LOS ANGELES (KABC) --

While Roeuy Garay was pregnant with her daughter Brook, she felt weak and an unusual back pain. Her doctors thought it was just part of the pregnancy. But a few weeks after her delivery, her fiance Joseph knew something was seriously wrong.

"I passed out and he took me to urgent care and said, 'Something is wrong with her. It's got to be her kidney or something. We need to do some blood tests,'" Roeuy said.

A bone biopsy and body scan revealed a diagnosis the 36-year-old Corona mother of four could not believe.

"They came in and said, 'Yeah, you have multiple myeloma, and it's about between 70 to 80 percent of your blood is cancer,'" she said.

Multiple myeloma, also called Kahler's disease, is a cancer of the plasma cells, which are in the blood stream. Her best chance at survival is a bone marrow transplant.

None of her siblings were a match and being of Cambodian descent, Roeuy's odds of finding a match are very slim. It's a fact that is hard to hide from her children.

There are 12 million people in the National Bone Marrow Registry, but only 7 percent are Asian and only a small fraction of that are Southeast Asian.

Dr. Elizabeth Budde with City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte said it only takes a cheek swab to be part of the registry and donating stem cells can be as easy as donating blood.

For now, Roeuy is in remission so she needs a match as soon as possible.

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Corona mother of 4 seeks bone marrow match

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Inside the microscopic world of the mouse hair follicle, Yale Cancer Center researchers have discovered big clues about how stem cells regenerate and die. These findings, published April 6 in the journal Nature, could lead to a better understanding of how the stem cell pool is maintained or altered in tissues throughout the body.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that replenish themselves and, based on their tissue location, can become specialized cells such as blood or skin cells. The hair follicle is an ideal site for exploring stem cell behavior because it has distinct and predictable oscillations in the number and behavior of stem cells, said the studys lead author, Kailin R. Mesa, a third-year doctoral student in the lab of Valentina Greco, associate professor of genetics, cell biology, and dermatology.

Using live microscopic imaging to track stem cell behavior in the skin of living mice, researchers observed that the stem cell niche, or surrounding area, plays a critical role in whether stem cells grow or die.

Prior to this, it wasnt clear whether stem cell regulation was intrinsic or extrinsic, and now we know it is external in that the niche instructs the stem cells, Mesa said. In terms of cancer, we can next explore how we might perturb or change the niche in hopes of affecting the growth of cancer stem cells.

Also, researchers were surprised to find that the stem cells within the pool fed on other dying stem cells. This reveals a mechanism for removing dead cells, a process previously observed in mammary glands but never in the skin.

This study was supported by the Yale Dermatology Spore, National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society, and New York Stem Cell Foundation.

Citation: Nature

(Photo via Shutterstock)

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Research in the News: Tiny hair follicle offers big clues about the life and death of stem cells

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IMAGE:These are examples of 3-D neural tissue construct designs. 3D tissue and organoid models will provide incredible new tools and insights into neurological injury and disease, as well as great... view more

Credit: Richard McMurtrey / Institute of Neural Regeneration & Tissue Engineering

It is well known that neurological diseases and injuries pose some of the greatest challenges in modern medicine, with few if any options for effectively treating such diagnoses, but recent work suggests a unique approach for reconstructing damaged neural tissue. In an article published in the journal Neural Regeneration Research, several new designs for 3D tissue constructs are described for using stem cells grown on nanofiber scaffolding within a supportive hydrogel.

"The idea that neural structure can be guided in three dimensional hydrogels using nanofiber scaffolding and biochemical cues is quite unique," said Dr. Richard McMurtrey, the author of the work. "Evidence from in vitro work thus far has been fairly surprising, showing that after only a few days neurons can grow long neurite extensions that track along the coated nanofibers."

The tissue constructs have been designed for guidance of neural connections, acting like a road map for the growth of the neurons. "One of the weaknesses with prior studies of stem cell implantation into the nervous system is that no guidance is given for what the cells should do once they are implanted," says McMurtrey. "But if we combine signaling molecules and three-dimensional topographical guidance along with the stem cells, the chances of the cells achieving their intended function is much greater." Dr. McMurtrey likens the transplantation of cells into the harsh environment of the nervous system to dropping people off in the mountains with no resources and hoping that they form a functional civilization. "What we hope to do, however, is build some of the roads, bridges, street signs, and homes that can guide and protect the cells when they are transplanted. In this case, that infrastructure includes nanofibers, biochemical cues, and hydrogel composites."

