Dr Bob Harman

Poway, CA (PRWEB) March 08, 2017

Dr. Harman has been a long time attendee and frequent speaker at the Veterinary Orthopedic Society Conference. The opportunity to speak at such a prestigious conference and to present our new data is very exciting. It further reinforces our scientific and educational contributions to the field of regenerative medicine over the past 14 years. We were here at the birth of this industry, have worked with FDA for many years, and intend to provide evidenced-based products for many years to come, stated Dr. Harman.

The Veterinary Orthopedic Society exists to provide an environment where persons engaged in the practice, teaching, or research in the area of orthopedics can present and discuss items of common interest, to further scientific investigation, and to upgrade the specialty of orthopedics in order to provide better patient care. The conference will be in Snowbird, Utah March 11th through the 18th. Dr. Harman will present VetStems findings on the study Allogeneic Stem Cell Survival and Localization after Intraarticular Administration. VetStem has a licensing agreement with Aratana Therapeutics for this study. VetStem has always held the belief that scientific evidence, continuing education, and regulatory guidance are the foundation of developing any new technology. The field of veterinary regenerative medicine will progress by the scientific study of the mechanisms of action of stem cells. This particular study evaluated the systemic bio-distribution of allogeneic adipose stem cells following intra-articular administration in beagle dogs.

In 2015, VetStem (now VetStem Biopharma) announced the completion and peer-reviewed publication of a pilot efficacy study for allogeneic stem cell therapy (93 dogs, multi-center, blinded, placebo controlled) in support of an FDA INADA. The primary end point for stem cell treated dogs was statistically significantly improved as compared to placebo dogs. VetStem also entered into a distribution and clinical research agreement with Pall LifeSciences on the V-PETTM platelet enhancement therapy system. The V-PET is supported by a JAVMA peer reviewed publication of a two center, double-blinded, randomized study in osteoarthritis in dogs.

VetStem is developing multiple stem cell products for FDA-approval in order to provide therapeutic solutions for difficult-to-treat medical conditions in the dog, cat and horse.

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VetStem Biopharma, Inc. Founder and CEO, Dr. Robert Harman, will ... - PR Web (press release)

February 28, 2017 08:30 ET | Source: International Stem Cell Corporation

CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB:ISCO), a California-based clinical stage biotechnology company developing stem cell-based therapies and biomedical products, today announced the third patient in the clinical trial for Parkinson's Disease was successfully transplanted with ISC-hpNSCcells and is already discharged from the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH). The operation was successfully performed without complications by the team of the RMH neurosurgeons.

Russell Kern, PhD, executive vice president and chief scientific officer of ISCO commented: "The third operation went according to plan and we are on track to dosing all of our clinical trial participants in 2017. We have enrolled the fourth patient and we expect to perform the surgery in March. No test article related adverse events have been recorded for any of the patients transplanted in 2016.

About the clinical study

The Phase I clinical study is a dose escalation safety and preliminary efficacy study of ISC-hpNSC, intracranially transplanted into patients with moderate to severe Parkinson's disease. The open-label, single center, uncontrolled clinical trial will evaluate three different dose regimens of 30,000,000 to 70,000,000 neural cells. A total of 12 participants with moderate to severe Parkinson's disease will be treated. Following transplantation, the patients will be monitored for 12 months at specified intervals, to evaluate the safety and biologic activity of ISC-hpNSC. PET scan will be performed at baseline, as part of the screening assessment, and at 6 and 12 months after surgical intervention. Clinical responses compared to baseline after the administration of ISC-hpNSCwill be evaluated using various neurological assessments such as Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn and Yahr and other rating scales.

About Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system mainly affecting the motor system. The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain. Early in the course of the disease, the most obvious symptoms are movement-related; these symptoms include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait. Later, thinking and behavioral problems may arise, with dementia commonly occurring in the advanced stages of the disease, and depression is the most common psychiatric symptom. Parkinson's disease is more common in older people, with most cases occurring after the age of 50.

Currently, medications typically used in the treatment of Parkinson's, L-DOPA and dopamine agonists, improve the early symptoms of the disease. As the disease progresses and dopaminergic neurons continue to be lost, the drugs eventually become ineffective while at the same time frequently producing a complication marked by involuntary writhing movements. In 2013 PD resulted in about 103,000 deaths globally, up from 44,000 deaths in 1990.

