeutics in a win-win situation for investors and patients," said David Audley.

"Mr. Audley has made a substantial impact in the clinical translation of stem cell therapeutics by establishing standards, accreditations, an Institutional Review Board (IRB), and partnerships with major organizations such as the AABB," said Christopher Mizer, President of Regen BioPharma. "We are extremely excited to work side by side with Mr. Audley in accelerating access of new stem cell therapies for patients."

About Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc. and Regen BioPharma, Inc.:

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc. (BMSN) (BMSN) is a biotechnology company focused on the development of regenerative medicine therapies and tools. The Company is focused on human therapies that address unmet medical needs. Specifically, Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc. is looking to increase the quality of life through therapies involving stem cell treatments. These treatments are focused in areas relating to cardiovascular, hematology, oncology and other indications.

Through Its wholly owned subsidiary, Regen BioPharma, it is the Company's goal to develop translational medicine platforms for the rapid commercialization of stem cell therapies. The Company is looking to use these translational medicine platforms to advance intellectual property licensed from entities, institutions and universities that show promise towards fulfilling the Company's goal of increased quality of life. To follow our development, visit us at http://www.regenbiopharma.com.

Disclaimer

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties to which forward-looking statements are subject include, but are not limited to, the effect of government regulation, competition and other material risks.

Read more here:
Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Announces David Audley, the Founder of International Cellular Medicine Society, Has Joined ...

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Unveilling stem cells

LAWRENCE SERETSE Correspondent

Cryo-Save, the European company that intends to establish the first stem cell bank in Botswana says stem cells do not have just one function. They can themselves become or create other types of cells such as blood cells, brain cells, tissue cells, muscle cells and the like. Stem cells can be found in every person but they are much more numerous in the body of a foetus.

There are three types of stem cell banking namely, the baby stem cell banking which is the preservation and storage of cord blood and umbilical cord tissue. Adult stem cell banking is the preservation and storage of peripheral blood (from blood stream for bone marrow transplants) and fatty tissue stem cells.

The reproductive cell banking deals with the preservation and storage of eggs and sperm for future fertility treatments or artificial insemination purposes. Studying stem cells helped humans understand how they transform into the dazzling array of specialised cells that make us what we are. Some of the most serious medical conditions, such as cancer and birth defects, are caused by problems that occur somewhere in this process. A better understanding of normal cell development has allowed scientists to understand and perhaps correct the errors that cause these medical conditions. Many support stem cell research because it has the potential to provide solutions to a wide variety of medical conditions and diseases.

Stem cell research could even lead to a cure for some of the most traumatic injuries and diseases. Stem cell treatments cure over 70 diseases and disorders like Leukemia, Lymphoma, blood cancers, bone marrow disorders like Aplastic anaemia, sickle cell, Diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, heart disease, stroke, birth defects, spinal cord injuries, ability to replace or repair organs and cancer.

This is just half of it. If one just looked at the benefits one might wonder why stem cell treatments are not in wide use. The shortcomings of stem cell research are often fears of what could result from such knowledge and the moral implications of using the stem cells. There are worries that humans should not try to play God. "Relating bodies have to pay extra caution and determine if we really need these banks. Again, some researchers may be coming to dig stem cells in Botswana, since there maybe restrictive laws in their countries.

"The unsuspecting citizens may end up giving up their stem cells for money," says Iqbal Chand, the CEO of Diagnofirm Medical Laboratories. He gave a scenario from recent publications that a patient in Berlin was cleared of HIV after stem cell treatment for leukemia.

"We do not even know how true it is and if it was the stem cells that cured his HIV. Even if it is, it is one person in a million so there is no assurance," Chand pointed out.

Another big issue with stem cells research is superstition. In most African communities, the umbilical cord must be buried after birth because it is believed that anyone with access to it could exert some spiritual influence on the child. This has led to uncertainty towards cord tissue and cord blood storage in most African societies. However, with the success of transplants making the headlines, more and more people are willing to donate adult stem cells to save lives.

See more here:
Unveilling stem cells

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

wwltv.com

Posted on June 15, 2012 at 5:53 PM

Updated today at 6:22 PM

Meg Farris / Eyewitness News Email: mfarris@wwltv.com | Twitter: @megfarriswwl

NEWORLEANS- She was only in kindergarten when doctors gave her family the bad news.

Now she's one of the first in Louisiana to try a new treatment for people who get gravely ill after a bone marrow transplant.

The last three years of Sami Smith's life have been physically and emotionally painful.

"I literally, they try to scare me and they can't, because I've been through the scariest thing that you can," said Smith, 9, of Ponchatoula.

Her mother noticed she was napping more and bruising. Doctors diagnosed AML, a type of leukemia or blood cancer. Had she not gotten to the doctor then, she would not have made it much longer. A Child's Wish sent her to Disney World. The good news, one of her teen sisters Mary Hannah, 13, was a good bone marrow match. The transplant worked and Sami was cancer free.

Then devastating news. Sami got a condition called GvHD (Graft-versus-host disease) where the new marrow launches a painful attack on the recipient's body. It's the leading cause of transplant-related death.

