GERMANTOWN, Md., Feb. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Neuralstem, Inc. (CUR), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of central nervous system therapies based on its neural stem cell technology, today announced that U.S. Patent No. 9572807 was issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for NSI-189, the lead compound in Neuralstem's neurogenic small molecule program in development for the treatment of major depressive disorder. US 9,572,807 has claims to protocols for using NSI-189 and related compounds for treatment of major depressive disorder. Counterparts have been filed in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. These patents will expire in June 2035.

The new patent adds to the portfolio of over 20 U.S. and 120 foreign issued and pending patents that are owned or licensed to Neuralstem in the field of regenerative medicine. This includes U.S. Patent No. 9,540,611, issued on January 10, 2017 by the USPTO, covering the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases using NSI-566, the companys proprietary neural stem cell therapy candidate.

We are excited to be bringing forward therapeutic options that could make a tremendous difference in the lives of those who suffer from nervous system disorders and conditions, said Rich Daly, Chairman and CEO, Neuralstem. We will continue to aggressively establish a broad portfolio of intellectual property to protect our research and development efforts.

About Neuralstem

Neuralstems patented technology enables the commercial-scale production of multiple types of central nervous system stem cells, which are being developed as potential therapies for multiple central nervous system diseases and conditions.

Neuralstems technology enables the generation of small molecule compounds by screening hippocampal stem cell lines with its proprietary systematic chemical screening process. The screening process has led to the discovery and patenting of molecules that Neuralstem believes may stimulate the brains capacity to generate new neurons, potentially reversing pathophysiologies associated with certain central nervous system (CNS) conditions.

The company has completed Phase 1a and 1b trials evaluating NSI-189, a novel neurogenic small molecule product candidate, for the treatment of major depressive disorder or MDD, and is currently conducting a Phase 2 efficacy study for MDD.

Neuralstems stem cell therapy product candidate, NSI-566, is a spinal cord-derived neural stem cell line. Neuralstem is currently evaluating NSI-566 in three indications: stroke, chronic spinal cord injury (cSCI), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Neuralstem is conducting a Phase 1 safety study for the treatment of paralysis from chronic motor stroke at the BaYi Brain Hospital in Beijing, China. In addition, NSI-566 is being evaluated in a Phase 1 safety study to treat paralysis due to chronic spinal cord injury as well as a Phase 1 and Phase 2a risk escalation, safety trials for ALS. Patients from all three indications are currently in long-term observational follow-up periods to continue to monitor safety and possible therapeutic benefits.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to future, not past, events and may often be identified by words such as expect, anticipate, intend, plan, believe, seek or will. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Specific risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, uncertainty of clinical trial results or regulatory approvals or clearances, need for future capital, dependence upon collaborators and maintenance of our intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in Neuralstems periodic reports, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and Form 10-Q for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and in other reports filed with the SEC. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

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Neuralstem Announces Issuance of US Patent Covering NSI-189 - Yahoo Finance

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Neuralstem Announces Issuance of US Patent Covering NSI-189 – Yahoo Finance | February 22nd, 2017

CNA Finance

Cellect Announces Positive Clinical Trial Results P&T Community Dr. Yaron Pereg, Cellect's Chief Development Officer, commented: These results from processing human stem cells for bone marrow transplantation using ApoGraft clearly demonstrated that Cellect's proprietary platform could improve the outcome of stem ... Early-stage study validates Cellect Bio's method of stem cell selection; shares ahead 19%Seeking Alpha all 5 news articles »

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SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - February 13, 2017) - VistaGen Therapeutics Inc. (VTGN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing new generation medicines for depression and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2017 ended December 31, 2016.

The Company also provided a corporate update, including anticipated milestones for AV-101, its new generation, orally available CNS prodrug candidate in Phase 2 development, initially for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients with an inadequate response to standard antidepressant therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"We are excited about our progress during the last quarter, with several key advances related to our MDD-focused programs for AV-101, as well as potential regenerative medicine and drug rescue applications of our cardiac stem cell technology. Following productive discussions with the FDA last quarter, our team and key advisors have been working diligently to complete the diverse regulatory and technical activities necessary to support the planned launch of our Phase 2b study of AV-101 next quarter, a study we believe has game-changing potential for the millions of patients who battle MDD every day with inadequate therapies," commented Shawn Singh, Chief Executive Officer of VistaGen. "Also, our recent sublicense agreement with BlueRock Therapeutics was an important advance in our cardiac stem cell program while we remain primarily focused on our Phase 2 programs for AV-101. With potentially catalytic milestones in the coming quarters, we believe we are poised to unlock significant value for our shareholders throughout 2017," added Mr. Singh.

Recent Corporate Highlights:

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is currently conducting and fully funding a 20 to 25-patient Phase 2a study of AV-101 as a monotherapy for treatment-resistant MDD under VistaGen's Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the NIMH (Phase 2a Study). Dr. Carlos Zarate Jr., Chief, Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders and Chief of Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch at the NIMH and a leading clinical expert on the use of ketamine for treatment-resistant MDD, is the Principal Investigator of the Phase 2a Study. Following recent guidance from the NIMH, the Company currently anticipates that the NIMH will complete the Phase 2a Study by the end of 2017.

VistaGen is preparing to launch a 280-patient, multi-center, double-blind, placebo controlled Phase 2b efficacy and safety study evaluating AV-101 as a new generation adjunctive treatment for MDD patients with an inadequate response to standard, FDA-approved antidepressant therapies. The Company currently anticipates commencing patient enrollment in the Phase 2b Study in the second quarter of 2017. Dr. Maurizio Fava of Harvard University Medical School will serve as the Principal Investigator of VistaGen's AV-101 Phase 2b Study. Topline clinical results from the Phase 2b Study are currently anticipated by the end of 2018.

Dr. Mark Smith, Chief Medical Officer of VistaGen, commented, "We look forward to starting patient enrollment in our Phase 2b study of AV-101 as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of MDD. We believe we have significantly de-risked this Phase 2b study with a clinical trial methodology that is designed to overcome the challenge of placebo effects in psychiatric clinical trials. Based on the study protocol we have designed in collaboration with key opinion leaders in depression and neuroscience, including our Principal Investigator, Dr. Fava, we expect that achieving a successful outcome of our Phase 2b study will be integral in realizing AV-101's potential to displace atypical antipsychotics and non-drug interventions in the current depression treatment paradigm, representing a much needed treatment solution for physicians and patients, as well as an enormous opportunity for VistaGen."

Expected Near-Term Milestones:

"The NIMH recently updated us on their timelines for the completion of the Phase 2a study of AV-101 as a monotherapy for MDD. The Phase 2a study protocol requires considerable time and dedication from both the study participants and the multi-disciplinary NIMH teams involved. Patient enrollment for the Phase 2a study remains ongoing and we currently anticipate the NIMH's completion of the study by the end of 2017. Our top priority is to execute our plans for our Phase 2b study of AV-101 as a new generation adjunctive treatment of MDD, and we remain on track to launch that important study in the second quarter. As part of our Phase 2 program, this Phase 2b study has been specifically designed to achieve important outcomes that will be key to advancing AV-101 into a pivotal program in MDD and more broadly beyond MDD, as we continue to advance our global commercialization strategy. We are confident that our Phase 2 program is a major step forward in positioning AV-101 as a potentially transformative adjunctive treatment of MDD and other CNS disorders," concluded Mr. Singh.

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Summary of Financial Results for the Third Quarter of Fiscal 2017 Ended December 31, 2016

Revenue

The Company recognized $1.25 million in sublicense revenue pursuant to its cardiac stem cell technology sublicense agreement with BlueRock Therapeutics, a next generation regenerative medicine company established by Bayer AG and Versant Ventures, in the third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2016.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expense totaled $1.61 million for the third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2016, compared to $806,300 for the quarter ended December 31, 2015, reflecting increasing focus on nonclinical and clinical development of AV-101 and preparations for launch of the AV-101 Phase 2b Study in the second quarter of 2017.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expense increased to $2.3 million in the third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2016, from $1.3 million for the same period in the prior year. The increase in G&A expense is the result of increased noncash stock compensation expense attributable to option and warrant grants in the period to employees, independent members of the Company's Board of Directors and consultants and other noncash expense related to grants of equity securities in payment of certain professional services, and a combination of corporate expenses, including investor relations and corporate development initiatives.

Net Loss

For the third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2016, the Company reported a net loss of approximately $2.6 million, or a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $0.34 per common share, compared to a net loss of approximately $2.1 million, or a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $1.95 per common share for the same period in the prior year.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

As of December 31, 2016, the Company had approximately $5.6 million of cash, cash equivalents and short term receivables, including a $1.25 million short term sublicense fee receivable from BlueRock Therapeutics pursuant to the Company's December 2016 technology sublicense agreement with BlueRock Therapeutics. In January 2017, the Company received the $1.25 million sublicense fee payment from BlueRock Therapeutics and currently believes it has sufficient financial resources to fund its expected operations at least through the first half of 2017, including preparation for and launch of its planned AV-101 Phase 2b Study in MDD.

About VistaGen

VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. (VTGN), is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing new generation medicines for depression and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders. VistaGen's lead CNS product candidate, AV-101, is a new generation oral antidepressant drug candidate in Phase 2 development. AV-101's mechanism of action is fundamentally differentiated from all FDA-approved antidepressants and atypical antipsychotics used adjunctively to treat MDD, with potential to drive a paradigm shift towards a new generation of safer and faster-acting antidepressants. AV-101 is currently being evaluated by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in a Phase 2a monotherapy study in MDD being fully funded by the NIMH and conducted by Dr. Carlos Zarate Jr., Chief, Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders and Chief of Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch at the NIMH. VistaGen is preparing to launch a 280-patient Phase 2b study of AV-101 as an adjunctive treatment for MDD patients with inadequate response to standard, FDA-approved antidepressant therapies. Dr. Maurizio Fava of Harvard University will be the Principal Investigator of the Phase 2b study. AV-101 may also have the potential to treat multiple CNS disorders and neurodegenerative diseases in addition to MDD, including chronic neuropathic pain, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, where modulation of the NMDAR, AMPA pathway and/or key active metabolites of AV-101 may achieve therapeutic benefit.