Tissue at its most basic level is made of two parts: cells and the matrix outside of cells called the extracellular matrix. The approach discussed in the article seeks to provide both of these components for more complete reconstruction of the tissue. "The idea that neurons need scaffolding guidance along with biochemical signals is not entirely foreign," McMurtrey says. "During early development, precursor cells that will become neurons must migrate along a sort of scaffolding of radial glial fibers in the nervous system, and it is during this process that many anatomical pathways and lines of communication between neurons form." The materials used in building these constructs are compatible with implantation into the tissue of the brain and spinal cord and will biodegrade after a few weeks to months. It is hoped that this will give just enough time to help the implanted cells integrate into the nervous system.

Many challenges are expected in the development and implementation of this technology. Nevertheless, there is reason for optimism Dr. McMurtrey says: "Scientists must have a bit of skepticism," he says, "but they also need to have vision to try things that haven't been done before. Prior studies have implanted cells in hydrogels without patterned scaffolding and demonstrated better cell survival than when cells were implanted alone, so the idea of combining patterned and functionalized nanofiber scaffolds within protective hydrogels really makes a lot of sense. We know there will be challenges along the way, but we hope to be able to anticipate and overcome the difficulties that will likely arise. In many ways, this may be like the search for an ideal light bulb--we are looking for the right combinations of nanofiber filaments, hydrogel polymers, and molecular signals that will enable implanted neural cells to connect and communicate across lesions of neural tissue."

Much more study will be needed before a patient's own stem cells can be used clinically for things like spinal cord injury, stroke, or neurodegenerative disease, but the first implantation of a patient's own reprogrammed stem cells has recently been performed for a patient with macular degeneration in Japan in 2014 as a collaboration of researchers at RIKEN, one of the world's leading stem cell research centers. Dr. McMurtrey says that much more research and funding would be necessary to bring guided cell therapies into clinical use for neurological diseases, and even then it would not likely be a perfect cure. "The structure and function of the nervous system is more complex than anything else in the universe," says McMurtrey, "so this is not just something like rewiring a circuit board; rather, what we are doing is laying carefully designed pathways through space that neurons can use to reconnect relay centers, but the patient will still have to learn how to use and adapt to these new connections."

The technology may also have many applications apart from just regenerative medicine. These applications include constructing and studying simple artificial neural networks, testing new drugs, and investigating models of human neurological diseases on tissue-like structures in a dish. The Institute has successfully created 3D neural structures from a patient's skin cells that were reprogrammed into stem cells ("induced pluripotent stem cells") and then transformed into 3D neural tissue analogs, which opens up numerous possibilities for exploring complex neurological processes and diseases in human cells rather than in animal models.

"We hope that this approach will give us new capabilities to guide neural extensions, to study neural functions, and ultimately to achieve functional reconstruction of neural architecture in the brain and spinal cord. Henry David Thoreau wrote that 'We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood.' In clinical medicine, the protocols are all spelled out, but there are many diseases and limitations in medicine that move you, that frustrate you, and that inspire you, and I think this is the pice de rsistance, if you will. Just the chance that this work might help alleviate the long-term suffering of so many people with neurological injuries makes it a privilege to be part of such an endeavor despite all the challenges."

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New advancements in 3-D designs for neural tissue engineering

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By Dow Jones Business News, April 06, 2015, 08:36:00 AM EDT

By Angela Chen

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. agreed to invest in the Dutch company UniQure NV and work together on gene therapies for cardiovascular disease.

Bristol-Myers will have exclusive access to the Dutch company's proprietary gene therapy program for congestive heart failure. The two companies will collaborate on 10 targets in total and may work on future projects in other disease areas.

Bristol-Myers will pay about $100 million. This includes an upfront payment of $50 million, a $15 million payment for selecting two collaboration targets, and a $32 investment in UniQure that represents a 4.9% stake in the company. Bristol-Myers will acquire an additional 5% ownership before the end of the year at a 10% premium.

UniQure can receive at least an additional $254 million if certain milestones are reached. It is also eligible for $217 million for other gene therapy products.

Shares of UniQure surged 42% in premarket trading to $32.45. Bristol-Myers shares, up 27% over the past year, slipped 0.4% to $63.

