Narrow Results

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to induce potent analgesic effects on neuropathic pain in both patients and rodents. Cell therapy to release antinociceptive agents near the pain processing centers of the spinal cord is a promising next step in the development of treatment modalities. This study investigated the effects of the combination of EA and cell therapy by glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on neuropathic pain in rats. The hyperalgesic state was induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve and fibroblasts genetically modified to secrete bioactive GDNF (FBs-GDNF) were used for cell therapy. Fifty-eight rats with neuropathic pain were randomly divided into five groups (CCI+PBS, n = 11; CCI+FBs-GDNF, n = 12; CCI+EA+PBS, n = 11; CCI+EA+FBs-pLNCX2, n = 12; CCI+EA+FBs-GDNF, n = 12). On the 7th day after CCI, the rats received intrathecal transplantation of FBs-GDNF or control fibroblasts (FBs-pLNCX2). In the meantime, EA was administered once every other day from the 7th day after CCI surgery for 21 days. The paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to radiant heat was measured every other day. The results showed that the ipsilateral PWL of the rats from all three EA treatment groups significantly increased starting on the 12th day compared with the PBS control group. Strikingly, the group which received EA treatment and FBs-GDNF transplantation (CCI+EA+FBs-GDNF) showed a significantly decreased thermal hyperalgesia after 2 weeks post CCI surgery compared with the groups which received EA treatment and FBs-pLNCX2 transplantation (CCI+EA+FBs-pLNCX2) or PBS (CCI+EA+PBS) as well as the FBs-GDNF transplantation group without EA treatment (CCI+FBs-GDNF). Our data suggest that EA and cell therapy can synergistically attenuate hyperalgesia in neuropathic pain rats.

Osteoarthritis (OA) results from aging joints, injury, and obesity, emerging as an epidemic joint disease in addition to being a significant cause of pain disability. Despite decades of efforts from scientists and physicians, the trend of the global increase in the incidence of OA does not slow down. As there are no effective pharmacotherapies able to reverse the degenerative process, cell-based and biological therapies for OA were invented and developed into a thriving field of regenerative medicine for orthopedics. First, autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has been used to treat osteoarticular defects for over two decades. While ACI has demonstrated its capability to decelerate OA progression, there are still many issues that hamper its therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, researchers and physicians invented innovative biomaterials-assisted cell therapies, advanced surgical techniques for preserving primary chondrocytes’ biological function and avoiding the donor-site mortality. Later, the discovery of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) revoluted cell therapies for cartilage repair. MSCs not only provide an alternative cell source with much higher proliferation rates but also have these advantages: no donor-site mortality, non-tumorigenic, and, most importantly, the capability of chondrogenic differentiation. This review paper explores the challenges associated with OA treatments using cell-based therapies and shares our vision for the future development of regenerative medicine for cartilage.

Research Institute and CSL to Develop New Treatments for Inflammatory Diseases.

QRxPharma in Strategic Alliance with Liaoning Nuokang Medicines for the Development of Venomics Assets.

Mesoblast's Treatment for Damaged Intervertebral Disc Cartilage may be a Product Breakthrough.

Device Technologies Australia in Strategic Partnership with Health Robotics for Robot-Assisted Cancer Surgery.

Agilent Technologies Co-Establishes Center for Systems Biology with Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Granted License to Develop Hematopoietic Stem Cell Stimulator.

HUYA Establishes Partnership with GIBH.

China Biologic Products Enters into a Strategic R&D on Blood Plasma.

India's First Stem Cell Therapy Laboratory Launched.

Biocon and Amylin to Jointly Make Drug for Diabetes.

Singapore Sets up First Cell Therapy Facility.

Smart Information Technology Integration for Bangkok Hospital Group.

MDI and Integrated Sciences Enter Exclusive Distribution Agreement in Australia.

Agenix, IMB to Develop Hep B Drug in China.

NeoStem to Acquire Progenitor Cell Therapy in $20m Deal.

Origin Biotechnology Reaches Worldwide Agreement with Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences for Bt-gene.

Transasia Bio-Medicals Acquires Pliva Lachema Diagnostika.

Advinus Team Discovers Novel Molecule for Treatment of Diabetes.

