Spinal injuries are oftenpermanent, but new research suggests such injuries may be healed, at least in part.Researchers were able to stimulate limb function in paralyzed mice by implanting human stem cells into theirspinal cords. We're not close to repeating the test in people, but the study shows it may be possible some day with further research.

The University of California-San Diego team grafted human neural stem cells (NSCs) into the spinal cord injuries of mice who were purposely injuredto impair the use of their front legs. The stem cells grew slowly, yet steadily, over the course of 18 months, retaining their original function despite being in a strange and challenging environment for an extended period of time. Whats more, eventually the rodents were able to use their front legs again.

"The bottom line is that clinical outcome measures for future trials need to be focused on long time points after grafting," said study researcher Mark Tuszynskiin a recent statement. Relying on shorter time frames might produce misleadingly negative results considering how long it takes neural stem cells to develop, he added.

For the study, the team used H9 human NSCs, which are a type of stem cell derived from human embryonic stem cells, as commonly used in scientific research, the statement reported. They then grafted these human stem cells into the spinal injuries of mice. The researchers observed the rodents recovery over the course of 18 months, noting that significant cellgrowth did occur soon after grafting, and continued up to a year after the initial implantation.

The most important observation was that these cells were able to continue to do what they were designed to doregrow neural cellsdespite the fact that they were transplanted into an entirely different species. This suggests the cells have resilience and similar experiments mayalso work in human subjects.

Before you get too excited about these results, the researchers emphasized that there were a number of caveats. First, humans and mice are entirely different species, and though the results observed in the rodents are promising, we don't know if they could be repeated in people.

Also, the researchers observed that some astrocytes, star-shaped neural cells associated with electrical impulse transmission, did migrate from the original implantation site to other areas of the rodents. These brain cells are classified as glial cells, which are noted to lead to devastating and difficult to treat cancers when they are dysregulated, Harvard University reported. However, there were no tumors or abnormal growths observed in the mice in the study and the researchers are trying to figure out way to make sure cancer doesn't develop.

Ultimately, the team believe that these results stand as a good foundation on which to buildfurther research.

Success, it would seem, will take time," concluded Tuszynski.

Source: Lu P, Ceto S, Wang Y, et al. Prolonged human neural stem cell maturation supports recovery in injured rodent CNS. The Journal of Clinical Investigation . 2017

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Stem Cell Graft Repairs Spinal Cord Injury, Helps Paralyzed Mice ... - Medical Daily

[FEATURED] This month saw skincare brand Nikel Cosmetics hosting a series of educational talks around the country with Leigh-Anne Williams

August is Womens Month and Nikel Cosmetics kicked off celebrations with a series of skincare events, hosted by TV presenter and local celeb,Leigh-Anne Williams. Thetour took SA by storm, starting in Cape Town on 5 August, moving toDurban on the 12th,andfinishing off in Johannesburg on 19 August.

Women came out in droves tolearnabouttheir skin types and experience the exclusive Nikel skincare brand. Leigh-Anne also shared her skincare journey, her experience with the products and their efficacy.

Tea Visek, Director: Cos Chem (the distributor of Nikel Cosmetics in South Africa), helped answer questions about skincare concerns raisedby the members of the audiences.She also explainedin depth the natural ingredients in the productsand how to customise the rangeto ensure maximum efficiency for individualised skincare.

Different skin types and problems require different skin regimens, saidTea. For that reason, its very important to choose the right combination of products for you, so that you canget the bestresults.

For example, one of the most common skin problems weve encountered whentalking to our customers is oily skin with dehydrated patches, often the result of external influences on the skin. Dry areas appear on parts of the face, while the rest remains oily. In these cases, what is needed is targeted care that restores hydration without clogging the pores oradding oil to already oily skin.

Tea recommends the Nikel Evening Primrose Oil, whichcanbe appliedtothe dry areas of the face and offers intense hydration. This should befollowed by the Nikelhidris Face Cream for additional moisturisingcare.

Of course, before starting any skincare routine, you should make sure theskin is clean. Try the mild Nikel Cleansing Milk with Immortelly, which doesntdry out the skin. It removes make-up and other impurities from the skin and you dont have to rinse it off with water.

Finally, to refresh the face at any hour of the day, Tea recommends spritzingNikel Alpine Rose Tonic with stem cells on the face and leaving itto dry naturally.

To find out more about different skin problems and their solutions, visit NikelsOnline Beauty Consultant.

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Your skincare problems solved - DestinyConnect

Researchers at the University of California San Diego and at the San Diego Veterans Administration Medical Center have shown that human neural stem cells (NSCs) grafted onto the spinal cord injuries of mice produced a functional recovery after one year. The team has shown that the NSCs continue to grow slowly and steadily even18 months after implantation.

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and set out to answer how long it would take for the cells to mature inside the rodents. Mice and humans have a very different pace when it comes to cell biology.

"The NSCs retained an intrinsic human rate of maturation despite being placed in a traumatic rodent environment," lead author Professor Paul Lu said in a statement. "That's a finding of great importance in planning for human clinical trials."

The researchers were worried that the animal model would not reflect the how this approach might in the future work in humans. For example, pregnancies last 21 days in mice and 280 days in humans. And the weight of a toddlers brain is comparable with that of a 20-day-old mouse.

"Most NSC grafting studies have been short-term, measuring survival times in weeks to a few months," added co-author Professor Mark Tuszynski. "That's not enough time to fully measure the growth and maturation rate of human NSCs or what changes might occur farther out from the original grafting. These are important considerations, not just for the basic science of stem cell biology, but for the practical design of translational human trials using NSCs for spinal cord injuries."

The researchers report that the cells maintained their natural maturation pace even though they were in a foreign environment. Thats why it took several months for the lesions to begin healing. The scientists noted that improvement in the mice mobility only happened after more mature nerve cells formed. As the grafts aged, they displayed the expected pruning and cell redistribution activities that help the development of fewer but more mature cells.

"The bottom line is that clinical outcome measures for future trials need to be focused on long time points after grafting," said Tuszynski. "We need to take into account the prolonged developmental biology of neural stem cells. Success, it would seem, will take time."

The team noticed that none of the implanted NSCs migrated from the graft but some supportive astrocytes cells did, which could be a potential safety concern. No tumors or anomalous formation were created by these cells and modified grafting should fix the problem. A better understanding of this approach, so that the results can be carefully assessed, is required before we can even think to try it on humans.

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Human Stem Cells Repair Spinal Cord Injuries In Mice At Human Biological Rate - IFLScience

Cardiac predecessor cells appear to rejuvenate the hearts of older animals, according to a recent study from Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute that may lead to tests in humans.

Signs of rejuvenation in rats included a 20 percent increase in exercise capacity, faster regrowth of hair, and lengthening of the protective caps of chromosomes.

The study used cardiosphere-derived cells, or CDCs, which are like stem cells, but can only develop into heart cells. These cells are already being used in a human clinical trial to repair damage from heart attacks. The trial is being conducted by Beverly Hills-based Capricor in several hospitals, including Scripps La Jolla.

Since these cells have already been found to be safe, it should be fairly straightforward to extend testing from repairing heart damage in people to rejuvenation, said study leader Dr. Eduardo Marbn. Hes director of the Los Angeles Institute, part of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Marbn is also a co-founder of Capricor, publicly traded on Nasdaq.

However, a researcher not involved in the study said that while it was well done, the history of stem cell treatments indicates that proving efficacy in people promises to be far more difficult.

The study used cells taken from newborn rats, injected into the hearts of older, senescent rats. It was published Aug. 14 in the European Heart Journal.

The study is exceptional in both its scope and breadth, said Dr. Richard Schatz, a Scripps Clinic cardiologist involved in the Capricor trial at Scripps La Jolla.

It examines an extraordinary number of variables rarely seen in such studies to ask the question of the impact of CDC (specialized stem cells) on cardiac aging in rats, Schatz said by email. Every parameter of how aging might be studied moved in the right direction, meaning there might be a biologic effect of their cells throughout the body.

