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Stem Cells Show Promise as Heart Failure Treatment.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/07/23/stem-cells-show-promise-as-heart-failure-treatment
It needs a little work but works fine for the most part. I use it all the time.
Discovery could expedite the use of Embryonic Stem Cells in Cell Therapy And Regenerative Medicine.
JULY 20, 2012 BY DEMENTIATODAY
New research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem sheds light on pluripotency – the ability of embryonic stem cells to renew themselves indefinitely and to differentiate into all types of mature cells. Solving this problem, which is a major challenge in modern biology, could expedite the use of embryonic stem cells in cell therapy and regenerative medicine. If scientists can replicate the mechanisms that make pluripotency possible, they could create cells in the laboratory which could be implanted in humans to cure diseases characterized by cell death, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes and other degenerative diseases.
To shed light on these processes, researchers in the lab of Dr. Eran Meshorer, in the Department of Genetics at the Hebrew University’s Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, are combining molecular, microscopic and genomic approaches. Meshorer’s team is focusing on epigenetic pathways – which cause biological changes without a corresponding change in the DNA sequence – that are specific to embryonic stem cells.
The molecular basis for epigenetic mechanisms is chromatin, which is comprised of a cell’s DNA and structural and regulatory proteins. In groundbreaking research performed by Shai Melcer, a PhD student in the Meshorer lab, the mechanisms which support an “open” chromatin conformation in embryonic stem cells were examined. The researchers found that chromatin is less condensed in embryonic stem cells, allowing them the flexibility or “functional plasticity” to turn into any kind of cell.
A distinct pattern of chemical modifications of chromatin structural proteins (referred to as the acetylation and methylation of histones) enables a looser chromatin configuration in embryonic stem cells. During the early stages of differentiation, this pattern changes to facilitate chromatin compaction.
But even more interestingly, the authors found that a nuclear lamina protein, lamin A, is also a part of the secret. In all differentiated cell types, lamin A binds compacted domains of chromatin and anchors them to the cell’s nuclear envelope. Lamin A is absent from embryonic stem cells and this may enable the freer, more dynamic chromatin state in the cell nucleus. The authors believe that chromatin plasticity is tantamount to functional plasticity since chromatin is made up of DNA that includes all genes and codes for all proteins in any living cell. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate chromatin function will enable intelligent manipulations of embryonic stem cells in the future.
“If we can apply this new understanding about the mechanisms that give embryonic stem cells their plasticity, then we can increase or decrease the dynamics of the proteins that bind DNA and thereby increase or decrease the cells’ differentiation potential,” concludes Dr. Meshorer. “This could expedite the use of embryonic stem cells in cell therapy and regenerative medicine, by enabling the creation of cells in the laboratory which could be implanted in humans to cure diseases characterized by cell death, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes and other degenerative diseases.”
Source:
http://www.dementiatoday.com/discovery-could-expedite-the-use-of-embryonic-stem-cells-in-cell-therapy-and-regenerative-medicine/
From the iCell forum today...Watch for an upcoming article on Seeking Alpha.
30min phone interview with Gary Rabin. According to the the person that interviewed him and is writing up the article..."Exciting Times".
I think it's a good move Silver...long term, nothing but upside. IMO
GLTU
I agree, Stem cells inc. results are FANTASTIC, but how would you categorize our ( ACT ) results? Injecting cells into mice who were dragging their legs and six days later they are running around?
Just curious about your thoughts.
I'm with you on that one. Let's just hope that the powers that be allow the science to get to market once it's proven successful...Ultimately, that may be the BIGGEST hurdle to overcome.
GLTUA.
LOL! I believe in all possibilities. Everything is a matter of perspective isn't it. :)
I'm well aware of that, I'm a member of the iCell forum. Again...I'm not going to worry about the things I can't control only the things I can control. What I can control is weather or not I choose to stay invested in a company. If I loose my money or if I make money it's because I made that decision. I have no control over what a poster on iCell or any other forum for that matter chooses to post. These are after all, discussion boards.
Nice post Crawford. That' why it's going to be a big advantage for us to have Robert Langer on board. Having served 7 years as a member of the FDA, 3 of those years as chairman has to be beneficial to this company.
JMHO...
