Richard France has been visiting Pine Island for 18 years. Each winter he escapes the Ohio winters for the sunny warmth of Pine Island for about six months a year.

"In 2008 I was diagnosed when I was 68 years old with acute leukemia," France said. "I underwent treatments for a fair amount of time, 4 or 5 months - chemotherapy. We usually come down in January but that year we were here for March and April."

He continued, "After that I was in remission for three years but then in 2011 we were here in Florida and I got a call from my doctor. He said the cancer had returned and that I needed to get back to Ohio. They recommended that I have a bone marrow transplant and I got on the transplant list. I think it was under a year when I got word that they had a donor. By then they had decided against a bone marrow transplant and were looking for a stem cell donor. It was the day before Thanksgiving that I went into the hospital and I stayed until almost Christmas. On Nov. 30, I got Laurie Burnworth's stem cells."

Laurie Burnworth stem cell donor and Richard France recipient.

PHOTO PROVIDED

A stem cell (blood or marrow) transplant is the infusion, or injection, of healthy stem cells into your body to replace damaged or diseased stem cells. A stem cell transplant may be necessary if your bone marrow stops working and doesn't produce enough healthy stem cells. A stem cell transplant also may be performed if high-dose chemotherapy or radiation therapy is given in the treatment of blood disorders such as leukemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma.

"I've been donating blood for years," Burnworth said. "I think I may have signed up for this at one of those times I signed up for blood but I really don't remember. It seems one thing led to another and I believe we were matched up in 2008 and they called me. But that's when Richard went into remission and they held off. Then in 2011 they contacted me again and said 'You are the perfect match for this gentleman and if you're still interested we're going to do this.' After extensive testing we went ahead.

"I think a lot of people don't sign up because they think they take the material from the bone," Burnworth continued. "But in my case you just go to the blood bank, which for me was in Rockford, Ill., and sit in a chair and then you just get hooked up like you're donating blood the difference being though is you're hooked up with both arms. One arm collects the blood where it is sent to a centrifuge that separates the platelets and then the blood is returned through the other arm to your body.

"It's really not a bad process," Burnworth said. "It takes a little time but this is the result. For the first year you can correspond with each other anonymously. Then after a year you sign forms releasing the information. It was Christmas 2012 that I got my phone call from Richard. And, of course, I didn't recognize the phone number so I didn't answer but he left a message and I immediately called back. That's when it really hit me and I cried because Richard and his family got to celebrate Christmas. Then this year they got to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and I cried again."

"We meant to get together last year but didn't," France said. "My wife urged that we get together this year and here we are. It's been two years since I got my transplant and I've got another three to go before I'm considered cured. I'm getting pretty much everything back and I feel wonderful and I'm so thankful for Laurie. I wish more people would look into donating organs in general."

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Stem cell donor, recipient get together

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

9-Mar-2014

Contact: Henry Rummins h.rummins@ucl.ac.uk 44-207-679-9063 University College London

Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda will work with University College London (UCL) to drive research into tackling muscle disorders, in particular muscular dystrophy.

The research which is being conducted by the research group of Dr Francesco Saverio Tedesco is being supported through funding of $250,000 from the company's New Frontier Sciences group. Takeda's NFS aims to support innovative, cutting-edge research which could eventually lead to drug discovery and development.

Dr Tedesco's team will focus on the study of muscular regeneration and the potential for stem cell therapies to treat muscular dystrophy, in particular induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cells.

The team is also investigating the potential for treating muscular dystrophy through developing novel gene and cell therapy strategies using artificial human chromosomes and novel biomaterials.

Using this approach, Dr Tedesco hopes to overcome a number of current limitations to developing effective treatments for muscular dystrophies. It is hoped that through the use of these modified stem cells, large quantities of progenitor cells could be produced to be transplanted into a patient's muscle following genetic correction or to be used for drug development platforms.

Importantly, the team will attempt to produce these cells which can be applied more easily in a clinical context, in order to reduce the hurdles that might limit their possible future use in clinical studies.

Through previous work using a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the team has already demonstrated the potential of pre-clinical gene replacement therapy using an artificial human chromosome.

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Takeda and UCL to work together to tackle muscle disorders

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Newswise SEATTLE The Fred Hutchinson Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) was recently recognized by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) for outperforming its expected one-year survival rate for allogeneic transplant patients. The results published by the CIBMTR, analyzed the National Marrow Donor Programs (NMDP) registry of 168 U.S. transplant centers over a three-year period for its 2013 Transplant Center-Specific Survival Report.

