Update on Stem Cell Trials for Heart Scarring

I blogged recently about an upcoming study at the University of Rochester and gave a link to a newspaper article on it. The study will inject stem cells into patients who have had heart attacks and see if the scarring in their heart is reduced and the muscle tissue is healthier than in patients who do not receive stem cells. The stem cells used will be mesenchymal stem cells. There is now a press release on this, which gives some more detail for those who are interested.

Update on New Stem Cell Culture

I posted several days ago about an Australian scientist who had developed a new stem cell line and a new culture medium. The news stories were not entirely clear about the medium. The press release is now on-line at Medical News Today, and it clarifies that the new feeder layer for the stem cells is derived from human fetal cells.

Biotech Patent for Brain Cells

Biotech Patent for Brain Cells

A press release from the biotech company BrainStorm announces that the company has filed a patent for a procedure that coaxes mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow to differentiate into cells that are oligodendrocyte-like cells. Oligodendrocytes are the cells in the nervous system which produce the myelin sheathing around nerves. The company now plans to begin testing the cells in animals with multiple sclerosis, a disease which arises from the loss of myelin sheathing.

The company is also working on differentiating mesenchymal stem cells into other neural cells, such as those producing dopamine.