With all due respect, I think you're getting way ahead of yourself with the S.E.C. Investigation and predictions as to what might transpire. I know and understand its a serious matter but I'm not going to loose any sleep over it, if I was that concerned or anyone else for that matter, I would have sold my shares a long time ago. I don't think the company is unaware of the possible consequences and I'm sure they and their attorneys are dealing with this S.EC.investigation in a diligent manner. This company has far too much going for it to not have a handle on its legal matters. It's not the same company that Caldwell was overseeing. I know all the Rabin haters would like to compare him to Caldwell but it will be those same people that are ready to burn him at the stake who will be praising him once he and the rest of management and the scientific team lead us to the promised land. Anyone who doesn't believe or have any confidence should be invested in something else. Plain and simple! IMHO
GLTU
Thanks andy e, this company has a lot of upside to it. Looking forward to great things from it by the end of this year.
Any thoughts on our PPS by the end of the year?
This company is so undervalued it's unreal. Great management ( outstanding CEO ), nice diversification, and a strong presence in the Regenerative Medicine sector.
The only complaint I have is that I wish they would move the AMR-001 trial along a little faster. So far phase one results have been positive and look promising.
I expect to continue to hear more positive news from this company throughout the rest of the year.
My guess PPS by the end of the year...
Low .90's
I know this article is a few weeks old but maybe it's time to re-visit for some perspective on where we might be headed. GLTA
http://m.seekingalpha.com/#article/638011-neostem-an-investment-in-both-stem-cell-and-immunotherapy
Robert Lanza's latest video via The Science channel.
Thanks to Wallace907 and Fredinsoho from the iCell forum for the info. and link!!
http://news.discovery.com/human/will-we-clone-humans-soon-gotta-see-videos-120709.html
Excellent post bio, and nice, unbiased, perspective.
GLTU
I don't think this is the reason but an interesting article none the less...
http://news.yahoo.com/encouraging-results-clinical-trials-drive-investments-hesc-research-100157354.html
Happy 4th everybody! And great article AP...Nice way to start the day.
:0)
Ditto that! :0)
I'm assuming the same. Maybe something they pre-screen for before final approval?
Farviewhill, thanks for sharing your perspective. I'm a "Glass half full" kind of guy. I wasn't always that way though. There was a time when I looked at things the other way and I found that it made me lead a stressfull and miserable life. Now that I look at things in a positive manner I can wake up and go through each day with a smile on my face. Life's too short and science tells us that living our lives in a negative way cuts into our longevity. That being said... I'm grateful for whatever little update Rabin gave us in his blog today. He stated that all the patients are doing remarkably well-no safety issues whatsoever, and he gave us an explanation as to why the trials both here and in the U.K. Are moving at a slower pace than they anticipated.
As far as the S.E.C. Investigation goes, I agree with Silver's earlier post that " I don't think he can discuss an ongoing investigation. Being the "Glass half full" kind of guy that I am, I will purchase another small block of shares tomorrow as soon as my funds clear.
I'd hate to be in Gary's shoes...if he doesn't do a P.R. People complain and if he does people say its not enough. Everybody's entitled to their own feelings but...as Adrian shouted to Rocky Balboa in one of his movies. "You can't win". AIMHO
GLTU.
Sorry, forgot to post the official link. Here it is...
http://www.thechairmansblog.com/gary-rabin/
Gary Rabins blog....
First, let me welcome you all to summer. We have been very busy the last few months since our annual shareholders meeting, when we provided a comprehensive update on the company. I realize that many of you are looking to understand the status of the various strategic and clinical plans we laid out at that meeting, so I will provide a summary here.
Clinical Trials
Our clinical trials in the U.S. and U.K. continue to progress well, though at a little slower pace than we have hoped. We have, as of today, treated eight patients between the three ongoing trials. All are doing remarkably well – no safety issues whatsoever, and we continue to receive evidence of the ability of the injected RPE cells to impact positively on vision. Our most recent patient, treated Friday the 29th, was a Stargardt’s Disease sufferer, with the surgery conducted by Dr. Bainbridge at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. While it is too early to say anything about that patient, for the other seven dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) and Stargardt’s patients, we can report that we have seen both subjective and objective evidence of improved visual acuity and quality of vision (ability to see colors better, etc). Importantly, the effects appear to persist, with our first two patients closing in on the one year mark this month and maintaining the increases in visual acuity we measured shortly after their treatment. I emphasize that this is preliminary data, and we really need many more patients and data points, but it is very encouraging and we believe that we are on the road to providing a treatment for these devastating diseases. Before Friday’s treatment, we had two consecutive last-minute cancellations, costing us nearly a month’s delay in the UK trial. One patient had a (very rare) allergic reaction, and another patient was disqualified prior to treatment due to the need to treat a non-related medical event. Both matters disqualified the patients within days of their planned surgeries.
