Adult Gene Medicine and Genetic Health

New York Stem Cell Foundation scientist grows bone from human embryonic stem cells

Public release date: 14-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: David McKeon dmckeon@nyscf.org 212-365-7440 New York Stem Cell Foundation

NEW YORK, NY (May 14, 2012) — Dr. Darja Marolt, an Investigator at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Laboratory, is lead author on a study showing that human embryonic stem cells can be used to grow bone tissue grafts for use in research and potential therapeutic application. Dr. Marolt conducted this research as a post-doctoral NYSCF Druckenmiller Fellow at Columbia University in the laboratory of Dr. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic.

The study is the first example of using bone cell progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells to grow compact bone tissue in quantities large enough to repair centimeter-sized defects. When implanted in mice and studied over time, the implanted bone tissue supported blood vessel ingrowth, and continued development of normal bone structure, without demonstrating any incidence of tumor growth.

Dr. Marolt’s work is a significant step forward in using pluripotent stem cells to repair and replace bone tissue in patients. Bone replacement therapies are relevant in treating patients with a variety of conditions, including wounded military personnel, patients with birth defects, or patients who have suffered other traumatic injury.

Since conducting this work as proof of principle at Columbia University, Dr. Marolt has continued to build upon this research as an Investigator in the NYSCF Laboratory, developing bone grafts from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. iPS cells are similar to embryonic stem cells in that they can also give rise to nearly any type of cell in the body, but iPS cells are produced from adult cells and as such are individualized to each patient. By using iPS cells rather than embryonic stem cells to engineer tissue, Dr. Marolt hopes to develop personalized bone grafts that will avoid immune rejection and other implant complications.

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The New York Stem Cell Foundation has supported Dr. Marolt’s research throughout her career, first through a NYSCF Druckenmiller Fellowship to fund her post-doctoral work at Columbia University, and now with a NYSCF Helmsley Investigator Award at The New York Stem Cell Foundation Laboratory. “The continuity of funding provided by NYSCF has allowed me to continue my research uninterrupted, making progress more quickly than would have otherwise been possible,” Dr. Marolt said.

The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) conducts cutting-edge translational stem cell research in its laboratory in New York City and supports research by stem cell scientists at other leading institutions around the world. More information is available at www.nyscf.org.

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New York Stem Cell Foundation scientist grows bone from human embryonic stem cells

Study identifies how skeletal muscle stem cells respond to muscle injury

A study conducted by Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland scientists identifies how skeletal muscle stem cells respond to muscle injury and may be stimulated to improve muscle repair in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a severe inherited disease of muscle that causes weakness, disability and, ultimately, heart and respiratory failure.

The study, led by Julie D. Saba, MD, PhD, senior scientist at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), shows that a lipid signaling molecule called sphingosine-1-phosphate or “S1P” can trigger an inflammatory response that stimulates the muscle stem cells to proliferate and assist in muscle repair. It further shows that mdx mice, which have a disease similar to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, exhibit a deficiency of S1P, and that boosting their S1P levels improves muscle regeneration in these mice. A research report describing the study findings will be published online (http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0037218) on May 14, 2012 in the journal Public Library of Science ONE (PLoS ONE).

Skeletal muscle is the biggest “organ” system of the human body. It is important for all human activity. Muscles can be injured by trauma, inactivity, aging and a variety of inherited muscle diseases. Importantly however, skeletal muscle is one of the few tissues of the human body that has the potential to fully repair itself after injury. The ability of muscles to regenerate themselves is attributed to the presence of a form of adult stem cells called “satellite cells” that are essential for muscle repair. Normally, satellite cells lie quietly at the periphery of the muscle fiber and do not grow, move or become activated. However, after muscle injury, these stem cells “wake up” through unclear mechanisms and fuse with the injured muscle, stimulating a complicated process that results in the rebuilding of a healthy muscle fiber.

S1P is a lipid signaling molecule that controls the movement and proliferation of many human cell types. Other scientists had shown previously that S1P can activate satellite cells, but they did not know how this occurred.

“We have been studying S1P signaling for many years,” states Dr. Saba. “In 2003, we published a report demonstrating that fruit fly mutants with defective S1P metabolism were unable to fly because they developed a muscle disease or “myopathy” that led to degeneration of their flight muscles. Based on that observation, I became convinced that S1P signaling played an important role in muscle stability and homeostasis, not just in flies but in mammals, including humans.”

Dr. Saba’s team has discovered how S1P is able to “wake up” the stem cells at the time of injury. It involves the ability of S1P to activate S1P receptor 2, one of its five cell surface receptors, leading to downstream activation of an inflammatory pathway controlled by a transcription factor called STAT3. They showed that S1P is rapidly produced in the muscle immediately after injury, leading to an S1P “signal.” S1P, acting through S1P receptor 2, leads to activation of STAT3, resulting in changes in gene expression that cause the satellite cell to leave its “sleeping” state and start to proliferate and assist in muscle repair.

