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Hemangiomas and Stem Cells
Hemangiomas, noncancerous birthmarks resembling strawberries affect 4 to 10 percent of infants and are commonly harmless. However, hemangioma consisting of tangled blood vessels can result in destruction of the tissue and lead to vision or breathing difficulties in about 10 percent of cases. The tumors are treated by corticosteroids such as prednisone and dexamethasone since the 1960’s but corticosteroids are not always effective and may cause different side effects including growth retardation, swelling in the face, high blood pressure and hyperactivity. In addition, the mode of action of corticosteroids has remained unknown.
Corticosteroids were believed to target the endothelial cells which make up approximately 30 percent of the tumor cells but the researchers at the Children’s Hospital Boston have discovered that that is not the case. The research published in The New England Journal of Medicine on March 18, 2010, has shown that corticosteroids act on stem cells of hemangioma by inhibiting their ability to induce growth of blood vessels. This is achieved by inhibiting production of the VEGF, a factor which is responsible for stimulating the growth of blood vessels in malignant tumors and macular degeneration. Thus the researchers at the Children’s Hospital Boston finally managed to reveal the mode of action of corticosteroids as well as propose new and safer ways to inhibit and shrink the hemangioma by targeting the stem cells.
The earlier studies have shown that hemangiomas may develop as a result of an embryonic mutation in a stem cell which in turn results in disturbance of normal development of blood vessels. Thus targeting the stem cell – inhibiting its proliferation, preventing its differentiation into undesired blood vessels and eliminating the source of the VEGF-A may significantly limit the growth of hemangioma.
Subscribe to the comments for this postDuke University receives $10 million from the Robertson Foundation
The Robertson Foundation, founded by Julian H. Robertson, Jr. and his wife Josie and their family in 1996 decided to donate $10,2 million to the Duke University to aid the Duke’s research of umbilical cord blood stem cells for treatment of cerebral palsy. It is the largest private donation to fund the medical research and study at the local universities
The money from the donation will be used for the establishment of the Translational Cell Therapy Center at Duke University which will significantly advance the research of treatments based on stem cells and especially the work of Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg who has a long history in research of stem cells for treatment of cancer and series of other disorders and diseases including genetic disorders in children. Julian Robertson stated that Dr. Kreutzberg work may significantly change thousands of lives in the country as well as in other parts of the world. The importance of Dr. Kreutzberg and her team’s work was also underlined by Dr. Victor Dzau, chief executive officer of Duke University Health System and chancellor for health affairs who also emphasized the importance of the Translational Cell Therapy Center for the future research of stem cell therapies and programs for patients suffering from series of diseases and disorders including cancer and diabetes because of the potentials of the stem cells which have the capacity to develop and grow into many kinds of specialized cells in the body.
Dr. Joanne Kreutzberg is a division chief of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation at the Duke University and medical director of Carolinas Cord Blood Bank. She is known as pioneer of the use of umbilical cord blood stem cells as treatment for cancer and children’s genetic disorders.
Influence of Geometric Patterns on Development of Stem Cells
Use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes has great potentials and scientists all over the world are working on the identification of conditions necessary for development of specific stem cell lines and their use for therapeutic purposes. So far, the majority of scientists were focused on the role of proteins in future development and behavior of stem cells but the scientists at the University of Chicago used geometrical patterns to manipulate the stem cell development. The approach of the research group led by Milan Mrksich may seem unusual but the team has shown that the shape plays very important role in stem cell development.
Milan Mrksich and his team at the University of Chicago are renowned for their work in development of methods for control of shapes, sizes and location of cells with patterning surfaces. Their new research published in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on March 1, 2010, reveals the importance of structural shape for the fate of stem cells which has been ignored by the majority of scientists. The researchers have proven that the shape alone determines whether the cells will develop into bone or fat. The star-shaped cells were shown to induce tense cytoskeleton, while loose cytoskeleton is promoted by a flower shape. Thus the star shape leads to development of stem cells into bone and flower shape into fat.
The leader of the research group Mrksich admits that their method to manipulate and control stem cell development is far from being ready for stem cell production and use in therapeutic purposes but it reveals the importance of different approaches to the study of stem cells and may have a significant influence on the future direction in the stem cell field.
The study was funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Cancer Institute.
Freeze Cancer And It Will Die
FOX News’ “Medical A Team” offered its viewers a great interview with Dr. Cynara Coomer, their medical contributor on cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is a method of freezing the cancer cells and thus killing them. The focus is on breast cancer, although it might work on other types of cancer too.
