Stem Cell Research

Video: Irving Weisman On The Importance Of The Distinction Between Embryonic And Adult Stem Cells

The ethical argument concerning the use of embryonic stem cells continues to rage and may well be an issue in the upcoming 2012 election. The use of embryonic stem cells in research is continually questioned in some quarters on the premise that the growing success of adult stem cell research makes embryonic stem cell research unnecessary. In this four minute video Dr. Weissman explains what it's like to work with one type of cell versus the other and why the research distinction is important.

Irving Weissman is one of the older generation of stem cell pioneers.  He is a professor of pathology and developmental biology and the director of Stanford University School of Medicine's Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

 

In 1988, Dr. Weissman became the first to isolate in pure form any stem cell in any species when he isolated the hematopoietic or blood-forming stem cell in mice. He subsequently isolated the human hematopoietic stem cell, the human neuronal stem cell, and the human leukemia stem cell. 
Dr. Weissman's research encompasses the phylogeny and developmental biology of the cells that make up the blood-forming and immune systems.

Video Presentation by Dr. Stephen Badylak: Regenerative Medicine: Possibilities and Potential

Regenerative medicine in the form of autologous tissue or organ construction or reconstruction presented by a pioneer in the field.

Dr. Stephen Badylak is currently a Research Professor in the Department of Surgery and director of Tissue Engineering at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and a charter member and one of three United States member governors of the Tissue Engineering Society International. He is also a member of the Society for Biomaterials and the Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology Society.

This talk on the status and future of regenerative medicine and the transition from current to regenerative medicine was delivered at the Singularity Summit in October of 2011.

 

Autism And Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Dr. Ricardo Dolmetsch, associate professor of neurobiology, Stanford University, has generated stem cells from the cells of children with autism. This is a straight forward, brief interview which talks to the question of stem cells and autism. During the interview Dolmetsch gives a cogent explanation of the possibilities for Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in disease and therapeutic research.

 

 

Video: The Fundamentals Of Stem Cell Clinical Trials For Spinal Cord Repair

This talk is by Professor Alan Mackay-Sim of Griffith University, Brisbane Australia. Mackay-Sim is the Director as well as Chief Investigator for the Australian National Center for Stem Cell Research. His talk is on Cell Transplantation for Spinal Cord Repair, with reference to the methodology of clinical trials. He also addresses the Geron Corp. clinical trial currently under way as well as a clinical trial on spinal cord repair that he has undertaken.

The presentation is directed at a lay audience.

 

 

 

Dr. Gary Steinberg: Video Presentation Of Stem Cell Therapy For Stroke

Gary Steinberg, Stanford University, is a pioneer in stem cell research for stroke. This is a CIRM presentation that took place August 19 of 2010. Steinberg presents the subject broadly, touching on most of what has taken place and suggesting ideas of where we're headed in the stem cell therapy for stroke arena.

 

The Basics And Future Of Stem Cell Research: Amander Clark, UCLA

Amander Clark's laboratory uses embryonic stem cells as a model to study molecular events critical for human embryo development, with a special emphasis on the human germ line. She and her research team currently lead the effort at UCLA to generate new embryonic stem cell lines, with a major goal being the generation of clinic-grade lines for use in future therapeutics.

The video is Dr. Clark's UCLA Life Sciences Public Lecture delivered on March 16, 2011, and titled, "The Next Frontier in Stem Cell Research." It is an excellent summary of where we are and where were going.

 

Shinya Yamanaka On Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Recent talk by Shinya Yamanaka, the father of induced pluripotent stem cells and the first to induce a human skin cell to become an embryonic-like stem cell. He speaks of his philosophy and experience to date with understanding induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), their differences from embryonic stem cells, and the future of iPS cells as they evolve into disease analysis and stem cell therapy.  This took place at the University of San Francisco.

 

Video: Edward Morrisey Explaining Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using MicroRNA Expression

iPSCs are typically generated from adult non-reproductive cells by expressing four different genes called transcription factors.  The generation of iPSCs was first reported in 2006 by Shinya Yamanaka, and multiple groups have since reported the ability to generate these cells using some variations on the same four transcription factors. Since then researchers have been searching for ways to reprogram somatic cells without using viral transcription factors. See Sheng Ding and Yanik, MIT.

