Why is the a taboo on marrying close relatives? Icest taboo. Genetics explanation.
An incest taboo is any cultural rule or norm that prohibits acts of sexual relations between relatives. Many cultures allow sexual and marital relations betw...

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Genetics Test Key
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FTB Monster S01E13 - Huuuge Quarry Advanced Genetics!
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Jeana Gilbert- Genetics Review
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Already, scientists in laboratories across the world have begun dipping mature cells in acid, hoping to see whether this simple intervention really can trigger a transformation into stem cells, as reported by a team of Boston and Japanese researchers last week.

At the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, a number of scientists have already embarked on the experiment, which theyre informally calling stem cell ceviche, comparing it to the Latin American method of cooking seafood in lime and lemon juice. At meetings with other experts and even in casual conversation, stem cell scientists say they are exchanging surprise, doubt, and wonder about the discovery, reported in two papers in the journal Nature.

The range of responses varies widely. But most scientists seem to be surprised and skeptical about the technique, though also impressed by the rigorous testing that experts in the field did on the cells. It appears that no one knows quite what to think.

Paul Knoepfler, an associate professor in the department of cell biology and human anatomy at the University of California, Davis, has been blogging extensively about the discovery and polled his readers about what they think. In an unscientific poll that has drawn about 400 responses, hes found that scientists are pretty evenly split on whether they are leaning toward believing in the technique or not. Interestingly, he found people responding to the poll from Japan are far more likely to be convinced it is true.

On Thursday, Knoepfler made his own opinion known. Its a harsh critique, starting with his view that the method is illogical and defies common sense. It ends with questions about why the researchers would only now be trying the technique on human cells, since they seemed to have proved it to themselves for several years now. The biggest mystery may be why, if simple stress can trigger cells to return to a stem cell-like state, it doesnt happen more often in the body. Why dont people just have lots of cancers and tumors in the acidic environment of their stomach, for example?

There are also basic questions about whether these truly are the same as spore-like cells that Dr. Charles Vacanti, an anesthesiologist at Brigham and Womens Hospital who led the new work, described in a highly controversial 2001 paper. Many scientists doubted the existence of those cells, and Vacanti has said he thinks the new stem cells, which are called STAP cells, are the same.

Obviously, it has to be reproduced. Thats the caveat, said Dr. Kenneth Chien, a professor in the department of cell and molecular biology and medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. I still think its shocking. And it makes me wonder if its true or not, its so shocking.

Right now, we seem to have arrived at an unusual spot in scienceno one knows quite what to believe. People have quite informed gut reactions, but still seem to lack solid evidence to show the technique does or doesnt hold up. Its exciting and nerve wracking, but even those with doubts dont seem ready to dismiss it outright. This is how science works: people turn to the experiments to smash or solidify their doubts. Many are scurrying to recreate those in their laboratories, which should bring some clarity to the situation.

One reason the finding is so unusual is that it pretty much blind-sided the scientific community. Often, researchers are aware of discoveries that will be published in their fields through informal channels. They attend the same meetings, they present early versions of their results, or they know who is generally working on what area of research. In this case, people were surprised. Thats in part because one of the scientists pushing the work was far from an insider. Vacanti is an anesthesiologist, not a stem cell scientist.

Notably, even though the team of researchers was partially based in Boston, where there are many leaders in the stem cell field, they turned to world experts in Japan to vet the cells.

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The debate over new stem cell technique begins - Boston.com

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Researcher Darryl D'Lima of Scripps Clinic with his "bioprinter" adapted from an HP inkjet printer that can produce cartilage.

Putting a slurry of cardiac cells into a 3D printer and making a functional human heart remains well in the realm of science fiction. But at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Dr. Darryl DLima and colleagues say theyve pretty much figured out the process of bioprinting a humbler but still necessary tissue, cartilage.

A physician who holds a doctorate in bioengineering from UC San Diego, DLima has designed a prototype bioprinter that makes living cartilage. The bioprinter, adapted from an old Hewlett-Packard inkjet printer, sprays out a mixture of cartilage progenitor cells and a liquid that congeals under ultraviolet light. It also bioprints bone cells, to be deposited where cartilage attaches to bone.

DLimas goal is to turn this technology into a true fix for knee injuries associated with cartilage damage or injuries. The tough and slippery tissue that cushions joints, cartilage doesnt regenerate well. As those with arthritis or a knee injury will attest, the lack of cartilage allows bone to grind on bone, causing excruciating pain.

The best medical technology can do now is to install artificial knee joints, a painful procedure that is not necessarily permanent. Even so, theres a multibillion-dollar market for knee replacements. And thanks to aging baby boomers and obesity, that market is projected to grow. The global knee replacement market brought in $6.9 billion in 2010, and is projected to reach nearly $11 billion by 2017.

