The quality of stem and progenitor cells after long-term cryogenic storage

 by ALEXEY BERSENEV on JUNE 6, 2012 ·  in CLINICAL LAB,HEMATOPOIETIC The quality of stem cells after long-term cryogenic storage is an important question in the era of personalized cell banking and cell therapy. To date, we have some data for cord blood storage. Hal Broxmeyer’s group is carefully checking the quality of cord blood samples stored in liquid nitrogen since 1992. They publish reports every 3 years or so. The most recent report was from the last year:  We now report efficient recovery of functional HPCs up to 21-23.5 years, with more in depth studies on CB HSC engraftment in immune deficient mice, recovery of responsive T cells, generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and detection of endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs).  The quality of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells after 25 years of cryopreservation was recently reported.  Despite regular reports on long-term storage of cord blood, we don’t have any data about quality of hematopoietic cells in stored bone marrow or mobilized blood cell products. A new study, published online 2 days ago, provides us valuable information about recovery of bone marrow- and mobilized blood-derived haematopoietic stem cell products after long-term storage.  … 31 separate bags of stem cell product (SCP) stored for 11–19 years (median 15 years) were assessed for total nucleated cell (TNC) count, colony forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM), CD34+ cell count and cell viability. 

Few important points from the methodology of this study:  good number of samples analyzed (18 – bone marrow, 13 – mobilized blood); the same method of cryopreservation was used during last 20 years in this center; post-freeze/thaw test samples were used as controls. Results are quite interesting:  Recovery of TNC, CD34+ cell count and cell viability decreased with time (P=<0.01) but CFU-GM did not. This study shows that SCPs harvested from PB and BM do deteriorate with long-term storage. 

I was wondering why viability would drop?  The median recovery of viability was 58% and linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant decrease (P=0.01) in viability recovery with longer storage time of the product (Figure 2). The linear regression slope decreased at a rate of 0.282 per month, giving an estimated time to 50% recovery of viability of 195 months.  PS: Interestingly, this study was submitted for publication in 2010.

乙醇萃人参 可能不利于乳癌患者 ?!

美发现人参可缓解癌症所致疲劳 发布时间：2012/6/7 11:12:00 来源：药品资讯网信息中心　　美国科学家发现服用大剂量花旗参两个月可有效缓解癌症患者的疲劳症状网易探索6月6日报道英国《每日邮报》报道,美国梅奥诊所癌症中心的科学家经研究发现,人参能够缓解癌症导致的疲劳,给癌症患者带去福音。根据他们进行的研究,服用大剂量花旗参两个月可有效缓解癌症患者的疲劳症状,效用远远超过安慰剂。在美国临床肿瘤学会的年度会议上,科学家将公布他们的研究发现。此项研究由340名癌症患者参与,患乳腺癌的比例为60%。参与者中有的已完成癌症治疗,有的正在社区医疗中心接受治疗。研究过程中,部分参与者每天服用安慰剂,余下的每天服用2000毫克纯花旗参胶囊。梅奥诊所癌症中心研究员黛布拉·巴顿表示:“现货供应的人参有时使用乙醇进行加工。乙醇能够产生与雌激素类似的影响,可能不利于乳癌患者的健康。”4周后,服用纯花旗参胶囊的患者疲劳症状有所缓解。8周后,这些患者的疲劳症状大幅改善,远远超过服用安慰剂的患者。巴顿表示:“8周后,癌症患者的疲劳量表得分提高了20分,满分为100分。此外,人参也没有对患者产生任何明显的副作用。”人参是一种传统中药材,充当天然的能量增强剂。在进行此项研究前,科学家从未对人参在缓解癌症导致的疲劳方面可能发挥的功效进行研究。据统计,有多达90%的癌症患者出现疲劳症状。癌症患者的疲劳与免疫系统的促炎细胞因子增多以及应激激素皮质醇水平调节失衡有关。动物研究显示,人参中的活性成分人参皂苷能够减少与炎症有关的细胞因子,同时帮助调节皮质醇水平。下一步,巴顿将就人参可能对疲劳的特定生物标记物产生何种影响进行研究。她说:“癌症是一种慢性压力,在确诊和治疗后,癌症的影响可持续10年时间。如果能够通过服用人参更好地在治疗阶段调节身体,我们便有可能预防严重的长期疲劳。”

