Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Japan team claims they created functional human liver from stem cells: report

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A team of scientists claim they transplanted induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells
into the body of a mouse, where it grew into a small, but working, human liver, 
the Yomiuri Shimbun said.

EBASTIAN KAULITZKI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

NY Daily News

Japanese researchers have created a functioning human liver from stemcells, a report said Friday, raising hopes for the manufacture of artificial organs for those in need of transplants.
A team of scientists transplanted induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells into the body of a mouse, where it grew into a small, but working, human liver, the Yomiuri Shimbun said.
Stemcells are frequently harvested from embryos, which are then discarded, a practice some people find morally objectionable. But iPS cells -- which have the potential to develop into any body tissue -- can be taken from adults.
A team led by professor Hideki Taniguchi at Yokohama City University developed human iPS cells into "precursor cells", which they then transplanted into a mouse's head to take advantage of increased blood flow.
The cells grew into a human liver 0.2 inches in size that was capable of generating human proteins and breaking down drugs, the Yomiuri reported.
The breakthrough opens the door to the artificial creation of human organs, a key battleground for doctors who constantly face a shortage of transplant donors.
Taniguchi's research could be "an important bridge between basic research and clinical application" but faces various challenges before it can be put into medical practice, the Yomiuri said.
An abstract of Taniguchi's research was delivered to regenerative medicine researchers ahead of an academic conference next week, but Taniguchi declined to comment to AFP before the meeting.
Two separate teams, one from the United States and one from Japan, discovered iPS cells in 2006.


“You Have the Power to Donate Life – to become an organ and tissue donor Sign-up today! Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register
New Zealand, register at Organ Donation New Zealand
South Africa, http://www.odf.org.za/
United States, donatelife.net
United Kingdom, register at NHS Organ Donor Register
Your generosity can save or enhance the lives of up to fifty people with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants (see allotransplantation). One tissue donor can help by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves
Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant. Organs can save lives, corneas renew vision, and tissue may help to restore someone's ability to walk, run or move freely without pain. Life Begins with You.

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Sprott Foundation Donates $25 Million to University Health Network's Department of Surgery

Largest gift to a Canadian surgical department will ensure continued excellence in patient care and life-saving innovations in surgery

Eric Sprott, with his daughter Juliana Sprott, announces a $25 million gift to 

Eric Sprott, with his daughter Juliana Sprott, announces a $25 million gift to name the Sprott Department of Surgery at University Health Network. (CNW Group/Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation)

TORONTO, June 5, 2012 /CNW/ - Dr. Robert Bell, President and CEO of University Health Network (UHN), and Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, Surgeon-in-Chief, UHN, today announced a $25-million gift from The Sprott Foundation in support of the Department of Surgery at UHN. This represents the largest private contribution to a Department of Surgery in Canada, and one of the largest in UHN's history.

"Today marks a pivotal day in surgical care, not only here at UHN, but in operating rooms around the world," said Dr. Keshavjee. "The Sprott Foundation's investment will build on UHN's proud history of surgical world firsts and create a one-of-a-kind centre for surgical innovation.

The Sprott Department of Surgery at UHN will provide the best surgical care in a state-of-the-art and compassionate environment, while advancing the latest procedures that will transform people's lives." The Sprott Foundation's funding will support the recruitment and retention of the world's best surgeons and crucial investments in leading-edge surgical technology - including advanced robotics, image-guided therapeutics and the latest in organ repair and regeneration technology.

 "We support organizations that are leaders in their field," said Eric Sprott, founder of The Sprott Foundation and Sprott Asset Management. "Surgeons at UHN helped discover insulin as a treatment for diabetes and performed the world's first successful single- and double-lung transplants. These innovations have saved the lives of millions of patients around the world, and we are proud to partner with UHN to fuel the next world-changing discovery."

The Department of Surgery at UHN encompasses the surgical programs of Toronto General, Toronto Western and Princess Margaret Hospitals and is the country's biggest, performing 25,000 procedures annually. As a provincial and national referral center, UHN's surgeons perform the most complex procedures in the country; with the lowest mortality rates in Canada.

"We are able to offer such exceptional care because our surgical program trains and attracts the best talent from around the globe," said Dr. Keshavjee. "People come here from across the country and around the world to undergo life-saving procedures not available elsewhere. The Sprott Foundation's investment in our Department will ensure that we can continue to offer exceptional care while staying on the leading-edge of innovation and defining the future of surgery."

A portion of the Sprott Foundation investment will support the creation of a Transplant Organ Repair and Regeneration Centre (TORCC), designed to help address the shortage of suitable donor organs in Ontario. The Centre will build on the success of the Toronto XVIVO Lung Perfusion System developed by Dr. Keshavjee that assesses, treats and repairs injured donor lungs outside the body using gene therapy, prior to transplantation - a personalized approach to donor organ management. Within TORCC, the XVIVO technology will be developed to support the repair and regeneration of donor livers, kidneys and hearts, significantly increasing the number of viable organs available for transplant.

University Health Network
University Health Network consists of Toronto General, Toronto Western, Princess Margaret Hospitals, and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. The scope of research and complexity of cases at University Health Network has made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. It has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. University Health Network is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. www.uhn.ca

Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation
Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation raises funds for research, education and the enhancement of patient care at Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital as well as their respective research arms, Toronto General Research Institute and Toronto Western Research Institute. www.tgwhf.ca


For further information:
Nadine Hubert Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation
416-340-4293
nadine.hubert@uhn.ca

Alexandra Radkewycz UHN Public Affairs
416-340-3895
alexandra.radkewycz@uhn.ca


“You Have the Power to Donate Life – to become an organ and tissue donor Sign-up today! Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”
Australia, register at Australian Organ Donor Register
New Zealand, register at Organ Donation New Zealand
South Africa, http://www.odf.org.za/
United States, donatelife.net
United Kingdom, register at NHS Organ Donor Register
Your generosity can save or enhance the lives of up to fifty people with heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine transplants (see allotransplantation). One tissue donor can help by donating skin, corneas, bone, tendon, ligaments and heart valves
Has your life been saved by an organ transplant? "Pay it forward" and help spread the word about the need for organ donation - In the U.S. another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 11 minutes and 18 people die each day waiting for an organ or tissue transplant. Organs can save lives, corneas renew vision, and tissue may help to restore someone's ability to walk, run or move freely without pain. Life Begins with You.