Lab-grown heart cells implanted into human patient for the first time – New Atlas

In what is a world-first and potentially the dawn of a new medical technology to treat damaged hearts, scientists in Japan have succeeded in transplanting lab-grown heart cells into a human patient for the first time ever. The procedure is part of a cutting-edge clinical trial hoped to open up new avenues in regenerative medicine, with the treatment to be given to a further nine patients over the coming years.

The clinical trial harnesses the incredible potential of induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs), a Nobel Prize-winning technology developed at Kyoto University in 2006. These are created by first harvesting cells from donor tissues and returning them to their immature state by exposing them to a virus. From there, they can develop into essentially any cell type in the body.

Professor Yoshiki Sawa is a cardiac surgeon at Osaka University in Japan, who has been developing a technique to turn IPSCs into sheets of 100 million heart muscle cells, which can be grafted onto the heart to promote regeneration of damaged muscles. This was first tested on pigs and was shown to improve organ function, which led Japans health ministry to conditionally approve a research plan involving human subjects.

The first transplantation of these cells is a huge milestone for the researchers, with the operation taking place earlier this month and the patient now recovering in the general ward of the hospital. The sheets are biodegradable, and once implanted on the surface of the heart are designed to release growth factors that encourage new formation of healthy vessels and boost cardiac function.

The team will continue to monitor the first patient over the coming year, and over the next three years aims to carry out the procedure on a total of 10 patients suffering from ischemic cardiomyopathy, a condition caused by a heart attack or coronary disease that has left the muscles severely weakened.

I hope that [the transplant] will become a medical technology that will save as many people as possible, as Ive seen many lives that I couldnt save, Sawa said at a news conference on Tuesday, according to The Japan Times.

Source: The Japan Times

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GIOSTAR Announces Medical Breakthrough in Biotechnology and Lifesciences To Manufacture Abundant, Safe Red Blood Cells From Stem Cells – Benzinga

GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN has developed and secured patented technology to manufacture lifesaving mature red blood cells from stem cells. The red blood cells are made utilizing a bioreactor that permits the production of mature red blood cells, under strictly controlled conditions, for transfusion therapy and replaces the need for a human blood donor. GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN mature red blood cells are safe and not compromised by inadequate pathogen detection and inactivation of diseases such as hepatitis C, HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis. The red blood cells are O-Negative (Universal Donor) to eliminate incompatibility and allosensitization reactions.

ATLANTA (PRWEB) January 29, 2020

GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN has developed and secured patented technology to manufacture lifesaving mature red blood cells from stem cells. The red blood cells are made utilizing a bioreactor that permits the production of mature red blood cells, under strictly controlled conditions, for transfusion therapy and replaces the need for a human blood donor. GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN mature red blood cells are safe and not compromised by inadequate pathogen detection and inactivation of diseases such as hepatitis C, HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis. The red blood cells are O-Negative (Universal Donor) to eliminate incompatibility and allosensitization reactions. Trauma situations often do not allow for adequate blood typing due to time restrictions, so the GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN red blood cells address that need effectively.

"There are three main problems for blood transfusions," stated Dr. Anand Srivastava, Founder and Chairman of GIOSTAR. "First we have to match the blood type. Second, there's not enough blood available every single time. And third, when we transfer blood from one person to another person, there is always a chance of the transfer of disease."

Watch a feature interview with Dr. Anand Srivastava on The DM Zone with host Dianemarie Collins.

The World Health Organization (WHO) published the first detailed analysis on the global supply and demand for blood in October 2019 and found that 119 out of 195 countries do NOT have enough blood in their blood banks to meet hospital needs. In those nations, which include every country in central, eastern, and western sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania (not including Australasia), and south Asia are missing roughly 102,359,632 units of blood, according to World Health Organization (WHO) goals. While total blood supply around the world was estimated to be around 272 million units, in 2017, demand reached 303 million units. That means the world was lacking 30 million units of blood, and in the 119 countries with insufficient supply, that shortfall reached 100 million units.

The global market opportunity for GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN technology presents not only a profitable and scalable business opportunity but also a significant social and environmental impact. The global market is estimated to be at least $ 85 Billion/year.

GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN has identified early entry global markets to include Military, Trauma, Asia (replace Hepatitis C contaminated blood products), Africa (AIDS contaminated blood), Newborns, Thalassemia patients, Allosensitized sickle cell disease patients. South Sudan was found to have the lowest supply of blood, at 46 units per 100,000 people. In fact, the country's need for blood was deemed 75 times greater than its supply. In India, which had the largest absolute shortage, there was a shortfall of nearly 41 million units, with demand outstripping supply by over 400 percent. Strategic investments are needed in many low-income and middle-income countries to expand national transfusion services and blood management systems. Oncology is a major user of blood transfusion but if countries don't have the capacity to manage the bulk of oncology, it will limit complex surgery options.

GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN has acquired the exclusive license to the patent for the technique for stem cell proliferation from University of California San Diego (UCSD). The founding team of GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN is comprised of the scientists and clinicians who were involved in creating the Intellectual Property at UCSD and has already achieved PROOF OF CONCEPT - the optimized lab scale proliferation of mature red blood cells - at UCSD as part of their research.

GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN is currently looking for strategic partnerships (Contact Doug@DMProductionsLLC.com) to accelerate the development of donor-independent red blood cells manufacturing capabilities and advance the proof of concept work already done (patented) around the manufacture of safe, universal donor, human red blood cells. GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN will also develop a full automated proprietary bioreactor using robotic technology to produce abundant quantities of red blood cells with a goal for cost-effective commercialization of fresh, human, universal donor Red Blood Cells (RBCs).

ABOUT GIOSTAR

Dr. Anand Srivastava is a Chairman and Cofounder of California based Global Institute of Stem Cell Therapy and Research (GIOSTAR) headquartered in San Diego, California, (U.S.A.). The company was formed with the vision to provide stem cell based therapy to aid those suffering from degenerative or genetic diseases around the world such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Autism, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke, Spinal Cord Injuries, Paralysis, Blood Related Diseases, Cancer and Burns. GIOSTAR is a leader in developing most advance stem cell based technology, supported by leading scientists with the pioneering publications in the area of stem cell biology. Company's primary focus is to discover and develop a cure for human diseases with the state of the art unique stem cell based therapies and products. The Regenerative Medicine provides promise for treatments of diseases previously regarded as incurable.

GIOSTAR is world's leading Stem cell research company involved with stem cell research work for over a decade. It is headed by Dr Anand Srivastava, who is a pioneer and a world-renowned authority in the field of Stem Cell Biology, Cancer and Gene therapy. Several governments and organizations including USA, India, China, Turkey, Kuwait, Thailand, Philippines, Bahamas, Saudi Arabia and many others seek his advice and guidance on drafting their strategic and national policy formulations and program directions in the area of stem cell research, development and its regulations. Under his creative leadership, a group of esteemed scientists and clinicians have developed and established Stem Cell Therapy for various types of autoimmune diseases and blood disorders, which are being offered to patients in USA and soon it will be offered on a regular clinical basis to the people around the globe.

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GIOSTAR Announces Medical Breakthrough in Biotechnology and Lifesciences To Manufacture Abundant, Safe Red Blood Cells From Stem Cells - Benzinga

Engineer the future of human health with a PhD in biomedical engineering – Study International News

Technological advancements have paved the way for many important breakthroughs in biomedical engineering. New methods are being developed, as are our understanding, diagnosing and treating of medical conditions.

Unsurprisingly, the job outlook for biomedical engineers looks promising. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that employment of biomedical engineers is projected to grow four percent from 2018 to 2028, about as fast as the average for all occupations. It adds that the increasing number of technologies and applications to medical equipment and devices, along with the medical needs of a growing and ageing population, will further require the services of biomedical engineers.

If youre trained in biomedical engineering or are a graduate in a related field looking to enhance your qualifications or progress into a leadership role, you may want to consider enroling in doctoral studies in biomedical engineering.

A good place to start is Michigan State University (MSU), which has carved itself a strong reputation in the field.

Its Biomedical Engineering Department (BME) offers a competitive research-oriented doctoral programme with flexible and personalised curricula.

The department is housed in a state-of-the-art research facility and engages with faculty across several disciplines, departments and colleges to explore the intersection of medicine, human biology and engineering.

The BME department is housed within a new research facility, the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering (IQ). IQ consists of seven research divisions, i.e. biomedical devices, biomedical imaging, chemical biology, developmental and stem cell biology, neuroengineering, synthetic biology and systems biology.

The interdisciplinary research centre is devoted to basic and applied research at the interface of life sciences, engineering, information science and other physical and mathematical sciences.

Students have access to the stellar facilities and equipment at IQ, which foster extensive collaboration between researchers from different areas to solve some of the worlds most challenging biomedical problems.

This systems approach to biomedical research look set to lead to discoveries that are the first of their kind. IQ is connected to both the Clinical Center and Life Sciences buildings, establishing a biomedical research hub at MSU that holds the potential to transform medicine.

The BME department also boasts a range of expertise, including advanced imaging methods and nanotechnology in biomedical research.

Training PhD students in the biodesign process is a priority here whereby students identify significant needs for new biomedical technologies before developing commercialisable technologies that meet those needs.

MSU also provides a host of services to help students healthcare solutions make it to market.

The MSU Innovation Center houses MSU Technologies, Spartan Innovations and MSU Business CONNECT in support of entrepreneurship, facilitating technology transfer, and providing the educational and financial support to turn doctorate students research technologies into successful businesses.

