Stem cell research advances in Michigan, raising hopes for new cures
The University of Michigan, aided by passage of a 2008 state ballot proposal and $100 million pledged from shopping mall pioneer A. Alfred Taubman, has become the state’s leader in embryonic stem cell research. That's raising the hopes of many residents for cures for debilitating or fatal diseases, the Detroit Free Press reports in a Sunday series.
U-M is focused on lines bearing diseases to help researchers study how genetics take hold in developing tissues. While there are no guarantees, and research funding in Michigan has lagged behind other states, stem cells may hold the keys for developing cures for everything from common depression to genetic cancer and strokes.
It took about a year after voters in 2008 approved Proposal 2, a controversial measure that removed restrictions on embryonic stem cell research in Michigan, for U-M to fully develop its research apparatus. The university had to finalize protocols for ensuring donor consent and confidentiality, set up labs, transferring funds and, finally, receiving embryos.
Gary Smith, co-director at the A.A. Taubman Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies at U-M, last week submitted his 11th and 12th embryonic stem cell lines to the National Institutes of Health. They’ll add to 10 lines submitted and accepted earlier this year to a national registry filled with lines from contributors around the country.
Placement in the registry means the lines can now be sent to labs across the U.S. for use in federally funded research. Smith told the Free Press that U-M is finalizing agreements to share its stem cell lines with about two dozen researchers elsewhere.
The first grants are expected to be announced in the coming weeks to help U-M researchers use the newly derived lines for research or to create new ones. The university may also launch a program next summer to train high school teachers on stem cell science in a bid to get students interested in the field.
Read the Free Press series here.
Comments
Dog Guy
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 5:17 a.m.
The star Algol (from the Arabic al-gh?l) continues to guide embryonic stem cell research.
TommyJ
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 2:58 a.m.
To date, there has NEVER been a successful human treatment developed from embryonic stem cells. However, ips and adult stem cell treatments have flourished. Embryonic Stem Cell research is wasted $$, and many top researchers in the field have left the esc research in favor of adult stem cells. Even Geron, the only company to ever attempt a esc trial, has given up on esc. Why then do we waste $$ in this state creating new esc lines that go no where? http://repairstemcell.wordpress.com/diseases-treated-by-repair-stem-cells/ http://www.stemcellresearchcures.com/escr-prospects-dimming http://www.lifenews.com/2011/12/26/the-u-s-is-backward-on-embryonic-stem-cell-research/
Strait
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 12:39 a.m.
When I saw the headline, I wondered if the marketing white-washers would be out on this one. Ann Arbor Stroma or Aastom Biosciences (ASTM) or aastrom.com or www.aastrom.com hasn't been in local news in literally years; perhaps related to their being a public company for 20+ years with _no product yet_ to justify their public-trading status. A Local Michigan vehicle for allocation of state and federal dollars, Ann Arbor SPARK has been mentioned as informally calling Aastom Biosciences (ASTM) a grant-baby and isn't funding this for-profit corporation any further than the tens of millions already contributed via Ann Arbor-SPARK coffers. Check out historic SPARK funding for this corporation as verification. Aastom Biosciences (ASTM) seems to bank on a white elephant production system with no actual need for the production solution they provide. Couple this with a marketing approach to a specific market segment unaware of the scientific data involved with the biological approach, and you can begin to see why this corporation has been on the public stock market for over 20 years with no saleable product whatsoever. 20+ years of this publicly-traded "we aren't embryonic" message has over and over again lured in investors that are unaware of the scientific disciplines involved. Plus, being a traded-stock that is willing to give discounts to venture firms has also lead to this companies acceptance of many millions in 'purchases' based upon price discounts that are exercised the very next day- to the profit of the VC firm and Aastrom, and further price decrease in Ann Arbor Stroma / Aastrom Biosciences (ASTM) / aastrom.com per-share investor price. The above information is all public record; no bias present. Do your homework before making any financial investment. Please!
DennisP
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 10:30 p.m.
The main reason for the series is highlighted in the one Free Press story included in the series. Namely, there is little or no funding from private or other sources including the State. Of course, the comparison is made to California which publicly funds stem cell research to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars with little or nothing to show for it to date. Michigan takes a more prudent approach with the idea that if the research has merit it will find its funding. To date, the research has been eclipsed handily by pluripotent non-embryonic lines and adult lines. The major achievements in the embryonic field seem to be related mainly to developing other embryonic stem cell lines. It's not enough now that the Constitution was amended. The inability to attract private funding (which was supposed to flow into the State like the Niagara) now is stoking calls for public funding. We recently went through an election in which the electorate soundly refused to amend the Constitution of the State to entrench special interest legislation. All those proposals were an outgrowth of the successful embryonic stem cell amendment funded almost entirely by a billionaire (Al Taubman) to benefit the interests of, primarily, one public university of whom he is a grand benefactor. Matty Maroun's interests may be considered more base but he adopted the methods of his peer. Fortunately, the electorate is more considerate of the proper purpose of our Constitution. It is intended to define and limit the powers of our government and the public institutions created by it -- including universities to be in service to the public generally and to define our rights as individual citizens. Not to grant special protections to research or other business ventures conducted at a public university supported by public tax dollars and then to try and coerce more public dollars on what is turning out to be questionable hopes and thin promises.
