Potential of the cell therapy for unmet medical needs

  Chis Mason, PhD (University of London), presented the potential of the cell therapy industry to become a multibillion dollar industry as a result of R&D, investment and media coverage. Emphasizing the difference between cell therapy and regenerative medicine, he spoke about the need to distinguish the two fields and allow them to grow to their full potential. Mason touted cell therapies as potentially revolutionary solutions for unmet medical needs and called for an effective business model to bring these therapies to market. Watch Presentation from 2011 World Stem Cell Summit: “Cell Therapy, Billion Dollar Global Business, Unlimited Potential, Chris Mason, PhD”   Further Reading and Related Videos 2012 World Stem Cell Summit 2011 Summit:…

Studing How & Why Cells Form Tumors

Stem cell researchers must learn how to prevent these tumors before any transplantation-based therapy can be successful. Paul Knoepfler has a CIRM grant to study how and why the cells form tumors and to help understand ways of preventing those tumors from forming. He is an assistant professor of cell biology and human anatomy at the UC, Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures and is associated with the Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine at Shriner’s Hospital for Children Northern California. Watch Video Paul’s blog is currently the only stem cell blog in the world written by a faculty level scientist. Knoepfler Lab Stem Cell Blog Advancing knowledge and cures.     Recommend on FacebookTell a friend

Hurdles in Developing a New Therapy

Stem cells have the potential to treat a wide range of diseases, but developing those cures is a process that has many hurdles. Dr. Hans Keirstead has a CIRM grant to develop a treatment for spinal cord injury. He is co-director of the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center and associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine.      Video     Recommend on FacebookTell a friend

Investigational and Experimental

Investigational or experimental drugs are new drugs that have not yet been approved by the FDA or approved drugs that have not yet been approved for a new use, and are in the process of being tested for safety and effectiveness. Patients may decide to seek access to investigational drugs for different reasons. Some patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses seek treatment with investigational drugs if FDA-approved therapies are not working or if their side effects are too severe. Others may have heard about promising early study results for a specific investigational drug, and they might want to learn more. Investigational drugs are available through two pathways designed to protect patients, because an investigational drug may pose…

Social Scientists Study Impact of Human Adult Stem Cell Research

Researchers say human pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cell research is complementary New research says studying both reprogrammed adult cells and embryonic stem cells can benefit medical science, but banning the study of embryonic stem cell research could harm studies of reprogrammed adult cells. Researchers from the University of Michigan, Stanford University and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. recently investigated whether the increased number of studies with induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells–adult cells that have been coaxed into an “embryo-like” state–has changed the overall course of research in the field. The researchers analyzed more than 2,000 scientific papers and found reprogrammed adult cells are not replacing human embryonic stems cells in the laboratory….

Overview of Early Development

An overview of early development of a zygote to an embryo.  This is a great video to help you better understand the big picture and engage in the discussion about stem cell research.  Source:  khanacademy.org         Recommend on FacebookTell a friend

Diseases and Injuries That Could Potentially Benefit From Stem Cell Research

Overwhelming majority of medical experts, medical organizations and patient advocacy groups agree that ALL types of stem cell research should be pursued. Below is some information on just some of the dozens of diseases and injuries that could benefit from this basic policy. Medical researchers believe that stem cells could potentially lead to cures for more than 70 diseases and injuries, including: Autoimmune Diseases/ Musculoskeletal/ Connective Tissue Disorders • Arthritis • Crohn’s Disease • Devic’s Syndrome • Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis • Multiple Sclerosis• Osteoporosis • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus) • Systemic Sclerosis • Type 1 Diabetes Cancers • Bladder/Kidney • Brain/Central Nervous System • Breast • Colon/Lower Bowel • Endometrium/Cervix/Ovary • Esophagus • Leukemia • Liver • Lungs/Respiratory System • Lymphoma • Myeloma • Pancreas • Prostate • Skin • Stomach Cardiovascular Diseases Acute Ischemic Heart Disease (angina) • Myocardial…

Stem Cell Research Advancements

Doctors, researchers and scientists are working every day on treatments and cures for heart disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries and many other afflictions. Several advances have been announced at institutions across the United States. Our friends, families and fellow citizens must allow this noble and important work to continue. Recent Advances in Stem Cell Research (Source Missouri Cures) About Stem Cell Breakthroughs  (Source Missouri Cures)       Recommend on FacebookTell a friend

