NEW YORK, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Global Cell-Based Assays Industry

http://www.reportlinker.com/p0552745/Global-Cell-Based-Assays-Industry.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=In_Vitro_

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Cell-Based Assays in US$ Million by the following Product Segments: Assay Kits (Functional Assays, Cell Death-Associated Assays, & Cell Growth-Associated Assays), and Laboratory Automation. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Japan, Europe, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2009 through 2017. Also, a six-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. The report profiles 73 companies including many key and niche players such as BD Biosciences, Beckman Coulter, Inc., BioVision, Inc., Caliper Life Sciences, Inc., Cisbio Bioassays, DiscoveRx Corporation, EMD Millipore, Enzo Life Sciences, Inc., Evotec AG, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Life Technologies Corp., New England Biolabs Inc., PerkinElmer, Inc., Promega Corporation, ProQinase GmbH, Qiagen NV, Sigma-Aldrich, StemCells, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., and Xenometrix AG. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are primarily based upon search engine sources in the public domain.

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & PRODUCT DEFINITIONS

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Global Cell-Based Assays Industry

Published on May 16, 2012 at 12:48 AM

The Mass. Eye and Ear Curing Kids fund has awarded grants for research projects that aim to help the brain locate sound, identify genes that cause congenital blindness, cure deafness through hair cell regeneration, and improve treatment for childhood eye cancer. The 2011/2012 Curing Kids Fund grants were made possible by funds raised from the hospital’s annual Sense-sation! gala.

This year’s grant recipients are:

The Curing Kids fund was created in 2010 to help bring life-changing treatments to children and to accelerate cures and innovations through research. The 2011 Sense-ation! gala raised more than $1.2 million for the Mass. Eye and Ear Curing Kids Fund. Curing Kids Fund research grants are competitive grants awarded to Mass. Eye and Ear and Schepens Eye Research Institute investigators.

The five grants awarded are just one aspect of the Curing Kids Fund. Monies from the fund will also provide services for needy children such as eyeglasses and hearing aids, support core research, and seed a Curing Kids endowment for research to help children.

Source: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

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Posted in: Child Health News | Healthcare News

Tags: Blindness, Brain, Cancer, Cell, Eye Cancer, Gene, Genomics, Hospital, Implants, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Retinal Dystrophy

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Mass. Eye and Ear announces recipients of 2012 Curing Kids Fund grants

Cell surface protein blows potent cells cover; targeted drug works in preclinical tests

Newswise HOUSTON Breast cancer stem cells wear a cell surface protein that is part nametag and part bulls eye, identifying them as potent tumor-generating cells and flagging their vulnerability to a drug, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online in Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Weve discovered a single marker for breast cancer stem cells and also found that its targetable with a small molecule drug that inhibits an enzyme crucial to its synthesis, said co-senior author Michael Andreeff, M.D., Ph.D., professor in MD Andersons Departments of Leukemia and Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.

Andreeff and colleagues are refining the drug as a potential targeted therapy for breast cancer stem cells, which are thought to be crucial to therapy resistance, disease progression and spread to other organs.

Its been difficult to identify cancer stem cells in solid tumors, Andreeff said. And nobody has managed to target these cells very well.

The marker is the cell surface protein ganglioside GD2. The drug is triptolide, an experimental drug that Andreeff has used in preclinical leukemia research. The team found triptolide blocks expression of GD3 synthase, which is essential to GD2production.

Triptolide stymied cancer growth in cell line experiments and resulted in smaller tumors and prolonged survival in mouse experiments. Drug development for human trials probably will take several years.

Cancer stem cells are similar to normal stem cells

Research in several types of cancer has shown cancer stem cells are a small subpopulation of cancer cells that are capable of long-term self-renewal and generation of new tumors. More recent research shows they resist treatment and promote metastasis.

Cancer stem cells are similar to normal stem cells that renew specialized tissues. The breast cancer findings grew out of Andreeffs long-term research in mesenchymal stem cells, which can divide into one copy of themselves and one differentiated copy of a bone, muscle, fat or cartilage cell.