About ISC-hpNSC

International Stem Cell Corporation's proprietary ISC-hpNSCconsists of a highly pure population of neural stem cells derived from human parthenogenetic stem cells. ISC-hpNSCis a suspension of clinical grade cells manufactured under cGMP conditions that have undergone stringent quality control measures and are clear of any microbial and viral contaminants. Preclinical studies in rodents and non-human primates have shown improvement in Parkinson's disease symptoms and increase in brain dopamine levels following the intracranial administration of ISC-hpNSC. ISC-hpNSCprovides neurotrophic support and cell replacement to the dying dopaminergic neurons of the recipient PD brain. Additionally, ISC-hpNSCis safe, well tolerated and does not cause adverse events such as dyskinesia, systemic toxicity or tumors in preclinical models. International Stem Cell Corporation believes that ISC-hpNSCmay have broad therapeutic applications for many neurological diseases affecting the brain, the spinal cord and the eye.

About International Stem Cell Corporation

International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) is focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of human pluripotent stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenetic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells for millions of individuals of differing genders, ages and racial background with minimal immune rejection after transplantation. hpSCs offer the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology (www.lifelinecelltech.com), and stem cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care (www.lifelineskincare.com). More information is available atwww.internationalstemcell.com.

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Statements pertaining to anticipated developments, expected results and timing of clinical studies, progress of research and development initiatives, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates,") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, application of capital resources among competing uses, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements.

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International Stem Cell Corporation Announces Third Patient with Parkinson's Disease in Phase I Clinical Trial - GlobeNewswire (press release)

Humans can have a lot in common with their animal companions, and in the case of horses, even similar injuries and rehabilitation.

Lauren Schnabel, an assistant professor and equine orthopedic surgeon, works on research involving regenerative therapies for treating musculoskeletal disorders in horses. In particular, mesenchyme stem cells (MSCs) are being investigated as a therapy.

The main focus of the lab is investigating regenerative therapies or biologic therapies for treating musculoskeletal injuries, and a main interest that we focus on is really tendon injuries, Schnabel said. That also includes ligament and other joint problems.

A goal of the lab is to develop therapies that benefit horses, especially high-level athletic horses, according to Schnabel. Still, the lab wants to make sure that a pet horse is just as comfortable if its suffering from an injury.

Horse injuries like meniscal and tendon injuries are similar in humans, so the horses in the research can possibly be used as a model for human treatments.

With that angle from the horse as an athlete, the other main focus of the lab is really using the horse as a translational model for human health, Schnabel said.

Horses serve as a great orthopedic model for humans, according to Schnabel. They go through a lot of the same surgeries and rehabilitation protocols as humans do.

For horses, most of the research is currently concentrated on improving treatments for musculoskeletal diseases, like tendonitis and osteoarthritis, said Alix Berglund, a graduate research assistant working with Schnabel. Musculoskeletal diseases are also an important issue in human medicine, especially in athletes.

As part of the veterinary medicine field, the lab has an advantage of trying a lot more regenerative therapies that include the use of stem cells, according to Schnabel. Stem cell therapies for treating horse injuries are still being refined and researched by the lab.

Usually, the way we get stem cells from a horse is from their bone marrow in their sternum and then you have to grow the cells for a couple of weeks, so its usually like two to three weeks, Schnabel said.

Stem cells that are off the shelf would be ideal in treating horses.

One of the long-term-goals of our lab is to develop ways to use MSCs in an off-the-shelf manner, Berglund said. This means that a horse could receive MSCs from a donor at the time of injury or diagnosis of disease instead of waiting weeks until their own cells can be cultured and expanded for use.

It was initially thought that stem cells wouldnt cause an immune reaction due to how they deregulate immune responses, according to Schnabel. If stem cells from one horse are given to a mismatched horse, then the cells are recognized by the immune system and are targeted for death. This is why the horses used in the lab are immune haplotypes, meaning they can have matched or mismatched stem cell treatments.

If theyre getting targeted for death quickly, then theyre probably not going to be as effective. We spent a lot of time showing that was true, because thats been debated in the literature for a long time, Schnabel said. Then now were trying to control the immunogenicity of the stem cells so that we could use them in an off-the-shelf way.