DLima says several more years of work will be needed before his idea can be tried in people, but the main scientific challenges have been solved. Whats left is engineering. Instead of printing cartilage in a laboratory, DLima wants to print it directly into patients in the operating room.

Printing into the knee joint ensures a much closer fit between the new cartilage and existing cartilage than by attaching lab-grown cartilage that must be cut to fit, DLima said.

The cell-containing droplets are on the order of one picoliter, or one-billionth of a liter. Thats small enough to fill microscopic irregularities in the patients cartilage or bone.

It would be the equivalent of filling a pothole, he said. It would automatically fill the defect as youre printing it. Youre getting a fairly good mechanical integration into the tissue, which is very difficult for us to do when we do traditional transplants.

Another advantage would be that surgery could be done as needed.

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A cure for type 1 diabetes has long eluded even the top experts. Not because they do not know what must be done -- but because the tools did not exist to do it. But now scientists at the Gladstone Institutes, harnessing the power of regenerative medicine, have developed a technique in animal models that could replenish the very cells destroyed by the disease. The team's findings, published online today in the journal Cell Stem Cell, are an important step towards freeing an entire generation of patients from the life-long injections that characterize this devastating disease.

Type 1 diabetes, which usually manifests during childhood, is caused by the destruction of -cells, a type of cell that normally resides in the pancreas and produces a hormone called insulin. Without insulin, the body's organs have difficulty absorbing sugars, such as glucose, from the blood. Once a death sentence, the disease can now be managed with regular glucose monitoring and insulin injections. A more permanent solution, however, would be to replace the missing -cells. But these cells are hard to come by, so researchers have looked towards stem cell technology as a way to make them.

"The power of regenerative medicine is that it can potentially provide an unlimited source of functional, insulin-producing -cells that can then be transplanted into the patient," said Dr. Ding, who is also a professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), with which Gladstone is affiliated. "But previous attempts to produce large quantities of healthy -cells -- and to develop a workable delivery system -- have not been entirely successful. So we took a somewhat different approach."

One of the major challenges to generating large quantities of -cells is that these cells have limited regenerative ability; once they mature it's difficult to make more. So the team decided to go one step backwards in the life cycle of the cell.

The team first collected skin cells, called fibroblasts, from laboratory mice. Then, by treating the fibroblasts with a unique 'cocktail' of molecules and reprogramming factors, they transformed the cells into endoderm-like cells. Endoderm cells are a type of cell found in the early embryo, and which eventually mature into the body's major organs -- including the pancreas.

"Using another chemical cocktail, we then transformed these endoderm-like cells into cells that mimicked early pancreas-like cells, which we called PPLC's," said Gladstone Postdoctoral Scholar Ke Li, PhD, the paper's lead author. "Our initial goal was to see whether we could coax these PPLC's to mature into cells that, like -cells, respond to the correct chemical signals and -- most importantly -- secrete insulin. And our initial experiments, performed in a petri dish, revealed that they did."

The research team then wanted to see whether the same would occur in live animal models. So they transplanted PPLC's into mice modified to have hyperglycemia (high glucose levels), a key indicator of diabetes.

"Importantly, just one week post-transplant, the animals' glucose levels started to decrease gradually approaching normal levels," continued Dr. Li. "And when we removed the transplanted cells, we saw an immediate glucose spike, revealing a direct link between the transplantation of the PPLC's and reduced hyperglycemia."

But it was when the team tested the mice eight weeks post-transplant that they saw more dramatic changes: the PPLC's had given rise to fully functional, insulin-secreting -cells.

"These results not only highlight the power of small molecules in cellular reprogramming, they are proof-of-principle that could one day be used as a personalized therapeutic approach in patients," explained Dr. Ding.

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Regenerative Procedures Los Angeles | Dr Martin 323-285-5300
MetroMD Institute of Regenerative Medicine 7080 Hollywood Blvd Suite 804 Los Angeles, CA 90028 p: (323) 285-5300 http://metromd.net/ Dr. Martin specializes i...

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February 7, 2014

Image Caption: These English trumpeter pigeons -- blue-black on the left and red on the right -- display some of the great diversity of colors among some 350 breeds of rock pigeons. University of Utah biologists discovered three major genes explain color variations in rock pigeons. In the blue-black pigeon, none of the genes have mutations. The red bird is that color because it has a mutant version of a gene named Sox10. The same genes are involved in making some people susceptible to skin cancer and others develop albinism, or a lack of pigment. Credit: Photo courtesy of Sydney Stringham from University of Utah

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

A team of American researchers has discovered mutations in three genes that determine feather color in domestic rock pigeons, according to a new study in Current Biology. The same genes direct the pigmentation of human skin meaning the findings may have implications for medical research.