VistaStem Therapeutics is VistaGen's wholly owned subsidiary focused on applying human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) technology, internally and with third-party collaborators, to discover, rescue, develop and commercialize proprietary new chemical entities (NCEs), including small molecule NCEs with regenerative potential, for CNS and other diseases, and cellular therapies involving stem cell-derived blood, cartilage, heart and liver cells. In December 2016, VistaGen exclusively sublicensed to BlueRock Therapeutics LP, a next generation regenerative medicine company established by Bayer AG and Versant Ventures, rights to certain proprietary technologies relating to the production of cardiac stem cells for the treatment of heart disease.

For more information, please visit http://www.vistagen.com and connect with VistaGen on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to the successful launch, continuation and results of the NIMH's Phase 2a (monotherapy) and/or the Company's planned Phase 2b (adjunctive therapy) clinical studies of AV-101 in MDD, and other CNS diseases and disorders, protection of its intellectual property, and the availability of substantial additional capital to support its operations, including the development activities described above. These and other risks and uncertainties are identified and described in more detail in VistaGen's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These filings are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. VistaGen undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

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A baby's first act, saving a life Belleville News-Democrat Currently, stem cells are being researched to try to find cures or ways to treat autism, spinal cord injury, stroke recovery and Alzheimer's disease. Doll-Pollard said that it is incredibly important for the family to weigh these options before a ...

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February 15, 2017 A single human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM). Cells such as these were used to assess tyrosine kinase inhibitors for cardiotoxicity in a high-throughput fashion. Credit: Dr. Arun Sharma at Dr. Joseph Wus laboratory at Stanford University

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine used heart muscle cells made from stem cells to rank commonly used chemotherapy drugs based on their likelihood of causing lasting heart damage in patients.

Drugs known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors can be an effective treatment for many types of cancers, but they also have severe and sometimes fatal side effects. Using lab-grown heart cells, Stanford researchers were able to assess the drugs' various effects on heart muscle cells, including whether the cells survived, were able to beat rhythmically and effectively, responded appropriately to electrophysiological signals and communicated with one another.

The researchers found that their assay can accurately identify those tyrosine kinase inhibitors already known to be the most dangerous in patients. In the future, they believe their system may prove useful in the early stages of drug development to screen new compounds for cardiotoxicity.

"This type of study represents a critical step forward from the usual process running from initial drug discovery and clinical trials in human patients," said Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and a professor of cardiovascular medicine and of radiology. "It will help pharmaceutical companies better focus their efforts on developing safer drugs, and it will provide patients more effective drugs with fewer side effects."

A paper describing the research will be published Feb. 15 in Science Translational Medicine. Wu, who holds the Simon H. Stertzer Professorship, is the senior author. Former graduate student Arun Sharma, PhD, is the lead author.

'Multiple measurements'

"We used multiple measurements to accurately predict which of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors were the most cardiotoxic," said Sharma. "The drugs with the lowest safety indices in our study were also those identified by the Food and Drug Administration as the most cardiotoxic to patients. Other drugs that are not as cardiotoxic performed much better in our assays."

Validating the researchers' cardiac-safety test on drugs with extensive clinical track records is necessary before the assay can be used to predict with confidence the likely clinical outcomes of drugs still under development.

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Sharma, Wu and their colleagues created heart muscle cells called cardiomyocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, from 11 healthy people and two people with kidney cancer. They grew the lab-made cardiomyocytes in a dish and tested the effects of 21 commonly used tyrosine kinase inhibitors on the cells.

They found that treatment with drug levels equivalent to those taken by patients often caused the cells to beat irregularly and begin to die. The cells also displayed differences in the electrophysiological signaling that controls their contraction. The researchers used these and other measurements to develop a cardiac safety index for each drug.

They found that those drugs known to be particularly dangerous to heart function, such as nilotinib, which is approved for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia, and vandetanib, which is approved for the treatment of some types of thyroid cancer, also had the lowest safety indices based on the assay; conversely, those known to be better tolerated by patients ranked higher on their safety index. Prescribing information for both nilotinib and vandetanib contains warnings from the FDA about the drugs' potential cardiotoxicity.

An activity increase in an insulin responsive pathway

Six of the 21 tyrosine kinase inhibitors tested were assigned cardiac safety indices at or below 0.1the threshold limit at which the researchers designated a drug highly cardiotoxic. Three of these six are known to inhibit the same two signaling pathways: VEGFR2 and PDGFR. The researchers noticed that cells treated with these three drugs ramped up the activity of a cellular signaling pathway that responds to insulin or IGF1, an insulinlike growth factor.

This discovery, coupled with the fact that treatment with insulin or IGF1 is known to enhance heart function during adverse cardiac events such as heart attacks, led the researchers to experiment further. They found that exposing the cells to insulin or IGF1 made it less likely they would die due to tyrosine kinase inhibitors blocking the VEGFR2 and PDGFR pathways. Although more research is needed, these findings suggest it may be possible to alleviate some of the heart damage in patients receiving these chemotherapies.

The current study mirrors another by Wu's lab that was published in April 2016 in Nature Medicine. That research focused on the toxic effect of a chemotherapy drug called doxorubicin on iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Doxorubicin, which indiscriminately kills any replicating cells, is increasingly being replaced by more targeted, cancer-specific therapies such as the tyrosine kinase inhibitors tested in the current study.

"The switch from doxorubicin is a result of the paradigm shift in cancer treatment to personalized, precise treatment as emphasized by President Obama's 2015 Precision Medicine Initiative," said Wu. "Moving even further, we're discovering that many tyrosine kinase inhibitors are themselves significantly cardiotoxic, and some have been withdrawn from the market. There is a critical need for a way to 'safety test' all drugs earlier in development before they are administered to patients. Our drug safety index is a step in that direction."

Explore further: Stem cell-based screening methods may predict heart-related side effects of drugs

More information: "High-throughput screening of tyrosine kinase inhibitor cardiotoxicity with human induced pluripotent stem cells," Science Translational Medicine, stm.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aaf2584

Coaxing stem cells from patients to become heart cells may help clinicians personalize drug treatments and prevent heart-related toxicity.

Heart muscle cells made from induced pluripotent stem cells faithfully mirror the expression patterns of key genes in the donor's native heart tissue, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. ...

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have determined that chronic myeloid leukemia patients who are treated with a class of oral chemotherapy drugs known as a tyrosine kinase inhibitors have significant side effects and quality-of-life ...

Some cancers can be effectively treated with drugs inhibiting proteins known as receptor tyrosine kinases, but not those cancers caused by mutations in the KRAS gene. A team of researchers led by Jeffrey Engelman, at Massachusetts ...

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Fat cells are not simply big blobs of lipid quietly standingby in the bodyinstead, they send out hormones and other signaling proteins that affect many types of tissues. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center now have identified ...

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine used heart muscle cells made from stem cells to rank commonly used chemotherapy drugs based on their likelihood of causing lasting heart damage in patients.

Research published today in Nature from scientists at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah shows how epithelial cells naturally turn over, maintaining constant numbers between cell division and cell death.

Scientists are working to understand the mechanisms that make weight loss so complicated. Exercise burns calories, of course, but scientists are also looking at how the body burns more energy to stay warm in cold temperatures.

Biologists have known for decades that enduring a short period of mild stress makes simple organisms and human cells better able to survive additional stress later in life. Now, scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical ...

A puzzling question has lurked behind SMA (spinal muscular atrophy), the leading genetic cause of death in infants.

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Scientists create scorecard index for heart-damaging chemo drugs - Medical Xpress

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Scientists create scorecard index for heart-damaging chemo drugs – Medical Xpress | February 15th, 2017

Saving a life can begin with a simple swab of a cheek.

Marshalls Student Nurses Association is trying to help accomplish this goal through a bone marrow registry drive with Be The Match, a nonprofit organization, Feb. 15 in the Memorial Student Center. Anyone from ages 18 to 44 with no major preexisting diseases are eligible to register.

The main idea is that Be The Match connects critically ill patients with a life-saving bone marrow donor, senior nursing major Molly Arthur said. Most patients do not find a marrow match within their own family, so they have to rely on a complete stranger to donate to them.

The SNA decided to do this drive after meeting several patients through their clinicals at Cabell Huntington Hospital who have the possibility of receiving a bone marrow transplant through the course of their treatment.

I know a little boy who went recently to see if he had any matches to get a transplant, and they had 10 people that were matches for him, senior nursing major Jenna Fields said. If he would need one later on, they would wipe out his immune system and replace it through the bone marrow to fight off the disease.

In order to register, donors will go through a series of questions about their medical history and will have their cheeks swabbed to collect cells, which will take about 10 minutes. According to Be The Match registry, only one in every 430 people go on to donate.

There are three ways to donate: peripheral blood stem cells through an IV, bone marrow through the hip by a surgical procedure and cord blood after giving birth.

They put an IV in, they take the blood out and spin out what they need and everything else goes back into your body. Its just like giving blood, and you potentially save a life, senior nursing major Alison Evans said.

The registry drive is taking place in the Don Morris Room from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 15. The SNA has a goal of registering 100 donors.

The more people on the registry, the more likely you are to find a match, Evans said. The goal is to get as many people on the registry as possible to potentially raise someones percentage of finding a match.

Heather Barker can be contacted at [emailprotected]

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SNA strives to find bone marrow donors at MU - MU The Parthenon

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Scientists discover an unexpected influence on dividing stem cells' fate ScienceBlog.com (blog) When most cells divide, they simply make more of themselves. But stem cells, which are responsible for repairing or making new tissue, have a choice: They can generate more stem cells or differentiate into skin cells, liver cells, or virtually any of ...

