A devoted mum whose sick twins desperately need a double bone marrow transplant has begged the nation: Please save my boys.

Luis and Kian King, seven, have Juvenile Krabbe Disease, which quickly ravages the nervous system and the youngsters are getting worse by the week.

Parents Laura, 36, and Dean, 38, know the odds are stacked against the boys, as doctors battle to find donors for the UKs first twin transplant, before they become too weak to survive treatment.

The average life expectancy of a child with the rare disease is just 12.

Laura pleaded: If you are not on the donor register you could be the match who can give my boys back their lives and their futures and you dont even realise it.

All of us are giant medicine bottles walking around with the ability to help others in their hour of need. It only takes 10 minutes to join the register and you can change a familys life forever.

Juvenile Krabbe Disease which affects fewer than one in a million children has left the boys, who also have cerebral palsy, unable to walk unaided.

Experts have warned that without a stem cell transplant they only have three years left with any real quality of life.

The disease will rob them of their sight and ability to feed themselves, causing them to suffer more and more pain until they can no longer breathe unaided.

With the boys just five years off the average life expectancy of 12, Laura admits their illness haunts her.

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Luis and Kian King: Juvenile Krabbe Disease victims' mum in plea to help save her twin boys

Fayetteville, Arkansas (PRWEB) February 19, 2015

CardioWise, Inc. has completed development of the first fully integrated version of its Multiparametric Strain Analysis Software (MPSA) and has installed it at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). MPSA software is being used in clinical research protocol number 12-H-0078, sponsored by the NHLBI entitled, Preliminary Assessment of Direct Intra-Myocardial Injection of Autologous Bone Marrow-derived Stromal Cells on Patients Undergoing Revascularization for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) with Depressed Left Ventricular Function. The Principle Investigator is Dr. Keith A. Horvath, the Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the NHLBI and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Suburban Hospital, where he leads the NIH Heart Center. Details of the study are available here: http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/cgi/wais/bold032001.pl?A_12-H-0078.html@mesenchymal@@@@.

The recently completed integrated version of CardioWise analysis software has been installed at the NIH; and, Dr. Justin Miller, and Dr. Ming Li, both research fellows in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Program of the NHLBI, have been trained on its operation and use. They were assigned to the project by Dr. Horvath and Dr. Andrew Arai, Chief of the Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Research Group in the NHLBIs Division of Intramural Research. CardioWise has completed validation testing of its software and the analyses of the first two patient cardiac MRI (CMR) data sets are in process. The patients who enrolled in the protocol received one baseline CMR scan and three additional follow-up CMR scans. Those CMR scans are being analyzed by CardioWise analysis software and the analyses will be compared to determine whether stem cell injections can improve the contractile function of the heart muscle by repairing damaged tissue.

The installation at the NIH under a Beta site agreement signed in 2014 marks the first clinical test of CardioWise MPSA software outside of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where it was developed. CardioWise has obtained the exclusive worldwide license for the patent-pending software and accompanying normal hearts database from Washington University in St. Louis. The companys MPSA software is uniquely capable of analyzing the three-dimensional motion of the heart that is acquired from cardiac MRI images and then comparing the analysis at 15,300 points to the motion of a normal heart model. The analysis detects portions of the heart that are moving abnormally and demonstrates to what degree the heart muscle has been affected. Since MRI uses no ionizing radiation or contrast, it is completely non-invasive and poses minimal risk to the patient. This allows the patient to be followed through the course of treatment and to measure outcomes of interventions such as the stem cell therapy currently being evaluated. In the near future, CardioWise MPSA may aid doctors to determine what intervention, such as surgery, stent insertion, or drug is most appropriate for the patient who presents with cardiovascular disease symptoms.

CardioWise is commercializing patent-pending, non-invasive Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMR) analysis software that produces a quantified 4D image model of the human heart, called Multiparametric Strain Analysis (MPSA). CardioWise heart analysis software combined with cardiac MRI is a single diagnostic test that is able to provide quantitative analysis of the myocardium, arteries and valves with an unprecedented level of detail. It has the opportunity to become the new gold standard of care for heart health analysis. CardioWise is a VIC Technology Venture Development portfolio company.

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CardioWise Completes Installation of the First Totally Integrated CardioWise Analysis Software at National Institutes ...