Biocon Partners with Teleradiology Solutions.

Abbott, Reata Pharma Collaborate on Kidney Treatment.

Singapore and Korea research institutes to collaborate on biomass-to-chemicals research.

Nobel prize in medicine goes to cell transport discovery.

Tri-institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, Inc. launched.

Agilent Technologies collaborates with Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.

Quintiles selected by Muscular Dystrophy Association to develop U.S. Disease Registry.

Joslin Diabetes Center forms alliance with John & Johnson Innovation to identify exercise-related drug targets to improve diabetes management.

CLINATEC chairman Alim-Louis Benabid honored for Parkinson's disease work.

AstraZeneca enters co-promotion agreement with Janssen in Japan for innovative prostrate cancer treatment.

Scotland demonstrates its collaborative approach to cell therapy development.

KineMed forms agreement with Amgen to develop kinetic biomarkers of brain proteinopathies.

IMCD group opens its first pharmaceutical laboratory.

Napier Healthcare wins Promising Healthcare IT Company of the Year 2013 Award from Frost & Sullivan Singapore.

AB SCIEX opens R&D center in Singapore; hopes to drive scientific innovation.

Nuevolution enter drug discovery collaboration with The Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Research Technology.

Covidien launches advanced medical training and education center in India.

PharmaCell to acquire cell therapy production facility from TiGenix.

University Hospital of Iceland and Kerecis to collaborate on tissue-regeneration research.

AstraZeneca completes the acquisition of Bristol-Myers Squibb share of global diabetes alliance.

Ergomed and Ferrer to develop Lorediplon for insomnia.

Lupus research organizations welcome big-science push to drive new therapies for lupus patients.

AbbVie expands manufacturing presence with US$320 million investment in Singapore.

California Stem Cell partners on CIRM grant to develop transplantable 3D retinas.

Asia's first under-one-roof nutritional research center set up in Singapore.

WuXi PharmaTech receives honorable mention at 2014 ISPE Facility of the Year Awards.

UCLA launches joint venture with Chinese firm to open sophisticated lab in Shanghai.

Mucosis enters strategic partnership with Changchun BCHT Biotechnology of China.

Catalent enters biosimilar development collaboration with Zhejiang Hisun Pharma.

Bio-Techne acquires Shanghai PrimeGene Bio-Tech.

Sinovac receives notification of China government grant for EV71 vaccine project.

Sinovac enters technology transfer agreement with intravacc to develop and commercialize Sabin Inactivated Polio Vaccine (sIPV).

WuXi PharmaTech breaks ground on new cell therapy manufacturing facility.

China study to see how Pacific current affects climate.

ResearchDx receives Strategic Partner Award from WuXi AppTec.

iBio receives patent allowance in China for fusion protein compositions and technology.

Prof. Tu Youyou receives 2015 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize

China Biologic announced Pricing of Public Offering of Common Stock

CASI Files new Drug Clinical Trial Application with China FDA to expand U.S Development of ENMD–2076 in Fibrolamellar Carcinoma

Cleantech Solutions International to Showcase New Air-fluid, Dual-use Dyeing Machines at ShanghaiTex 2015

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare to Expand Caltrate and Centrum Production in China

Huazhang Technology Entered into Letter of Intent in Relation to Possible Acquisition of the Construction of Wastewater Treatment Projects in the PRC

MERS-CoV Antibodies and Polypeptide identified by Researchers in Fudan University: m336 & HR2P-M2

Ecolab acquires Water Treatment Provider in China

2nd Guangdong-Canada Biological Psychiatry Symposium held in Shantou

Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology a new Learning and Research Project approved by the Ministry of Education

The Sixth China Cell Therapy Conference, 2015

CRISPR gene-editing not as precise as thought, warns of safety risks

Insomnia spreads among young Chinese

African swine fever virus isolated in Northeast China

China launches new stem cell clinic programs

Protein in human body could inhibit progress of HIV

Chinese HEV vaccine begin clinical trial in U.S.

