Cell Therapy News Volume 9.16 | Apr 28 2008

Recruit Top Talent at the 2008 ISCT Annual Meeting
Are you interested in recruiting for a cell therapy-related position in your company or institution? The inaugural Cell Therapy News and ISCT Joint Job Posting program is the perfect opportunity to highlight your organization, profile open positions, and recruit highly qualified cell therapy professionals from a captive audience of cell therapy experts, including scientists, technologists, and business professionals.
Click Here to participate in this program.

Scripps Research Team Reexamines MicroRNA Profile
An international team of researchers, led by the Scripps Research Institute, used a new approach in discovering that human embryonic stem cells share the same profile of microRNAs.
Article

Stem Cell Type Supposed To Be Crucial For Angiogenesis And Cancer Growth Does Not Exist?
It is widely believed that tumor angiogenesis and cancer growth critically depend on circulating endothelial precursor cells, mobilized from the bone marrow. A new study from researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and Stanford University now suggests that a stem cell type supposed to be crucial for blood vessel formation and cancer growth does not actually exist.
Article

Inflammation Triggers Cell Fusion That May Protect Neurons
Researchers discovered that chronic inflammation triggers hematopoietic stem cells to travel to the brain and fuse with Purkinje neurons up to 100 times more frequently than previously believed. After the fusion, the blood-cell nuclei begin to express previously silent, neuron-specific genes, which may possibly play a role in protecting neurons against damage.
Article

ReNeuron Announces Rurther Pre-Clinical Data With its ReN003 Programme for Diseases of the Retina.
The research on a rodent model of damaged retina showed that between 14 and 28 days after transplantation of ReNeuron’s ReN003 human retinal progenitor cells into the sub-retinal space, the cells were seen to integrate with the host retinal tissue.
Article

Gene Therapy Reduces Cocaine Use in Rats
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have shown that increasing the brain level of receptors for dopamine, a pleasure-related chemical, can reduce use of cocaine by 75 percent in rats trained to self-administer it.
Article

In Blood Vessel Stents, Innovative Materials Allow Better Control, Delivery of Gene Therapy
Cardiology researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have advanced delivery techniques by creating a versatile synthetic material that can bind to a variety of gene therapy vectors and can be custom-designed for controlled local release of therapeutic genes at a disease site.
Article

Young or Old: Mending Your Tendons without Surgery
Dr. Allan Mishra of Stanford Hospital’s Menlo Clinic developed a process which raises the level of platelets by more than 500 percent compared to whole blood. Those platelets carry growth factor proteins that stimulate cell regeneration and recruit other cells to repair the ailing area.
Article

Bioartificial Kidney Improves Survival of Patients With Acute Renal Failure
Multi-centre trial led by University of Michigan researchers finds short-term replacement of renal cell function with renal tubule assist device speeds recovery, reduces mortality risk by 50 percent.
Article

Pioneering Stem Cell Research to Help Cure Heart Damage
Emergency heart attack patients are now being injected with their own stem cells as part of pioneering research to help improve long term recovery and quality of life for heart disease sufferers.
Article

Mesoblast’s Cells Show Long-Lasting and Sustained Effect in Knee Osteoarthritis
Mesoblast Limited recently announced successful long-term results in its osteoarthritis preclinical trials.  A single injection of its proprietary allogeneic, or “off-the-shelf”, adult stem cells into arthritic knees provided sustained protection against cartilage destruction and degeneration for up to nine months. 
Article

Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. Receives “May Proceed” From FDA for Its Phase IIb Clinical Stroke Trial and IND
Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. is pleased to announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed its investigational new drug application to proceed.The investigational new drug application-opening study is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase IIb clinical trial of its lead program, NTxTM-265, for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
Article

ABSTRACTS, REVIEWS AND SPECIAL REPORTS

Postnatal Stem/Progenitor Cells Derived Rrom the Dental Pulp of Adult Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee dental pulp stem/stromal cells are very similar to human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells as demonstrated by the expression pattern of cell surface markers and their multipotent differentiation capability.
Link