Mutations in these genes can be responsible for skin diseases and conditions such as melanoma and albinism, said study author Michael Shapiro, associate professor of biology at the University of Utah.

In humans, mutations of these genes often are considered bad because they can cause albinism or make cells more susceptible to UV (ultraviolet sunlight) damage and melanoma because the protective pigment is absent or low, said study author Eric Domyan, a biology postdoctoral fellow at the University of Utah. In pigeons, mutations of these same genes cause different feather colors, and to pigeon hobbyists that is a very good thing.

The study team learned that coding and regulatory distinctions in the interactions among the genes Tyrp1, Sox10 and Slc45a2 affect multiple color phenotypes, or appearances, in pigeons. In one instance, scientists learned that a reddish mutation in Tyrp1 arose just once and was spread all through the species by selective mating. Different forms of Tyrp1 make pigeons blue-gray, red or brown.

Variations of Sox10 make pigeons red, regardless of what form Tyrp1 takes, the researchers found. Also, Slc45a2 makes the pigeons colors either very strong or look washed out.

Our work provides new insights about how mutations in these genes affect their functions and how the genes work together, Shapiro said. Many traits in animals, including susceptibility to diseases such as cancer, are controlled by more than one gene. To understand how these genes work together to produce a trait, we often have to move beyond studies of humans. Its difficult to study interactions among the genes in people.

Both Tyrp1 and Sox10 are potential targets for treatment of melanoma, he added. Mutations in Slc45a2 in humans can lead to changes in skin color, including albinism (lack of skin color).

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Gene Mutations In Rock Pigeon Pigmentation Have Implications For Human Medical Research

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FEB. 10, 2014

BY SARA WYKES

Euan Ashley

A small group of patients at Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford now can have their DNA deciphered as part of a new pilot program.

The goal of the program, the Clinical Genomics Service, is to help doctors better diagnose and treat genetic conditions. In the pilot phase, genomic testing will be limited to patients with "mystery" diseases (typically children), patients with unexplained hereditary cancer risk, patients with inherited cardiovascular or neurological disease, and those with severe, unexplained drug reactions. Potential participants must be referred by a physician, and the clinical genomics team will then determine whether patient cases are suitable for sequencing.

"I am very excited to bring the pioneering work of Stanford genomic scientists directly to the bedside of our patients," said Euan Ashley, MCRP, DPhil, associate professor of medicine and of genetics and co-director of the new Clinical Genomics Service. "Because of the foresight and support of our leadership, we have a remarkable opportunity to bring world-leading Stanford science to Stanford patients fast and first."

The service will use an integrated approach that includes professional genetic counseling, the most advanced genome sequencing technology available and expert interpretation by molecular genetic pathologists and other physicians with expertise in this emerging and complex field. It will be closely integrated with a broad range of other diagnostic genetic testing now being offered by pathology services at the adult and children's hospitals.

"Stanford has a special wealth of information and analysts," said Jason Merker, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pathology, the service's other co-director. "We involved physicians, other health-care providers, bioethicists, bioinformaticians and other researchers, inviting everyone to voice their thoughts for the broadest, deepest discussions possible on how to apply these new methods and knowledge to clinical care."

Michael Snyder, PhD, director of the Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine and chair of genetics, as well as other members of the center, have played a pivotal role in the design and implementation of the service. Also, included in those discussions were Carlos Bustamante, PhD, a professor of genetics who was named a 2010 MacArthur Fellow for his work in genetic sequencing, and Michael Cherry, PhD, associate professor of genetics and principal investigator in several genome database projects.

"This new service can represent the best definition of the term personalized medicine," said Amir Dan Rubin, president and CEO of Stanford Hospital & Clinics. "The collaboration of our world-class experts in patient care and scientific research will advance the leading edge of knowledge in genome sequencing, bringing greater value, in the most responsible way, to what we offer our patients. Our goal is to use this new technology for early and accurate diagnosis and treatment for patients now and to learn and share that knowledge with medicine's new future."

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

6-Feb-2014

Contact: Michael C. Purdy 314-286-0122 Washington University School of Medicine

A genetic disorder that affects about 1 in every 2,500 births can cause a bewildering array of clinical problems, including brain tumors, impaired vision, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, heart defects and bone deformities. The symptoms and their severity vary among patients affected by this condition, known as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).

Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a patient's gender as a clear and simple guidepost to help health-care providers anticipate some of the effects of NF1. The scientists report that girls with NF1 are at greater risk of vision loss from brain tumors. They also identified gender-linked differences in male mice that may help explain why boys with NF1 are more vulnerable to learning disabilities.

"This information will help us adjust our strategies for predicting the potential outcomes in patients with NF1 and recommending appropriate treatments," said David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor of Neurology, who treats NF1 patients at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

The findings appear online in the Annals of Neurology.