New screening method for early diagnosis of liver cancer in hepatitis B carriers

Merck collaborates with GenScript to accelerate cell and gene therapy industrialisation in China

Shineco expands to capture industrial cannabis market

Research from XJTLU advances RNA modification mapping

The following topics are under this section:

• Thailand Medtech landscape – Customer to Innovator
• Fine-tuning Cell Manufacturing through Critical Analytics
• The life cycle of pharmaceutical drug discovery – from bench to bedside

The following topics are under this section:

• Providing New Insights to Fighting COVID-19 with AI-Powered Remote Monitoring Platform
• Agreement Signed for Production of Anti-VISTA Antibody for Cancer Clinical Trial
• Exploring the Cancer Genomic Landscape of the Japanese Population
• First Center of Excellence in Singapore to Advance Imaging Mass Cytometry
• RMAT Designation Granted by FDA using CAR-T Cell Therapy for CD-30 Positive Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Expanding Investment for COVID-19 Vaccine Development
• Singapore-based Biotechnology Company Launches Integrated Agri-Food Pilot Facility

Tissue engineering tools and technologies are critical for regenerative medicine and the translational research supporting development of cell-based therapies. 3D cell bioprinting is a relatively new engineering tool being used to design 3D cell constructs (rather than cell suspensions) for transplantation therapies. In this review, we describe a broad range of printing technologies now being used to deliver cells and biomaterials in preclinical studies. We focus on 3D cell bioprinting, in which the building blocks (or 'bioink') used in printing process are three-dimensional cell structures, that are placed by the bioprinter into precise architectures to generate small tissues or organs. 3D cell bioprinting is a flexible research tool for basic and translational stem cell biology.

Incidence and mortality of liver disease has increased globally in recent years. Orthotopic liver transplantation is a well-developed, effective therapy even for the end-stage liver diseases. However, the application of the technique is limited by the short supply of donors and the complexity of orthotopic liver transplantation. Therefore, hepatocyte transplantation as a new therapeutic option was developed. Unfortunately, the routine supply of high quality human hepatocytes was also restricted and the liver donor was lacking, too. Thus, exploration and study for available and renewable sources of nondonor hepatocytes are both necessary and important. Researches have proved that nondonor hepatocyte-like cells can be derived from various types of cells including embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), liver stem cells (LSCs), fibroblasts by lineage reprogramming, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this review, we describe recent advances in the field of the cell therapy in liver regeneration. In addition, we also discuss the existing restrictions in these types of therapies and ongoing developments.

Heart failure (HF) remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality in the world with an alarming rapid rise in heart diseases. Myocardial infarction (MI), depriving of blood flow to the heart muscle, causes myocardial necrosis and apoptosis resulting in decrease of myocardial quantity and ventricular remodeling, which is the main cause of HF. As mature cardiomyocytes (CMs) are incapable of differentiation and proliferation, cardiomyocytes damage is not likely to be reversed. Recent research has advanced to the point where damaged CMs or myocardium can be repaired by exogenous cells or artificial tissue. This review provides the most up-to-date information on the current status of cell therapy and tissue three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting for the treatment of HF. Requirements on 3D printing of biomaterials will be provided including biophysical properties, biocompatibility and biodegradable absorption in vivo that are key factors on the survival and proliferation of transplanted cells in the MI area. Also discussed are the current challenges in cell-based HF therapies and future perspectives in clinical applications.

Stem cell therapy is being developed as a promising novel strategy for the treatment of heart-associated diseases. Several types of cells such as skeletal myoblasts, bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), adipose stem cells (ADSCs), cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been tested in pre-clinical and clinical cardiac repairing models. Fibroblasts, as terminally differentiated cells, could also be trans-differentiated into cardiomyocytes in vitro. In this review, we will summarize the recent advances of cell types, potential applications and challenges of stem cell therapy in the treatment of heart failure.

With approximately 130 million babies born worldwide every year umbilical cord blood represents perhaps the largest potential source of stem cells for regenerative medicine. Between 1972 and 2008, it is estimated that over 10,000 patients would have been treated by cord blood cells for over 80 different clinical conditions. Cord blood stem cells are used clinically mostly to support patients suffering from haematological and immunological diseases but they also provide emerging therapeutic solutions for limited cases of type 1 diabetes or infant cerebral injuries. Cord blood samples are collected after birth and bio-processed before cryopreservation in either public biobanks for unrelated allogenic use or private family biobanks for related allogenic and autologous uses. Regenerative medicine research demonstrated the existence of multipotent stem cells with embryonic characteristics in cord blood, which can produce over 20 tissue types including liver, neural or insulin-secreting cells. Cord blood stem cells not only offer therapeutic benefits at present but also show real potential for the advancement of regenerative medicine.

