PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New material forges the way for 'stem cell factories'

New material forges the way for 'stem cell factories'
2015-07-22
(Press-News.org) If you experience a major heart attack the damage could cost you around five billion heart cells. Future stem cell treatments will require this number and more to ensure those cells are replaced and improve your chances of survival.

Experts at The University of Nottingham have discovered the first fully synthetic substrate with potential to grow billions of stem cells. The research, published in the academic journal Advanced Materials, could forge the way for the creation of 'stem cell factories' - the mass production of human embryonic (pluripotent) stem cells.

The £2.3m research project, 'Discovery of a Novel Polymer for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Expansion and Multilineage Differentiation', was led by Morgan Alexander, Professor of Biomedical Surfaces in the School of Pharmacy and Chris Denning, Professor of Stem Cell Biology in the School of Medicine and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The material could provide an off-the-shelf product for clinical use in the treatment of the heart, liver and brain. To find out more watch the video.

Professor Alexander, Director of the Interface and Surface Analysis Centre, and his team have been searching for polymers on which human pluripotent stem cells can be grown and differentiated in vast numbers - billions at a time.

Professor Alexander said: "The possibilities for regenerative medicine are still being researched in the form of clinical trials. What we are doing here is paving the way for the manufacture of stem cells in large numbers when those therapies are proved to be safe and effective."

Billions of stem cells are needed as trials move into second phase

Using a high throughput materials discovery approach the research team has found this man-made material, free from possible contamination and batch variability.

Professor Denning, whose field is in cardiac stem cell research, said: "The field of regenerative medicine has snowballed in the last five years and over the coming five years a lot more patients will be receiving stem cell treatments. Clinical trials are still in the very early stages. However, with this kind of product, if we can get it commercialised and validated by the regulators it could be helping patients in two to three years."

Conditions of the heart, liver and brain are all under investigation as possible new stem cell treatments. People are already receiving stem cells derived eye cells for eye disorders.

These new materials have shown great promise in the laboratory. The research team now needs a commercial partner to test this lab based discovery on an industrial scale.

INFORMATION:

For more information go to: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201501351/abstract


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
New material forges the way for 'stem cell factories' New material forges the way for 'stem cell factories' 2

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Screening in pregnancy key to eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission

2015-07-22
Canada has almost eliminated mother-to-child HIV transmission, known as vertical transmission, in recent years by ensuring that all women have the opportunity to be screened for HIV in pregnancy and that women with the disease receive treatment before giving birth. In 2014, there was only one recorded transmission of the virus to babies born to women known to be living with HIV. These findings were presented at the International AIDS Society 2015 conference in Vancouver by researchers from the Canadian Perinatal HIV Surveillance Program (CPHSP), a national group that ...

Poor survival in multiple myeloma patients linked to genetic variation

2015-07-22
SALT LAKE CITY- As part of a multi-institutional effort, researchers with Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah have found that multiple myeloma patients with a genetic variation in the gene FOPNL die on average 1-3 years sooner than patients without it. The finding was identified with a genetic mapping technique, genome wide association studies (GWAS), and verified in patient populations from North America and Europe. This was the first study to survey the entire human genome for genetic variation influencing survival, and included a total of 1,635 patients. Published ...

Novel scissor-like bridge structure for use during emergencies

Novel scissor-like bridge structure for use during emergencies
2015-07-22
A test of the Mobile Bridge® Version 4.0 (MB4.0) over a real river demonstrated its viability for practical use. During the test, the bridge was set up without any foundation work, and a vehicle could easily travel across it. This was achieved safely with very few people and without any problems. The MB4.0 viability test results were presented at a symposium of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) on June 23, 2015, by Dr. Ichiro Ario, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Engineering, Hiroshima University. Background of developing MB: Natural disasters include ...

Déjà-vu, new theory says dark matter acts like well-known particle

Déjà-vu, new theory says dark matter acts like well-known particle
2015-07-22
A new theory says dark matter acts remarkably similar to subatomic particles known to science since the 1930s. We owe a lot to dark matter - it is the thing keeping galaxies, stars, our solar system, and our bodies intact. Yet no one has been able to observe it, and it has often been regarded as a totally new exotic form of matter, such as a particle moving in extra dimensions of space or its quantum version, super-symmetry. Now an international group of researchers has proposed a theory that dark matter is very similar to pions, which are responsible for binding atomic ...

Researchers identify genetic mutation causing lethal condition in infants

2015-07-22
Bethesda, MD (July 22, 2015) -- Newborn children born with a mutation in the Plasmalemma Vesicle Associated Protein (PLVAP) gene develop severe protein losing enteropathy, according to a case study1 published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the basic science journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Protein losing enteropathy is a condition of the GI tract that results in loss of protein from the body, and often leads to severe abdominal swelling, malnutrition and early death in affected infants The investigators utilized next-generation ...

Gene knockout: Loss of a gene can be compensated by another gene

Gene knockout: Loss of a gene can be compensated by another gene
2015-07-22
This news release is available in German. New methods for modifying the genome are currently widely discussed: Using CRISPR/Cas for instance, scientists can remove parts of the genetic code of a gene, thereby knocking it out. Furthermore, there are ways to inhibit translation of a gene into a protein. Both methods have in common that they impede production of a protein and should therefore have comparable consequences for an organism. However, it has been shown that consequences can differ, after a gene is either knocked, out or only blocked. Scientist from the ...

Serum biomarkers can predict women at risk of pre-eclampsia

2015-07-22
Levels of biomarkers in the blood of pregnant women can be used to predict which women are at risk of pre-eclampsia, finds a study published today (22 July) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG). ADMA and Hcy, both known to be raised in women with pre-eclampsia, are present in the blood in higher than normal concentrations a month before the onset of the condition. Pre-eclampsia is a combination of raised blood pressure (hypertension) and protein in the urine (proteinuria). It is quite common, usually occurring after 20 weeks of pregnancy, ...

New research from Lawson uncovers important molecule in ovarian cancer

2015-07-22
Scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute have uncovered an important new target for ovarian cancer therapy. Contrary to current research this new study found that LKB1, a molecule that regulates the metabolism of many adult cells, is an important molecule in the cancer's promotion and survival. Thousands of women are living with ovarian cancer in Canada. It is estimated that this year, 2,800 Canadian women will be newly diagnosed with this disease. Even though ovarian cancer continues to be one of the most serious women's cancers, there is a real lack in reliable ...

MoveSense app makes cellphone an oxygen saturation monitor for heart and lung patients

MoveSense app makes cellphone an oxygen saturation monitor for heart and lung patients
2015-07-22
Patients suffering from chronic cardiopulmonary diseases could soon have a solution to help them accurately monitor their health and warn doctors at the first sign of trouble. By simply carrying their cellphone, equipped with the health-tracking app, MoveSense, developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a patient's oxygen saturation level can be passively monitored with medical accuracy. Oxygen saturation is a standard measure of health status, the single most important clinical measure. Unlike other methods of measuring oxygen saturation ...

New drug combination treats hepatitis C patients also infected with HIV

2015-07-22
Roughly 20 to 30 percent of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are also infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV). Both blood-borne viruses share the same modes of transmission, but many HCV medications currently have significant limitations due to adverse interactions with HIV treatments. Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report a new combination that effectively treats HCV in patients co-infected with HIV. The study, published online in the New England Journal of Medicine, found the combination of HCV drugs daclatasvir ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] New material forges the way for 'stem cell factories'