Tendon injuries generally heal slowly and have scar tissue, and the re-injury rate is high in both horses and humans. Horses, especially racehorses, injure their superficial digital flexor tendons and when they do that, they have a 60 to 70 percent chance of reinjuring that same tendon, according to Schnabel.

Its devastating for any horse, especially an athlete. A racehorse has from [age] two to five to compete. Its super limited time and three years old is the big year, four year old sort of, and two years old is when theyre prepping, Schnabel said. It roughly takes about six months to 12 months for a tendon injury to heal. That almost completely takes them out of being a successful racehorse, and you can imagine if they get through that, they run one or two races and they re-injure the same tendon, then it's really devastating and the same for [event] horses.

The research team continues to investigate how to make tendon injuries heal with normal tissue and with good fiber alignment to prevent re-injury. While humans and horses share similar experiences with injuries, the future could hold shared treatments that also benefit both.

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NC State professor researches regenerative therapies for horses - N.C. State University Technician Online

BENGALURU: Have you ever had a phase in your life when you begin to lose a loved one? Well, one such event that certainly is changing my life revolves around my four-legged canine, my best friend and, not to forget, my dear family member Gunda.

As someone rightly said and Im pretty sure most of the dog lovers would agree to this, Dogs love you more than they can love themselves. This quote perfectly syncs with the bond I share with Gunda. Heis our handsome and intelligent 11-year-old German Shepherd and a favourite amongst family and friends. Unfortunately, about a year and three months ago, he was diagnosed with spinal degeneration.

This condition is commonly known to affect the breed causing the hind legs to lose their motor control, resulting in inability to walk. After repeated consultations with a few veterinarians, we were unable to arrive at a solution and began losing hope as his age was a limiting factor.

Nevertheless, our strong and valiant Gunda restored hope in us as he did not fail to give up. He strived hard to be mobile again! This incident really changed my perspective on many things in life. If animals such as dogs stay strong, confident and positive in critical situations, why dont we as human beings embark upon the same qualities in our daily lives?

The love and affection they have for us is beyond measure and we need to understand and reciprocate the same to these incredible creatures. I have learnt to be more patient and confident in handling many situations in life.

I did not want to give up on Gunda and persistently looked for a solution to get him walk again. Tony andDebolinaGhosh,dog lovers,boosted my morale and helped me with a cart for gunda. A wheel cart was designed and customised for him and a pulley system was installed to lift and shiftGundainto cart with the help of just a person.

To date,Gunda patiently waits for me and looks forward to his walks without fail. Daily we take him out for a minimum of three walks, for exercise and to attend to Natures call. Gundais adjusted very well to his cart and runsduring his walks.

His hind legs that had gone numb earlier are now getting sensation and he moves them continuously in cart with help of suspenders. Heis now extremely cheerful, happy and has regained his lost vigour. It has been almost a year and three months since he has been walking with the help of his wheel cart. It is indeed a very big relief to see him play once again.

I must say Gunda has a lot of admirers, children to play with and continues to inspire many people. Many times, I wonder as to what went wrong with Gunda as he was a pure breed, brought up with best available care, complete nutritious dog food imported from Germany and America, feeding of egg on daily basis and right medications including joint supplements like pet joint for four years.

I wonder if veterinarians can use stem cell therapy to eliminate this problem in German Shepherds as it is close to impossible for people like us to abandon senior dogs in such conditions. Dog carts and harness to support their hind legs are not locally available and turn out to be expensive when imported.

I would be happy to help anyone who has faced a similar situation and you can contact me at the following details for any assistance. You can contact me on 9342511132 or 08023337262. You can also write me at kkcreations@gmail.com.

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'Gunda changed my perspective on life' - The New Indian Express

International Stem Cell Corporation Announces Third Patient with Parkinson's Disease in Phase I Clinical Trial P&T Community 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB:ISCO), a California-based clinical stage biotechnology company developing stem cell-based therapies and biomedical products, today announced the third patient in the clinical trial ... and more »

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International Stem Cell Corporation Announces Third Patient with Parkinson's Disease in Phase I Clinical Trial - P&T Community

Kelly Murray, CNN On February 22, 1997, the world learned about a secret project that scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland had been working on.

