“Latest Stem Cells News”

British regulators have given Moorfields approval to begin trials using retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).

Twelve patients with Stargardt’s disease will have the cells injected into the eye. You can read more about the trial here.
Although there is great excitement about the trial, Julia knows that the initial phase will simply check safety (…)

“It would be marvellous if I could get some of my sight-loss reversed”, said Julia. “Even if it simply halts the deterioration, that would be great. And the real benefit would be for children. It could mean they don’t need to lose any sight and have normal vision.”

But doctors are urging caution. They are aware that there has been a lot of hype surrounding human embryonic stem cells, because of their potential to turn into any of the 200 or so cell types in the body (…)

It is always worth pointing out that other forms of stem cell treatments have been used successfully for many years.
Bone marrow transplantation is a well-established and proven technology.
More recently, stem cells from a patient’s own bone marrow have been used to help create them a new windpipe.

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Adult stem cells are the future of the battle against multiple sclerosis, according to the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association (AISM) in the latest edition of ‘Una mela per la vita’ (‘An Apple for Life’) over the past two days, aiming to collect funds for scientific research.   The AISM has invested a part of the proceeds from the past years into the possible use of undifferentiated cells, today as a legitimate part of future therapies.

Experimenting on the use of mesechymal stem cells on animal tissue is a research group of the Neurological Clinic of the University of Genoa, led by Antonio Uccelli.  According to Uccelli, this therapy can “immunomodulate and provide neuroprotection against autoimmune attacks and favor cell trophism during sickness.”  The neurologist warned:  “Despite expectations from the sick and the secular community for both regenerative medicine and adult stem cells, they have not shown to be effective against nerve damage.” Professor Uccelli spoke about the future regarding experimentation of cellular therapy on humans:  “Perhaps within a year,” he responded.

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The Jumonjd3 protein is a sort of nervous system regulator, allowing stem cells to become neural cells.  Researchers from the IFOM-IEO Campus of the European Institute of Oncology (EIO) in Milan, whose studies were published in Plos One magazine discovered the regulator protein.  The researchers explained that the protein is an enzyme capable of activating the stem cell genes necessary to differentiate a cell into a nervous system cell.

The result, underlined the scientists led by Giusepe Testa, “adds an important perspective to understanding the intricate mechanisms of stem cell function.” This protein could soon become “a target to improve on reprogramming already differentiated cells and developing new anti-tumor therapies.” The study was supported by the Italian Association for Cancer Research and the Umberto Veronesi Foundation, among others.

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Not all stem cells are ‘good’ at aiding the heart in repairing itself after a heart attack. Apparently, ‘baby cells’ present in human fat are the best equipped to perform this task and could be used in human testing by the end of 2009. “ We have seen that a simple stem cell transplant into a heart after a heart-attack is not sufficient. There are different types of stem cells that are better adapted to aiding the heart in the healing process. Instead of hematopoietic stem cells used in initial studies, mesenchymal stem cells are now being used.

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Rhode Island-based biotechnology company MultiCell Technologies Inc. is teaming up with Maxim Biotech Inc. under cooperative research and development agreement to develop products for studying liver stem cells and liver cancer.

MultiCell (OTC: MCET), based in Woonsocket, owns exclusive rights to two issued U.S. patents, one U.S. patent application and a handful of corresponding foreign patents and patent applications regarding the isolation and differentiation of liver stem cells.

No financial details of the agreement with South San Francisco-based Maxim Biotech were disclosed. The deal will initially focus on creating a family of research reagent tool kits which can be used to isolate liver stem cells and help to determine liver stem cell gene function and their encoded proteins.

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Perhaps in the not-too-distant future people who need “to rebuild” their prostate will be able to do so using stem cells removed from prostate tissue. This week Nature magazine reported that a group of Genetech researchers in San Francisco has isolated stem cells extracted from prostate tissue of an adult mouse and used them to generate new prostate cells in the same rat. Wei-Qiang Gao, the coordinator of the study, described the factors that made these cells, which are able to regenerate on a long term basis.

In the same study, researchers reported that they were able to identify a certain number of cell surface markers able to identify the cells that are candidates to become prostate stem cells. These markers seem to function also for other types of stem cells. These markers include CD117, a specific marker used to identify a rare population of adult mouse stem cells that scientists have isolated, and with in vivo transplants, have used them to generate a new prostate. The discovery opens up new prospects for those who have had operations for prostate cancer, since they now may be able to generate a new prostate using their own stem cells.

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