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Scientists Discover Marker to Identify, Attack Breast Cancer Stem Cells

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QualityStocks News – International Stem Cell Scientists to Present Pre-Clinical Research Results at Gene and Cell …

CARLSBAD, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB: ISCO.OB – News) (www.internationalstemcell.com) today announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2012.

Three Months ended March 31, 2012

Consolidated net revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2012 were $1.08 million compared to $1.52 million in the corresponding period a year ago. The year-over-year decrease in revenues is due to fewer sales generated from the Lifeline Skin Care (LSC) direct sales channel, partially offset by higher Lifeline Cell Technology (LCT) sales generated from larger distributors. LSC and LCT accounted for 51% and 49% of total revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2012 compared to 75% and 25%, respectively, in the comparable period a year ago.

For the three months ended March 31, 2012, development expenses were $3.80 million, representing a decrease of approximately 5% compared to the corresponding period in 2011. The decrease primarily reflects lower general and administrative expenses resulting from decreased stock-based compensation expense and lower laboratory-related expenses. The decrease was partially offset by higher cost of sales ratio resulting from increased sales concentration of lower margin products, and higher marketing and selling expense related to LSC. The Company continued to invest in its sales and marketing infrastructure, including significant enhancements to the e-commerce platforms, increased advertising and strengthening the sales and customer service organization.

Cash and cash equivalents at March 31, 2012 were $6.01 million compared to $1.34 million at December 31, 2011, reflecting an increase of $4.67 million resulting from two financing transactions including the issuance of shares of Series G preferred stock for $5.00 million and issuance of shares of common stock for a total of $2.08 million in the first quarter of 2012.

Q1 2012 Business Highlights:

The Company continued to focus its research and development efforts on the creation of additional parthenogenetic stem cell lines for therapeutic use and on the advancement of the disease area research programs, particularly pre-clinical in vivo safety and efficacy studies in Parkinsons disease and new methods for high-throughput cell culture and stem cell differentiation.

ISCOs wholly-owned subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care drove sales by expanding acquisition of both retail and trade customers, increasing the average order value and enhancing customer loyalty and retention. New retail customers were attracted by an increased social media presence and national exposure on TV shows such as ABCs The Talk and the use of risk-free introductory offers and free sample promotions. In addition, LSC continued to increase the number of strategic marketing partnerships. Although LSC revenue for the quarter was lower than the same period in 2011, the sales were generated from more diversified sources with much greater growth potential and reduced reliance on individual third parties.

Lifeline Cell Technology, ISCOs wholly-owned subsidiary specialized in cells and media research products, grew revenue across all three sales channels including domestic, international and OEM, showing a 39% increase over the same quarter of 2011.

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International Stem Cell Corp Announces First Quarter 2012 Financial Results and Business Highlights

A long-standing dispute over embryonic stem cell research is likely to resurface during the general election race for candidates of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

Regent hopefuls in at least one district differ on the use of research, which has divided the board in past years and caught the attention of an influential Nebraska anti-abortion group.

The primary vote will eliminate candidates from three of four seats that are up for re-election. The nonpartisan, unpaid board has eight members plus one nonvoting student regent for each of the four University of Nebraska campuses. The top two vote-getters in the primary advance to the November general election, where they will compete for a six-year term in office.

The Board of Regents voted 4-4 in 2008 on a proposition to limit the stem cell research at the university to types allowed under President George W. Bush. The board needed a majority of its eight members to approve the measure, and many backers thought they had the necessary votes.

Outgoing state Sen. Lavon Heidemann, a Republican primary winner vying for a seat on the board, said he expected embryonic stem cell research to surface as an issue in the general election. Heidemann’s general election opponent, Mike Jones, has said he supports embryonic stem cell research.

Both candidates are seeking to replace Regent Jim McClurg of Lincoln, who did not seek re-election after his vote to allow expanded stem cell research.

“It’s not the only issue but is important,” Heidemann said, pointing to his endorsement by the group Nebraska Right to Life. “I think that’s going to pop up throughout the campaign.”

