Cell Therapy News Volume 7.37 | Sep 25 2006

What’s Next For Gene Therapy? Plastics Researchers Design Polymer Macromolecules As Gene Transfer Agents
Gene therapy depends upon foreign DNA, even viruses, to deliver genes, therapeutic proteins, or medicine to cells within the body. Many scientists are looking for better chaperones across the cell membrane. Virginia Tech researchers think polymer molecules can be created to do the job.
Article

Chemistry Paves Way Toward Promising Stem Cell Therapies
Chemists are developing new insights and techniques in an effort to expand the therapeutic potential of stem cells, which includes possible treatments for Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury and other devastating conditions.
Article

Adult Stem Cell in Blood Used to Make Neurons
Researchers say they were able to isolate a rare type of adult stem cell that circulates in the blood and convert the stem cells into neurons, bone cells, fat cells and two kinds of blood vessel cells.
Article

University of Florida Study Shows Leptin Could Combat Type 2 Diabetes
Using a novel gene therapy technique, UF researchers were able to reverse type 2 diabetes in mice.
Article

Advanced Cell Technology Reports Visual Function Rescue in Animals Utilizing Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Cells
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. announced that company scientists and their collaborators rescued visual function in rats through implantation of retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) derived from human embryonic stem (hES) cells.
Article

Gene Therapy Zeroes in on Brain Cancer Tumors
Researchers in Saginaw Township and Illinois are eager to begin, by spring, the first human tests of a revolutionary gene-based brain cancer therapy.
Article

Stem Cell Trials Show Sustained Heart Function Improvement
Australian adult stem cell company, Mesoblast Limited, announced positive initial results of clinical adult stem cell trials for the treatment of heart disease being conducted in conjunction with its United States-based sister company Angioblast Systems Inc.
Article

Stem Cell Trial for Neurodegenerative Pediatric Disease to Get Under Way
A phase I trial to test the safety of stem cell transplants to treat Batten disease, a rare yet fatal neurodegenerative disorder, is about to get started at Oregon Health & Science University’s Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
Article

Man Rejects First Penis Transplant
Surgeons in China who said they performed the first successful penis transplant had to remove the donated organ because of the severe psychological problems it caused to the recipient and his wife.
Article

Immature Cells Strengthen Damaged Heart
Injecting immature cells into hearts damaged months or years earlier by a heart attack can help that heart beat more efficiently.
Article

‘Stolen Bone’ Hospitals Revealed
Health watchdogs have named 25 UK hospitals which have bought potentially contaminated body parts allegedly stolen in the US.
Article

Cloning Scientist Hwang Failed to Notice Forged Research, Researcher Says at Trial
A researcher accused of fabricating data for scientist Hwang Woo-suk’s now-discredited stem cell research claimed Tuesday that Hwang’s negligence in detecting the faked results enabled him to repeatedly forge scientific evidence.
Article

National Stem Cell Bank Announces Addition of New Cell Lines
The National Stem Cell Bank has expanded its offering of human embryonic stem cell lines to include cells from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Article

U.K. Stem Cell Bank to Release First Embryo Cells to Researchers
U.K. scientists today are expected to decide to allow researchers access to embryonic stem cells in the Medical Research Council’s three-year-old bank. The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control is expected to confirm that six kinds of embryonic stem cells are ready for release to U.K. researchers, with others types to follow.
Article

ABSTRACTS, REVIEWS & SPECIAL REPORTS

Derivation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells from Developing and Arrested Embryos
This research demonstrates that arrested embryos are additional valuable resources to surplus and donated developing embryos and should be used to study early human development or derive pluripotent hESC.
Abstract

Spain Expected to Approve Therapeutic Cloning
The Spanish government is about to approve the nuclear transfer technique known as therapeutic cloning, making it only the fourth country in the European Union to do so.
Article

Stem Cell Group Gets 350 Grant Interest Letters
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine said Tuesday that 350 people sent letters expressing interest in applying for stem cell research grants.
Article

Effort Begins to Repeal Strict Michigan Stem Cell Law
A nonprofit organization has been launched in Michigan with an eye on repealing the state’s law banning research on embryonic stem cells gathered from in vitro fertilization procedures.
Article

Progenitor Cell Therapy Hosts UK Trade Mission
UK Department of Trade and Industry visited Progenitor Cell Therapy in a tour of leading U.S. cell and tissue therapy companies.
Article

NeoStem Signs First Adult Stem Cell Collection Center Agreement
This is the beginning of NeoStem’s launch to facilitate the opening of adult stem cell collection centers nationally and internationally.
Article