View original post here:
Stem cell treatment offers hope to those sickened after getting bone marrow

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

14-06-2012 10:32 Dr. Riordan shows a video documenting the progress of a T-12 spinal cord injury patient after her combined bone marrow and umbilical cord stem cell treatment in Panama. He shows another video of a 65 year-old man (T-9) who was treated 13 years after his injury. This case illustrates the potential of treating older people whose injuries occurred many years prior to treatment. Treatment information at More information on Dr. Riordan at

Originally posted here:
Neil Riordan PhD - Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury (Part 4 of 5) || Stem Cell Treatments - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 15-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jeremy Moore Jeremy.Moore@aacr.org 215-446-7109 American Association for Cancer Research

PHILADELPHIA A substantial proportion of NK/T-cell lymphomas harbor Janus Kinase 3 gene mutations. Patients with these lymphomas might benefit from treatment with a Janus Kinase inhibitor according to a study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"Very little was known about the genetic and molecular defects causing NK/T-cell lymphoma before we started this work," said Bin Tean Teh, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Cancer Center Singapore-Van Andel Research Institute Translational Research Laboratory at the NCCS, and professor at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore. "There is no effective treatment and this type of cancer carries an extremely poor prognosis.

"It is tremendously rewarding to have identified genetic mutations that appear to have an important role in driving the cancer in a considerable fraction of cases. Moreover, we are excited that there is a drug already in phase III trials for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that targets the mutant protein. We are in the process of planning a clinical trial to study whether this drug benefits NK/T-cell lymphoma patients," said Teh.

NK/T-cell lymphoma is a very aggressive form of lymphoma. It is particularly prevalent in Asia.

"Many years ago, I and a colleague came to the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Mich.," said Teh. "My colleague unfortunately developed NK/T-cell lymphoma and passed away. It was the only case of this cancer ever diagnosed in Grand Rapids. As this illustrates, it is a relatively rare subtype of lymphoma in the United States, but it is responsible for the deaths of a large number of people in Asia, in particular in China and Korea. It accounts for almost half of all T-cell lymphomas in some parts of Asia.

"The passing of my colleague, whom I was very close to, was the reason that I started studying NK/T-cell lymphoma. It has been a complicated puzzle, but I feel that we have pieced together enough that we will have an impact on a large number of patients with this disease."

To identify genetic mutations that might have a functional consequence, Teh and his colleagues sequenced all the genes in NK/T-cell lymphoma cells from four patients. In addition to mutations in genes known to be associated with cancer, they detected mutations in the Janus Kinase 3 (JAK3) gene in the cancer cells from half of the patients. The researchers conducted follow-up sequencing of NK/T-cell lymphoma cells from an additional 65 patients and identified JAK3 mutations in 23 of those patients.

The mutations enabled NK/T-cell lymphoma cell lines to grow in culture in the absence of the normally essential growth factor IL-2. This meant that the mutations caused dysregulated activation of JAK3, and suggested that JAK3 might be a good drug target.

Continued here:
Mutations in JAK3 gene identified in subtype of lymphoma provide potential drug target

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

by Cathy Marshall

kgw.com

Posted on June 15, 2012 at 6:01 AM

Updated today at 6:09 AM

With a blood sample from the mother and a swab of saliva from the father scientists could soon be able to screen unborn babies for more than 3,000 genetic disorders.

Currently the only routine test if for Downs Syndrome.

This might give peace of mind if they dont find problems. On the other hand what do you do about problems? Can you treat them? Will lit lead to more abortions? said CNN Medical Correspondent Dr. Bruce Hensel.

Scientists at the University of Washington were able to map the genetics of a fetus with 99 percent accuracy. The breakthrough can detect genetic mutations like if a child is predisposed to cancer.

If you think of a genome as a book and a healthy person has two copies of every chapter. We are trying to pick up the typos and single words on a single page, explained UW researcher Dr. Jay Shendure.

Some of the mutations are certain, telling if a child will be born with a disability. Others are less certain, indicating a baby has a greater likelihood of developing a disorder.

See the original post:
Unborn genetic tests being perfected at UW for 3K disorders

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SAN MARINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

VG Energy, the majority-owned subsidiary of Viral Genetics (Pink Sheets: VRAL), has entered into an agreement with UniQuest Pty. Ltd., the commercialization arm of the University of Queensland, Australia, tooptimize the use of Metabolic Disruption Technology (MDT) compounds in algae lipid production. Optimization will occur through experiments leading to the identification of the ideal concentration, timing and amount of MDT compounds to use. The multi-part study will begin with ten of the most commercially-viable algae strains in their optimized production environments, and narrow the set down to one, top-responding strain. The study is intended to guide the subsequent design of advanced commercialization and scale-up studies using the optimized strain, production method and dosing. VG Energy researchers have shown in multiple studies to produce a 10%-300% increase in the lipids produced by various strains of algae and other plant sources that can potentially be distilled into biofuel, and other high value oils for the food, cosmetics and nutraceuticals industries.

The project will be carried out by Associate Professor Ben Hankamer of the University of Queenslands Institute for Molecular Bioscience via its main commercialization company, UniQuest Pty. Ltd. (http://www.uniquest.com.au) and is expected to take several months. Ben Hankamer is the director of the Solar Biofuels Consortium, which brings together seven international teams and approximately 100 researchers (www.solarbiofuels.org) working on biofuels and production optimization. The consortium fosters close partnerships with industries that have synergy to establish effective value chains including the biotechnology, engineering, oil, airline and manufacturing industries.