In the U.S., we will be conducting the fourth Stargardt’s treatment (and the first of the second 100,000 cell cohort) shortly, and have screened and identified the likely fourth AMD patient, whom we anticipate treating in July, pending DSMB approval. We will also plan to treat the third UK patient in July at Moorfields. As we now have multiple centers screening in the U.S., and will soon have multiple centers in the UK, we expect that this level of redundancy will allow us to have a second center step in shortly after any last-minute patient cancellations.
As we have previously announced, our Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) has approved the treatment of the remaining two patients in the first cohort of the U.K. Stargardt’s trial, as well as the first patient of the second cohort (now at a dose of 100,000 cells) in the U.S. Stargardt’s trial. We have submitted the data package for the first cohort of patients for the dry AMD trial, and await their review with the hope that we will soon receive the green light to move up to the 100,000 cell dose for that trial as well. I will keep you posted as we treat additional patients this summer, and you should expect to start hearing about additional trial sites (some yet to be announced) also initiating patient treatments.
My last remark on the trials is to share with you how proud I am that our company has attracted some of the leading eye hospitals and retinal surgeons around the world to work with us. What other small biotech company can boast about a team like ours?! Their expertise has been invaluable in this phase of our trials, and along with our expert consultants and board members, we are tapping into this great resource as we set our sights on the next targets: clinical endpoints for Phase II and III of the trials.
BIO 2012 and the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine
This past month (June 18-21), Boston hosted the 2012 BIO International Convention. This event collects together the world’s top life science companies. The official number of attendees topped 16,000, according to BIO. It was an opportunity to hear from key world figures, including former US Secretaries of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson Jr. and Robert E. Rubin, participate in breakout and company presentation sessions, and to have a number of one-on-one meetings with a variety of different industry-leading companies. We took advantage of this format, sitting down with folks from various large cap life science firms (many of whom we meet with regularly at these meetings, as well as a few new faces), and branched out from there to also take meetings with cosmetic and veterinarian divisions of household-name companies. We also used the opportunity to chat with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and update him on our trials and the company as a whole. The Governor put it so well when he addressed the convention, “Every meeting, every connection is about improving the lives of patients and ultimately finding a cure.”
We used the occasion of BIO to give a public presentation on ACT which was very well-received. The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), an industry-academic-patient advocacy group to which we belong, also took advantage of the gathering in Boston and organized the Clinical Outlooks for Regenerative Medicine meeting for that week. It was held at the Schepens Eye Research Institute at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary – one of the most recent hospitals to sign on as a clinical trial site for our retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) program. A number of representatives from the big pharma community we had set up meetings with at BIO also attended the ARM event, reaffirming for us their interest in this space.
In addition to the one-on-one discussions that attending BIO afforded us, there was a clear affirmation of a general message coming out of the life science sector, a message growing in volume over the last few years, that provides encouragement for regenerative medicine and cell therapies as a whole, and ACT in particular. The drug development pipeline at the big life science companies is in serious danger of not being able to replace markets that will be lost when the “patent cliff” really comes into play at the end of this decade. Therapies are becoming more expensive to develop through to market authorization, and their internal research and development programs are not producing enough high quality (less risky) leads.
Jim Hoyes, the President of EMD Serono (the biopharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA, the German chemical and pharmaceutical company) summed it up during his speech at BIO, commenting, “Part of that is recognizing what we aren’t as good at.” The large cap life science companies are getting anxious, and regenerative medicine is poised to address the growing pipeline issue.
At our annual shareholders meeting, we told you that it was not likely a matter of whether we will partner one or more of our programs (such as the RPE program), but rather, when. We need to move further into our trials to really capitalize on the intrinsic value of our RPE cell therapy, but it is evident from the general tenor at BIO and our individual conversations that we are on the right track. We will continue to keep these lines of communication open – updating potential partners on our progress, and using those meetings to learn more about the issues that would be important to any diligence around a deal – and taking that input and using it to fine tune our regulatory and intellectual property strategies.
