Regenestem Network and Gilberto Hernandez Falcon, M.D. Open Stem Cell Clinic in Yucatan
By Dr. Matthew Watson
MIAMI (PRWEB) January 30, 2015
Regenestem Network has announced the grand opening of a new stem cells clinic in the prestigious Hospital Clinica de Merida in Yucatan, Mexico. The new clinic will operate under the direction of Gilberto Hernandez Falcon, M.D., a member of the Global Stem Cells Advisory Board and CEO of Regenestem Mexico Sur in Villahermosa Tabasco.
The Yucatan facility is the newest in a growing number of Regenestem clinics providing comprehensive regenerative medicine services worldwide. Plans include equipping the new clinic with the latest technology from the Adilyfe line of stem cell treatment products, made available through Global Stem Cells Group affiliate Adimarket.
Expanding the Regenestem Network throughout Mexico is a great opportunity to bring cutting edge medical advancements to patients, while creating and sustaining new jobs for medical professionals in the Central America region, says Regenestem Founder and CEO Ricardo DeCubas. Were proud to be working with Dr. Hernandez Falcon in making stem cell medicine available to a growing number of patients in the region.
The new Regenestem Yucatan facility will offer the most advanced protocols and techniques available in stem cell medicine.
I am proud to continue to provide stem cell therapies to a wide range of patients here in Mexico and the Central America region, Hernandez Falcon says. Working with the Regenestem Network and Global Stem Cells Group has allowed us to help more and more patients access promising treatments for a range of medical problems.
The Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem are committed to the highest of standards in service and technology, expert and compassionate care, and a philosophy of exceeding the expectations of their international patients.
For more information, visit the Regenestem Network website, email info(at)regenstem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.
About Regenestem:
Regenestem Network, a division of the Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., is an international medical practice association committed to researching and producing comprehensive stem cell treatments for patients worldwide. Having assembled a highly qualified staff of medical specialistsprofessionals trained in the latest cutting-edge techniques in cellular medicineRegenestem continues to be a leader in delivering the latest protocols in the adult stem cell arena. Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem Network are expanding the companys clinical presence worldwide by partnering with experienced and qualified regenerative medicine physicians to open new clinics licensed and developed under the Regenestem banner. In 2014, Global Stem Cells Group expanded the Regenestem Networks global presence to 20 countries.
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Regenestem Network and Gilberto Hernandez Falcon, M.D. Open Stem Cell Clinic in Yucatan
Howes stem cell treatment raises concerns
By Dr. Matthew Watson
TORONTO Gordie Howes son says the hockey legends stroke symptoms have improved since his treatment with stem cells at a Mexican clinic in early December and he wants him to repeat the procedure.
But regenerative medicine experts say theres no scientific evidence such therapies work, and in some cases they can be seriously harmful or even deadly.
The 86-year-old Howe suffered two disabling strokes late last year. In December, the family took him to a Tijuana clinic where he received stem cell injections as part of a clinical trial being run under a licensing agreement with Stemedica Cell Technologies of San Diego, Calif.
The experimental treatment involved injecting neural stem cells into Howes spinal canal, along with intravenous infusions of mesenchymal stem cells, which are found in bone marrow, fat and umbilical cord blood.
Marty Howe said his father can walk again, his speech is improving and he is regaining some of the weight he lost following the strokes.
After his stem cell treatment, the doctor told us it was kind of an awakening of the body, and it was all that, he told The Canadian Press while in Calgary for a hockey promotion event Tuesday. They call it the miracle of stem cells and it was nothing less than a miracle.
However, experts in the field question whether stem cells are responsible for Howes improvement and caution that most so-called stem cell therapies have not gone through rigorous scientific trials, nor have they been approved as treatments by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Mick Bhatia, director of McMaster Universitys Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, said there are many unknowns in Howes case, such as how many stem cells were administered, were tests done to see whether they migrated to the targeted area of the body, and did they take up residence where they might have some effect or simply disappear?
Is this a transient effect, or is it really a perceived or somewhat of a placebo effect and is there something really happening? Scientifically and biologically that is important, Bhatia said Wednesday from Hamilton.
And because Howe received adult stem cells produced from donor cells, he may have needed to take drugs to prevent an immune reaction as well as anti-inflammatory medications, he said.