More than seven months earlier, on July 5, 1996, they had aided a Scottish Blackface sheep in giving birth to a Finn Dorset lamb codenamed 6LL3.

She was the first mammal to ever be cloned from the cells of an adult animal.

Using a breakthrough technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer, scientists at Roslin took a nucleus -- the part of the cell that contains most of its genetic information -- from cells within the mammary gland of an adult sheep and stuck it inside an unfertilized egg from which the nucleus had been removed.

They stimulated the egg to develop into an embryo and planted the embryo into a surrogate mother. The lamb was dubbed Dolly, a nod to country music legend Dolly Parton and her famously ample bosom.

Years later, that same cell cluster was used to make four other sheep just like Dolly.

Revealing Dolly

The lab had kept her birth secret for seven months to make the announcement coincide with the publication of the scientific paper describing the experiments that produced her, they said.

That week, they recall, they received 3,000 phone calls from all over the world, according to the Roslin Institute.

Much of the news reports had focused not on cloning sheep but on its potential for humans, said Alan Colman, who is now a visiting scholar in the Harvard University Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology.

At the time, Colman was research director at PPL Therapeutics, which specialized in producing transgenic (genetically engineered) livestock.

"We'd underestimated the impact the announcement would make," he said. "It was something we had prepared for, but we had been totally overwhelmed by the response."

Dolly's legacy

Previously, cloning had been done using only embryonic cells, and now researchers had showed that it was possible in cells from another part of the body -- and adult body.

"At the time she was born, I was ecstatic, because no one had previously been able to use nuclear transfer to make an adult vertebrate from an adult cell," Colman said.

Despite the headlines, cloning a mammal wasn't the team's main goal. They were out to develop a more efficient way to produce genetically modified livestock.

In fact, Dolly wasn't even the first to ever be cloned. She was the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.

But scientists have learned a lot since developing the technique, and somatic cell nuclear transfer has been used in more than 20 species to make clones.

The Roslin Institute explained that people have long been motivated to try cloning to make copies of the very best animals for agricultural purposes. Also, since the mid-1980s, there has been an interest in making new uses for farm animals, including producing human proteins in the milk of transgenic cows or sheep for medicinal use in humans.

South Korea's Sooam Biotech Research Foundation have even cloned dogs.

But by and large, scientists don't see a need to clone humans.

Instead, they are using what they learned from creating Dolly to make advancements in stem cell therapy, such as to create embryonic stem cells directly from a patient's own cells. They can then study the progression of whichever disease the patient has.

Concerns

Dolly herself lived out her days at the Roslin Institute and was able to produce six lambs.

But she was euthanized at age 6 after being diagnosed with progressive lung disease and after a long battle with arthritis.

Finn Dorset sheep usually live 10 to 11 years, and her health problems seemed to confirm fears that cloned animals would age faster and die prematurely compared with animals born naturally.

This was further exemplified by Dolly's four cloned "sisters," who were recently euthanized because they too began to show symptoms of osteoarthritis.

"OA, as you may know, is a progressive disease, and we took appropriate measures to manage the condition at the time under veterinary guidance," said Kevin Sinclair, a developmental biologist at the University of Nottingham who led research on the sheep.

"These animals were in their 10th year and so coming towards the end of their natural lifespan."

A recent study of the remaining clones, however, found that they aged the same as naturally born sheep.

To investigate this further, the team at Nottingham will now conduct postmortem examinations to truly understand what's going on inside the animals.

"The final phase of our study ... involves detailed postmortem analyses of different tissues and organs in order to gain a better insight into the aging process in these animals," Sinclair said.

The Roslin Institute donated Dolly's body to the National Museum of Scotland, where she stands to this day.

The-CNN-Wire & 2017 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

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20 years after Dolly the sheep, potential of cloning remains unclear - KY3

The most common hind leg injuries in the dog are cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) insufficiency and iliopsoas muscle strain. CCL disease was previously discussed in this column; therefore, the focus here will be on the iliopsoas.