DennisP
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 3:28 a.m.
Just as a point of clarification. UCLA's October 2011 article lists 4 studies, 2 non-embryonic and 2 hESC studies. The first study listed in the article is the neural myelin study abandoned by Geron in November of 2011.
DennisP
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 3:26 a.m.
You miss my point entirely confusing my opinion as I stated it with that of another. I said nothing about Aastrom. You ask for some references, which is a common ploy of those who wish to deflect from the point being made and try to bury the issue under some appearance of authority. I'm not interested in dredging through journal after journal but, because you asked, I will direct you to something I quickly found: http://today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/discoveries-advance-from-lab-to-217787.aspx At this site, UCLA proudly trumpets 4 research programs it had underway as of October 2011 of which two consisted of promising non-embryonic cell studies. The first study, involving neural myelin and spinal injury, was from 2009 and the site notes that Geron Corp was proceeding with it. Problem is that in November of 2011, Geron abandoned that work and all stem cell research. See also: http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/31391/title/First-hESC-Trial-Kaput/ [The last trial UCLA listed was in the hypothetical stage and requires coaxing stem cells into becoming a different cell line which hadn't been accomplished so it remained nothing more than conjecture.] We'll never know all the reasons for this but Geron clearly didn't find the hESC research a promising basis upon which to build its business and the article notes that only one other company is involved in hESC clinical trials. Not a stunning testament in favor of funding hESC research. Because of this, the U-M now employs a PR team to continue to extol unrealized promises through a willing media in order to cajole a movement for funding. The cost, otherwise, would be for a public to become jaded to future pleas for support. Let the spin begin...
Strait
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 1:32 a.m.
You state: --- To date, the research has been eclipsed handily by pluripotent non-embryonic lines and adult lines. -- State your sources please. Global Scientific consensus does not seem to back up your specific statement that I cite above. Overwhelmingly experiments (on people, from many sources) show that "non-embryonic" and "adult" cell line treatments have yet to establish suitable achievement past the control treatment- where same surgery is performed, without addition of the non-embryonic or adult cells. This does make sense; it isn't 'normal' for there to be surgical damage to the weak areas under treatment, and cellular recruitment in response to targeted surgery is well-documented. Thus, a no-treatment control surgery is always needed when trying to test fringe treatments such as adult cell treatments, and data to-date shows that results from the cell treatment + surgical damage _ recruitment are (in aggregate) on-par with the no-cell-treatment + surgical damage. In short, positive results are seen just due to surgery in the affected area without the adult cells being added. Normal body processes produce same cell recruitment and positive outcome as adding unneeded homogenous (self) cell mixes. God Bless those who wish to find easy treatments such as own-cell solutions; but reality is shown to be more complex than a simple answer, so far. If I were in need, I'd still explore self-sourced cell treatment myself (it can't hurt I think)- but there's no way I'd see a need for an overpriced white elephant culture system per the Aastom Biosciences (ASTM) patent to add expense to my treatment; just growing stuff in flasks as has always been done will work for me!
AAW
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 10:19 p.m.
Stem cell research advances in Michigan, raising hopes for new cures. Another company in a2 are developing stem cell research from the persons own stem cells. This is very exciting for those who may not want to use embryonic stem cell. The company's name is Aastrom Bio Science.
Strait
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 12:19 a.m.
When I saw the headline, I wondered if the marketing white-washers would be out on this one. Ann Arbor Stroma hasn't been in local news in literally years; perhaps related to their being a public company for 20+ years with _no product yet_ to justify their public-trading status. SPARK has informally called them a grant-baby and isn't funding any more than the tens of millions already contributed via SPARK coffers. This corp seems to bank on a white elephant production system with no actual need for the production solution they provide. 20+ years of this publicly-traded "we aren't embryonic" message has over and over again lured in investors that are unaware of the scientific disciplines involved. Plus, being a traded-stock that is willing to give discounts to venture firms has also lead to this companies acceptance of many millions in 'purchases' based upon price discounts that are exercised the very next day- to the profit of the VC firm, and further price decrease in Ann Arbor Stroma stock price. The above information is all public record; no bias present. Do your homework before making any financial investment.