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Howes stem cell treatment raises concerns
A cure for hair loss? Scientists grow hair on rats using stem cells – and they say the treatment could work on humans …
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Achievementmade after coaxing stem cells to become papilla cells Dermal papilla is a special type of cell which is vital to follicle formation It could provide an unlimited source of cells for hair transplant procedures
By Ellie Zolfagharifard For Dailymail.com
Published: 14:15 EST, 27 January 2015 | Updated: 16:16 EST, 27 January 2015
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Finding a cure for baldness has become the holy grail for scientists the world over.
Now researchers in Orlando have come a step closer to a natural treatment after successfully growing new hair using human stem cells.
The breakthrough was achieved after coaxing stem cells to become dermal papilla cells a special type of cell which is vital to follicle formation.
Researchers in Orlando have come a step closer to a natural treatment for baldness after successfully growing new hair using human stem cells. Pictured is the hair growth on the leg of an adult rat
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A cure for hair loss? Scientists grow hair on rats using stem cells - and they say the treatment could work on humans ...
Keeping the Kraken asleep
By Dr. Matthew Watson
IMAGE:CDK6 is needed for leukemic stem cell activation (left). When CDK6 is absent, the LSC remains in a quiescent state and leukemia formation is prohibited (right). view more
Credit: Angelika Berger / Vetmeduni Vienna
Despite enormous progress in cancer therapy, many patients still relapse because their treatment addresses the symptoms of the disease rather than the cause, the so-called stem cells. Work in the group of Veronika Sexl at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna has given a tantalizing clue to a solution. In the current issue of Blood, the scientists report that the cell-cycle kinase CDK6 is required for activation of the stem cells responsible for causing leukemia.
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are normally inactive, i.e. quiescent. When new blood cells are needed, for example to replace blood that has been lost, HSCs start to multiply and develop into mature blood cells. If the process is initiated at an inappropriate time, hematopoietic diseases such as leukemia may result and leukemic stem cells may develop. These represent a major challenge to leukemia therapy: they are quiescent and thus protected from elimination by the immune system and from treatment such as chemotherapy. Leukemic stem cells frequently cause relapse in cancer patients, often years or even decades after an apparently successful treatment.
Working with stem cells isolated from mice, Ruth Scheicher and colleagues at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have investigated possible differences between leukemic stem cells and the healthy stem cells in the body. They looked in particular at the function of the CDK6 protein, which is known to be involved in controlling the cell cycle. Surprisingly, CDK6 was also found to regulate the activation of hematopoietic and leukemic stem cells, which it does by inhibiting the transcription factor Egr1. Upon loss of CDK6, Egr1 becomes active and prevents stem cells from dividing. In a further twist to the tale, the mechanism operates only when hematopoietic stem cells are stressed, e.g. in leukemia, and not in the normal physiological situation.
Scheicher is quick to note the significance of her finding. "CDK6 is absolutely necessary for leukemic stem cells to induce disease but plays no part in normal hematopoiesis. We thus have a novel opportunity to target leukemia at its origin. Inhibiting CDK6 should attack leukemic stem cells while leaving healthy HSCs unaffected".
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Service: The article 'CDK6 as a key regulator of hematopoietic and leukemic stem cell activation' by Scheicher R, Hoelbl-Kovacic A, Bellutti F, Tigan AS, Prchal-Murphy M, Heller G, Schneckenleithner C, Salazar-Roa M, Zchbauer-Mller S, Zuber J, Malumbres M, Kollmann K and Sexl V. was published in the journal Blood. http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/125/1/90.long?sso-checked=true
About the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
The University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna in Austria is one of the leading academic and research institutions in the field of Veterinary Sciences in Europe. About 1,300 employees and 2,300 students work on the campus in the north of Vienna which also houses five university clinics and various research sites. Outside of Vienna the university operates Teaching and Research Farms. http://www.vetmeduni.ac.at
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Keeping the Kraken asleep
Parkinson’s Disease: Mr Garnet’s experience 6 months after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D. – Video
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Parkinson #39;s Disease: Mr Garnet #39;s experience 6 months after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D.
At Docere Clinics, our clinical focus is on the treatment of musculoskeletal pain disorders. On rare occasions, we have patients, usually relatives of satisf...