The primary winners of another district _ Norfolk attorney David Copple and Columbus veterinarian Jim Pillen _ have both voiced opposition to stem cell research. One of the two will replace Regent Chuck Hassebrook, who has voted to allow the expanded research.

About $88 million in federal funding went to embryonic stem cell research in 2008, according to the National Institutes of Health, but the University of Nebraska saw none of that funding at the time because of tight federal guidelines. When the guidelines were lifted, university scholars applied for millions of dollars in research grants.

The race for the University of Nebraska Board of Regents attracted a number of well-known politicians and business executives for Tuesday’s primary who have promised to keep college affordable and use the university as an engine for economic growth.

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Stem cell debate could flare in Neb. regents race

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

California Stem Cell, Inc. (CSC) announced today that well-known stem cell & regenerative medicine industry veteran Gregory A. Bonfiglio, J.D. has joined its Board of Directors.

Gregory Bonfiglio has over 25 years of experience working with technology companies, and was an early investor in the stem cell industry. He is Managing Partner of Proteus Venture Partners, an investment & advisory firm he founded in early 2006 to provide venture funding and strategic advisory services in the stem cell & regenerative medicine space. Mr. Bonfiglio is on the Boards of VistaGen Therapeutics and StemCyte, Inc.; he is the Chairman of the Board of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (RM Translation Center in Toronto, Canada). In addition, Mr. Bonfiglio sits on the Advisory Board and Finance Committee of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); he is on the Commercialization Committee of the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT).

Mr. Bonfiglio brings to CSC an extensive background in strategic consulting, having held partnership positions with various legal and venture firms, and having successfully led a team that took pioneering stem cell company Advanced Cell Technology public in early 2005. Were thrilled to welcome to our board someone with the breadth of industry experience that Greg has, and are very much looking forward to his participation in the continued growth of this Company, said COO Chris Airriess.

This appointment coincides with a ramp up of commercial product sales as well as advancements of CSCs active Phase II clinical trial in metastatic melanoma.

About California Stem Cell

California Stem Cell Inc. (CSC) is an Irvine, CA based company which has developed proprietary methods to generate human stem cell lines, expand them to clinically and commercially useful numbers, and differentiate them at extremely high purity using fully-defined, proprietary media and GMP processes. CSC is able to supply its human cell populations to companies and institutions worldwide for use in the development of therapies, efficacy screening or the creation of toxicity profiles for candidate drugs, and experimental research tools.

CSC is focused on the development of stem cell based therapies for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrigs Disease), and metastatic cancers.

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Industry Consultant Gregory Bonfiglio Joins California Stem Cell Board of Directors

This article is an edited extract from a non-independent research note issued by Hybridan.

This article is for information and discussion purposes only and does not form a recommendation to invest or otherwise. The value of an investment may fall. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser.

Angel Biotechnology Holdings(ABH) [0.2p/7.45 million]*

Angel Biotechnology this week made two announcements; an acquisition and a first contract since the acquisition was made.

Angel acquired the assets of an established biomaterial and collagen-manufacturing business, through its newly-formed and wholly-owned subsidiary, Angel Biomedical (ABL). ABL has been formed to enable the group to become an active service provider and manufacturer of collagen products in the medical device, in-vitro diagnostic and regenerative medicine markets.

The formation of this subsidiary also heralds a significant expansion of Angel’s capabilities by supplying specialised high-value products and services that will allow access to new clients, whilst synergising with Angel’s existing GMP bio-manufacturing business. The assets of the business have been acquired under favourable terms for a total cash consideration of 200,000.

ABL will take ownership of the manufacturing plant, equipment and raw material stock based in premises in Glasgow. This, as well as a separate five-year property lease on the premises, has been negotiated on advantageous terms.

