Asherman’s syndrome

Asherman’s syndrome is an almost incurable condition, characterized by the presence of intrauterine adhesions and endometrial atrophy. It is iatrogenic and results in menstruation disorders and infertility. Many therapies have been attempted for these conditions, but none have proven really effective. Xavier Santamaria, Sergio Cabanillas and colleagues from Valencia, Spain, have addressed the question whether cell therapy using autologous peripheral blood CD133+ bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDSCs) could perhaps offer a safe and efficient therapeutic approach for patients with refractory Asherman’s syndrome and/or endometrial atrophy and a wish to conceive? They found that in 16 patients, in the first three months following treatment, autologous cell therapy, using CD133+ BMDSCs in conjunction with hormonal replacement therapy (HRT), increased the volume and duration of menses as well as the thickness and angiogenesis processes of the endometrium while decreasing intrauterine adhesion scores. Although the fertility outcome is still pending, this is a very important proof-of-principle study showing that this novel autologous cell therapy is a promising therapeutic option for infertility patients with these so far incurable endometrial pathologies. Its findings are in line with the recent reports by Jan Brosens’ group on the role of endometrial stem cells in recurrent abortion. Gradually the endometrium is revealing (a few of) its secrets. (font: JLH (Hans) Evers, Editor-in-Chief Human Reproduction)

“Mesenchymal Stem Cells between big killers and nanoparticles”

Pavia (Photo credit: _ Night Flier _)

Pavia Lunedì 14 maggio 2012 Collegio Borromeo, Piazza Borromeo. Il meeting internazionale della società FIRST (Forum of the Italian Researchers on mesenchymal and stromal STem cells) pone l’attenzione sulle cellule staminali e sulle loro principali implicazioni nella cura delle più rilevanti patologie che affliggono le popolazioni occidentali quali cancro e malattie cardiovascolari. Le cellule staminali sono diventate la speranza della medicina del futuro e la rapida acquisizione di nuove conoscenze porta i ricercatori sempre più vicino alla comprensione dei reali meccanismi d’azione di questi promettenti strumenti terapeutici.
Lunedì 14 Maggio 2012 alle ore 9.00 presso il Collegio Borromeo di Pavia, durante il 4° Meeting della società FIRST (Forum of the Italian Researchers on mesenchymal and stromal STem cells) verranno presentati e discussi i risultati più innovativi ottenuti nell’ambito dello studio delle cellule staminali mesenchimali.
“Mesenchymal Stem Cells between big killers and nanoparticles” è il titolo dell’evento internazionale che vedrà la partecipazione di oratori di fama mondiale e delegati sia dall’Italia che dall’estero.
I promotori dell’iniziativa, la Dr.ssa Lorenza Lazzari (Fondazione Ca’ Granda IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico), il Dott. Massimo Dominici (Università di Modena), la Dott.ssa Rosaria Giordano (Fondazione Ca’ Granda IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico) e il Dott. Massimiliano Gnecchi (Università di Pavia e IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo di Pavia) hanno scelto le tematiche del meeting di quest’anno con un occhio attento alle principali implicazioni delle cellule staminali nella cura delle più rilevanti patologie che affliggono le popolazioni occidentali quali cancro e malattie cardiovascolari. Particolare rilievo verrà dato anche ai più innovativi materiali in grado di potenziare l’effetto delle staminali dopo trapianto. FIRST (Forum of the Italian Researchers on mesenchymal and stromal STem cells) darà, come sempre, grande rilevanza ai giovani ricercatori che avranno così l’occasione di presentare i loro lavori nell’ambito di una competizione che vedrà premiate le migliori tre presentazioni.

Cryo-Save Hires Stem Cell Expert in the Flagship Lab in Niel, Belgium

Zutphen, the Netherlands, (PRNewswire) In line with its continuous efforts to improve internal stem cell procedures, Cryo-Save proudly announces the appointment of the highly knowledgeable stem cell expert Dr. Marcin Jurga. Dr. Jurga will supervise new process validation at the Cryo-Save labs and study new processing techniques for umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and fat tissue, to ensure quality and use of the highest technology available on the market. Marcin Jurga is specialized in adult stem cells biology, neuroscience and tissue engineering. His field of interest focuses on developing new methods for adult stem cell applications in in-vitro toxicology and regenerative medicine. Part of his validation study and internal research at Cryo-Save includes studies on fresh and frozen cells isolated from fat tissue and cord tissue, to explain the quality of these and their ability for extensive growth in vitro and multilineage differentiation.Dr. Jurga is an experienced stem cell researcher with broad international experience; he was team leader and senior researcher at the Cell Therapy Research Institute in Lyon, France and previously completed a post doc at the Centre for Life, Newcastle University in the UK. He got Ph.D. degree in Poland, at the Mossakowski Medical Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. In May, Dr. Jurga is also planning to get a habilitation degree at Lyon 1 Claude-Bernard University in France. The habilitation thesis entitled: “Stem Cell Therapy and Neutral Tissue Engineering in Regeneration of Central Nervous System”.Cryo-Save, the leading international family stem cell bank, stores more than 200,000 samples from umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and adipose tissue. There are already many diseases treatable by the use of stem cells, and the number of treatments will only increase. Driven by its international business strategy, Cryo-Save is now represented in over 40 countries on four continents, with ultra-modern processing and storage facilities in the United States, Belgium, Germany, Dubai, India, South Africa and France