“Latest Stem Cells News”

SANUWAVE Inc., an emerging medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of non-invasive, biological response activating devices in the regenerative medicine area, reported that scientific findings titled “Extracorporeal Shock Wave Stimulation of Osteoprogenitor Cells” were presented at the 2009 International Bone-Tissue-Engineering Congress (“Bone-Tec”) in Hannover, Germany, which was held October 9-11, 2009.

Dr. Myron Spector, PhD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery (Biomaterials) at Harvard Medical School, Director of Orthopaedic Research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Director of Tissue Engineering at VA Boston Healthcare System, was an invited guest speaker at the Conference. The Bone–Tec Congress featured an international scientific forum to discuss progresses in modern bone tissue regeneration and extended a worldwide network to exchange findings on the latest developments.

Dr. Spector’s team employed SANUWAVE’s Pulsed Acoustic Cellular Expression (PACE™) technology in preclinical research to create autogenous sources of stem cells for bone tissue engineering. Results support the proposition that PACE™ could be employed as a non-invasive technique to cause proliferation and thickening of the cambium layer of the femur’s periosteum for the subsequent intraoperative harvesting of progenitor stem cells days later for bone or cartilage regeneration.

PACE™ stimulated a dramatic proliferation and thickening (up to 10 fold) of osteoprogenitor stem cells, precursors to bone and cartilage cells, in the cambium layer of the periosteum in the femur of the adult rats within 4 days. Neovascularization and new bone formation within the thickened periosteum were also evident after 4 days.

Dr. Spector said, “This research has shown great potential. Through more study, this technology could further advance tissue engineering autologous transplant techniques towards clinical applications such as bone reconstruction and cartilage defect repair.” (…)

from http://www.sanuwave.com

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Dr. Robert Johnson, MD, of Neurosurgical Associates of San Antonio, is presenting at the 5th Annual Stem Cell Summit in New York on February 16, 2010. Dr. Johnson will be presenting his most recent data proving the efficacy of point of care adult stem cell therapies in spine surgery. Point of care technology utilizes the patient’s own cells derived from bone marrow to inhibit bone growth in spinal fusion procedures. Dr. Johnson believes promoting cell therapy utilizing the patient’s own cells will change the future landscape of medicine.

“The use of autologous stem cells is revolutionizing medical care in both the prevention and treatment of spinal disorders,” said Johnson.

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International Stem Cell Corporation, announces that it has launched fifteen new human cell culture products into the commercial research markets over the last twelve months through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lifeline Cell Technology, (Walkersville, MD), leading to a 12-month average month-to-month revenue growth of 50%. ISCO, the parent company, is the first company to create human “parthenogenetic” stem cells from unfertilized eggs. Parthenogenetic stem cells not only solve ethical problems, but also promise to minimize immune-rejection by providing cells that can be immune-matched to large segments of the population.

These products represent milestone achievements in ISCO’s strategy of generating revenue from the sale of research products, while building infrastructure from that effort to expand the manufacturing and quality control capacities ISCO needs to commercialize the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells.

One of its newest and most promising products consist of “xeno-free” human cells and culture reagents that allow researchers to study embryonic stem cells without contamination from animal (non-human) components. These products meet the needs for stem cell research to be done using “human-only” systems. Other products include Lifeline’s living human cells and reagents for research and drug development into cardiovascular, kidney, lung, nerve, eye and skin disease. Lifeline is continuing to develop unique reagents and media for the growing field of stem cell research. The “Lifeline” brand of products consist of human cells and the culture reagents and growth factors needed to grow the cells.

According to Jeffrey Janus, CEO of Lifeline, “We are proud of the quality of our new products, as reflected in the sales growth they are exhibiting in the human cell research markets. We look forward to launching more new products into the growing markets for stem cell research and drug development. These products will contribute to the success of ISCO, not only by supporting ISCO’s therapeutic research, but also through the development of critical manufacturing and quality control systems necessary for ISCO to produce therapeutic human cells in the future.”

Lifeline’s products can be found at www.lifelinecelltech.com
For more news and information on International Stem Cell Corporation please visit www.IRGnews.com/coi/ISCO where you can find the CEO’s video, a fact sheet on the company, investor presentations, and more.

from http://www.internationalstemcell.com

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Stem cells exposed to microgravity express different proteins than those grown in normal gravity, say Australian researchers (…)

Dr Burns, along with graduate researchers Elizabeth Blaber and Helder Marcal, used a NASA rotating-wall vessel to simulate microgravity, which is experienced by astronauts in low Earth orbit, to analyse its effect on human embryonic stem cells.
Stem cells are cells that have yet to differentiate into cells with specialised functions (…)

Associate Professor Ernst Wolvetang of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland says while it’s difficult to judge the research prior to publication, it is a “novel idea” (…)
“How relevant this will be to space flight itself is a whole different matter, because we don’t have embryonic stem cells in our adult bodies anymore,” he said.

from http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/28/2698695.htm

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The University of Minnesota is proceeding with embryonic stem cell research, despite an anti-abortion group’s claim that it is illegal under a new ban on the use of state tax dollars for human cloning.

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life called on the university Tuesday to “cease its pursuit of human cloning and to end its violation of state law through its ongoing destruction of human embryos.” The organization cited the new cloning ban, along with legislative testimony from a U executive that the ban would stifle “ongoing” research if passed.

University spokeswoman Mary Koppel said the executive’s comments referred to earlier versions of the bill that were broader in scope. The ban doesn’t apply, she added, because the university is not using state tax dollars for any cloning or creation of new embryonic stem cell lines. Koppel said the university already has an internal policy against the use of state tax funds for such purposes.

“This just sort of codifies what we already have in place,” she said.

The ban was a key issue in the final days of budget negotiations between Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Legislature. Pawlenty was prepared to fight a higher education budget bill unless it included the ban, which state Senate and House leaders agreed to add in final conference sessions.

The term cloning evokes images of creating a whole new person. And while the funding ban certainly covers this form of “reproductive cloning,” it also applies to “therapeutic” cloning, the process of copying human cells by transferring a person’s DNA into an unfertilized human egg.

The university is conducting research with stem cell lines that were created years ago — research that is eligible for taxpayer funding. Diabetes researcher Meri Firpo is also using private funds to create new stem cell lines out of embryos that are left over from fertility procedures. However, she said this process doesn’t involve cloning, nor does university policy even allow this type of cloning.

She said it was nonetheless “worrisome” to see a political body dictate what type of research can take place.

Abortion opponents are also against the creation of new stem cell lines from human embryos, because potential human lives are destroyed in the process.

U researchers counter that embryonic cells may unlock treatments for diabetes and cancer.

The university’s Stem Cell Institute is engaged in a variety of stem cell research, including treatments that use the cells from a patient’s own body. U researchers have also replicated a Japanese study in which ordinary skin cells were reprogrammed into an embryonic state.

from Twincities

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