Kelly Diggs-Andrews, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate in Gutmann's laboratory, reviewed NF1 patient data collected at the Washington University Neurofibromatosis (NF) Center. In her initial assessment, Diggs-Andrews found that the number of boys and girls was almost equal in a group of nearly 100 NF1 patients who had developed brain tumors known as optic gliomas. But vision loss occurred three times more often in girls with these tumors.

With help from David Wozniak, PhD, research professor of psychiatry, the scientists looked for an explanation in Nf1 mice (which, like NF1 patients, have a mutation in their Nf1 gene). They found that more nerve cells died in the eyes of female mice, and they linked the increased cell death to low levels of cyclic AMP, a chemical messenger that plays important roles in nerve function and health in the brain. In addition, Wozniak discovered that only female Nf1 mice had reduced vision, paralleling what was observed in children with NF1.

Two previous studies have shown that boys with NF1 are at higher risk of learning disorders than girls, including spatial learning and memory problems. To look for the causes of this gender-related difference, the scientists first confirmed that Nf1 mice had learning problems by testing the ability of the mice to find a hidden platform after training. After multiple trials, female Nf1 mice quickly found the hidden platform. In striking contrast, the male Nf1 mice did not, revealing that they had deficits in spatial learning and memory.

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Gender influences symptoms of genetic disorder

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7-Feb-2014

Contact: John Ascenzi Ascenzi@email.chop.edu 267-426-6055 Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

New genetic evidence strengthens the case that one well-known type of cholesterol is a likely suspect in causing heart disease, but also casts further doubt on the causal role played by another type. The findings may guide the search for improved treatments for heart disease.

Most of us have heard of "good cholesterol" and "bad cholesterol" coursing through our bloodstream. In the conventional health wisdom of the past 30 years, having more of the "good" variety (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL) lowers your risk of heart disease, while more of the bad one (low-density lipoprotein, LDL) increases your risk. Indeed, over the years, clinical trials and other studies have found that drugs that lower LDL also lower your probability of heart disease.

On the other hand, drug trials have not shown heart-health benefits to increasing HDL or to lowering triglycerides, a third type of blood lipid. Now a new study co-led by scientists at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine sheds light on the role of genes and blood lipid levels in cardiovascular health. Newer tools for gene analysis show how variations in DNA are underlying actors affecting heart diseasea major worldwide cause of death and disability.

"Now we are able to pinpoint gene signals that actually cause some of these conditions," says geneticist Brendan J. Keating, D. Phil., of The Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Unraveling how genetic variants that influence lipid traits are related to heart disease risk is a step toward designing treatments." Keating and his colleagues, working in large international collaborative groups, are wielding advanced gene-analysis tools to uncover important clues to heart disease.

Keating collaborated with clinical epidemiologist Michael V. Holmes, M.D., Ph.D., of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in a blood lipid study published online Jan. 27 in the European Heart Journal. Research co-authors were from six countries and various centers, including the University College London in the U.K.

The study team used a recently developed epidemiology tool called Mendelian randomization (MR). MR analyzes genetic variations using a method that identifies genes responsible for particular diseases, independent of confounding factors such as differences in behavior or environmental influences that often limit the conclusions of epidemiology research. This was one of the largest studies to date using MR, as well as the largest to use an allele-score method, described below.

The researchers analyzed DNA data from 17 studies including over 60,000 individuals, of whom more than 12,000 had experienced coronary heart disease, including heart attacks. Because previous studies had found signals from nearly 200 genes to be associated with blood lipid levels, the study team aggregated data into composite groups, called allele scores, for each of three blood lipids: LDL, HDL and triglycerides, then calculated their relationship to coronary heart disease.

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Researchers use genetic signals affecting lipid levels to probe heart disease risk

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WorldCanvass: Genetics and New Technologies - February 15, 2013
The study of genetics has come a long way since Gregor Mendel #39;s groundbreaking work with pea plants in the mid-19th century. To see just how far we #39;ve come a...

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WorldCanvass: Genetics and New Technologies - February 15, 2013 - Video

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The Sims 3 Perfect Genetics Challenge Oynuyoruz! - (CAS) Blm 1 - Mavi Sa Gzeldir!
lk olarak erkek yattm karakterin dezavantajlarn fark edince, kz bir karakter yaratmaya karar verdim. Hem de "mavi" sal! 🙂 ^^ Siyah ekran olan kiil...

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Love Marriage after Spinal Cord Injury
http://sci.washington.edu Is true love still possible after a spinal cord injury? The answer from the three couples in this panel discussion is a resounding ...