The promise of this line of research is to one day efficiently generate patient-specific stem cells in order to study human disease as well as create a cellular "storehouse" to regenerate a person's own cells, for example heart or liver cells. Despite this promise, generation of iPSCs is hampered by low efficiency, especially when using human cells.

“This is the first time we've been able to make induced pluripotent stem cells without the four transcription factors and increase the efficiency by 100-fold,” said Edward Morrisey, PhD, professor Departments of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology and Scientific Director at the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "It's a game changer," he added.

Stem Cell Therapies For ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease: The Problem And New Clinical Trials

Two of our Stem Cell Sector companies, Neuralstem (CUR) and Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI.OB) are in clinical trials with stem cell therapies for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gherig's disease. Neuralstem (CUR), market cap $60M, began its ALS trial in 2008 in the United States.

BrainStorm, market cap $57M, is the first company to receive approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) for a differentiated stem cell therapy and approval of its Phase I/II clinical trial utilizing its proprietary NurOwn™ treatment for patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease. BrainStorm's trial effectively began in Isreal on June 6,2011.

On July 19, 2011, BrainStorm announced it will partner with UMass Medical School and its chair of neurology, Robert H. Brown Jr., DPhil, MD, in anticipation of applying for FDA approval to begin amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) human clinical trials in the United States. The trial, which will be conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital, will investigate the use of the company’s NurOwn treatment for ALS.

We've included a video talk by Fred Gage of the Salk Institute on the subject of how ALS works in the body.

Stem Cell Research, Regenerative Medicine and Therapies: The Macro

Blogs, being new themselves, emphasize the currency of posts as paramount. We disagree. History is important. It is more important in some fields than in others. This video, made in 2006, is more relevant today than it was then. Not surprising given the short overall history of regenerative medicine and stem cell research. This is a marvelous macro summary of regenerative medicine. Taken in the context of subsequent events that include even more dramatically increasing health care costs, a national health care debate that has come to the fore, the continuing arguments against embryonic stem cell research, and the patchwork attempt at a national healthcare solution, this is a very worthwhile 18 minute investment. We should add that In those specific therapeutic arenas emphasized in Alan Russell’s talk, only progress has ensued since.

Dr. Alan Russell (PhD in Biological Chemistry, 1987, Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London) is a Distinguished University Professor of Surgery and the Founding Director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

Stem Cell Cardiovascular Therapies: The State of Development

W. Douglas Boyd, M.D., speaks about his work towards developing stem cell-based technologies to repair heart tissue damaged by cardiovascular disease. Boyd is a professor of surgery and director of robotics and biosurgery for the UC Davis Health System. This  talk took place on march 10, 2011 and is an excellent summary of the state of the art in stem cell therapy development for heart disease. The  talk was delivered to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine governing board.

Boyd was introduced by Claire Pomeroy, M.D., M.B.A., vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences at UC Davis and dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine. Pomeroy is also a member of the CIRM Governing Board.

 

60 Minutes: Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine And Organ Engineering

Public education on the research into organ regeneration is just beginning to come to the fore. This is quite an excellent general discussion on the state of stem cell regenerative medicine and well worth watching.

 

Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy, iPS Cell Therapy And Regenerative Medicine From The Perspecitve Of a World Renowned Transplant Surgeon

A fine broad perspective on the hope for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Therapies is presented by Dr. Susan Lim in this video.

Susan Lim established her reputation as a surgeon in 1990 after performing Singapore's (and southeast Asia's) first successful liver transplant. She has gone on to further pioneer in the field of general surgery, two new surgical technologies for Singapore, the mammotome minimally invasive breast biopsy and robotic surgery for the private sector. She founded and is chair and CEO of Centre for Robotic Surgery and spearheaded the Robotic General Surgery Program for Singapore.

 

Regenerative Medicine And The Stem Cell Therapies Of The Future

Stem cell research is a large subset of regenerative medicine.  The field is changing so rapidly that it is sometimes diificult to maintain a broad perspective about where stem cell research and its parent field of regenerative medcine are headed. Here is a video that addresses some of the mechanics and creative approaches being used in experimental organ regeneration.