STEM CELL RESEARCH ALIVE AND WELL AT RUTGERS

A group of neural stem cells are stained with various materials in order to reveal specific attributes.
At Rutgers’ Stem Cell Research Center scientists are exploring the mysteries of human embryonic stem cells and their potential use in treating diseases, repairing damaged organs and drug development. Center staff also offer a course in proper lab techniques in working with stem cells. The center was established with a grant to Professors Martin Grumet and Wise Young from the State of New Jersey through its Commission on Science and Technology.

The center focuses on human embryonic stem cells, known as hESCs, because they are pluripotent, meaning they have the unique ability to develop into any kind of cell in the body – whether it is a heart cell or a brain cell or a liver cell.

Among the accomplishments of the Rutgers Stem Cell Research Center (RSCRC) is a series of recently published papers, one of which is by Professor Rick Cohen and his colleagues, describing the derivation of New Jersey’s first hESC lines.

A stem cell line is a family of constantly dividing cells, the product of a single parent stem cell. The new lines are particularly important. Many of the cell lines previously approved by the federal government were found to have been contaminated with non-human proteins that compromise their potential therapeutic use in human subjects.


In his stem cell course, Professor Rick Cohen teaches students from Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc. and City College of New York.
The paper also describes how the team developed a series of tests to determine the quality of these new cell lines. This quality control approach is critical to ensure that the cells are suitable for laboratory use and potential clinical applications. For example, among the panel of 11 assays is a test to make certain cells are still completely pluripotent.

Another test included in the paper ensures that the cells are not contaminated with common human viruses. These might include HIV, the virus that causes AIDS; the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores; and the human papilloma virus, now believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer in adult women.

Research Associate Jennifer Moore, the lead author on the paper, noted that the cells’ chromosome complement is also tested for abnormality. Human cells normally have 23 chromosomes, but mutations in hESCs are known to appear as duplications of chromosomes 12 and 17. “This doesn’t happen often but it is not a rare event,” Moore said. “Duplications could affect stem cell functions potentially precluding their clinical use.”


(left) Maha Mahadevan (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences) receives guidance from Jennifer Moore while a Rutgers student works with Stem Cell Technologies guest instructor Debbie King (standing).
The RSCRC is also active in training new stem cell scientists through the Stem Cell Training Course developed by Cohen. It consists of one week of intensive instruction and workshops from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and covers the growth, maintenance, and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. Almost everything one needs to grow human embryonic stem cells is included in the course, which has run eight times and has trained more than 100 scientists. Attendees have included researchers from all over the world from universities, including Rutgers, and the pharmaceutical industry. The value and importance of the training program has been recognized by an invitation from a scientific publishing company to Cohen to prepare a book based on the course.

The research described by Cohen and his associates and the training courses were supported by additional grants from the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology. The state-supported research also helped build the capacity and credibility of the center, setting the stage for its researchers to win new federal grants. Professors Ron Hart and Grumet have already won major federal grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Sharing staff with its neighbor, the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, about 30 individuals at any given time are working in the RSCRC.