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Love & Marriage after Spinal Cord Injury - Video

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Spinal Cord Injury; Redefining Recovery! Matt Valente family interview
This video is an interview of Matt and family and how a spinal cord injury affects their lives. It is meant to touch, move, and inspire those who are directl...

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PUBLIC POLICY WEBINAR: ENCHANCING INCLUSION - ATTENDANT SERVICES IN ONTARIO
Watch the webinar that aired on January 20, 2014 10am-12pm. Presented by: Spinal Cord Injury Ontario and the Personal Injury Alliance Attendant services are ...

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CLEVELAND, OH Whod have ever thought something as unappealing as body fat could be useful much less lifesaving, right?

I think this will revolutionize medicine if it works, says Dr. Mark Foglietti of the Stem Cell Center of Ohio.

It turns out, fat is highly regenerative and rich in stem cells, Warren Buffett rich, having 2,500 times more stem cells than bone marrow.

And these are Mesenchymal stem cells. Mesenchymal meaning theyre able to change into whatever type of tissue theyre attracted to.

So doctors in Cleveland are trying an experimental procedure on Multiple Sclerosis patient Kym Sellers, She was saying Dad, if I could only just get the use of my hands. If I can just use my hands, I can comb my hair. I can feed myself.

Doctors liposuction fat from Sellers, take the stem cells and mix in a biological potpourri called Stromal Vascular Fraction or SVF. The cells are supposed to act like a rescue squad responding to an emergency (they find damage to the body and repair it).

Dr. Foglietti happily tells his patient, We have 7ccs. We have 39 million stem cells! The SVF is then reintroduced into Kyms body intravenously.

You just want to pray that this is something that will improve your quality of life, says Kym Sellers.

Although the procedure only takes a few hours, itll be months until Kym or the doctors can determine if it was successful. If it is, itll be used to treat everything from asthma to A.L.S. For now though, Kym waits and prays.

Just praying for the best, she says.

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Experimental procedure uses stem cells made from body fat

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By William T. Koustas

The litigation between Regenerative Sciences, LLC (Regenerative) and FDA may have come to an end on Tuesday, February 4th, when the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled against Regenerative, concluding that FDA has the authority to regulate certain autologous stem cells procedures. The D.C. Circuit affirmed the lower courts decision granting summary judgment to the government, dismissing Regeneratives counterclaims, and permanently enjoining Regeneratives operations.

Regenerative is a Colorado company that owns a medical technique known as the Regenexx Procedure, a non-surgical procedure by which physicians take bone marrow and blood samples from a patient, culture the stem cells, mix the cultured cells with doxycycline, and inject the stem cell mixture back into the same patient in order to treat joint, muscle, tendon, or bone pain. The Regenexx Procedure is exclusively licensed for use by a Colorado clinic where its inventors practice.

Our prior blog posts on this case provide more background (see here andhere for example), but in essence, FDAs litigation stance was that the stem cell mixture used in the Regenexx Procedure was a drug under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), thus imposing current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and labeling requirements applicable to all drugs. On the other side, Regenerative argued that FDA had no authority over the Regenexx Procedure because it involved the practice of medicine, which is outside of FDAs purview, and because the stem cell mixture was not introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce.

The D.C. Circuit upheld the district courts decision, frequently relying on long-standing principles of food and drug law. The court first found that the stem cell mixture met the definition of drug contained in the FDCA as it was an article derived mainly from human tissue intended to treat orthopedic diseases and to affect musculoskeletal function. Slip Op. at 6. In addition, and perhaps of more consequence, the court disagreed with Regeneratives argument that FDA was interfering with the practice of medicine by preventing physicians from performing autologous stem cell procedures. The D.C. Circuit described this argument as wide of the mark, clarifying that FDA was seeking to regulate the stem cell mixture and not the procedure itself. Id. at 7.

The court also rejected Regeneratives argument that FDA lacked jurisdiction over the stem cell mixture given that the Regenexx Procedure is performed entirely within the State of Colorado. Unsurprisingly, the court restated the well-known principle that the interstate commerce requirement of the FDCA is satisfied if a component of a product is shipped in interstate commerce prior to its administration to a patient. Id. at 9. The court also seemed to agree with FDAs position that the interstate commerce requirement could be satisfied simply because the stem cell mixture would undoubtedly have effects on interstate markets for orthopedic care . . . . Id. at 8.

The D.C. Circuit also dismissed Regeneratives argument that the stem cell mixture was a human cell, tissue, or cellular and tissue-based product (HCT/P), and thus exempt from manufacturing and labeling requirements. The court found that the stem cell mixture was likely more than minimally manipulated [b]ecause [Regenerative] concede[d] that culturing [stem cells] affects their characteristics and offer[ed] no evidence that those effects constitute only minimal manipulation, they fail to carry that burden as a matter of law. Id. at 12.