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Saturday, February 11, 2017, 5:00 AM

So, bless your heart, youve already signed up for your states organ donor registry. Now its time to kick your lifesaving quest up a notch and sign up for the National Marrow Donor Program, which helps match potential donors with patients fighting leukemia, lymphoma and other deadly diseases.

Here are five reasons to throw your name in the hat, if you needed some convincing:

You can join in person by stopping by a registration drive or by spending a few minutes on BeTheMatch.org. Either way, youll get a registration kit to provide a cheek swab, which the organization uses to identify tissue type and match with a patient.

People aged 18 to 44 hit the sweet spot, as theyre called upon 90% of the time the younger the donor, the smoother the recovery for both patient and donor, said Lauren Wollny, the New Jersey/New York community engagement representative for the nonprofit Icla Da Silva Foundation. The 45- to 60-year-old crowd can still sign up, albeit for a $100 tax-deductible fee that helps the nonprofit cover costs.

Bradley Cooper urges public to join bone marrow registry

Just 1 in 430 volunteers ever even get a call to begin the donation process.

Once youre identified as a match, youll submit to a blood test, physical exam and pregnancy test, all free of charge. A doctor will then recommend one of two procedures: a nonsurgical peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation (75% of the time), or bone marrow donation (25%), which involves surgery and anesthesia but isnt nearly as horrifying as youve heard.

For PBSC, the most common method, youll receive an injection of the drug filgrastim for five days leading up to the donation. On the big day, youll head to a clinic or blood center to have a needle draw blood from one arm, pass it through a machine that isolates the blood-forming cells, and return the blood to the other arm voila. Depending on the size of both patient and donor, it can take four to eight hours which you might use to reflect on what a terrific thing youre doing for a total stranger.

For bone marrow donation youll head to the OR, where a doctor will siphon liquid marrow from the back of your pelvic bone with a needle. The anesthesia will keep you numb, and though you may later feel back or hip soreness, fatigue and other side effects, you should be back to your normal routine within a week.

EXCLUSIVE: Bone marrow recipients to meet FDNY donors

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This is the one that gets a really bad rap, Wollny told the Daily News. Its not as bad as people make it out to be.

All in all, the average length of the donation process from start to finish is about 20 to 30 hours over a month or two and your own personal case manager will see you through the entire thing.

People are most likely to match with someone of the same ethnic background since the tissue types used for matching are inherited and the registry is starved for donors who are black or African American, Hispanic, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Asian, Alaska native, Native American and multiracial. If one of those describes your ancestry, go be a hero, please.

The Fort Lee, N.J., 12-year-old was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia last year, undergoing several rounds of chemo and a bone marrow transplant from her mom before eventually being pronounced cancer-free. But after a relapse in November, Lopez is fighting for her life once again and desperately in need of another bone marrow transplant.

New York tries to increase organ donations to those in need

The Long Island City-based Icla Da Silva Foundation will hold combo registry drive/fundraisers for the tween in New Jersey (Fort Lee and Union City), Georgia, Texas and Florida this Sunday. If youre free and in good health, you should go.

We hope to find Briana a match, and if we find other people a match as well, fantastic, Wollny said. Its so simple to save a life if it was you, wouldnt you want someone to do that for you?

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5 reasons you should sign up for the bone marrow registry right now - New York Daily News

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on 5 reasons you should sign up for the bone marrow registry right now – New York Daily News | February 11th, 2017

When three Southern Arkansas University nursing students started organizing next weeks stem cell registry drive more than three months ago, they were not aware that a member of the Mulerider family is one of more than 1,400 whose life could be saved.

The stem cell/bone marrow registry drive is scheduled for 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on February 14-15 both in the Reynolds Center Rotunda and the SAU Baptist Collegiate Ministry. For more information, contact Dr. Becky Parnell at (870)235-4365 or at bbparnell@saumag.edu.

The SAU BSN students initially behind the project are Renee Langley, Tabitha Elliott and Courtney Owens. Parnell explained that while attending the Arkansas Student Nurses Association annual meeting in Little Rock, the students were introduced to the need for bone marrow donors. They even registered to be possible donors themselves. She said they realized this project was a perfect example of how nurses can impact the care of people outside the normal hospitalized patient.

They recognized how many people this could potentially impact and wanted to recruit more people (to register), said Parnell. I have seen the bone marrow process it is truly a life-saving intervention for many people that are devastated by leukemia.

When Parnell began promoting the registry event on campus, it was brought to her attention that the daughter of Magnolia native, 1984 SAU alum and Board of Governors Chair Beth Galway, Sydney, is suffering with acute myeloid leukemia and in dire need of a bone marrow transplant.

When Sydney was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, the doctors told us that Sydneys only cure would come from a bone marrow transplant. The doctors were, and are, confident of the success of her treatment due to the fact that she has a high chance to find a perfect bone marrow donor, said Galway.

Her increased chance of finding a match, Galway explained, is simply because she is a Caucasian female which has one of the highest bone marrow donor rates. She has a 97% chance to find a donor.

Of course, the first donor they looked at was her sister. A sibling has only a 25% chance to be a match; a parent even less. Sydneys sister was not a match, said Galway.

Donor matches are generally based on race. With todays diverse community, the need for bone marrow donors from minority and mixed race groups is high. An African American patient has only a 66% chance to find a match.

The doctors and nurses that I have talked to indicate that the need is huge for African Americans as well as donors from India, said Galway.

She said that the treatment for Sydney, who is a sophomore in college, is now in phase 3. Her next step is a bone marrow transplant.

We hope to have a perfect match for her and pray that the donor will be willing to do all that is necessary for providing the blood or bone marrow needed for the transplant, said Galway.

The drive is being sponsored by SAUs Department of Nursing and University Health Services. Junior and senior BSN students will also be assisting in the bone marrow drive as a professional development activity.

Becoming a member of a stem cell/bone marrow registry only requires that you provide a swab of the cells inside your cheek. To register is a painless and fast way to possibly save a life.

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Stem cell registry drive at SAU Feb. 14-15 - SAU

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Using stem cells and gene therapy to treat orcure disease may still sound like science fiction, but a scientific meeting here last week emphasizedall the fronts onwhich it is moving closer and closer to fact.

Were entering a new era in medicine, said Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the School of Medicine, in his opening remarks at the first annual symposium of the schools new Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine. Stanford researchersare poised to use stem cells and gene therapy to amelioratea wide swath of diseases, from common diagnoses such as diabetes and cancerto rare diseases ofthe brain, blood, skin, immune system and other organs. Ultimately, the goal is to create one-time treatments that can provide lifetime cures; hence the definitive and curative part of the centers name. Stanford is a leader in this branch of medical research, Minor said, addingThis is a vital component of our vision for precision health.

Stanford has a long history of leading basic-science discoveries in stem cell biology, andis now engaged in studyingmany different ways those discoveries couldbenefit patients, saidMaria Grazia Roncarolo, MD, who leads the new center.Our job is to produce clinical data so compelling that industry will pick up the product and take it to the next stage, Roncaraolo told the audience.

Among otherevent highlights:

More coverage of the days events is available in a story from the San Jose Mercury News that describeshowAnthonyOro, MD, PhD, and his colleagues are fighting epidermolysis bullosa, a devastating genetic disease of the skin. Oro closed his talk with a slightly goofy photo of a man getting a spray tan. It got a laugh, but his point was serious: Our goal for the cell therapy of the future is spray-on skin to correct a horrible genetic disease.

Ambitious? Yes. Science fiction? In the future, maybe not.

Previously: One of the most promising minds of his generation: Joseph Wu takes stem cells to heart,Life with epidermolysis bullosa: Pain is my reality, pain is my normaland Rat-grown mouse pancreases reverse diabetes in mice, say researchers Photo of Matthew Porteus courtesy of Stanford Childrens

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Stanford scientists describe stem-cell and gene-therapy advances in scientific symposium - Scope (blog)

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Stanford scientists describe stem-cell and gene-therapy advances in scientific symposium – Scope (blog) | February 9th, 2017

An act of kindness can change your life in a positive way. But how much better would it be if that same act ends up changing someone elses life in an amazing way too? Jillian Altenburg can answer that.

It will change me for the better, but I am even happier I have the ability to change someone elses life for the better, Jillian said.

This month, Jillian will go through a bone marrow donor procedure for a little child struggling with leukemia. Not only will this change Jillian forever, but it gives a small child a new chance at life.

Jillian, the daughter of Gary Altenburg and Lori Altenburg, is a Cut Bank High School 2013 graduate. She will be part of another graduation this May when she receives her nursing degree from the MSU-BSN college of nursing program in Great Falls.

Jillian first learned about being a bone marrow donor while in her freshman year of college at MSU-Bozeman. It was during one of my classes we heard about a child who was looking for a bone marrow match and after class the organization called Be the Match was introduced to us.

Be the Match is an organization that matches bone marrow donors to patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. Jillian became a potential donor that day after class when she had her cheek swabbed and entered into the program.

It was a few years before she heard anything from Be the Match, but this past December Jillian received a call saying she could be a match for a patient needing bone marrow.

I didnt know if I was the only match or if there were other potential matches too, Jillian stated. They asked me to do some blood work and they said it usually takes 60 days to determine if I would be a perfect match. But it only took a week for them to get back to me and let me know I was a perfect match for this little child with leukemia.

It was then that things started happening fast for Jillian. They told me that the child was in remission and that there is a window of time to do the procedure, so they gave me the date it would be done and where I needed to be for the procedure and explained what would be happening. And Be the Match would be picking up the tab for everything.

According to Jillian, there are two ways to collect bone marrow. One of those is by putting needles in my arm to gather stem cells. The other is by cutting a slit on both sides of my pelvis and inserting a hollow needle into the bone to pull out what they need. Normally they can take up to six cups of bone marrow, but with this being a child needing the bone marrow, they probably will not need that much.