Monica Ord, Viral Genetics Senior VP of Corporate Development commented, saying, We arethrilled to be working with UniQuest, Solar BiofuelsConsortium and Professor Ben Hankamer. Their production processes, scientists and technology are some of the highest quality available today. This opportunitygives us the capability toaccess input froma consortiumofresearchers and uniqueprocesses to bringourproduct to theoptimal level. We are very grateful to David White of Virgin Australia formaking theintroduction toProfessor Hankamerseven months ago.Since that time we have completedadditional internal studies andhave successfully finalized the protocols for this analysis, which will help move us along to the next step toward commercialization of the product. We are excited to get started.

About VG Energy

VG Energy, Inc. is an alternative energy and agricultural biotech company that is a majority-owned subsidiary of Viral Genetics Inc., a biotechnology company researching new treatments and methods of detection for diseases including cancer, HIV/AIDS and others. Using its Metabolic Disruption Technology (MDT), Viral Genetics cancer research led to discoveries with major consequences in a wide variety of other industries, including biofuel and vegetable oils. VG Energy holds the exclusive worldwide license to the MDT patent rights for use in the increase of production of various plant-derived oils from algae and seeds. These pivotal discoveries promise to allow the biofuel industry to overcome its major obstacle in the area of production efficiency: namely, an increase in production yields leading to feasible economic returns on investment, allowing renewable biodiesel to be competitive with fossil fuels. For more information, please visit http://www.vgenergy.net.

About Viral Genetics, Inc.

San Marino, California-based Viral Genetics discovers drug therapies from two platform technologies based on over 60 patents: Metabolic Disruption (MDT) and Targeted Peptides (TPT). Founded in 1994, the biotech company is researching treatments for HIV/AIDS, Lyme Disease, Strep, Staph and drug resistant cancer. A majority-owned subsidiary, VG Energy (www.vgenergy.net), is dedicated to exploring biofuel and agricultural applications for the MDT platform. For more information, visit http://www.viralgenetics.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties associated with financial projections, budgets, milestone timelines, clinical development, regulatory approvals, and other risks described by Viral Genetics, Inc. from time to time in its periodic reports, including statements about its VG Energy, Inc. subsidiary. None of Viral Genetics' drug compounds are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or by any comparable regulatory agencies elsewhere in the world, nor are any non-pharmaceutical products of VG Energy, Inc. commercialized. While Viral Genetics believes that the forward-looking statements and underlying assumptions reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, including, but not limited to, the ability of Viral Genetics to establish the efficacy of any of its drug therapies in the treatment of any disease or health condition, the development of studies and strategies leading to commercialization of those drug compounds in the United States, the obtaining of funding required to carry out the development plan, the completion of studies and tests on time or at all, the successful outcome of such studies or tests, or the successful commercialization of VG Energy, Inc.s non-pharmaceutical products. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Viral Genetics or any other person that the objectives and plans of Viral Genetics will be achieved.

Read the original here:
VG Energy to Optimize Algae “Lipid Trigger” Compound with Leading Biofuel Researcher

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

ScienceDaily (June 15, 2012) Justin M. Brown, MD, reconstructive neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health System, is one of only a few specialists in the world who have pioneered a novel technique to restore hand function in patients with spinal cord injury. In a delicate four-hour procedure, Brown splices together tiny nerve endings, only one millimeter in width, to help restore hand mobility. Most patients return home 24 hours after surgery.

"Even if a patient appears to have lost total hand function, as long as there is some nerve in the arm or shoulder under the patient's control, some mobility may be regained," said Brown, director of the Neurosurgery Peripheral Nerve Program and co-director of the Center for Neurophysiology and Restorative Neurology at UC San Diego Health System. "With a nerve transfer, the goal is to reverse paralysis. This means achieving functional grasp and release so that patients can eat independently, operate a computer or hold a loved one's hand."

Brown and his team treat hand impairments at cervical level 5 and below. Operating under a microscope, Brown disconnects the damaged nerve and reconnects it to a healthy one. The healthy nerve is taken from underneath the muscles of the upper arm and then connected to a nerve branch that provides finger function. In contrast to muscle transfers, nerve transfers allow whole muscle groups to be restored in the arm without visibly changing the body's anatomy.

"The nerves grow at a rate of 1 millimeter per day," said Brown, who is also founding member and first president of the International Society for Restorative Neurology. "Over a period of six to 12 months, patients can essentially wake up their arms and hands and return to a satisfying level of functionality and improved quality of life."

Brown said that patients occasionally experience temporary weakness where the original healthy nerve is taken. These muscles, however, can recover their original strength. Casting and immobilization is seldom needed after the surgery. He added that the overall result is that multiple hand functions can be restored with a single transplant.

"The recovery of hand function is consistently rated as the highest priority for persons with quadriplegia," said Brown. "While nerve transfers take longer to heal so that axons can regenerate, patients often experience better long-term biomechanical outcomes."

In the United States there are approximately 300,000 people living with spinal cord injuries with 12,000 new injuries occurring each year. More than half of these injuries result in neck-level injures that lead to loss of hand and arm function. Brown said this technique may also be offered in select cases to patients with paralysis as a result of trauma, stroke, or brain injury.