After summarily rejecting Regeneratives arguments, the D.C. Circuit ruled that the stem cell mixture was adulterated and misbranded. The court found that the stem cell mixture was adulterated because it was not manufactured in conformance with cGMP requirements, and that they were misbranded because the information on the label on the syringe that contains the stem cell mixture did not include adequate directions for use or bear the Rx only symbol. Id. at 14-15.

Although the court upheld the permanent injunction, it did so only after analyzing whether there was a reasonable likelihood of further violations in the future. Id. at 18. While the court determined that such likelihood existed in this case, this suggests that a violation of the FDCA, in and of itself, does not automatically necessitate injunctive relief but must be considered based on the facts of each case.

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Previously, stem cells have been cultivated using animal proteins or by growing them from other human cells. Both methods come with associated problems. But, according to a study published in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces, researchers have now identified a new method for cultivating stem cells.

Stem cells are a kind of cell that are able to divide or self-renew indefinitely. This allows the stem cell to generate into a range of different cell types for the organ that they originate from, or they may even be able to regenerate the whole organ.

Because of this, scientists are interested in using stem cells in a range of medical treatments, to replenish damaged tissue in the brain or skin, or as a treatment for diseases of the blood.

In adults, these stem cells have been found in tissues such as the brain, bone marrow, blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscles, skin and liver. Adult stem cells only become "activated" and start dividing and generating new cells when their host tissue becomes damaged by disease or injury.

A more potent kind of stem cell is found in human embryos - this type has the unique ability to grow into any kind of cell in the human body. But using these cells in scientific research is controversial - and illegal in some countries - as harvesting them requires the destruction of a fertilized human egg (a "blastocyst") that has not had the chance to develop into a baby.

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Stem cells cultivated without using human or animal cells

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US researchers offer diabetes cure hope

Friday, February 07, 2014

A diabetes cure could be in sight after scientists transformed ordinary skin cells into pancreatic cells producing insulin.

By John von Radowitz

At the end of the process they created immature precursors to pancreatic beta cells, the bodys insulin factory.

When these cells were injected into mice genetically engineered to mimic symptoms of diabetes, the animals blood sugar levels returned to normal.

The US research is a major step forward in the hunt for a stem cell solution to Type 1 diabetes, caused by the bodys own immune system attacking and destroying insulin-making beta cells.

Type 1 diabetes is distinct from the much more common Type 2 version of the disease.

Type 1 diabetes usually strikes in childhood and dooms sufferers to a lifetime of self-administered insulin injections, without which their blood sugar would reach lethal levels.

Earlier attempts at using stem cells to replenish lost pancreatic beta cells have been largely disappointing.

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La Jolla, CAA study led by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, has catapulted the field of regenerative medicine significantly forward, proving in principle that a human genetic disease can be cured using a combination of gene therapy and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology. The study, published in the May 31, 2009 early online edition of Nature, is a major milestone on the path from the laboratory to the clinic.

"It's been ten years since human stem cells were first cultured in a Petri dish," says the study's leader Juan-Carlos Izpisa Belmonte, Ph.D., a professor in the Gene Expression Laboratory and director of the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona (CMRB), Spain. "The hope in the field has always been that we'll be able to correct a disease genetically and then make iPS cells that differentiate into the type of tissue where the disease is manifested and bring it to clinic."

Genetically-corrected fibroblasts from Fanconi anemia patients (shown in green at the top) are reprogrammed to generate induced pluripotent stem cells, which, in turn, can be differentiated into disease-free hematopoietic progenitors, capable of producing blood cells in vitro (bottom: Erythroid colonies.)

Image: Courtesy of Dr. Juan-Carlos Belmonte, Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Although several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of the approach in mice, its feasibility in humans had not been established. The Salk study offers the first proof that this technology can work in human cells.

Belmonte's team, working with Salk colleague Inder Verma, Ph.D., a professor in the Laboratory of Genetics, and colleagues at the CMRB, and the CIEMAT in Madrid, Spain, decided to focus on Fanconi anemia (FA), a genetic disorder responsible for a series of hematological abnormalities that impair the body's ability to fight infection, deliver oxygen, and clot blood. Caused by mutations in one of 13 Fanconi anemia (FA) genes, the disease often leads to bone marrow failure, leukemia, and other cancers. Even after receiving bone marrow transplants to correct the hematological problems, patients remain at high risk of developing cancer and other serious health conditions.

After taking hair or skin cells from patients with Fanconi anemia, the investigators corrected the defective gene in the patients' cells using gene therapy techniques pioneered in Verma's laboratory. They then successfully reprogrammed the repaired cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells using a combination of transcription factors, OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and cMYC. The resulting FA-iPS cells were indistinguishable from human embryonic stem cells and iPS cells generated from healthy donors.