The Fred Hutchinson Bone Marrow Transplant Program at SCCA pioneered the clinical use of bone marrow and stem cell transplantation more than 40 years ago and have performed more than 14,000 bone marrow transplants more than any other institution in the world. Today, the organization is one of just 13 stem cell transplant programs nationwide that exceeded its anticipated one-year survival rate for patients undergoing allogeneic transplants.

This type of transplant uses stem cells from a donor who may or may not be related to the patient. Stem cell transplants, including bone marrow transplants, are used to treat a range of leukemias and lymphomas, as well as other diseases such as severe aplastic anemia and sickle cell disease.

Comparing Transplant Centers

Comparing transplant centers in the U.S. is an extremely challenging process, explains Dr. Marco Mielcarek, medical director of the Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at SCCA. There are so many variables that must be taken into account, including type of cancer and stage, the patients underlying medical problems and age, the type of transplant they undergo, and the source of the stem cells for the transplant. Each patient has a unique risk profile.

Although the process of comparing transplant centers can be challenging, the intensive analysis allows researchers to compare themselves to other centers, leading to improved outcomes. Additionally, the report provides patients and their families with valuable information necessary when evaluating where to go for treatment.

When you adjust for risk factors, our patients outcomes exceeded expectations over a three-year period, Dr. Mielcarek says, thats information that is helpful for patients to know when they are making important health care decisions with their families.

To arrive at its findings, CIBMTR independently examined the survival rates of 19,945 transplants performed to treat blood cancers at U.S. centers in the NMDP network. The most recent reporting period covered January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011. During this three-year period, 762 allogeneic transplants were performed at SCCA. The report, published annually, is required by federal law and is designed to provide potential stem cell transplant recipients, their families, and the public with comparative survival rates among transplant centers.

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Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Recognized for Its One-Year Survival Rates

stem cell therapy treatment for Spastic Paraplegia by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india
improvement seen in just 5 days after stem cell therapy treatment for Spastic Paraplegia by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india. Stem Cell Therapy done date 7/1/20...

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

6-Mar-2014

Contact: Jessica Maki jmaki3@partners.org 617-525-6373 Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, MA A team of Alzheimer's disease (AD) researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) has been able to study the underlying causes of AD and develop assays to test newer approaches to treatment by using stem cells derived from related family members with a genetic predisposition to (AD).

"In the past, research of human cells impacted by AD has been largely limited to postmortem tissue samples from patients who have already succumbed to the disease," said Dr. Tracy L. Young-Pearse, corresponding author of the study recently published in Human Molecular Genetics and an investigator in the Center for Neurologic Diseases at BWH. "In this study, we were able to generate stem cells from skin biopsies of living family members who carry a mutation associated with early-onset AD. We guided these stem cells to become brain cells, where we could then investigate mechanisms of the disease process and test the effects of newer antibody treatments for AD."

The skin biopsies for the study were provided by a 57-year-old father with AD and his 33 year-old- daughter, who is currently asymptomatic for AD. Both harbor the "London" familial AD Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) mutation, V7171. More than 200 different mutations are associated with familial AD. Depending on the mutation, carriers can begin exhibiting symptoms as early as their 30s and 40s. APPV7171 was the first mutation linked to familial AD and is the most common APP mutation.

The BWH researchers submitted the skin biopsies to the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, where the cells were converted into induced pluripotent stem cells (or iPSCs). Dr. Young-Pearse's lab then directed the stem cells derived from these samples into neurons specifically related to a particular region of the brain which is responsible for memory and cognitive function. The scientists studying these neurons made several important discoveries. First, they showed that the APPV7171 mutation alters APP subcellular location, amyloid-beta protein generation, and then alters Tau protein expression and phosphorylation which impacts the Tau protein's function and activity. Next, the researchers tested multiple amyloid-beta antibodies on the affected neurons. Here, they demonstrated that the secondary increase in Tau can be rescued by treatment with the amyloid -protein antibodies, providing direct evidence linking disease-relevant changes in amyloid-beta to aberrant Tau metabolism in living cells obtained directly from an AD patient.

While AD is characterized by the presence of amyloid-beta protein plaques and Tau protein tangles, observing living cell behavior and understanding the mechanisms and relationship between these abnormal protein deposits and tangles has been challenging. Experimental treatments for AD are using antibodies to try to neutralize the toxic effects of amyloid-beta, because they can bind to and clear the amyoid-beta peptide from the brain.