Amsterdam-based UniQure will make supplies using its insect-cell based manufacturing platform. Bristol-Myers will pay for research and development costs as well as lead development and commercialization.

"This collaboration will accelerate the application of gene therapy for large patient populations suffering from heart diseases and will complement the further development of UniQure's internal pipeline," UniQure Chief Executive Joern Aldag said.

New York-based Bristol-Myers is poised for a management shift, with Chief Operating Officer Giovanni Caforio set to become chief executive in May. Dr. Caforio, a trained physician, will succeed CEO Lamberto Andreotti, who will become chairman of the board.

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Bristol-Myers Invests in UniQure in Heart Disease Pact

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Scientists at The University of Manchester have discovered that a previously known gene also helps cells divide normally and that its absence can cause tumours.

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) has previously been shown to have a role in cell development, immune response and metabolism. It is found in almost every cell in the body. Many widely used drugs, including prednisolone, act through this protein.

The research from Manchester, to be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), showed a new role for GR after the scientists reduced its expression.

They found that in cells lacking GR, cell division was disrupted, with errors in chromosomes appearing. As chromosome errors are a feature of cancer they reduced GR expression in mice, and observed an increase in tumours as they aged. Further analysis showed that the tumours had even less GR than the surrounding normal tissue.

Professor David Ray, from the University's Institute of Human Development, led the research. He said: "Cancer is caused by cell division going wrong, but no one has previously looked at the role GR has to play in this process. It's now clear that it is vital."

They studied several common human cancers including liver, lung, prostate, colon and breast - to reveal that reduced GR expression is a common feature in certain cancer cell types, suggesting an important relationship between GR and malignant progression and that the GR can act as a tumour suppressor.

Lead author Laura Matthews added: "We do need to add more research to these findings, but this new mechanism adds a lot more to our knowledge of how cancers form, and with that knowledge we're much better equipped to develop new treatments which could eventually be used in humans."

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The paper: 'The glucocorticoid receptor regulates accurate chromosome segregation and is associated with malignancy,' will appear in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Study suggests new role for gene in suppressing cancer

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

On Monday, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co ( BMY ) announced plans to invest in Dutch biotech company uniQure N.V. ( QURE ) in order to get access to their coveted gene therapy technology platform for cardiovascular diseases. The two companies agreed to work together to battle this specific disease with gene therapy.

New York-based Bristol-Myers will pay roughly $100 million for a 4.9% stake in uniQure. This includes an upfront payment of $50 million, $15 million for selecting two partnership targets, and a $32 million investment in uniQure.

"This collaboration will accelerate the application of gene therapy for large patient populations suffering from heart diseases and will complement the further development of uniQure's internal pipeline," said uniQure Chief Executive Joern Aldag.

Since market opening Monday, shares of uniQure soared, rising an astounding 46%. Shares of the biotech company currently sit at $33.41 per share. On the Zacks Rank, the company is a #2 (Buy).

In contrast, shares of Bristol-Myers fell, despite falling a meager 0.4% in pre-market trading , are actually up 0.17% to $63.34 on the day. The company sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

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Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) Invests in uniQure (QURE) to Develop Gene Therapies for Heart Diseases - Stocks in the News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

IMAGE:Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals, published 10 times per online with open access options and in print, is under the editorial leadership of Co-Editors-in-Chief Donald J. Buchsbaum, PhD, Department of Radiation... view more

Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

ew Rochelle, NY, April 6, 2015--Therapeutic anti-cancer vaccines developed to treat metastatic disease such as advanced prostate cancer or melanoma rarely have a noticeable effect on the tumor but have been associated with a statistically significant increase in patient survival. Robert O. Dillman, MD, NeoStem, Inc., asserts that "overall survival" rather than "progression-free survival" should be the gold standard for evaluating the efficacy of cancer vaccines in clinical trials, in a provocative new article published in Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals website until May 6, 2015.

In the article "Cancer Vaccines: Can They Improve Survival?" Dr. Dillman differentiates between the two key endpoints typically used to assess therapeutic cancer vaccines in clinical studies. As cancer vaccines are designed to stimulate an immune response to cancer cells and induce long-term memory recognition of a tumor, they may improve overall survival even if they do not appear to slow the progression of disease. Although measuring overall survival compared to progression-free survival would usually require longer clinical trials, overall survival may be the only relevant efficacy endpoint, the author concludes.