Interestingly, iliopsoas injuries are common in humans. While the spelling of iliopsoas looks intimidating, just ignore the "p" when pronouncing (il-e-o-so-as). The name is based on the fact that two muscles (the psoas major and iliacus) join to form the iliopsoas. These two muscles together move the leg forward at the hip and when standing, aid bending the lower back to the side.

Injuries to the iliopsoas result from excessive force on the muscle. This can occur in dogs competing in athletic activities where the muscle is contracting while it is stretched. However, iliopsoas injury can also occur when a dog slips into a splay-legged position during rough play with other dogs or when jumping out of a vehicle.

Dogs with iliopsoas strains can have variable amounts of lameness ranging from subtle, intermittent reduced weight bearing on the affected side to a significant lameness that worsens with activity. Affected dogs will have discomfort and spasms when the muscle is touched during examination. Pain may be accentuated by stretching the muscle while examining.

X-rays are generally not useful in the early phases but may reveal mineralization where the muscle attaches to the femur in longstanding cases. The use of CT scans, MRI and ultrasound may be used to identify iliopsoas injury. However, the history, physical exam and response to treatment can provide evidence to support the presumptive diagnosis of iliopsoas injury.

Treatment depends on severity and how long-standing the problem is. For acute (recently started) injuries, treatment generally includes controlled activity, cryotherapy (ice packs) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as carprofen. Herbs including boswellia, turmeric and ginger have anti-inflammatory effects that can be helpful. In severe cases, muscle relaxants may be used to reduce pain and muscle spasms.

Rehabilitation techniques including laser therapy can be beneficial for reducing pain and improving healing. Acupuncture can also be valuable for promoting healing and pain management. Additionally, proper alignment of the sacroiliac joints, lumbar spine and front part of the pelvis are critical. It is important to note that it can take four-six weeks or longer to recover from an iliopsoas injury.

For chronic injuries, supportive care and management are similar to the acute injuries, except there is a need to reinitiate the inflammatory process to assist in remodeling and healing of the tendon fibers. Maintaining proper alignment and mechanics of movement are essential to avoid ongoing strain to the muscle. Laser therapy, acupuncture, massage, stretching and heat can benefit healing a chronic iliopsoas injury.

Iliopsoas injuries can be slow to heal and are prone to reinjury. Some performance dogs can never return to competition. Household companions may also be limited in their ability to hike as much as they did prior to the injury. Ongoing osteopathic or chiropractic care is valuable along with regular laser therapy sessions, massage and core strengthening programs. Core strengthening activities focused on the gluteal, hamstring and iliopsoas muscles include controlled, slow walking up and down gradual hills, use of cavaletti poles, and standing with the front paws on an elevated surface.

Keep in mind that it is important to gradually increase the activity to avoid reinjury. Chronic iliopsoas problems can take longer to heal than the acute injury. Regenerative medicine treatments with stem cell injections can be used for patients that do not response to conservative therapy and rehabilitation management. Surgery may be an option when the iliopsoas strain occurs at regular intervals.

Nutritional supplements and other products that may be of benefit during the recovery process include glucosamine, vitamins C, D and B complex, and manganese. Each of these has some value in supporting the connective tissues and tendons.

If you suspect that your dog has an iliopsoas injury, contact your veterinarian for an evaluation and therapy plan.

Ron Carsten, DVM, PhD, CVA, CCRT was one of the first veterinarians in Colorado to use the integrative approach, has lectured widely to veterinarians, and has been a pioneer in the therapeutic use of food concentrates to manage clinical problems. In addition to his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, he holds a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology and is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist and Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist. He practices integrative veterinary medicine in Glenwood Springs.

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Integrative pet vet: A common cause of lameness in dogs - Glenwood Springs Post Independent

CBSLA.com Late-Afternoon Newsbrief (Feb. 21)

Get your news and weather headlines in less than two minutes with the CBSLA.com Newsbrief.

Escape Rooms: A New Craze To Test Your Nerves And AbilitiesYou pay to get in, but can you get out?

Woman Killed, Her Son Injured In Traffic Accident In El SerenoBefore she was hit, she managed to toss her son out of the path of the vehicle, investigators say. Rachel Kim reports.

Protesters Descend On Anaheim, Demand Arrest Of LAPD OfficerScores of protesters clashed with police in the streets of Anaheim Wednesday night as they called for the arrest of an off-duty Los Angeles police officer who was caught on video firing his gun during a confrontation with teens outside his Anaheim home Tuesday afternoon. Erica Mandy reports.

