Ready or not, stem cells are a step closer to the clinic, thanks to approximately $230 million awarded by CIRM to 14 California-based research groups to develop stem cell-based therapies within 4 years. But, as Kris Novak reports, some of these projects are closer to therapeutic reality than others.

stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. they are found in multicellular organisms. in mammals, there are two broad types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, which are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells, which are found in various tissues. in ad...

Arthritis, with osteoarthritis (OA) accounting for most of this burden, is a leading cause of disability in the western world. Symptomatic full-thickness defects of the knee joint surface require surgical treatment for symptom relief and to prevent secondary OA. Current gold standard of cell therapy for joint surface repair consists of implantation of autologous, culture-expanded articular chon...

Placebo controls are commonly used in clinical trials of investigational treatments because they have important advantages. In recent years, some have criticized the use of placebo-controlled trials when effective alternative therapy exists, regardless of the expected effect of the therapy. In part 1 of this paper, ethical arguments are addressed and the interpretive problems inherent in the us...

the b cell is a vital contributor to humoral immunity. the b cell-specific antigen cd20 is expressed during b cell development, starting at the pre-b cell level and persists through b cell differentiation, but is lost during terminal differentiation to plasma cells. rituximab is a monoclonal antibody that destroys both normal and malignant b cells that have cd20 on their surfaces and is therefo...

fasting, that is usually described as abstinence from all food and drink for a period of time, has been experienced for ages. health, protest, religious expressions of devotion and purification are the most important reasons for fasting. many changes occur in the body during fasting including metabolic, mineral, hormonal, immunological and psychological. its use as one of the oldest therapies a...

Hypogammaglobulinemia is characterized by reduced serum immunoglobulin levels. Secondary hypogammaglobulinemia of considerable interest to the practicing physician because it a potential complication some medications and may predispose patients serious infections. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated B-cell–depleting anti-CD20 therapies are particularly at risk developing hypogammaglob...

introduction: solar lentigines are among commonest cosmetic problems. there are many topical therapies suggested to treat these lesions including cryotherapy, chemical peeling with tri chloro acetic acid (tca) and laser therapy with q-switched lasers as well as long pulsed lasers. considering possible treatment side effects (pih, scar) with cryotherapy and peeling in iranian patients (darker sk...