"This is a timely article considering the number of vaccine and antibody immunotherapy trials ongoing or planned," says Co-Editor-in-Chief Donald J. Buchsbaum, PhD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham. "The conclusion that overall survival is the best clinical endpoint for efficacy in therapeutic vaccine and antibody immunotherapy trials in patients with metastatic cancer is based on an analysis of four completed trials."

About the Journal

Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals , published 10 times per online with open access options and in print, is under the editorial leadership of Co-Editors-in-Chief Donald J. Buchsbaum, PhD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Robert K. Oldham, MD, CAMC-Teay's Valley Cancer Center. Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals, celebrating 30 years in 2015, is the only journal with a specific focus on cancer biotherapy, including monoclonal antibodies, cytokine therapy, cancer gene therapy, cell-based therapies, and other forms of immunotherapy. The Journal includes extensive reporting on advancements in radioimmunotherapy and the use of radiopharmaceuticals and radiolabeled peptides for the development of new cancer treatments. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research, Human Gene Therapy, and Stem Cells and Development. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) (http://www.genengnews.com), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

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Can cancer vaccines prolong survival?

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Bayers Marijn Dekkers (Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)

TOP STORIES

Endure if you must The Washington Posts takeout on tech gurus and venture capitalists with too much time on their hands trying to extend life (though most of the possible stuff they talk about are simply medical treatments not invented). Accompanying the story is a somewhat interesting game The Post created in which you drag stem cells into your brain and so on to extend your life.

I know its a week away but you should probably start watching the HIMSS 2015 hashtag now.

LIFE SCIENCE

A long but worthwhile read on a moratorium and proper path toward human genetic engineering.

In the long run, I believe the permissibility of using germline genomic modification to make babies will be, and should be, a political issue. Right now, I suspect I would opt for regulating it on a safety/benefit basis, allowing it only when the potential benefits outweighed the risks. But I might change my mind, either because of newly discovered facts or well-made arguments. Importantly, though I do not think that my view should govern. The people, through their governments, should govern.

Medtronic has invested $2 million in DreaMed Diabetes and will be using its artificial pancreas technology in is insulin pumps.

I hope you didnt miss The Wall Street Journals look at Bayer and its continued focus on its health and agriculture businesses. Bayer is dumping its $10 billion specialty plastics business.

Still, some analysts are skeptical that Bayers drug pipeline is strong enough to deliver many new products with selling power like the current wave. But Bayer expects at least three new drugs in midstage clinical testing, including two for chronic heart failure, to advance this year. Strong data is expected for those trials, said Ali Al-Bazergan, an analyst at Datamonitor Healthcare in London.

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Going deep on life extension investments and human genetic engineering (Morning Read)

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

IMAGE:This is Charles Gersbach, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Duke University. view more

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke researchers have developed a new method to precisely control when genes are turned on and active.

The new technology allows researchers to turn on specific gene promoters and enhancers -- pieces of the genome that control gene activity -- by chemically manipulating proteins that package DNA. This web of biomolecules that supports and controls gene activity is known as the epigenome.

The researchers say having the ability to steer the epigenome will help them explore the roles that particular promoters and enhancers play in cell fate or the risk for genetic disease and it could provide a new avenue for gene therapies and guiding stem cell differentiation.

The study appears online April 6 in Nature Biotechnology.

"The epigenome is everything associated with the genome other than the actual genetic sequence, and is just as important as our DNA in determining cell function in healthy and diseased conditions," said Charles Gersbach, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Duke. "That becomes immediately obvious when you consider that we have over 200 cell types, and yet the DNA in each is virtually the same. The epigenome determines which genes each cell activates and to what degree."

This genetic puppetmaster consists of DNA packaging proteins called histones and a host of chemical modifications -- either to these histones or the DNA itself -- that help determine whether a gene is on or off.

But Gersbach's team didn't have to modify the genes themselves to gain some control.

"Next to every gene is a DNA sequence called a promoter that controls its activity," explained Gersbach. "But there's also many other pieces of the genome called enhancers that aren't next to any genes at all, and yet they play a critical role in influencing gene activity too."