This study is the first of its kind to examine the effects of antibody therapy on human neurons derived directly from patients with familial AD.

"Amyloid-beta immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic option in AD, if delivered early in the disease process," said Dr. Young-Pearse. "Our study suggests that this stem cell model from actual patients may be useful in testing and comparing amyloid-beta antibodies, as well as other emerging therapeutic strategies in treating AD."

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Alzheimer's research team employs stem cells to understand disease processes and study new treatment

BOSTON -

A bone marrow transplant could be a life-saving move for a little girl from Chester.

Keith McGilvery visited her at Boston Children's Hospital Tuesday and found out she's not the only young Vermonter who's sick on her floor. There are two kids from Vermont-- one from Chester and the other from Colchester. They're neighbors at Children's Hospital hoping that their transplants will make them better.

Tuesday, we visited Lindsey Sturtevant, she's the 12-year-old who just received a second bone marrow transplant to fight off a pre-leukemia condition that's done a number on her blood cells.

During our visit, we learned that Colchester Middle Schooler Le'Ondre Brockington is in the hospital bed next door. The 13-year old is fighting a rare form of acute myeloid leukemia. He's been in the hospital for seven months and his mom says every day has been a battle. Both families are thankful to their transplants.

Lindsey's doctor, Christine Duncan of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, talked with us about what's involved if you decide to donate.

"There are lots of different ways that we collect stem cells. Some are directly from the bone, some are from your blood, most often it is a blood-type donation. For people that are really interested, they can look at the national marrow donor program which is the program that helped us find a donor for Lindsey," Dr. Duncan said.

Matches don't always come from family; Lindsey's first donor came from a 42-year-old woman in Europe and the second came from a 23-year-old man.

Le'Ondre's bone marrow donation came from a 33-year-old man.

For more information on becoming a donor:

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Sick Vt. kids highlight need for bone marrow donors

Doctors in London have devised a way to reconstruct human ears and noses with stem cells taken from body fat, BBC News reported.

In a study published in the journal Nanomedicine, researchers from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London said theyve successfully used fat stem cells to grow cartilage in a laboratory setting. Using ear-shaped scaffolding to ensure that the stem cells grow into the desired shape, physicians said they hope to someday be able to implant lab-grown cartilage underneath a persons skin to correct facial abnormalities.

While more testing needs to be done before the technique is used in patients, researchers hope to use this method to help patients with conditions like microtia a congenital deformity that can leave a child with a missing or malformed ear. Currently, the only corrective procedure available to these children involves taking cartilage from the childs ribs a procedure that leaves permanent scaring and requires multiple surgeries.

"It would be the Holy Grail to do this procedure through a single surgery," study author Dr Patrizia Ferretti told BBC News."So, decreasing enormously the stress for the children and having a structure that hopefully will be growing as the child grows."

The researchers also said the technique could be useful in correcting cartilage damage in the nose.

Click for more from BBC News.

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Doctors grow ears, noses using body fat stem cells

Sir Ian Wilmut proposes an alternative method as a possible means of creating a mammoth--or a hybrid. Such research could lead to major biological discoveries and advances

Wikimedia Commons/Mammut

Editor's note: The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation UK, an online publication covering the latest research.

By Ian Wilmut, University of Edinburgh

It is unlikely that a mammoth could be cloned in the way we created Dolly the sheep, as has been proposed following the discovery of mammoth bones in northern Siberia. However, the idea prompts us to consider the feasibility of other avenues. Even if the Dolly method is not possible, there are other ways in which it would be biologically interesting to work with viable mammoth cells if they can be found.

In order for a Dolly-like clone to be born it is necessary to have females of a closely related species to provide unfertilised eggs, and, if cloned embryos are produced, to carry the pregnancies. Cloning depends on having two cells. One is an egg recovered from an animal around the time when usually she would be mated.

In reality there would be a need for not just one, but several hundred or even several thousand eggs to allow an opportunity to optimise the cloning techniques. The cloning procedure is very inefficient. After all, after several years of research with sheep eggs, Dolly was the only one to develop from 277 cloned embryos. In species in which research has continued, the typical success rate is still only around 5% at best.

Elephant eggs

In this case the suggestion is to use eggs from elephants. Because there is a danger of elephants becoming extinct it is clearly not appropriate to try to obtain 500 eggs from elephants. But there is an alternative.

There is a considerable similarity in the mechanisms that regulate function of the ovaries in different mammals. It has been shown that maturation of elephant eggs is stimulated if ovarian tissue from elephants is transplanted into mice.

