Cell Therapy News Volume 8.32 | Aug 20 2007

New Gladstone Institutes Star Hopes to Create Stem Cells in a New Way
Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, introduced Thursday as the latest star scientist to join the J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, hopes to reprogram human cells to create embryonic stem cells in the next year or two.
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Team Finds Way to Create Cancer Stem Cells
MIT scientists and colleagues have found a way to create in the lab large amounts of cancer stem cells, or cells that can initiate tumors.
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Stem Cell Research Reveals Culprit In Aging Muscles That Heal Poorly
Researchers have uncovered the conduit that conveys the work orders to muscle stem cells. That knowledge could open the door to new therapies for injuries in a host of different tissues.
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MIT Creates 3-D Images Of Living Cell
A new imaging technique developed at MIT has allowed scientists to create the first 3D images of a living cell, using a method similar to the X-ray CT scans doctors use to see inside the body.
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Synthetic Viruses Aiming At Cancer Cells
Scientists at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich have now analyzed for the first time the dynamics of three different targeted synthetic viruses in living cells.
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BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics on the Road to Clinical Studies in Parkinson’s Disease
The company reports preliminary results from safety supporting study in primates.
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Cancer Tackled in Organ Patients 
Injecting healthy blood cells into transplant patients with cancer can improve survival, the first clinical study of the treatment suggests. 
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Fungus Infected Woman Who Died After Gene Therapy
The 36-year-old Illinois woman who died last month after being treated with an experimental gene therapy was infected with a fungus that usually causes only a mild illness. But the infection spun out of control and ravaged her organs, suggesting that her immune system was seriously impaired.
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Americans Gamble on Bargain Surgery Abroad
Even as the U.S. dollar sags, many Americans are still heading overseas for bargains on elective cosmetic procedures and other surgical care they could not afford otherwise. In some cases, they are also seeking experimental therapy unavailable in the U.S., such as last-ditch stem-cell-infusion therapy for myocardial ischemia.
Article

Toddler Sees Dramatic Improvement From Stem Cell Treatment As Documented By US Hospital Medical Report
Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd. has announced the successful treatment with umbilical cord stem cells of three-and-a-half-year-old American toddler Lukas Nguyen.
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ABSTRACTS, REVIEWS AND SPECIAL REPORTS

Human Umbilical Cord Stroma with Regard to the Source of Fetus-Derived Stem Cells
This review first aims to document the published findings so far regarding the nature of human umbilical cord stroma with special emphasis on the spatial distribution and functional structure of stromal cells and matrix which serves as a niche for residing cells, and secondly, to assess the in vitro and in vivo experiments in which differential stem cell potencies were evaluated.
Abstract

Generation of Insulin-Producing Islet-Like Clusters from Human Embryonic Stem Cells
The researchers report the development of a novel serum-free protocol to generate insulin-producing islet-like clusters (ILCs) from hESCs grown under feeder-free conditions.
Abstract

Stem Cell Institute Bows to State, Hikes Payback Rules for Grant Recipients
Bowing to legislators’ demands, California’s stem cell institute will require for-profit grant recipients to pay back more money if discoveries using state funds make it to market.
Article

Legislators Touched by Leukemia Push Cord Blood Measures
Behind proposed bills in both the Assembly and Senate are legislators with intimate stakes in making cord blood easier to collect and more affordable to donate, and in promoting it for medical research.
Article

Invitrogen Launches Breakthrough Media for Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Invitrogen and Novocell Inc. have announced the launch of a new fully-defined, serum- and feeder-free media specifically formulated for the growth and expansion of human embryonic stem cells.
Article

DomaniCell Now Collecting and Banking Immune System and Stem Cells for the Entire Family
DomaniCell, LLC is now expanding its service to the collection and storage of stem cells and immune system cells for adults who choose to proactively store their cells, while they are healthy and younger, for potential future use.
Article

Benitec Memorandum of Understanding With CalbaTech, Inc.
Benitec Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with California-based CalbaTech, Inc. to provide stem cell storage services for US HIV patients who may use the healthy adult stem cells in future therapy.
Article

Cytori Therapeutics and Green Hospital Supply to Commercialize Celution(TM) System in Japan
Cytori Therapeutics and Green Hospital Supply, Inc. have partnered to commercialize Cytori’s StemSource(TM) cell bank, which includes Cytori’s Celution(TM) System, to hospitals throughout Japan.
Article

Thermo Fisher Scientific Announces Stem Cell Alliance with Cellular Engineering Technologies
The alliance will cover the production and marketing of human non-embryonic stem cells, growth media used to grow these cells and differentiation media used to convert the stem cells into other types of human cells.
Article

TapImmune Inc. Announces Agreement with AppTec
TapImmune Inc., has announced a contractual agreement with AppTec for the preclinical testing of its lead product.
Article

US Patent and Trademark Office Grants Stem Cell Selection Patent
Stem Cell Sciences plc is pleased to announce that the US Patent  & Trademark Office has granted a broad patent covering SCS’ Stem Cell Selection technology (US Patent 7,256,041).
Article

NeoStem Announces Milestone Patent Filing Establishing Model for Next Generation Bio-Medical Infrastructure
NeoStem, Inc. announced today that it has filed a far-reaching patent application that initiates the process of safeguarding the Company’s proprietary procedures for collecting, storing and developing potential biotherapies from adult stem cells derived from a patient’s own body.
Article

HagensBerman Sobol Shapiro Files Class Action Suit Against Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc.
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP has announced that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc. between July 9, 2006 and July 16, 2007, inclusive, seeking to pursue remedies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
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NHLBI Announces Additional Deadlines for Requests to the DNA Resequencing and Genotyping Service (NOT-HL-08-100)
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Notice of Informational Conference Call for Applicants to the Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Centers (U54) Program (NOT-NS-07-014)
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Ancillary Studies in Clinical Trials (R01) (RFA-HL-08-001)
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Revisions to the Requirements Applicable to Blood, Blood Components and Source Plasma; Direct Final Rule
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Revisions to the Requirements Applicable to Blood, Blood Components and Source Plasma; Companion Document to Direct Final Rule; Proposed Rule
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FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (United States of America)

Guidance for Industry on Exports Under the Food and Drug Administration Export Reform and Enhancement Act of 1996; Availability
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MEDICINES AND HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS REGULATORY AGENCY (United Kingdom)

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Symposium
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7th Annual Somatic Cell Therapy Symposium
September 26-28, 2007
Hyatt Regency Bethesda, Maryland

Registration now open!  Click here to register.

ISCT Membership
Renew your ISCT Membership for 2007 now!
Not a member?  Visit the ISCT website to learn about the benefits of membership.
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