Reverse Split and Uplisting
We continue to move with great determination towards uplisting to the NASDAQ exchange with a concomitant reverse split to a qualifying share price. We have a very clear understanding of the few remaining boxes we need to check to complete the process, and are devoting significant management time to that effort. I remain very optimistic that I will have good news to report, and am convinced that once listed on that exchange, the outlook for the company’s stock long-term valuation will be positive. We have too many good things going for us on the science and development side for the company not to be a success story. I just need ask for your continued patience for the time being.
So, it only remains to say, we are looking forward to the rest of the year and what we hope will be a busy but very exciting summer. We will update you on all this and more on our 2Q earnings call in early August.
Thank you, as always, for your interest and support.
Gary Rabin
Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating results, future growth in research and development programs, potential applications of our technology, opportunities for the company and any other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,” and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: limited operating history, need for future capital, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, protection of our intellectual property, and economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the company’s periodic reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company’s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company’s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. There can be no assurance that the Company’s clinical trials will be successful.
Great observation Graeme50, especially with regards to nanotechnology. I was first exposed to this groundbreaking technology with an article I read in an issue of Wired magazine back in 2000, I actually still own the hard copy! :)
The topic was molecular electronics and I've been hooked ever since.
Nanotechnology is in its infancy but its only a matter of time before we start seeing more commercial applications. We're already seeing it's use in chemical coatings and Micro-Electro-Mechanical systems (MEMS). Researching and investing in the right companies will be very rewarding! IMHO.
GLTU. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.07/
Thanks louisa, people who are new to this company should be made aware of some of the people on ACTC's B.O.D This company is not a pump and dump scam as it has been refered to here on a few occasions. None of us are happy about the current PPS and about the "Apparent" lack of leadership" but that is always a matter of one's perspective. In light of all the "Doom and Gloom" prognosticators it's refreshing to see news like this! IMHO.
GLTUA
The winner of the 1st Terumo Global Science Award is Dr. Robert Samuel Langer, Professor at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Dr. Langer’s career, achievements, and the reasons for prize winning are described below.
Dr. Robert Samuel Langer
Date of Birth August 29, 1948 (New York, USA)
Career
1970 Cornell University (B.A.)
1974 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (PhD in Chemical Engineering supervised by Professor Clark K. Colton)
1974-1977 Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School
Postdoctoral fellow
(supervised Professor Judah Folkman)
1977-1981 MIT Nutritional Biochemistry
Assistant Professor
1981-1985 MIT Biochemical Engineering
Associate Professor
1985-1988 MIT Biochemical Engineering,
Harvard-MIT Health Science and Technology Professor
1988-2005 MIT Chemical and Biochemical Engineering,
Helen Whitaker University (Health Science and Technology Management)
Harvard-MIT Health Science and Technology Professor
2005- MIT Institute Professor
At present, Dr. Langer is one of 14 Institute Professors (holding the position of Institute Professor is the highest honor) and belongs to the Department of Chemical Engineering of MIT. Dr. Langer is specialized in the field that integrates biotechnology and material science. He has published more than 1,100 papers and obtained/applied for about 800 international patents. In addition, he chaired the FDA Science Board from 1999 to 2002. Moreover, Forbes Magazine named Dr. Langer as “one of the 25 most important individuals in biotechnology in the world.” Forbes Magazine also selected Dr. Langer as “one of the 15 innovators world wide who will reinvent our future.” Discover Magazine named Dr. Langer as “one of the 20 most important people in this area.” Time Magazine and CNN named Dr. Langer as “one of the 100 most important people in America.”
Prize Records
Dr. Langer has received more than 200 eminent awards. He has an h-index of 127. The major awards are listed below.
1990 Clemson Award
(the highest honor conferred by the Society for Biomaterials)
1996 Gardiner Foundation International Award
(Canada’s largest medical award comparable to the Nobel Prize; He is currently the only engineer who has received the award.)