Stem Cell Basics

There are many resources that can help you better understand stem cell research, from basic information about what stem cells are to detailed descriptions of how stem cells can improve human health.  The California Institute for Regenerative Medicince publishes a Stem Cell Basics Primer provides a good starting point for many of the topics in the news today including: Stem cell definitions, Creating new types of stem cells, Stem cell therapies, Stem cells accelerating basic research, Myths and misconceptions about stem cell research and Stem Cell Tourism.   Recommend on FacebookTell a friend

Stem Cell Therapies

Stem cells have the potential to treat a wide range of diseases, including diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, spinal cord injury, and heart disease. Learn why these cells are such a powerful tool for treating disease as well as what the current hurdles are before new therapies can become available. Turning stem cells into therapies Diseases and Injuries That Could Potentially Benefit From Stem Cell Research  Recommend on FacebookTell a friend

The NIH Center for Translational Therapeutics (NCTT)

August 2011 — NCTT Scientific Director, Dr. Christopher Austin gives a brief introduction to the NCTT research mission and how researchers can collaborate with the center on drug development projects. The NIH Center for Translational Therapeutics (NCTT) is an intramural research laboratory within the NIH with a unique operational model. We conduct research, bring scientific enhancements, and incorporate value to high risk – high reward extramural drug development projects across the therapeutic pipeline. Our research projects are all defined by collaborations and partnerships with investigators and organizations outside our research lab. Recommend on FacebookTell a friend

Repairing Your Heart: The Possibility of Cell Therapy (Part 2)

The second in a series of three videos that give information about what happens to the heart after a heart attack, including the likelihood of heart failure. These videos also provide information on some National Institutes of Health-sponsored clinical trials to find out if stem cells taken from a person’s own bone marrow can be placed into injured heart muscle to improve the heart’s function. Watch Video Recommend on FacebookTell a friend

Repairing the Heart: The Possibility of Cell Therapy (Part 3)

The third in a series of three videos that give information about what happens to the heart after a heart attack, including the likelihood of heart failure. These videos also provide information on some National Institutes of Health-sponsored clinical trials to find out if stem cells taken from a person’s own bone marrow can be placed into injured heart muscle to improve the heart’s function. Watch Video   Recommend on FacebookTell a friend

A Stem Cell Story

This 15-minute film provides an engaging, accessible and visually stunning introduction to the world of stem cell research. It uses innovative hand-drawn animation, beautiful cell photography and documentary interviews to capture the fascination and complexity of stem cells and regenerative medicine. Video Resource from EurStemCell Recommend on FacebookTell a friend

Stem Cell Banking: The Perspective of an iPS Donor Family

“Your twin daughters have an extremely rare, fatal disease called Niemann Pick Type C and there’s nothing you can do for them”. Those were the devastating words that Chris Hempel and her husband first heard in 2007. Rather than just give in to this fate, the Hempels are proactively engaging researchers to try to save Addi and Cassi’s lives. This journey includes donating skin samples to cell banks so that researchers can create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, a promising technology which may help undercover treatments for their daughters. In this video, Chris Hempel speaks to the CIRM Standards Working Group to present a patient advocate’s perspective on the challenges of rare disease research. Hempel…

Stem Cells, Explained

“The ABCs of Stem Cells” MD Anderson Presents: Patient Power A lot of this falls into the category of stem cell research. But a lot of us in the public really don’t understand what the controversy is. This episode of Patient Power can help demystify all of this and help you understand what stem cells are, stem cell research, and why there is excitement about it.  This episode reviews the definitions of the different kinds of stem cells, how they are currently being used, what research is happening in cancer and other health conditions, as well as a little bit of ethics around use, and of course, the future of stem cells and cancer.  Listen,…

Do You Know What Nano Means?

2011 Webby Award for Animation in the Online Film & Video Category Produced by: Science Alberta Foundation  By Artist: Daniel Gies Nano may mean small, very small, but when it comes to making your body work it is big, very big. If your fingernail is about one millimeter thick, and a nanometer is one millionth of a millimeter, you can imagine that there are a lot of nanomaterials making up that small space.   Source Recommend on FacebookTell a friend