Schatz cautioned that scientific excellence doesnt equal clinical success.

The technologys muscle-improving effectiveness could also help patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Marbn said. That use is in clinical testing by Capricor. Early results in patients have been promising enough that more studies are planned.

Capricor clinical trial information is available at http://capricor.com/clinical-trials.

Marbn said the study adds to growing evidence that progenitor cells exert their healing power by secreting chemicals that stimulate repair, not by permanently incorporating themselves into the body. The chemicals are enclosed in tiny vesicles called exosomes that the cells shed.

Until fairly recently, exosomes were dismissed as cellular debris, but are now being appreciated for their role in cell signaling, Marbn said.

There's a staggering number, something like 100 billion to a trillion exosomes per drop of blood, per drop of cerebrospinal fluid, Marbn said. They are plentiful in breast milk. The only thing we know right now is that there is a complex signaling system.

These exosomes travel far beyond the heart to reach skeletal muscle, which is weakened in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, he said.

Schatz said the study provides evidence that the cells exert many different effects beyond those in a single target organ, through the exosomes, seen in humans as well.

This is very good news if you are a rat, but the obvious limitation is how will this play out in humans, Schatz said.

Previous clinical trials of stem cells have been successful in Phase 1 and 2, Schatz said, but fail in Phase 3. So the researchers face a daunting road ahead to demonstrate usefulness in people.

This does not take away from the brilliant science behind this exceptional group of investigators, Schatz said. They should be congratulated for a very thoughtful and expansive look at a fascinating subject, the clinical relevance of which remains to be seen.

The rejuvenation effects to some degree resemble cells created when adult cells are reprogrammed back to being stem cells, Marbn said.

Certain factors are turned on that regress the cells to act like embryonic stem cells. These are called induced pluripotent stem cells, because they can become nearly any cell in the body, a property called pluripotency.

Something like this might be happening through exosome-mediated reprogramming.

We have a suspicion that even though we didn't go about trying to activate those factors, some of them may in fact be turned on by the therapy, Marbn said.

Understanding precisely what is going on will take much more work to sort out, he said. For example, lengthening the protective caps of chromosomes, or telomeres, is presumably caused by production of telomerase, an enzyme that makes them longer. But how?

Knowing the exosomes are involved doesnt narrow it down very much, he said.

We think that there's thousands and thousands of different bioactive molecules within exosomes. And so I can't right now point to, let's say, these five RNAs and say, they're the ones that we think are doing the trick, Marbn said. But somewhere in the genetic instructions in the exosomes are signals that cause telomerase to be activated and elongation of the telomeres.

Even without understanding the precise mechanism, the demonstrated results have been promising enough for Capricor to continue clinical testing in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Marbn said, even though its outside the companys initial focus on heart disease.

The heart attack research gave mixed messages, he said. Capricor isnt abandoning it, but has given priority to the muscular dystrophy program.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and their parents are more interested in increasing skeletal muscle function than heart function, he said. The disease virtually exclusively affects males, and they often die when quite young.

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Young cardiac cells rejuvenate heart in animal study - The San Diego Union-Tribune

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a crackdown on stem-cell clinics marketing and selling unapproved and potentially harmful therapies for cancer and other diseases.

The agency took action against two large clinics in Florida and California, which have started selling treatments that the agency says use stem cells but have not been approved as safe and effective by the FDA.

"A small number unscrupulous actors who have seized on the clinical promise of regenerative medicine, while exploiting the uncertainty, in order to make deceptive, and sometimes corrupt, assurances to patients based on unproven and, in some cases, dangerously dubious products," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., said in a statement.

The FDA issued a warning letterto US Stem Cell Clinic of Sunrise, Florida, after an inspection in which the agency found that the clinic was processing body fat into stem cells and administering the product both intravenously or directly into the spinal cord of patients with Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease and pulmonary fibrosis.

"The FDA has not reviewed or approved any biological products manufactured by US Stem Cell Clinic for any use," the agency said in a statement.

During the inspection, investigators also reported the clinic deviated from guidelines put in place to prevent microbiological contamination, which puts patients at risk for infections, the agency said.

Also this week, the FDA seized five vials of a smallpox vaccinefrom StemImmune Inc. in San Diego, California, which the agency said was used to create an unapproved treatment of stem cells and excess amounts of the vaccine, which was then administered to cancer patients at the California Stem Cell Treatment Centers in Rancho Mirage and Beverly Hills, California.

The FDA says this treatment put patients at risk for potential harms including inflammation and swelling of the heart and surrounding tissues.

The agency said it will investigate how StemImmune Inc. obtained the vials of the vaccine, which each contained 100 doses. The vaccine is not commercially available and is reserved only for people considered at high risk for smallpox, such as some members of the military. One vial was partially used, while four of the vials were still intact, the FDA reports.

"I've directed the agency to vigorously investigate these kinds of unscrupulous clinics using the full range of our tools, be it regulatory enforcement or criminal investigations. Our actions today should also be a warning to others who may be doing similar harm, we will take action to ensure Americans are not put at unnecessary risk," Gottlieb said.

In response, Dr. Mark Berman, co-founder of the California Stem Cell Treatment Centers, told the Los Angeles Times that the comments from the FDA are "disparaging and misrepresentative," and said they showed "a lack of understanding" of surgical procedures in which patients' own stem cells are used to promote regeneration.

Berman, who is also director of stem cell implantation at StemImmune, called the clinic's products "cutting edge cancer therapy" for Stage 4 cancer patients, the Times reports.

US Stem Cell Clinicposted a response to its website, saying, "The safety and health of our patients are our number one priority and the strict standards that we have in place follow the laws of the Food and Drug Administration."

"The FDA has stated that they will have specific stem cell guidelines by the 21st Century Cures Act deadline of December 13, 2017 and we intend to follow those standards as well," the statement continues. "We have helped thousands of patients harness their own healing potential. It would be a mistake to limit these therapies from patients who need them when we are adhering to top industry standards."

See more here:
FDA cracks down on clinics selling unapproved stem cell therapies - CBS News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday announced a crackdown on deceptive and dangerous stem cell clinics, starting with actions against a California company accused of giving smallpox vaccine to cancer patients, and a Florida company that ruined the eyesight of three women.

Our actions today should also be a warning to others who may be doing similar harm, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement, urging consumers and health-care providers to report rogue clinics and injuries.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb

The California company, San Diego-based StemImmune Inc., was combining the vaccine with stem cells derived from fat, then giving it intravenously or injecting it into tumors of cancer patients at clinics in Rancho Mirage and Beverly Hills, Calif., the FDA said.

U.S. marshals on Friday seized five vials of smallpox vaccine, including one that was partially used. The agency is investigating how the company obtained the vaccine, which has been stockpiled by the government in case of a bioterrorist attack.

The vaccine is made with live vaccinia virus, a poxvirus similar to but less harmful than smallpox. The vaccine could cause life-threatening problems in immune-compromised cancer patients, and alsoin certain unvaccinated people who might be accidentally infected by the patients, the FDA explained.

Speaking as a cancer survivor, Gottlieb said in a statement, I know all too well the fear and anxiety the diagnosis of cancer can have and how tempting it can be to believe the hollow claims made by these kinds of unscrupulous clinics. The FDA will not allow deceitful actors to take advantage of vulnerable patients.

In a separate enforcement action, the FDA sent a warning letter last week to U.S. Stem Cell Clinic of Sunrise, Fla., saying it could face product seizure or an injunction. Agency inspectors found that the clinic was processing fat-derived stem cells and claiming to treat a raft of conditions, including Parkinsons disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and heart failure.

In March, U.S. Stem Cell made headlines when an article in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that three women with age-related macular degeneration suffered severe and permanent vision damage one was blinded after stem cells were injected into their eyeballs at the clinic. The article was written by doctors unconnected with the clinic who treated the women for the disastrous results.

