Canada and Japan Establish New Research Partnership The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) recently signed a partnership agreement to fund joint research projects on the epigenetics of stem cells. The agreement was established under CIHR’s Canadian Epigenetics, Environment and Health Research Consortium Signature Initiative and JST’s Strategic International Collaborative Research Program. [Canadian Institutes of Health Research] Press Release Medistem Collaborates with Loma Linda University on Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury Using Endometrial Regenerative Cells (ERC) Medistem Inc. announced collaboration with Dr. C.S. Chen, Head of the Division of Oncology and Hematology of Loma Linda University and Dr. Anatol Manaenko, Zhang Neuroscience Research Laboratories for animal studies assessing the ability of the ERC stem cell product in the treatment of traumatic brain injury. [Medistem Inc.] Press Release American CryoStem and Protein Genomics Sign Collaboration to Develop Stem Cell Applications for Wound Healing American CryoStem Corporation and privately-held Protein Genomics announced a collaborative agreement to develop novel cellular therapies for the wound healing, regenerative and cellular therapy markets. [Reuters] Press Release Smith Medical Partners Announces Logistics Agreement for Cardium’s National Distribution of Excellagenâ„¢ Smith Medical Partners announced an exclusive logistics and cold chain services agreement with Cardium Therapeutics to support its recently launched wound care product, Excellagenâ„¢. [Smith Medical Partners] Press Release IU Researchers Join National Network Testing Stem Cell Therapies for Cardiovascular Disease Physician scientists at the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine have been selected to join the nationwide Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network and will begin a new round of tests of adult stem cell treatments for peripheral artery disease this summer. [Indiana University] Press Release ACT Announces Approval of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute as Additional Site for Stem Cell Clinical Trial for Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT) announced that the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has received institutional review board approval as a site for the company’s Phase I/II clinical trial for dry age-related macular degeneration, using human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells. [Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.] Press Release Pluristem Forms Peripheral Artery Disease Steering Committee Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it has formed a steering committee to assist in advancing PLacental eXpanded cell therapies for the treatment of Peripheral Artery Disease. The committee is comprised of vascular and immunological specialists from around the world who will offer expertise to Pluristem in furthering cell treatments for Critical Limb Ischemia, Intermittent Claudication and Buerger’s Disease. [Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release $63 Million NIH Grant Helps UF, National Consortium Explore Cell Regeneration Therapies for Heart Disease University of Florida (UF) researchers and colleagues at six other institutions have received a $63 million, seven-year grant from the NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to develop heart disease therapies that use a patient’s own bone marrow and heart cells to generate new healthy heart cells and restore function. [University of Florida] Press Release OvaScience Secures $37 Million in Series B Financing OvaScienceâ„¢ announced that it has completed a $37 million Series B financing. OvaScience plans to use the proceeds from the financing to support the development and commercialization of its fertility treatment approaches based on the egg precursor cell discoveries of OvaScience co-founder Jonathan Tilly, PhD. [OvaScience] Press Release $7.6 Million for the McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre The McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre announced that they have been awarded funding totaling $7.6 million over a two-year period from Genome Canada’s 2010 Competition: Science and Technology Innovation Centre Operations Support. [McGill University] Press Release Athersys Receives U.S. Patent Covering the Suppression of Graft-versus-Host Disease Associated with Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation with Adult Stem Cells Athersys, Inc. announced that it has been granted U.S. patent 8,147,824 that covers the use of non-embryonic, multipotent stem cells for the reduction in severity or prevention of Graft-versus-Host Disease. [Athersys, Inc.] Press Release MLA First in Europe to Cryogenically Freeze Stem Cells for Animal Healthcare Market Medical products and distribution company Medical Australia Limited (MLA) announced a company-transforming development with the establishment and roll out of a break-through regenerative animal stem cell therapy, under the trademark TUTAVet, into the United Kingdom and Irish markets. [Medical Australia Limited] Press Release |