ABL, coupled with Angel’s expertise and knowledge of the stem-cell market, will also seek to identify opportunities to develop its own products. The opportunities within ABL’s target market can be quicker to realise than Angel’s core business and it is therefore anticipated that ABL will make a positive contribution to the group’s earnings within the short to medium term. The group is already in discussions with a number of companies who recognise the potential in ABL’s extended value offering and looks forward to communicating these in due course.

Paul Harper, executive chairman of Angel Biotechnology Holdings, said: “The formation of ABL provides significant strategic advantages to the group, and the distinctive competencies offered will provide a one-stop shop for companies in the regenerative medicine space… ABL will also provide access to a range of new markets by offering customers the means by which to convert advanced biologics and cell therapies currently being manufactured by Angel into formulated, finished products such as medical devices and in vitro diagnostics.”

Separately, Angel announced that this new subsidiary, ABL, has signed an agreement with Cardium Therapeutics (CXM). The contract value will be in excess of 400,000 over the initial 12-month period, and will cover the manufacture of formulated collagen for Cardium’s Excellagen product, which has recently been cleared for marketing by the FDA. Excellagen is a professional-use high molecular weight fibrillar bovine Type I topical gel (2.6%) specifically engineered as an adjunct to debridement for the management of diabetic foot ulcers and other dermal wounds.

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UW-Madison professor Gloria Ladson-Billings is one of seven education heavyweights from across the country named to a panel thats designed to accelerate and advise on efforts to close achievement gaps at schools in the United States.

The NEA Foundation on Tuesday announced the scholars and practitioners who would serve as the inaugural cohort of its Senior Fellows Advisory Group.

A news release from the NEA Foundation – which describes itself as an independent, public charity supported by contributions from educators dues, corporate sponsors, and others who support public education initiatives – notes the organization is hoping to draw upon the expertise of these educational leaders to bring critical thought leadership to deepen and accelerate improvement of systems to increase teaching effectiveness and the quality of academic and non-academic supports to students and their families. The Senior Fellows will provide insight into the why of the achievement gap, how to address it, and on broader issues of effective teaching and collaborative reform.

This is a hot-button topic locally as the Madison Schools on Monday released a preliminary plan about how it hopes to better tackle its achievement gap issues moving forward.

Dawn Crim, the School of Educations associate dean for external relations, says Ladson-Billings and others within UW-Madison continue to work with the Madison schools on a range of issues – including closing the achievement gap.

Were literally, as we speak, looking at (the Madison Schools’) revised plan to see what were already doing to help the district, and to see where adjustments or tweaks can be made to better support the direction in which the district is going, says Crim. Those conversations are ongoing as everyone prioritizes what the next steps should be.

Ladson-Billings, UW-Madisons Kellner Family Professor of Urban Education in Curriculum & Instruction, wasnt immediately available for comment. The professors research is focused on the pedagogical practices of teachers who are successful with black students and she is the author of two highly regarded books, The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children and Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms.

The other members of the NEA Foundations Senior Fellows Advisory Group thatll examine these issues include: Michael Fullan, a professor emeritus at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto; Luke Merchlewitz, a second grade teacher and the Pearson Foundation Global Learning Fellow, in Winona, Minn.; Susan Moore Johnson, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; Pedro Noguera, an education professor at New York University; Mary Pinkston, a high school math teacher in Delaware and a Pearson Foundation Global Learning Fellow; and Jerry Weast, the retired superintendent of the Montgomery County (Md.) Public Schools.

As the formation of this panel suggests, the topic of closing achievement gaps certainly isnt solely a Madison thing.

The Ann Arbor (Mich.) Journal, for example, is producing a series of articles and videos examining this topic in a city that shares a lot of similarities with Madison. And the Minneapolis Star Tribune just reported that candidates seeking four Minneapolis school board seats to be filled this year will be pressed to address achievement gap-closing strategies at a forum Wednesday.