By: Harry Adelson, N.D.
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Parkinson's Disease: Mr Garnet's experience 6 months after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D. - Video
Telomere extension turns back aging clock in cultured human cells, Stanford study finds
By Dr. Matthew Watson
A new procedure can quickly and efficiently increase the length of human telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that are linked to aging and disease, according to scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Treated cells behave as if they are much younger than untreated cells, multiplying with abandon in the laboratory dish rather than stagnating or dying.
The procedure, which involves the use of a modified type of RNA, will improve the ability of researchers to generate large numbers of cells for study or drug development, the scientists say. Skin cells with telomeres lengthened by the procedure were able to divide up to 40 more times than untreated cells. The research may point to new ways to treat diseases caused by shortened telomeres.
Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of the strands of DNA called chromosomes, which house our genomes. In young humans, telomeres are about 8,000-10,000 nucleotides long. They shorten with each cell division, however, and when they reach a critical length the cell stops dividing or dies. This internal "clock" makes it difficult to keep most cells growing in a laboratory for more than a few cell doublings.
'Turning back the internal clock'
"Now we have found a way to lengthen human telomeres by as much as 1,000 nucleotides, turning back the internal clock in these cells by the equivalent of many years of human life," said Helen Blau, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford and director of the university's Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology. "This greatly increases the number of cells available for studies such as drug testing or disease modeling."
A paper describing the research was published today in the FASEB Journal. Blau, who also holds the Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Professorship, is the senior author. Postdoctoral scholar John Ramunas, PhD, of Stanford shares lead authorship with Eduard Yakubov, PhD, of the Houston Methodist Research Institute.
The researchers used modified messenger RNA to extend the telomeres. RNA carries instructions from genes in the DNA to the cell's protein-making factories. The RNA used in this experiment contained the coding sequence for TERT, the active component of a naturally occurring enzyme called telomerase. Telomerase is expressed by stem cells, including those that give rise to sperm and egg cells, to ensure that the telomeres of these cells stay in tip-top shape for the next generation. Most other types of cells, however, express very low levels of telomerase.
Transient effect an advantage
The newly developed technique has an important advantage over other potential methods: It's temporary. The modified RNA is designed to reduce the cell's immune response to the treatment and allow the TERT-encoding message to stick around a bit longer than an unmodified message would. But it dissipates and is gone within about 48 hours. After that time, the newly lengthened telomeres begin to progressively shorten again with each cell division.
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Telomere extension turns back aging clock in cultured human cells, Stanford study finds
The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center Announces Adult Stem Cell Public Seminars in Naples, Florida
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Naples, Florida (PRWEB) January 23, 2015
The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center announces a series of free public seminars on the use of adult stem cells for various degenerative and inflammatory conditions. They will be provided by Dr. Thomas A. Gionis, Surgeon-in-Chief and Dr. Nia Smyrniotis, Medical Director and Surgeon.
The first seminar will be held on Sunday, January 25, 2015, at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm at the Hilton Naples, 5111 Tamiami Trail North, Naples, FL 34103. Please RSVP at (561) 331-2999.
The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center (Miami; Boca Raton; Orlando), along with sister affiliates, the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center (Irvine; Westlake Villages, Ca.) and the Manhattan Regenerative Medicine Medical Group (Manhattan, New York), abide by approved investigational protocols using adult adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) which can be deployed to improve patients quality of life for a number of chronic, degenerative and inflammatory conditions and diseases. ADSCs are taken from the patients own adipose (fat) tissue (found within a cellular mixture called stromal vascular fraction (SVF)). ADSCs are exceptionally abundant in adipose tissue. The adipose tissue is obtained from the patient during a 15 minute mini-liposuction performed under local anesthesia in the doctors office. SVF is a protein-rich solution containing mononuclear cell lines (predominantly adult autologous mesenchymal stem cells), macrophage cells, endothelial cells, red blood cells, and important Growth Factors that facilitate the stem cell process and promote their activity.
ADSCs are the bodys natural healing cells - they are recruited by chemical signals emitted by damaged tissues to repair and regenerate the bodys injured cells. The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center only uses Adult Autologous Stem Cells from a persons own fat No embryonic stem cells are used; and No bone marrow stem cells are used. Current areas of study include: Emphysema, COPD, Asthma, Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Parkinsons Disease, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Lou Gehrigs Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohns Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Inflammatory Myopathies, and degenerative orthopedic joint conditions (Knee, Shoulder, Hip, Spine).
