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Stem Cells  February 23-25, 2011 • San Francisco, CA Program | Register | Download Brochure
 

adult stem cells: Cells with high proliferative and self renewal capacities derived from adults. MeSH 2007

An adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ that can renew itself and can differentiate to yield some or all of the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ.... Research on adult stem cells has recently generated a great deal of excitement. Scientists have found adult stem cells in many more tissues than they once thought possible. This finding has led researchers and clinicians to ask whether adult stem cells could be used for transplants. In fact, adult hematopoietic, or blood-forming, stem cells from bone marrow have been used in transplants for 40 years.   What are adult stem cells, NIH 2009 http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics4.asp 

There are stem cells in our bone marrow, brain, babies' cord blood, skin and liver - but few of them. They sit quietly until an injury, and then divide to become tissue to repair that part of the body. But some adult stem cells are more versatile. There are two sorts in bone marrow; one type can become blood cells and the other can become bone, fat, cartilage and connective tissue.  Medical Marvels, Sandra Boseley, Guardian 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jan/30/stemcells-genetics 

cell differentiation: Progressive restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of function which takes place during the development of the embryo and leads to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs. MeSH, 1966

Related terms: induced pluripotent stem cells, multipotent, pluripotent, stem cells, totipotent

cell research funding: In recognition of its overwhelming potential, there has been an increase in research funding across the world for cell research, including stem cell research. Apart from venture capitalists taking interest in this area, government funding agencies, foundations, and even the biopharmaceutical companies are working in partnerships with academic institutes, research centers, and other biopharmaceutical companies to fund cell-based research, in particular stem cell research, and company development. 

cell therapies: There is no denying that cell therapy has the potential to be one of the most powerful therapeutic options available. Cell therapy can take several forms and serve many purposes including altering normal cell response, stimulating native signaling cascades, performing missing metabolic functions, restoring lost tissue, or changing the normal course of repair into true regeneration. 

cellular reprogramming: We work towards understanding the mechanisms of cellular reprogramming that governs the transformation of a somatic cell into a pluripotent one. We identify regulatory genes and gene products that govern the state of pluripotency. We use this knowledge to generate human isogenic pluripotent stem cells and to improve the efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer. Cellular Reprogramming Laboratory, Depts of Animal Science & Physiology, Michigan State University http://www.crl.msu.edu/  

Google = about 21,800 Nov 12, 200, about 20, 700 March 30 2009

cellular therapy: As novel cellular therapies move from laboratory findings to clinical practice, medical researchers and regulators face new issues and uncertainties involving long-term safety and efficacy. Currently, there are no effective drug therapies for many acquired and congenital diseases. Recent discoveries in cellular therapy research present new opportunities for cellular products to be used in disease areas with critical, unmet medical needs. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates cellular therapies to ensure that they are safe and effective, and that persons enrolled in clinical trials using cellular products are protected from undue risk. Cellular Therapy: Potential treatment for Heart Disease, CBER, FDA, 2004 http://www.fda.gov/cber/genetherapy/celltherapyheart.htm

Related terms: myoblasts, stem cells; Molecular Medicine gene therapy

chromatinomics:  The field of stem cell biology is currently being redefined. Stem cell (hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic) differentiation has been considered hierarchical in nature, but recent data suggest that there is no progenitor/stem cell hierarchy, but rather a reversible continuum. The stem cell (hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic) phenotype, the total differentiation capacity (hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic), gene expression as well as other stem cell functional characteristics (homing, receptor and adhesion molecule expression) vary throughout a cell-cycle transit widely. This seems to be dependent on shifting chromatin and gene expression with cell-cycle transit. The published data on DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and also RNAi, the major regulators of gene expression, conjoins very well and provides an explanation for the major issues of stem cell biology. … We are entering a new era of stem cell biology the era of chromatinomics. We are one step closer to the practical use of cellular therapy for degenerative diseases. Jan Cerny, Peter J Quesenberry, Chromatin remodeling and stem cell theory of relativity, J. Cell. Physiol. 201: 1-16, 2004 http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/108567247/ABSTRACT

Google = about 4 Nov 5, 2005, about 59 Oct. 25, 2006, about 123 March 30, 2009

differentiation: The process by which cells become structurally and functionally specialized during embryonic development. Life Sciences

In cancer, refers to how mature (developed) the cancer cells are in a tumor. Differentiated tumor cells resemble normal cells and tend to grow and spread at a slower rate than undifferentiated or poorly- differentiated tumor cells, which lack the structure and function of normal cells and grow uncontrollably. CancerNet

