NextVolume 11.13 April 12, 2010Previous

New Discovery Could Speed Up Liver Repair
West Australian scientists have discovered a way to double the speed of liver cell growth, which could herald the beginning of new regeneration treatment for patients with liver damage and make transplantations a thing of the past. [Press release from Western Australian Institute for Medical Research discussing online prepublication in Hepatology]
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New Tool Developed for DNA Research
Researchers have developed a tool which could solve two main problems with luminescent DNA markers: A tool that you might call a molecular gauge. [Press release from University of Copenhagen discussing online prepublication in Journal of the American Chemical Society]
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Recent Advances Lead to a Breakthrough Method for Expanded Medical Use of Adult Stem Cells
At a recent scientific symposium, Vitro Diagnostics, Inc. scientists presented their evidence that expression of a single gene within adult stem cells resulted in expanded differentiation capacity comparable to embryonic stem cells that have the capacity to differentiate into any cell of the body. [Market Wire Press Release]
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Supplement Your Stem Cells
Recent research suggests that a commercially-available supplement can increase the blood circulation of hematopoietic stem cells, which can give rise to all blood cells, and endothelial progenitor cells. [Press release from EurekAlert! discussing online prepublication in Journal of Translational Medicine]
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New Study on Promise of Gene Therapy for Leber Congenital Amaurosis
In a recent study published recently researchers found that only a limited number of patients possess the exact genetic mutation necessary for a positive outcome from therapy for Leber Congenital Amaurosis. [Press release from EurekAlert! discussing online prepublication in Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus]
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Researchers Grow High Purity Liver Tissue from Stem Cells
A research group has developed a new method for growing liver tissue using Induced Pluripotent Stem cells, resulting in high purity cells that have high expectations for medical application. [The Mainichi Daily News]
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Magnetic Attraction of Stem Cells Creates More Potent Treatment for Heart Attack
Researchers have found in animals that infusing cardiac-derived stem cells with micro-size particles of iron and then using a magnet to guide those stem cells to the area of the heart damaged in a heart attack boosts the heart's retention of those cells and could increase the therapeutic benefit of stem cell therapy for heart disease. [Press release from EurekAlert! discussing online prepublication in Circulation Research]
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Scientists Grow Replacement Blood Vessels from Stem Cells
Blood vessels engineered from laboratory-grown stem cells have worked well in animals, researchers say, and might someday replace the synthetic products now in use. [HealthDay Press Release]
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Stem Cell Treatment Shows Early Promise: Celgene
Celgene Corp. said recently that its experimental stem cell treatment showed promise in a tiny, Phase I study of patients with Crohn's disease who failed to respond to prior therapy, according to initial results. [Reuters Press Release]
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Brain Tumor-Causing Stem Cells Also Found to Have Role in Severe Epilepsy
Researchers have published a study that identifies a group of abnormal stem cells that contribute to severe epilepsy in children. [University College of London Institute of Child Health Press Release]
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Report from Living Cell Technologies’ Russian Phase I/IIa Diabetes Trial
Living Cell Technologies has confirmed that the three-year follow up of its Phase I/IIa clinical trial in Russia of its DIABECELL® treatment in insulin-dependent diabetics has successfully met its end points of demonstrating safety and tolerability. [Living Cell Technologies Limited Press Release]
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CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

Stem Cells: Skin Regeneration and Repair
Different types of stem cell maintain the skin's epidermis and contribute to its healing after damage. The identity of a stem-cell type that gives rise to different epidermal-cell lineages has just been revealed. [Nature]
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Control of Mammary Stem Cell Function by Steroid Hormone Signaling
Researchers demonstrate that mouse mammary stem cells are highly responsive to steroid hormone signaling, despite lacking the oestrogen and progesterone receptors. [Nature]
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An Expanded Oct4 Interaction Network: Implications for Stem Cell Biology, Development, and Disease
Researchers find that Oct4 associates with a varied set of proteins including regulators of gene expression and modulators of Oct4 function. [Cell Stem Cell]
