Replies to post #25018 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[easymoney101]

Quasi Unlimited Quantities of Human Red Blood Cells Produced from Stem Cells
By Jean-Yves Nau
Le Monde

Monday 27 December 2004

A world breakthrough achieved by French hematologists could transform blood transfusion.
Sunday, December 26, on the site of the review "Nature Biotechnology", a team of French hematology specialists announced that they had, for the first time in the world, succeeded in making large quantities of both mature and functional human red blood cells in vitro. This result marks an important step in the history of blood science. All at once it opens considerable opportunities as much in the domain of fundamental research as in that of blood transfusion, as well, perhaps, in genetic therapy for the fight against malaria.

The output of a red blood cell from bone marrow, the tissue present in the center of long flat bones, is the fruit of a long process of maturation and cellular differentiation starting with stem cells from the "hematopoetic" system. This process in brief sees stem cells give birth to erythroblasts which transform themselves into reticulocytes which are released into the bloodstream. This young red blood cell then has an average 120 day life. It is estimated that between 4 and 5 thousand billion red blood cells are present in the human organism, with the bone marrow producing 800 billion of these blood cells daily.

The French researchers' first success was in identifying by immunological marking those stem cells -called CD 34 cells - from simple blood samples and then from umbilical cord blood samples. Then they perfected a culture process that most faithfully reproduced in vitro the cellular and molecular environment these cells experience in vivo. This process includes three stages and requires recourse to several growth factors as well as different cell types. It allows researchers to induce the transformation of nearly 100% of the CD 34 cells into reticulocytes within 21 days. More specifically, these researchers explain that they can obtain close to 2 million young red blood cells from a single CD 34 cell. "This is a first stage only and we have good hopes of finding the technical means to improve production," confides one of the team members.

While waiting for the completion of work now already in progress to standardize and industrialize this technique, several therapeutic applications will open due to this spectacular advance in cellular biology. The first will be studying how this red blood cell production technique may be used "autologically." The goal would be to sample stem cells from a patient's peripheral blood to transform them in vitro into red blood cells that can subsequently be transfused into the same patient. This new approach could be especially useful for patients known to need frequent transfusions. It could also be promising for patients said to be in "transfusional impasse" because of immune reactions to donors' blood.

The same technique applied from umbilical cord blood stem cells could, on the other hand, be used for people requiring transfusions who represent rare blood types for which donors are rare and generally inadequate. Banks of umbilical cord blood of this sort could be constituted. They would overcome the present shortage while increasing transfusional security. The blood present in an umbilical cord may, in fact, be "proved:" it is frozen after collection and not used until independent verification that the mother at delivery was not silently incubating either a viral or bacterial infection. The in vitro amplification technique would offer another advantage: a single sample of umbilical cord blood could be used by several recipients and each one of them would use blood material from a single donor only. That would also allow a reduction in the risks of contamination linked to the present technique of "pooling" blood samples, which, among other things, was responsible for the contaminated blood affairs.

The French researchers also believe that another interest may now be furthered. It derives from the fact that today, when a transfusion takes place with red blood from a donor, that sample includes both cells that have just been born, as well as others about to end their lives. Now, with the new technique, it would be possible to have blood available that by definition contains reticulocytes all enjoying 120 days' life expectancy, which allows hope for a more significant transfusional effectiveness.

On a more fundamental level, this model of cultivation allows hematological specialists to believe that they now have a tool that will allow them to advance the study of the mechanisms, not yet well understood, underlying the differentiation of this line of cells, as well as that of the synthesis of hemoglobin within these cells. Finally, the new mastery acquired in this in vitro culture of human cells could have an application in the emerging field of genetic and cellular therapy, with red blood cells from stem cells with a modified genome perhaps being able in the future to constitute medicinal vectors of a new sort.



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Translation: t r u t h o u t French language correspondent Leslie Thatcher.
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http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/123004H.shtml

[F6]

Massachusetts Governor Opposes Stem Cell Work

By PAM BELLUCK

Published: February 10, 2005

BOSTON, Feb. 9 - Setting up a political battle over stem cell research, Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts said this week that he would propose legislation to outlaw a type of embryonic stem cell research that is being planned by laboratories at Harvard University and other institutions in the state.