Since bone marrow failure as a result of the progressive decline in the numbers of functional hematopoietic stem cells is the most prominent feature of Fanconi anemia, the researchers then tested whether patient-specific iPS cells could be used as a source for transplantable hematopoietic stem cells. They found that FA-iPS cells readily differentiated into hematopoietic progenitor cells primed to differentiate into healthy blood cells.

"We haven't cured a human being, but we have cured a cell," Belmonte explains. "In theory we could transplant it into a human and cure the disease."

Although hurdles still loom before that theory can become practice-in particular, preventing the reprogrammed cells from inducing tumors-in coming months Belmonte and Verma will be exploring ways to overcome that and other obstacles. In April 2009, they received a $6.6 million from the California Institute Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to pursue research aimed at translating basic science into clinical cures.

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Genetic Re-disposition: Combined stem cell-gene therapy ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

20 hours ago This image shows iPS cells (green) generated using histone variants TH2A and TH2B and two Yamanaka factors (Oct3/4 and Klf4). Credit: RIKEN

One major challenge in stem cell research has been to reprogram differentiated cells to a totipotent state. Researchers from RIKEN in Japan have identified a duo of histone proteins that dramatically enhance the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and may be the key to generating induced totipotent stem cells.

Differentiated cells can be coaxed into returning to a stem-like pluripotent state either by artificially inducing the expression of four factors called the Yamanaka factors, or as recently shown by shocking them with sublethal stress, such as low pH or pressure. However, attempts to create totipotent stem cells capable of giving rise to a fully formed organism, from differentiated cells, have failed.

The study, published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell and led by Dr. Shunsuke Ishii from RIKEN, sought to identify the molecule in the mammalian oocyte that induces the complete reprograming of the genome leading to the generation of totipotent embryonic stem cells. This is the mechanism underlying normal fertilization, as well as the cloning technique called Somatic-Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT).

SCNT has been used successfully to clone various species of mammals, but the technique has serious limitations and its use on human cells has been controversial for ethical reasons.

Ishii and his team chose to focus on two histone variants named TH2A and TH2B, known to be specific to the testes where they bind tightly to DNA and affect gene expression.

The study demonstrates that, when added to the Yamanaka cocktail to reprogram mouse fibroblasts, the duo TH2A/TH2B increases the efficiency of iPSC cell generation about twentyfold and the speed of the process two- to threefold. And TH2A and TH2B function as substitutes for two of the Yamanaka factors (Sox2 and c-Myc).

By creating knockout mice lacking both proteins, the researchers show that TH2A and TH2B function as a pair, are highly expressed in oocytes and fertilized eggs and are needed for the development of the embryo after fertilization, although their levels decrease as the embryo grows.

In the early embryo, TH2A and TH2B bind to DNA and induce an open chromatin structure in the paternal genome, thereby contributing to its activation after fertilization.

These results indicate that TH2A/TH2B might induce reprogramming by regulating a different set of genes than the Yamanaka factors, and that these genes are involved in the generation of totipotent cells in oocyte-based reprogramming as seen in SCNT.

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Histones may hold the key to the generation of totipotent stem cells

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Poway, CA (PRWEB) February 06, 2014

Stem Cell Therapy for Feline Kidney Disease is a special interest piece produced by Nicky Sims, the owner of Kitters, who recently had Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy for his Feline Kidney Disease. Nicky highlights Kitters journey through diagnosis of the disease and his recent stem cell therapy, as well as educating about stem cells and their benefits.

Nickys film explains that Kitters began showing signs of kidney failure at the age of 15, exhibiting classic symptoms; lack of appetite, excessive thirst, nausea and lethargy. In 2012, Kitters was officially diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure, or kidney disease. He was prescribed a low protein diet and subcutaneous fluids for rehydration. This has been the standard treatment for decades although it has only been shown to slow the progression of the disease; not reverse it.

Dr. Richter at Montclair Veterinary Hospital thinks that there is something else that can help. In recent years, his hospital has begun using stem cells to treat animals for various orthopedic conditions such as pain from arthritis and dysplasia. In October 2013, Kitters would be the first cat he had treated with stem cell therapy for Feline Kidney Disease.

Dr. Richter explains why this could work for Kitters, Stem cells are cells within your body that are able to turn into any other cell in the body. Kitters has kidney issues, so what weve done is harvested some fat from his abdomen and sent that fat to Vet-Stem in San Diego, and what they do is isolate the stem cells from the fatty tissue. They concentrate them and send them back to us. In the case of an animal with kidney disease, we just give the stem cells intravenously. What that is going to do is begin the healing and rebuilding process.

