May 24, 2012

Using a $600 machine, researchers at the University of Calgary have made a breakthrough in stem cell generation that could revolutionize medical treatment in the future.

It is called bioreactor technology, a method of creating millions of stem cells more quickly than ever before, using stem cells from adults, not embryos.

Until now, using stem cells from adults had severe limitations. Researchers found they were more likely to cause cancer in experiments with rats.

They are now using the new technology to make stem cells that can produce a rat that's cancer-free.

Dr. Derrick Rancourt says the discovery has the potential to be a scientific game changer, because researchers can now produce many more stem cells in a much shorter time, with enormous implications.

Said Jon Dobson, Ph.D., Professor of biomedical engineering and biomaterials at the University of Florida, "We are pleased to be working with IntelliCell. Their technology is innovative and appears to hold promise for future regenerative medicine applications. The use of adult autologous (your own) stem cells to repair and regenerate tissues are of great interest to personalized medicine researchers." Professor Dobson is a leading researcher in bionanotechnology and nanomedicine applications and apart from regenerative medicine, his work also spans across fields as diverse as gene therapy, stem cell therapy and tumor targeting. He is also the Director of the newly formed Institute for Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Florida.

Stockholm, Sweden and Chalfont St Giles, UK - 22 May 2012 - Karolinska University Hospital Sweden and GE Healthcare Life Sciences today announced a joint research collaboration to drive advances in technologies and workflows for use in the rapidly emerging field of cell therapy. The three year collaboration will combine Karolinska University Hospital's world-class clinical expertise in cell therapy with GE Healthcare's industry-leading capabilities in cell biology and in technologies for the manufacture of biotherapeutics.

Cell therapy, the use of cells to replace damaged tissue or to treat disease, shows great promise for the treatment of many life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, Parkinson's and age-related macular degeneration. There is enormous interest in the potential health benefits of cell therapy, with more than 500 studies worldwide currently at the clinical experimental phase. Karolinska University Hospital is leading several pioneering cell therapy trials for the treatment of cancer as well as neurological and metabolic disorders. GE Healthcare Life Sciences has over 30 years' experience in developing technologies for the manufacture of biotherapeutics. The company also has a pioneering research program aimed at developing new technologies that will help enable the new era of cell therapy.

Findings from a multi-center trial led by researchers at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. may give urologists another minimally invasive treatment option for women with stress urinary incontinence. The study showed that treating a woman with her own muscle-derived stem cells was both safe and effective. Unlike surgical treatments, this procedure takes place in a physician's office.

According to the National Institutes of Health, millions of women experience urinary incontinence, a medical condition that causes involuntary loss of urine. There are several types of incontinence. This study focused on women with stress urinary incontinence, the most common type, affecting women of all ages. It causes leakage of urine when sneezing, coughing, lifting, laughing or physical exertion.

The study's principal investigator, Kenneth Peters, M.D., medical director, Women's Urology Center, Beaumont Health System; and professor and chairman of Urology, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine presented the results at the American Urological Association's Annual Meeting on May 22 in Atlanta.