Critics of unapproved stem cell treatments have called for tougher oversight by the FDA, as well as by the Federal Trade Commission, which regulates advertising, and by state medical boards, which oversee the practice of medicine.

The regulatory moves come as so-called regenerative medicine is exploding, spawning an industry built on unproven treatments using stem cells from bone marrow or fat. In recent months, networks of chiropractors have run big-budget ads for such treatments in newspaper across the country, including the Inquirer. Those ads, however, focus on addressing orthopedic problems such as degenerative discs and arthriticknees.

The only FDA-approved stem cell therapies involve using cells from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood to treat blood cancers and certain immune disorders. In general, biologic tissues that are processed and marketed as therapies are supposed to go through the FDAs drug approval process, which involves years of costly clinical testing in humans.

However, the FDA has tried to find a middle ground, recognizing the potential promise of stem cells in tissue repair and regeneration. The FDA has published, but has not finalized, draft guidance for stem cell products, saying they can be exempted from the drug approval process under certain scenarios. Among other criteria, the cells must be minimally manipulated and used in a homologous way, meaning for the same function they perform naturally in the body.

In a policy statement issued Monday, Gottlieb promised that this fall, the agency will advance a comprehensive policy framework that will more clearly describe the rules of the road for this new field. It will enable responsible product developers to gain FDAapproval with minimal burdens and costs.

We want to facilitate innovation, he wrote.

Published: August 28, 2017 4:42 PM EDT

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FDA moves to curb dangerous stem cell clinics - Philly.com

RENTON Turns out, Doug Baldwin started this current Seahawks fad of traveling outside the teams normal medical coverage to get far-flung treatment using body cells.

The Seahawks No. 1 wide receiver told me Monday he went overseas before this season -- to England, to be exact -- for pre-emptive, preventative treatment to maintain healthy knees.

I had mine in the offseason. I did stem-cell, Baldwin said, drenched in sweat in the hallway outside the teams locker room just after completing Mondays practice.

I mean, I dont have any ailments. Im trying to find every edge I can get.

Baldwin, Seattles $46 million receiver, tied Bobby Engrams 2007 franchise record with 94 receptions last season. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection. In 2015, the season that led to his contract extension, he co-led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches.

He said hed been looking into stem-cell therapy for years.

Transplanting or using bone marrow is the most widely used stem-cell therapy to treat or prevent a condition or disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration further explains stem cells may also help repair the body by dividing to replenish cells that are damaged by disease, injury, or normal wear.

So why London for Baldwin?

The FDA, as stated on its website, has not approved any stem cell-based products for use in this country other than using human umbilical cord blood forming stem cells for certain diseases.

There was a company wed be speaking to, Baldwin said of the London place he got treatment, without wanting to disclose many details. Did my research. Took my two years to finally decide.

In the last two weeks, seven Seahawks have gone away and outside the teams regular medical treatment to get a debated blood-re-injection process called regenokine to treat aching joints and/or aid in recovery from surgery. The treatment was founded in Germany, where its known as orthokine.

K.J. Wright returned last week from regenokine treatment, the re-injection of ones blood after it is heated and spun in a centrifuge to enhance its anti-inflammatory properties. The Pro Bowl outside linebacker played in Seattles exhibition last Friday against Kansas City.

D.J. Alexander the Pro Bowl special-teams player the Seahawks acquired this summer in a trade with Kansas City, went for regenokine treatment last week.

On Monday, coach Pete Carroll said wide receiver and kick returner Tyler Lockett, Pro Bowl defensive ends Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, starting left guard Luke Joeckel and starting outside linebacker Michael Wilhoite are away from the team getting the same treatment Wright and Alexander had. Carroll said the team expects all those players to be ready for the opening game Sept. 10 at Green Bay.

That process reportedly costs $10,000. That doesnt count the travel and hotel costs of flying to get the therapy, of course. The FDA has yet to approve regenokine for use in the U.S., largely because its still unproven and reportedly because the agency has issues with the heating of the blood.

That is probably why Carroll said this on Thursday: Ive never had the OK that I can talk about it; I dont even know if I can talk about it. I was always afraid I wouldnt pronounce it right. But what I know its called is regenokine.

Dr. Peter Wehling in Germany, the man who founded the procedure known there as orthokine, was said in 2013 to have treated 30 to 40 NFL players with it. At that time the treatment process took four days, which could explain why Wright and his Seahawks successor have been missing a week of practices and games this month for it.

LifeSpan Medicine, clinic in Santa Monica, California, with offices also in New York and Dallas, lists regenokine as one the regenerative therapies it practices -- again, without FDA approval for use in this country.

Carroll said this on Monday:

Baldwin turns 29 next month. The opening at the Packers will begin the second season of the four-year, $46 million extension he signed in the summer of 2016. He looked ready for the 2017 season in Seattles most recent preseason game, Friday against Kansas City. He had two catches for 45 yards in 2 1/2 quarters, racing across the field and away from Chiefs defenders.

Hes only missed two games in his six-year career. Those absences were in his second season, 2012, after Seattle signed him as one of the leagues most successful undrafted free agents of the last decade.

Now, hes one of the trend-setters among eight Seahawks whove received alternative therapy.

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Trendsetter: Why Doug Baldwin went to England for stem-cell therapy - The News Tribune (blog)

Jerika Bolen, the 14-year-old who made headlines when she decided to stop treatment for Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy, has died.

Jerika Bolen and her mother, Jen, share a moment on the way to a July 2016 prom in Appleton, Wis. Jerika died in September 2016, after she decided to end treatment for an incurable genetic disease.(Photo: Danny Damiani, The (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent)

APPLETON, Wis. Nearly one year after a Wisconsin teen with an incurable genetic disease announced her intention to go without a life-sustaining ventilator, experts say her case has had surprisingly minimal impact on the right-to-die debate.

"I fully expected it to continue in the dialogue," said Paul J. Ford, director of the NeuroEthics Program at Cleveland Clinic, about Jerika Bolen's story.

Jerika, of Appleton, Wis., died last September after a lifelong battle with spinal muscular atrophy type 2, which destroys nerves cells in the brain stem and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle activity. Her death last year came after a final summer that included a prom in her honor in July.

When I decided, I felt extremely happy and sad at the same time, Jerika told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin in July 2016. There were a lot of tears, but then I realized Im going to be in a better place, and Im not going to be in this terrible pain."

More: Following 'Last Dance' prom, Wisconsin teen Jerika Bolen dies

Jerika's decision drew national attention, including an overwhelming amount of support from well-wishers worldwide. But her story also drew the ire of disability rights groups who attempted to intervene in Jerika's decision to stop treatment.

For Jerika's case, it really pushes the boundaries between the right to refuse treatment and assisted suicide.

"It was an exceedingly complicated case," said Arthur Caplan, head of the division of bioethics at New York Universitys School of Medicine. "(Jerika) was 14, so not quite old enough to be legally able to make her decisions, but old enough that many (medical experts) would say she was old enough to help determine her care."

Jerika was mostly immobile and in chronic pain from spinal muscular atrophy. She ranked her pain as a seven on a scale of one to 10 on her best days.

Medications had damaged her body. She had more than 30 visits to operating rooms. She had her spine fused in 2013 and the heads of her femurs removed in 2015.

The day of Jerika's death, Jen Bolen, who declined to be interviewed for this story, told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin that "no one in their right mind would let someone suffer like she was.

"Suffering is a pretty strong, compelling reason to back away," Caplan said.

Not Dead Yet, a national disability rights group, was one of five disability rights groups that asked authorities to conduct an investigation into Jerika's care.

Diane Coleman, Not Dead Yet's president and CEO, said the groups questioned Jerika's decision to die, as well as the public's response.

More: Wisconsin teen's battle to stop treatment isnt unique

More: Is Wisconsin teen's decision to die a turning point?

"We were trying to be gentle and respectful, but also to say that Jerika had a lot to live for, even if she couldn't yet see that herself," Coleman said.