For more information, or if someone thinks they may be a candidate for one of the adult stem cell protocols offered by the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center, they may contact Dr. Gionis or Dr. Smyrniotis directly at (561) 331-2999, or see a complete list of the Centers study areas at: http://www.MiamiStemCellsUSA.com.
About the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center: The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center, along with sister affiliates, the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center and the Manhattan Regenerative Medicine Medical Group, is an affiliate of the California Stem Cell Treatment Center / Cell Surgical Network (CSN); we are located in Boca Raton, Orlando, Miami and The Villages (opening soon), Florida. We provide care for people suffering from diseases that may be alleviated by access to adult stem cell based regenerative treatment. We utilize a fat transfer surgical technology to isolate and implant the patients own stem cells from a small quantity of fat harvested by a mini-liposuction on the same day. The investigational protocols utilized by the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center have been reviewed and approved by an IRB (Institutional Review Board) which is registered with the U.S. Department of Health, Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP); and our studies are registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).
For more information, visit our websites: http://www.MiamiStemCellsUSA.com, http://www.IrvineStemCellsUSA.com , or http://www.NYStemCellsUSA.com.
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The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center Announces Adult Stem Cell Public Seminars in Naples, Florida
Growing bone in space: Study to test therapy for bone loss on the International Space Station
By Dr. Matthew Watson
UCLA has received grant funding from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to lead a research mission that will send rodents to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will allow astronauts on the space station and scientists on Earth to test a potential new therapy for accelerating bone growth in humans.
The research will be led by Dr. Chia Soo, a UCLA professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery and orthopaedic surgery, who is member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. Soo is also research director for UCLA Operation Mend, which provides medical care for wounded warriors. The study will test the ability of a bone-forming molecule called NELL-1 to direct stem cells to induce bone formation and prevent bone degeneration.
Other members of the UCLA research team are Dr. Kang Ting, a professor in dentistry who discovered NELL-1 and is leading efforts to translate NELL-1 therapy to humans, Dr. Ben Wu, a professor of bioengineering who modified the NELL-1 molecule to make useful for treating osteoporosis, and Dr. Jin Hee Kwak, an assistant professor of dentistry who will manage daily operations.
Based on results of previous studies supported by the NIH, the UCLA-ISS team will begin ground operations in early 2015. They hope that the study will provide new insights into the prevention of bone loss or osteoporosis as well as the regeneration of massive bone defects that can occur in wounded military personnel. Osteoporosis is a significant public health problem commonly associated with "skeletal disuse" conditions such as immobilization, stroke, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury and jaw resorption after tooth loss.
"NELL-1 holds tremendous hope, not only for preventing bone loss but one day even restoring healthy bone," Ting said. "For patients who are bed-bound and suffering from bone loss, it could be life-changing."
The UCLA team will oversee the ground operations of the mission in tandem with a flight operation coordinated by CASIS and NASA.
"A group of 40 rodents will be sent to the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory onboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule, where they will live for two months in a microgravity environment during the first ever test of NELL-1 in space," said Dr. Julie Robinson, NASA's chief scientist for the International Space Station program at the Johnson Space Center.
"CASIS is proud to work alongside UCLA in an effort to promote the station as a viable platform for bone loss inquiry," said Warren Bates, director of portfolio management for CASIS. "Through investigations like this, we hope to make profound discoveries and enable the development of therapies to counteract bone loss ailments common in humans."
Prolonged space flights induce extreme changes in bone and organ systems that cannot be replicated on Earth.
"Besides testing the limits of NELL-1's robust bone-producing effects, this mission will provide new insights about bone biology and could uncover important clues for curing diseases such as osteoporosis," Wu said.
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Growing bone in space: Study to test therapy for bone loss on the International Space Station
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy May Be Helped With Cardiac Stem Cells – Video
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy May Be Helped With Cardiac Stem Cells
Study shows cardiac stem cells used to treat heart attacks may also help children with muscular dystrophy. Dr. Bruce Hensel reports for the NBC4 News at 5 on...