(L-R) Taylor Shorten, Sam Kimura and Alex Kimura (photo courtesy of SAM)

With the support of Delete Blood Cancer DKMS, the two sisters and their best friend Taylor Shorten began their road trip in January to visit all 50 states at churches, colleges, concerts and everything in between to promote increased awareness of blood cancer and blood diseases, in addition to finding donors for Sam and thousands of others.

Despite a busy, sometimes exhausting tour driving across America in a van named Maggie, Sam was able to spend a few moments to talk more about their cause and how people can potentially save someones life.

Alex and I came up with the concept of Sharing Americas Marrow about a year ago. We had been doing bone marrow donor drives ever since my diagnosis of severe aplastic anemia in 2010, but we wanted to do something really big. We enjoyed registering donors and knowing that each person has the potential to be a life-saving match, we decided to create a campaign around that idea. SAM evolved into a 50-state tour around the country with our best friend, Taylor Shorten, to register 50,000 potential donors.

We are working with Delete Blood Cancer DKMS to register potential donors. Delete Blood Cancer provides us with registration supplies in addition to testing each donor kit in the lab for potential donors to be listed on the registry.

Related: Five Healthy Foods For Your Brain

A Donor Jam is what we call a bone marrow donor drive. Its an event where people fill out a registration form and complete a cheek swab to get listed as a potential donor on the national registry. Bone marrow donor drive can sound intense, so we wanted to lighten it up a little and make it sound more fun, because saving lives is just thatfun!

Other groups can absolutely host a Donor Jam with us. With the help of Delete Blood Cancer, we can supply people with registration materials, training on how to register donors, flyers/promotional items to get the word out, etc. so that people can host their very own SAM Donor Jam.

In most cases, the success of allogeneic transplantation depends in part on how well the HLA antigens of the donors stem cells match those of the recipients stem cells. The higher the number of matching HLA antigens, the greater the chance that the patients body will accept the donors stem cells. In general, patients are less likely to develop a complication known as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) if the stem cells of the donor and patient are closely matched. Thus, finding a perfect match (also known as a 10/10 match) for a patient drastically minimizes the risk that the patient will reject the transplant or develop post-transplant complications.

We just felt that the van had the essence of a Maggie. We didnt necessarily choose the name, the name chose us.

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The Story Of Sharing Americas Marrow

Under normal conditions, many of the different types of tissue-specific adult stem cells, including hematopoietic stem cells, exist in a state or dormancy where they rarely divide and have very low energy demands. "Our theory was that this state of dormancy protected hematopoietic stem cells from DNA damage and therefore protects them from premature aging," says Dr. Michael Milsom, leader of the study.

However, under conditions of stress, such as during chronic blood loss or infection, hematopoietic stem cells are driven into a state of rapid cell division in order to produce new blood cells and repair the damaged tissue. "It's like forcing you out of your bed in the middle of the night and then putting you into a sports car and asking you to drive as fast as you can around a race circuit while you are still half asleep," explains Milsom. "The stem cells go from a state of rest to very high activity within a short space of time, requiring them to rapidly increase their metabolic rate, synthesize new DNA and coordinate cell division. Suddenly having to simultaneously execute these complicated functions dramatically increases the likelihood that something will go wrong."

Indeed, experiments described in the study show that the increased energy demands of the stem cells during stress result in elevated production of reactive metabolites that can directly damage DNA. If this happens at the same time that the cell is trying to replicate its DNA, then this can cause either the death of the stem cell, or potentially the acquisition of mutations that may cause cancer.

Normal stem cells can repair the majority of this stress-induced DNA damage, but the more times you are exposed to stress, the more likely it is that a given stem cell will inefficiently repair the damage and then die or become mutated and act as a seed in the development of leukemia. "We believe that this model perfectly explains the gradual accumulation of DNA damage in stem cells with age and the associated reduction in the ability of a tissue to maintain and repair itself as you get older," Milsom adds.

In addition, the study goes on to examine how this stress response impacts on a mouse model of a rare inherited premature aging disorder that is caused by a defect in DNA repair. Patients with Fanconi anemia suffer a collapse of their blood system and have an extremely high risk of developing cancer. Mouse models of Fanconi anemia have exactly the same DNA repair defect as found in human patients but the mice never spontaneously develop the bone marrow failure observed in nearly all patients.