(Jerika) was 14, so not quite old enough to be legally able to make her decisions, but old enough that many (medical experts) would say she was old enough to help determine her care.

A letter Not Dead Yet and other disability rights groups wrote in early August 2016 raised questions about Jerika's care and said the teenager was "clearly suicidal." Disability Rights Wisconsin also wrote a letter to Outagamie County, Wis., child protection authorities.

"For Jerika's case, it really pushes the boundaries between the right to refuse treatment and assisted suicide," Coleman said. "If she had continued using her (ventilator) ... things would be different, and she didn't get to get there.

"Almost all of the coverage supported her death. That's what's wrong."

Ford said it's difficult from the outside to understand a person's life and level of suffering.

"(Jerika) went through a lot," Caplan said. "She knows more about that than many people weighing in on what should happen."

Caplan said Jerika's story didn't take on the dimension of Terry Schiavo, a Florida woman who remained in a "persistent" vegetative state for 15 years, or Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old with brain cancer who relocated to Oregon so she could legally kill herself with medication.

"(Jerika) was saying, 'I've been through so much. I don't want to do this anymore,' " Caplan said. "Which is an important question, but it isn't quite analogous to what happens either when someone requests help in dying or says, 'I don't want to be maintained because I'm so old and so frail that there's no point.' She was in a different situation."

More: Q&A: What you should know about right to die

More: Child neglect claimed in teen's plan to end her own life

Caplan said Americans are "completely and utterly confused" about right-to-die issues, including how to deal with mental impairment in dying, whether to honor a child's request and even what constitutes death.

"Where views diverge is saying how much suffering is too much to ask someone to bear, and whose responsibility is it to partake in ending a life if it's more suffering than anyone ought to bear," Ford, the Cleveland Clinic ethicist, said.

One of those issues is physician-assisted suicide. Public opinion about the practice remains divided: a 2013 Pew Research Center survey found that 47% of Americans approve of laws to allow the practice for the terminally ill, while 49% disapprove.

Five states California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and Washington and Washington, D.C., have legalized the practice, and Montana recognized it following a state Supreme Court ruling.

Ford said there was "a great energy among states" to continue the legislation for terminally ill adults a year ago.

More: Teen's plan to die has disability groups seeking intervention

More: More than a thousand people turn out for prom of Wisconsin teen choosing to die

"Those have sort of taken a backseat, recently," he said.

Earlier this year, Wisconsin State Rep. Sondy Pope introduced legislation, modeled closely after other physician-assisted suicide laws, that would allow terminally ill Wisconsin adults to receive medication to end their lives.

Pope, who conceded that the legislation has no immediate chance of becoming law, said she would support legislation to allow a minor who isn't terminal to die with "very, very thoughtful safeguards that include input from loved ones."

"That's way down the road in a case-by-case individual basis ... It doesn't seem right, morally, to say, 'I'm sorry. You're not 18. You have to suffer.' "

Follow Ethan Safran on Twitter:@EthanSafran

More: Girl, 14, with incurable disease makes heartbreaking decision to die

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Year after Jerika Bolen's death, debate continues on right-to-die issues - USA TODAY

It is a question people have been asking forwell-- ages. Is there a way to turn back the aging process in people?

For centuries, people have been looking for a fountain of youth. The idea is that if you find a magical fountain, and drink from its waters, you will not age.

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Len searched for waters with magical powers in the early 1500s. But what he found instead is the American state of Florida.

Researchers in New York did not find an actual fountain of youth, but they may have found a way to turn back the aging process. It appears the answer may be hidden right between your eyes, in an area called the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus is part of your brain. It controls important activities within the body. They include growth, reproduction and the way we process food.

Researchers at New Yorks Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that hypothalamus neural stem cells also influence how fast aging takes place in the body.

What are stem cells? They are simple cells that can develop into specialized cells, like blood or skin cells. Stem cells can also repair damaged tissues and organs.

Dongsheng Cai is a professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He was the lead researcher in a study on aging in mice. He and his team reported their findings in the journal Nature.

Cai explains what they found.

"Aging speed is controlled, can be controlled by a particular place in the body, which is the hypothalamus. And it can be controlled by a particular type of cells, which are hypothalamus stem cells. I think these findings are quite interesting, potentially even remarkable."

He adds that when the hypothalamus starts aging, so does the body.

"So when hypothalamus function is in decline, particularly the loss of hypothalamus stem cells, and this protection against the aging development is lost, it eventually leads to aging."

Using this information, the researchers began trying to activate, or energize, the hypothalamus in laboratory mice. They did this by injecting the animals with stem cells.

Later, the researchers examined tissues and tested for changes in behavior. They looked for changes in the strength and coordination of the animals muscles. They also studied the social behavior and cognitive ability of the mice.

The researchers say the results show that the treatment slowed aging in the animals.

Cai says injecting middle-aged mice with stem cells from younger mice helped the older animals live longer.

"When we injected the hypothalamus stem cells, which were derived from young mice, we injected them to the middle-aged mice and that was, in fact, to slow down aging. So the mouse aged slowly and they also have increased their lifespan, which is longevity."

But these results were just from studying mice in a laboratory. If the mice can live longer, does that mean people could have longer lives? The next step is to see if the anti-aging effects also work in human beings.

"If we can translate what we have seen in animals to humans, I think humans, they can function better during later ages, later stage of aging."

Cai and his team say their studies may have other benefits. They say the findings could lead to new ways to help doctors identify and treat any number of age-related health issues.

Im Anne Ball.

Kevin Enochs reported on this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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fountain n. a device or structure that sends a stream of water into the air in a garden, park, etc

neural adj. of, relating to, or involving a nerve or the nervous system

remarkable adj. unusual or surprising : likely to be noticed

function n. the job or duty of a person

coordination n. the process of organizing people or groups so that they work together properly and well

cognitive adj. of, relating to, or involving conscious mental activities (such as thinking, understanding, learning, and remembering)

benefit n. a good or helpful result or effect

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Researchers Use Brain Cells to Control Aging in Mice - VOA Learning English

Min Ma,1,* Shilin Chen,1,* Zhuo Liu,1 Hailong Xie,2 Hongyu Deng,3 Song Shang,1 Xiaohong Wang,4 Man Xia,5 Chaohui Zuo1

1Department of Gastroduodenal and Pancreatic Surgery, Laboratory of Digestive Oncology, Hunan Cancer Institute, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 2Institute of Cancer Research, South China University, 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 4Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Biology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, 5Department of Gynecological Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Abstract: Worldwide, gastric cancer (GC) is one of the deadliest malignant tumors of the digestive system. Moreover, microRNAs (miRNAs) of exosomes harbored within cancer cells have been determined to induce inflammatory conditions that accelerate tumor growth and metastasis. Interestingly, the oncogenic role of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in the modulation of immunosuppression, tumor invasion, and metastasis was discovered to be partly mediated through the secretion of exosomes. In this article, high expression of miRNA-221 (miR-221) in exosomes of the peripheral blood was determined to be positively correlated with the poor clinical prognosis of GC, especially with respect to tumor, node, and metastases stage. Therefore, the expression of miR-221 in exosomes of the peripheral blood may be an important detection index for GC. Proliferation, migration, invasion, and adhesion to the matrix of GC BGC-823 and SGC-7901 cells were significantly enhanced by exosomes that originated from BM-MSCs that were transfected with miR-221 mimics. In conclusion, extracted exosomes from BM-MSCs transfected with miR-221 oligonucleotides can act as high-efficiency nanocarriers, which can provide sufficient miR-221 oligonucleotides to influence the tumor microenvironment and tumor aggressiveness effectively. Notably, the use of a miR-221 inhibitor with an excellent restraining effect in exosomes provides therapeutic potential for GC in future clinical medicine.

Keywords: exosomes, miR-221, BM-MSCs, gastric cancer, prognosis, oncogenic activity

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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miRNA-221 of exosomes originating from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells promotes oncogenic activity in gastric ... - Dove Medical Press

Jack Massey is ready to go back to school.

