Editors   Breakthrough: Human Hearts Can Grow New Cells   4/20/2009 11:50:00 AM    
In the April 3 issue of the journal Science, a team from University of Toronto and University of Wisconsin-Madison announced their discovery that heart cells regenerate throughout a human lifetime, with a 1 percent annual turnover rate at age 25, falling to a 0.45 percent turnover rate at age 75.

Therefore, the human heart must have it's own stem cells.

Editors   SHOCK: Obama Signs Bill Banning Federal Funding of Embryonic Stem Cells   3/13/2009 1:20:00 PM    
President Obama signed H.R. 1105, the “Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (aka omnibus appropriations bill) on Wednesday which included a hidden provision that explicitly bans federal funding of any "research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death."

This bill is counter to the claims of Obama made just Monday where "sc...

Editors   Policy: Obama Signs Executive Order Authorizing Federal Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research   3/9/2009 11:45:00 AM    
President Obama signed an Executive Order authorizing Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research - overturning President Bush's ban on such funding.

Stay tuned for the details of the order.

Editors   FLASH: Policy: Obama to Sign Embryonic Stem Cell Executive Order Monday   3/6/2009 4:06:00 PM    
President Obama will sign an executive order Monday authorizing Federal funds to be used in embryonic stem cell research.

This was widely expected. However, it is ironic this funding will be available just as embryonic stem cells may not be needed with the recent advances in 'artificial' embryonic stem cells (aka iPS or induced pluripotent cells).

Editors   Deal: Stem Cells Inc. Diversifies with Embryonic Stem Cell Acquisition   3/6/2009 8:40:00 AM    
US based Stem Cells, Inc. (StemCells) acquires UK and Australia based Stem Cell Sciences plc in $5 million stock and cash deal.

This is StemCells's gambit to diversify from being solely an adult stem cell business into being a global provider of embryonic stem cells, induced stem cells (artificial embryonic), and adult stem cells.

Editors   Policy: Embryonic Stem Cell Bill Reintroduced in US Senate   2/27/2009 10:30:00 AM    
Senators Tom Harkin, (D) Iowa, and Arlen Specter, (R) Pennsylvania, reintroduced a Senate bill that would allow federal financing for human embryonic stem-cell research, in anticipation of President Obama’s support.

The same bill was approved by both houses of Congress in 2007, then vetoed by President Bush.

Editors   FDA: NeuralStem's Fetal Stem Cell Study for Lou Gehrig's Patients on Hold   2/25/2009 9:50:00 AM    
The US FDA put a hold on NeuralStem's clinical study amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

The company had intended to test its ability to safely inject fetal stem cells into the spinal cords of patients and fully replace the damaged spinal cord cells.

See Editors   Human Trials: Man Cured of Multiple Sclerosis Using Adult Stem Cells   2/23/2009 11:40:00 AM    
A Northwestern University clinical trial using adult stem cells 'cures' Edwin McClure, a Virginia Commonwealth University advertising graduate student with multiple sclerosis.

Stem cells were removed from his bone marrow and grown in a lab. His existing cells were destroyed by chemotherapy, then replaced by the new ones via injection.

His symptoms have since disappeared.

Editors   Policy: Axelrod says Obama Will Lift Stem Cell Ban Soon   2/16/2009 10:20:00 AM    
David Axelrod, senior Obama advisor, on Fox News Sunday said "We're going to be doing something on that soon, I think. The president is considering that right now" when asked about overturning Bush's ban on Federal funding for embryonic stem cell lines after 2001.

Editors   Treatment: Police Dog Healed with Own Stem Cells   2/10/2009 11:06:48 AM    
Cris, a Fremont PD police dog was given stem cell therapy to repair a torn muscle. Eleven weeks after Dr. Gary Brown, a veterinary surgeon, extracted the dog's own fat cells and injected them into Cris, the cells look like normal muscle.

Editors   Tourism: Costa Rica Clinic Hopes for Quadriplegic   2/10/2009 10:00:00 AM    
Thousands of people travel to clinics around the world, from China to Mexico to Ukraine, in the hope of being cured for Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis, nerve damage and more.

A quadriplegic from Arlington, Texas spent $20,000 on stem cell injections at the Institute for Cellular Medicine in San Jose, Costa Rica in an effort to walk again.

Editors   Final: Can't Use Animal Eggs to Clone Humans   2/2/2009 2:40:00 PM    
After 10 years trying hundreds of experiments, it's final. You can't use animal eggs to produce a cloned human embryo.

Teams of scientists have used mice, cows, and rabbit eggs to no avail. Mixing human and animal cells does not appear to program the egg properly, said Dr. Robert Lanza of Massachusetts-based Advanced Cell Technology.

Editors   Human Trials: Adult Stem Cell Therapy Stabilizes Multiple Sclerosis Patients   2/1/2009 1:00:00 PM    
Northwestern University researchers used stem cells from a patient's own body (adult stem cells) in 21 patients, 11 women and 10 men, with relapsing-remitting MS who had not responded to treatment.

After three years, 17 patients improved. This is very hopeful since, most people with MS , after the 10 year mark, usually develop a secondary-progressive form of the disease, and experience ...

Editors   CBS News Feature on FDA Approval of World's First Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy   1/26/2009 1:03:00 PM    
Teri Okita, CBS News, feature on January 23, 2009. World's first embryonic stem cell therapy on spinal cord patients.

Features an interview with Dr. Neil Theise of Beth Israel Medical Center discussing the hopes for embryonic stem cell treatments - heart disease, kidney disease, stroke patients, etc.

Editors   FDA Approves World's First Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy in Humans. Will They Walk Again?   1/23/2009 9:25:00 AM    
The FDA announced today that Geron Corp, a California biotechnology company, will perform the world's first embryonic stem cell (hESC) therapy on humans.

Geron will inject hESC cells directly into the damaged sites of paraplegic patients with spinal cord injuries in an effort to regrow ner...

Editors   Breakthrough: Scientists Have Discovered the Aging Gene - May Slow Down Aging Process   1/17/2009 12:32:00 PM    
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California and the University of Montreal teamed up to discover the gene that regulates cell aging in the brain of mammals.

Editors   FDA: Possibly First Ever Stem Cell Drug for FDA Approval   1/17/2009 11:31:00 AM    
Osiris Therapeutics (NASDAQ:OSIR) expects to have the first ever stem cell drug for FDA approval.

Prochymal would treat Graft vs. host disease, assisting bone marrow transplant patients to prevent the implanted marrow's immune cells from attacking the body.

Editors   President Bush Doesn't Like Scientists?   1/9/2009 3:00:00 PM    
The Economist accuses President Bush of suppressing the publication of research he did not like.

Plus, the only question that remains is: Whether to overturn restrictions on embryonic-stem-cell research through executive order or by legislation.

Editors   First Human Trials for Stem Cell Therapy on Lou Gehrig Patients   12/18/2008 11:56:00 AM    
The US FDA has cleared the way for Neuralstem, Inc. to conduct clinical trials on ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) patients by injecting stem cells into their spinal cord.

Editors   Obama Expected to Lift Bush Ban on Embryonic Stem Cell Research   11/24/2008 7:38:00 PM    
President-Elect Obama is expected to lift the ban on Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research established by President Bush.

Speaker Pelosi on board to lift the ban during Obama's first 100 days.