After the procedure, Jillian will be discharged but will need to stay close to the hospital for another night in a hotel to make sure all is okay. Once that is determined, she can return home.

They say the procedure is painful and I will be sore. But ever since I learned I was a match, there was no choice in this for me. I actually feel like the lucky one, having this opportunity to help this child, Jillian said.

Within seven days of harvesting Jillians bone marrow, the child will receive the bone marrow that is so desperately needed for survival. During that time, Jillian should feel better and better each day. And within two weeks of having made the donation, Jillians body will have replaced the bone marrow taken from her.

Even though Be the Match tells all their potential donors that they can opt out of the program at any time, that was not an option for Jillian. Once they start prepping the patient to receive a bone marrow transplant, they really dont want people to say they have changed their minds. I have no intention of doing that anyway. When they called me, it was not a decision I had to think about. I knew I was going to do it. It feels good to be able to help someone and change their life for the better, she said.

The day Jillian shared the news with her mom Lori, that she was a potential bone marrow match for someone, Lori said, I got that warm, fuzzy feeling, but as we spoke longer it turned to worry, mostly for this child who has had to deal with these awful circumstances. I knew Jillian would be fine. She is strong, very physically fit and young. She has everything going for her in being a good donor.

Lori will be accompanying Jillian when she has the procedure done and will be there for her all the way through to recovery. We have always teased Jillian that she is still attached to her moms umbilical cord, so we both know I have to go, even though I know it doesnt stretch quite that far, laughed Lori.

Lori admitted she did not know Jillian had even put her name into the Be the Match program. We have lost many loved ones due to cancer, with number one being Jillians Grama Nancy (Loris mom). Even so, when I got the call from Jillian that she was contacted by the Be the Match program because she was a possible bone marrow match, it was very, very surprising. But I feel super proud and very blessed that she was chosen. To say I am not a little nervous would be a fib, but she will be in good hands and we know friends and family are praying for her and the child who will receive the donation, Lori shared.

For a year following the transplant, Jillian will not know the name of the child she made the donation to. I can find out through Be the Match how this little one is doing, but for up to a year they want me to remain anonymous. After a year, we can have contact.

As Jillian said, she knew without a doubt, she would be going through this procedure the minute she was called and told she was a perfect match. And while she admitted she is a little scared, she countered that with, It will be worth it.

There are two lives being changed with one procedure. Jillians life will be forever changed by this. And the young child? With Jillians donation, there is hope that many years can be added to that young little life.

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Jillian Altenburg: Sharing her gift of lifeand bone marrowwith young leukemia patient - Cut Bank Pioneer Press

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Jillian Altenburg: Sharing her gift of lifeand bone marrowwith young leukemia patient – Cut Bank Pioneer Press | February 8th, 2017

A new revolutionary stem cell technique is being used to treat those suffering from damaged muscles without the cancer risk that was previously present. This was the first time that researchers had successfully implanted synthetic stem cardiac cells that managed to repair the muscle that a previous heart attack has weakened. Cancer was previously a risk with traditional stem cell therapy as scientists were unable to stop formertumors as the cells continued to replicate.

This procedure is mostly performed on those suffering from blood or bone marrow cancers such as leukemia. But, researchers are also working on developing effective stem cell treatments for those diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons and heart disease too.

Synthetic stem cells are very handy because unlike natural stem cells, theyre easy to preserve and can be adapted to be used in various parts of the body. Ke Cheng, associate professor of molecular biomedical sciences at North Carolina State University, said, We are hoping that this may be the first step towards a truly off-the-shelf cell product that would enable people to receive beneficial stem cell therapies when theyre needed, without costly delays.

[The study can be found here.]

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:Pioneering Stem Cell Technique Promise Muscle Regeneration Without Cancer Risk

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Regrowing heart muscles without cancer risk, using synthetic stem cells - Genetic Literacy Project

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Regrowing heart muscles without cancer risk, using synthetic stem cells – Genetic Literacy Project | February 7th, 2017

Brain cancers can be really tricky to treat. Some, such as glioblastomas, spread roots through the brain tissue, meaning they are often impossible to remove surgically, leading to tragically low survival rates. But researchers are working on a way touse stem cells to track down the cancer, kill it, and then melt it away. By doing this, theyve managed to shrink brain tumors in mice to2 to 5 percent of their original size.

The trick has already been tried before using neural stem cells to hunt down and deliver cancer-killing drugs to tumors in mice. But there is a problem: It's tricky to getneural stem cells from humans. The safest way of doing this would be to take adult cells and then induce them in a two-step process to become neural stem cells. This, however, takes time.

Speed is essential, saysShawn Hingtgen, who led the research published in Science Translational Medicine. It used to take weeks to convert human skin cells to stem cells. But brain cancer patients dont have weeks and months to wait for us to generate these therapies. The new process we developed to create these stem cells is fast enough and simple enough to be used to treat a patient.

The researchers found a way to speed the process up byremoving one of the steps entirely, allowing them to produce the neural stem cells from adult skin cells in just four days. Usually, researchers would need to take the skin cell, induce it to become a generic stem cell, and then push it towards becoming a neural stem cell.

But by treating the skin cells with a cocktail of biochemicals, they were able to get the cells to turn straight into neural stem cells. They then tested these to see if they still had the same properties as original neutral stem cells and home in on tumors both in a petri dish and in animals models. They found they behaved exactly the same.

The final step was to see if they could somehow engineer these newly created cells to deliver drugs that are targeted at the cancer. They therefore got the stem cells to carry a particular protein that activates what is called a prodrug, which the researchers describe as forming a halo of drugs around the stem cell.

Were one to two years away from clinical trials, but for the first time, we showed that our strategy for treating glioblastoma works with human stem cells and human cancers, says Hingtgen. This is a big step toward a real treatment and making a real difference.

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Scientists Reprogram Skin Cells To Hunt Down And Shrink Brain Tumors - IFLScience

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Scientists Reprogram Skin Cells To Hunt Down And Shrink Brain Tumors – IFLScience | February 7th, 2017

Cardiac muscle cells or cardiomyocytes (also known as myocardiocytes[1] or cardiac myocytes[2]) are the muscle cells (myocytes) that make up the cardiac muscle. Each myocardial cell contains myofibrils, which are specialized organelles consisting of long chains of sarcomeres, the fundamental contractile units of muscle cells. Cardiomyocytes show striations similar to those on skeletal muscle cells. Unlike multinucleated skeletal cells, the majority of cardiomyocytes contain only one nucleus, although they may have as many as four.[3] Cardiomyocytes have a high mitochondrial density, which allows them to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) quickly, making them highly resistant to fatigue.

There are two types of cells within the heart: the cardiomyocytes and the cardiac pacemaker cells. Cardiomyocytes make up the atria (the chambers in which blood enters the heart) and the ventricles (the chambers where blood is collected and pumped out of the heart). These cells must be able to shorten and lengthen their fibers and the fibers must be flexible enough to stretch. These functions are critical to the proper form during the beating of the heart.[4]

Cardiac pacemaker cells carry the impulses that are responsible for the beating of the heart. They are distributed throughout the heart and are responsible for several functions. First, they are responsible for being able to spontaneously generate and send out electrical impulses. They also must be able to receive and respond to electrical impulses from the brain. Lastly, they must be able to transfer electrical impulses from cell to cell.[5]

All of these cells are connected by cellular bridges. Porous junctions called intercalated discs form junctions between the cells. They permit sodium, potassium and calcium to easily diffuse from cell to cell. This makes it easier for depolarization and repolarization in the myocardium. Because of these junctions and bridges the heart muscle is able to act as a single coordinated unit.[6][7]

The cardiomyocytes are about 100 to 150 micrometers long and 15 to 20 micrometers in diameter.[citation needed]

Humans are born with a set number of heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, which increase in size as heart grows larger during childhood development. Recent evidence suggests that cardiomyocytes are actually slowly turned over as we age, but that less than 50% of the cardiomyocytes we are born with are replaced during a normal life span.[8] The growth of individual cardiomyocytes not only occurs during normal heart development, it also occurs in response to extensive exercise (athletic heart syndrome), heart disease, or heart muscle injury such as after a myocardial infarction. A healthy adult cardiomyocyte has a cylindrical shape that is approximately 100m long and 10-25m in diameter. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy occurs through sarcomerogenesis, the creation of new sarcomere units in the cell. During heart volume overload, cardiomyocytes grow through eccentric hypertrophy.[9] The cardiomyocytes extend lengthwise but have the same diameter, resulting in ventricular dilation. During heart pressure overload, cardiomyocytes grow through concentric hypertrophy.[9] The cardiomyocytes grow larger in diameter but have the same length, resulting in heart wall thickening.

Cardiac action potential consists of two cycles, a rest phase and an active phase. These two phases are commonly understood as systole and diastole. The rest phase is considered polarized. The resting potential during this phase of the beat separates the ions such as sodium, potassium and calcium. Myocardial cells possess the property of automaticity or spontaneous depolarization. This is the direct result of a membrane which allows sodium ions to slowly enter the cell until the threshold is reached for depolarization. Calcium ions follow and extend the depolarization even further. Once calcium stops moving inward, potassium ions move out slowly to produce repolarization. The very slow repolarization of the CMC membrane is responsible for the long refractory period.[10][11]

Myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the heart's supplementary blood vessels are obstructed by an unstable build-up of white blood cells, cholesterol, and fat. With no blood flow, the cells die, causing whole portions of cardiac tissue to die. Once these tissues are lost, they cannot be replaced, thus causing permanent damage. Current research indicates, however, that it may be possible to repair damaged cardiac tissue with stem cells,[12] as human embryonic stem cells can differentiate into cardiomyocytes under appropriate conditions.[13]

The cardiomyopathies are a group of diseases characterized by disruptions to cardiac muscle cell growth and / or organization. Presentation can range from asymptomatic to sudden cardiac death.