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Produce Woolly Mammoth Stem Cells, Says Creator of Dolly the Sheep

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Newswise In a study that began in a pair of infant siblings with a rare heart defect, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a key molecular switch that regulates heart cell division and normally turns the process off around the time of birth. Their research, they report, could advance efforts to turn the process back on and regenerate heart tissue damaged by heart attacks or disease.

This study offers hope that we can someday find a way to restore the ability of heart cells to divide in response to injury and to help patients recover from many kinds of cardiac dysfunction, says cardiologist Daniel P. Judge, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Heart and Vascular Institutes Center for Inherited Heart Diseases. Things usually heal up well in many parts of the body through cell division, except in the heart and the brain. Although other work has generated a lot of excitement about the possibility of treatment with stem cells, our research offers an entirely different direction to pursue in finding ways to repair a damaged heart.

Unlike most other cells in the body that regularly die off and regenerate, heart cells rarely divide after birth. When those cells are damaged by heart attack, infection or other means, the injury is irreparable.

Judges new findings, reported online March 4 in the journal Nature Communications, emerged from insights into a genetic mutation that appears responsible for allowing cells to continue replicating in the heart in very rare cases.

The discovery, Judge says, began with the tale of two infants, siblings born years apart but each diagnosed in their earliest weeks with heart failure. One underwent a heart transplant at three months of age; the other at five months. When pathologists examined their damaged hearts after they were removed, they were intrigued to find that the babies heart cells continued to divide a process that wasnt supposed to happen at their ages.

The researchers then hunted for genetic abnormalities that might account for the phenomenon by scanning the small percent of their entire genome responsible for coding proteins. One stood out: ALMS1, in which each of the affected children had two abnormal copies.

The Johns Hopkins researchers also contacted colleagues at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, who had found the same heart cell proliferation in five of its infant patients, including two sets of siblings. Genetic analysis showed those children had mutations in the same ALMS1 gene, which appears to cause a deficiency in the Alstrm protein that impairs the ability of heart cells to stop dividing on schedule. The runaway division may be responsible for the devastating heart damage in all of the infants, Judge says.

These mutations, it turned out, were also linked to a known rare recessive disorder called Alstrm syndrome, a condition associated with obesity, diabetes, blindness, hearing loss and heart disease.

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Researchers Find Protein 'Switch' Central to Heart Cell Division

stem cell therapy treatment for Cerebral Palsy with Mental Retardation by dr alok sharma, mumbai
improvement seen in just 5 daysafter stem cell therapy treatment for Cerebral Palsy with Mental Retardation by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india. Stem Cell Thera...

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Experience and expertise run in the genes of this doctor, a third-generation fresh cell therapy practitioner

It was a pleaseant, winter morning in Edenkoben, Germany and a group of 15 people from various countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Italy, and Germany congregated for breakfast in a coffee shop in this quaint city. Most of these people just flew in from their respective countries, or drove in from different European cities.

But they were not there for an international conference. They were all there for their shots of fresh cell from Dr. Robert Janson-Mueller.

For the past couple of years, through his solo practice, Dr. Robert Mueller has been sharing the benefits of fresh cell therapy with people who need to seek alternative means to remedy various diseases or chronic conditions of their body, or anti-aging solutions.

Although Filipinos has heard of stem cell therapy only in recent years, thanks to celebrities and politicians who have undergone the treatment and do swear by its efficacy, fresh cell therapy has been around since the 1930s.

The Swiss doctor Prof. Paul Niehans first injected cells originating from animal organs intramuscular into patients in 1931 and is thus considered the founder of live cell therapy. Dr. Robert Muellers grandfather, Dr. Philipp Janson, was one of the first doctors to introduce this method in Germany in 1949. His father, Dr. Wolfgang Janson-Meller, also extensively practiced for 35 years.

Since the 90s, I have been able to participate in the wealth of experience that my father, who is always available for help and advice, has gladly passed on to me. I have been using this method of treatment in my own practice since 2003, says Dr. Mueller.

However, the 47-year old doctor differentiates his practice from others (there are only five known doctors who do fresh cell therapy in Germany) because his clinic tailor-fits the fresh cell injections according to the specific needs of the individuals body. A patient thus gets from about eight to 30 injections, depending on the needs.

In this interview with Dr. Mueller, the German expert sheds more light on this therapy that is attracting more and more Filipinos as an alternative treatment. He also explains why fresh cell therapy is not a cure-all or a miracle therapy, why cells from the sheep embryo is being used, why the treatment is becoming popular in Asia, and why it is not possible, up to now, that these therapies can be done in the Philippines.

