Archive for May, 2009
Contact lens stem cell sight aid
From BBC.co.uk
Scientists have used stem cells grown onto contact lenses to improve the sight of people with cornea damage.
The treatment was given to three patients by a team from Australia’s University of New South Wales. All saw improvements within weeks.
They used the patients’ own stem cells in the treatment, detailed in the journal Transplantation, and a type of lens already used after eye surgery.
UK experts said the small-scale study was promising.
The cornea is the transparent layer that covers the eye – but it can lose transparency, damaging sight.
In the most serious cases, people can need cornea grafts or transplants.
Corneal disease can be caused by genetic disorders, surgery, burns, infections or chemotherapy.
In this study, all three patients had damage to the epithelium – the layer of cells covering the front of the cornea.
Eye cells
The researchers in this study used limbal stem cells – found within the eye.
Stem cells are “master cells”, which have the power to transform themselves into other cell types.
The cells can be taken from any healthy part of the eye and, because they are from the patient’s own body, the transplant will not be rejected.
They removed small samples of stem cells from the eyes of the three patients – two men and a woman – and grew them on contact lenses.
The patients then wore the lenses for 10 days.
During that period, the stem cells moved off the lenses and onto the damaged corneas.
The patients were followed up for between eight and 13 months.
Click link above for complete article.
Stem cells hold promise in treating retinal degeneration
From Louisville.edu
A team of University of Louisville scientists have discovered that stem cells taken from bone marrow can restore damaged retinal tissue by generating new cells. This is the first known study where stem cells derived from bone marrow have been used to restore the pigmented cell layer just outside the retina or the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).
The research moves science a step closer to helping those who suffer from vision loss and blindness due to age-related macular degeneration and hereditary retinal degenerations.
During their experiments, UofL researchers found that bone-marrow derived stem cells (BMSCs) were attracted to damaged RPE, and were able to differentiate or move from less specialized cells into components of RPE.
According to researcher Suzanne Ildstad, “More research is needed to optimize the outcome and potential for repair of damaged retinal pigment epithelium. A combination with up-to-date tissue engineering might be critical for ultimate success.”
UofL Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences researcher Henry Kaplan is now expanding this research in conjunction with the Swine Institute at the University of Missouri. Kaplan says pigs have more optical similarities to humans.
“After learning more about how bone-marrow derived stem cells can help regenerate retinal pigment epithelium in swine, we hope to translate our research into the clinical setting,” Kaplan said.
This research has implications for a number of chronic diseases including congestive heart failure, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, spinal cord injuries, age-related macular degeneration and hereditary retinal degenerations.
Age-related macular degeneration affects 10 percent to 20 percent of people over the age of 65 years old. Hereditary retinal degeneration is another leading cause of blindness and typically involves an onset of night blindness, an early loss of peripheral vision and late loss of central vision.
The study, published recently in the Archives of Ophthalmology, is available online at archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/127/4/563.
Free E-book Download
Emerging Technology Platforms for Stem Cells is available as a free download from ebook-share.net
This book focuses on practical applications for using adult and embryonic stem cells in the pharmaceutical development process. It emphasizes new technologies to help overcome the bottlenecks in developing stem cells as therapeutic agents. A key reference for professionals working in stem cell science, it presents the general principles and methodologies in stem cell research and covers topics such as derivitization and characterization of stem cells, stem cell culture and maintenance, stem cell engineering, applications of high-throughput screening, and stem cell genetic modification with their use for drug delivery.
Interact With Stem Cell Experts Live on brighttalk.com
WHAT: Stem Cell Summit hosted by BrightTALK™
At this free online summit, thought leaders present a series of webcasts sharing the latest innovations and breakthroughs in stem cell research and application.
These webcasts will feature live, interactive presentations by scientists, business leaders and academics addressing the latest discoveries in stem cell usage including reconstruction of the surface of the eye, research in embryonic stem cells, and delaying the onset of aging.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 12, 2009, from 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PDT (The webcasts will also be immediately recorded and viewable on-demand at brighttalk.com.)
TOPICS AND PRESENTERS:
“Reconstructing the Surface of the Eye Using Stem Cells” — Dr. Sajjad Ahmad, MRCOphth, PhD NESCI (UK)
“Beyond Embryonic Stem Cells” — Kenneth Aldrich, CEO, International Stem Cell Corporation
“Delaying the Onset of Aging via Rejuvenated Stem Cell Responses” — Professor Irina Conboy, PhD, UC Berkeley
WHERE: Summit program and registration is available on brighttalk.com: http://www.brighttalk.com/summit/stemcell
ADD WEB 2.0 CONTENT TO YOUR SITE: The summit can also be accessed (live and later on-demand) through the BrightTALK player, which can be embedded into any of your websites and blogs. For information on how to embed a player or to participate in future summits, contact Morgan Cantrell at (415) 955-0553 or mcantrell (at) brighttalk.com.
ABOUT BrightTALK:
BrightTALK is devoted to making webcasting the ultimate business tool for transferring knowledge. BrightTALK creates a vibrant exchange of ideas between presenters and viewers featuring live, interactive access to the world’s top thought leaders.