Timothy Reddy, assistant professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics at Duke, has spent the better part of a decade mapping millions of these enhancers across the human genome. There has not, however, been a good way to find out exactly what each one does. An enhancer might affect a gene next door or several genes across the genome -- or maybe none at all.

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Pulling the strings of our genetic puppetmasters

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Gene Therapy Delivery: What Can be Accomplished with Existing Vector Technology?
Moderator: Joshua Schimmer, M.D., Managing Director Senior Research Analyst, Piper Jaffray Speakers: David Kirn, M.D., CEO Co-Founder, 4D Molecular Therapeutics Richard Lawn, Ph.D., ...

By: Alliance for Regenerative Medicine

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Gene Therapy Delivery: What Can be Accomplished with Existing Vector Technology? - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Shares of UniQure NV QURE, +47.03% soared 44% in premarket trade Monday, after the gene therapy company announced a collaboration deal with Bristol-Myers Squibb BMY, -0.36% which includes Bristol-Myers acquiring an initial equity stake of 4.9% in UniQure. The stake will be acquired at $33.84 per share, which is 48% above Thursday's closing price of $22.86, UniQure said. Under terms of the agreement, which will give Bristol-Myers exclusive access to UniQure's gene therapy technology for multiple targets in cardiovascular diseases, Bristol-Myers will acquire an additional 5% stake in UniQure by Dec. 31, 2015 at a 10% premium, and will be granted warrants to buy up to an additional 10% stake. Bristol-Myers will also make an upfront payment of $50 million and a $15 million payment for the selection of three collaboration targets. UniQure's stock has surged 54% year to date through Thursday and Bristol-Myers has climbed 7.1%, while the S&P 500 has gained 0.4%.

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UniQure's stock soars after Bristol-Myers Squibb deal to buy a large stake

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By RTT News, April 06, 2015, 07:40:00 AM EDT

(RTTNews.com) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. ( BMY ) and uniQure N.V. ( QURE ) announced an agreement that provides Bristol-Myers Squibb with exclusive access to uniQure's gene therapy technology platform for multiple targets in cardiovascular diseases.

The collaboration includes uniQure's proprietary gene therapy program for congestive heart failure that is intended to restore the heart's ability to synthesize S100A1, a calcium sensor and master regulator of heart function, and thereby improve clinical outcomes for patients with reduced ejection fraction. Beyond cardiovascular diseases, the agreement also includes the potential for target-exclusive collaboration in other disease areas. In total, the companies may collaborate on ten targets, including S100A1.

uniQure will lead discovery efforts and be responsible for manufacturing of clinical and commercial supplies using its vector technologies and its industrial, proprietary insect-cell based manufacturing platform. Bristol-Myers Squibb will lead development and regulatory activities across all programs and be responsible for all research and development costs. Bristol-Myers Squibb will be solely responsible for commercialization of all products from the collaboration.

As per the terms of the agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb will make near-term payments of approximately $100 million, including an upfront payment of $50 million to be made at the closing of the transaction, a $15 million payment for the selection of three collaboration targets, in addition to S100A1, to be made within three months of the closing and an initial equity investment in uniQure for a number of shares that will equal 4.9% of the total number of shares outstanding following such issuance, at a purchase price of $33.84 per share, or at least $32 million in total.

Bristol-Myers-Squibb will acquire an additional 5.0% ownership before December 31, 2015, at a 10% premium, and will be granted two warrants to acquire up to an additional 10% equity interest, at a premium, based on additional targets being introduced into the collaboration.

The parties have also agreed to enter into a supply contract, under which uniQure will undertake manufacturing of all gene therapy products under the collaboration.

uniQure will be eligible to receive research, development and regulatory milestone payments, including up to $254 million for the lead S100A1 therapeutic and up to $217 million for each other gene therapy product potentially developed under the collaboration. uniQure is also eligible to receive net sales based milestone payments and tiered single to double-digit royalties on product sales.

uniQure and Bristol-Myers Squibb anticipate the collaboration to be effective during the second quarter of 2015. The effectiveness of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.

The initial issuance by uniQure of equity to Bristol-Myers Squibb also is anticipated to close in the second quarter of 2015 and is subject to the approval by the shareholders of uniQure.

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Bristol-Myers, UniQure Collaborate On Gene Therapies For Cardiovascular Diseases

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Shares of UniQure NV (QURE)soared more than 50% to a 52-week high of $35.50in morning trading Monday after Bristol-Myers Squibbinvested in the Dutch company to collaborate on gene therapies for cardiovascular disease.