The governor's remarks came as Democratic lawmakers were introducing legislation that would promote embryonic stem cell research, partly in an effort to keep the state's large stable of research scientists and biotechnology companies from moving to California or other states that are providing support or financial incentives for such research.

The president of the Massachusetts Senate, Robert E. Travaglini, a Democrat, introduced such a bill on Wednesday, saying he wanted "to send a clear message that we are going to authorize this kind of research."

His bill would change a 30-year-old law that made it harder to conduct stem cell studies because it required the approval of county district attorneys, and would embrace research on stem cells derived from embryos. Future bills may offer scientists financial incentives, Mr. Travaglini said.

Many proponents of the bill have assumed they would have the backing of Mr. Romney, a Republican whose wife, Ann, has multiple sclerosis, a disease that could potentially be helped by the research. Mr. Romney had previously said he supported stem cell research in general, but had not elaborated.

But in an interview on Tuesday, Mr. Romney said that he was strongly against a type of embryonic stem cell research that many scientists consider extremely promising: research that involves creating human embryos specifically for scientific experimentation.

The governor said he would oppose any bill, like the one Wednesday, that would allow that method. And he said he would propose his own legislation that would establish criminal and civil penalties for research like that being planned by labs at Harvard University and Children's Hospital.

"Some of the practices that Harvard and probably other institutions in Massachusetts are engaged in cross the line of ethical conduct," Mr. Romney said.

He added: "My wife has M.S., and we would love for there to be a cure for her disease and for the diseases of others. But there is an ethical boundary that should not be crossed."

Stem cells derived from embryos are controversial because, unlike stem cells obtained from adults or from umbilical cords, the only way to obtain them is to destroy the embryo. Those stem cells, which are taken from what is essentially a clump of cells that constitutes an embryo that is a few days old, are considered the most promising because they have the potential to develop into any kind of cell.

The embryos can come from two sources: fertility clinics that have leftover embryos from in-vitro fertilization and embryos created solely for the purpose of research, known as therapeutic cloning. Scientists say fertility clinics would provide a limited number of embryos because many couples choose to store them rather than give them up.

Unlike some other social conservatives, including President Bush, Mr. Romney said he did not object to scientists' obtaining stem cells from fertility clinic embryos because those would probably be discarded anyway and because they were created with the intention of helping couples generate life.

Mr. Romney said he would allow research on embryos obtained from fertility clinics as long as the couples who created the embryos gave written permission, were not paid and were offered the options of rejecting research in favor of storing the embryos or giving them up for adoption.

But Mr. Romney said he objected to therapeutic cloning because "creation for the purpose of destruction is wrong."

The governor's position runs counter to the actions that many other states are considering. After California's decision last year to invest $3 billion in embryonic stem cell research, at least seven other states, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, are considering steps to encourage researchers in the field or provide economic incentives.

Dr. Douglas A. Melton, co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, has plans to start research with embryos created explicitly for that purpose. He is interested in creating stem cells with a particular disease, such as Alzheimer's or diabetes, so that scientists can try to understand why some people develop these diseases, how they develop and how they can be treated.

"It is the only method that I can think of now to get at the root causes of these diseases," Dr. Melton said.

Were Mr. Romney's proposal to become law, he said, "that would be not only disastrous, it would set science back significantly if they did that."

"Essentially what we would be saying," he said, "is we do not want to let scientists get at the root causes of these diseases."

Mr. Romney said he met with Dr. Melton to gather information to help him formulate his position.

If the governor's proposal passes, "some of the things he's doing would be decidedly against the law," Mr. Romney said of Dr. Melton.

Republicans make up only about 15 percent of the legislature, and Mr. Romney may not have the political muscle to get his proposal passed, even if he wins over the sizable number of conservative Democrats in this heavily Roman Catholic state.

Indeed, his effort may be more calibrated to a national stage. While he is seeking re-election in 2006, Mr. Romney is often said to have national political ambitions, and some political analysts believe he emphasizes his conservative social views, which are out of sync with the majority of his state, to earn points with Republicans at the national level.

Still, Mr. Romney's input on the issue in the state cannot be completely discounted. Many lawmakers in both parties are wrangling with the complexities of the research.

