“Latest Stem Cells News”

Banks are assisting families with financing so they can preserve umbilical cord stem cells that could be used to fight many diseases and malignant tumors like leukemia, neuroblastoma, and Hodgkin’s disease, and multiple myeloma. This has happened so far in Liguria and the Piedmont, where the Credito Cooperativo bank in Pianfei and Rocca de’ Baldi are present.

The project by an Italian bank in collaboration with Swiss company, Genico, calls of reduced financing rates for expenses related to the cryoconservation of umbilical cord stem cells. About 2,500 euros are needed to collect the cells, transport them to a biobank abroad, and preserve them for 30 years.

The cost will be covered in three years with a variable rate based on the three-month Euribor, and a spread of 1pct. The initiative, explained the bank, “is part of a broader project that calls for the distribution of credit with reduced rates and the development of a policy of responsibility, including many social interventions for people living in Italy.

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After US President Barack Obama opened up to embryonic stem cell research, “we will have an America that will begin to run ,and an Italy that risks becoming a parasite,” were the fears expressed by pharmacologist Elena Cattaneo, director of the stem cell research center of the University of Milan.

Obama’s attitude, observed the Italian researcher today during a meeting in Milan, “is very positive. He has opened the door to research,” she said to Adnkronos Salute, “but with caution, without crying miracle. With the idea that perhaps tomorrow future generations will be able to benefit from the results that will be obtained.”

The hope, said Cattaneo, is that these choices “will mark an opening to research in general, not only for embryonic stem cells. He has recognized their strength.” From a practical standpoint now “in the US, much more investment will be available, studies will be more daring to accept intellectual and experimental challenges, while Italy risks remaining behind. Unless we will be able to benefit from those studies, as long as we are capable of doing so.”

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Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered a method to potentially eliminate the tumor-risk factor in utilizing human embryonic stem cells, said the university on Wednesday.
The researchers’ work paves the way for further progress in the promising field of stem cell therapy, said the press release of the university sent to Xinhua.

According to the release, human embryonic stem cells are theoretically capable of differentiation to all cells of the mature human body (and are hence defined as “pluripotent“).
This ability, along with the ability to remain undifferentiated indefinitely in culture, make regenerative medicine using human embryonic stem cells a potentially unprecedented tool for the treatment of various diseases, including diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and heart failure.

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Italian researchers have discovered new stem cells that could be potential sources of ‘spare’ neurons. A study carried out at the University of Verona has led to the discovery of Leptomeningeal Stem Cells (LeSC), a new population of stem cells located in the the meninges, which cover the entire central nervous system in mammals.

LeSCs are immature cells able to maintain themselves and differentiate into mature excitable neurons. This demonstrates that the brain has a greater regenerative capacity than what was believed until now. The results of the study, conducted on an animal model, were published recently in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

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Stem cells found in the amniotic liquid represent new hopes to treat diseases. For the 13th World Congress on Human Reproduction, which is taking place in Venice, Biocell and Toma, two companies based in the Lombardy region active in the field of prenatal diagnosis and biotechnology, today are presenting the results of research conducted by their scientific staff entitled “Characterization and cryoconservation of mesenchymal stem cells from the amniotic liquid”.

“Every day the amniotic liquid reveals its potential as a source of mesenchymal stem cells, creating increasing interest in the field of regenerative medicine,” said Professor Simoni, the Scientific Director of Biocell Center. “Stem cells in the amniotic liquid are multipotent, very young, and able to differentiate into various tissues.

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from ABC news

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