Nickys film explores the importance of kidneys stating they play a vital role, ridding the body of toxins. As kidney disease progresses scar tissue develops making it harder to filter toxins. Damage to the kidneys makes the animal vulnerable to a number of other health conditions. Unfortunately the disease usually goes undiagnosed given that the symptoms of the disease often do not show until 2/3 of the kidneys are damaged.

Kitters own stem cells were used with the hope of repairing his damaged tissue Dr. Richter goes on, The nice thing about stem cells is that there is no issue of tissue rejection, since it is Kitters own stem cells. Additionally, if there is anything else going on in his body beyond the kidneys its going to address that as well. So, it is a really wonderful systemic treatment.

To find out more or view the special interest piece by Nicky Sims, Stem Cell Therapy for Feline Kidney Disease, visit this link.

About Vet-Stem, Inc. Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem, Inc. pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine. The company holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells. In the last decade over 10,000 animals have been treated using Vet-Stem, Inc.s services, and Vet-Stem is actively investigating stem cell therapy for immune-mediated and inflammatory disease, as well as organ disease and failure. For more on Vet-Stem, Inc. and Veterinary Regenerative Medicine visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Feline Kidney Disease, a Video Testimonial by a Pleased Pet Owner Gives Hope for Cats Suffering ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/dlx7gv/rnai) has announced the addition of Jain PharmaBiotech's new report "RNAi - Technologies, Markets and Companies" to their offering.

RNA interference (RNAi) or gene silencing involves the use of double stranded RNA (dsRNA). Once inside the cell, this material is processed into short 21-23 nucleotide RNAs termed siRNAs that are used in a sequence-specific manner to recognize and destroy complementary RNA. The report compares RNAi with other antisense approaches using oligonucleotides, aptamers, ribozymes, peptide nucleic acid and locked nucleic acid.

Various RNAi technologies are described, along with design and methods of manufacture of siRNA reagents. These include chemical synthesis by in vitro transcription and use of plasmid or viral vectors. Other approaches to RNAi include DNA-directed RNAi (ddRNAi) that is used to produce dsRNA inside the cell, which is cleaved into siRNA by the action of Dicer, a specific type of RNAse III. MicroRNAs are derived by processing of short hairpins that can inhibit the mRNAs. Expressed interfering RNA (eiRNA) is used to express dsRNA intracellularly from DNA plasmids.

Delivery of therapeutics to the target tissues is an important consideration. siRNAs can be delivered to cells in culture by electroporation or by transfection using plasmid or viral vectors. In vivo delivery of siRNAs can be carried out by injection into tissues or blood vessels or use of synthetic and viral vectors.

Because of its ability to silence any gene once the sequence is known, RNAi has been adopted as the research tool to discriminate gene function. After the genome of an organism is sequenced, RNAi can be designed to target every gene in the genome and target for specific phenotypes. Several methods of gene expression analysis are available and there is still need for sensitive methods of detection of gene expression as a baseline and measurement after gene silencing. RNAi microarray has been devised and can be tailored to meet the needs for high throughput screens for identifying appropriate RNAi probes. RNAi is an important method for analyzing gene function and identifying new drug targets that uses double-stranded RNA to knock down or silence specific genes. With the advent of vector-mediated siRNA delivery methods it is now possible to make transgenic animals that can silence gene expression stably. These technologies point to the usefulness of RNAi for drug discovery.

RNAi can be rationally designed to block the expression of any target gene, including genes for which traditional small molecule inhibitors cannot be found. Areas of therapeutic applications include virus infections, cancer, genetic disorders and neurological diseases. Research at academic centers that is relevant to RNAi-based therapeutics is mentioned.

Regulatory, safety and patent issues are discussed. Side effects can result from unintended interaction between an siRNA compound and an unrelated host gene. If RNAi compounds are designed poorly, there is an increased chance for non-specific interaction with host genes that may cause adverse effects in the host. However, there are no major safety concerns and regulations are in preliminary stages as the clinical trials are still ongoing and there are no marketed products. Many of the patents are still pending.

The markets for RNAi are difficult to define as no RNAi-based product is approved yet but several are in clinical trials. The major use of RNAi reagents is in research but it partially overlaps that of drug discovery and therapeutic development. Various markets relevant to RNAi are analyzed from 2013 to 2023. Markets are also analyzed according to technologies and use of siRNAs, miRNAs, etc.

Profiles of 161 companies involved in developing RNAi technologies are presented along with 233 collaborations. They are a mix of companies that supply reagents and technologies (nearly half of all) and companies that use the technologies for drug discovery. Out of these, 33 are developing RNAi-based therapeutics and 35 are involved in microRNAs. The bibliography contains selected 600 publications that are cited in the report. The text is supplemented with 37 tables and 11 figures.

Key Topics Covered:

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Research and Markets: RNAi - Technologies, Markets and Companies - 2014 Report

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith