Cell Therapy News Volume 10.05 | Feb 16 2009

Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the cell, gene and immunotherapy community.

VIDEO: How Do You Mend a Broken Heart? Maybe Someday with Stem Cells Made From Your Skin
In a study published online recently in a journal of the American Heart Association, investigator Tim Kamp and his research team showed that they were able to grow working heart-muscle cells from induced pluripotent stem cells.
Article

Jellyfish Protein Helps Regrow Joint Cartilage
Mucin, a protein extracted from Nomura’s jellyfish, has proved highly effective in regrowing cartilage in joints, scientists claim.
Article

VIDEO: Source of Cancer Stem Cells’ Resistance to Radiation Discovered at Stanford
Much to the dismay of patients and physicians, cancer stem cells are relatively resistant to the ionizing radiation often used as therapy for these conditions.
Article

VIDEO: Super-Resolution Microscopy Takes on a Third Dimension
The shapes of some of the tiniest cellular structures are coming into sharper focus from a new imaging technology that produces the best three-dimensional resolution ever seen with an optical microscope.
Video
Article

Stem Cell Research Uncovers Mechanism for Type 2 Diabetes
Taking clues from their stem cell research, investigators have discovered that a signaling pathway involved in normal pancreatic development is also associated with type 2 diabetes.
Article

New Technology Sheds Light on Rise of Blood Cells
German scientists using new imaging technology said on Wednesday they have watched a single cell give rise to blood cells, bolstering understanding of stem cells.
Article

Living Cell Technologies Reports Interim Results Showing Sustained Benefit with DIABECELL(R) Implants for Insulin Dependent Diabetes
The results of 36 to 68 weeks follow-up from the first four patients showed that good blood glucose control was maintained as reflected by a reduction in glycated hemoglobin (% HbA1c) levels from a mean of 8% pre-enrolment to 6.8% at time of clinical review.
Article

Osiris Reports Positive Two-Year Data on Stem Cell Treatment for Acute Myocardial Infarction
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. recently announced the final two-year results for the Company’s trial evaluating Prochymal for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction.
Article

ViroPharma Reports Disappointing Results of Phase 3 Clinical Trial for Maribavir in Bone Marrow Transplant Patients
ViroPharma Incorporated recently announced that its Phase 3 trial evaluating maribavir used as prophylaxis in allogeneic stem cell, or bone marrow, transplant patients did not achieve its primary endpoint.
Article

ABSTRACTS, REVIEWS AND SPECIAL REPORTS

Long-Term Control of HIV by CCR5 Delta32/Delta32 Stem-Cell Transplantation
The researchers transplanted stem cells from a donor who was homozygous for CCR5 delta32 in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia and HIV-1 infection. The patient remained without viral rebound 20 months after transplantation and discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy.
Article

Telomeres Acquire Embryonic Stem Cell Characteristics in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
The researchers try to determine whether telomere chromatin acquires the same characteristics as embryonic stem cells in iPS cells that have been recently derived from older patients.
Article

Inhibition of Intracranial Glioma Growth by Endometrial Regenerative Cells
In this study, the researchers sought to determine whether un-manipulated endometrial regenerative cells would alter the growth of glioma using the aggressive C6/LacZ7 (C6) into Sprague Dawley rat model.
Article

Continuous Single-cell Imaging of Blood Generation from Haemogenic Endothelium
Using new imaging and cell-tracking methods, it is shown that embryonic endothelial cells can be haemogenic and it was possible to detect haemogenic endothelial cells giving rise to blood cells.
Article

Neural Stem Cell– and Schwann Cell–Loaded Biodegradable Polymer Scaffolds Support Axonal Regeneration in the Transected Spinal Cord
This study examines the compatibility of neural stem cells and Schwann cells with the poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid polymer scaffold and quantitatively assesses their potential to promote regeneration after a spinal cord transection injury in rats.
Article

Stable and Non-Disruptive In Vitro/In Vivo Labeling of Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Internalizing Quantum Dots
This study reports that the internalizing Quantum dots generated by their conjugation with an internalizing antibody against an hsp70 family stress chaperone, mortalin, offered an efficient, genetically noninvasive, non toxic and functionally inert way to label mesenchymal stem cells.
Article

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Cell Biologists

Recruit Top Talent
Reach more than 11,000 potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities with Cell Therapy News.
Visit here to post your career opportunities.

Obama ‘Guarantees’ Stem Cell Work
President Obama on Thursday gave lawmakers his “guarantee” he will sign an executive order overturning President Bush’s embryonic stem cell research policy.
Article

Sebelius Near Top for Health Post
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was near the top of President Barack Obama’s list of candidates to head the Health and Human Services Department, a senior administration official said Saturday.
Article

Stem Cell Critics Sue Over Missouri Ballot Measure
Critics of embryonic stem cell research have accused three top Missouri officials of conspiring to prepare an unfair ballot summary for a proposal to bar use of public funds for abortion and human cloning.
Article

Roche Takes Genentech Bid Hostile
Genentech’s directors told Roche in December that they would consider selling their company for $112 a share, an amount much higher than the $89 a share Roche was willing to pay.
Article

WIL Research Laboratories, LLC acquires Midwest BioResearch, LLC
The recently announced acquisition of Midwest BioResearch, LLC. will result in the integration of their service offerings through scientific collaboration, sharing of best practices and marketing.
Article

United Arab Emirates Signs Deal on Bone Marrow Transplant
The UAE’s Ministry of Health is now officially the only entity in the Arab world to be part of the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry, said a senior official recently.
Article

TET Systems Signs License Agreement with Stemgent
TET Systems Holding and Clontech Laboratories, Inc. announced recently that they have entered into a partnership enabling Stemgent to market certain research reagents for inducible stem cell technology based on the Tet Technology.
Article

Brazil to Establish National Stem Cell Centre
Brazil will establish a national centre for stem cell research, and distribute stem cells around the country for research purposes, inching the debate on embryonic stem cell use in the country to a close.
Article

Governor Announces Emerging Technology Fund Investment in Stem Cell Research at Texas A&M Health Science Center
Governor Rick Perry has announced the state will invest $5 million to expand and recruit researchers to the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine’s Institute of Regenerative Medicine at Scott and White.
Article

BIO Adds Democratic Political Insider Matthew Schumaker to Its Advocacy Staff
The Biotechnology Industry Organization, is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Schumaker to the position of Managing Director, Federal Government Relations.
Article

iZumi Bio, Inc., Appoints John Walker as Chief Executive Officer
iZumi Bio, Inc. announced today the appointment of John P. Walker as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the company’s Board of Directors.
Article

Stem Cell Scientist, Cloning Pioneer Jerry Yang Dies at 49
Internationally recognized for his research in animal embryo transfer and embryo biotechnology, Yang was probably best known for cloning Amy, a Holstein calf born in UConn’s Kellogg Dairy Center on June 10, 1999.
Article

Pluristem Receives Deficiency and Compliance Notice from NASDAQ
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. recently announced that on February 5, 2009, it had received a NASDAQ Staff Notification of Deficiency and Compliance Letter indicating that the Company had violated the shareholder approval rules under NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 4350(i)(1)(D)(ii).
Article

Revision: Notice of Re-issuance of Kirschstein-NRSA T32 (PA-08-226) and T35 (PA-08-227) Funding Opportunity Announcements (NOT-OD-09-049)
Link

Allowable Salary Levels on Career Awards Supported by the National Cancer Institute (NOT-CA-09-013)
Link

NHLBI Career Transition Award (K22) (PAR-09-102)
Link

The 12th US – Japan Cellular and Gene Therapy Conference on Immune Regulation
Link

SOPP 8402: Designation of License Application Amendments as Major – Update
Link

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (United States)

Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee 6644–6645 [E9–2726]
Link

Meeting of the Meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (February 18-19)
Link