First patient to get stem cell therapy identified
By Rob Stein, The Washington Post Embryonic stem cells have numerous pitfalls in addition to the ethical dilemmas. While the concept of a “blank slate” cell is extremely attractive in terms of generating new tissues for transplantation and organ replacement, the problem is that these cells are so young that they do not properly “know”…
Blood Vessels Made from Embryonic Stem Cells are Different than Naturally Occurring Blood Vessels
Glaser et al. J Vasc Res. 2011 May 31;48(5):415-428. In addition to ethical dilemmas associated with embryonic stem cells, there are ample data demonstrating at administration of these cells causes formation of aggressive tumors called teratomas. One way in which scientists are trying to “tame” these cells is to reprogram them in the test tube….
Killing of the iPS Field?
Zhao et al. Nature. Embryonic stem cells are associated with numerous ethical dilemmas. The creation of equivalents of ES cells through retrodifferentiation led to a new area of research that does not require destruction of life. Specifically, it was discovered that any adult cell can be transfected with several genes, which results in the cell…
Advanced Cell Technology Receives FDA Clearance For Clinical Trials Using Embryonic Stem Cells to Treat Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Business Wire Advanced Cell Technology, a biotechnology company based in Marlborough, Massachusetts which specializes in the development and commercialization of cell therapies for the treatment of a variety of diseases has been awarded FDA clearance to begin a clinical trial implementing human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to treat Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). AMD has two…
Time to end stem cell institute CIRM
Wesley J. Smith , San Francisco Chronicle The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was created in 2004 as a result of the California Proposition 71, which called for a new bond issue to generate 3 billion dollars in order to support stem cell research in the State. In part, the institute was created as…
International Stem Cell Corporation Expands Sales of Skin Care Product
North County Times – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX The Oceanside California company International Stem Cell Corporation, (ISCO.OB) announced increased sales of its skin care product, the Lifetime Skin Care Line, which was associated with a 19% rise in stock price. In a press release, International Stem Cell Corporation stated “products are now being sold…
Stem cells approved to treat ‘orphan’ disease
Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy is the most common form of genetic juvenile macular degeneration. Manifestation of the condition begins in late childhood, leading to legal blindness. It is symptomatically similar to age-related macular degeneration, and it affects approximately one in 10,000 children. Olympic and Paralympic skier Brian McKeever is the best-known victim of the disease, which…
Contract’s end means changes for stem cell scene
In 2005 WiCell, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the University of Wisconsin was charged with creating and maintaining a national embryonic stem cell bank supported by the Federal Government. At that time the 21 embryonic stem cell lines that were approved by former president George W. Bush’s administration were made available for researchers. The importance…
The Senescence-Related Mitochondrial/Oxidative Stress Pathway is Repressed in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Embryonic stem cells possess the ability to propagate in tissue culture indefinitely. This is different than differentiated cells, for example, skin cells which can only multiple in tissue culture approximately 50 times before undergoing senescence. The ability of embryonic stem cells to escape senescence is related to expression of the protein telomerase. Usually when cells…
Fat May Serve a Purpose in Stem Cell Research
Scientist Dr. Joseph Wu at the Stanford University School of Medicine has recently published a new and improved method to generate stem cells "artificially". For almost a decade there has been substantial controversy regarding the use of embryonic stem cells, with the debate becoming socially and politically focused as opposed to based on science: one…