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Clinical and Immunological Outcome of Patients with Cartilage Hair Hypoplasia After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Since long-term experience in larger cohorts of cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH) patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is currently unreported, researchers performed a European collaborative survey reporting on 16 patients with CHH and immunodeficiency who underwent HSCT. [Blood]
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Magnetic Targeting Enhances Engraftment and Functional Benefit of Iron-Labeled Cardiosphere-Derived Cells in Myocardial Infarction
Investigators sought to counter the efflux of transplanted cells by rendering them magnetically responsive and imposing an external magnetic field on the heart during and immediately after injection. [Circ Res]
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Epigenetic Stability Increases Extensively During Drosophila Follicle Stem Cell Differentiation
Results suggest that stem/early progenitor cells cannot accurately transmit nongenetic information to their progeny; full epigenetic competence is acquired only gradually during early differentiation. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]
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A Unique Fluorescent Base Analogue for the Expansion of the Genetic Alphabet
Researchers present a novel fluorescent purine analogue, 7-(2,2'-bithien-5-yl)-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (Dss). Dss would be a powerful tool for fluorescent base replacements at specific positions in functional DNA and RNA molecules. [J Am Chem Soc]
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Nutraceutical Augmentation of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Human Subjects
Data suggest Stem-Kine supplementation may be useful as a stimulator of reparative processes associated with mobilization of hematopoietic and endothelial progenitors. [J Transl Med]
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University of Chicago Physician Named to Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
Daniel Sulmasy, MD, PhD, the Kilbride-Clinton Professor of Medicine and Ethics in the Department of Medicine and the Divinity School, and Associate Director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago, has been named to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. [Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, United States]
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Indian Council of Medical Research-Department of Biotechnology Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Therapy (2007) - Public Consultation
To generate consensus of important organizations and people of India, a Public Consultation for Eastern Region including West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh is scheduled to be held on the 17th of April 2010. [Indian Council of Medical Research, India]
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RXi Pharmaceuticals and TransDerm Announce Formation of Research Collaboration
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation and TransDerm, Inc. announced that they will collaborate on studying the potential utility of RXi's proprietary compounds in dermatology models. [RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation Press Release]
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Cancerguide Diagnostics Inks Multi-Year License and Research Collaboration Pact with Duke
This relationship provides CancerGuide with exclusive commercial rights to a portfolio of well-published and rigorously-validated molecular signatures that predict response for targeted therapeutics as well as collaborative access to clinical research and new molecular discoveries from Duke. [CancerGuide Diagnostics, Inc. Press Release]
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Fate Therapeutics Expands Stem Cell Modulator Pipeline with Acquisition of Verio Therapeutics
Under the terms of the agreement, Fate Therapeutics has formed a Canadian subsidiary, which will continue Verio’s discovery and development operations in Ottawa. The transaction has been approved on behalf of the boards of directors of both companies. [Fate Therapeutics, Inc. Press Release]
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Cerus and Oxford Finance Corporation Enter into $10 Million Growth Capital Credit Facility
Cerus Corporation announced that it has secured a $10 million growth capital credit facility from Oxford Finance Corporation. The credit facility is secured by Cerus' assets other than intellectual property. [Cerus Corporation Press Release]
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International Stem Cell Corporation Provides Strategic Update on Its Skin Care Program
International Stem Cell Corporation announces that its wholly owned subsidiary, Lifeline Skin Care Inc., has achieved positive results in human safety tests of its cosmetic products and is moving forward with arrangements with Cosmetic Enterprises Ltd. for the manufacture of three cosmetic products. [International Stem Cell Corporation Press Release]
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Institute Forms Partnership with Group in Tokyo
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine has formed an international partnership that holds promise for accelerating the pace of developing therapies for patients. [Winston-Salem Journal]
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Radient Pharmaceuticals Enters Into Collaboration Agreement With Jaiva Technologies to Advance Commercialization of Radient's CIT™ Cancer Vaccine in India