Stem Cell Sciences Looking Overseas
Stem Cell Sciences has revealed it is to search outside the UK for new investors due to frustration at the lack of interest in this country.
Article

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Binds France, Israel
The French government has approved the establishment of a unique joint research center with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa that will focus on embryonic stem cells, which could lead to cures of numerous diseases.
Article

Further Investment in Angioblast to Complete a Phase II Cardiovascular Trial
The Independent Directors of Mesoblast Limited have announced that the company, subject to shareholder approval, have entered into a stock purchase agreement with its sister company, Angioblast Systems Inc in the United States, to acquire additional preference shares to a value of $8.5 million.
Article

Reminder: All NIH Research Education (R25) Grant Applications Must Use the SF 424 (R&R) Application Form and Apply through Grants.gov for the October 1, 2006 Submission Date and Beyond (NOT-OD-06-104)
Link

Request for Applications: Knockout Mouse Project (KOMP) Repository (U42) (RFA-RR-06-005)
Link

Guidance for Industry: Recognition and Use of a Standard for Uniform Blood and Blood Component Container Labels
Link

All new CBER information can be reached from the What’s New page at WHAT’S New Page

Food and Drug Administration (United States of America)

Draft Guidance for Industry on Public Availability of Labeling Changes in “Changes Being Effected” Supplements; Availability
Link

Minimal Manipulation of Structural Tissue Jurisdictional Update
Link

Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (New Zealand)

Regulatory Information – New Medicine Application Form
Link

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

Progress on Trans-Tasman Therapeutics Agency
Link

Latest Consolidation of the Therapeutic Goods Act
Link

International Society for Cellular Therapy – http://www.celltherapysociety.org

AABB-ISCT Cellular Therapy Audioconference Series
Link

Current Issue: Volume 15, No 6

CONTENTS

Editorial

Online Manuscript Processing for Cell Transplantation

Reviews

Myoblast Therapy: From Bench to Bedside
Zhongmin Liu, Yanling Wu, and Bing-guan Chen

Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease: Only Young Onset Patients Allowed? Reflections About the Results of Recent Clinical Trials With Cell Therapy and the Progression of Parkinson’s Disease
Gurutz Linazasoro

Original Contributions

Bridging Nigrostriatal Pathway With Fibroblast Growth Factor-Primed Peripheral Nerves and Fetal Ventral Mesencephalon Transplant Recuperates From Deficits in Parkinsonian Rats
Yung-Hsiao Chiang, Shinn-Zong Lin, and Feng C. Zhou

Inhibition of p38 MAP Kinase in the Early Posttransplantation Phase Redistributes Blood Vessels From the Surrounding Stroma Into the Transplanted Endocrine Tissue
Åsa Johansson, Daniel Sandvik, and Per-Ola Carlsson

Isolated Pancreatic Islets in Three-Dimensional Matrices Are Responsive to Stimulators and Inhibitors of Angiogenesis
André Kidszun, Darius Schneider, Doris Erb, Gundula Hertl, Veronika Schmidt, Michael Eckhard, Klaus T. Preissner, Georg Breier, Reinhard G. Bretzel, and Thomas Linn

Endothelial Cell Preservation at 10°C Minimizes Catalytic Iron, Oxidative Stress, and Cold-Induced Injury
Michael A. J. Zieger and Mahesh P. Gupta

Application of a New Subretinal Injection Device in the Dog
András M. Komáromy, Signe E. Varner, Eugene de Juan, Gregory M. Acland, and Gustavo D. Aguirre

Periosteal Cell Pellet Culture System: A New Technique for Bone Engineering
Mari Akiyama, Hidehiko Nonomura, Syed H. Kamil, and Ronald A. Ignotz

Directed Three-Dimensional Growth of Microvascular Cells and Isolated Microvessel Fragments
Carlos C. Chang and James B. Hoying

NECTAR Abstracts
16th Meeting of the Network of European CNS Transplantation and Restoration (NECTAR)

Cell Transplantation publishes original, peer-reviewed research and review articles on the subject of cell transplantation and its application to human diseases. To ensure high-quality contributions from all areas of transplantation, separate section editors and editorial boards have been established. Articles deal with a wide range of topics including physiological, medical, preclinical, tissue engineering, and device-oriented aspects of transplantation of nervous system, endocrine, growth factor-secreting, bone marrow, epithelial, endothelial, and genetically engineered cells, among others. Basic clinical studies and immunological research papers are also featured. To provide complete coverage of this revolutionary field, Cell Transplantation will report on relevant technological advances, and ethical and regulatory considerations of cell transplants.