Senator Jack Hart, a Democrat who is co-chairman of the committee handling the Travaglini bill, said that he was opposed to abortion, as is Mr. Romney, and that he questioned the creation of embryos solely for research purposes.

"The concern I think that the majority of the people have out there is if, all of a sudden as a result of stem cell research, there's creation en masse of human embryos for the sake of research," Mr. Hart said.

In the last legislative session, a measure to endorse stem cell research overwhelmingly passed the 40-member Senate, but did not come to a vote in the 160-member House because the speaker, Thomas M. Finneran, a conservative Democrat, blocked it.

Mr. Finneran stepped down last fall. His replacement, Salvatore F. DiMasi, supports the research, so many believe the measure has a better chance of passing this year.

Mr. Travaglini, whose bill bans the cloning of humans for reproductive purposes and requires all research to be approved by an ethical review board, said he favored both kinds of embryonic stem cell research because of "the potential for medical breakthroughs."

He said he expected resistance from legislators opposed to abortion, who are outnumbered by legislators who favor abortion rights.

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/10/national/10stem.html

[F6]

(COMTEX) B: Stem cell therapy cures paralysis in rats ( United Press International )

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Scientists
have restored the ability to walk in paralyzed rats using a treatment derived
from human embryonic stem cells, the first direct demonstration the
controversial cells can regenerate tissues damaged by spinal cord injuries.

"We're very excited with these results," Hans Keirstead, lead author of the
study, said in a statement. Keirstead is an assistant professor of anatomy and
neurobiology at the University of California at Irvine's Reeve-Irvine Research
Center.

The findings "underscore the great potential that stem cells have for treating
human disease and injury (and) suggests one approach to treating people who've
just suffered spinal cord injury, although there is still much work to do before
we can engage in human clinical tests," Keirstead added.

Other researchers in this field were impressed by the results.

"This is an impressive study," Dr. Robert Lanza told UPI. He is vice president
of medical and scientific development at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester,
Mass., a company focusing on turning embryonic stem cells into disease
treatments.

"It's an exciting first step toward treating spinal cord injuries with human
embryonic stem cells," Lanza said. He added human clinical trials probably are
"not far down the pike and could happen as soon as next year."

Although the consensus among scientists is that embryonic stem cells have the
potential to regenerate damaged tissues and treat disease in people, the
research is controversial and opposed by some because it requires the
destruction of a human embryo.

In 2001, the Bush administration sought a compromise and limited federal funding
to 78 lines of stem cells already in existence, a move that scientists and
patient advocacy groups have criticized for stifling progress in this field.

Despite the limitations, the research has forged ahead in other countries and
even in the United States. Some U.S. states have endorsed it, with the most
notable being California, which passed legislation that provides $3 billion in
funding over the next 10 years.

Lanza said the stem cell field has had a resurgence of attention and funding in
recent months.

"I think you're going to see more and more studies like this, more applications
from stem cell research now that money for this research is starting to flow,"
he said.

In addition to funding from the states, private investors have also started
pumping more money into it.

"Our own company is a good example," Lanza said, and noted they have been able
to hire five new stem cell scientists with the additional capital recently
poured into the company.

In the study, which appears in the May 11 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience,
Keirstead and colleagues enticed embryonic stem cells to develop into
specialized cells called oligodendrocytes. These cells help form myelin, which
wraps around nerve cells, providing insulation. Myelin is critical for proper
function of the central nervous system and when it is damaged, paralysis can be
the result.

The researchers injected the oligodendrocytes into rats that had their spinal
cords injured and were unable to walk properly.

In rats that had been injured seven days earlier, the cells formed into
functioning oligodendrocytes that gave rise to myelin around the damaged cells
of the spinal cord. By two months, the rats showed significant improvements in
walking ability compared to rats who received no stem cell treatment.

However, the treatment was less successful in mice that had been injured 10
months before treatment. Although oligodendrocytes formed in the right location
of the spinal cord, they were unable to generate myelin.

Keirstead's team thinks this could be due to scar tissue that may have built up
in that area or other factors that may inhibit the formation of myelin. Either
way, it suggests stem cell-derived treatments will have to be initiated early
after a spinal cord injury if they are to restore function.

By STEVE MITCHELL, Medical Correspondent

Copyright 2005 by United Press International.

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