|  |  |  | | | | | TE-RegenMed-StemCell feed | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Engineered by outgoing Chairman Robert Klein, a closed-door plan is reportedly afoot to restructure the management of the $3 billion California stem cell agency to have it run directly by a new executive chairman, Alan Bernstein, now head of HIV Global Vaccine Enterprise of New York.
It is unclear how the current agency president, Alan Trounson, would fit into the proposed new arrangement. But | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Earlier today, we told the California stem cell agency we would be glad to carry verbatim a response to our item – Public and Industry Left in Dark by California Stem Cell Agency. The agency and its directors have a standing invitation from the California Stem Cell Report to comment on this Web site and have their entire remarks carried without editing.
Here is what was filed by James Harrison, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | State Controller John Chiang today nominated Art Torres, currently co-vice chair of the California stem cell agency, to a six-year term as the chairman of the $3 billion research effort. Chiang also nominated CIRM board member Jeff Sheehy for the vice chair position.
Torres, a former state legislator and head of the state Democratic party, would replace Robert Klein, a real estate investment | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The president of the California stem cell agency, Alan Trounson, may resign if the new chairman of the $3 billion research effort is not a person who has worked with the biomedical industry, Nature magazine reported today.
Trounson's position was disclosed publicly for the first time by writer Elie Dolgin in a profile of outgoing CIRM Chairman Robert Klein in the Dec. 2 edition of the | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Polyelectrolyte multilayer film and human mesenchymal stem cells: An attractive alternative in vascular engineering applications. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2010 Nov 29; Authors: Moby V, Labrude P, Kadi A, Bordenave L, Stoltz JF, Menu P Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have tremendous potential as a cell source for regenerative medicine due to their capacity for differentiation into endothelial-like cells when seeded on nonmodified cover glasses. This absence of removable surface, preventing recovery of cell sheet, constitutes a critical obstacle to predict an application in tissue engineering. It remains unknown whether MSCs differentiation could be realized when the cells are cultivated on a scaffold that could be used in vascular engineering. In this study, we propose to differentiate human MSCs into endothelial-like cells on surfaces coated with polyelectrolyte multilayer film (PMF) and fibronectin (control surfaces). We quantified Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (PECAM) and von Willebrand Factor (vWF) expressions (endothelial cell specific markers) and nitric oxide (NO) production, which is representative of the cell functionality. After only two weeks of differentiation, we showed, on PMF, that MSCs expressed PECAM and vWF, exhibiting a differentiation into endothelial-like cells, which functionality was explored by a significant production of nitrites. These results highlight the importance of PMF to get human MSCs differentiation and suggest that this film of nanometer thickness opens a new route for vascular bioengineering by pre-seeding hMSCs directly into a vascular graft functionalized by a removable coating. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A:, 2010. PMID: 21117158 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The dangers in adopting a tissue-engineering-centric agenda: A president's perspective. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2010 Nov 29; Authors: Gilbert JL PMID: 21117156 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Raman Assessment of Bone Quality. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2010 Nov 30; Authors: Morris MD, Mandair GS BACKGROUND: Progress in the diagnosis and prediction of fragility fractures depends on improvements to the understating of the compositional contributors of bone quality to mechanical competence. Raman spectroscopy has been used to evaluate alterations to bone composition associated with aging, disease, or injury. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: In this survey we will (1) review the use of Raman-based compositional measures of bone quality, including mineral-to-matrix ratio, carbonate-to-phosphate ratio, collagen quality, and crystallinity; (2) review literature correlating Raman spectra with biomechanical and other physiochemical measurements and with bone health; and (3) discuss prospects for ex vivo and in vivo human subject measurements. METHODS: ISI Web of Science was searched for references to bone Raman spectroscopy in peer-reviewed journals. Papers from other topics have been excluded from this review, including those on pharmaceutical topics, dental tissue, tissue engineering, stem cells, and implant integration. RESULTS: Raman spectra have been reported for human and animal bone as a function of age, biomechanical status, pathology, and other quality parameters. Current literature supports the use of mineral-to-matrix ratio, carbonate-to-phosphate ratio, and mineral crystallinity as measures of bone quality. Discrepancies between reports arise from the use of band intensity ratios rather than true composition ratios, primarily as a result of differing collagen band selections. CONCLUSIONS: Raman spectroscopy shows promise for evaluating the compositional contributors of bone quality in ex vivo specimens, although further validation is still needed. Methodology for noninvasive in vivo assessments is still under development. PMID: 21116756 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Improved nude mouse models for green fluorescence human endometriosis. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2010 Dec;36(6):1214-21 Authors: Liu B, Wang NN, Wang ZL, Hong SS, Li JT, Ding HJ, Pan QH, Dong Y, Zhou CQ, Zhuang GL Aim: To establish an improved noninvasive fluorescent animal model for endometriosis. Material and Methods: Adenovirus encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (Ad-eGFP) was used to transfect primary culture endometrial glandular cells and stromal cells (purified cell transfection and mixed injection, Group 1) as well as endometrial fragments (tissues transfection and injection, Group 2). Transfection results were compared between the cells and tissues in vitro. The GFP-transfected cells suspension of Group 1 or endometrial fragments of Group 2, with similar weight, were injected into nude mice subcutaneously and noninvasively observed every 5 days until day 15 (Subgroup 1, N = 5), day 20 (Subgroup 2, N = 5) or day 25 (Subgroup 3, N = 11). The positive rates and duration times of the fluorescent lesions were calculated. Results: After 18 h of incubation, glandular cells and stromal cells all had higher GFP-positive rates. In vivo imaging showed that the GFP positive rates of Group 1 were significantly higher than those of Group 2. The fluorescent-positive durations of Groups 1 and 2 were 23.636 ± 4.523 days and 5.909 ± 5.394 days, respectively (P < 0.001). In vivo analysis demonstrated that on days 15, 20, and 25, there were more typical lesions and fluorescent-positive lesions formed in Group 1 and that the lesion weight in Group 1 was greater. The structures of the lesions were all identified as human origin. Conclusion: A noninvasive animal model for endometriosis created by subcutaneous injection of an Ad-eGFP-transfected endometrial glandular and stromal cells suspension had higher a positive rate, longer duration time of fluorescent imaging and greater lesion weight. PMID: 21114574 [PubMed - in process] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Recent Patents on Eggshell: Shell and Membrane Applications. Recent Pat Food Nutr Agric. 2010 Nov 29; Authors: Cordeiro CM, Hincke MT The chicken eggshell and its membranes are an inexpensive and abundant waste material which exhibit interesting characteristics for many potential applications. The eggshell is formed mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and is used widely as an animal feed, lime (Ca(OH)2) substitute or a fertilizer. Moreover, the associated eggshell membranes have a high content of bioactive components, as well as properties of moisture retention and biodegradability which have potential use for clinical, comestic, nutraceutical and nanotechnology applications. The eggshell membranes have been also used for biosorption of heavy metals and dyes and as a template to synthesize metal nanoparticles. The combination of nanosized calcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2) biomaterials synthesized from eggshell and eggshell membrane show promise to develop drug delivery system and nanowires for electronic devices. In addition, a derived product, the soluble eggshell membrane protein (SEP) has applications in tissue engineering. This review discusses the patented applications of eggshell membrane waste: shell and membrane for the last 10 years as well as their future applications. PMID: 21114472 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Polyelectrolyte multilayer film and human mesenchymal stem cells: An attractive alternative in vascular engineering applications. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2010 Nov 29; Authors: Moby V, Labrude P, Kadi A, Bordenave L, Stoltz JF, Menu P Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have tremendous potential as a cell source for regenerative medicine due to their capacity for differentiation into endothelial-like cells when seeded on nonmodified cover glasses. This absence of removable surface, preventing recovery of cell sheet, constitutes a critical obstacle to predict an application in tissue engineering. It remains unknown whether MSCs differentiation could be realized when the cells are cultivated on a scaffold that could be used in vascular engineering. In this study, we propose to differentiate human MSCs into endothelial-like cells on surfaces coated with polyelectrolyte multilayer film (PMF) and fibronectin (control surfaces). We quantified Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (PECAM) and von Willebrand Factor (vWF) expressions (endothelial cell specific markers) and nitric oxide (NO) production, which is representative of the cell functionality. After only two weeks of differentiation, we showed, on PMF, that MSCs expressed PECAM and vWF, exhibiting a differentiation into endothelial-like cells, which functionality was explored by a significant production of nitrites. These results highlight the importance of PMF to get human MSCs differentiation and suggest that this film of nanometer thickness opens a new route for vascular bioengineering by pre-seeding hMSCs directly into a vascular graft functionalized by a removable coating. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A:, 2010. PMID: 21117158 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Anatomy of the cardiac nervous system with clinical and comparative morphological implications. Anat Sci Int. 2010 Nov 30; Authors: Kawashima T Unlike autonomic nervous preservation in other surgeries for improving patient quality of life, autonomic cardiac nervous system (ACNS) preservation has been neglected in cardiovascular surgery because of technical difficulties and other unsolved issues. Because such ACNS preservation in cardiovascular surgery is anticipated in the future, detailed anatomical investigation of the human ACNS is required. Therefore, we have conducted morphological studies of the ACNS from macroscopic, clinical, and evolutionary anatomical viewpoints. In this study, I review detailed anatomical studies of the human ACNS together with their clinical implications. In addition, the evolutionary comparative anatomical significance of primate ACNS is also summarized to help understand and translate the findings of functional experiments to humans. These integrated findings will be the subject of a future study unifying molecular embryological and anatomical findings to clarify cardiac functions based on functional animal experiments, clinical applications such as improving surgery techniques and individual order-made surgery in cardiac surgery, and for future evaluation in regenerative medicine. PMID: 21116884 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Superior Cell Delivery Features of Genipin Crosslinked Polymeric Microcapsules: Preparation, In Vitro Characterization and Pro-Angiogenic Applications Using Human Adipose Stem Cells. Mol Biotechnol. 2010 Nov 30; Authors: Paul A, Cantor A, Shum-Tim D, Prakash S The ability of mesenchymal stem cells to self-renew and differentiate into specialized cell lineages makes them promising tools for regenerative medicine. Local injection and use of scaffolds had been employed earlier to deliver these cells; yet, an optimal delivery system remains to be identified. Here, using genipin, which is a non-toxic natural cross linker for proteins, we prepared alginate-chitosan polymeric microcapsules (GCAC) to develop an efficient stem cell delivery system. We investigated the properties of this membrane along with the encapsulated adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) and compared that with the widely used alginate poly-lysine (APA) membranes. The GCAC membrane was able to support cell viability, augment cell growth, and showed better results under external rotational and osmotic pressures with about 30% of the ruptured capsules in comparison to 60% ruptured APA capsules. The membrane also provided immune-protection to the entrapped cells as demonstrated by the lymphocyte proliferation assay. The capsule also has potential for long-term storage. The encapsulated four million ASCs also showed steady secretion of approximately 4600 pg vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) over 15-day time period comparable to that of free cells. Furthermore, the encapsulated ASCs showed around 3.8-fold increase in VEGF secretion after 72 h hypoxic conditions in comparison to normoxic conditions. This increased VEGF expression resulted in improved angiogenic potential of the bioactive capsules as noted by enhanced endothelial cell growth. GCAC encapsulation also did not show any effect on their differentiation ability. Thus, because of these biocompatible and bioactive attributes, genipin cross-linked polymeric microcapsules can emerge as a potentially important tool for improved stem cell-based therapy and cell delivery applications. PMID: 21116741 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The application of exosomes as a nanoscale cancer vaccine. Int J Nanomedicine. 2010;5:889-900 Authors: Tan A, De La Peña H, Seifalian AM Cancer is a leading cause of death globally, and it is predicted and projected to continue rising as life expectancy increases. Although patient survival rates for some forms of cancers are high due to clinical advances in treatment protocols, the search for effective cancer vaccines remains the ultimate Rosetta Stone in oncology. Cervarix(®), Gardasil(®), and hepatitis B vaccines are currently employed in preventing certain forms of viral cancers. However, they are, strictly speaking, not 'true' cancer vaccines as they are prophylactic rather than therapeutic, are only effective against the oncogenic viruses, and do not kill the actual cancer cells. On April 2010, a new prostate cancer vaccine Provenge(®) (sipuleucel-T) was approved by the US FDA, and it is the first approved therapeutic vaccine that utilizes antigen-presenting cell technology involving dendritic cells in cancer immunotherapy. Recent evidence suggests that the use of nanoscale particles like exosomes in immunotherapy could form a viable basis for the development of novel cancer vaccines, via antigen-presenting cell technology, to prime the immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells. Coupled with nanotechnology, engineered exosomes are emerging as new and novel avenues for cancer vaccine development. Here, we review the current knowledge pertaining to exosome technology in immunotherapy and also seek to address the challenges and future directions associated with it, in hopes of bringing this exciting application a step closer toward an effective clinical reality. PMID: 21116329 [PubMed - in process] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Does the California stem cell agency, which is costing taxpayers $6 billion, have an obligation to inform the public in a timely fashion about matters that come before its governing board and affect how the agency spends its money?
That's the question we posed to CIRM yesterday. It is a question that is not new. It was raised because CIRM's record of openness and transparency is mediocre at best | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The "Nature Reports" item on Nov. 30, 2010, incorrectly carried the first name of Bill Caldwell of ACT as Bob in a quote from the Nature magazine Web site. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Adipose-derived Stem Cells for Myocardial Infarction. J Cardiovasc Transl Res. 2010 Nov 30; Authors: Mazo M, Gavira JJ, Pelacho B, Prosper F In recent years, stem cell treatment of myocardial infarction has elicited great enthusiasm upon scientists and physicians alike, thus making the finding of a suitable cell a compulsory subject for modern medicine. Due to its potential, accessibility and efficiency of harvesting, adipose tissue has become one of the most attractive sources of stem cells for regenerative therapies. The differentiation capacity and the paracrine activity of these cells has made them an optimal candidate for the treatment of a diverse range of diseases from immunological disorders as graft versus host disease to cardiovascular pathologies like peripheral ischemia. In this review, we will focus on the use of stem cells derived from adipose tissue for treatment of myocardial infarction, with special attention to their putative in vivo mechanisms of action. PMID: 21116883 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Superior Cell Delivery Features of Genipin Crosslinked Polymeric Microcapsules: Preparation, In Vitro Characterization and Pro-Angiogenic Applications Using Human Adipose Stem Cells. Mol Biotechnol. 2010 Nov 30; Authors: Paul A, Cantor A, Shum-Tim D, Prakash S The ability of mesenchymal stem cells to self-renew and differentiate into specialized cell lineages makes them promising tools for regenerative medicine. Local injection and use of scaffolds had been employed earlier to deliver these cells; yet, an optimal delivery system remains to be identified. Here, using genipin, which is a non-toxic natural cross linker for proteins, we prepared alginate-chitosan polymeric microcapsules (GCAC) to develop an efficient stem cell delivery system. We investigated the properties of this membrane along with the encapsulated adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) and compared that with the widely used alginate poly-lysine (APA) membranes. The GCAC membrane was able to support cell viability, augment cell growth, and showed better results under external rotational and osmotic pressures with about 30% of the ruptured capsules in comparison to 60% ruptured APA capsules. The membrane also provided immune-protection to the entrapped cells as demonstrated by the lymphocyte proliferation assay. The capsule also has potential for long-term storage. The encapsulated four million ASCs also showed steady secretion of approximately 4600 pg vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) over 15-day time period comparable to that of free cells. Furthermore, the encapsulated ASCs showed around 3.8-fold increase in VEGF secretion after 72 h hypoxic conditions in comparison to normoxic conditions. This increased VEGF expression resulted in improved angiogenic potential of the bioactive capsules as noted by enhanced endothelial cell growth. GCAC encapsulation also did not show any effect on their differentiation ability. Thus, because of these biocompatible and bioactive attributes, genipin cross-linked polymeric microcapsules can emerge as a potentially important tool for improved stem cell-based therapy and cell delivery applications. PMID: 21116741 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | |  |
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