Stem cell therapy is currently one of the most exciting areas of biomedical research with hopes of providing therapeutic treatments for a myriad of diseases, including liver diseases. Several liver diseases fall under this category, including fibrosis of the liver, and hepatitis B and C viral infection. At the cirrhotic stage, liver disease is considered irreversible and the only alternative is orthotopic liver transplantation. While orthotopic liver transplantation cures chronic liver disease and a variety of metabolic and genetic deficiency disorders, the increased shortage of donor organs restricts liver transplantation. Therefore novel therapeutic options are in demand.

Adult stem cells with their multilineage differentiation potential and self-renewal are possible candidate cells and it is believed that novel cellular therapeutics can perform better than any medical device, recombinant proteins or therapeutic agents. In this chapter we have presented our own experience using adult stem cells for therapeutics for liver disease as well as reviewed the latest literature on this topic.

Osteoarticular repair involves replacing damaged cartilage and subchondral bone in an articulating, load bearing joint. The human and financial impact of osteoarticular defects is immense. In current clinical practice the most common non-surgical methods for treatment of joint degradation are symptomatic only. For patients who fail conservative treatment, surgical intervention is required. Standard surgical interventions addressing both bone and cartilage damage include osteotomies, mosaicplasty and joint replacements. Cell based treatments of cartilage defects have emerged as promising strategies, but their FDA approved use is limited. Clinical trials that employ tissue-engineering methods have so far focused predominantly on the regeneration of cartilage in damaged knees. Emerging strategies use autologous cells in combination with bioresorbable delivery scaffolds to provide initial mechanical support, homogenous three-dimensional cell distribution, improved tissue differentiation, and suitable handling properties for delivery into patients. The invasive surgical nature of osteochondral repair, the challenges of "blinding" in scaffold implantation procedures, and ethical considerations presents considerable difficulties in implementing large prospective clinical studies to evaluate tissue engineered constructs. Despite these obstacles, the convergence of technological advances in the fields of cell culture, biomaterials, biologics, and surgical techniques makes this an exciting and highly competitive field.

An increasing number of studies suggest that cell therapy approaches may be powerful tools for repair of injured or diseased lungs as well as for understanding mechanisms involved in both lung development and lung repair. This rapidly progressing field encompasses a number of disciplines and conceptual approaches including the study of endogenous stem and progenitor cells resident in the lung, and investigations utilizing exogenously administered cells for the repair of injured lung. Moreover, the field has undergone several conceptual shifts over recent years. For example, the initial focus on engraftment of exogenously administered cells as airway or alveolar epithelium has been shifted to the current emphases on immunomodulation of inflammatory and immune pathways in the lung by stem cells, and on bioengineering approaches to grow functional lung tissue ex vivo for subsequent use in in vivo implantation for destructive lung diseases, such as emphysema. Furthermore, it has become apparent that the variety of candidate stem and progenitor cell types can have different actions in the lung. Each of these areas is the focus of a comprehensive chapter in this book. The goal of this introductory chapter is to provide an overview of the field to date.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) remains a devastating and incurable disease. One of the first targets for lung gene therapy and studies of lung gene transfer, early promising results were achieved in vitro and in small animal models. However, studies in primate models and in patients were discouraging, despite a large number of clinical trials, and gene therapy approaches for CF have generally fallen out of favour. Newer approaches with cell-based therapy, utilizing either embryonic stem cells or extra embryonic-derived adult stem cells (bone marrow or cord blood), have been investigated recently and may provide viable future therapeutic options. In parallel, further understanding of the role of endogenous progenitor cells in CF lungs may also provide both mechanistic understanding and potential therapeutic approaches for CF lung disease. In this chapter, endogenous lung progenitors in CF and the potential use of cell therapy-based approaches for CF will be considered.