Cardiomyopathy can be caused by genetic, endocrine, environmental, or other factors.

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Cardiac muscle cell - Wikipedia

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Cardiac muscle cell – Wikipedia | February 3rd, 2017

This article is about birth in humans. For birth in other mammals, see birth.

Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of a pregnancy by one or more babies leaving a woman's uterus.[1] In 2015 there were about 135 million births globally.[2] About 15 million were born before 37 weeks of gestation,[3] while between 3 and 12% were born after 42 weeks.[4] In the developed world most deliveries occur in hospital,[5][6] while in the developing world most births take place at home with the support of a traditional birth attendant.[7]

The most common way of childbirth is a vaginal delivery.[8] It involves three stages of labour: the shortening and opening of the cervix, descent and birth of the baby, and the pushing out of the placenta.[9] The first stage typically lasts twelve to nineteen hours, the second stage twenty minutes to two hours, and the third stage five to thirty minutes.[10] The first stage begins with crampy abdominal or back pains that last around half a minute and occur every ten to thirty minutes.[9] The crampy pains become stronger and closer together over time.[10] During the second stage pushing with contractions may occur.[10] In the third stage delayed clamping of the umbilical cord is generally recommended.[11] A number of methods can help with pain such as relaxation techniques, opioids, and spinal blocks.[10]

Most babies are born head first; however about 4% are born feet or buttock first, known as breech.[10][12] During labour a women can generally eat and move around as she likes, pushing is not recommended during the first stage or during delivery of the head, and enemas are not recommended.[13] While making a cut to the opening of the vagina is common, known as an episiotomy, it is generally not needed.[10] In 2012, about 23 million deliveries occurred by a surgical procedure known as Caesarean section.[14] Caesarean sections may be recommended for twins, signs of distress in the baby, or breech position.[10] This method of delivery can take longer to heal from.[10]

Each year complications from pregnancy and childbirth result in about 500,000 maternal deaths, 7 million women have serious long term problems, and 50 million women have health negative outcomes following delivery.[15] Most of these occur in the developing world.[15] Specific complications include obstructed labour, postpartum bleeding, eclampsia, and postpartum infection.[15] Complications in the baby include birth asphyxia.[16]

The most prominent sign of labour is strong repetitive uterine contractions. The distress levels reported by labouring women vary widely. They appear to be influenced by fear and anxiety levels, experience with prior childbirth, cultural ideas of childbirth and pain,[17][18] mobility during labour, and the support received during labour. Personal expectations, the amount of support from caregivers, quality of the caregiver-patient relationship, and involvement in decision-making are more important in women's overall satisfaction with the experience of childbirth than are other factors such as age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, preparation, physical environment, pain, immobility, or medical interventions.[19]

Pain in contractions has been described as feeling similar to very strong menstrual cramps. Women are often encouraged to refrain from screaming, but moaning and grunting may be encouraged to help lessen pain. Crowning may be experienced as an intense stretching and burning. Even women who show little reaction to labour pains, in comparison to other women, show a substantially severe reaction to crowning.

Back labour is a term for specific pain occurring in the lower back, just above the tailbone, during childbirth.[20]

Childbirth can be an intense event and strong emotions, both positive and negative, can be brought to the surface. Abnormal and persistent fear of childbirth is known as tokophobia.

During the later stages of gestation there is an increase in abundance of oxytocin, a hormone that is known to evoke feelings of contentment, reductions in anxiety, and feelings of calmness and security around the mate.[21] Oxytocin is further released during labour when the fetus stimulates the cervix and vagina, and it is believed that it plays a major role in the bonding of a mother to her infant and in the establishment of maternal behavior. The act of nursing a child also causes a release of oxytocin.[22]

Between 70% and 80% of mothers in the United States report some feelings of sadness or "baby blues" after giving birth. The symptoms normally occur for a few minutes up to few hours each day and they should lessen and disappear within two weeks after delivery. Postpartum depression may develop in some women; about 10% of mothers in the United States are diagnosed with this condition. Preventive group therapy has proven effective as a prophylactic treatment for postpartum depression.[23][24]

Humans are bipedal with an erect stance. The erect posture causes the weight of the abdominal contents to thrust on the pelvic floor, a complex structure which must not only support this weight but allow, in women, three channels to pass through it: the urethra, the vagina and the rectum. The infant's head and shoulders must go through a specific sequence of maneuvers in order to pass through the ring of the mother's pelvis.

Six phases of a typical vertex (head-first presentation) delivery:

Station refers to the relationship of the fetal presenting part to the level of the ischial spines. When the presenting part is at the ischial spines the station is 0 (synonymous with engagement). If the presenting fetal part is above the spines, the distance is measured and described as minus stations, which range from 1 to 4cm. If the presenting part is below the ischial spines, the distance is stated as plus stations ( +1 to +4cm). At +3 and +4 the presenting part is at the perineum and can be seen.[25]

The fetal head may temporarily change shape substantially (becoming more elongated) as it moves through the birth canal. This change in the shape of the fetal head is called molding and is much more prominent in women having their first vaginal delivery.[26]

There are various definitions of the onset of labour, including:

In order to avail for more uniform terminology, the first stage of labour is divided into "latent" and "active" phases, where the latent phase is sometimes included in the definition of labour,[30] and sometimes not.[31]

Some reports note that the onset of term labour more commonly takes place in the late night and early morning hours. This may be a result of a synergism between the nocturnal increase in melatonin and oxytocin.[32]

The latent phase of labour is also called the quiescent phase, prodromal labour, or pre-labour. It is a subclassification of the first stage.[33]

The latent phase is generally defined as beginning at the point at which the woman perceives regular uterine contractions.[34] In contrast, Braxton Hicks contractions, which are contractions that may start around 26 weeks gestation and are sometimes called "false labour", should be infrequent, irregular, and involve only mild cramping.[35] The signaling mechanisms responsible for uterine coordination are complex. Electrical propagation is the primary mechanism used for signaling up to several centimeters. Over longer distances, however, signaling may involve a mechanical mechanism.[36]

Cervical effacement, which is the thinning and stretching of the cervix, and cervical dilation occur during the closing weeks of pregnancy and is usually complete or near complete, by the end of the latent phase.[citation needed] The degree of cervical effacement may be felt during a vaginal examination. A 'long' cervix implies that effacement has not yet occurred. Latent phase ends with the onset of active first stage, and this transition is defined retrospectively.

The active stage of labour (or "active phase of first stage" if the previous phase is termed "latent phase of first stage") has geographically differing definitions. In the US, the definition of active labour was changed from 3 to 4cm, to 5cm of cervical dilation for multiparous women, mothers who had given birth previously, and at 6cm for nulliparous women, those who had not given birth before.[37] This has been done in an effort to increase the rates of vaginal delivery.[38]

A definition of active labour in a British journal was having contractions more frequent than every 5 minutes, in addition to either a cervical dilation of 3cm or more or a cervical effacement of 80% or more.[39]

In Sweden, the onset of the active phase of labour is defined as when two of the following criteria are met:[40]

Health care providers may assess a labouring mother's progress in labour by performing a cervical exam to evaluate the cervical dilation, effacement, and station. These factors form the Bishop score. The Bishop score can also be used as a means to predict the success of an induction of labour.

During effacement, the cervix becomes incorporated into the lower segment of the uterus. During a contraction, uterine muscles contract causing shortening of the upper segment and drawing upwards of the lower segment, in a gradual expulsive motion.[citation needed] The presenting fetal part then is permitted to descend. Full dilation is reached when the cervix has widened enough to allow passage of the baby's head, around 10cm dilation for a term baby.

The duration of labour varies widely, but the active phase averages some 8 hours[41] for women giving birth to their first child ("primiparae") and shorter for women who have already given birth ("multiparae"). Active phase prolongation is defined as in a primigravid woman as the failure of the cervix to dilate at a rate of 1.2cm/h over a period of at least two hours. This definition is based on Friedman's Curve, which plots the typical rate of cervical dilation and fetal descent during active labour.[42] Some practitioners may diagnose "Failure to Progress", and consequently, propose interventions to optimize chances for healthy outcome.[43]

The expulsion stage (stimulated by prostaglandins and oxytocin) begins when the cervix is fully dilated, and ends when the baby is born. As pressure on the cervix increases, women may have the sensation of pelvic pressure and an urge to begin pushing. At the beginning of the normal second stage, the head is fully engaged in the pelvis; the widest diameter of the head has passed below the level of the pelvic inlet. The fetal head then continues descent into the pelvis, below the pubic arch and out through the vaginal introitus (opening). This is assisted by the additional maternal efforts of "bearing down" or pushing. The appearance of the fetal head at the vaginal orifice is termed the "crowning". At this point, the woman will feel an intense burning or stinging sensation.

When the amniotic sac has not ruptured during labour or pushing, the infant can be born with the membranes intact. This is referred to as "delivery en caul".

Complete expulsion of the baby signals the successful completion of the second stage of labour.