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Campus Connection: UW prof named to panel tasked with examining achievement gap

SAN CARLOS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Cellerant Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel hematopoietic stem cell-based cellular and antibody therapies for blood disorders and cancer, announced the publication of a radiation countermeasure study demonstrating that cryopreserved, allogeneic mouse myeloid progenitor cells significantly improved survival in mice irradiated with lethal doses of radiation. The study, published on May 4, 2012 in the scientific journal, Radiation Research, represents the first report of an effective radiation countermeasure for Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) across a broad range of lethal radiation doses when administered as late as seven (7) days after irradiation. These results show that myeloid progenitor cells are one of the most promising radiation countermeasures among all therapeutics currently under development with respect to efficacy, timing and practicality of administration.

The work was carried out in collaboration with scientists at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) and is entitled Myeloid Progenitors: A Radiation Countermeasure that is Effective when Initiated Days after Irradiation which appears online ahead of print on the website http://www.rrjournal.org/doi/abs/10.1667/RR2894.1?journalCode=rare.

The publication describes the use of Cellerants cryopreserved, allogeneic myeloid progenitor cells developed in mice to elucidate its potential as a radiomitigator against lethal doses of ionizing radiation in various strains of mice. Pooled allogeneic myeloid progenitor cells were transfused into unmatched recipients irradiated with lethal doses of ionizing radiation known to cause ARS in hematopoietic tissues. Survival benefit was dose dependent and significant even when administration of the product was delayed up to seven (7) days post-irradiation. The ability to delay the administration of a radiomitigator by 24 to 48 hours is critical to allow for the time it takes disaster teams to respond to radiation victims in an emergency situation.

“These study results exceed our expectations of the potential survival benefits of myeloid progenitor cells, said Ram Mandalam, President and CEO of Cellerant. “We are excited about the data as it represents demonstration of proof of concept for our CLT-008 human myeloid progenitor therapy as a radiation medical countermeasure. We continue to work closely with AFFRI in performing further studies and with the government in advancing our product closer to approval for therapeutic use.

Cellerant is developing CLT-008, human myeloid progenitor cells, for the treatment of ARS under a United States Government contract awarded on September 1, 2010 and valued up to $170 million over five years with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response of the Department of Health and Human Services.

In ARS applications, CLT-008 is intended to provide hematopoietic cellular support after exposure to ionizing radiation from a nuclear weapon or from a nuclear accident. Cellerant has conducted various preclinical studies to evaluate whether a single administration of myeloid progenitor cells has the potential to provide effective treatment for ARS in an emergency situation when administered up to seven days post-exposure to radiation. CLT-008 is being developed under the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations Animal Rule for ARS. This approval pathway is available when human efficacy studies are neither ethical nor feasible and requires demonstration of efficacy in representative and well-characterized animal models along with safety and pharmacokinetic testing in human clinical trials. There is currently no FDA-approved medical countermeasure to treat ARS. If licensed by the FDA, the federal government could purchase CLT-008 for the Strategic National Stockpile under Project Bioshield. Project Bioshield is designed to accelerate the research, development, purchase and availability of effective medical countermeasures for the Strategic National Stockpile.

About CLT-008

CLT-008 is a unique, off-the-shelf, cryopreserved, cell-based therapy that contains human Myeloid Progenitor Cells derived from adult hematopoietic stem cells that have the ability to mature into functional granulocytes, platelets and red blood cells in vivo. In preclinical models, CLT-008 has been shown to be highly effective in providing protection from lethal radiation, preventing infection, facilitating stem cell engraftment and improving overall survival with a high degree of efficacy. Cellerant is developing CLT-008 as an effective treatment for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, protection following exposure to acute radiation, and facilitating engraftment of cord blood transplantation.

CLT-008 is currently in a Phase 1 study in patients undergoing cord blood transplants for the treatment of hematological malignancies. CLT-008 is intended to rapidly produce neutrophils and platelets in vivo and facilitate long-term engraftment in patients undergoing bone marrow or cord blood transplantation. A second Phase I/II study is evaluating CLT-008 in acute leukemia patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. CLT-008 may shorten the time to neutrophil recovery and decrease the risks of febrile neutropenia and infection.

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Cellerant Announces Publication Demonstrating Significant Survival Benefits and Preclinical Proof of Concept With …