“Latest Stem Cells News”

A year after President Barack Obama issued a landmark executive order to remove eight years of limitations on U.S. federal funding of stem cell research, the WiCell Research Institute has expanded the number of cell lines available through its WISC Bank (Wisconsin International Stem Cell) to 33.

WiCell, host of the former National Stem Cell Bank (NSCB) for five years under a contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has transitioned the distribution of all of the 20 human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines formerly available through the NSCB to its own stem cell bank. The bank also continues to carry its previously banked seven induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines and six genetically modified hES cell lines.

UW-Milwaukee researcher Andrew Cohen has successfully developed a software program that facilitates predicting the evolution of stem cells. The program essentially speeds up what has been a tedious process for researchers in the past.

The program was published last week in the journal Nature Methods. It applies algorithmic information theory to the growth and movement of stem cells tracked over time to show what type of cells (i.e. brain, skin, etc.) they will eventually develop into.

“People look at images and take measurements by hand,” Cohen explained. “It takes a long time, and using computers makes the process a lot less tedious.”

Stem cells all start out the same before they develop into the different cells of our bodies. Scientists do not know what triggers the stem cell’s future growth pattern into a particular type of cell, but researchers like Cohen are figuring out how to predict the cell’s future based on measurements and math.

Stroke-damaged brains could be repaired within 5-10 years using adult stem cells from teeth, according to one of Australia’s leading stroke physicians who is pioneering new research in this field.

Associate Professor Simon Koblar from the University of Adelaide and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is leading a research project that shows dental pulp stem cells extracted from teeth may prove far more beneficial for brain repair than other types of stem cells.

His research involving adult stem cells is the first of its kind in Australia and will be explained at a free public lecture at the University of Adelaide tomorrow night as part of the University’s highly successful Research Tuesdays monthly seminar series.

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in Australia, with 60,000 people suffering a stroke every year and approximately 30% of them losing their lives.

Assoc. Prof. Koblar says dental pulp stem cells have a natural ability to produce and repair neurones (nerve cells). Because they are in teeth, they can also be easily extracted and don’t pose rejection issues for patients.

In 2007 Assoc. Prof. Koblar was awarded $100,000 by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney for a collaborative pilot study on adult stem cells with Associate Professor Stan Gronthos from SA Pathology. Stroke SA also provided additional financial support for this project in 2009.

The two scientists are senior members of the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Stem Cell Research at the Robinson Institute.

“We have some very promising data from trials involving stroke-affected rats, who have shown an improvement in mobility when transplanted with dental pulp stem cells,” he says.

Assoc. Prof. Koblar says more research needs to be done to prove the benefit in animal models before it can be trialled in humans.

The Robinson Institute is currently working with University of Adelaide graduate and stroke victim Peter Couche to set up a Stem Cell for Stroke Foundation in his name.

“Like all research, what we can achieve will depend on how much money can be raised,” Assoc. Prof. Koblar says.

“Stem cell research has great potential to affect stroke patients and benefit the Australian community as a whole, because its impact in this country is enormous. Even if all we can do is to get someone’s hand function to improve, that would be a magnificent advance.”

An inaugural $75,000 collaborative research grant from the Centre for Stem Cell Research has been awarded to Associate Professors Koblar and Gronthos to continue their research into adult stem cell therapy for stroke patients.

from http://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news37182.html

What are mesenchymal stem cells? where are they found in the human body? What are their most promising clinical applications? Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic of Columbia University gives us an answer to these questions and and an outlook on the future of mesenchymal stem cells.

RIYADH – Stem Cells Unit at the Department of Anatomy in King Saud University will organize a conference on stem cell research and medical reconstruction at the Faculty of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital on Nov. 7-9. First of its kind in the Kingdom, the conference will be held in cooperation with the KSU’s Center for Medical Education, the Australian National University and the University of South Denmark.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Conference, Dr. Abdullah Al-Dahmash, said here Saturday that the conference aims at presenting the latest developments in the field of stem cell research and therapeutic applications; to accentuate new technologies, research and applications of stem cells.

The aim is also to highlight the major advances in stem cell researches in the Kingdom in general, and King Saud University in particular and to increase awareness of the importance of stem cell researches.
The conference will address many topics including the role of stem cells in treating some diseases, especially those suffered by the Saudi society as well as modern techniques in stem cell researches (…)

from http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009101851903

What are the differences between embryonic, adult and induced pluripotent stem cells? Where do the experts expect the next medical application will be for stem cells? Do stem cells promote regeneration? How are cell types interacting? How can induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells revolutionize drug discovery? Can cell therapies be made into a viable business? How close are we to finding the right business model? Are investors interested in stem cells today? What is the political and ethical landscape like now that the Obama administration has taken over the White House?

This is the Episode 1 of the Stem Cell Review, aired on October 1st, 2009

from http://www.biobusiness.tv/videos/201