雅培在印度开设首个营养学研发中心

 发布时间：2012/6/7 11:20:00 来源：药品资讯网信息中心　　2012年6月4日,雅培(Abbott)公司与Biocon公司旗下Syngene公司合作,在印度开设了首个营养学研发中心。该研发中心落成于班加罗尔,重点放在印度民众能负担得起的营养产品,加速雅培营养产品组合在印度的扩张。超过50名研究人员和科学家将在该中心工作。该研发中心,将利用当地的专业知识,从产品设计、开发、递送等方面开发针对印度当地民众的营养产品,重点为孕产妇、儿童及糖尿病护理产品。雅培全球营养执行副总裁John Landgraf称:"在班加罗尔的研发中心,将起到举足轻重的作用,使我们更亲近印度市场,开发出适合该国民众的营养产品,来满足印度消费者的营养需求。"雅培称,目前正在开发用于印度市场的产品包括糖尿病及前糖尿病患者的膳食补充剂。"市场洞察力及营养科学专业知识的结合,将使我们能够解决像印度这样新兴经济体所面临的从传染病到慢性疾病等等方面的卫生保健和营养需求挑战,"Biocon公司Kiran Mazumdar Shaw说道。

Deal is reached on drug tracking

 Legislation would require online reporting of prescriptions to help follow potential medication abuse Associated Press Published 11:32 p.m., Tuesday, June 5, 2012  Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman speaks during Law Day being observed at the New York State Court of Appeals Tuesday, May 1, 2012 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)ALBANY — New York officials announced a deal Tuesday on legislation to establish tighter online oversight of prescription drugs to help curb the black market fueled by painkiller addictions and doctor shopping.  The measure would make New York the first state to establish mandatory online reporting of prescriptions in real time when they're written by doctors and filled by pharmacists. Doctors would have to check a patient's database history before prescribing painkillers.  While most states require weekly reporting, Oklahoma has real-time reporting by pharmacists. Officials said New York's current system requires reporting by pharmacists within 45 days and reporting by physicians is voluntary.  Pushed by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman since last summer, live online reporting and other measures to curb abuse of hydrocodone and other prescription drugs have been under negotiation between the Cuomo administration, Schneiderman's office and legislative leaders trying to craft a final bill.  "It's the fastest-growing drug problem in our state and in the country. ... They're the drugs of choice for a whole new generation of abusers," Schneiderman said Tuesday. "What's at stake here is thousands of lives, billions of dollars in health care costs."  They hope to have the regulations done by the end of the year, with the database up and running next year, Schneiderman said.  "We have seen too many untimely deaths as a result of prescription drug abuse, and today New York state is taking the lead in saying enough is enough," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.  Senate Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon, a Long Island Republican who held hearings and studied the problem, said that in the last documented year, more than 22 million prescriptions for painkillers were written in a state with less than 20 million people.  According to the sponsors, federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show nearly 15,000 people die every year of overdoses of prescription painkillers.  Doctors have lobbied in Albany against provisions they see as time-consuming and burdensome, citing concerns about privacy and that database checking and reporting will stretch patient visits and prompt some doctors to limit painkillers to patients who need them.  

打流感疫苗得猝睡症 ?

 疾管局：無相關案例 2012-06-07 新聞速報 中廣新聞／吳佩臻 媒體報導，一名小學二年級學童疑似接種流感疫苗後出現「猝睡症」。疾管局表示，國內外都沒有因為接種季節性流感疫苗而引發兒童猝睡症的案例，依照目前文獻資料顯示，只有接種國外特定廠牌H1N1新流感疫苗才有出現猝睡症的報告，不過，國內並沒有進口這個廠牌的疫苗。  疾管局強調，目前國內公費施打的季節性流感疫苗，都是經過嚴格審查核准後上市，品質與安全都有一定的保障，民眾如果出現疑似疫苗接種不良反應，應該向衛生單位通報，透過正式疫苗接種受害救濟管道，由專家協助釐清原因，保障自身權益。