Human embryonic stem cells can be used to grow bone tissue grafts

Published on May 15, 2012 at 5:02 AM

Dr. Darja Marolt, an Investigator at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Laboratory, is lead author on a study showing that human embryonic stem cells can be used to grow bone tissue grafts for use in research and potential therapeutic application. Dr. Marolt conducted this research as a post-doctoral NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellow at Columbia University in the laboratory of Dr. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic.

The New York Stem Cell Foundation has supported Dr. Marolt’s research throughout her career, first through a NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellowship to fund her post-doctoral work at Columbia University, and now with a NYSCF – Helmsley Investigator Award at The New York Stem Cell Foundation Laboratory. “The continuity of funding provided by NYSCF has allowed me to continue my research uninterrupted, making progress more quickly than would have otherwise been possible,” Dr. Marolt said.

Source: New York Stem Cell Foundation

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Human embryonic stem cells can be used to grow bone tissue grafts

Pluristem trial finds stem cells improve cardiac dysfunction

Pluristem Therapeutics Ltd. (Nasdaq:PSTI; DAX: PJT: PLTR) today reported that the cardiac function in a diabetic-induced diastolic dysfunction in animals improved following PLacental eXpanded (PLX cells) administration.

The study was conducted as part of the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7) in collaboration with Prof. Doctor Carsten Tschope and his staff at the Charite Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin-Bradenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany.

Dr. Tschope said, “Currently, there are limited treatment options for diastolic dysfunction and even fewer options for diabetic induced diastolic dysfunction. This study holds promise that PLX cells might be able to inhibit diabetic induced diastolic dysfunction progression as well as possibly repair the existing damage, hypotheses that will be further explored in future studies.”

Diabetes was induced in thirty-six mice resulting in the development of diastolic heart failure. After seven days, the animals received either PLX cells from two separate batches or placebo (12 subjects in each of the three groups). Ten mice were not treated (controls).

After three weeks, several cardiac parameters were assessed and found to be significantly improved following the treatment with PLX cells. Important measurements included the cardiac ejection fraction and the left ventricular (LV) relaxation time constant, believed to be the best index of LV diastolic function and a determination of the stiffness of the ventricle. Cardiac ejection fraction improved 19%, the left ventricular relaxation time constant fell 16% and stiffness of the ventricle fell 19%.

Administration of either batch of PLX cells also resulted in a significant anti-inflammatory effect.

Pluristem chairman and CEO Zami Alberman said, “As we demonstrated last week with the announcement that our cells successfully treated the seven year old patient suffering from aplastic bone marrow disease, our strategy is to develop a minimally invasive cell therapy solution that can be used to treat a wide range of life-threatening diseases. Our initial testing of a treatment for diastolic heart disease opens a new potential indication where our cells can be used and potentially positions Pluristem as a “first-line of defense” for diastolic dysfunction.”

Pluristem’s share price jumped 5.6% in pre-market trading on Nasdaq to $3.01, giving a market cap of $126.33 million. The share rose 10.6% on the TASE today to NIS 11.50.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on May 15, 2012

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Pluristem trial finds stem cells improve cardiac dysfunction

Stem Cell Market & Cord Blood Banking Industry Research Reports at 10% Discount – Limited Period Offer

DALLAS, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ —

ReportsnReports.com announces a Flat 10% Discount on ALL market research reports by BioInformant WorldWide, LLC through June 20, 2012. Whether stem cells are to be studied functionally or based on source tissues, our database of reports on stem cells is sure to meet your research requirements.

Here is a list of reports on which you get a Flat 10% Discount through June 20, 2012:

The stem cell research products market (excluding stem cell antibodies) was valued at $1.28 billion for the full year 2011 and is projected to increase to $2.10 billion by 2016. The total market for all types of stem cell products – including stem cell research products, stem cell antibodies, and stem cell therapies – was valued at $5.72 billion for the full year 2011. This report identifies, defines, and quantifies each market segment within the stem cell product industry.

This research helps you with data and analysis on rate of entrants to the cord blood banking industry, revenue distinctions among existing banks, effect of new entrants for existing competitors, leveraging global tactics for growth and more.

As of 2012, 510 cord blood banks are active in 97 countries around the world. This database contains nearly 7000 global cord blood industry contacts from top 15 countries and around 9 categories.

This market research report focuses on recent advances in MSC research applications, explores research priorities by market segment, highlights individual labs and end-users of MSC research products, explores the competitive environment for MSC research products, and provides 5-year growth and trend analysis.

This study explores the complex IP landscape affecting development of human embryonic stem cell products, providing clear guidance for companies that want to enter the product area.

Explore information on applications, application priorities, patents, projected 5-years market growth, Competitors covering suppliers of neural stem & progenitor cell products and their products offered, Specialty pharmaceutical companies in neural stem & progenitor cell therapies, Breakdown of stem cell research activity by cell type, Potential end-users of neural stem cell products, Product ideas & suggestions and more.

This report uses end-user surveys of expectant parents and technology-derived data to determine the factors involved in parental-decision making. More than 1,200 expectation parents in the U.S., Canada, Europe and other international regions answered a detailed survey between November 2008 and January 2009.

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Stem Cell Market & Cord Blood Banking Industry Research Reports at 10% Discount – Limited Period Offer

Scientists discover clues to muscle stem cell functions

ScienceDaily (May 15, 2012) A study conducted by Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland scientists identifies how skeletal muscle stem cells respond to muscle injury and may be stimulated to improve muscle repair in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a severe inherited disease of muscle that causes weakness, disability and, ultimately, heart and respiratory failure.

The study, led by Julie D. Saba, MD, PhD, senior scientist at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), shows that a lipid signaling molecule called sphingosine-1-phosphate or “S1P” can trigger an inflammatory response that stimulates the muscle stem cells to proliferate and assist in muscle repair. It further shows that mdx mice, which have a disease similar to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, exhibit a deficiency of S1P, and that boosting their S1P levels improves muscle regeneration in these mice. A research report describing the study findings will be published online on May 14, 2012 in the journal Public Library of Science ONE (PLoS ONE).

“These findings are important especially for certain muscle diseases or “myopathies” that can affect children,” states Dr. Saba. The most common and one of the most severe myopathies is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a disease that affects young boys and often leads to death from respiratory and heart failure in a patient’s twenties. Although patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy start out life with enough satellite cells to repair the patients’ degenerating muscles, over time the satellite cells fail to keep up with the rate of muscle degeneration. “We found that mdx mice, which have a disease similar to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, are deficient in S1P. We were able to increase the S1P levels in the mice using a drug that blocks S1P breakdown. This treatment increased the number of satellite cells in the muscles and improved the efficiency of muscle regeneration after injury.”

If these findings are also found to be true in humans with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, it may be possible to use similar approaches to boost S1P levels in order to improve satellite cell function and muscle regeneration in patients with the disease. Drugs that block S1P metabolism and boost S1P levels are now being tested for the treatment of other human diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. If these studies prove to be relevant in Duchenne patients, it may be possible to use the same drugs to improve muscle regeneration in these patients. Alternatively, new agents that can specifically activate S1P receptor 2 could also be beneficial in recruiting satellite cells and improving muscle regeneration in muscular dystrophy and potentially other diseases of muscle.

This work was supported by grants from the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the National Institutes of Health and a fellowship award from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

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Bone grown from human embryonic stem cells

Washington, May 15 : In a new study, researchers have shown that human embryonic stem cells can be used to grow bone tissue grafts for use in research and potential therapeutic application.

The study is the first example of using bone cell progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells to grow compact bone tissue in quantities large enough to repair centimeter-sized defects.

When implanted in mice and studied over time, the implanted bone tissue supported blood vessel ingrowth, and continued development of normal bone structure, without demonstrating any incidence of tumor growth.

Dr. Darja Marolt, an Investigator at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Laboratory, is the lead author on the study.

She conducted the study as a post-doctoral NYSCF ‘ Druckenmiller Fellow at Columbia University in the laboratory of Dr. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic.

iPS cells are similar to embryonic stem cells in that they can also give rise to nearly any type of cell in the body, but iPS cells are produced from adult cells and as such are individualized to each patient.

By using iPS cells rather than embryonic stem cells to engineer tissue, Dr. Marolt hopes to develop personalized bone grafts that will avoid immune rejection and other implant complications. (ANI)

TiGenix Reports Business & Financial Results for the First Quarter 2012

LEUVEN, BELGIUM–(Marketwire -05/15/12)- TiGenix NV (TIG) a leader in the field of cell therapy, today gave a business update and announced the financial results for the first quarter ending March 31, 2012.

Business highlights

Financial highlights

“In the first quarter 2012 we continued to aggressively push our commercial efforts forward,” said Eduardo Bravo, CEO of TiGenix. “As a result sales of ChondroCelect are developing in line with the improved traction we observed in the second part of last year. At the same time we are moving ahead of schedule with most of our clinical adipose stem cell programs. We closed the quarter with almost EUR 17 million cash on hand, which is sufficient to execute on our business plan and reach key inflection points.”

Business update

ChondroCelect sales increase continues apaceThe Company reports net sales growth for the quarter of 123% compared with the same period of last year, and of 62% compared to Q4, 2011, a positive trend reflecting the uptake in Belgium, where we benefit from national reimbursement. In the Netherlands one of the leading private healthcare insurance companies has made treatment with ChondroCelect compulsory for its insured, and no longer reimburses non-ATMP treatments. Similarly, one of the large private insurers in the UK has expressed its intention to routinely reimburse ChondroCelect going forward. Discussions to obtain full national reimbursement keep advancing in the Netherlands, France, Spain and Germany.

Positive outcome of ChondroCelect compassionate use program published in leading journalPositive outcome data from the ChondroCelect compassionate use program (CUP), involving 43 orthopedic centers in 7 European countries, treating 370 patients with ChondroCelect over the span of four years, were published in advance online in Cartilage, the official journal of the International Cartilage Repair Society. The data show that the implantation of ChondroCelect results in a positive benefit/risk ratio when used in an unselected, heterogeneous population, irrespective of the follow-up period, lesion size and type of lesion treated. In addition, the CUP study significantly expands the data set used to obtain approval for ChondroCelect from the European Medicines Agency in 2009, increasing eight-fold, from 43 to 334, the number of patients with long-term follow up data. To date almost 700 patients have been treated with ChondroCelect.

ADMIRE-CD Phase III trial (Cx601) in complex perianal fistula on schedule The ADMIRE-CD (Adipose Derived Mesenchymal stem cells for Induction of REmission in perianal fistulizing Crohn’s Disease) Phase III protocol was submitted to Ethics Committees or Health Authorities in all 8 participating countries, and to date approvals have been received in four of those countries already.

Cx611 Phase IIa in RA passes last safety hurdleOn April 17, upon review of the safety data of the first three patients of the third cohort of the company’s Phase IIa clinical trial in rheumatoid arthritis (Cx611), TiGenix received the go-ahead from the independent Safety Monitoring Board to recruit and dose the remaining patients of this cohort. This fact is of major importance. In RA it ensures that the product will not be held back by any dose-limiting factors and that we will be able to move forward with the optimal treatment dose. Of almost equal importance is that, if required, we can expand the dosing range in other indications that we are exploring as well. With 6 months of follow-up, the current RA trial in 53 patients is expected to report meaningful results in H1 2013.

Last patient treated in Cx621 Phase I clinical trialAll 10 healthy volunteers have been recruited and treated in the Phase I study of Cx621. Cx621 investigates the safety and feasibility of intra-lymphatic administration of stem cells. Intra-lymphatic administration of (all) stem cells is patented by TiGenix. The final report of this trial will be available at the end of June.

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TiGenix Reports Business & Financial Results for the First Quarter 2012

Vet undertakes stem cell surgery

Animal stem cell regenerative therapy is the newest service at the Animal Hospital of Tiffin.

“We are the official first site for the therapy in Ohio,” said veterinarian Bob McClung.

The technology uses an adult animal’s stem cells to heal itself.

Veterinarian Mike Brothers performed the surgery Monday on his dog, Tucker, a 2-year-old labrador retriever. It was the second surgery performed at the clinic.

Brothers said his dog’s joint problems are hereditary and he’s had problems since he was a puppy.

“What we’ve been able to do is slow down the arthritis,” Brothers said. The cause of the degeneration will continue, but the fatty tissue removed from the dog can be used for future treatments.

From a piece of fatty tissue of the size removed from Tucker, McClung estimated $3.2 billion stem cells were harvested.

Each injection uses about 90 million cells, so there will be enough of the material for future treatments.

“We have basically 2 billion cells to bank,” he said. “We use cryo-preservation.”

In the freezing process, the cells are gradually cooled to prevent damage and stored in liquid nitrogen at temperatures of minus 80 to minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Vet undertakes stem cell surgery

Stem cell banking firms to deploy marketing initiatives to boost sales

Kolkata, May 15:

Stem cell banking companies are looking at aggressive marketing initiatives to move into the mass market segment. Direct marketing to customers and reduction in price tag for storing umbilical cord blood are on the cards.

The umbilical cord blood and cord tissue are one of the richest sources of stem cells and have potential to treat over 75 serious ailments.

The average cost for storing these for a period of 21 years ranges between Rs 75,000 and Rs 90,000 in India.

According to Chennai-based Life Cell, high price points and lack of proper marketing have limited the penetration of cord blood banking in India. Affordability is the key factor in India.

Only when the prices come down will we see more customers opting for the service. We are working on it (bringing down prices), Mr Mayur Abhaya Srisrimal, Executive Director Life Cell, told Business Line.

Stem cell bankers have already rolled out easy finance options such as EMIs to make the services attractive. CordLife, for instance, offers EMI facility for 12-24 months.

This has helped boost our sales. We have been acquiring 350-400 clients each month, said Managing Director, Mr Meghnath Roy Chowdhury.

Finance, however, is not the only stumbling block. Cord blood bankers have, so far, been depending largely on hospital network for signing up clients. Bangalore-based Ms Deepa Shankar, who is expecting and is due for delivery in June, recently opted for Life Cell services through the hospital.

It’s not a sustainable approach. We need to get into direct marketing for pushing up volumes growth, Mr Srisrimal points out. To strike a cord with the would-be mothers, the company has roped in Lisa Ray as brand ambassador. Ms Ray was cured of multiple myeloma courtesy stem cell therapy.

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Stem cell banking firms to deploy marketing initiatives to boost sales

International Stem Cell Corporation Scientists to Present Pre-Clinical Research Results at American Society of Gene …

CARLSBAD, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB: ISCO.OB – News) (www.internationalstemcell.com) today announced that several of its leading scientists will present experimental results from three of ISCOs pre-clinical therapeutic programs.

Firstly, the application of A9 dopaminergic neurons derived from human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSC) for the treatment of Parkinsons disease. Demonstrating functional dopaminergic neurons in vivo represents an important milestone towards the goal of creating well characterized populations of cells that could be used to develop a treatment for Parkinsons.

Secondly, the differentiation of hpSC and embryonic stem cells into cornea-like constructs for use in transplantation therapy and the in vitro study of ocular drug absorption. There are approximately ten million people worldwide who are blind as a result of damage to their cornea. Generating human corneas from a pluripotent stem cell source should increase the likelihood that people will receive treatment in the future even in the absence of suitable tissue from eye banks.

Lastly, the in vivo and in vitro characterization of immature hepatocyte derived from hpSC. Such cells could be used to develop a treatment for individuals with a liver that has been damaged by disease or sufferers of genetic disorders that inhibit normal liver function. In both cases, implanting healthy hepatocyte cells could treat the underlying disease and prolong the life of the individual.

These results not only show the progress we have made in these important programs, but also demonstrate the broad application of human parthenogenetic stem cells in the development of treatments for incurable diseases, says Dr. Ruslan Semechkin, Vice President of Research and Development.

The presentations will take place at the 15th Annual Meeting of American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, in Philadelphia at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 17th.

About International Stem Cell Corporation

International Stem Cell Corporation is focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO’s core technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells for hundreds of millions of individuals of differing genders, ages and racial background with minimal immune rejection after transplantation. hpSCs offer the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology (www.lifelinecelltech.com), and stem cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care (www.lifelineskincare.com). More information is available at www.internationalstemcell.com or follow us on Twitter @intlstemcell.

To receive ongoing corporate communications, please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0

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International Stem Cell Corporation Scientists to Present Pre-Clinical Research Results at American Society of Gene …

Women and Ob-Gyns Need Reliable Medical Justice

Gergely Zsolnai/Shutterstock

High-quality maternity and neonatal care is critical not just to individual families but to society as a whole: obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) help ensure that babies are born healthy and work o optimize mothers’ health, as well as to advance quality health care for women of all ages.

Ob-gyns are among the most frequently sued medical specialists. According to a 2009 survey, 90 percent of board-certified members of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have been sued. On average, ob-gyns can expect to be sued on 2.7 occasions in a professional lifetime. One third of ob-gyns sued have been sued four or more times. Forty-three percent reported suits for care provided during residency training.

Rather than reflecting rampant negligence and maltreatment of patients, these numbers reflect that even the best care cannot guarantee a perfect birth outcome. Ob-gyns get sued for less-than-perfect outcomes–instances in which no one may be at fault but family medical costs can quickly skyrocket.

Our current medical liability system fails to provide appropriate and timely compensation to persons injured, fails to deter real negligence, and impedes efforts to correct medical errors and improve patient safety. Under the current system, medical justice is unreliable for both patients and physicians, and patient care is harmed.

Access to ob-gyn care has been diminished. This means less prenatal care as doctors decrease high-risk obstetrics (30 percent), reduce deliveries (14 percent), and stop obstetrics altogether (8 percent)–avoidance behaviors reported by 63 percent of ACOG members who responded to a 2009 survey. Access to preventive care is also diminished as fewer gynecologic surgeons are available to treat women with pelvic pain, infertility, or cancer.

In Southeastern Pennsylvania,19 hospital maternity units have closed since 1997 due to medical liability concerns and costs. In Philadelphia, only the city’s six teaching hospitals continue to deliver babies. Statewide, there has been a net loss of 43 hospital ob units over the last several years. Yet safe hospital deliveries and increased availability of prenatal care are among the very factors that contributed to a greater than 90 percent reduction in national infant and maternal mortality during the twentieth century.

Assurance behaviors, another element of defensive medicine, result in additional laboratory and imaging studies and consultations. Both increase health-care costs and may subject patients to the risks of false-positive test results. Liability costs, including defensive medicine, are by one estimate $56 billion, or 2.4 percent of the nation’s annual health-care tab.

Reliable justice would help improve the physician-patient relationship and medical care overall. Two grievous birth outcomes in particular–neurologic impairment, including cerebral palsy, and shoulder dystocia–can have a devastating effect on a patient and her family, as well as on an ob-gyn’s relationship with her patient, her own family, and her profession. Neither of these outcomes is likely related to the obstetrician’s actions or inaction. But multi-million-dollar jury awards often follow.

Despite dramatic improvements in maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, the rate of cerebral palsy remains unchanged. Epidemiologic studies show that less than 10 percent of cases can be attributed to events occurring during labor and delivery. Yet the costs of caring for and educating these children are substantial, and malpractice lawsuits are often the only source of financing, regardless of an absence of fault.

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Women and Ob-Gyns Need Reliable Medical Justice

A Little More Education, a Little Longer Life?

MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) — It's graduation season, and new research offers yet another reason to congratulate someone who has completed at least nine years of education: They're likely to live longer.

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A Little More Education, a Little Longer Life?

What Role Do Drugs Play in Determining Longevity?

If you're a typical American, chances are about 50-50 that you take at least one prescription drug–and if you're upwards of 60, the odds are nearly 2 in 5 that you take five drugs or more. Some may be lifesaving, especially for those with potentially deadly chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. But how many drugs in those mountains of pills add years to the lives of people …

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What Role Do Drugs Play in Determining Longevity?

Gene Therapy song – Video

13-05-2012 16:10

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Gene Therapy song – Video

First gene therapy successful against aging-associated decline: Mouse lifespan extended up to 24% with a single …

ScienceDaily (May 14, 2012) A new study consisting of inducing cells to express telomerase, the enzyme which — metaphorically — slows down the biological clock — was successful. The research provides a “proof-of-principle” that this “feasible and safe” approach can effectively “improve health span.”

A number of studies have shown that it is possible to lengthen the average life of individuals of many species, including mammals, by acting on specific genes. To date, however, this has meant altering the animals’ genes permanently from the embryonic stage — an approach impracticable in humans. Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), led by its director Maria Blasco, have demonstrated that the mouse lifespan can be extended by the application in adult life of a single treatment acting directly on the animal’s genes. And they have done so using gene therapy, a strategy never before employed to combat aging. The therapy has been found to be safe and effective in mice.

The results were recently published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine. The CNIO team, in collaboration with Eduard Ayuso and Fatima Bosch of the Centre of Animal Biotechnology and Gene Therapy at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), treated adult (one-year-old) and aged (two-year-old) mice, with the gene therapy delivering a “rejuvenating” effect in both cases, according to the authors.

Mice treated at the age of one lived longer by 24% on average, and those treated at the age of two, by 13%. The therapy, furthermore, produced an appreciable improvement in the animals’ health, delaying the onset of age-related diseases — like osteoporosis and insulin resistance — and achieving improved readings on aging indicators like neuromuscular coordination.

The gene therapy consisted of treating the animals with a DNA-modified virus, the viral genes having been replaced by those of the telomerase enzyme, with a key role in aging. Telomerase repairs the extreme ends or tips of chromosomes, known as telomeres, and in doing so slows the cell’s and therefore the body’s biological clock. When the animal is infected, the virus acts as a vehicle depositing the telomerase gene in the cells.

This study “shows that it is possible to develop a telomerase-based anti-aging gene therapy without increasing the incidence of cancer,” the authors affirm. “Aged organisms accumulate damage in their DNA due to telomere shortening, [this study] finds that a gene therapy based on telomerase production can repair or delay this kind of damage,” they add.

‘Resetting’ the biological clock

Telomeres are the caps that protect the end of chromosomes, but they cannot do so indefinitely: each time the cell divides the telomeres get shorter, until they are so short that they lose all functionality. The cell, as a result, stops dividing and ages or dies. Telomerase gets around this by preventing telomeres from shortening or even rebuilding them. What it does, in essence, is stop or reset the cell’s biological clock.

But in most cells the telomerase gene is only active before birth; the cells of an adult organism, with few exceptions, have no telomerase. The exceptions in question are adult stem cells and cancer cells, which divide limitlessly and are therefore immortal — in fact several studies have shown that telomerase expression is the key to the immortality of tumour cells.

It is precisely this risk of promoting tumour development that has set back the investigation of telomerase-based anti-aging therapies.

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First gene therapy successful against aging-associated decline: Mouse lifespan extended up to 24% with a single …

Gene therapy dramatically extends mouse lifespan

click here to continue to article cliquez ici pour lire l’article weiter zum Artikel clicca qui per visualizzare l’articolo weiter zum Artikel ir a la noticia klik hier om door te gaan naar het artikel Yazya devam etmek iin tklayn Tovbb a cikkre

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Gene therapy dramatically extends mouse lifespan

Gene therapy extends mouse lifespan by 24 pc

Washington, May 15 (ANI): Scientists have successfully extended the lifespan of mice using gene therapy, a strategy never before employed to combat ageing.

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Gene therapy extends mouse lifespan by 24 pc

Iowa State, Salk Researchers Make Plant Protein Discovery That Could Boost Bioeconomy

Newswise AMES, Iowa Research groups from Iowa State University and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have uncovered the function of three plant proteins, a discovery that could help plant scientists boost seed oil production in crops, thereby benefitting the production of food, biorenewable chemicals and biofuels.

The analysis of gene activity (by the Iowa group) and determination of protein structures (by the Salk group) independently identified in the model plant thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) three related proteins that appear to be involved in fatty-acid metabolism. The Iowa and Salk researchers then joined forces to test this hypothesis, demonstrating a role of these proteins in regulating the amounts and types of fatty acids accumulated in plants. The researchers also showed that the action of the proteins is very sensitive to temperature and that this feature may play an important role in how plants mitigate temperature stress using fatty acids.

The discovery is published online at nature.com, the website of the journal Nature. Corresponding authors are Eve Syrkin Wurtele, a professor of genetics, development and cell biology at Iowa State; and Joseph Noel, a professor and director of the Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology and Proteomics at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

This work has major implications for modulating the fatty-acid profiles in plants, which is terribly important, not only to sustainable food production and nutrition but now also to biorenewable chemicals and fuels, Noel said.

Because very high-energy molecules such as fatty acids are created in the plant using the energy of the sun, these types of molecules may ultimately provide the most cost-effective and efficient sources for biorenewable products, Wurtele added.

Although the researchers now understand that the three proteins dubbed fatty-acid-binding proteins one, two and three, or FAP1, FAP2 and FAP3 are involved in fatty-acid accumulation in plant tissues such as leaves and seeds, Wurtele said researchers still dont understand the physical mechanism these proteins employ at the molecular level. That knowledge will ultimately allow the two collaborating research groups to predictably engineer better functions in plants.

To identify the proteins function in plants, Wurteles research group used its expertise in molecular biology and bioinformatics (the application of computer technologies to biological studies).

One tool the Iowa State researchers used was MetaOmGraph (http://www.metnetdb.org), software they developed to analyze large sets of public data about the patterns of gene activity under different developmental, environmental and genetic changes. The software revealed that the expression patterns of the FAP genes resemble those of genes encoding enzymes of fatty-acid synthesis. The analyses also showed that the accumulation of two of the proteins is highest in the regions of the plant where the greatest amount of oil is produced. These clues led the researchers to predict that the three FAP proteins are important for fatty-acid accumulation.

The Iowa State researchers then tested this theory experimentally by comparing the fatty acids of mutant plants lacking the FAP proteins to those of normal plants. Despite the healthy appearance of the mutant plants, the overall fatty-acid content is greater than in the normal plants, and the types of fatty acids differ.

Noel and researchers at the Salk Institute used a variety of techniques including X-ray crystallography and biochemistry to characterize the structures of the FAP1, FAP2 and FAP3 proteins, and to determine that the proteins bind fatty acids.

Plant protein discovery could boost bioeconomy

ScienceDaily (May 14, 2012) Research groups from Iowa State University and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have uncovered the function of three plant proteins, a discovery that could help plant scientists boost seed oil production in crops, thereby benefitting the production of food, biorenewable chemicals and biofuels.

The discovery is published online on the website of the journal Nature. Corresponding authors are Eve Syrkin Wurtele, a professor of genetics, development and cell biology at Iowa State; and Joseph Noel, a professor and director of the Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology and Proteomics at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

“This work has major implications for modulating the fatty-acid profiles in plants, which is terribly important, not only to sustainable food production and nutrition but now also to biorenewable chemicals and fuels,” Noel said.

“Because very high-energy molecules such as fatty acids are created in the plant using the energy of the sun, these types of molecules may ultimately provide the most cost-effective and efficient sources for biorenewable products,” Wurtele added.

Although the researchers now understand that the three proteins — dubbed fatty-acid-binding proteins one, two and three, or FAP1, FAP2 and FAP3 — are involved in fatty-acid accumulation in plant tissues such as leaves and seeds, Wurtele said researchers still don’t understand the physical mechanism these proteins employ at the molecular level. That knowledge will ultimately allow the two collaborating research groups to predictably engineer better functions in plants.

To identify the proteins’ function in plants, Wurtele’s research group used its expertise in molecular biology and bioinformatics (the application of computer technologies to biological studies).

One tool the Iowa State researchers used was MetaOmGraph, software they developed to analyze large sets of public data about the patterns of gene activity under different developmental, environmental and genetic changes. The software revealed that the expression patterns of the FAP genes resemble those of genes encoding enzymes of fatty-acid synthesis. The analyses also showed that the accumulation of two of the proteins is highest in the regions of the plant where the greatest amount of oil is produced. These clues led the researchers to predict that the three FAP proteins are important for fatty-acid accumulation.

Noel and researchers at the Salk Institute used a variety of techniques — including X-ray crystallography and biochemistry — to characterize the structures of the FAP1, FAP2 and FAP3 proteins, and to determine that the proteins bind fatty acids.

Cellular secrets of plant fatty acid production understood; discovery could boost bioeconomy

The blue areas in this thale cress plant indicate where the fatty-acid-binding protein one gene is expressed, according to Iowa State researchers. The blue areas also correspond to regions where high fatty acids would be synthesised by the plant. Larger photo. Credit: Eve Syrkin Wurtele and Micheline Ngaki

(Phys.org) — Research groups from Iowa State University and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have uncovered the function of three plant proteins, a discovery that could help plant scientists boost seed oil production in crops, thereby benefitting the production of food, biorenewable chemicals and biofuels.

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Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Iowa State University discovered a family of plant proteins that play a role in the production of seed oils, substances important for animal and human nutrition, biorenewable chemicals and biofuels. Credit: Courtesy of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Although the researchers now understand that the three proteins – dubbed fatty-acid-binding proteins one, two and three, or FAP1, FAP2 and FAP3 – are involved in fatty-acid accumulation in plant tissues such as leaves and seeds, Wurtele said researchers still don’t understand the physical mechanism these proteins employ at the molecular level. That knowledge will ultimately allow the two collaborating research groups to predictably engineer better functions in plants.

To identify the proteins’ function in plants, Wurtele’s research group used its expertise in molecular biology and bioinformatics (the application of computer technologies to biological studies).

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Cellular secrets of plant fatty acid production understood; discovery could boost bioeconomy

Genes underlying the key domestication process in sorghum and other cereals

A study by a team of university and government scientists led by a Kansas State University researcher, indicates that genes responsible for seed shattering — the process by which grasses disseminate their seeds — were under parallel selection during sorghum, rice and maize domestication.

The study, “Parallel domestication of the Shattering1 genes in cereals,” was published May 13 in the online version of the journal, Nature Genetics. In order to identify the molecular basis underlying seed shattering in sorghum, which is the world’s fifth major crop, the researchers conducted map-based cloning and diversity mapping in sorghum first, and then examined the identified gene in other cereals. Cereal crops, including sorghum, rice and maize were domesticated from their early wild progenitors by humans thousands of years ago, because of their importance as a food source, said Jianming Yu, associate professor of agronomy at Kansas State University. Although these crops were domesticated by human groups in different geographical regions, they all underwent systemic and parallel changes during the domestication process.

“Once we better understand seed shattering in sorghum, the better we will understand seed shattering and domestication in other cereal crops,” Yu said. “Moreover, as the demands for food, feed and fiber increase, domesticating other grasses into crops would also benefit from the current research findings.”

The implications for sorghum alone are huge, because of sorghum’s emerging applications in bioenergy and stress management, as well as its long-time importance as a food and feed source, he said. A better understanding about the origins of sorghum, a very diverse species, helps in terms of preserving natural resources for breeding use, classifying germplasm, and facilitating the process of bringing useful genes from wild relatives to crops.

Seeds on wild grasses shed naturally when they mature, which ensures their natural propagation, Yu said. When humans began cultivating those crops, however, seed shattering would have caused inefficient harvesting and large losses in grain yield, because some of the seeds which were to be harvested, would have already disbursed naturally.

“Selection for non-shattering crop plants would have greatly facilitated harvesting and improved production,” said Zhongwei Lin, research associate in agronomy at Kansas State and the first author of the publication. He noted that several other genes have been identified as being responsible for seed shattering in rice and wheat. Prior to this current study, however, no systematic findings have been made on whether other cereals share the same molecular genetic basis for shattering, although such hypothesis was proposed more than a decade ago. The highly similar genomes of these cereals and the critical role of non-shattering in their domestication make this speculation plausible.

The researchers found that seed shattering in sorghum is controlled by a single gene, Sh1. That finding, paired with findings of conserved collinearity — genes and their orders are similar on corresponding chromosome segments from different species — of genomic regions containing the Sh1 orthologs (genes can be traced back to the same ancestral copy) across several cereals, the identification of the rice OsSh1 and the structural variation and quantitative trait locus analyses of the two maize orthologs (ZMSH1-1 and ZMSh1-5.1+ZmSh1-5.2) suggest that the Sh1 genes for seed shattering have undergone parallel selection during domestication in multiple cereals.

“It is great to have this team of scientists with complementary expertise in different species to work on this project,” said Frank White, professor of plant pathology at Kansas State University.

To identify the molecular basis underlying seed shattering in sorghum, the team constructed a large population from a cross between a wild sorghum with complete seed shattering, Sorghum virgatum (SV), and a non-shattering domesticated sorghum line, Tx430. Once the gene was pinpointed, they moved on to a diverse set of sorghum lines and landraces to examine how many different version of domesticate copy of Sh1 exist. Not surprising, they found three different ones, which corroborated the earlier inference of multiple origins of sorghum in different parts of the African continent from morphology characteristics.

Provided by Kansas State University (news : web)

Women and babies 'put at risk by aggressive IVF'

“This condition in its severe form is potentially fatal and women have died. A recent confidential inquiry into maternal deaths in the UK showed that OHSS was now one of the biggest causes of maternal mortality in England and Wales.

“There is no doubt that women subjected to this kind of stimulation are at serious health risk.”

Figures obtained using freedom of information laws from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) showed that there were almost 30,000 cases of OHSS – which can cause chest pains, shortness of breath, and in rare cases, kidney failure and death – between 1991 and 2007 in the UK, The Independent reported.

In 2010, 45,000 women were given IVF treatment in the UK.

Using “mild” IVF with less toxic drugs to stimulate the ovaries produces fewer eggs and a lower pregnancy rate per cycle but means recovery is quicker and women can repeat the treatment within a month, whereas it takes months to recover from standard IVF.

While clinics in Scandinavia, Belgium, Holland, France, Canada, Japan and South Korea use mild IVF, the high-dose version is favoured the US and the UK.

Professor Nargund said: “The aim should be to do no harm to the mother and the child. If we continue with expensive, aggressive, old-fashioned IVF it will exclude too many from treatment.

“We could double the number of patients treated at no extra cost and the complications would be less.”

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Women and babies 'put at risk by aggressive IVF'

Chemistry 13.6c Balancing Redox by Half-Reactions (Basic) – Video

13-05-2012 16:27 Step-by-step tutorial on using balancing by half-reactions to balance a redox reaction that takes place in a basic solution. It’s important to be familiar with the steps for balancing in acidic solutions before watching this.

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Chemistry 13.6c Balancing Redox by Half-Reactions (Basic) – Video

NCBI ROFL: The chemistry of pig sh*t.

Isolation and analysis of odorous components in swine manure.

Systematic procedures are described for the isolation and extraction of odorous components in swine faeces, urine and rotten mixtures of swine faeces and urine. Samples were frozen and subjected to vacuum distillation in the frozen state. The distillate was continuously extracted with diethyl ether. The residue was extracted with diethyl ether and the extract was subjected to vacuum distillation. The former extract and the latter distillate were combined and concentrated. Recovery by these procedures was considered. Odorous compounds isolated were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Photo: flickr/DrStarbuck

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NCBI ROFL: The chemistry of pig sh*t.