Only this time, the University of Florida senior will head back to campus with his mom and a new outlook on life.

Massey suffered a spinal cord injury in a pool accident in March and is paralyzed from the chest down. After months of rehab, he's eager to get back into a familiar routine.

"It's definitely boring," the 21-year-old said at his parents' home in Niceville. "There's not a lot to do. I want to go back to school. I still have my brain. I still have everything I need to be successful."

After the accident March 17, Massey was treated at the University of Florida Shands Hospital and then was transferred to Shepherd Center, a spinal cord and brain injury rehab center in Atlanta. At Shepherd Center he met with a peer mentor, counselors and physical therapists to help him find a new normal.

Jack has remained positive throughout the past six months.

"Jack has been a fighter through all of this," said his mother, Julie. "I think he's done well. I only saw him break down once."

Before the accident, Jack was a well-rounded athlete who playing baseball and basketball and ran. He was a star on the track and field team at Niceville High School, with his 4 X 800 relay winning state his senior year.

He says the biggest challenge now is not being able to do the same things he could before.

"I can't get up and go," he said. "It didn't really start to set in until after I got out of rehab."

Jack has had to find enjoyment in other things, like reading or playing with the dogs. His friends have learned to transfer him from his wheelchair to a car so they can take him to the movies or out to eat. When they recently took a trip to the beach, Julie said five of Jack's friends carried him out to the sand a lesson on how hard it is to navigate the world in a wheelchair.

Jack said he believes technology one day will advance enough that he won't be paralyzed forever. He also volunteered to do stem cell surgery to allow doctors to study the effects of stem cells on his spine for the next 15 years. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, he's moving forward. But he'll need help.

"I'm appreciating everything in the now," he said.

Doctors have said Jack has adapted faster than expected, but there are still some everyday essential tasks that are out of his reach. He cannot write or cook. He can shower himself but can't dry himself or transfer himself in and out of his wheelchair. The Massey family hopes to secure a personal care attendant for Jack at school, but until then Julie will be in Gainesville to help him transition. An occupational therapy student from the university will also help Jack on a temporary basis.

Finding proper care for her son has proven to be a learning experience for Julie and her husband, Lance.

"I don't know how people do it," she said. "We have good health care, but then there's hidden costs. There's travel expenses. ... It's kind of humbling. Nobody should have to go to GoFundMe for medical help."

Jack wants to spend his final year as an undergrad as independent as possible. After months of helping him recover, Julie said it will be hard to let her son go. Jack is the oldest of three; his brother Lance is 19 and a student at UF and his sister Alina is 14 and attends Ruckel Middle School.

"It's like letting him go off to kindergarten again," she said.

As for life after college, Jack said he doesn't feel limited in career choices. One of his professors in the geology department encouraged him by saying that there were plenty of opportunities he could pursue in that field. Jack said he may also consider law school. One thing he's learned through this life-altering experience is that there are no limits to what he can achieve.

"I haven't done that much deep thinking. I just go with the flow," he said. "But I learned I have more perseverance. I'm more mentally tough than I thought I was. I'm appreciative for life in general. That's one of the big things."

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Paralyzed after pool accident, student heads back to college - The Herald

The parents of a Saskatchewan-born Yale University hockey player are trying to connect more people with a bone marrow and stem cell network that could save lives.

Rick and Carol Schwartz will be in Saskatoon on Sunday for the sixth annual Run for Mandi named after their daughter Mandi Schwartz, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in December 2008 and died in April 2011.

READ MORE: Could you save his life? Edmonton boy needs to find stem cell match

Officials from the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network, part of Canadian Blood Services, will take swabs from volunteers in hopes of connecting donors with patients who need stem cell transplants.

Its the first time the event will have on-site registration for the network.

Fewer than 25 per cent of people find a stem cell donor in their family and only 50 per cent find a match in the international network of donors, according to Blood Services.

Mandi never found one.

It was frustrating to know that. Its almost like we let her down, Rick Schwartz said.

In 2010, his daughter penned a letter, stating her hope that doctors would find her a life-saving match. She also hoped to increase the donor registry to help others.

If someone else in Mandis family needed a stem cell transplant, she wouldve been the first person to help out, her mother said.

I just know she would be front and centre in leading a drive if she were with us today, Carol Schwartz said.

Another registration drive in Mandis name happens annually at Yale University. So far, more than 6,000 people have registered and 37 have resulted in stem cell matches.

Ideal candidates are between the ages of 17 and 35 and meet certain health criteria.

If a person registers and matches with a person in need, its usually as easy taking blood, according to Run for Mandi co-organizer Bobbylynn Stewart.

Fifteen per cent of the time, they do require your bone marrow, said Stewart, who lost her mother to acute myeloid leukemia.

They go in through your hip and draw it through there, so its under anesthesia. Its about an hour-long process.

READ MORE: Run for Mandi raises over $20K for memorial bursary funds

Sundays event lasts from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and running isnt required.

Lincoln Honoway, who was three when he was admitted to Regina General Hospital last year with dangerously low blood counts, will be in attendance.

After finding a stem cell transplant, Lincolns blood cell counts have started to rise and stabilize.

The run is planned for River Landing, with pro hockey players Ryan Murray, JC Lipon and Brandon Gormley expected to be there.

Mandis brother, Jaden Schwartz of the St. Louis Blues, will attend as well.

2017Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Family of Mandi Schwartz connecting donors with stem cell network - Globalnews.ca

The St. Louis-based Washington University School of Medicine is a new clinical study site for Asterias Biotherapeuturics SCiStar clinical trial of AST-OPC1 stem cells in patients with severe cervical spinal cord injuries.

Here are seven takeaways:

1. Patients participating in the trial are categorized into:

AIS-A patients: those who have lost all motor and sensory functions below their injury sites.

AIS-B patients: those who have lost all motor function but have minimal sensory function below their injury site.

2. The stem cells are administered 21 to 42 days post injury and patients are followed by neurological exams and imaging procedures to asses the progress and safety of the trial.

3. W. Zachary Ray, MD, a neurological and orthopedic surgery associate professor at Washington School of Medicine, will lead the site's investigation.

4. Asterias Biotherapeuturics receive FDA clearance to progress its clinical study after phase one of the trial showed five patients with neurologically complete thoracic spinal cord injuries improved motor function after being administered 2 million AST-OPC1 cells.

5. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine granted Asterias Biotherapeuturics $14.3 million in funding for the clinical trial and other product development activities for AST-OPC1.

6. There are now nine centers across the U.S. participating in the clinical trial.

7. Asterias Biotherapeuturics is a biotechnology company focuses on developing regenerative medicine.

More articles on practice management: Study: Obesity alone shouldn't determine TJR candidates Michelson 20MM Foundation, Center for Intellectual Property Understanding to increase intellectual property awareness: 5 things to know Titan Medical partners with French hospital: 6 highlights

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Washington University School of Medicine new spinal cord injury clinical trial site: 7 takeaways - Becker's Orthopedic & Spine

For Immune System Stem Cell Studies, Mice Aren't Enough Science 2.0 Stem cell therapy is all the rage, with suspect companies sprouting up like supplement stores, claiming to be a benefit for this and that. Often all they have are mouse studies and FDA disclaimers on ... The authors found that two varieties of ... and more »

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For Immune System Stem Cell Studies, Mice Aren't Enough - Science 2.0

Madalayna Ducharme is celebrating her first birthday, on Aug, 22, 2017. She's shown recently in a family pool.Courtesy of the Ducharme family / Windsor Star

Bowling for Bone Marrow fundraiser Saturday

To support the families of those who need astem cell/bone marrow transplant, head to this weekends 12th annual Bowling for Bone Marrow Throw a Strike for the Gift of Life.

