Athersys Inc. (NSDQ:ATHX) received the regulatory thumbs-up to begin a Phase II clinical trial of its MultiStem stem cell treatment for inflammatory bowel disease.
Regenerative Medicine
Harvard researchers retract stem cell paper
Harvard University researchers retracted a paper published in the journal Nature after discovering problems with some of its data, but the study’s lead author refused to sign on to the retraction.
Amy Wagers, a biologist at Harvard’s Stem Cell Institute and the Joslin Diabetes Center, and two of her co-authors signed a statement today pulling the January article "after a re-examination of the publication raised serious concerns with some of the reported data."
First patient receives embryonic stem cells in spinal injury trial
Physicians injected the first-ever patient with millions of stem cells derived from human embryos in a clinical trial aimed at proving the treatment is safe for people with spinal cord injuries.
The trial, sponsored by Geron Corp. (NSDQ:GERN), calls for patients to receive the injection within 14 days of the injury. Geron said the main objective of the study is to assess how well patients tolerate the treatment. Later phases of the trial will examine whether the treatment is effective, according to a press release.
Stratatech wins $4 million in defense funding for living skin substitute
Stratatech Corp. won $3.95 million from the U.S. Dept. of Defense’s Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine.
The Madison, Wis.-based company said the AFIRM cash will fund the Phase IIb clinical trial of its StrataGraft cell-based, tissue-engineered skin substitute.
Athersys CEO elected leader of regenerative medicine industry council
Athersys Inc. (NSDQ:ATHX) CEO Gil Van Bokkelen was elected chairman of the The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine.
ARM says its mission is to to educate key policy makers about the potential of regenerative medicine and to advocate for favorable public policies to facilitate advances in the field. The group was founded last year.
Children’s Hospital Boston spins out ModeRNA Therapeutics
Hot on the heels of the announcement of a revolutionary method of creating stem cells without destroying human embryos, the Harvard researchers who discovered the technique are spinning out a company to commercialize it.
Researchers at Boston’s Harvard Stem Cell Institute discovered a way to reprogram human skin cells so that they become stem cells, bypassing the creation of stem cell lines from human embryos.
Harvard researchers create stem cells from skin
Researchers at Boston’s Harvard Stem Cell Institute discovered a way to reprogram human skin cells so that they become stem cells, bypassing the creation of stem cell lines from human embryos.
Research published in the journal Cell Stem Cell details how the team, led by Derrick Rossi, used RNA from stem cells to transform ordinary skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells. The technique avoids using a virus to carry new genes into the cells — and the controversial destruction of human embryos to derive stem cells.
Appeals court lifts stem cells injunction
The three-judge panel on a federal appeals court considering whether to overturn a ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research lifted an injunction barring the funding, despite an apparent split among the judges revealed during a Sept. 27 hearing.
President Barack Obama’s administration is appealing a lower court decision banning federal funding of the research. During the hearing at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, two of the judges questioned the U.S. Justice Dept.’s arguments that the ban would do irreparable harm to the public interest, while a third seemed more sympathetic.
Appeals court splits over embryonic stem cells
The three-judge panel on a federal appeals court considering whether to overturn a ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research revealed a split during a hearing yesterday.
President Barack Obama’s administration is appealing a lower court decision banning federal funding of the research. During yesterday’s hearing at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, two of the judges questioned the U.S. Justice Dept.’s arguments that the ban would do irreparable harm to the public interest, while a third seemed more sympathetic.
InVivo adds Sean Moran as CFO
InVivo Therapeutics Corp. appointed Sean Moran as its first CFO.
Moran was previously CFO and vice president of business development at Brookline, Mass.-based Orban Biotech.
He also operates I-CFO LLC, a provider of CFO and capital advisory services to the management of start-ups and emerging companies, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Athersys touts positive results for stem cell treatment for heart attack patients
Athersys Inc. (NSDQ:ATHX) reported more positive results from an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of its adult stem cell therapy for the treatment of heart-attack patients.
The new data show that Athersys’ MultiStem treatment was well-tolerated at all dose levels and also suggest improvement in heart function in treated patients. The newly announced results are based on four months of data on patients who were treated with MultiStem after suffering acute myocardial infarctions, or heart attacks, according to the company.