For more information on fresh cell therapy, visit the website http://www.janson-mueller.de or call Joey Santos at 0917898-6564 or 633-8653.

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Cracking the fresh cell code

They used a process similar to one they used in an earlier project published last September where they reported creating neural networks in the brains of mice. In both cases the researchers reprogrammed the nerve support cells known as astrocytes into functional nerves. Astrocytes tend to be abundant, particularly at the site of injury where they proliferate and form scar tissue that actually prevents regrowth of the damaged nerves.

The Texas teams first step involved using a biologic substance to manipulate the expression of genes in the astrocytes at the site of spinal injury in the mice. They tried 12 different ones before they found one that is efficient in turning the protective cells into progenitor cells for nerves; think of them as middlemen between nerve stem cells and adult nerve. They then used a common drug called valproic acid to encourage those progenitor cells to mature into functioning nerves.

The work seems to map out a strategy to get new nerve growth directly in patients, or in vivo. The paper was published in Nature Communication and a press release from the university was picked up by ScienceCodex and it quoted the senior researcher Chun-Li Zhang on the impact:

You can read about some of CIRMs dozens of projects trying to repair or regrow nerve cells in our stem cells and stroke fact sheet.

Don Gibbons

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CIRM Stem Cell Research Updates: Team tricked scar tissue ...

In 2009, Steven Bustamante, 58, was in bad shape.

A major heart attack, along with nearly every complication in the book, had led to heart failure. He called his brother from the hospital to say his goodbyes, fearing he would fall asleep and never wake up.

But when he did wake up, an unfamiliar doctor from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine was sitting in his room, offering him the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial where his heart would be injected with stem cells extracted from his bone marrow.

The results were transformative.

I went from being a person who probably needed a heart transplant to someone whose heart is in a normal range, Bustamante said. I dont feel like a sick person anymore, at all.

Several studies at the UM Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute (ISCI) have shown that stem cells derived from adult bone marrow, which carry the potential to grow into various kinds of cells based on their environment, can help repair damaged heart tissue.

As researchers continue to explore the potential of stem cell therapy in current and upcoming studies, they are taking what some see as early but steady strides toward changing the future of cardiac care perhaps to one in which doctors help patients regenerate and rejuvenate their own hearts.

Weve taken some very important steps, said Dr. Joshua Hare, director of the ISCI, and we really envision the possibility that this may be an applicable therapy that could help a lot of people. But there are a lot of questions.

To answer those questions, researchers are simultaneously expanding trial sizes, branching into various cardiac diseases and trying to hone in on ideal treatment, dosage and delivery.

One of the pilot trials, published in November 2012, aimed to determine if stem cells from a donor are as safe and effective as a patients own stem cells. The results from 30 people showed that both types are safe good news because donor cells can be prepared in advance.

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University of Miami researchers explore potential of stem ...

Callie (left) and her sister Alaina between transplants

Tonight, local rapper Kusha Tarantino will host a jam-packed hip-hop bill at Fitzgeralds. When James Courtney first pitched me an article about the show, I wrote back fastest way to my heart!

Thats not because I particularly love Kusha, (though he seemed like a smart, passionate guy in the subsequent article James wrote) but because I fully support the concerts secondary mission: signing people up for the National Marrow Donor Program.

I myself have donated marrow once and stem cells once (these are two different methods to get the same type of cells into the patient in need). Both times it was a treatment of the last resort for the patient, my sister Alaina, who spent several years in her late teens battling a particularly aggressive form of leukemia. Sadly, my donations did not save her life, but they did prolong it. Without the marrow and stem cell transplant, Alaina wouldnt have been well enough to leave the hospital and recover at home. She wouldnt have lived long enough to graduate high school and apply to college. For many other patients (typically those with blood disorders or blood cancer), the transplant does save their life.

Signing up for the marrow donor registry, which you can do for free tonight at the Kusha Tarantino show thanks to the organization LOVE HOPE STRENGTH, is absurdly easy. They swab your cheek to get your DNA, and then send it off to NMDP where theyll scan in for human leukocyte antigens (HLA). When a patient in need of a bone marrow or stem cell transplant cant find one in their own family, doctors turn to the registry to find a donor.