Brown earned his medical degree from the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. He completed a surgical internship and neurosurgical residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and a peripheral nerve fellowship in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. He was formerly co-director of the Peripheral Nerve Center at Washington University in St. Louis.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Original post:
New surgery may reverse hand paralysis

Recommendation and review posted by sam

ScienceDaily (June 14, 2012) Six new human embryonic stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan have just been placed on the U.S. National Institutes of Health's registry, making the cells available for federally-funded research.

U-M now has a total of eight cell lines on the registry, including five that carry genetic mutations for serious diseases such as the severe bleeding disorder hemophilia B, the fatal brain disorder Huntington's disease and the heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes sudden death in athletes and others.

Researchers at U-M and around the country can now begin using the stem cell lines to study the origins of these diseases and potential treatments. Two of the cell lines are believed to be the first in the world bearing that particular disease gene.

The three U-M stem cell lines now in the registry that do not carry disease genes are also useful for general studies and as comparisons for stem cells with disease genes. In all, there are 163 stem cell lines in the federal registry, most of them without major disease genes.

Each of the lines was derived from a cluster of about 30 cells removed from a donated five-day-old embryo roughly the size of the period at the end of this sentence. The embryos carrying disease genes were created for reproductive purposes, tested and found to be affected with a genetic disorder, deemed not suitable for implantation and would have otherwise been discarded if not donated by the couples who donated them.

Some came from couples having fertility treatment at U-M's Center for Reproductive Medicine, others from as far away as Portland, OR. Some were never frozen, which may mean that the stem cells will have unique characteristics and utilities.

The full list of U-M-derived stem cell lines accepted to the NIH registry includes:

"Our last three years of work have really begun to pay off, paving the way for scientists worldwide to make novel discoveries that will benefit human health in the near future," says Gary Smith, Ph.D., who derived the lines and also is co-director of the U-M Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies, part of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.

"Each cell line accepted to the registry demonstrates our attention to details of proper oversight, consenting, and following of NIH guidelines," says Sue O'Shea, Ph.D., professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the U-M Medical School, and co-director of the Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies.

U-M is one of only three academic institutions to have disease-specific stem cell lines listed in the national registry, says Smith, who is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School. The first line, a genetically normal one, was accepted to the registry in February.

Link:
Six new stem cell lines now publicly available

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

* European Parliament debating funding for 2014 to 2020

* Scientists fear cuts to embryonic stem cell research

* Experts say cutting funds would hold back entire field

LONDON, June 15 (Reuters) - Leading scientists, biomedical research bodies and patient groups urged the European Parliament on Friday to maintain vital European Union funding for studies using embryonic stem cells.

Hailing the field as "one of the most exciting and promising" in modern biomedical research, the group said they feared research grants currently under review may be under threat from pro-life European parliamentarians who say public funds should not be spent on embryonic stem cell work.

"(EU) Commission funding must be available to continue to support scientists investigating all types of stem cells - including human embryonic stem cells - with potential to make advances in regenerative medicine," they wrote in an open letter released by the Wellcome Trust, a charitable health foundation.

The European Parliament is currently debating the future outline of Horizon (Euronext: HOR.NX - news) 2020, the EU's programme for research and innovation which will run from 2014 to 2020.

Draft rules provide for stem cell research funding, including embryonic stem cells but some member states have been lobbying for embryonic stem cell research to be excluded.

Many scientists believe stem cell research has the potential to lead to the development of treatments for a whole host of diseases including incurable neurodegenerative illnesses such as Parkinson's, motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis, as well as type 1 diabetes, various serious heart conditions, liver damage, spinal cord damage and blindness.

Europe (Chicago Options: ^REURUSD - news) , and particularly Britain, is considered a world leader in stem cell research. The experts, from charities, funding bodies and patient groups, said if Europe is to hold on to this competitive edge, it is crucial to maintain funding for all stem cell research.

More here:
Researchers urge EU not to cut stem cell funding

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

SAN DIEGO, June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --ViaCyte, Inc. today announced the appointment of seasoned entrepreneur, Paul Laikind, Ph.D., as President & Chief Executive Officer. Allan Robins, Ph.D., who was serving as Acting CEO, will continue in his role as Vice President & Chief Technology Officer. ViaCyte is a leading pre-clinical company developing a novel cell therapy product for the treatment of insulin dependent diabetes.

Dr. Laikind brings over 25 years of leadership experience in the biotechnology and life sciences industry to ViaCyte. He is a serial entrepreneur, who co-founded three San Diego companies, Gensia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Viagene Inc., and Metabasis Therapeutics Inc., serving in various executive positions including President and CEO. All three companies went public and were eventually acquired. Most recently, he served as Chief Business Officer and Senior Vice President of Business Development at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.

"Paul brings to ViaCyte a wealth of experience in managing new businesses based on highly innovative life sciences technologies," said Fred Middleton, Chairman of ViaCyte. "We are pleased to have him join to lead ViaCyte through our next phase of development in bringing our transformative stem cell therapy to patients with diabetes. We believe Paul's leadership and business development skills will greatly assist us in our strategy to be a leader in regenerative medicine therapy and to capitalize on our current technology leadership position in the development of stem cell therapy."