Dr. Coomer explains the advantages and disadvantages of cryotherapy, and how effective it really is. It seems very promosing, so we recommend you to watch the video below.
SpineSmith at the 5th Annual Stem Cell Summit
All the leading medical, scientific and financial pioneers in the regenerative science applications will meet at the 5th Annual Stem Cell Summit that is going to be held in New York on February 16, 2010. The Summit meeting has become a prominent forum on the advances in stem cell science and technology with aim to develop effective and safe stem cell therapies both for prevention and treatment of series of diseases.
SpineSmith Partners, LP has been sponsoring and attending the Summit meeting for many years and has become one of the leading companies in the field of regenerative science and medicine. The company is best known for its innovations in the treatment of spinal disorders with a focus on medical devices and biologic therapies offering implants and technology for surgical attachment, alignment and spinal tissue regeneration. SpineSmith has also founded the company Celling Technologies focusing on study and development of stem cell therapies in close collaboration with scientists and health care providers such as Dr. Robert Johnson of Neurosurgical Associates of San Antonio. At the Summit, Dr. Johnson will present new newest results concerning application of stem cell therapy for spinal treatment and showing the potentials of regenerative science with emphasis on the application of autologous cells in spinal treatment.
Celling Technologies is focused on development of new technologies in the field of regenerative science and medicine which has advanced tremendously in recent years. Dr. James Poser who is vice president of regenerative medicine at the company has emphasized the potentials of the regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy, application of autologous cells as well as the importance of close collaboration with experts in the field of regenerative science. He also said he is looking forward to participate the 5th Annual Stem Cell Summit as well as the future meetings. Celling’s research and products encompass devices and autologous cell therapies for many conditions including spine, injury, cardiovascular disease and orthopedics.
Vitro Announces Co-Sponsoring of Keystone Symposium on Stem Cells
Vitro Diagnostics, Inc. (dba Vitro Biopharma) announced co-sponsoring of the Keystone Symposium on cell stems that is going to be held at the Keystone Resort Conference Center from February 15- February 20, 2010. The company is best known for adult stem cell applications, US patents for adult stem cells production and pending US patents for iPS cell generation. At the meeting, Vitro Biopharma will present more information about the research concerning its pending patent for alternative technology for iPS cell generation.
The iPS cells are believed to have the same abilities as human embryonic stem cells including development into any type of cells in the body. Scientists all over the world intensively work on the technology for iPS cell generation with aim to develop an effective generation of stem cells without the use of controversial human embryonic stem cells.
The first technology for production of iPS cells was reported to be developed in 2007 and involved genetic engineering of fibroblast cells and increased expression of four genes. Vitro’s patent pending technology is notable for increased expression of one gene (POU5-F1) only which is believed to be the main regulator of pluripotency. Thus iPS cell generation would not require genetic engineering which is the main obstacle for the use of iPS cells for commercial and therapeutic purposes.
Vitro’s chief executive officer Dr. Jim Musick has stated that his company is proud to be the co-sponsor of the symposium on stem cells where scientists from all over the world will present the progress that was made in the research of iPS cells. He also said that Vitro has completed its first studies concerning the technology for generation of iPS cells involving expression of the gene known as POU5-F1 and that the results will be presented at the Keystone Symposium.
Vitamin C and Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell
The exciting news that scientists developed stem cells from the human adult cells in 2007 was followed by frustrating reality that the scientists are they are still trying to increase its efficiency. Typically, only 0,01 percent of fibroblast cells are successfully transformed into induced pluripotent stem cells. The iPS cells can develop into any kind of cell type promising the repair or replacement of damaged tissues and organs as well as treatment of various diseases in the future.
The researchers at the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health in China have managed to increase the efficiency of iPS cell production by using vitamin C. Generation of iPS cells is triggered by introduction of genes or proteins to adult cells commonly involving a virus. The Chinese researchers led by Duanqing Pei have discovered that the same factors that are used for transformation of non-pluripotent cells into pluripotent ones also create the free radicals or reactive oxygen species which are known to increase cell death. In order to block the free radicals Pei and his team added different antioxidants including vitamin C to the medium used for growth of mouse cells. They discovered that the medium containing vitamin C had 30% more cells than the one that did not. In addition, vitamin C increased the pluripotency of the cell population. 10 to 20 percent of cells grown with vitamin C expressed pluripotency genes after 14 days, while only 0,1 to 0,2 of cell population grown without vitamin C expressed pluripotency genes in the same period of time.
