November 24, 2008
Welcome to issue number 2 of Stem Cell Action News, dedicated to informing the stem cell community on the latest and most important developments impacting the Pro-Cures Movement.
Headlines & Advocacy
Landmark windpipe transplant shocks the world – patient, Claudin Castillo, received a bioengineered trachea after nearly loosing her left lung due to a severe case of tuberculosis. The bioengineered windpipe was constructed by removing all cells and MHC antigens from a donated trachea - leaving behind a fibrous scaffold. The scaffold was then populated with autologous mesenchymal stem-cell-derived condrocytes to construct the graft. The cells were cultured at Professor Martin Birchall’s lab at Bristol University, and the surgery was conducted in Barcelona, Spain. Additional collaborations were established between colleagues in Padua and Milan, Italy. Listen to NPR’s All Things Considered and read The Lancet’s Early Online Publication.
Reporter Luke Timmerman interviews Novocell’s CSO, Edward Baetge, on the challenges of commercializing embryonic stem cells to treat Diabetes (full article link).
The Vatican once again warns Obama about the ethics of embryonic stem cell research (full article link).
Hadassah is offering an educational program on stem cell research with an invited speaker from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (full article link).
Dr. Mark Nobel, a leading stem cell researcher from the University of Rochester and a member of the GPI Science Advisory Board, discusses the big picture – a video interview worth watching.
Policy
Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission received 187 letters of intent for stem cell funding compared to last year’s 127. Applications for funding are due on January 15, 2009. For application and guidelines, please visit www.mscrf.org. Additionally, on December 3rd Governor O’Malley and the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission host the first annual Maryland Stem Cell Symposium. The symposium allows the 2008 awardees to present findings (register by clicking this link!)
Traveling across the Atlantic and south of the equator, Health Ministers from member states of the Economic Commission of West Africa will gather tomorrow to discuss stem cell research and therapy (full article link).
In Washington, Obama transition team selected Jonathan Moreno, professor of bioethics at University of Pennsylvania to manage activities related to bioethics (full article link). Moreno is a supporter of embryonic stem cell research and serves on the Legal and Human Rights Advisory Board of the Genetics Policy Institute. Additionally, R. Alta Charo, a UW-Madison professor of law and ethics was appointed to the Obama’s transition team. She was previously a member of former President Bill Clinton’s Bioethics Advisory Commission. (read full article).
Science
Researchers at the University of Utah are enrolling 40 patients in a Phase II study that will use autologous, bone-marrow derived stem cells to treat patients with Dilated Cardiomypoathy (DMC, or heart disease). Of the 40 patients, 20 are to be diagnosed with ischemic DMC and, 20 with nonishemic DMC. The study is sponsored by Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., a company specializing in autologous cell products (full article link).
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered a protein marker that helps select for rare adult liver stem cells. Led by Linda Greeman, MD., the findings allow scientists to now isolate liver stem cells which could be used to regenerate liver tissue.
Don’t space out yet, HepaLife’s Patented ‘PICM-19’ Liver Stem Cell Lines are onboard Space Shuttle “Endeavour” for outer space testing (full article link).
Business
G. Steven Burrill, CEO of life sciences VC firm, Burrill and Company, predicts continuing market volatility that will affect both large and small biotech’s. Burrill stated early last week, “Stuff is cascading through the financial system in a toxic way.” He also commented, “ The biotech industry has lived with easy access to capital for 30 yeas or more. That world is now permanently changed.” (full article link)
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer, launched a new research unit know as Pfizer Regenerative Medicine. The unit will be co-located in Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts (full article link)
Also last week, Stem Cell Sciences signed a service agreement for up to five-years with Pfizer Limited. Stem Cell Sciences will provide research services, cell lines, media, and reagents to support Pfizer’s stem cell R&D efforts (full article link). Furthermore, Stem Cell Sciences’ patent covering its IRES technology was upheld – the technology can monitor gene activity without knocking out normal gene function (full article link).
Sigma Aldrich announced it will be the exclusive supplier of AlphaGenix-developed antibodies and research tools for regenerative medicine and stem cell biology – expanding Sigma’s stem cell product portfolio (full article link).
Neuralstem, Inc. entered a collaborative agreement with Professor Guido Nikkah Ph.D, of Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg, Germany to further develop Neuralstem’s human neural stem cell therapies for Huntington’s disease (full article link).
Lastly, Mesoblast Limited’s sister company, Angioblast Systems, was awarded the 2008 Frost & Sullivan United States Stem Cell Market Technology Innovation of the Year (full article link).
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