As Sanford-Burnham's first Chief Business Officer, Dr. Laikind set a new direction for the Institute's business development activity through a combination of licensing and strategic partnerships with large pharmaceutical organizations, including collaborations with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson, and Takeda Pharmaceutical. Working with the Institute's leadership team he helped establish a sophisticated infrastructure for advanced drug discovery and development at Sanford-Burnham.

Prior to Sanford-Burnham, Dr. Laikind served as President & CEO from 1999-2008 for Metabasis Therapeutics, which developed new therapies for metabolic and liver diseases. Dr. Laikind co-founded Gensia Pharmaceuticals in 1986, was a board member of the company and held various executive leadership positions. While at Gensia he was responsible for establishing a number of important strategic partnerships. In 1997, he was part of a team that restructured Gensia to focus on specialty pharmaceuticals. The restructured company was renamed Gensia Sicor and went on to be acquired for over $3 billion by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in 2004. Soon after founding Gensia, he was co-founder of Viagene, a gene therapy company. Viagene completed an initial public offering in 1993 and was acquired in 1995 by Chiron Inc., now a subsidiary of Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics.

Dr. Laikind earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego and is the inventor on a number of key patents.

"ViaCyte addresses one of the largest commercial and medical opportunities in stem-cell-derived therapeutics, and its team is internationally recognized for its scientific leadership," said Dr. Laikind. "I look forward to working with ViaCyte through clinical development and market launch of its first important product that promises to change the way we treat insulin dependent diabetes."

About ViaCyte

ViaCyte is a preclinical cell therapy company focused on diabetes. The Company's technology is based on pancreatic beta cell progenitors derived from human pluripotent stem cells. These cells are implanted using a durable and retrievable encapsulation device. Once implanted and matured, these cells secrete insulin in response to blood glucose levels. ViaCyte's goal is long term insulin independence without immune suppression, and without hypoglycemia and other diabetes-related complications.

ViaCyte is a private company headquartered in San Diego, California with additional operations in Athens, Georgia. The Company is funded in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Read more from the original source:
ViaCyte Appoints Dr. Paul Laikind Chief Executive Officer

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Highly-magnified red blood cells course through a vein. Picture: file Source: Supplied

DOCTORS in Sweden successfully replaced a potentially-fatal blocked vein in a 10-year-old girl with one grown from her own stem cells, according to a study published today.

The team - from the University of Gothenburg andSahlgrenska University Hospital - accomplished the feat by populating a section of vein from a dead donor using stem cells gleaned from the girl's bone barrow.

"The new stem-cells-derived graft resulted not only in good blood flow rates and normal laboratory test values but also, in strikingly improved quality of life for the patient," the study's authors wrote in The Lancet.

The successful feat also "opens interesting new areas of research," they added.

The operation marked the latest step in scientists' ability to create replacement organs for transplant.

In 2010, doctors at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital made history by successfully transplanting a donor windpipe into a young boy, also aged 10, that was regenerated inside his body using his own stem cells.

In the latest instance, a 3.5-inch (9cm) section of groin vein from the donor was stripped of any living cells and "recellularised" with new cells grown from stem cells taken from the girl's bone marrow.

Techniques that use stem cells from a patient's own body carry the major benefit that they do not provoke an immune response. In the Swedish case, one alternative treatment option was a liver transplant, which would have required a lifetime of immunosuppressants. The work was funded by the Swedish government.

View post:
Vein grown from girl's stem cells

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

SAN DIEGO, June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --ViaCyte, Inc. today announced the appointment of seasoned entrepreneur, Paul Laikind, Ph.D., as President & Chief Executive Officer. Allan Robins, Ph.D., who was serving as Acting CEO, will continue in his role as Vice President & Chief Technology Officer. ViaCyte is a leading pre-clinical company developing a novel cell therapy product for the treatment of insulin dependent diabetes.

Dr. Laikind brings over 25 years of leadership experience in the biotechnology and life sciences industry to ViaCyte. He is a serial entrepreneur, who co-founded three San Diego companies, Gensia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Viagene Inc., and Metabasis Therapeutics Inc., serving in various executive positions including President and CEO. All three companies went public and were eventually acquired. Most recently, he served as Chief Business Officer and Senior Vice President of Business Development at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.

"Paul brings to ViaCyte a wealth of experience in managing new businesses based on highly innovative life sciences technologies," said Fred Middleton, Chairman of ViaCyte. "We are pleased to have him join to lead ViaCyte through our next phase of development in bringing our transformative stem cell therapy to patients with diabetes. We believe Paul's leadership and business development skills will greatly assist us in our strategy to be a leader in regenerative medicine therapy and to capitalize on our current technology leadership position in the development of stem cell therapy."

As Sanford-Burnham's first Chief Business Officer, Dr. Laikind set a new direction for the Institute's business development activity through a combination of licensing and strategic partnerships with large pharmaceutical organizations, including collaborations with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson, and Takeda Pharmaceutical. Working with the Institute's leadership team he helped establish a sophisticated infrastructure for advanced drug discovery and development at Sanford-Burnham.