2002- Charles Stark Draper Prize (comparable to the “Nobel Prize” in the field of engineering)
2005 Albany Medical Center Prize (Medical Prize in USA)
2006 National Medal of Science,
2008 Millennium Technology Prize (the world’s largest technology prize)
“For his invention and development of innovative biomaterials for controlled drug release and tissue regeneration that have significantly improved human health”
2012 Priestley Medal (the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society)
(And many others)
Achievements and the Reasons for Award Winning
In the past, Dr. Langer has received many awards. He has contributed to advancement in biomaterials, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine for more than 30 years and has been a leader of academic society and related industries. For such contributions, Dr. Langer has been praised as “the father (a front-line researcher in the field) of tissue engineering” and “the pioneer (innovator) of controlled drug release delivery and tissue engineering” by the National Academy of Sciences. In addition, Dr. Langer has supervised more than 100 PhD students. More than 200 members supervised in his laboratory have become professors and leaders (teachers) in various high-ranked academic institutions. Dr. Langer also has cultivated many human resources for the next generation.
In 1993, Dr. Langer et al. including Professor J. Vacanti at Harvard University wrote a seminal paper entitled “Tissue Engineering” in Science Magazine. Then, Dr. Langer conducted a joint study to create a mouse with an ear-formed implant by forming a biodegradable lactic acid-glycolic acid copolymer in the shape of a human ear and implanting it subcutaneously with cartilage cells on the back of a nude mouse. This was reported through the media all over the world. It created an international research boom in the field of tissue engineering. Specifically, he proposed the creation of tissue with a combination of cells + matrix +cytokine (physiologically active substances).
After 1986, Dr. Langer demonstrated the formation of about 20 types of body tissues using animal models. His group succeeded for the first time in the creation of cartilage, cardiac valve, bone, liver, intestine, urinary system, tendon, and muscle by tissue engineering. As a result of this study, the creation of human skin, bone, blood vessel, urinary bladder, and cartilage has been achieved. In 2002, Dr. Langer created a completely new biodegradable material called “Biorubber,” contributing to advancement in scaffolding technology for tissue engineering. Furthermore, he developed methods such as the novel method for forming muscles using stem cells in 2005, the world’s first high-throughput method for creating a material regulating stem cell differentiation in 2004, the method for forming cardiac tissue using biomaterials in 2008, and a novel method of biomaterial surface synthesis for stem cell growth in a unique environment containing no foreign bodies and serum in 2010.
The advantageous use of such techniques is expected to allow the creation of 3D constructs that can be used for repair or substitution of damaged organs in the future. This will lead to the establishment of new therapeutic methods.
Dr. Langer has developed various new techniques used in tissue engineering for many years. In addition, he has supervised many people all over the world in the field of clinical research that forms the academic foundation of the field of material chemistry and tissue engineering. Dr. Langer is the best person to receive the 1st Terumo International Prize. Our foundation is highly honored to present the award to Dr. Langer.
Stemcall,
Ceasar has formed a new group on iCell in addition to Ceasar's Palace. You can read his posts by requesting an invite to Ceasar's Palace premium on iCell.
Totally agree...would love to be on the inside to know what those J&J reps went back to report to that company.
Nice post S.F.
Too much doom and gloom for my blood over here. Sometimes I think I logged onto that yahoo place by mistake. Don't like negative vibes...I think I'll hang out at the other place for a while. I'll come back when things start turning around and all the doom and gloomers miraculously turn into ravaging cheerleaders.
GLTUA!
Kind of expecting the opposite of what we are seeing now.
After this mornings news, I was kin
Exactly Drano, any one of us would be doing the same thing. I agree with you 100 %
Killtoy, if Lanza were to walk I wouldn't be too far behind him and ready to invest in the next Biotech company he parks at!
Still trying to catch up on my sleep, I meant the interview 2 nights ago.
Dr. Lanza mentioned Tony Atala on the Coast to Coast interview last night. This is an old video but for those of you who haven't seen it here it is.
GLTUA.
http://www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_growing_organs_engineering_tissue.html?goback=%2Egde_2886015_member_121591109
I will have to hunt down twenty2 and shake it out of him. Huntington beach is only about 30 miles from me...LOL!!! :)
Sorry louisa...didn't have my glasses on. I was looking at message 23 instead 0f #28. I get you now!! :)
But BTW # 23 is pretty interesting...Don't you think?
GLTUA
Wow! Talk about getting things in order and all prepped up. I hope this might be the case with ACTC.
Great observation loisa and thanks for the heads up! :)
Elysse, the entire interview is available on You Tube. Joining Coast To Coast isn't necessary. I thought louisa had posted this already yesterday but here it is again.
I agree with you Drano' I alluded to that earlier, only time will tell.
IMHO.