Bristol-Myers will have exclusive access to UniQure's proprietary gene therapy program for congestive heart failure. The two companies will collaborate on 10 targets and could also work on more projects for other diseases in the future.

Bristol-Myers will pay approximately$100 million, including an upfront payment of $50 million, a $15 million payment to select two collaboration targets, and a $32 million investment in UniQure for a 4.9% stake in the Dutch company. Bristol-Myers will earn an additional 5% ownership before the end of the year at a 10% premium.

UniQure is eligible toreceive at least an additional $254 million if certain milestones are reached. It can also receive $217 million for other gene therapy products.

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UniQure NV (QURE) Stock Soars to 52-Week High on Bristol-Myers Squibb Investment

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By RTT News, April 06, 2015, 01:21:00 PM EDT

(RTTNews.com) - Shares of uniQure N.V. ( QURE ) surged 46 percent on Monday after announcing a collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co ( BMY ) for cardiovascular diseases-related gene therapy. The deal will see Bristol-Myers initially acquiring a 4.9 percent stake in uniQure and making near-term payments of $100 million.

The collaboration is to be effective during the second quarter of 2015.

The deal provides Bristol-Myers with exclusive access to uniQure's gene therapy platform for multiple targets in cardiovascular diseases.

Bristol-Myers will initially buy a 4.9 percent stake in uniQure for $33.84 per share, or at least $32 million in total. The $33.84 per share represents a premium of 48 percent to uniQure's closing on Thursday.

Bristol-Myers will acquire an additional 5 percent stake in uniQure before the end of this year at a 10 percent premium, and will be granted two warrants to acquire up to an additional 10 percent equity interest, at a premium, based on additional targets being introduced into the collaboration.

Bristol-Myers will make near-term payments of about $100 million, including an upfront payment of $50 million at the closing of the transaction, a $15 million payment for the selection of three collaboration targets, in addition to S100A1, to be made within three months of the closing and

The parties have also agreed to enter into a supply contract, under which uniQure will undertake manufacturing of all gene therapy products under the collaboration.

uniQure will be eligible to receive research and regulatory milestone payments, including up to $254 million for the lead S100A1 therapeutic and up to $217 million for each other gene therapy product potentially developed under the collaboration.

uniQure is also eligible to receive net sales based milestone payments and royalties on product sales.

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UniQure Soars After Deal With Bristol-Myers On Gene Therapy - Update

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

HOUSTON -

It's a debate that puts many people's religious beliefs at odds with science.

Medical breakthroughs have allowed doctors to use human stem cells to treat chronic diseases with incredible results, but even patients who benefit have reservations about how stem cells are harvested.

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating, progressive disease that typically only gets worse once a patient is diagnosed. But much to the surprise of many doctors, patient Debbie Bertrand's symptoms have improved instead of regressing.

"The last time I walked into this building, I had to use the wheelchair," Bertrand said. "I couldn't even walk, so this is a big day for me."

Bertrand uses a walker to visit Celltex -- a Houston company that has been preserving her stem cells since 2011. She was one of the first patients to receive breakthrough treatments using stem cells taken from fat cells, which are then reinjected into her body.

"I had pretty high expectations, but I think they've exceeded anything I could've ever hoped for," Bertrand said. "My doctors are still blown away because you're never supposed to get better when you have MS. But my quality of life is just so much better."

Bertrand's experience is not unique. The company said stem cell injections have helped people with joint diseases and Parkinson's.

CEO David Eller said he was healed of knee pain.

"We're happy that it's working and we're happy for people like Debbie Bertrand," Eller said. "A lot of people don't have the time to wait 10 years and find out if it's going to be legal or not."

Link:
Stem cell research benefits Houston woman with multiple sclerosis

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Stem Cell Transplant for Spinal Cord Injury
In 5 days Stem Cell Transplant for Spinal Cord Injury has improved his stamina, confidence, sitting balance and standing balance. Stem Cell Transplant done at Dr Alok Sharma NeuroGen Brain...