Another major focus of the BME department is biomedical imaging, including the development of new nanoparticle-based combined imaging and therapeutic technologies. The IQ building has one of the few PET MRI systems in the world.

What differentiates MSU from other institutions is their new, two-semester course sequence on the development and translation of new biomedical technologies to meet clinical needs.

Named BioDesign IQ 1 and 2, these courses train BME PhD students and professional students from the colleges of medicine, law, and business to work together effectively in innovation teams. They shadow doctors, identify unmet medical needs that have significant market potential, prototype new technologies to meet those needs, and then develop intellectual property and a business plan to advance these new technologies towards commercialisation.

Apart from its stellar facilities, the university is also home to faculty with strong expertise.

For instance, inaugural IQ director and BME chairperson Christopher H Contag is a pioneer in molecular imaging and is developing imaging approaches aimed at revealing molecular processes in living subjects, including humans and the earliest markers of cancer. Through advances in detection, professionals in the field can greatly improve early detection of diseases and restoration of health. Contag was previously at Stanford University as a professor in the departments of Pediatrics, Radiology, Bioengineering, and Microbiology and Immunology.

Meanwhile, Dr Mark Worden, BME Associate Chair, has developed several interdisciplinary programmes that integrate research and education. His research on nanostructured biointerfaces and multiphase biocatalysis has resulted in over 10 patents issued or pending on technologies including microbiosensors, bioelectronics and multiphase bioreactors.

Source: Shutterstock

Other faculty members doing trailblazing work in the field include Dr Dana Spence, who is investigating and dening new roles for red blood cells in autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis; Dr Aitor Aguirre, whose research focuses on investigating regeneration and tissue re-modelling in health and disease; and Dr Ripla Arora, who is working on understanding how hormones influence the uterine luminal and glandular epithelium to modulate receptivity and implantation, to name a few.

In addition to insightful guidance from a faculty of this calibre, PhD students also enjoy 100 percent funding, including stipend, tuition and healthcare. As a graduate student in biomedical engineering, they will have the valuable opportunity to work alongside graduate students from different departments across campus.

Without a doubt, a PhD in biomedical engineering from MSU will prove to be fulfilling endeavour, professionally and personally.

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4 leading North American universities for biomedical engineering

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Study suggests Parkinson’s present from birth and may be preventable – New Atlas

Parkinsons disease is an illness that most often affects older people, but new research suggests it may actually be present in the brain right from birth and even earlier. Scientists from Cedars-Sinai have now found that in the brains of young-onset Parkinsons patients, malfunctioning neurons are always there but it takes 20 to 30 years for the symptoms to accumulate. Thankfully, a drug thats already on the market could help prevent the disease from taking hold if caught early enough.

Parkinsons disease primarily affects neurons in the brain that produce dopamine, eventually causing muscle weakness and stiffness, tremors, and balance problems. Most of the time, the disease is diagnosed in older people over the age of 60, but around 10 percent of cases occur in those aged between 21 and 50.

In a new study, scientists from Cedars-Sinai set out to investigate whether there were any early warning signs in the neurons of patients whod been diagnosed with Parkinsons before they turned 50. To do so, they created induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) from young-onset Parkinsons patients, which can then be turned into almost any other cells in the body.

The researchers used the IPSCs to grow dopamine neurons in lab dishes. As they watched them develop, the team noticed that cell structures called lysosomes were malfunctioning. These structures are responsible for breaking down unneeded or worn-out proteins so when they dont work as well as they should, proteins begin to pile up. And one such protein that the team spotted in higher amounts is called alpha-synuclein, which is implicated in many forms of Parkinsons.

"Our technique gave us a window back in time to see how well the dopamine neurons might have functioned from the very start of a patients life, says Clive Svendsen, senior author of the study. "What we are seeing using this new model are the very first signs of young-onset Parkinsons. It appears that dopamine neurons in these individuals may continue to mishandle alpha-synuclein over a period of 20 or 30 years, causing Parkinsons symptoms to emerge.

Next up, the team investigated whether the condition could potentially be treated or even prevented. After testing a series of drugs, they found one that looked promising PEP005, which has already been approved by the FDA for use against skin precancers. The researchers found that PEP005 works to reduce the levels of alpha-synuclein, as well as another abnormally-abundant enzyme called protein kinase C, whose role in Parkinson's remains unclear.

The treatment looks promising, but for now its only been shown to work in mice and lab-grown cells, so it wont necessarily translate to human trials. The team plans to continue working on this, as well as figuring out how to adapt PEP005 for use in the brain at the moment, its only available as a topical gel, since it's for treating skin cancer.

The research was published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Source: Cedars-Sinai

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Study suggests Parkinson's present from birth and may be preventable - New Atlas