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Winnipeg company offering stem cell therapy is fraudulent, MS sufferer alleges
By Dr. Matthew Watson
A Winnipeg-based company that has touted its ability to improve the lives of Multiple Sclerosis patients through stem cell therapy is now under the microscope after allegations of fraud from a client.
The CEO of Regenetek Research Inc. has been collecting thousands of dollars from Canadian patients looking for help. Some of the patients are now questioning the research and credentials of the man they know as Dr. Doug.
One of them is Lee Chuckry, 47. He has been living with MS for nearly two decades.
MS just keeps progressing, thats what it does. Hopefully I could stop it. That was my ultimate goal, Chuckry said in an interview with CTV News.
His efforts led him to Regenetek, and its CEO: Doug Broeska.
In testimonials, MS patients attributed miraculous medical improvement to experimental stem cell therapy. For $35,000, Regenetek patients were flown to India for the procedure.
Chuckry was one of the participants. But when he returned home, he says his symptoms worsened.
When he started digging deeper, he said, he found the doctor hed put his faith in wasnt what he claimed to be.
Im going to call Doug a con artist, Chuckry said. You are preying on people who are desperate. They are looking for hope of any sort.
Chuckry and at least one other patient have gone to the RCMP. They allege Broeska, who claims to hold a PhD and a Bachelor of Science, is a fraud who is operating as a medical researcher without proper credentials.
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Winnipeg company offering stem cell therapy is fraudulent, MS sufferer alleges
Bone stem cells shown to regenerate bones, cartilage in adult mice
By Dr. Matthew Watson
A stem cell capable of regenerating both bone and cartilage has been identified in bone marrow of mice. The discovery by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) is reported today in the online issue of the journal Cell.
The cells, called osteochondroreticular (OCR) stem cells, were discovered by tracking a protein expressed by the cells. Using this marker, the researchers found that OCR cells self-renew and generate key bone and cartilage cells, including osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Researchers also showed that OCR stem cells, when transplanted to a fracture site, contribute to bone repair.
"We are now trying to figure out whether we can persuade these cells to specifically regenerate after injury. If you make a fracture in the mouse, these cells will come alive again, generate both bone and cartilage in the mouse--and repair the fracture. The question is, could this happen in humans," says Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at CUMC and a senior author of the study.
The researchers believe that OCR stem cells will be found in human bone tissue, as mice and humans have similar bone biology. Further study could provide greater understanding of how to prevent and treat osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, or bone fractures.
"Our findings raise the possibility that drugs or other therapies can be developed to stimulate the production of OCR stem cells and improve the body's ability to repair bone injury--a process that declines significantly in old age," says Timothy C. Wang, MD, the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor of Medicine at CUMC, who initiated this research. Previously, Dr. Wang found an analogous stem cell in the intestinal tract and observed that it was also abundant in the bone.
"These cells are particularly active during development, but they also increase in number in adulthood after bone injury," says Gerard Karsenty, MD, PhD, the Paul A. Marks Professor of Genetics and Development, chair of the Department of Genetics & Development, and a member of the research team.
The study also showed that the adult OCRs are distinct from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which play a role in bone generation during development and adulthood. Researchers presumed that MSCs were the origin of all bone, cartilage, and fat, but recent studies have shown that these cells do not generate young bone and cartilage. The CUMC study suggests that OCR stem cells actually fill this function and that both OCR stems cells and MSCs contribute to bone maintenance and repair in adults.
The researchers also suspect that OCR cells may play a role in soft tissue cancers.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Columbia University Medical Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
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Bone stem cells shown to regenerate bones, cartilage in adult mice
Broken bones and torn cartilage could be regrown in simple operation
By Dr. Matthew Watson
"This research raises the possibility that we can create new skeletal stem cells from patients' own tissues and use them to grow new cartilage."
The scientists are hopeful that the breakthrough would allow missing bone parts and cartilage to be grown in a lab and then transplanted, lowering the chance of rejection.
"Right now, if you have lost a significant portion of your leg or jaw bones, you have to borrow from Peter to pay Paul in that you have to cut another bone like the fibula into the shape you need, move it and attach it to the blood supply," said Dr Longaker.