By: Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute

Link:
Stem Cell Transplant for Spinal Cord Injury - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Miami, FL (PRWEB) April 06, 2015

Regenestem Network, a subsidiary of the Global Stem Cells Group, has announced plans to attend the 23rd Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine (a4m) at the Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, Fla. Hosted by the American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine, the conference will be attended by physicians and medical practitioners from around the world.

Regenestem Network plans to showcase its upcoming stem cell training course, Adipose Derived and Bone Marrow Stem Cell course, with classes scheduled to be held May 9-10 and June 15-16, 2015 in Miami. The intensive, two-day course covers the latest technology and procedures in adipose and bone marrow stem cell therapies. Participants learn skills that can be used in their own practice and for career advancement.

A4m Conference Keynote speakers include Daniel G. Amen, MD, David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM, and Gary Small, MD. All three will focus on disease prevention and optimized health through a proactive treatment approach. These world-renown speakers are scheduled to deliver insightful presentations, the latest research and breakthrough therapies in anti-aging medicine.

To learn more about the 23rd Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine, visit the a4m website. For more information on the Regenestem Network, visit the website at regenestemnetwork.com. For more information on the stem cell training classes, visit the http://www.stemcelltraining.net website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 849.943.2988.

About Regenestem Network:

Regenestem Network, a division of the Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., is an international medical practice association committed to researching and producing comprehensive stem cell treatments for patients worldwide. Having assembled a highly qualified staff of medical specialistsprofessionals trained in the latest cutting-edge techniques in cellular medicineRegenestem continues to be a leader in delivering the latest protocols in the adult stem cell arena. Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem Network are expanding the companys clinical presence worldwide by partnering with experienced and qualified regenerative medicine physicians to open new clinics licensed and developed under the Regenestem banner. In 2014, Global Stem Cells Group expanded the Regenestem Networks global presence to 20 countries.

Regenestem offers stem cell treatments to help treat a variety of diseases and conditions including arthritis, autism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and pain due to injuries at various facilities worldwide. Regenestem Oaxaca will have an international staff experienced in administering the latest in cellular therapies.

Regenestem is certified for the medical tourism market, and staff physicians are board-certified or board-eligible. Regenestem clinics provide services in more than 10 specialties, attracting patients from the United States and around the world.

About the Global Stem Cell Group:

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Regenestem Network Announces Plans to Attend the 23rd Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine May 7-9, 2015

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HOUSTON -

It's a debate that puts many people's religious beliefs at odds with science.

Medical breakthroughs have allowed doctors to use human stem cells to treat chronic diseases with incredible results. But even patients who benefit have reservations about how stem cells are harvested.

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating, progressive disease that typically only gets worse once a patient is diagnosed. But much to the surprise of many doctors, patient Debbie Bertrand's symptoms have improved instead of regressing.

"The last time I walked into this building, I had to use the wheelchair," Bertrand said. "I couldn't even walk, so this is a big day for me."

Bertrand uses a walker to visit Celltex -- a Houston company that has been preserving her stem cells since 2011. She was one of the first patients to receive breakthrough treatments using stem cells taken from fat cells, which are then reinjected into her body.

"I had pretty high expectations, but I think they've exceeded anything I could've ever hoped for," Bertrand said. "My doctors are still blown away because you're never supposed to get better when you have MS. But my quality of life is just so much better."

Bertrand's experience is not unique. The company said stem cell injections have helped people with joint diseases and Parkinson's.

CEO David Eller said he was healed of knee pain.

"We're happy that it's working and we're happy for people like Debbie Bertrand," Eller said. "A lot of people don't have the time to wait 10 years and find out if it's going to be legal or not."

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Stem cell research benefits area woman with multiple sclerosis

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The Ormedic Lift
A blend of Pumpkin, pineapple, papaya, and mango fruit enzymes and peptides in an organic aloe Vera gel base this non-chemical peel re-balances, regenerates and restores skin while comfrey...

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The Ormedic Lift - Video

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Lifeline Skin Care is stem cell skin care -- the only skin care products in the world based on non-embryonic Human Stem Cell Extracts. These extracts from highly-potent stem cells -- the same stem cells active early in life -- will stimulate your skins own abilities to repair itself and create smooth, beautiful skin. Non-embryonic stem cells means no embryos are created or destroyed.

Stem Cell Extracts Help New Skin Begin Lifeline stem cell skin care uniquely helps your skin build millions of new, young, healthy skin cells. You restore volume and fullness, you fill in lines around the eyes and mouth, and help reverse the damage caused by the sun's UV rays. It's literally "out with the old skin cells, in with the new, young, healthy skin cells."

