Press Releases from AlphaMed Press

Stem Cells Used to Reverse Paralysis in Animals

Valencia, Spain – January 28, 2009 – A new study has found that transplantation of stem cells from the lining of the spinal cord, called ependymal stem cells, reverses paralysis associated with spinal cord injuries in laboratory tests.

Researchers Generate Functional Neurons From Somatic Cells

Los Angeles, Calif. – February 24, 2009 – In a new study, researchers were able to generate functionally mature motor neurons from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are engineered from adult somatic cells and can differentiate into most other cell types. A potential new source of motor neurons that does not require human eggs or embryos could be an enormous boon to research into conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal cord injury and could open the door to eventual treatments. The study is published in Stem Cells.

New Stem Cell Therapy May Lead To Treatment for Deafness

Sheffield, England – March 23, 2009 - Deafness affects more than 250 million people worldwide. It typically involves the loss of sensory receptors, called hair cells, for their “tufts” of hair-like protrusions, and their associated neurons. The transplantation of stem cells that are capable of producing functional cell types might be a promising treatment for hearing impairment, but no human candidate cell type has been available to develop this technology.

Stem Cell Transplant in Mouse Embryo Yields Heart Protection in Adulthood

Rochester, Minn. – May 14, 2009 - Stem cells play a role in heart muscle rejuvenation by attracting cells from the body that develop into heart muscle cells. They have been successfully used to halt or reverse cardiac injury following heart attack, but not to prevent injury before it occurs.

Stem Cells Which "Fool Immune System" May Provide Vaccination For Cancer

North Carolina, October, 2009 – Scientists from the United States and China have revealed the potential for human stem cells to provide a vaccination against colon cancer, reports a study published in STEM CELLS.

This discovery, led by experts in immunology, Dr. Bei Liu and Dr. Zihai Li, builds upon a century old theory that immunizing with embryonic materials may generate an anti-tumour response. However, this theory has never before been advanced beyond animal research so the discovery that human stem cells are able to immunize against colon cancer is both new and unexpected.

STEM CELLS Promotes Miodrag Stojković to Editor

Durham, NC, & Craigavon, UK, July 1, 2009 – AlphaMed Press, co-publisher of the journal STEM CELLS^®, the first journal in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, has promoted Miodrag Stojković to Editor.

STEM CELLS Journal Names Co-Editors

DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- AlphaMed Press, publisher of the journal STEM CELLS(R), has named Donald G. Phinney and Miodrag Stojkovic as co-editors.

Curt I. Civin, current STEM CELLS Editor, retires after eight years of unprecedented growth in areas of the journal's most significant metrics: Impact Factor, number of pages published, and number of manuscripts submitted. During his tenure as editor-in-chief, Dr. Civin was assisted by three outgoing senior editors: Alan M. Gewirtz, Robert G. Hawley, and Margaret A. Goodell.

Successful Cloning of Human Embryo

DURHAM, N.C., January 17 - A California research team has become the first to report, and painstakingly document, the cloning of a human embryo using donated oocytes (egg cells) and DNA from the cells of an adult donor. The study was published online today by the journal "Stem Cells."