Prior to Sanford-Burnham, Dr. Laikind served as President & CEO from 1999-2008 for Metabasis Therapeutics, which developed new therapies for metabolic and liver diseases. Dr. Laikind co-founded Gensia Pharmaceuticals in 1986, was a board member of the company and held various executive leadership positions. While at Gensia he was responsible for establishing a number of important strategic partnerships. In 1997, he was part of a team that restructured Gensia to focus on specialty pharmaceuticals. The restructured company was renamed Gensia Sicor and went on to be acquired for over $3 billion by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in 2004. Soon after founding Gensia, he was co-founder of Viagene, a gene therapy company. Viagene completed an initial public offering in 1993 and was acquired in 1995 by Chiron Inc., now a subsidiary of Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics.

Dr. Laikind earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego and is the inventor on a number of key patents.

"ViaCyte addresses one of the largest commercial and medical opportunities in stem-cell-derived therapeutics, and its team is internationally recognized for its scientific leadership," said Dr. Laikind. "I look forward to working with ViaCyte through clinical development and market launch of its first important product that promises to change the way we treat insulin dependent diabetes."

About ViaCyte

ViaCyte is a preclinical cell therapy company focused on diabetes. The Company's technology is based on pancreatic beta cell progenitors derived from human pluripotent stem cells. These cells are implanted using a durable and retrievable encapsulation device. Once implanted and matured, these cells secrete insulin in response to blood glucose levels. ViaCyte's goal is long term insulin independence without immune suppression, and without hypoglycemia and other diabetes-related complications.

ViaCyte is a private company headquartered in San Diego, California with additional operations in Athens, Georgia. The Company is funded in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Read more:
ViaCyte Appoints Dr. Paul Laikind Chief Executive Officer

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Miami, FL (PRWEB) June 15, 2012

Cell therapy may be effective against arthritis of fingers, says A.J. Farshchian MD from the Center for regenerative medicine.

A very common type of arthritis that we encounter here is Osteoarthritis of fingers. This is even becoming more common no thanks to advancements in technology. (use of computer keyboard or videogames or certain pocket organizers and cell phones) Repetitive motion is most likely the number one cause of osteoarthritis of fingers, common sign of osteoarthritis in the fingers is a knobby bony deformity at the smallest joint of the end of the fingers. This is called Heberden's node. The bony deformity is a result of the bone spurs or osteophytes from the osteoarthritis in that joint. This deformity limits the range of motion of the joint. Typically is not painful but sometimes patient may experience severe pain in the fingers.

The Center for Regenerative Medicine in Miami, Florida concentrates on helping arthritic and injured people to get back to a functional level of life and their activities using non-surgical techniques and Orthopedic medicine. The center's expertise is in treatment of conditions of spine, knees , shoulders , and other cartilage damages. They have developed non-surgical and rehabilitation techniques focused on treatment and management of joint pain. Their team includes health professionals organized around a central theme.

Continue reading here:
Cell Therapy is now being used for Arthritis of Fingers at the Center for Regenerative Medicine

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Positive results from a trial of episcleral brachytherapy to treat Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (Wet AMD) were presented today at the ARVO Drug and Gene Delivery to the Back of the Eye Conference. The case reported was drawn from a Phase 1 study to assess the safety of this new investigational therapy for the leading cause of vision loss and blindness. Salutaris Medical Devices, Inc. (SalutarisMD) developed the device and sponsored the study.

Presented was the clinical course of a 78 year-old man newly diagnosed with Wet AMD who experienced substantial improvement in visual acuity and required no additional anti-VEGF injections throughout one-year follow-up; visual acuity in the study eye demonstrated a gain in Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) of +13 ETDRS letters, with no sign of subretinal hemorrhage, fluid or macular edema, and resolution of the Pigmented Epithelial Detachment (PED) present at study enrollment.

Co-author, Dr. Laurence Marsteller, Chief Operating Officer, SalutarisMD, cautioned, "While the results presented are not intended to be extrapolated for statistical significance, this promising case report from the Phase 1 trial supports the need for additional research to confirm our preliminary observations."

The poster presentation included details of the device and the sub-Tenon episcleral approach to delivering brachytherapy that avoids adverse effects of more invasive approaches. The SalutarisMD device is designed to enable retina specialists to administer a practical procedural therapy that can be performed in the same clinical environment as current anti-VEGF injections: a physician's office or other outpatient setting under local anesthesia, in approximately 15 minutes. The intraocular space is never violated. Episcleral placement allows for consistent, stable and repeatable control of the distance to the target tissue. Utilizing this minimally invasive technology, the retina specialist delivers precise, lesion-specific, localized tissue treatment.

"What is most intriguing about the study is that the application of radiation is done through the posterior sclera, thus avoiding the need for vitreous surgery," said Dr. Reid Schindler, principal investigator of the study, a clinical ophthalmologist and retina specialist with Retina Specialists of Southern Arizona, and clinical associate professor, University of Arizona Department of Ophthalmology.

Michael Voevodsky, President and CEO of SalutarisMD, said, "It was a privilege to have the SalutarisMD technology presented at this prestigious gathering. We believe our investigational therapy for treating Wet AMD has the potential to improve the quality of life for persons suffering from this debilitating disease. We are excited about the prospect of conducting additional clinical trials to further test our approach and its ability to positively effect clinical outcomes."