Radient Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced it has entered into an exclusive 5-year collaboration agreement with Jaiva Technologies. [CNN Money]
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iScience Interventional, Inc. Enters into a Collaborative Supply Agreement with Centocor Research and Development, Inc. on a Minimally-Invasive Approach to Deliver Cell Therapies
iScience Interventional, pioneers of site-specific therapies for anterior and posterior ocular diseases, announced it has signed a collaborative agreement with Centocor R&D, Inc. [Business Wire]
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Merck’s $6 Billion Millipore Deal 'Worth Every Euro'
Merck KGaA’s $6 billion purchase of U.S. biotechnology equipment supplier Millipore Corp. is “worth every euro,” Chief Executive Officer Karl-Ludwig Kley told shareholders at the annual meeting in Frankfurt recently. [Bloomberg Business Week]
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Cipla May Pick Up Stake in Manipal's Stem Cell Unit Arm
According to industry sources, Cipla is expected to invest close to Rs 45 crore in this relatively new firm, which has been working on a pipeline of products for the past five years focused on degenerative diseases. [Business Standard]
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Regenerative Medical Firm Plans to Expand Operations
Stemnion, a privately held company taking an innovative approach to treating wounds through regenerative medicine, has finished enrollment for first-phase clinical trials and is expanding its South Oakland operations. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
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Alnylam Announces Grant of New United States Patent Broadly Covering RNAi Therapeutics
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the United States Patent Office has allowed a patent (Application No. 10/560,336) for the Woppmann et al. patent series, entitled “Double-stranded ribonucleic acid with increased effectiveness in an organism.” [Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Press Release]
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AllCells LLC Announces Facilities Expansion
AllCells LLC recently announced it has completed its expansion into 10,000 additional square feet of office and laboratory production space located in Emeryville, California. [Business Wire]
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Osiris Therapeutics Considers Incorporating in Maryland for Tax Savings
Osiris Therapeutics is asking its shareholders to approve a plan for the Columbia biotechnology firm to reincorporate in Maryland — a move the company says could help it save thousands of dollars a year in tax charges. [Baltimore Business Journal]
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Key Budget Question: $12.4 Million or $6.2 Million for Stem Cell Funding?
A General Assembly budget conference committee started discussions recently to seek a resolution on how much to allocate for stem cell research grants in fiscal 2011, with the House and Senate versions on the legislation far apart. [The Gazette]
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Washington Life Sciences Fund Awards $15 Million
Three separate research programs in Seattle were awarded about $5 million each by Washington state’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund. [Puget Sound Business Journal]
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Jackson Lab Biomedical Research and Ave Maria as Neighbors. Can They Co-Exist?
While the mission of Jackson Lab Biomedical Research is clear, its means toward accomplishing that mission still are being unraveled by residents of Collier County and those surrounding the small conservative university — specifically, whether the nonprofit biomedical group conducts the type of research considered contrary to Catholic doctrine. [Naples News]
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National Human Genome Research Institute Names New Chief of Genome Technology Branch
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has named Lawrence C. Brody, Ph.D., as the new chief of its Genome Technology Branch, the largest of seven branches in the NHGRI Division of Intramural Research.
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Minor Use Minor Species Development of Drugs; Research Project Grant (R01) (RFA-FD-10-001)
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Bioengineering Nanotechnology Initiative [STTR (R41/R42)] (PA-10-149)
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Bioengineering Nanotechnology Initiative [SBIR (R43/R44)] (PA-10-150)
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Clinical Investigator Status (Biologics)
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Background on Study Results of U.S. Academic Researchers
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FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (United States)

May 7, 2010: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting Announcement
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Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001]
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Secretary Sebelius Announces Five New Health and Human Services Regional Directors
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