Multipotent Menstrual Blood Stromal Stem Cells: Isolation, Characterization, and Differentiation
In this study, the researchers characterized a population of stromal stem cells derived from menstrual blood.
Link

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Cellular Therapy Laboratory Manager
Center Valley, PA (Aesculap)
Link

Cellular Therapy Laboratory Manager
Seattle, WA (Seattle Cancer Care Alliance)
Link

Stem Cell Laboratory Medical Technologist
Saudi Arabia (National Guard Health Affairs)
Link

Stem Cell Laboratory Supervisor
Saudi Arabia (National Guard Health Affairs)
Link

Quality Management Supervisor
Saudi Arabia (National Guard Health Affairs)
Link

Medical Director
Tucson, AZ (Cbr Systems, Inc.)
Link

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Backed By Irish Council for Bioethics Report
The report of the Irish Council for Bioethics, an independent State-funded body, which conducted an extensive public consultation process on the topic, says legislation should be provided for embryonic stem cell research, but only under the strict condition of "informed consent" from embryo donors.
Article

Congress Near Deal on Genetic Test Bias Bill
Congress reached an agreement clearing the way for a bill to prohibit discrimination by employers and health insurers on the basis of genetic tests.
Article

Colorado Governor Signs Biotech Incentives Bill
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed a $26.5 million incentive package for biotechnolgy research and startup businesses into law Thursday.
Article

StemCells, Inc. Granted Key U.S. Patent Covering Composition of Neural Stem Cells Derived From Any Tissue Source, Including Embryonic
StemCells, Inc. announced recently that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued StemCells Inc. U.S. Patent Number 7,361,505 with broad claims covering human neural stem cells derived from any tissue source, including embryonic, fetal, juvenile, or adult tissue.
Article

Researchers Envision Stem Cell Lab
San Diego’s four largest research institutes plan to build the nation’s first-of-its-kind stem cell center, which scientists have dubbed a “collaboratory,” in La Jolla, California.
Article

Arrowhead Nanobiotechnology Subsidiaries, Calando Pharmaceuticals and Insert Therapeutics, Complete Merger
Arrowhead Research Corporation announced recently the completion of the merger between Insert Therapeutics, Inc. and Calando Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Article

ImmuneRegen(R) and BioCure Collaborate on Novel Wound-Healing Product
Under the recently executed Material Transfer Agreement, BioCure will utilize ImmuneRegen’s Homspera(TM) for the development of a combination product composed of the potential wound-healing therapeutic Homspera and BioCure’s GelSpray(TM), a spray-on liquid bandage that has obtained 510(k) market clearance from the FDA.
Article

Cerus Receives Label Expansion on CE Marks for Use of INTERCEPT Blood System
Cerus Corporation announced recently that the Company has received expanded label claims for use of platelets and plasma treated with the INTERCEPT Blood System(TM) to prevent transfusion-associated graft-vs.-host disease in at-risk patients.
Article

NIH Grantees Can Now Purchase Lexicon Mice With Funds From Grants Under the Same Terms as NIH Contract
Link

Notice of Intent to Publish a Request for Applications for Research on Causal Factors and Interventions that Promote and Support the Careers of Women in Biomedical and Behavioral Research
Link

Report on the Performance of Drug and Biologics Firms in Conducting Postmarketing Commitment Studies
Link

Certifications To Accompany Drug, Biological Product, and Device Applications/Submissions: Compliance with Section 402(j) of The Public Health Service Act, Added By Title VIII of The Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007
Link

Use of Nucleic Acid Tests to Reduce the Risk of Transmission of West Nile Virus from Donors of Whole Blood and Blood Components Intended for Transfusion and Donors of Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products
Link

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (United States)

Legislation Proposed for FDA Foreign Inspections
Draft legislation has been put forward which would require the US Food and Drug Administration to inspect foreign manufacturing plants every four years.
Article

14th ISCT Annual Meeting

May 17-20, 2008
Downtown Miami, Florida

Full details at: www.celltherapysociety.org