Stem Cells: Mice Regrow Teeth | h+ Magazine

Stem Cells: Mice Regrow Teeth | h+ Magazine

ENTEST BIOMEDICAL INC. NEW PATENT FOR STEM CELL TREATMENT

Entest BioMedical Inc. (OTCBB: ENTB) announced today that Chairman & CEO David Koos, along with Lead Inventor Dr. Steven Josephs, provided clarification on the Company's new patent application for use of chemokines in its stem cell / photoceutical therapy for treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) during the Company's weekly blogcast held March 23, 2010.
Dr. Josephs noted, "Chemokines are naturally produced in the body during times of injury and are believed to be an essential part of the healing process. These chemokines cause stem cells to 'home' to injured areas. It is our belief the addition of chemokines to our COPD treatment model will aid in focusing stem cells towards damaged lung tissue painted by our photoceutical device."
Entest's Chairman & CEO David Koos said, "In its simplest form, our COPD treatment model consists of three components: an alarm clock, a bus for transportation and a GPS navigational system. An FDA approved stem cell mobilizer acts as an alarm clock activating the stem cells. Chemokines serve as the 'bus' transporting the stem cells to a location in the body. The laser serves as a GPS system navigating the bus to the destination -- damaged lung tissue."
The entire blogcast has been archived on the Company's blog site: www.entestbioblog.com.
About Entest BioMedical Inc.:
Entest BioMedical Inc. (OTCBB: ENTB) is involved with the development of stem cell therapy treatments for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), immuno-cancer therapies, testing procedures for diabetes, stem cell research applications for diabetes and other illnesses. The Company also is involved with medical device development (including stem cell extraction instrumentation). ENT-576™ is a proprietary laser device currently under development by Entest. The Company has filed 4 patent applications relating to the treatment of COPD. Entest BioMedical Inc. is a majority owned subsidiary of Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. (OTCBB: BMSN). Recently Entest published in the peer reviewed literature its platform technology, which is available at http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/pdf/1479-5876-7-106.pdf.
Disclaimer
This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties to which forward-looking statements are subject include, but are not limited to, the effect of government regulation, competition and other material risks.

Contact:
David R. Koos, Chairman & CEO
Entest BioMedical Inc.
619.702.1404 Direct
619.330.2328 Fax
www.entestbio.com
info@entestbio.com

Zebrafish study may shed light on cell regeneration in human heart

A new Spanish study has found that cardiac muscle cells known as cardiomyocytes carry out repair in an injured zebrafish heart - a finding that could provide insight into how human hearts could be made to repair themselves after a heart attack.

The research, conducted by Juan Carlos Izpisza Belmonte and his colleagues at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona (CMRB), found that these cellular grown-ups outperform stem cells in cardiac repair.

Izpisza Belmonte, professor in the Gene Expression Laboratory, said: "What the results of our study show is that mother nature utilizes other ways besides going all the way back to pluripotent stem cells to regenerate tissues and organs."

Izpisza Belmonte also noted, that at least in fish, the body may have evolved surprising repair strategies driven by cell types more seasoned than stem cells.

To identify which cells actually filled in excised zebrafish heart muscle, the researchers first used some genetic engineering to only make cardiomyocytes "transgenic" by inserting into them a tracer gene that made them glow green under a microscope.

Thereafter, they chopped off about 20 per cent of each fish ventricle and waited a couple of weeks for the hearts to regenerate: if regenerated heart muscle didn't glow, it would mean that cells other than cardiomyocytes, such as a cardiac stem cell population, had replaced the damaged muscle.

However, all regenerated heart muscle cells glowed green, indicating that well established cardiomyocytes remaining after injury had likely regressed to a more "youthful" state, started dividing again to replenish lost cells, and then matured a second time into new heart muscle.

The team also demonstrated that cardiomyocytes recaptured lost youth in part by re-activating the production of proteins associated with cell proliferation, factors typically expressed in immature progenitors.

Human hearts cannot undergo these types of regenerative changes on their own. When damaged by heart attack, our heart muscle is replaced by scar tissue incapable of contracting. However, prior to heart failure, damaged mammalian heart muscle cells enter a save-yourself state known as "hibernation," in which they cease contracting in an effort to survive.

Chris Jopling, a postdoctoral fellow of Izpisza Belmonte's at CMRB and first author of the study, believes human heart "hibernation" is significant.

He said: "During heart regeneration in the zebrafish we found that cardiomyocytes displayed structural changes similar to those observed in hibernating cardiomyocytes.

"Because of these similarities, we hypothesize that hibernating mammalian cardiomyocytes may represent cells that are attempting to proliferate."

Thus, it can be said that mammalian hearts can undergo a kind of metabolic "downsizing" that is a prelude to cell division.

Jopling said: "This idea fits nicely with the findings from a number of groups -- that forced expression of cell cycle regulators can induce cardiomyocyte proliferation in mammals.