Related terms: multipotent, pluripotent, stem cells, totipotent
Narrower term: cell differentiation- or is this equivalent?
Broader term: developmental biology

ES: See embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem cells ES: Cultured cells derived from the pluripotent inner cell mass of blastocyst- stage embryos. NHLBI 

Broader term: stem cells  Related term: hematopoietic stem cells

Executive Order (EO) 13505, entitled Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells  http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/defaultpage.asp  2009
President Obama's speech on stem cells, 2009  http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-of-the-President-As-Prepared-for-Delivery-Signing-of-Stem-Cell-Executive-Order-and-Scientific-Integrity-Presidential-Memorandum/ 

fetal stem cells: Cells derived from a FETUS that retain the ability to divide, proliferate and provide progenitor cells that can differentiate into specialized cells. MeSH 2007

hematopoiesis: The development and formation of various types of blood cells. MeSH

hematopoietic stem cells: Progenitor cells from which all blood cells derive. MeSH, 1984

An unspecialized precursor cell that will develop into a mature blood cell. NHGRI

Related terms: embryonic stem cells, hematopoiesis, mesenchymal stem cells, multipotent, pluripotent, totipotent;
Broader term: stem cells

hES: See human embryonic stem cells.

human embryonic stem cells: Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem cells, National Academy of Sciences, 2005 http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11278.html

See also pluripotent stem cell research, human, stem cells

human induced pluripotent stem cells hiPS: Reprogramming differentiated human cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has applications in basic biology, drug development, and transplantation. Human iPS cell derivation previously required vectors that integrate into the genome, which can create mutations and limit the utility of the cells in both research and clinical applications. Here, we describe the derivation of human iPS cells using non-integrating episomal vectors. After removal of the episome, iPS cells completely free of vector and transgene sequences are derived that are similar to human embryonic stem (ES) cells in proliferative and developmental potential. Junying Yu ^1*, Kejin Hu ², Kim Smuga-Otto ¹, Shulan Tian ³, Ron Stewart ³, Igor I. Slukvin ⁴, James A. Thomson ^5* Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Free of Vector and Transgene Sequences, Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1172482 published online March 26, 2009 http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1172482

induced pluripotent stem cells: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_pluripotent_stem_cell 

mesenchymal: Refers to cells that develop into connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymphatic tissue. CancerNet

Part of the embryonic mesoderm.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells MSCs Cells that can develop into distinct mesenchymal tissue such as BONE; TENDONS; MUSCLES; ADIPOSE TISSUE; CARTILAGE; NERVE TISSUE; and BLOOD and BLOOD VESSELS . MeSH 2004

Related terms: mesenchymal, mesoderm, hematopoietic stem cells

mesoderm: The middle germ layer of the embryo. MeSH

multipotent stem cells: Specialized stem cells that are committed to give rise to cells that have a particular function; examples are MYOBLASTS; MYELOID PROGENITOR CELLS; and skin stem cells. (Stem Cells: A Primer [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health (US); 2000 May [cited 2002 Apr 5]. MeSH 2003

Related terms: pluripotent stem cells, totipotent stem cells, unipotent stem cells
Broader term: stem cells

neural stem cells: Despite the promise shown by antibody-based therapies, the large molecular size of antibodies limits their ability to efficiently penetrate solid tumors and precludes efficient crossing of the blood-brain-barrier into the central nervous system (CNS). Consequently, poorly vascularized solid tumors and CNS metastases cannot be effectively treated by intravenously-injected antibodies. The inherent tumor-tropic properties of human neural stem cells (NSCs) can potentially be harnessed to overcome these obstacles and significantly improve cancer immunotherapy. Intravenously-delivered NSCs preferentially migrate to primary and metastatic tumor sites within and outside the CNS. Therefore, we hypothesized that NSCs could serve as an ideal cellular delivery platform for targeting antibodies to malignant tumors. Neural stem cells as a novel platform for tumor-specific delivery of therapeutic antibodies, Frank RT et. al PLoS One. 2009 Dec 15;4(12):e8314.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20016813

pluripotent stem cells: Cells that can give rise to most types of cells but not all types of cells necessary for fetal development. (Stem Cells: A Primer [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health (US); 2000 May [cited 2002 Apr 5]. MeSH 2003

Cells able to develop into most specialized types of cells.