This is the part that makes people nervous. What if they call me? people ask when I tell them about the registry. Well, a) you can always decline (odds are 1 in 540 that youll get called to be a donor sometime in your life if youre on the registry) and b) the donation is also pretty easy, especially consider the end result is generally life-saving, or at least life-prolonging. Im in a unique position to tell you about both, so here it goes:

Bone Marrow: This is an outpatient surgery. Dont worry, in both cases you have several weeks to prepare, its not like they call you and tell you to be in surgery prep the next day. A doctor in your city or nearby will help you through the process and work with you to schedule the surgery date. I was in and out in one day, and the surgery had general anesthesia, so I dont remember any of it. They extract the marrow with a needle from your hip/pelvis area. Afterward, I felt a little sore there, like I had fallen and bruised my tailbone. I had two teeny tiny scars that are no longer visible. The soreness lasted for a few days, and in about a week I was feeling normal. I was in college at the time and donated over spring break, so I didnt have to worry about taking off of work or school, but Id probably recommend taking the next day off, if only because it hurts to sit down in a chair for 8-10 hours. Standing desk or working from home? No problem.

Peripheral Blood Stem Cell: This is a non-surgical procedure. As in bone marrow donation, a doctor will work with you to prepare and schedule your appointment. Unlike bone marrow donation, for five days leading up to stem cell donation you have to take some injections that boost your stem cell count. About the only side effect from that I can recall were some low-grade headaches. The donation itself can take about eight hours or less and is fairly similar to donating blood or platelets, except for during the donation, they take blood from one arm and separate out the stem cells, then put your own blood back into your body via the other arm. So, both arms have needles in them and you cant do very much except watch movies or TV. I watched a couple of Godfather films back-to-back, and was done before we could start the third. Afterward, theres much less bodily soreness than with bone marrow, but you probably dont want to hit up the club that night.

If you think you want to get on the registry, but hip-hops not your thing, locally, GenCurehandles donor drives and recruitment for the NMDP. You can also learn more from any South Texas Blood and Tissue Center donor room.

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Why You Should Join the Bone Marrow Donor Registry

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Newswise BETHESDA, Md., February 27, 2014 Six scientific societies will hold their joint scientific sessions and annual meetings, known as Experimental Biology (EB), from April 26-30, 2014, in San Diego. This meeting, EB 2014, brings together the leading researchers from dozens of life-science disciplines. The societies represented at the meeting will be: the American Association of Anatomists (AAA), the American Physiological Society (APS), the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

Below are some programming highlights:

Productive Public-Private Partnerships for Pharmacological Progress (ASPET) This timely symposium will explore new models of productive relationships used by pharmaceutical companies, academia, government and foundations to foster the discovery and development of new therapeutics to address unmet medical needs. Among the topics discussed will be the role of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health in helping to speed delivery of new drugs to patients, how public-private partnerships in the United States and the European Union are carrying out basic science that is relevant to drug discovery and how industry can build successful partnerships with academic institutions while avoiding the usual pitfalls. (Tues., 4/29)

Stem Cells for Heart Repair (ASIP) Heart failure is a leading cause of death, but most of todays therapies only delay the progression of disease. Recent clinical trials and laboratory experiments have conceptually demonstrated how stem cells could be used to repair the heart and improve cardiac function. In this session, leading investigators talk about using cardiac progenitor cells to regenerate contractile heart muscle cells in both developing and aging hearts as well as the potential use of stem cells for forming new vessels in the injured heart. (Sun., 4/27)

Molecular Basis of Addiction: Neurocognitive Deficits and Memory (ASBMB) This symposium will address the emerging idea that addiction is a disease of learning and memory. The general consensus is that the rewarding properties of addictive drugs depend on their ability to ultimately increase dopamine in the brain, but current research does not adequately explain the molecular mechanisms of drug addiction, how repeated dopamine release leads to compulsive use, why the risk of relapse can persist for years and how drug-related cues come to control behavior. This symposium will present new data providing evidence that addiction partly represents a pathological usurpation of processes involved in long-term memory. (Mon., 4/28)

Neurocognition: The Food-Brain Connection (ASN) Does food addiction exist? This double session will take a trans-disciplinary view of the emerging evidence on cognitive neuroscience, nutrition and food/sensory factors involved in understanding the brains role in food consumption. Topics include current perspectives and misunderstandings related to food and the brain as well as methods for studying food reward and control of food intake. (Mon., 4/28)