"But if your existing bone is not available or not sufficient, using this research you might be able to put some of your own fat into a biomimetic scaffold, let it grow into the bone you want in a muscle or fat pocket, and then move that new bone to where it's needed."
Scientists are even hopeful that they could coax fat cells into becoming skeleton stem cells which could then be injected into a damaged area during a simple operation. It could be particularly useful in knee and hip operations for the elderly and prevent arthritis.
"The number of skeletal stem cells decreases dramatically with age, so bone fractures or dental implants don't heal very well in the elderly because new bone doesn't grow easily, said lead author Dr Charles Chan.
"But perhaps you will be able to take fat from the patient's body during surgery, combine it with these reprogramming factors right there in the operating room and immediately transplant new skeletal stem cells back into the patient."
Although researchers have so far only mapped the skeletal stem cell system in mice, they are confident that they will be able to do the same in humans.
"In this research we now have a Rosetta Stone that should help find the human skeletal stem cells and decode the chemical language they use to steer their development," added Dr Chan.
"The pathways in humans should be very similar and share many of the major genes used in the mouse skeletal system."
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Broken bones and torn cartilage could be regrown in simple operation
Team isolates stem cell that gives rise to bones, cartilage in mice
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Jan 15, 2015 Hematopoietic precursor cells: promyelocyte in the center, two metamyelocytes next to it and band cells from a bone marrow aspirate. Credit: Bobjgalindo/Wikipedia
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered the stem cell in mice that gives rise to bone, cartilage and a key part of bone marrow called the stroma.
In addition, the researchers have charted the chemical signals that can create skeletal stem cells and steer their development into each of these specific tissues. The discovery sets the stage for a wide range of potential therapies for skeletal disorders such as bone fractures, brittle bones, osteosarcoma or damaged cartilage.
A paper describing the findings will be published Jan. 15 in Cell.
"Millions of times a year, orthopedic surgeons see torn cartilage in a joint and have to take it out because cartilage doesn't heal well, but that lack of cartilage predisposes the patient to arthritis down the road," said Michael Longaker, MD, a professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Stanford and a senior author of the paper. "This research raises the possibility that we can create new skeletal stem cells from patients' own tissues and use them to grow new cartilage." Longaker is also co-director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.
An intensive search
The researchers started by focusing on groups of cells that divide rapidly at the ends of mouse bones, and then showed that these collections of cells could form all parts of bone: the bone itself, cartilage and the stromathe spongy tissue at the center of bones that helps hematopoietic stem cells turn into blood and immune cells. Through extensive effort, they then identified a single type of cell that could, by itself, form all these elements of the skeleton.
The scientists then went much further, mapping the developmental tree of skeletal stem cells to track exactly how they changed into intermediate progenitor cells and eventually each type of skeletal tissue.
"Mapping the tree led to an in-depth understanding of all the genetic switches that have to be flipped in order to give rise to more specific progenitors and eventually highly specialized cells," said postdoctoral scholar Charles Chan, PhD, who shares lead authorship of the paper with postdoctoral scholar David Lo, MD, graduate student James Chen and research assistant Elly Eun Young Seo. With that information, the researchers were able to find factors that, when provided in the right amount and at the right time, would steer the development of skeletal stem cells into bone, cartilage or stromal cells.
"If this is translated into humans, we then have a way to isolate skeletal stem cells and rescue cartilage from wear and tear or aging, repair bones that have nonhealing fractures and renew the bone marrow niche in those who have had it damaged in one way or another," said Irving Weissman, MD, professor of pathology and of developmental biology, who directs the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Weissman, the other senior author of the paper, also holds the Virginia and Daniel K. Ludwig Professorship in Clinical Investigation in Cancer Research.
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Team isolates stem cell that gives rise to bones, cartilage in mice
Global Stem Cells Group to Move Headquarters to Larger Miami Lakes Office Complex
By Dr. Matthew Watson
MIAMI (PRWEB) January 14, 2015
Citing fast-paced growth and the need for more space to accommodate its expanding operations, Global Stem Cells Group CEO Benito Novas has announced plans to move the organizations headquarters from Sunrise, Florida to the Miami Lakes Corporate Center. The new location more than doubles the space for the international stem cell and regenerative medicine company's corporate offices.