NIH Fact Sheet on Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research Guidelines, NIH, 2001 http://stemcells.nih.gov/news/newsArchives/stemfactsheet.asp
NIH Guidelines on Stem cells, 2009 http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/2009guidelines.htm 
NIH Policy & Guidelines, 2009 http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy 

Broader terms: totipotent stem cells, stem cells; Narrower terms: induced pluripotent stem cells, multipotent stem cells

progenitor cells: See stem cells

quiescence, restriction endonucleases: Genetic manipulation & disruption glossary 

stem cell models: Drug development is a time and money consuming process. Stem Cell and 3D models that capture both the organization and multicellular complexity of the target provide the most powerful tool for screening the effects of therapeutic candidates. The development of functional screening models has: Reduced cost and time to identify new drug candidates. Driven more selective/ predictive screens for selection of compounds. Reduced animal testing. Yielded more predictive data. Improved efficiency. Decreased time to market. 

stem cell sources: There are three classes of stem cells: totipotent, multipotent, and pluripotent, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.  Due to their limitless therapeutic potential, stem cells continue to be of enormous public, scientific, and clinical interest.  Researchers are  discovering new sources of stem cells daily. However, the initial excitement generated by the identification of novel stem cell sources must give way to focused efforts on methods to manipulate their differentiation and self-renewal capabilities. The best thing is to have a variety of stem cell sources to provide the best stem cell for potential patient therapy.

stem cell transplantation: The transfer of STEM CELLS from one individual to another within the same species (TRANSPLANTATION, HOMOLOGOUS) or between species (XENOTRANSPLANTATION), or transfer within the same individual (TRANSPLANTATION, AUTOLOGOUS). The source and location of the stem cells determines their potency or pluripotency to differentiate into various cell types. MeSH 2003

stem cells: Commercialization of stem cells can potentially help to treat an astounding variety of medical conditions. After a slow start, the stem cell age is finally poised to begin, as numerous factors converge to catapult stem cell technology into the medical mainstream. This report considers: the current state of stem cell science and technology  Supplies and services, Major applications of stem cell science, Sources of funding, regulatory hurdles, and the commercial outlook, IP challenges, public perception, bioethical concerns, and diversity in policies. Stem cell science is on the precipice of becoming big business. These enigmatic cells lie at the heart of a fledgling technology with great clinical promise. Insight Pharma Reports, Stem cells come of age, 2008

Relatively undifferentiated cells of the same lineage (family type) that retain the ability to divide and cycle throughout postnatal life to provide cells that can become specialized and take the place of those that die or are lost. Includes Fibroblasts, Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Erythroid Progenitor Cells, Tumor Stem Cell MeSH, 1984

Stem Cells in Drug Discovery and Development  November 8-9, 2010 • San Diego, CA  Program | Register | Download Brochure

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell 

Google = about 37,900,000 July 31, 2007, about 37,900,000 March 30, 2009.  can this be right? 

Related terms: Gene categories: pangenes Genetic Manipulation & Disruption glossary parthenotes. Narrower terms: embryonic stem cells, hematopopoietic stem cells, multipotent stem cells, totipotent stem cells, unipotent stem cells

stemness: An extensive genetic comparison of different types of stem cells and terminally differentiated cells has revealed that hundreds of genes are likely to be involved in shaping the characteristic properties of stem cells. The studies show that embryonic, neural and hematopoietic (blood-cell-forming) stem cells seem to share a common genetic program that may be important for "stemness." These initial gene-profiling studies provide basic information about the nature of stem cells that should aid long- term efforts to induce stem cells to differentiate into cells that can be used to replace tissue damaged by disease or trauma. Gene Profiling Reveals the Essence of "Stemness", Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Sept. 12, 2002 http://www.hhmi.org/news/melton3.html

totipotent stem cells: Specialized stem cells that are committed to give rise to cells that have a particular function; examples are MYOBLASTS; MYELOID PROGENITOR CELLS; and skin stem cells. (Stem Cells: A Primer [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health (US); 2000 May [cited 2002 Apr 5]. MeSH 2003

Broader term: stem cells. Related terms: multipotent stem cells, pluripotent stem cells, unipotent stem cells

unipotent stem cells: Stem cells that self-renew as well as give rise to a single mature cell type; e.g., spermatogenic stem cells. International Society for Stem Cell Research, Glossary, 2002 http://tnt.tchlab.org/stemcells/glossary.htm

Broader term: stem cells. Related terms: multipotent stem cells, pluripotent stem cells, totipotent stem cells