The Katelyn Bedard Bone Marrow Association fundraiser is Saturday at Rose Bowl Lanes with a noon check-in time and bowling between 1 and 3 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome and the cost is $20 without a pledge form.Children under age 12 get in free and there will be a clown and childrens activities.

To register, call (519) 564-4119 or go online atwww.givemarrow.net/index.html.

Windsors warrior princess Madalayna Ducharme celebrates her first birthday Tuesday.

Were so happy and grateful that weve had her for a year, her mom, Tamara Ducharme, said Monday. I know back at the six-month mark we had a little celebration for her just in case we didnt have a year birthday.

On March 17, little Madalayna received a bone marrow transplant to save her from a rare genetic disorder.

Madalayna will get to try cake for the first time, even if its just for her tiny fingers to play in, and her mom plans to go live on Facebook in the late afternoon for the approximately 3,000 supportive followers on the Miracle for Madalaynasite.

I cant believe how many people love her and support us. It makes us so happy, Ducharme said. We could be going through this alone. I feel like there are 3,000 fighters in our corner.

Madalayna, dubbed the warrior princess, was just two months old when doctors noticed issues that a few months later would be diagnosed as malignant infantile osteopetrosis which leads toabnormal thickening of the bone. Without treatment, the one-in-200,000 genetic disorder would dramatically reduce the infants life expectancy.

The Windsor community rallied around the family, and there were efforts made to get more people to join the bone marrow registry. Ducharme said shes thankful for the support from the Katelyn Bedard Bone Marrow Association. She said getting swabbed for the registry wasnt just for Madalayna but to help all those waiting for a match.

Because of the genetic disorder, at first doctors werent looking to family members for a match but Madalaynas two-year-old brother Henrik proved a perfect match and doctors consulted in the United States and Europe agreed his bone marrow was the familys best option.

The family didnt get Madalayna home from Toronto and London hospitals until July, and the little warrior fought off a virus that is worrisome with transplant patients, her mom said. So far, blood tests are looking good but the family wont know until after more extensive tests later this week in Toronto whether the transplant is working.

Ducharme is asking for prayers for good news in Toronto. The transplant is as close to a cure as possible, she said. Madalayna may have hearing and sight issues from the disease, but if the bones look better and the transplant is working, it gives her a chance at a longer life. Ducharme has heard of a man who had the disease and a transplant as a baby and is now 25 years old.

Madalyna, who loves music and looks like a princess in her tutu and frilly dresses, is a bit delayed with all that shes been through, but a week ago she sat up for the first time and she likes to dance by bouncing and swaying to techno music. She still needs the tube in her nose and doesnt like drinking liquids and isnt eating properly. Shes improving but her mom doesnt know what her baby will think of birthday cake.

Were excited.

shill@postmedia.com

twitter.com/winstarhill

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First birthday for Windsor's 'warrior princess' after lifesaving transplant - Windsor Star

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota say theyre on the brink of a new era in cancer care one in which doctors extract a patients white blood cells, have them genetically engineered in a lab, and put them back to become personalized cancer-fighting machines.

The so-called CAR T cellular therapies are expected to receive federal approval this fall for certain rare blood cancers B-cell forms of lymphoma and leukemia. But scientists at the Minnesota institutions hope thats just the first step that will lead to better treatment of solid tumor cancers as well.

This is really the first approval of a genetically modified product for cancer therapy, said Dr. Jeffrey Miller, deputy director of the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota. If the proof of concept works, he said, we might be on the right track to get away from all of that toxic chemotherapy that people hate.

Participating in industry-funded clinical trials, the Minnesota researchers hoped to determine if patients with leukemia or lymphoma would be more likely to survive if their own stem cells were extracted to grow cancer-fighting T-cells that were then infused back into their bodies.

One analysis, involving trials by Kite Pharmaceuticals at Mayo and other institutions, found a sevenfold increase in lymphoma patients whose cancers disappeared when they received CAR T instead of traditional chemo-based treatment.

I often tell patients that T-cells are like super robocops, said Dr. Yi Lin, a Mayo hematologist in Rochester. Were now directing those cells to really target cancer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is widely expected this fall to approve CAR T products made by Kite and Novartis, which genetically engineer T-cells to target so-called CD19 proteins found on the surface of leukemia and lymphoma cells.

The side effects can be harsh, because the T-cell infusions trigger an immune system response that can produce fever, weakness, racing heart and kidney problems. Short-term memory and cognitive problems also have occurred. Brain swelling led to five deaths of cancer patients who took part in a CAR T trial by Juno Pharmaceuticals. The trial was shut down as a result.

Lin said brain swelling appeared mostly in adults with leukemia. For now, she expects Kites CAR T therapy to be approved for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and the Novartis therapy to be approved for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. Federal regulations also might restrict CAR T for patients whose cancers survived traditional treatments.

Current practice to treat these cancers generally involves chemotherapy and radiation. Physicians then transplant stem cells, often from donor bone marrow, to regrow the patients immune systems, which are weakened in the process of treatment.

CAR T differs in that patients will receive infusions of their own T-cells, genetically modified, which their bodies will be less likely to reject.

Its individualized medicine, Lin said.

Im on my way

Before he tried CAR T at Mayo as part of a clinical trial, John Renze of Carroll, Iowa, had received two rounds of chemo, two rounds of radiation, and an experimental drug that did nothing to stop the spread of lymphoma.

After you fail about four times, you start to wonder if anything is going to work, the 58-year-old said.

At first, there was no room for him in the Mayo trial which has been a problem nationwide as desperate cancer patients have searched for treatment alternatives. But then he got the call one morning last summer while ordering coffee at his local cafe.

Can you get up here by one? the Mayo official asked.

Im on my way, Renze replied.

Even before federal approval comes through, researchers such as Miller are looking beyond the first-line CAR T therapies, and wondering if the approach can be used on solid tumors. Roughly 80,000 blood cancers occur each year in the U.S. that could be treated with CAR T, but the total number of cancers diagnosed each year is nearly 1.7 million.

The challenge is that solid tumors dont have the same protein targets as blood cancers. And T-cells would have to be more discriminating if infused to eliminate tumors in solid organs, Miller said. If you destroy normal lung tissue (along with lung cancer), thats not going to work, he said.

Mayo researchers are studying whether CAR T can work against multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow, while U researchers are exploring ways to better control the CAR T-cells after they are infused in cancer patients.

Researchers also are trying to understand whether CAR T produces memory in the immune system, so it knows to react if cancers resurface.

In addition, Miller is studying whether NK cells, which also play a role in the human immune system, can be genetically modified and infused instead of T-cells to target cancer. The body doesnt reject NK cells from donors as much, he said. So NK cells from donor bone marrow or umbilical cord blood could be collected and mass produced to potentially provide faster and cheaper treatments.

Like many breakthrough therapies, CAR T will be expensive, with a price likely to exceed $200,000 per patient. How insurers plan to cover it remains unclear. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is evaluating evidence regarding CAR Ts effectiveness, and will set a coverage policy after it receives FDA approval, said Dr. Glenn Pomerantz, Blue Cross chief medical officer.

A surge for Mayo?

Mayo expects a surge of hundreds of cancer patients per year if CAR T is approved, because it will initially be provided by large medical centers that have experience with the therapy and its side effects. The Rochester hospital is planning to add staff and space dedicated to CAR T.

Miller said the U is developing advice for referring doctors and hospitals statewide, so they know what to do if CAR T patients show up with complex symptoms.

They can be a bit delayed and you cant just keep people in the hospital to see if they develop these things, he said.

Renzes stem cells were taken last July, and his modified T-cells were put back a month later. He lost weight and felt sick for weeks, and had to drive three hours to Mayo for frequent checkups.

But as of last Aug. 31, the cancer had vanished.

Every three months, he returns to Mayo to make sure the cancer hasnt re-emerged. Then he returns to Carroll, where he owns farmland and car dealerships and dotes on his grandchildren.

For people like me that have already failed a bunch of times, youre happy to try anything, he said. I mean, what else would I have done?

