“I can confirm we plan to appeal,” said Tracy Schmaller, a Justice Department spokesperson, adding that the department was “likely to file this week.”

She said the department would both appeal US District Judge Royce Lambert’s temporary suspension of federal funding for stemcell research and seek a stay of the suspension while the appeal is pending.

“The president said very plainly that this is important, life-saving research,” White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters earlier. “We’re reviewing all possibilities so we can keep this important, potentially life-saving research moving forward in the most ethical way possible,” he said.

The nonprofit group Nightlight Christian Adoptions contends that the government’s new guidelines will decrease the number of human embryos available for adoption. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the plaintiffs are entitled to bring their lawsuit in the courts.

This news comes right on the heels of recent breakthroughs concerning studies that are using stem cells to reverse spinal cord damage and paralysis in mice. Research that could one day help cure paralysis and nerve damage.

The team had said that they because were unable to find a perfect bone marrow match for Shannon, an umbilical cord blood transplant would be used. Umbilical cord blood from an anonymous donor will be used; it’s an alternative to bone marrow for treating leukemia.

Dr. Joel Brochstein said in a statement Wednesday that there were no complications during the operation and Shannon was in good health.

The California based company first launched the study of GRNOPC1, which could potentially fix spinal cord injuries with the use of progenitor cells, that help restore nerve fibers and myelin, which is a protective sheath that protects nerves in the central nervous system. Repairing the nerves could lead to restoration of sensory function or use of extremities. The study was begun in the first quarter of last year but it was stopped seven months later after safety concerns were raised. No patients were enrolled in the study.

The test involves taking a couple of droplets of blood from both mother’s blood draw, and from baby’s umbilical cord blood, for testing purposes. CBAI currently collects maternal blood samples with the umbilical cord blood at the time of birth, so this process will require almost no additional time or materials cost. A single finger prick of blood will be collected and tested from other family members also wishing to have these testing services.

The DNA is then analyzed for predisposition to 25 diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity and seven different types of cancer, including breast, lung, skin and prostate.

“DNA testing and HLA typing services are a natural progression from storing cord blood stem cells. The parents will now know proclivity to certain diseases for the child,” said Matthew Schissler, co-founder and CEO. “Knowing what serious medical conditions or diseases a person is predisposed to will allow for that person to take steps to prevent the disease and to make informed choices about lifestyle and the need for medical screenings.”

[source]

BioCells is headquartered in Argentina, with affiliates under development in Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Panama and Puerto Rico. The company is the second largest stem cell storage company in Argentina, and is considered to be profitable, with annual revenues of $1.2 million in 2009 according to a press release regarding the acquisition. The company also has 12 locations throughout Argentina, plus a recent expansion into Uruguay and Paraguay.

On April 19, 2010, Cord Blood America announced that a letter of intent had been signed by both companies for Cord Blood America to purchase controlling interest in BioCells.

“We are very confident that this acquisition will close by the end of August,” said Matthew Schissler, Cord Blood America co-founder and CEO. “Having controlling interest in BioCells will significantly boost our bottom line by one to one and a half million dollars annually. It’s a historic day when CBAI can add a profitable entity to its family of companies. It is our goal to build Cord Blood America into the world’s premier stem cell storage company, with current transactions being completed in Germany, as a foundation for all of Europe, and in China.”

The acquisition is expected to be closed no later than August 31, 2010.

[Source]

Their services include the processing and banking of umbilical cord blood, bone marrow and adipose tissue derived stem cells. They will also offer genetic counseling, bone marrow match testing and a registry that will be available to the public and medical community.

Here is the contact info for Celebration Stem Cell Centre.

The money comes from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. At a meeting last month, local scientists, health advocates and CIRM leadership described the grant’s research focus.

“Any novel treatment option would not only be clinically competitive, but could have a major impact for thousands of patients currently battling this disease,” Don Cleveland, Ph.D., professor of Medicine, Neurosciences and chair of the UCSD Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, stated in a press release. “This approach has the potential to lead to the development of new therapies that could significantly extend the lifespan of individuals living with this disease, and improve their quality of life.”

Usually cord blood from public banks is used on children suffering from leukemia, and research until this recent study have shown conflicting results in adults. These findings support the use of cord-blood transplants for adults when a donor match cannot be found and when a transplant is needed urgently, the report said.

“Clinicians should not waste time if it is thought that a patient is in imminent danger of progression and should move toward cord-blood transplantation,” said Paul Szabolcs, a professor of pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center, in comment accompanying the research. This report “should bolster efforts to increase the inventory of public cord-blood banks,” he added.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is now funding projects that are attempting to find ways to overcome immune system rejection of transplanted stem cells. The institute is the state stem cell agency created by Proposition 71, and on Tuesday it approved $25 million for 19 projects.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has provided Stanford University with a total of about $173 million for various projects since the institute was established in November 2004.