President Trump's Policies Seem To Be Having Trick-Down EffectRepublican lawmakers are facing a backlash in rowdy town hall meetings. Dave Bryan reports.

Some Doctors Prescribe Food Instead Of Pills To Treat Certain PatientsThe physicians take their patients grocery shopping to help treat their illnesses. Jennifer Kastner reports.

Dozens Claim Aliso Canyon Still Causing IllnessAt a town hall Wednesday night, numerous Porter Ranch residents alleged that the nearby Aliso Canyon gas storage facility continues to make them sick, despite the fact that the methane leak has been capped. Andrea Fujii reports.

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CBSLA.com Late-Afternoon Newsbrief (Feb. 21) - CBS Local

On February 22, 1997 Dolly the sheep, the first mammal successfully cloned from an adult cell, was revealed at her pen in Edinburgh, Scotland, sparking a huge moral furore. So 20 years on, how has cloning developed and are we any closer to human cloning?

Dolly a game-changer

The sheep had been cloned through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) creating a viable embryo from a body cell and an egg cell.

Dolly had proved the impossible that a new creature could be cloned from an adult cell. It also showed that an egg can change cell type, prompting research into whether other factors could be used in the alteration.

Sir Ian Wilmut, who led the research, said at a public lecture last year on Dollys legacy that experiments on altering cell type led by Shinya Yamanaka in 2006 are among the most important so far this century.

Yamanaka credits Dolly as the inspiration behind his discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), which earned him a Nobel Prize. The Japanese scientist and his team generated stem cells from mature mice fibroblasts cells a breakthrough lauded for transforming bio-research.

Dollys death at just six-and-a-half coupled with the fact she was created using a cell from a six-year-old sheep, gave rise to the assumption that offspring created from an adult cell started life at an age disadvantage and were not truly newborn. However, more recent research debunked this theory by showing that Dollys cloned siblings reached their ninth birthday in healthy condition.

Professor Kevin Sinclair at the University of Nottingham noted that between seven to nine years of age (60 to 70 in human years), the clones showed no long-term detrimental health effects.

Will the woolly mammoth come back to life?

Discussion around cloning the extinct woolly mammoth has been rife for years with predictions of resurrecting the species through cloning.

READ MORE: Scientists want to 'de-extinct' the woolly mammoth

In 2008, scientists successfully managed to clone a mouse from tissue that had been deep frozen for 16 years. Five years later, a mammoth specimen found in Siberia, Russia, oozed what scientists believed was blood, and spurred hopes it may have enough DNA to recreate the mammoth genome.

It appears the optimism has not gone away: last week Harvard scientists revealed their plans to produce a hybrid elephant-mammoth embryo in the near future. It would involve programing mammoth traits into an Asian elephant using gene-editing tool Crispr, creating a mammophant a modified elephant as opposed to a mammoth.

The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh states, however, that while in theory full mammoth "resurrections" might be possible, in reality they are extremely unlikely as a suitable surrogate mother is required and viable whole cells are needed.

Cloning & big business

South Korea has led the way in pet cloning with the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation offering cloning services for a cost of $100,000 (95,000) since 2006, using the same technique used to clone Dolly.

The operation has not come without controversy, however, as the companys founder Woo Suk Hwang was convicted of embezzlement and bioethics law violations in May 2006 after it was revealed much of his stem cell research was faked.

Despite the scandal, business has continued with the facility reportedly cloning hundreds of dogs as well as cows, pigs and even coyotes since its inception. Last year the company announced the launch of its military dog program.

Soaam signed a canine cloning license agreement in 2014 with Texas-based company Viagen, who previously specialized in equine and livestock cloning. Viagen has used cloning tech to enter the horse breeding market, claiming it can create a foal identical to the elite donor, offering a unique type of insurance to horse owners and breeders.

Meanwhile, plans are underway in China for the worlds largest animal cloning center in Tijanin. Chinese company, Boyalife Group, partnered with Sooam for the ambitious project with the intention of cloning animals including sniffer and pet dogs, beef cattle and racehorses.