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Mayo, U develop 'robocop' stem cells to fight cancer - StarTribune.com - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Stem cell science involves many technical terms. This glossary covers many of the common terms you will encounter in reading about stem cells.

Adult stem cellsA commonly used term for tissue-specific stem cells, cells that can give rise to the specialized cells in specific tissues. Includes all stem cells other than pluripotent stem cells such as embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells.

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AutologousCells or tissues from the same individual; an autologous bone marrow transplant involves one individual as both donor and recipient.

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Basic researchResearch designed to increase knowledge and understanding (as opposed to research designed with the primary goal to solve a problem).

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BlastocystA transient, hollow ball of 150 to 200 cells formed in early embryonic development that contains the inner cell mass, from which the embryo develops, and an outer layer of cell called the trophoblast, which forms the placenta.

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Bone marrow stromal cellsA general term for non-blood cells in the bone marrow, such as fibroblasts, adipocytes (fat cells) and bone- and cartilage-forming cells that provide support for blood cells. Contained within this population of cells are multipotent bone marrow stromal stem cells that can self-renew and give rise to bone, cartilage, adipocytes and fibroblasts.

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CardiomyocytesThe functional muscle cells of the heart that allow it to beat continuously and rhythmically.

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Clinical translationThe process of using scientific knowledge to design, develop and apply new ways to diagnose, stop or fix what goes wrong in a particular disease or injury; the process by which basic scientific research becomes medicine.

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Clinical trialTests on human subjects designed to evaluate the safety and/or effectiveness of new medical treatments.

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Cord bloodThe blood in the umbilical cord and placenta after child birth. Cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells, also known as cord blood stem cells, which can regenerate the blood and immune system and can be used to treat some blood disorders such as leukemia or anemia. Cord blood can be stored long-term in blood banks for either public or private use. Also called umbilical cord blood.

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CytoplasmFluid inside a cell, but outside the nucleus.

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DifferentiationThe process by which cells become increasingly specialized to carry out specific functions in tissues and organs.

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Drug discoveryThe systematic process of discovering new drugs.

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Drug screeningThe process of testing large numbers of potential drug candidates for activity, function and/or toxicity in defined assays.

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EmbryoGenerally used to describe the stage of development between fertilization and the fetal stage; the embryonic stage ends 7-8 weeks after fertilization in humans.

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Embryonic stem cells (ESCs)Undifferentiated cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst; these cells have the potential to give rise to all cell types in the fully formed organism and undergo self-renewal.

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FibroblastA common connective or support cell found within most tissues of the body.

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GlucoseA simple sugar that cells use for energy.

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HematopoieticBlood-forming; hematopoietic stem cells give rise to all the cell types in the blood.

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ImmunomodulatoryThe ability to modify the immune system or an immune response.

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Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)Embryonic-like stem cells that are derived from reprogrammed, adult cells, such as skin cells. Like ESCs, iPS cells are pluripotent and can self-renew.

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In vitroLatin for in glass. In biomedical research this refers to experiments that are done outside the body in an artificial environment, such as the study of isolated cells in controlled laboratory conditions (also known as cell culture).

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In vivoLatin for within the living. In biomedical research this refers to experiments that are done in a living organism. Experiments in model systems such as mice or fruit flies are an example of in vivo research.

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Islets of LangerhansClusters in the pancreas where insulin-producing beta cells live.

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MaculaA small spot at the back of the retina, densely packed with the rods and cones that receive light, which is responsible for high-resolution central vision.

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Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)A term used to describe cells isolated from the connective tissue that surrounds other tissues and organs. MSCs were first isolated from the bone marrow and shown to be capable of making bone, cartilage and fat cells. MSCs are now grown from other tissues, such as fat and cord blood. Not all MSCs are the same and their characteristics depend on where in the body they come from and how they are isolated and grown. May also be called mesenchymal stromal cells.

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Multipotent stem cellsStem cells that can give rise to several different types of specialized cells in specific tissues; for example, blood stem cells can produce the different types of cells that make up the blood, but not the cells of other organs such as the liver or the brain.

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NeuronAn electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information through electrical and chemical signals in the central and peripheral nervous systems.

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Pancreatic beta cellsCells responsible for making and releasing insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. Type I diabetes occurs when these cells are attacked and destroyed by the body's immune system.

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PhotoreceptorsRod or cone cells in the retina that receive light and send signals to the optic nerve, which passes along these signals to the brain.

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PlaceboA pill, injection or other treatment that has no therapeutic benefit; often used as a control in clinical trials to see whether new treatments work better than no treatment.

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Placebo effectPerceived or actual improvement in symptoms that cannot be attributed to the placebo itself and therefore must be the result of the patient's (or other interested person's) belief in the treatment's effectiveness.

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Pluripotent stem cellsStem cells that can become all the cell types that are found in an embryo, fetus or adult, such as embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent (iPS) cells.

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Preclinical researchLaboratory research on cells, tissues and/or animals for the purpose of discovering new drugs or therapies.

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Precursor cellsAn intermediate cell type between stem cells and differentiated cells. Precursor cells have the potential to give rise to a limited number or type of specialized cells. Also called progenitor cells.

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Progenitor cellsAn intermediate cell type between stem cells and differentiated cells. Progenitor cells have the potential to give rise to a limited number or type of specialized cells and have a reduced capacity for self-renewal. Also called precursor cells.

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Regenerative MedicineAn interdisciplinary branch of medicine with the goal of replacing, regenerating or repairing damaged tissue to restore normal function. Regenerative treatments can include cellular therapy, gene therapy and tissue engineering approaches.

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ReprogrammingIn the context of stem cell biology, this refers to the conversion of differentiated cells, such as fibroblasts, into embryonic-like iPS cells by artificially altering the expression of key genes.

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Retinal pigment epitheliumA single-cell layer behind the rods and cones in the retina that provide support functions for the rods and cones.

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RNARibonucleic acid; it "reads" DNA and acts as a messenger for carrying out genetic instructions.

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Scientific methodA systematic process designed to understand a specific observation through the collection of measurable, empirical evidence; emphasis on measurable and repeatable experiments and results that test a specific hypothesis.

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Self-renewalA special type of cell division in stem cells by which they make copies of themselves.

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Somatic stem cellsScientific term for tissue-specific or adult stem cells.

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Stem cellsCells that have both the capacity to self-renew (make more stem cells by cell division) and to differentiate into mature, specialized cells.

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Stem cell tourismThe travel to another state, region or country specifically for the purpose of undergoing a stem cell treatment available at that location. This phrase is also used to refer to the pursuit of untested and unregulated stem cell treatments.

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TeratomaA benign tumor that usually consists of several types of tissue cells that are foreign to the tissue in which the tumor is located.

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TissueA group of cells with a similar function or embryological origin. Tissues organize further to become organs.

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Tissue-specific stem cellsStem cells that can give rise to the specialized cells in specific tissues; blood stem cells, for example, can produce the different types of cells that make up the blood, but not the cells of other organs such as the liver or the brain. Includes all stem cells other than pluripotent stem cells such as embryonic and induced pluripotent cells. Also called adult or somatic stem cells.

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TotipotentThe ability to give rise to all the cells of the body and cells that arent part of the body but support embryonic development, such as the placenta and umbilical cord.

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Translational researchResearch that focuses on how to use knowledge gleaned from basic research to develop new drugs, treatments or therapies.

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ZygoteThe single cell formed when a sperm cell fuses with an egg cell.

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Stem Cell Glossary

Digital Trends

Want to live longer? Forever Labs wants to help, using your stem cells Digital Trends Using a patented device, Forever Labs collects stem cells from your blood marrow, which the team calls a wellspring for stem cells that replenish your blood, bone, immune system, and other vital tissues. The whole process is said to take around 15 ...

