Acid-Bath Stem-Cell Team Releases Tip Sheet A group of Japanese researchers whose revolutionary method to produce stem cells simply drew questions from other biologists has published more details of their protocol. The authors, who developed an ‘acid-bath’ technique that others have so far been unable to reproduce, released technical tips with a press statement and published them on Nature Protocol Exchange. [Nature News] Editorial Genocea Biosciences Announces Collaboration to Characterize T Cell Responses to Cancer Antigens Genocea Biosciences, Inc. announced a joint research collaboration with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School to characterize anti-tumor T cell responses in melanoma patients. This collaboration extends the use of the company’s proprietary ATLASâ„¢ platform for the rapid discovery of T cell antigens to cancer immunotherapy approaches. [Genocea Biosciences, Inc.] Press Release NeoStem and Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Schepens Eye Research Institute Announce Second Research Collaboration Exploring NeoStem’s VSELTM Technology for Retinal Repair NeoStem, Inc. announced that it has entered into a sponsored research collaboration with Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Schepens Eye Research Institute, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. The objective of the research is to investigate the role of very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELsâ„¢), as well as CD34+ cells, in a study that will compare the efficacy of these two cell types for retinal repair. [NeoStem, Inc.] Press Release Cynata Partners with University of Massachusetts to Conduct Graft versus Host Disease PoC Study Cynata Therapeutics Ltd announced that it has commenced a study using its unique Cymerusâ„¢ stem cell technology to generate important data for partnering discussions and as a prelude to a proposed clinical trial in graft-versus-host disease. [Cynata Therapeutics Ltd] Press Release Catalent Announces Agreement for One of the First Regenerative Therapies to Employ iPS Cells in Humans with CiRA, Kyoto University Catalent Pharma Solutions announced an agreement with the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) at Kyoto University in Japan to make a major advancement toward one of the first regenerative human therapies with induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells applicable to humans. [Catalent, Inc.] Press Release OHSU Announces Creation of New Embryonic Stem Cell and Gene Therapy Center Oregon Health & Science University announced the creation of the OHSU Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov, Ph.D., a world-renowned leader in embryonic stem cell and gene therapy research. [Oregon Health & Science University] Press Release Celladon Completes Enrollment of CUPID 2 Trial for Advanced Heart Failure Celladon Corporation announced it has completed enrollment and randomized 250 patients in the Phase IIb trial titled “Calcium Up-Regulation by Percutaneous Administration of Gene Therapy In Cardiac Disease,” known as CUPID 2, which is evaluating the efficacy and safety of MYDICAR (AAV1/SERCA2a) in patients with NYHA class III/IV symptoms of systolic heart failure. [GlobeNewswire, Inc.] Press Release Arrowhead Receives Regulatory Approval to Begin Phase IIa Trial of Chronic Hepatitis B Candidate ARC-520 Arrowhead Research Corporation announced that it received regulatory approval to begin a Phase IIa clinical trial of ARC-520, its RNAi-based drug candidate for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. [Arrowhead Research Corporation] Press Release Heat Biologics Commences Dosing of First Patient in Phase I/II Study of Novel Cancer Immunotherapy Product Candidate HS-410 for the Treatment of Bladder Cancer Heat Biologics, Inc. announced the first patient has been dosed in its Phase I/II bladder cancer clinical study with product candidate, HS-410. HS-410 is an investigational biologic designed to activate a T-cell mediated pan-antigen immune response for the treatment of bladder cancer. [Heat Biologics, Inc.] Press Release US FDA Approves Pluristem’s Commercial Scale Cell Manufacturing Process Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed Pluristem’s comparability studies of its PLacental eXpanded cell products and granted approval for the company to manufacture these products in its new commercial-scale cell manufacturing facility. [Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release Dendreon Announces Plans to Make PROVENGE® Commercially Available in Europe Dendreon Corporation announced that it plans to make PROVENGE® (autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells activated with PAP-GM-CSF or sipuleucel-T) available in Europe, beginning with Germany and the United Kingdom. [Dendreon Corporation] Press Release |