In 2015 the group revealed a 200 million yuan ($31 million) project investment and outlined plans to produce 100,000 cattle embryos a year initially, later increasing to 1 million to combat future food shortages. While the facility was originally earmarked to be in use by the end of 2016, a spokesperson for Boyalife told RT.com that the factory construction has yet to be completed.

So whats stopping human cloning?

The revelation of Dolly sparked huge political debate, with concerns immediately centered around the possibility of human clones and its ethical implications.

Then-President Bill Clinton instructed Americas National Bioethics Advisory Commission to report on human cloning within 90 days while the president of the European Commission and the directors of UNESCO and WHO issued similar directives. The Vatican called for an outright ban on cloning.

These ethical objections to reproductive cloning, however, are not the sole reason human clones havent been developed: according to researchers, scientific limitations and lack of commercial interest are also factors.

In terms of humans and cloning, scientists currently appear more focused on therapeutic cloning for treating diseases, replicating human embryos to harvest stem cells for medical uses.

In 2013 a human cell was created using SCNT in experiments led by reproductive biology specialist, Shoukhrat Mitalipov, sparking hopes that stem cells could be used in the treatment of conditions such as Parkinsons disease and diabetes.

This has yet to be realized but scientists are continuing to explore stem cell research with the view of developing disease treatments and therapies.

The rest is here:
Dolly the sheep: 20yrs on, what's the state of play in cloning? - RT

COLUMBUS For the past year, Dr. Todd Paczosa has been practicing what he calls the future of medicine.

The veterinarian treats his four-legged patients through stem cell therapy.

Im not anti-antibiotic, anti-medicine. I just believe that even in the future of cancer treatment that it is going to come down to your body healing itself, Paczosa said.

The process involves removing fatty tissue from a patient, extracting stem cells, then injecting the cells back into the animal's joints to promote healing.

Paczosa said he researched the treatment for about a decade before deciding to offer it at Redstone Veterinary Hospital in Columbus.

Our body is full of cells that heal. You get cut, your body heals. What we are doing is taking those cells, waking them up and saying, Hey, lets go to work, he said.

Since he started offering stem cell therapy last March, 17 dogs, horses and cattle have used the treatment. One of those patients is Butch, a 9-year-old schnauzer owned by Marge Biester of Columbus that was suffering from a strained ligament and achy joints.

He was really hurting. I had to do something for him, Biester said, adding that Butch wasnt putting much weight on his back leg when he walked.

The treatment was done in January. Butch was put under anesthesia to retrieve the fat tissue. Using equipment in-house, the stem cells were extracted and injected back into the dog that same day.

Paczosa, who has been a veterinarian for 23 years, said the entire process can be done in a day.

Biester noticed results in about two weeks.Butch wasnt doing his three-legged walk anymore and began acting like a more-active, younger version of himself.

Im amazed at how quickly he recovered, she said.

Paczosa said all of the animals he has treated so far have shown improvement.

One of these days, we will have one that doesnt work. Thats just medicine, but we havent had one yet, he said.

The possibility of the stem cell therapy not working can be a turnoff for some pet owners who might find it difficult to spend $1,900 to $2,400 for the treatment at Redstone. If it does work, Paczosa said the therapy is less expensive in the long run than putting an animal on medication for extended periods of time to ease the pain from arthritis.

Other pluses, he said, are that the regenerative therapy isnt as invasive as surgery and anti-rejection drugs don't have to be used since the cells come from the same animal.More than one joint can also be treated at a time and it can eliminate the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The biggest risks are putting the animal under anesthesia and infection of the surgical site where the fatty tissue is removed, typically from the shoulder area or abdomen.

Stem cell therapy is practiced at a few hundred veterinary clinics in the country. Redstone works with the animal stem cell company MediVet Biologics and uses that companys in-house technology.

Paczosa said owners have come from other states to use the therapy at his Columbus clinic.

Initial results from the procedure lasts about two years. An option to bank stem cells from a pet is available. A portion of what is taken can be stored in a lab and used again in the future.

For Paczosa's patients, results have been quick and ongoing.

Most owners have seen a dramatic improvement in two weeks. Our first patient is still seeing improvements, he said.

See more here:
Stem cell therapy adds pep to pets - Salina Journal (subscription)