Since opening in 2012 under the Regenestem brand, Global Stem Cells Group and its six operating companies have grown exponentially, establishing partnerships with stem cell clinics, hospitals, researchers and physicians in the Philippines, South America and Europe.
The new Global Stem Cells Group facility provides state-of-the-art space for our entire team to drive innovation through our research and development initiatives, and support partnering activities with our biotechnology products and education programs, Novas says. We now have the space to continue the fast-paced growth of our companies and advance the development of new stem cell and regenerative medicine technologies that will benefit patients worldwide.
The new corporate headquarters, scheduled to open January 15, 2015, are located in the Miami Lakes Corporate Center, 14750 NW 77th Court, Suite 304 Miami Lakes, FL 33016.
For more information visit the Global Stem Cells website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.
About the Global Stem Cells Group:
Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions.
With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.
Global Stem Cells Groups corporate mission is to make the promise of stem cell medicine a reality for patients around the world. With each of GSCGs six operating companies focused on a separate research-based mission, the result is a global network of state-of-the-art stem cell treatments.
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Global Stem Cells Group to Move Headquarters to Larger Miami Lakes Office Complex
Stem Cell Therapy: A cure for Diabetes | PlacidWay – Video
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Stem Cell Therapy: A cure for Diabetes | PlacidWay
http://tiny.cc/DiabetesCure2015 Diabetes treatment can consist of numerous elements, consisting of standard medications, alternative medication, and natural treatments. Alternative therapies...
By: Robert Esser
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Stem Cell Therapy: A cure for Diabetes | PlacidWay - Video
Renowned professor's book addresses stem cell biology & regenerative medicine
By Dr. Matthew Watson
IMAGE:This is the cover for Stem Cells, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. view more
Credit: World Scientific, 2015
In his latest book published by World Scientific, Professor David Warburton from The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California presents a collection of essays on the current state of the regenerative medicine and stem cell research field.
Entitled Stem Cells, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, this up-to-date compendium surveys current issues in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Topics range from key concepts in regenerative medicine to the newest progenitor cell therapies for organ systems, to advice on how to set up a pluripotent stem cell laboratory.
Overviews of the most recent progress in stem cell research describe work that is in the pre-clinical pipeline from scientists working at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and colleagues around the world.
"The book addresses some of the big questions faced by researchers in the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine," said Professor Warburton. "Those of us working in this field in California are positively impacted by the critical funding provided by the citizens of the state through the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. I believe this book shows that the hope behind CIRM - the hope that stem cells can really revolutionize medicine and human health - is fully justified."
A global collection of essays from collaborating investigators in Australia, Brazil, Iran, Taiwan and the United Kingdom, as well as across the United States. This book will describe diverse regenerative medicine solutions for airways, cancer, craniofacial structures, intestine, heart, kidney, liver, lung and nervous system. These advances are placed in the context of the overall field, providing an investigator-level overview which will be accessible to the educated scientific generalist as well as a college-educated readership, scientific writers, educators and professionals of all kinds.
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Professor Warburton's research is supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the National Institutes of Health: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Fogarty International Center, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, The Pasadena Guild of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, The Santa Anita Foundation, The Webb Foundation, The Garland Foundation and anonymous venture philanthropy.
The book retails for US$155/ 102 (hardcover). More information on the book can be found at http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/9212.
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Renowned professor's book addresses stem cell biology & regenerative medicine
MEN Comment: Join Jason Manford in donating to Anthony Nolan donor scheme
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Proud new dad Jason Manford has shared his baby joy over the weekend after welcoming his fifth child into the world.
But the birth has also given the comic and his girlfriend Lucy the opportunity to save a life.
The couple decided to take the unusual step of donating the umbilical cord and placenta to the Anthony Nolan Trust after meeting its team at St Marys Hospital.
The charity helps people with blood cancers matching them with donors if they need a stem cell, bone marrow or cord blood transplant.
It runs an umbilical cord and placenta collection programme in eight hospitals across the country, including St Marys.
Specialists collect the umbilical cord and placenta from donors after the birth and, instead of throwing them away, extract blood from them.
Stem cells in cord blood are adaptable which makes finding matches for donors easier and, as they are stored in a bank, they are available straight away.
Its a fantastic scheme and Jason has done a great service by raising awareness of it. Wed encourage any expecting parents to follow in his footsteps and find out more.