The second stage of birth will vary by factors including parity (the number of children a woman has had), fetal size, anesthesia, and the presence of infection. Longer labours are associated with declining rates of spontaneous vaginal delivery and increasing rates of infection, perineal laceration, and obstetric hemorrhage, as well as the need for intensive care of the neonate.[44]

The period from just after the fetus is expelled until just after the placenta is expelled is called the third stage of labour or the involution stage. Placental expulsion begins as a physiological separation from the wall of the uterus. The average time from delivery of the baby until complete expulsion of the placenta is estimated to be 1012 minutes dependent on whether active or expectant management is employed[45] In as many as 3% of all vaginal deliveries, the duration of the third stage is longer than 30 minutes and raises concern for retained placenta.[46]

Placental expulsion can be managed actively or it can be managed expectantly, allowing the placenta to be expelled without medical assistance. Active management is described as the administration of a uterotonic drug within one minute of fetal delivery, controlled traction of the umbilical cord and fundal massage after delivery of the placenta, followed by performance of uterine massage every 15 minutes for two hours.[47] In a joint statement, World Health Organization, the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and the International Confederation of Midwives recommend active management of the third stage of labour in all vaginal deliveries to help to prevent postpartum hemorrhage.[48][49][50]

Delaying the clamping of the umbilical cord until at least one minute after birth improves outcomes as long as there is the ability to treat jaundice if it occurs.[51] In some birthing centers, this may be delayed by 5 minutes or more, or omitted entirely. Delayed clamping of the cord decreases the risk of anemia but may increase risk of jaundice. Clamping is followed by cutting of the cord, which is painless due to the absence of nerves.

The "fourth stage of labour" is the period beginning immediately after the birth of a child and extending for about six weeks. The terms postpartum and postnatal are often used to describe this period.[52] It is the time in which the mother's body, including hormone levels and uterus size, return to a non-pregnant state and the newborn adjusts to life outside the mother's body. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the postnatal period as the most critical and yet the most neglected phase in the lives of mothers and babies; most deaths occur during the postnatal period.[53]

Following the birth, if the mother had an episiotomy or a tearing of the perineum, it is stitched. The mother should have regular assessments for uterine contraction and fundal height,[54] vaginal bleeding, heart rate and blood pressure, and temperature, for the first 24 hours after birth. The first passing of urine should be documented within 6 hours.[53] Afterpains (pains similar to menstrual cramps), contractions of the uterus to prevent excessive blood flow, continue for several days. Vaginal discharge, termed "lochia", can be expected to continue for several weeks; initially bright red, it gradually becomes pink, changing to brown, and finally to yellow or white.[55]

Most authorities suggest the infant be placed in skin-to-skin contact with the mother for 1 2 hours immediately after birth, putting routine cares off till later.

Until recently babies born in hospitals were removed from their mothers shortly after birth and brought to the mother only at feeding times. Mothers were told that their newborn would be safer in the nursery and that the separation would offer the mother more time to rest. As attitudes began to change, some hospitals offered a "rooming in" option wherein after a period of routine hospital procedures and observation, the infant could be allowed to share the mother's room. However, more recent information has begun to question the standard practice of removing the newborn immediately postpartum for routine postnatal procedures before being returned to the mother. Beginning around 2000, some authorities began to suggest that early skin-to-skin contact (placing the naked baby on the mother's chest) may benefit both mother and infant. Using animal studies that have shown that the intimate contact inherent in skin-to-skin contact promotes neurobehaviors that result in the fulfillment of basic biological needs as a model, recent studies have been done to assess what, if any, advantages may be associated with early skin-to-skin contact for human mothers and their babies. A 2011 medical review looked at existing studies and found that early skin-to-skin contact, sometimes called kangaroo care, resulted in improved breastfeeding outcomes, cardio-respiratory stability, and a decrease in infant crying. [56][57][58] A 2007 Cochrane review of studies found that skin-to-skin contact at birth reduced crying, kept the baby warmer, improved mother-baby interaction, and improved the chances for successful breastfeeding.[59]

As of 2014, early postpartum skin-to-skin contact is endorsed by all major organizations that are responsible for the well-being of infants, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.[60] The World Health Organization (WHO) states that "the process of childbirth is not finished until the baby has safely transferred from placental to mammary nutrition." They advise that the newborn be placed skin-to-skin with the mother, postponing any routine procedures for at least one to two hours. The WHO suggests that any initial observations of the infant can be done while the infant remains close to the mother, saying that even a brief separation before the baby has had its first feed can disturb the bonding process. They further advise frequent skin-to-skin contact as much as possible during the first days after delivery, especially if it was interrupted for some reason after the delivery.[61] The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also advises postponing procedures such as weighing, measuring, and bathing for at least 1 hour to insure an initial period of skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant. [62]

Deliveries are assisted by a number of professions include: obstetricians, family physicians and midwives. For low risk pregnancies all three result in similar outcomes.[63]

Eating or drinking during labour is an area of ongoing debate. While some have argued that eating in labour has no harmful effects on outcomes,[64] others continue to have concern regarding the increased possibility of an aspiration event (choking on recently eaten foods) in the event of an emergency delivery due to the increased relaxation of the esophagus in pregnancy, upward pressure of the uterus on the stomach, and the possibility of general anesthetic in the event of an emergency cesarean.[65] A 2013 Cochrane review found that with good obstetrical anaesthesia there is no change in harms from allowing eating and drinking during labour in those who are unlikely to need surgery. They additionally acknowledge that not eating does not mean there is an empty stomach or that its contents are not as acidic. They therefore conclude that "women should be free to eat and drink in labour, or not, as they wish."[66]

At one time shaving of the area around the vagina, was common practice due to the belief that hair removal reduced the risk of infection, made an episiotomy (a surgical cut to enlarge the vaginal entrance) easier, and helped with instrumental deliveries. It is currently less common, though it is still a routine procedure in some countries. A 2009 Cochrane review found no evidence of any benefit with perineal shaving. The review did find side effects including irritation, redness, and multiple superficial scratches from the razor.[67][needs update] Another effort to prevent infection has been the use of the antiseptic chlorhexidine or providone-iodine solution in the vagina. Evidence of benefit with chlorhexidine is lacking.[68] A decreased risk is found with providone-iodine when a cesarean section is to be performed.[69]

Active management of labour consists of a number of care principles, including frequent assessment of cervical dilatation. If the cervix is not dilating, oxytocin is offered. This management results in a slightly reduced number of caesarean births, but does not change how many women have assisted vaginal births. 75% of women report that they are very satisfied with either active management or normal care.[70]

In many cases and with increasing frequency, childbirth is achieved through induction of labour or caesarean section. Caesarean section is the removal of the neonate through a surgical incision in the abdomen, rather than through vaginal birth.[71] Childbirth by C-Sections increased 50% in the U.S. from 1996 to 2006, and comprise nearly 32% of births in the U.S. and Canada.[71][72] Induced births and elective cesarean before 39 weeks can be harmful to the neonate as well as harmful or without benefit to the mother. Therefore, many guidelines recommend against non-medically required induced births and elective cesarean before 39 weeks.[73] The rate of labour induction in the United States is 22%, and has more than doubled from 1990 to 2006.[74][75]

Health conditions that may warrant induced labour or cesarean delivery include gestational or chronic hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, diabetes, premature rupture of membranes, severe fetal growth restriction, and post-term pregnancy. Cesarean section too may be of benefit to both the mother and baby for certain indications including maternal HIV/AIDS, fetal abnormality, breech position, fetal distress, multiple gestations, and maternal medical conditions which would be worsened by labour or vaginal birth.

Pitocin is the most commonly used agent for induction in the United States, and is used to induce uterine contractions. Other methods of inducing labour include stripping of the amniotic membrane, artificial rupturing of the amniotic sac (called amniotomy), or nipple stimulation. Ripening of the cervix can be accomplished with the placement of a Foley catheter or the use of synthetic prostaglandins such as misoprostol.[74] A large review of methods of induction was published in 2011.[76]

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines recommend a full evaluation of the maternal-fetal status, the status of the cervix, and at least a 39 completed weeks (full term) of gestation for optimal health of the newborn when considering elective induction of labour. Per these guidelines, the following conditions may be an indication for induction, including:

Induction is also considered for logistical reasons, such as the distance from hospital or psychosocial conditions, but in these instances gestational age confirmation must be done, and the maturity of the fetal lung must be confirmed by testing.

The ACOG also note that contraindications for induced labour are the same as for spontaneous vaginal delivery, including vasa previa, complete placenta praevia, umbilical cord prolapse or active genital herpes simplex infection.[77]

Some women prefer to avoid analgesic medication during childbirth. Psychological preparation may be beneficial. A recent Cochrane overview of systematic reviews on non-drug interventions found that relaxation techniques, immersion in water, massage, and acupuncture may provide pain relief. Acupuncture and relaxation were found to decrease the number of caesarean sections required.[78] Immersion in water has been found to relieve pain during the first stage of labor and to reduce the need for anesthesia and shorten the duration of labor, however the safety and efficacy of immersion during birth, water birth, has not been established or associated with maternal or fetal benefit.[79]

Some women like to have someone to support them during labour and birth; such as a midwife, nurse, or doula; or a lay person such as the father of the baby, a family member, or a close friend. Studies have found that continuous support during labor and delivery reduce the need for medication and a caesarean or operative vaginal delivery, and result in an improved Apgar score for the infant.[80][81]

The injection of small amounts of sterile water into or just below the skin at several points on the back has been a method tried to reduce labour pain, but no good evidence shows that it actually helps.[82]

Different measures for pain control have varying degrees of success and side effects to the woman and her baby. In some countries of Europe, doctors commonly prescribe inhaled nitrous oxide gas for pain control, especially as 53% nitrous oxide, 47% oxygen, known as Entonox; in the UK, midwives may use this gas without a doctor's prescription. Opioids such as fentanyl may be used, but if given too close to birth there is a risk of respiratory depression in the infant.