The purpose of the ARVO Conference,Drug and Gene Delivery to the Back of the Eye: from Bench to Bedside, "is to share cutting edge science, based on drug product development principles among a diverse group of participants" and it focuses "on topics related to current and emerging technologies for drug/gene delivery for the treatment of diseases of the back of the eye," according to the event description.

Caution: Investigational Device. Limited by Federal Law to Investigational Use in the United States.

About SalutarisMD

See original here:
SalutarisMD Announces Positive Case Report of a New Investigational Wet AMD Therapy at ARVO

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

14 June 2012 Last updated at 20:29 ET

Scientists say they have identified a possible genetic link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

It has been known for some time that people with diabetes have a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer's, but not why this is so.

Now US researchers writing in Genetics say a study of worms has indicated a known Alzheimer's gene also plays a role in the way insulin is processed.

Dementia experts said more work in humans was now needed.

Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, which affects 820,000 people in the UK.

There are medications which can slow the progress of the disease, but none that can halt its progress.

A key indication of Alzheimer's, which can only be seen after death, is the presence of sticky plaques of amyloid protein in decimated portions of patients' brains.

Scientists have already found mutations in a gene involved in the processing of amyloid protein in Alzheimer's which run in families.

In this study, a team from the City College of New York looked at a similar gene in the nematode worms (C. elegans).

Here is the original post:
Alzheimer's gene 'diabetes link'

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

For the first time doctors have successfully transplanted a vein grown with a patient's own stem cells, another example of scientists producing human body parts in the lab.

In this case, the patient was a 10-year-old girl in Sweden who was suffering from a severe vein blockage to her liver. Last March, the girl's doctors decided to make her a new blood vessel to bypass the blocked vein instead of using one of her own or considering a liver transplant.

They took a 9-centimetre section of vein from a deceased donor, which was stripped of all its cells, leaving just a hollow tube. Using stem cells from the girl's bone marrow, scientists grew millions of cells to cover the vein, a process that took about two weeks. The new blood vessel was then transplanted into the patient.

Because the procedure used her own cells, the girl did not have to take any drugs to stop her immune system from attacking the new vein, as is usually the case in transplants involving donor tissue.

"This is the future for tissue engineering, where we can make tailor-made organs for patients," said Suchitra Sumitran-Holgersson of the University of Gothenburg, one of the study's authors.

She and colleagues published the results of their work online Thursday in the British medical journal Lancet. The work was paid for by the Swedish government.

The science is still preliminary and one year after the vein was transplanted, it needed to be replaced with another lab-grown vein when doctors noticed the blood flow had dropped. Experts from University College London raised questions in an accompanying commentary about how cost-effective the procedure might be, citing "acute pressures" on health systems that might make these treatments impractical for many patients.

Sumitran-Holgersson estimated the cost at between $6,000 and $10,000.

Similar methods have already been used to make new windpipes and urethras for patients. Doctors in Poland have also made blood vessels grown from donated skin cells for dialysis patients.

Patients with the girl's condition are usually treated with a vein transplant from their own leg, a donated vein, or a liver transplant. Those options can be complicated in children and using a donated vein or liver also requires taking anti-rejection medicines.

Excerpt from:
Vein grown from girl's own stem cells transplanted

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Verinata Health CEO Caren Mason has resigned but will continue to provide the company with consultative services. Mason joined Verinata in November 2010. She was previously the president and CEO of Quidel, president and CEO of MiraMedica, CEO of eMed Technologies, and general manager of GE Healthcare. The firm plans to recruit a new CEO.

Bruker has named Charles Wagner to be its new executive VP and chief financial officer, beginning at the end of June, Bruker said this week. Current CFO William Knight will continue to serve on the company's management team and will work with Wagner to ensure a smooth transition. Wagner also has stepped down from his positions on Bruker's board of directors and its audit committee, where he has served since 2010.

CLC Bio said this week that it has appointed Richard Lussier as director of business for the Americas region. He has worked in life sciences sales and commercial operations, most recently as VP of worldwide sales at RainDance Technologies. He formerly held leadership positions in sales, service, and support at Solexa, Fluidigm, Applied Biosystems, and Celera Genomics.

Original post:
NCBiotech Eyes Center to Capitalize on State's Personalized Medicine Culture

Recommendation and review posted by sam

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand has been selected to receive the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at ESPN's ESPYS next month.

LeGrand suffered a spinal cord injury in a game against Army in 2010. Initially told he would be a quadriplegic and would remain on a ventilator, the defensive tackle is now breathing on his own and can stand upright with the aid of a metal frame.

LeGrand has vowed to walk again.

The Jimmy V Award is given to someone in sports who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination. It is named for Jim Valvano, the North Carolina State coach who gave an emotional acceptance speech at the 1993 ESPYS that included his famous words "Don't Give Up . . . Don't Ever Give Up!"

"I can relate to that because I am never giving up in my situation," LeGrand said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press, "I am never giving up in my situation. I know I will fight through it. Now getting this, this is a dream come true, especially on the 20th anniversary of the ESPYs. I was even thinking about it last year, thinking that could be me."

LeGrand plans to make the trip to Los Angles for the award presentation on July 11.

While travel isn't easy, LeGrand made a recent trip to Tampa, Fla., to spend a day with the Buccaneers and Greg Schiano. The former Rutgers coach and current Bucs leader signed LeGrand to an NFL contract after the draft in a heartwarming gesture.