"Maybe all they need is a bit of a push in the right direction."

Izpisza Belmonte added: "We can no longer view differentiated cells as being a static endpoint of the differentiation process.

"If we could mimic in mammalian cells what happens in zebrafish, perhaps we could be in a position to understand why regeneration does not occur in humans."

The study has appeared in the March 25, 2010 issue of Nature. (ANI)

New technique detects proteins that cause aging

Chemists and biologists from the University of Bath have developed a new technique that could be used to diagnose and develop treatments for age-related conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and cancer.

In these diseases, proteins in the body react with sugars in a process called glycation. This modifies the protein’s function and can trigger complications such as inflammation and premature aging.

The team at Bath, led by Dr Jean van den Elsen and Dr Tony James, has developed a technique that can detect glycated proteins and could in the future be used for diagnosing a whole range of diseases in patients.

They used a technique called gel electrophoresis, where samples are put into a thin gel layer and an electric current is applied. The gel acts like a molecular sieve, sorting proteins from the samples according to their size and shape, allowing scientists to identify whether specific proteins are present in the blood.

For this study, the researchers have patented a new type of gel electrophoresis, which uses boronic acid to distinguish between the glycated and unmodified proteins.

Dr Tony James from the University’s Department of Chemistry explained: “Not all sugars are ‘bad’ - in fact many proteins contain beneficial ‘good’ sugar units.

“However, some sugars can be ‘bad’ and cause complications in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and diabetes.

Dr Jean van den Elsen, from the University’s Department of Biology & Biochemistry, said: “Our method specifically recognises these ‘bad’ sugars in the presence of the ‘good’ sugars and as such is an excellent diagnostic tool.”

PhD student Marta Pereira Morais added: “We believe our method will also aid the development of new drug based therapies for these diseases.”

Whilst the technique has only been assessed in the lab at present, the researchers say it has the potential to be developed into a test for these conditions in patients.

Dr James added: “Currently there is no blood test for Alzheimer’s disease.

“If we can develop this technique into a test, doctors could potentially diagnose patients at an early stage before their symptoms show up in a brain scan.”

The method could also be used to diagnose diabetes, which also leads to elevated levels of glycated proteins in the blood.

Dr van den Elsen said: “Whilst there are other methods of detecting diabetes, this will be an excellent way to measure the level of this glycation damage.”

CONTACTS THAT WARN DIABETICS OF GLUCOSE LEVELS

Diabetics may soon be able to wear contact lenses that continuously alert them to variations in their glucose levels by changing colours - replacing the need to routinely draw blood throughout the day. The non-invasive technology uses extremely small nanoparticles embedded into the hydrogel lenses.

These engineered nanoparticles react with glucose molecules found in tears, causing a chemical reaction that changes their colour.

Zhang received $216,342 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) today (Dec. 16) to further develop technologies using multifunctional nanocomposites.

These technologies have vast potential applications beyond biomedical devices, including for food packaging. For example, nanocomposite films can prevent food spoilage by preventing oxygen, carbon dioxide and moisture from reaching fresh meats and other foods, or by measuring pathogenic contamination; others can make packaging increasingly biodegradable.

British Boy Becomes First in the World to Have Stem Cell Transplant

Thanks President Bush, for eight years of not allowing children to have life-saving surgeries! Go outdated theology! Rebecca Smith writes in the Telegraph:

A ten-year-old British boy has become the first child in the world to undergo a revolutionary windpipe transplant, it has been announced.

The landmark operation involved injecting the scaffold of a windpipe, taken from a dead donor, with stem cells from the boy before implanting it in his throat.

The stem cells were removed from the boy’s bone marrow and were ready for use just four hours later.

The cells trigger regrowth to create a normal windpipe without any of the risks of normal transplantation such as the organ being rejected by the body.

The operation took place at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London, on Monday and the boy is breathing by himself and able to speak normally.