Signaling by Natural and Engineered Extracellular Matrices (AAA) This mini-meeting will explore how cells and tissues respond to the physical structure and biological properties of natural and engineered extracellular matrices. The presentations will show how interplay and bi-directional interaction between cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix scaffold play a pivotal role in the formation of new organs and tissues. Plenary speakers will discuss matrix-dependent mechanical regulation of organ development; the microenvironment of aging muscle stem cells as a therapeutic target; and how growth factors, the extracellular matrix and microRNAs regulate vessel formation. (Sun., 4/27)

Sex Differences in Physiology and Pathophysiology (APS) Scientists are discovering significant differences between males and females that affect health, illness and how the body responds to therapeutics. This symposium will discuss the latest animal and clinical research on sex differences in both disease and non-disease physiology. Topics include sex differences in chronic kidney disease, sex-specific signaling in heart muscle cells, mechanisms of hypertension in the transition to menopause, and a newly discovered peptide that controls hormonal release from the pituitary gland with differing effects in males and females. (Sun., 4/27)

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Experimental Biology 2014 Programming at a Glance

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) February 28, 2014

Chernoff Cosmetic Surgeons is excited to bring Phytoceutical science to Indianapolis, offering patients an innovative new treatment in the form of the Apple Stem Cell Facial.

A phytoceutical is a plant-derived compound with skin and health benefits. The benefits of phytoceuticals and apple stem cells have been witnessed in Europe and some Asian Countries, but have not gained much exposure in the U.S. until now. Dr. Gregory Chernoff of Chernoff Cosmetic Surgeons is excited to bring this effective and innovative treatment to Indianapolis.

Apple Stem Cells contain similar Epigenetic Factors as human stem cells. Together, these growth factors and the complex of science-based plant nutrients provide optimal improvement in skin health, says Dr. Chernoff.

The innovative facial uses special Malus apple stem cells combined with a phytoceutical complex, both of which are rich in growth factors. This powerful combination is used to enhance collagen production and stimulate fibroblast regeneration. Additional key ingredients in this facial that make it unique are polysaccharides that improve connective tissue and stimulate micro blood circulation, and pectin extract which acts as a fibroblast nutrient to improve skin.

This benefits of this new treatment can be maximized using enhanced delivery with micro needling. Micro needling is a form of non-ablative collagen induction therapy. This technique delivers active apple stem cells, growth factors, vitamins & nutrients deep into the dermis, providing intensive fibroblast and cell regeneration. Hyaluronic acid and tri-lipids seal in the active growth factors.

Apple stem cells are not something new to Dr. Chernoffs patients. His professional line of skincare offers an Apple Stem Cell Serum that his patients have been using for years. The Apple Stem Cell Facial is the first of several phytoceutical facials offered at Chernoff Cosmetic Surgeons using advanced growth factors to help improve skin tone, texture, and quality. The treatment is excellent for all skin types including dry, sensitive, acne prone, or compromised skin. Dr. Chernoff recommends his patients use his professional line of GREGORY M.D., Apple Stem Cell Serum for optimal results.

Greg Chernoff, M.D., is a Triple Board Certified Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. His practice is dedicated exclusively to aesthetic plastic surgery, hair replacement surgery, cosmetic laser therapy, and all forms medical aesthetics. Dr. Chernoffs laser research has been instrumental in developing and refining accepted laser techniques now utilized by physicians worldwide, and he is at the forefront of research in the areas of fibroblast, stem cell, and regenerative medicine. Dr. Chernoff provides excellent results and outstanding patient care. For more information, contact Chernoff Cosmetic Surgeons at 317-573-8899 http://www.drchernoff.com.

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Chernoff Cosmetic Surgery Pleased to Offer Innovative Phytoceutical Apple Stem Cell Facial

CLINICell Stem Cell Therapy for Knee Meniscus Tear 1 year Follow-Up
Stem cell therapy for knee post operative interview. This patient came in with a knee meniscus tear and one year after his initial procedure patient is pain ...

By: ClinicellTech

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CLINICell Stem Cell Therapy for Knee Meniscus Tear 1 year Follow-Up - Video

Freeport, The Bahamas (PRWEB) February 21, 2014

Okyanos Heart Institute, whose mission it is to bring a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease using adult stem cell therapy, and Cytori Therapeutics have announced that they have established a ten year supply agreement for the Celution System family of products to be utilized by the Okyanos Heart Institute.

Cytoris Celution system is a CE-marked device that is compliant with the European Medical Device Directive, has a well established safety record and will be used by Okyanos to treat patients with coronary artery disease and other ischemic conditions, stated Matthew Feshbach, CEO and co-founder of Okyanos. In a small but rigorous double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, strong signals of efficacy from the placement of adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells (ADRCs) in the heart were reported, added Feshbach.

