SOUTH KOREA – South Korea also relaunches embryonic stem cell research

Posted on 16 April 2013 by Stem Man

: Image by erjkprunczyk via Flickr

After the decision of the United States to remove the ban preventing stem cell researchers from using public funding for experiments, legislators in South Korea have been put under pressure by scientists who have been aspiring to do experiments on stem cells from cloned human embryos.

Up until a few weeks ago the National Bioethics Committee continued to postpone a decision on the matter, but now thanks to the American president, it is increasingly probable that at most, by the end of April, researchers of the Cha Medical Institute of Seoul will be able to resume experiments on stem cells generated by cloned human embryos.

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Neuron function damaged by Huntington’s restored by stem cells

Posted on 9 April 2013 by Stem Man

Researchers from South Korea, Sweden, and the United States have collaborated on a project to restore neuron function to parts of the brain damaged by Huntington’s disease (HD) by successfully transplanting HD-induced pluripotent stem cells into animal models.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be genetically engineered from human somatic cells such as skin, and can be used to model numerous human diseases. They may also serve as sources of transplantable cells that can be used in novel cell therapies. In the latter case, the patient provides a sample of his or her own skin to the laboratory.

In the current study, experimental animals with damage to a deep brain structure called the striatum (an experimental model of HD) exhibited significant behavioral recovery after receiving transplanted iPS cells. The researchers hope that this approach eventually could be tested in patients for the treatment of HD.

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SOUTH KOREA – Biotech Company Says It Will Cost Half to Clone Dogs

Posted on 8 May 2012 by Stem Man

Cloning a Chow Chow will be easy and will also cost at least half of what it would cost to clone any other type of dog, announced a South Korean biotech company today while presenting new cloning technology.

But dog-owners – who pay 100,000 dollars or more to clone a pet – will still have to pay tens of thousands of dollars if they want to clone their beloved four-legged friends, and must be prepared for long waiting-lists, because most cloning at a commercial level involves dogs used for work, like police dogs used in airports.

The Rnl Bio company announced that it has developed a new cloning method for dogs that utilizes stem cells derived from fat tissue, which notably increase the possibilities for success in the operation. According to the company, the new technology may also contribute to studies for cures for genetic disorders in dogs, which resemble some human pathologies, like diabetes.

“If we completely develop this technology, cloning dogs will also be much easier than it is now. We can reduce the costs of cloning,” explained Ra Jeongchan, Rnl Bio CEO, located in Seoul.

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South Korea approves stem cell drug

Posted on 20 January 2012 by Stem Man

South Korea’s government drug agency cleared the way Thursday for commercial sales of what it called the world’s first approved medicine using stem cells collected from other people.

Cartistem, developed by Seoul-based Medipost, will help regenerate knee cartilage using stem cells developed from newborns’ umbilical cord blood, the Korea Food and Drug Administration said.

“Cartistem is… the world’s first approved allogeneic (taken from different individuals of the same species) stem cell drug, that can offer new opportunity for treatment of patients with degenerative arthritis,” the administration said in a statement.

Medipost said 27 billion won ($23.8 million) from private investors and government funds had been invested to develop Cartistem since 2001. The drug can be injected into a patient’s knees via surgery.

Clinical trials have been under way in the United States since last year, the statement said.

Two of the world’s top 10 drugmakers are in talks to seek a worldwide licence to make the drug, a Medipost spokesman told AFP, adding that final trials involving a large number of people would likely begin in the US in 2015 (…)

Cartistem, developed by Seoul-based Medipost, will help regenerate knee cartilage using stem cells developed from newborns’ umbilical cord blood, the Korea Food and Drug Administration said.

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