What Specific Results Does Lifeline Provide? Stem cells are special cells that go to work whenever your skin needs to repair itself. But they become less potent with age. Lifeline Skin Care has discovered a patented, ethical way to take extracts from non-embryonic human stem cells, which then help create millions of new skin cells that rejuvenate skin. An independent clinical study showed the following results:

improve skin hydration by 93% increase skin elasticity by 73% decrease wrinkles appearance by 67% improved skin tone and brightness by 63%

Profits from Lifeline Skin Care are applied to fund stem cell research for curing degenerative diseases like diabetes and Parkinson's Disease, diseases of the liver, and blinding diseases of the eye.

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Degenerated/herniated lumbar discs 1 year after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D.
Bill describes his result one year after bone marrow stem cell therapy by Dr. Harry Adelson for low back pain caused by a degenerated and herniated lumbar disc.

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

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When billions of dollars are at stake in scientific research, researchers quickly learn that optimism sells.

A new study published inScience Translational Medicineoffersa window into how hype arises in the interaction between the media and scientific researchers, and how resistant the hype machine is to hard, cold reality. The reportsfocus is on overly optimisticreporting on potentialstem cell therapies. Its findings are discouraging.

The study by Timothy Caulfield and Kalina Kamenova of the University of Alberta law school (Caulfieldis also on the faculty at the school of public health) found that stem cell researchers often ply journalists with unrealistic timelines for the development of stem cell therapies, and journalists oftenswallow these claims uncritically.

The authorsmostly blame the scientists, who need to be more aware of the importance of conveying realistic timelines to the popular press. We wouldnt give journalists this much of a pass; writers on scientific topics should understand that the development of drugs and therapies can take years and involve myriad dry holes and dead ends. They should be vigilant againstgaudypromises.

Thats especially true instem cell research, whichis slathered with so much money that immoderate predictions of success are common. The best illustration of that comes from Californias stem cell program CIRM, or the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine a $6-billion public investment that was born in hype.

The promoters of Proposition 71, the 2004 ballot initiative that created CIRM, filled the airwaves with adsimplyingthat the only thing standing between Michael J. Fox being cured of Parkinsons or Christopher Reeve walking again was Prop. 71s money. Theycommissioned a studyassertingthat California might reap a windfall in taxes,royalties and healthcare savings up to seven times the size ofits $6-billion investment. One wouldnt build a storage shed on foundations this soft, much less a $6-billion mansion.

As weve observed before, big science programs create incentivesto exaggerateresults to meet the publics inflated expectations. The phenomenon was recognized as long ago as the 1960s, when the distinguished physicist Alvin Weinberg warnedthat big science thrives on publicity, resulting in the injection of a journalistic flavor into Big Science which is fundamentally in conflict with the scientific method. The spectacular rather than the perceptive becomes the scientific standard.

Interestingly, the event used by the Alberta researchers as the fulcrum of their study has a strong connection to CIRM. Its the abrupt 2011 decision by Geron Corp.to terminate its pioneering stem cell development program. This was a big blow to the stem cell research community and to CIRM, which had endowed Geron with a $25-million loan for its stem cell-basedspinal cord therapy development. Then-CIRM Chairman Robert Klein II had called the loan a landmark step.

There had been evidence, however, that CIRM, eager to show progress toward bringing stem cell therapies to market, had downplayed legitimate questions about the state of Gerons science and the design of the clinical trial. AndGeron had been criticized in the past for over-promising results.

In their study, Caulfield and Kamenova examined more than 300 articles appearing in 14 general-interest newspapers in the United States, Canada and Britain from 2010 to2013. They scrutinizedthe articles reporting oftimelines for the realization of the clinical promise of stem cell research and their perspective on the future of the field generally. The U.S. newspapers were the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and USA Today.

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StemCell Doctors

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Anorexia research gene research
Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness and it is understood that genes play a role in the risk of developing the disorder. Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is involved...

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MsTinaTv Genetics (1 aunt and 2 cousins)
GeneUtree.co Being proactive, during my overall 2 1/2 years of realizing something was not right with my body!!

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MsTinaTv & Genetics (1 aunt and 2 cousins) - Video

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