For Cytori, this agreement represents our expanding customer base and an important new customer focused on utilizing the global standard CelutionTM System to process ADRCs to treat patients, stated Christopher Calhoun, CEO of Cytori.

The Bahamas Parliament passed stem cell legislation and regulations in August, 2013, which focus on patient safety and require scientific and clinical trial data supporting the treatment being provided. Okyanos is building out a state-of-the-art cath lab capable of treating more than 1,000 patients per year in Freeport, The Bahamas.

ABOUT OKYANOS HEART INSTITUTE: (Oh key AH nos) Based in Freeport, The Bahamas, Okyanos Heart Institutes mission is to bring a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease using cardiac stem cell therapy. Okyanos adheres to U.S. surgical center standards and is led by Chief Medical Officer Howard T. Walpole Jr., M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I. Okyanos Treatment utilizes a unique blend of stem and regenerative cells derived from ones own adipose (fat) tissue. The cells, when placed into the heart via a minimally-invasive procedure, can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis facilitates blood flow in the heart, which supports intake and use of oxygen (as demonstrated in rigorous clinical trials such as the PRECISE trial). The literary name Okyanos, the Greek god of rivers, symbolizes restoration of blood flow.

Okyanos LinkedIn Page: http://www.linkedin.com/company/okyanos-heart-institute

Okyanos Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OKYANOS

Okyanos Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/#!/OkyanosHeart

Okyanos Google+ Page: https://plus.google.com/+Okyanos/posts

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Okyanos Heart Institute Inks Deal with Cytori Therapeutics For Long-Term Supply Agreement

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A MOTHER whose son successfully battled a brain tumour but was later diagnosed with leukaemia is starting a campaign to encourage people to donate their stem cells.

Andrea Poyser's son Laughlin known as Lockey Whiteley, 7, had a brain tumour removed in 2011. But he was then diagnosed with treatment-related acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) last November.

Since then, the Burnham family has spent countless hours travelling to and from London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for Lockey's treatment.

Now Andrea, 42, with the help of friends, has set up "Unlock a Life for LocKEY", which aims to help raise awareness about stem cell donations.

"The general public think that stem cells come from the bone marrow and that's just not true," said the former drama teacher and actress Andrea.

"It's such a simple and easy procedure that costs nothing you can really make a difference to the lives of children. If you can, then why not.

"There are people suffering that could die because of lack of stem cells, it's easy to find out if you're a match and it's possible that you could save someone's life."

The group hope to help unlock matches for stem cell donors, plus give advice and support to families with children who have been diagnosed with leukaemia.

Unlock a Life for LocKEY is organising an event on Saturday, March 1, in Burnham where people can submit swab tests and donate during a day of live entertainment with a number of celebrities in attendance.

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Maldon Chronicle published Donate your stem cells: Mother's campaign after son Lockey, 7,...

GOING BEYOND SKIN DEEP IN IDENTIFYING GOOD FAT FROM BAD FAT

A*STAR scientists discover a faster way to tell fat cells apart to get down to the skinny of fat towards healthier outcomes

20 February 2014, Singapore - Scientists from A*STARs Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC) led in the discovery that two little-known fat cell markers have huge potential to assist researchers to further their understanding of fats. The discovery was recently published in prestigious science journal, Stem Cell Reports[1].

Adipose or fat cells are essential for proper body function. Yet, being too fat is detrimental to your health and raises risk of developing metabolic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. With worldwide obesity nearly doubling since 1980, there is an urgent need for research into the science of diseases caused by obesity[2].

Fat stem cells are young cells that mature into fully functioning fat cells. The research team looked at two different fat stem cells types: subcutaneous fat found beneath the skin and visceral fat surrounding internal organs. The researchers are able for the first time to tell apart subcutaneous from visceral fat stem cells using specific cell markers.

The researchers looked at 240 different markers present on the surface of fat stem cells and discovered two markers called CD10 and CD200. An imaging technique called High-Content Screening (HCS) was used to spot these markers individually by latching them with florescence tags. What the scientists found was subcutaneous fat contained more CD10 signals while visceral fat exhibited more CD200. By using the different composition of CD10 and CD200 on fat stem cell surface, scientists can use these marking signatures to differentiate subcutaneous from visceral fat.

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:: 20, Feb 2014 :: GOING BEYOND SKIN DEEP IN IDENTIFYING GOOD FAT FROM BAD FAT