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Want to live longer? Forever Labs wants to help, using your stem cells - Digital Trends

Ball-and-stick model of the L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) molecule, C6H8O6, as found in the crystal structure. Credit: public domain

Vitamin C may "tell" faulty stem cells in the bone marrow to mature and die normally, instead of multiplying to cause blood cancers. This is the finding of a study led by researchers from Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, and published online August 17 in the journal Cell.

Certain genetic changes are known to reduce the ability of an enzyme called TET2 to encourage stem cells to become mature blood cells, which eventually die, in many patients with certain kinds of leukemia, say the authors. The new study found that vitamin C activated TET2 function in mice engineered to be deficient in the enzyme.

"We're excited by the prospect that high-dose vitamin C might become a safe treatment for blood diseases caused by TET2-deficient leukemia stem cells, most likely in combination with other targeted therapies," says corresponding study author Benjamin G. Neel, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Medicine and director of the Perlmutter Cancer Center.

Changes in the genetic code (mutations) that reduce TET2 function are found in 10 percent of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 30 percent of those with a form of pre-leukemia called myelodysplastic syndrome, and in nearly 50 percent of patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Such cancers cause anemia, infection risk, and bleeding as abnormal stem cells multiply in the bone marrow until they interfere with blood cell production, with the number of cases increasing as the population ages.

Along with these diseases, new tests suggest that about 2.5 percent of all U.S. cancer patients - or about 42,500 new patients each year - may develop TET2 mutations, including some with lymphomas and solid tumors, say the authors.

Cell Death Switch

The study results revolve around the relationship between TET2 and cytosine, one of the four nucleic acid "letters" that comprise the DNA code in genes. Every cell type has the same genes, but each gets different instructions to turn on only those needed in a given cellular context.

These "epigenetic" regulatory mechanisms include DNA methylation, the attachment of a small molecule termed a methyl group to cytosine bases that shuts down the action of a gene containing them.

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The back- and-forth attachment and removal of methyl groups also fine-tunes gene expression in stem cells, which can mature, specialize and multiply to become muscle, bone, nerve, or other cell types. This happens as the body first forms, but the bone marrow also keeps pools of stem cells on hand into adulthood, ready to become replacement cells as needed. In leukemia, signals that normally tell a blood stem cell to mature malfunction, leaving it to endlessly multiply and "self-renew" instead of producing normal white blood cells needed to fight infection.

The enzyme studied in this report, Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2), enables a change in the molecular structure (oxidation) of methyl groups that is needed for them to be removed from cytosines. This "demethylation" turns on genes that direct stem cells to mature, and to start a count-down toward self-destruction as part of normal turnover. This serves as an anti-cancer safety mechanism, one that is disrupted in blood cancer patients with TET2 mutations, says Neel.

To determine the effect of mutations that reduce TET2 function in abnormal stem cells, the research team genetically engineered mice such that the scientists could switch the TET2 gene on or off.

Similar to the naturally occurring effects of TET2 mutations in mice or humans, using molecular biology techniques to turn off TET2 in mice caused abnormal stem cell behavior. Remarkably, these changes were reversed when TET2 expression was restored by a genetic trick. Previous work had shown that vitamin C could stimulate the activity of TET2 and its relatives TET1 and TET3. Because only one of the two copies of the TET2 gene in each stem cell is usually affected in TET2-mutant blood diseases, the authors hypothesized that high doses of vitamin C, which can only be given intravenously, might reverse the effects of TET2 deficiency by turning up the action of the remaining functional gene.

Indeed, they found that vitamin C did the same thing as restoring TET2 function genetically. By promoting DNA demethylation, high-dose vitamin C treatment induced stem cells to mature, and also suppressed the growth of leukemia cancer stem cells from human patients implanted in mice.

"Interestingly, we also found that vitamin C treatment had an effect on leukemic stem cells that resembled damage to their DNA," says first study author Luisa Cimmino, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology at NYU Langone Health. "For this reason, we decided to combine vitamin C with a PARP inhibitor, a drug type known to cause cancer cell death by blocking the repair of DNA damage, and already approved for treating certain patients with ovarian cancer."

Researchers found that the combination had an enhanced effect on leukemia stem cells, further shifting them from self-renewal back toward maturity and cell death. The results also suggest that vitamin C might drive leukemic stem cells without TET2 mutations toward death, says Cimmino, given that it turns up any TET2 activity normally in place.

"Our team is working to systematically identify genetic changes that contribute to risk for leukemia in significant groups of patients," says corresponding author Iannis Aifantis, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Pathology at NYU Langone Health. "This study adds the targeting of abnormal TET2-driven DNA demethylation to our list of potential new treatment approaches."

Explore further: A tumor-suppressing gene can be harmful in some cancers

Journal reference: Cell

Provided by: NYU Langone Health / NYU School of Medicine

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Vitamin C may encourage blood cancer stem cells to die - Medical Xpress

JENNIE McKEON @JennieMnwfdn

NICEVILLE Jack Massey is ready to go back to school.

Only this time, the University of Florida senior will head back to campus with his mom and a new outlook on life.

Massey suffered a spinal cord injury in a pool accident in March and is paralyzed from the chest down. After months of rehab, he's eager to get back into a familiar routine.

"It's definitely boring," the 21-year-old said at his parents' home in Niceville. "There's not a lot to do. I want to go back to school. I still have my brain. I still have everything I need to be successful."

After the accident March 17, Massey was treated at the University of Florida Shands Hospital and then was transferred to Shepherd Center, a spinal cord and brain injury rehab center in Atlanta. At Shepherd Center he met with a peer mentor, counselors and physical therapists to help him find a new normal.

Jack has remained positive throughout the past six months.

"Jack has been a fighter through all of this," said his mother, Julie. "I think he's done well. I only saw him break down once."

Before the accident, Jack was a well-rounded athlete who playing baseball and basketball and ran. He was a star on the track and field team at Niceville High School, with his 4 X 800 relay winning state his senior year.

He says the biggest challenge now is not being able to do the same things he could before.

"I can't get up and go," he said. "It didn't really start to set in until after I got out of rehab."

Jack has had to find enjoyment in other things, like reading or playing with the dogs. His friends have learned to transfer him from his wheelchair to a car so they can take him to the movies or out to eat. When they recently took a trip to the beach, Julie said five of Jack's friends carried him out to the sand a lesson on how hard it is to navigate the world in a wheelchair.

Jack said he believes technology one day will advance enough that he won't be paralyzed forever. He also volunteered to do stem cell surgery to allow doctors to study the affects of stem cells on his spine for the next 15 years. Instead of wallowing in self pity, he's moving forward. But he'll need help.

"I'm appreciating everything in the now," he said.

Doctors have said Jack has adapted faster than expected, but there are still some everyday essential tasks that are out of his reach. He cannot write or cook. He can shower himself but can't dry himself or transfer himself in and out of his wheelchair. The Massey family hopes to secure a personal care attendant for Jack at school, but until then Julie will be in Gainesville to help him transition. An occupational therapy student from the university will also help Jack on a temporary basis.

Finding proper care for her son has proven to be a learning experience for Julie and her husband, Lance.

"I don't know how people do it," she said. "We have good health care, but then there's hidden costs. There's travel expenses. ... It's kind of humbling. Nobody should have to go to GoFundMe for medical help."

Jack wants to spend his final year as an undergrad as independent as possible. After months of helping him recover, Julie said it will be hard to let her son go. Jack is the oldest of three; his brother Lance is 19 and a student at UF and his sister Alina is 14 and attends Ruckel Middle School.

"It's like letting him go off to kindergarten again," she said.

As for life after college, Jack said he doesn't feel limited in career choices. One of his professors in the geology department encouraged him by saying that there were plenty of opportunities he could pursue in that field. Jack said he may also consider law school. One thing he's learned through this life-altering experience is that there are no limits to what he can achieve.

"I haven't done that much deep thinking. I just go with the flow," he said. "But I learned I have more perseverance. I'm more mentally tough than I thought I was. I'm appreciative for life in general. That's one of the big things."

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'I still have my brain' - The Northwest Florida Daily News