Pei and his team also tried with other types of antioxidants but they were less efficient in compare to vitamin C. The results of the study which were published in Cell Stem Cell in December 2009 imply that a yet unidentified factor may play an important role in the development of pluripotency.
Software Program Foresees Stem Cell Behavior
Stem cells are crucial for human development and play an essential role in tissue and organ repair due to injury or disease. The progress in stem cell science has achieved a tremendous progress but the scientists and biologists still do not have all the necessary means to control the differentiation of stem cells that is required for the use of stem cell therapies for therapeutic purposes. Andrew Cohen who is an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has developed a software program foretelling which specialized cells will be developed by a stem cell and their future behavior even before the division of stem cell takes place. The software program bases on analyzing of time-lapse behavior of live stem cells.
Cohen’s software will help the scientists in search for methods to control the specialization of stem cells which is the leading obstacle in furthering the use of stem cells for treatment of diseases. His software predicts the production of specialized cells with 87% accuracy and foresees when self-renewal will result in specialization with 99% accuracy which may make the software very useful for research of cancer cells characterized by continuous self-renewal.
The problem of unpredictability of the outcome of cell division is perhaps best best expressed in stem cell treatment of age related macular degeneration. In order to treat the eye disease with stem cells these would need to develop a larger amount of photoreceptive cells. However, once implanted into the retina they can produce other types of cells and potentially worsen the patient’s vision. The Cohen’s software which was designed for isolation of the genes, proteins and other factors that are responsible for control of cell specialization could enable both identification and manipulation of stem cell differentiation.
Anorexics Have Excess Fat in Bone Marrow
Excess fat and anorexia may be an oxymoron but the researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston have discovered that people who suffer from anorexia nervosa have excess fat in their bone marrow. The study which was published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research in February 2010 bases on MRI scans of the knees in 20 healthy girls and 20 girls with anorexia, while the images were evaluated by radiologists not knowing which scans came from girls with anorexia and which from the healthy ones.
The results of the study have shown that girls with anorexia had significantly elevated levels of fat in their knees. In comparison with healthy girls they had less than one half of the healthy marrow confirming the earlier findings in mice with symptoms similar to those in anorexia. The results of the newest study, animal researches and some previous researches shed more light on loss of bone mass in anorexics sometimes leading to development of osteoporosis and even fracture. Improper nutrition activates differentiation of stem cells in bone marrow into fat cells instead osteoblasts, cells which are responsible for bone formation. This is particularly problematic because the majority of anorexics are young women in adolescence who experience loss of bone density at the time when the bone formation should be at its height.
The research group led by Catherine Gordon MD, MSc and director of the Bone Health Program at the Children’s Hospital Boston has announced further studies to determine why stem cells differentiate into fat cell instead osteoblasts in anorexics. One theory that may explain such process is the attempt of the body to store energy and warmth. Gordon’s team also wants to determine the link between excess fat in bone marrow and bone density, and is currently testing whether MRI scans can be used to evaluate the efficacy of treatments for improvement of bone mass.
FDA Approves Clinical Study Involving Stem Cells for Cerebral Palsy in Children
Cerebral palsy is a serious condition affecting up to 3 children in 1,000. It is caused by a injury of the brain or inadequate oxygenation of the brain before, during or after birth in the first years of life. The condition can affect movement, cognitive skills, vision and hearing. At the time of writing there is no cure for cerebral palsy but the FDA has approved the first clinical study to determine the potential benefits of stem cells for children with cerebral palsy.
The study will be conducted by at Medical College of Georgia and will research the potential benefits of stem cell therapy for children will cerebral palsy. 40 children from 2 to 12 years will participate in the trial after being neurologically examined. Children that can participate in the study must meet the following conditions: inability to sit without assistance by 12 months of age or inability to walk by 18 months of age, not having seizures or having seizures that can be controlled. One half of the participants will receive a stem cell infusion from their own cord blood, while the other 20 children will receive a placebo. Both groups will be examined by physicians not knowing which children received stem cell infusion and placebo after three months. Then the children that received a placebo will be given the infusion. All will be re-examined after three and six months later.
The purpose of the study is not use of stem cells as a potential cure for cerebral palsy but the evaluation of the potential benefits of stem cell therapy for children who have cerebral palsy. The results of the animal studies are encouraging as well as the therapy involving core blood that has been used for two decades. However, the research that will be conducted at Medical College of Georgia is going to be the first controlled clinical study involving stem cells.