Since suffering the injury, LeGrand has remained remarkably positive. He has been aggressive with his rehabilitation, resumed his studies and works as an analyst on the pre-game, halftime and postgame radio broadcasts of Rutgers games. He also will have a weekly show on Wednesday during the season with new Scarlet Knights coach Kyle Flood.

LeGrand admitted there are moments when he gets down, but they are rare.

"I have so much going on with my life, so many things that have happened, amazing things that I could only dream about," LeGrand said. "When I go to therapy every day, I look at people who don't have as much support as I have or are not getting the opportunities that I am getting, so how could I complain about anything.

See original here:
Eric LeGrand to receive Valvano award at ESPYs

Recommendation and review posted by sam

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that the company is presenting at two upcoming conferences: the 2012 Bio International Convention and Clinical Outlooks for Regenerative Medicine meeting, both in Boston, on Tuesday, June 19. The presentations will cover the companys three ongoing clinical trials using human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells to treat macular degeneration, and other programs.

Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO, will present at the 2012 Bio International Convention on Tuesday, June 19 at 8:15 a.m. EDT, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

Matthew Vincent, Ph.D., director of business development, will present at the Clinical Outlooks for Regenerative Medicine meeting at 9:15 a.m. EDT on the same date, at the Starr Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute, at 185 Cambridge Street in Boston.

Both presentation slide decks will be available on the conference presentations section of the ACT website.

About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., is a biotechnology company applying cellular technology in the field of regenerative medicine. For more information, visit http://www.advancedcell.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating results, future growth in research and development programs, potential applications of our technology, opportunities for the company and any other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words will, believes, plans, anticipates, expects, estimates, and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: limited operating history, need for future capital, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, protection of our intellectual property, and economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the companys periodic reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the companys management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the companys management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. There can be no assurance that the Companys clinical trials will be successful.

Original post:
Advanced Cell Technology to Present at the 2012 Bio International Convention and the Clinical Outlooks for ...

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Six new U-M stem cell lines now publicly available to help researchers find treatments for disease

Lines in US registry will help studies on Huntingtons disease, hemophilia & more

Newswise ANN ARBOR, Mich. Six new human embryonic stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan have just been placed on the U.S. National Institutes of Healths registry, making the cells available for federally-funded research.

U-M now has a total of eight cell lines on the registry, including five that carry genetic mutations for serious diseases such as the severe bleeding disorder hemophilia B, the fatal brain disorder Huntingtons disease and the heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes sudden death in athletes and others.

Researchers at U-M and around the country can now begin using the stem cell lines to study the origins of these diseases and potential treatments. Two of the cell lines are believed to be the first in the world bearing that particular disease gene.

The three U-M stem cell lines now in the registry that do not carry disease genes are also useful for general studies and as comparisons for stem cells with disease genes. In all, there are 163 stem cell lines in the federal registry, most of them without major disease genes.

Each of the lines was derived from a cluster of about 30 cells removed from a donated five-day-old embryo roughly the size of the period at the end of this sentence. The embryos carrying disease genes were created for reproductive purposes, tested and found to be affected with a genetic disorder, deemed not suitable for implantation and would have otherwise been discarded if not donated by the couples who donated them.

Some came from couples having fertility treatment at U-Ms Center for Reproductive Medicine, others from as far away as Portland, OR. Some were never frozen, which may mean that the stem cells will have unique characteristics and utilities.

The full list of U-M-derived stem cell lines accepted to the NIH registry includes:

UM9-1PGD Hemophilia B UM17-1 PGD Huntingtons disease UM38-2 PGD - Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (MYBPC3) UM15-4 PGD - Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase 4 Deficiency, a rare hormone disorder UM11-1PGD - Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Type 1A UM4-6 no disease gene UM14-1 no disease gene UM14-2 no disease gene

Read more:
Six New U-M Stem Cell Lines Now Publicly Available

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that the company is presenting at two upcoming conferences: the 2012 Bio International Convention and Clinical Outlooks for Regenerative Medicine meeting, both in Boston, on Tuesday, June 19. The presentations will cover the companys three ongoing clinical trials using human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells to treat macular degeneration, and other programs.

Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO, will present at the 2012 Bio International Convention on Tuesday, June 19 at 8:15 a.m. EDT, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

Matthew Vincent, Ph.D., director of business development, will present at the Clinical Outlooks for Regenerative Medicine meeting at 9:15 a.m. EDT on the same date, at the Starr Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute, at 185 Cambridge Street in Boston.

Both presentation slide decks will be available on the conference presentations section of the ACT website.

About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., is a biotechnology company applying cellular technology in the field of regenerative medicine. For more information, visit http://www.advancedcell.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating results, future growth in research and development programs, potential applications of our technology, opportunities for the company and any other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words will, believes, plans, anticipates, expects, estimates, and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: limited operating history, need for future capital, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, protection of our intellectual property, and economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the companys periodic reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the companys management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the companys management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. There can be no assurance that the Companys clinical trials will be successful.

Go here to see the original:
Advanced Cell Technology to Present at the 2012 Bio International Convention and the Clinical Outlooks for ...

Recommendation and review posted by simmons