Popular medical pain control in hospitals include the regional anesthetics epidurals (EDA), and spinal anaesthesia. Epidural analgesia is a generally safe and effective method of relieving pain in labour, but is associated with longer labour, more operative intervention (particularly instrument delivery), and increases in cost.[83] Generally, pain and stress hormones rise throughout labour for women without epidurals, while pain, fear, and stress hormones decrease upon administration of epidural analgesia, but rise again later.[84] Medicine administered via epidural can cross the placenta and enter the bloodstream of the fetus.[85] Epidural analgesia has no statistically significant impact on the risk of caesarean section, and does not appear to have an immediate effect on neonatal status as determined by Apgar scores.[86]

Augmentation is the process of facilitating further labour. Oxytocin has been used to increase the rate of vaginal delivery in those with a slow progress of labour.[87]

Administration of antispasmodics (e.g. hyoscine butylbromide) is not formally regarded as augmentation of labour; however, there is weak evidence that they may shorten labour.[88] There is not enough evidence to make conclusions about unwanted effects in mothers or babies.[88]

Vaginal tears can occur during childbirth, most often at the vaginal opening as the baby's head passes through, especially if the baby descends quickly. Tears can involve the perineal skin or extend to the muscles and the anal sphincter and anus. The midwife or obstetrician may decide to make a surgical cut to the perineum (episiotomy) to make the baby's birth easier and prevent severe tears that can be difficult to repair. A 2012 Cochrane review compared episiotomy as needed (restrictive) with routine episiotomy to determine the possible benefits and harms for mother and baby. The review found that restrictive episiotomy policies appeared to give a number of benefits compared with using routine episiotomy. Women experienced less severe perineal trauma, less posterior perineal trauma, less suturing and fewer healing complications at seven days with no difference in occurrence of pain, urinary incontinence, painful sex or severe vaginal/perineal trauma after birth, however they found that women experienced more anterior perineal damage with restrictive episiotomy.[89]

Obstetric forceps or ventouse may be used to facilitate childbirth.

In cases of a cephalic presenting twin (first baby head down), twins can often be delivered vaginally. In some cases twin delivery is done in a larger delivery room or in an operating theatre, in the event of complication e.g.

Historically women have been attended and supported by other women during labour and birth. However currently, as more women are giving birth in a hospital rather than at home, continuous support has become the exception rather than the norm. When women became pregnant any time before the 1950s the husband would not be in the birthing room. It did not matter if it was a home birth; the husband was waiting downstairs or in another room in the home. If it was in a hospital then the husband was in the waiting room. "Her husband was attentive and kind, but, Kirby concluded, Every good woman needs a companion of her own sex."[90] Obstetric care frequently subjects women to institutional routines, which may have adverse effects on the progress of labour. Supportive care during labour may involve emotional support, comfort measures, and information and advocacy which may promote the physical process of labour as well as women's feelings of control and competence, thus reducing the need for obstetric intervention. The continuous support may be provided either by hospital staff such as nurses or midwives, doulas, or by companions of the woman's choice from her social network. There is increasing evidence to show that the participation of the child's father in the birth leads to better birth and also post-birth outcomes, providing the father does not exhibit excessive anxiety.[91]

A recent Cochrane review involving more than 15,000 women in a wide range of settings and circumstances found that "Women who received continuous labour support were more likely to give birth 'spontaneously', i.e. give birth with neither caesarean nor vacuum nor forceps. In addition, women were less likely to use pain medications, were more likely to be satisfied, and had slightly shorter labours. Their babies were less likely to have low five-minute Apgar scores."[80]

For monitoring of the fetus during childbirth, a simple pinard stethoscope or doppler fetal monitor ("doptone") can be used. A method of external (noninvasive) fetal monitoring (EFM) during childbirth is cardiotocography, using a cardiotocograph that consists of two sensors: The heart (cardio) sensor is an ultrasonic sensor, similar to a Doppler fetal monitor, that continuously emits ultrasound and detects motion of the fetal heart by the characteristic of the reflected sound. The pressure-sensitive contraction transducer, called a tocodynamometer (toco) has a flat area that is fixated to the skin by a band around the belly. The pressure required to flatten a section of the wall correlates with the internal pressure, thereby providing an estimate of contraction[92] Monitoring with a cardiotocograph can either be intermittent or continuous.

A mother's water has to break before internal (invasive) monitoring can be used. More invasive monitoring can involve a fetal scalp electrode to give an additional measure of fetal heart activity, and/or intrauterine pressure catheter (IUPC). It can also involve fetal scalp pH testing.

It is currently possible to collect two types of stem cells during childbirth: amniotic stem cells and umbilical cord blood stem cells.[93] They are being studied as possible treatments of a number of conditions.[93]

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The "natural" maternal mortality rate of childbirthwhere nothing is done to avert maternal deathhas been estimated at 1500 deaths per 100,000 births.[95] (See main articles: neonatal death, maternal death). Each year about 500,000 women die due to pregnancy, 7 million have serious long term complications, and 50 million have negative outcomes following delivery.[15]

Modern medicine has decreased the risk of childbirth complications. In Western countries, such as the United States and Sweden, the current maternal mortality rate is around 10 deaths per 100,000 births.[95]:p.10 As of June 2011, about one third of American births have some complications, "many of which are directly related to the mother's health."[96]

Birthing complications may be maternal or fetal, and long term or short term.

Newborn mortality at 37 weeks may be 2.5 times the number at 40 weeks, and was elevated compared to 38 weeks of gestation. These "early term" births were also associated with increased death during infancy, compared to those occurring at 39 to 41 weeks ("full term").[73] Researchers found benefits to going full term and "no adverse effects" in the health of the mothers or babies.[73]

Medical researchers find that neonates born before 39 weeks experienced significantly more complications (2.5 times more in one study) compared with those delivered at 39 to 40 weeks. Health problems among babies delivered "pre-term" included respiratory distress, jaundice and low blood sugar.[73][97] The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and medical policy makers review research studies and find increased incidence of suspected or proven sepsis, RDS, Hypoglycemia, need for respiratory support, need for NICU admission, and need for hospitalization > 4 5 days. In the case of cesarean sections, rates of respiratory death were 14 times higher in pre-labour at 37 compared with 40 weeks gestation, and 8.2 times higher for pre-labour cesarean at 38 weeks. In this review, no studies found decreased neonatal morbidity due to non-medically indicated (elective) delivery before 39 weeks.[73]

The second stage of labour may be delayed or lengthy due to:

Secondary changes may be observed: swelling of the tissues, maternal exhaustion, fetal heart rate abnormalities. Left untreated, severe complications include death of mother and/or baby, and genitovaginal fistula.

Obstructed labour, also known as labor dystocia, is when, even though the uterus is contracting normally, the baby does not exit the pelvis during childbirth due to being physically blocked.[98] Prolonged obstructed labor can result in obstetric fistula, a complication of childbirth where tissue death preforates the rectum or bladder.

Vaginal birth injury with visible tears or episiotomies are common. Internal tissue tearing as well as nerve damage to the pelvic structures lead in a proportion of women to problems with prolapse, incontinence of stool or urine and sexual dysfunction. Fifteen percent of women become incontinent, to some degree, of stool or urine after normal delivery, this number rising considerably after these women reach menopause. Vaginal birth injury is a necessary, but not sufficient, cause of all non hysterectomy related prolapse in later life. Risk factors for significant vaginal birth injury include:

There is tentative evidence that antibiotics may help prevent wound infections in women with third or fourth degree tears.[99]

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Childbirth - Wikipedia

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Childbirth – Wikipedia | January 13th, 2017

December 13, 2016 - Experimental implant shows promise for restoring voluntary movement after spinal cord injury

UCLA scientists test electrical stimulation that bypasses injury; technique boosts patients finger control, grip strength up to 300 percent A spinal stimulator being tested by doctors at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is showing promise in restoring hand strength and movement to a California man who broke his neck in a dirt bike accident five Continue Reading

Researchers have developed a urine test revealing the presence of a neurotoxin that likely worsens the severity and pain of spinal cord injuries, suggesting a new tool to treat the injuries. The neurotoxin, called acrolein, is produced within the body after nerve cells are damaged, increasing pain and triggering a cascade of biochemical events thought Continue Reading

We are trying to improve someones quality of life. If someone can breathe without a ventilator, then youve increased their independence, and that, to me, is a huge success. Michael Lane, PhD Walking is not the top priority for many patients who have suffered from cervical spinal cord injuries, according to Michael Lane, PhD, an Continue Reading

Scientists have developed a robotic interface which could help to restore fine hand movements in paraplegics. By combining an electrode cap with an exoskeleton worn over the fingers, the device translates brain signals to hand movements. The approach could provide paraplegic patients with the fine motor control needed to carry out everyday tasks such as Continue Reading

In the course of three years, Taylor Graham has accomplished many things: Survived a motorcycle accident, adjusted to a spinal cord injury and a new life in a wheelchair, picked up the sport of wheelchair tennis, graduated from Southeast Community College, and even got married. So what could possibly be next? We have a goal Continue Reading

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Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on Spinal Cord Injury Zone! | December 25th, 2016

Durham, NC A new study appearing in the current issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine indicates that stem cells harvested from fat (adipose) are more potent than those collected from bone marrow in helping to modulate the bodys immune system.

The finding could have significant implications in developing new stem-cell-based therapies, as adipose tissue-derived stem cells (AT-SCs) are far more plentiful in the body than those found in bone marrow and can be collected from waste material from liposuction procedures. Stem cells are considered potential therapies for a range of conditions, from enhancing skin graft survival to treating inflammatory bowel disease.

Researchers at the Leiden University Medical Centers Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion in Leiden, The Netherlands, led by Helene Roelofs, Ph.D., conducted the study. They were seeking an alternative to bone marrow for stem cell therapies because of the low number of stem cells available in marrow and also because harvesting them involves an invasive procedure.

Adipose tissue is an interesting alternative since it contains approximately a 500-fold higher frequency of stem cells and tissue collection is simple, Dr. Roelofs said.

Moreover, Dr. Sara M. Melief added, 400,000 liposuctions a year are performed in the U.S. alone, where the aspirated adipose tissue is regarded as waste and could be collected without any additional burden or risk for the donor.

For the study, the team used stem cells collected from the bone marrow and fat tissue of age-matched donors. They compared the cells ability to regulate the immune system in vitro and found that the two performed similarly, although it took a smaller dose for the AT-SCs to achieve the same effect on the immune cells.