To find out more, go to their website.
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MEN Comment: Join Jason Manford in donating to Anthony Nolan donor scheme
Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI) Stock Hits One-Year High Today
By Dr. Matthew Watson
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Shares of Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI) surged more than 75% to a 52-week high of $8.47 on Fridayahead of the biotech company's data release on Monday.
Brainstorm intends to release the final results from its Phase 2a trial of its stem cell therapy NurOwn. The company describes NurOwn as an "autologous, adult stem cell therapy technology" designed to treat ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
The company will host a conference call on Monday to discuss the results.
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Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI) Stock Hits One-Year High Today
Malones donate $42.5 million to CSU for new stem-cell research facility
By Dr. Matthew Watson
John and Leslie Malone pose with Maikel at Harmony Sporthorses, December 2, 2014.
The largest ever cash donation to Colorado State University stems from a novel treatment to get a dressage horse with a bum knee back into the show ring.
John and Leslie Malone's $42.5 million gift, announced Monday, will create the CSU Institute for Biologic Translational Therapies in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, a 100,000-square-foot facility to develop stem-cell research into commercially viable treatments for animals and humans.
"This is the largest cash gift in the history of the university and it's absolutely staggering," said Brett Anderson, CSU's vice president for advancement. "It really allows us to be the best in the nation."
The Malone money will fund half of the $65 million cost to construct the facility. The school is looking for more donations to match the Malones' contribution. So far, an additional $10 million has been raised.
The Malones also provided $10 million to cover the Institute's operating expenses once the facility is built.
"The Malones have been so gracious. We asked them if they want to put their name on the building, but they said if it's helpful to you in order to get another major donor, we are happy to let you name it for someone else," Anderson said. "They are an incredible couple."
John Malone, who made his millions at the helm of Tele-Communications Inc. and now chairs the giant Liberty Media Corp., and his wife, Leslie, could not be reached for comment on Monday.
The Malones, who raise and train dressage and jumping horses on a ranch near Kiowa, last year donated $6 million to the school to establish the Leslie A. Malone Presidential Chair in Equine Sports Medicine.
They later brought Blixt, their dressage horse with a bad knee, to the vet school's Orthopaedic Research Center.
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Malones donate $42.5 million to CSU for new stem-cell research facility
Stem cell transplant may help patients with MS
By Dr. Matthew Watson
An experimental treatment that uses a patient's own stem cells may offer new hope for people with multiple sclerosis.
In a small clinical trial, patients experienced long-term disease remission after undergoing a transplant of their own hematopoietic stem cells. This type of cell is responsible for the formation of blood in the body and are typically derived from bone marrow. The patients also took high-dose immunosuppressive drugs.
The paper, published Monday in JAMA Neurology, reports on the third year of a five-year study. A total of 24 patients with active relapsing-remitting MS were enrolled in the trial. With this type of MS, patients have points when their disease is active followed by periods when they do not experience any symptoms.
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Dr. Jon LaPook goes inside the trial and approval process for an experimental treatment using stem cells designed to make Multiple Sclerosis pati...
The researchers found that nearly 79 percent of the patients who underwent the procedure sustained full neurologic function for the three years following the treatment and symptoms of their disease did not progress. Additionally, patients in that time period did not develop any new lesions related to their disease.
More than 90 percent of patients did not experience disease progression, while 86 percent did not have any periods of relapse. Though a small number of patients did have side effects from the immunosuppressive drugs, they were no different than the side effects typically experienced by MS patients taking the drugs who haven't undergone stem cell therapy.
"Longer follow-up is needed to determine the durability of the response," the authors write in the study. "Careful comparison of the results of this investigation and other ongoing studies will be needed to identify the best approaches for high-dose immunosuppressive therapies for MS and plan the next clinical studies."
The authors of an accompanying editorial say the research indicates this type of therapy has potential to work on patients who do not experience disease remission with medications alone, such as immunosuppressive drugs and anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids.
However, they add that "the jury is still out regarding the appropriateness and indication" of stem cell transplants for MS patients. Stem cell therapy is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of MS. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society currently funds 15 research projects on stem cell therapies that have the potential to prevent disease activity and repair nerve damage.
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Stem cell transplant may help patients with MS