Wednesday, July 24, 2013 1:38:50 PM
A US company that promoted its stem cell discovery in partnership with the Vatican has come under fresh scrutiny by independent scientists who said Wednesday the cells do not exist.
Scientists at Stanford University said in the journal Stem Cell Reports they could not replicate NeoStem's findings of very small embryonic-like cells (VSELs) in the bone marrow of lab mice.
These cells have been touted by the New York-based company as an ethical alternative to stem cells requiring the destruction of human embryos, with the same regenerative ability to transform into other cell types in the body.
Earlier this year, NeoStem announced plans to launch the first human trials of the cells for bone growth.
"We tried as hard as we could to replicate the original published results using the methods described and were unable to detect these cells in either the bone marrow or the blood of laboratory mice," said lead author Irving Weissman, who directs Stanford's Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.
Weissman's study is the first to evaluate the biological potency of the cells, and it found they could not transform into blood cells and contained very little DNA.
Instead, researchers found that what purported to be VSELs -- about five micrometers in diameter -- were either debris or dead cells.
"A true pluripotent cell would be able to differentiate into any tissue type," said Weissman. "But we couldn't confirm that cells of that size or phenotype could generate hematopoietic cells with any reliability."
In response, NeoStem chairman and CEO Robin Smith said the company has studies in progress that will "confirm whether or not VSEL(s) have characteristics of a pluripotent stem cell."
"We acknowledge that there is controversy in the VSEL field but this is not unusual for most new scientific discoveries and theories (Darwin and evolution, Copernicus and earth orbiting the sun as examples)," Smith said in a statement emailed to AFP.
The cells were first described in 2006 by researchers working with lab mice at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
Lead author of that first study to describe VSELs, Mariusz Ratajczak, told the journal Cell Stem Cell, in the edition coming out August 1, that he was anxious about the pace.
"I'm a little bit scared because I know that NeoStem would like to go fast to the clinic," he was quoted as saying. "I still think we need to do more basic research."
NeoStem has about 20 patent applications that protect the method for isolating the cells.
The company along with other partner institutions have also received $4.5 million in government research grants, including from the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health.
In 2010, it partnered with the Vatican on a charity to promote awareness of alternatives to embryonic stem cell research.
"Your own adult stem cells are the perfect ethical and moral alternative to stem cells derived from other donors or from embryonic stem cells," NeoStem says on its website.
According to Ihor Lemischka, professor of regenerative biology and director of the Black Family Stem Cell Institute at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, the money spent on VSEL research was a "waste of funding."
"My impression is that this has been a controversial issue since the VSEL cells were first described," said Lemischka, who was not involved with the research.
"It is good that the Weissman laboratory, one of the most prominent stem cell labs in the world, has addressed these issues," he told AFP.
"Optimistically, the issue could now be well on the way to being settled," said Lemischka.
http://my.news.yahoo.com/embryonic-stem-cells-cant-found-160726015.html
Recent LSTA News
- Lisata Therapeutics Announces Full Enrollment of Pancreatic Cancer Cohort of CENDIFOX Trial • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 06/13/2024 12:30:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics to Participate in Upcoming June 2024 Industry and Investor Events • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/28/2024 12:30:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics Receives Paediatric Investigation Plan Waiver from the European Medicines Agency for Certepetide in Pancreatic Cancer • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/20/2024 12:30:00 PM
- Form EFFECT - Notice of Effectiveness • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/10/2024 04:15:16 AM
- Form 10-Q - Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/09/2024 08:13:47 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Provides Business Update • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/09/2024 08:05:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics to Participate in Upcoming May 2024 Industry and Investor Events • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/08/2024 12:00:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics to Report First Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Provide a Business Update on Thursday, May 9, 2024 • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/02/2024 12:00:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics and Qilu Pharmaceutical Announce First Patient Treated in Qilu’s Phase 2 Trial in China of LSTA1 in Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 04/23/2024 11:30:00 AM
- Lisata Therapeutics Announces U.S. FDA Orphan Drug Designation Granted to LSTA1 for the Treatment of Osteosarcoma • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 04/09/2024 12:30:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics to Participate in Upcoming April 2024 Industry and Investor Events • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 04/03/2024 12:30:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics Announces U.S. FDA Rare Pediatric Disease Designation Granted to LSTA1 for the Treatment of Osteosarcoma • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/21/2024 12:00:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics to Present at the Life Science Investor Forum on March 7ᵗʰ • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/04/2024 01:00:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics Reports Full Year 2023 Financial Results and Provides Business Update • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 02/29/2024 09:05:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics to Host Year-End 2023 Conference Call on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 02/22/2024 01:00:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics to Present at BIO CEO & Investor Conference • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 02/20/2024 01:00:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics to Present at the Sequire Investor Summit in Puerto Rico • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/18/2024 01:30:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics Announces First Patient Treated in the Phase 2a Trial of LSTA1 in Patients with Glioblastoma Multiforme • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/17/2024 01:00:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics Announces Publication of Case Report on a Complete Response in a Metastatic Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma Patient Treated with LSTA1 in Combination with Standard-of-Care Therapy • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 01/04/2024 01:00:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics Announces Completion of Enrollment in Phase 2b ASCEND Trial of LSTA1 in Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 12/12/2023 01:00:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics to Present at NobleCon19 Investor Conference • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 11/28/2023 09:05:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics Announces Participation in Upcoming Conferences in November • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 11/09/2023 09:05:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Provides Business Update • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 11/02/2023 08:05:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics to Host Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results Conference Call on Thursday, November 2nd at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 10/26/2023 12:00:00 PM
- Lisata Therapeutics Announces First Patient Treated in the Cholangiocarcinoma Cohort of the BOLSTER Trial of LSTA1, a Novel Tumor-Targeting and Penetrating Peptide • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 10/24/2023 12:00:00 PM
Panther Minerals Inc. Launches Investor Connect AI Chatbot for Enhanced Investor Engagement and Lead Generation • PURR • Jul 9, 2024 9:00 AM
Glidelogic Corp. Becomes TikTok Shop Partner, Opening a New Chapter in E-commerce Services • GDLG • Jul 5, 2024 7:09 AM
Freedom Holdings Corporate Update; Announces Management Has Signed Letter of Intent • FHLD • Jul 3, 2024 9:00 AM
EWRC's 21 Moves Gaming Studios Moves to SONY Pictures Studios and Green Lights Development of a Third Upcoming Game • EWRC • Jul 2, 2024 8:00 AM
BNCM and DELEX Healthcare Group Announce Strategic Merger to Drive Expansion and Growth • BNCM • Jul 2, 2024 7:19 AM
NUBURU Announces Upcoming TV Interview Featuring CEO Brian Knaley on Fox Business, Bloomberg TV, and Newsmax TV as Sponsored Programming • BURU • Jul 1, 2024 1:57 PM