When it came to secreting cytokines the cell signaling molecules that regulate the immune system the AT-SCs also outperformed the bone marrow-derived cells.

This all adds up to make AT-SC a good alternative to bone marrow stem cells for developing new therapies, Dr. Roelofs concluded.

Cells from bone marrow and from fat were equivalent in terms of their potential to differentiate into multiple cell types, said Anthony Atala, M.D., editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The fact that the cells from fat tissue seem to be more potent at suppressing the immune system suggest their promise in clinical therapies.

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Regenerative technologies are revolutionizing equine veterinary medicine, while providing invaluable guidance for human applications. We are proud to announce that the Inaugural Equine World Stem Cell Summit will run December 7-9, in West Palm

Japan is not only a leader in Stem Cell research, but also a country that has a fully integrated plan to advance and accelerate regenerative medicine products as we recently featuredin an article on

Pre-early-bird registration is now open for the 12th annual World Stem Cell Summit, the original, translation-focused,interdisciplinary, networking, and partnering conference in the stem cell science and regenerative medicine field. Give high-touch visibility to your work,

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 28, 2016 -- Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF) the producer of the annual World Stem Cell Summit & RegMed Capital Conference, announced the event is returning to West Palm Beach at

Its impossible to calculate the impact that the 2014 World Stem Cell Summit had on San Antonio, but the exposure to national and international bioscience industry leaders and investors was significant enough that the Alamo

A pair of San Antonio biotech companies, BioBridge Global and StemBioSys Inc., have agreed to expand the scope of their collaborative relationship in an effort to bring a new source of stem cells to the

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.)Two UC Davis Health System scientists are among the featured speakers at the upcomingWorld Stem Cell Summit and Regenerative Medicine conference that starts on Dec. 10 in Atlanta. Jan NoltaandPaul Knoepflerwill be joining more

ATLANTAandHOLLISTON, Mass.,Dec. 8, 2015/PRNewswire/ --Harvard Apparatus Regenerative Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq:HART), a biotechnology company developing bioengineered organ implants for life-threatening conditions, today announced that Executive Vice President and Chief Medical OfficerSaverio La Francesca, MD will moderate

RegMed Capital Conference Brings Global Investors Together with Industry Leaders and Entrepreneurs to Finance Cures RegMed Capital Conference Joins World Stem Cell Summit - December 10-12 in Atlanta ATLANTA, Dec. 2, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

2015 World Stem Cell Summit & RegMed Capital Conference in Atlanta, GA from December 10 12 (Atlanta, GA) - The 11thWorld Stem Cell Summit & RegMed Capital Conference #WSCS15 brings together over 1,200 scientists, clinicians,

11th Annual Stem Cell Action Awards to be Presented at World Stem Cell Summit #WSCS15, December 10, in Atlanta Five distinguished honorees have been selected for the 2015 Stem Cell Action Awards. For 11 years,

Regenerative medicine through stem cell technology is a source of hope for many suffering from ailments including Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury and cancer. While new therapeutic options are continually in development, progress has,

New Organ, a collective initiative for biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine, announced today that two new teams have joined the field competing for the New Organ Liver Prize, a global competition sponsored by the Methuselah

Regenerative medicine and stem cell research are presenting possibilities that were unimaginable 15 years ago. Bernard Siegel, Founder of the World Stem Cell Summit, discusses its position at the heart of this community, bringing together

The World Stem Cell Summit honored five champions of stem cell research Thursday evening. They are: Philanthropists Denny Sanford and Malin Burnham; stem cell researcher/blogger/patient advocate Paul Knoepfler; medical journal publisher Mary Ann Liebert, and

Stem cell research has already yielded historic breakthroughs against incurable diseases, a panel of top stem cell researchers said at a public forum Tuesday evening. And that's just the start, said the researchers, who described

(December 5, 2012 -- West Palm Beach, Florida) The winners of the World Stem Cell Summit Poster Prize were announced this morning by Alan Jakimo, Senior Counsel, Sidley Austin.The World Stem Cell Summit Poster Forum

Register now to secure the best registration price for the 8th annualWorld Stem Cell Summit. Our lowest rates are only offered through Friday, October 19, so why wait?The diverse three day program includes: 65 hours

Build on the momentum. Capitalize on your Summit experience. Distill and incorporate what emerged, and further explore what may be ahead. Follow-up with colleagues. And make plans now to continue the dialogue at the 2013

Time magazine last month touted recent advances in stem cell research as one of the world's "10 best shots for tackling our worst problems." But Minnesota and Oklahoma are hellbent on blocking progress. A bill

Rhona Allison is senior director of life sciences for Scottish Enterprise, an economic development group in Scotland. She is responsible for setting and delivering Scottish Enterprise's life sciences strategy to support the economic growth and

The Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decided Tuesday afternoon to allow federally funded human embryonic stem cell research to continue, while the federal government appeals a lower court injunction that barred

A U.S. judge blocked the federal government from funding research involving human embryonic stem cells, a surprise blow to one of the most promising yet controversial areas of current scientific research. The ruling, which could

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World Stem Cell Summit

Spinal Cord Stem Cells Comments Off on World Stem Cell Summit | November 21st, 2016

The Inaugural ISCT-ASBMT Cell Therapy Training Course One Scholars Experience

Beth Sage MBBS, PhD UCL Respiratory University College London, London, UK

Having been lucky enough to be selected as an international scholar for the inaugural Cell Therapy Training Course I was looking forward to leaving behind the rather disappointing British summer and heading towards the much warmer Houston fall. Having googled my destination and accommodation I boarded the plane with great excitement and hopes of enjoying the Texan heat whilst exploring the cosmopolitan offerings of Americas fourth largest city oh and learning something about cell therapy!

The course, chaired by Dave DiGiusto and John Barrett, was the first of its kind, a joint enterprise between the ISCT and the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Following a competitive selection procedure 12 scholars from all over the world were invited to attend a 5 day intensive workshop with the primary objective of giving junior cell therapy researchers an insight into the process of taking their research project from bench to bedside, including processing, clinical trial design, regulatory requirements, commercialization and ethical research. Alongside didactic lecture based teaching there were tours of good manufacturing practice (GMP) facilities, both academic and commercial, and most anticipated by the scholars was the opportunity to participate in small group discussions, led by experts in the field, dissecting and improving the individual cell therapy projects.

To break the ice on the light first day each scholar gave a short presentation on their project. It was immediately clear that there is a great breadth of exciting, novel cell therapy projects under investigation throughout the world, from the use of modified T-cells in hematological malignancies to the development of a tissue-engineered oesophagus using amniotic fluid stem cells. Projects ranged from early pre-clinical to those embarking on a first in man clinical trial and every stage in between, making the session interesting and varied. Having fought the jet-lag, the session ended with an ice-breaker drinks and dinner before retiring to prepare for the days ahead.

Over the next few days we were exposed to a wealth of information with detailed talks on pre-clinical development of different cell therapies from CD34 cells to mesenchymal stromal cells, quality systems development and one of the most useful from my personal perspective, manufacturing and release testing of different products. We were able to visit different manufacturing facilities and to understand the processes involved in the production of a clinical grade therapy. It made us challenge the protocols we were developing in the lab as we gained an insight into how it would scale up into a commercially viable process a 26 day culture process of autologous cells requiring purification and multiple cytokine stimulations is significantly more challenging (and expensive) than allogeneic cells cultured for 14 days with no manipulation and simple media exchanges.

Once the process development sessions were complete, we switched gears to look at how to conduct cell therapy clinical trials, covering issues of producing products including normal donors that are used to treat multiple recipients, the challenges of pooling donor cells, how to run multicenter studies and most importantly (although I can say almost universally never thought about by the scholars) how to deal with a regulatory body audit. This really was a really informative session that opened our eyes to the challenges and complexities of working in the field of cell therapy trials.

Just when we were beginning to feel that our jobs over the next few years would be focused on clinical trial design, process validation and filling in an endless paper chain of regulatory documents we were brought back to where we all started the excitement of the translational science. This was, for me, a really interesting session on the importance of correlative studies not only to assess clinical trial performance but to provide mechanistic insights into the behavior of cells when delivered to patients with disease. As scientists we can design and perform many experiments to predict how manipulated cells will behave but the most important data of all comes from the patients themselves. For me, the importance of testing a novel therapy is not just to see if it works but how it works and, just as importantly, if it doesnt - why.

To end to course, our wise leaders Dave DiGiusto and John Barrett decided to test whether we had been listening, and each scholar had to deliver a detailed presentation on how their project had developed during the course. Each scholar had to address the potential pitfalls and specific challenges they faced in moving towards the clinic. Whilst many of us stayed up into the small hours worrying about aspects we were previously oblivious to, undoubtedly we found this one of the most rewarding moments. Despite the potential difficulties we were now aware of, we also felt better placed to solve them and could see a clearer path ahead.

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Cellular Therapy Training Course - ISCT

IPS Cell Therapy Comments Off on Cellular Therapy Training Course – ISCT | November 21st, 2016

Everyone knows that the heart is a vital organ. We cannot live without our heart. However, when you get right down to it, the heart is just a pump. A complex and important one, yes, but still just a pump. As with all other pumps it can become clogged, break down and need repair. This is why it is critical that we know how the heart works. With a little knowledge about your heart and what is good or bad for it, you can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Almost 2,000 Americans die of heart disease each day. That is one death every 44 seconds. The good news is that the death rate from heart disease has been steadily decreasing. Unfortunately, heart disease still causes sudden death and many people die before even reaching the hospital.

The heart holds a special place in our collective psyche as well. Of course the heart is synonymous with love. It has many other associations, too. Here are just a few examples:

Certainly no other bodily organ elicits this kind of response. When was the last time you had a heavy pancreas?

In this article, we will look at this important organ so that you can understand exactly what makes your heart tick.

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How Your Heart Works | HowStuffWorks

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on How Your Heart Works | HowStuffWorks | November 16th, 2016