"We felt that stress induced DNA damage was the missing ingredient that was required to cause hematopoietic stem cell depletion in these mice," says Milsom. When Fanconi anemia mice were exposed to stimulation mimicking a prolonged viral infection, they were unable to efficiently repair the resulting DNA damage and their stem cells failed. In the same space of time that normal mice showed a gradual decline in hematopoietic stem cell numbers, the stem cells in Fanconi anemia mice were almost completely depleted, resulting in bone marrow failure and an inadequate production of blood cells to sustain life.

"This perfectly recapitulates what happens to Fanconi anemia patients and now gives us an opportunity to understand how this disease works and how we might better treat it," commented Milsom.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Trumpp, director of HI-STEM and head of the Division of Stem Cells and Cancer at the DKFZ believes that this work is a big step towards understanding a range of age-related diseases. "The novel link between physiologic stress, mutations in stem cells and aging is very exciting," says Trumpp, a co-author of the study. "By understanding the mechanism via which stem cells age, we can start to think about strategies to prevent or at least reduce the risk of damaged stem cells which are the cause of aging and the seed of cancer."

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The above story is based on materials provided by German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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A good night's sleep keeps your stem cells young

Scientists have found that reducing the size of tiny hair like structures on stem cells stops them turning into fat. The discovery could be used to develop a way of preventing obesity.

The research, conducted at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), found that a slight regulation in the length of primary cilia, small hair-like projections found on most cells, prevented the production of fat cells from human stem cells taken from adult bone marrow.

Part of the process by which calories are turned into fat involves adipogenesis, the differentiation of stem cells into fat cells. The researchers showed that during this process of adipogenesis, the length of primary cilia increases associated with movement of specific proteins onto the cilia. Furthermore, by genetically restricting this cilia elongation in stem cells the researchers were able to stop the formation of new fat cells.

Recent research has found that many conditions including kidney disease, blindness, problems with bones and obesity can be caused by defects in primary cilia.

Melis Dalbay, co-author of the research from the School of Engineering and Materials Science at QMUL, said: This is the first time that it has been shown that subtle changes in primary cilia structure can influence the differentiation of stem cell into fat. Since primary cilia length can be influenced by various factors including pharmaceuticals, inflammation and even mechanical forces, this study provides new insight into the regulation of fat cell formation and obesity.

Professor Martin Knight, a bioengineer and lead author of the research, said: This research points towards a new type of treatment known as cilia-therapy where manipulation of primary cilia may be used in future to treat a growing range of conditions including obesity, cancer, inflammation and arthritis.

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The above story is based on materials provided by University of Queen Mary London. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Changing stem cell structure may help fight obesity

Gut. 2007 May; 56(5): 716724.

Y N Kallis, Department of Medicine, St Mary's Hospital Campus, Imperial College, London, UK

M R Alison, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Queen Mary School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK

S J Forbes, Tissue Fibrosis and Remodelling Laboratory, MRC/University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, Edinburgh, UK

Correspondence to: Professor S J Forbes MRC/University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK; stuart.forbes@ed.ac.uk

Stem cells are present in a variety of organs including the bone marrow (BM). Their role is to replenish multiple mature differentiated cell types and thereby achieve longterm tissue reconstitution. Stem cells retain the capacity to generate progeny and renew themselves throughout life. Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the main stem cell population within the BM and give rise to all mature blood lineages via erythroid, myelomonocytic and lymphoid precursors. A second type of bone marrow stem cell (BMSC), the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC), forms stromal tissue and can give rise to cells of mesodermal origin.

A longstanding principle of cell biology has been that cell loss is reconstituted via stem cells resident within and specific to an organ. However, recent work suggests that this paradigm may not hold for all organs or all types of injury, and tissue damage may attract migratory stem cell populations, particularly those from the BM. This observation has caused considerable interest in the field of liver disease, where new strategies to restore hepatocyte number, augment liver function and counteract progressive organ fibrosis are required. This article will focus on the various relationships between BMSCs and liver disease. It will concentrate on the evidence from animal models and human studies that BMSCs may aid in the regeneration of liver cell populations and may also contribute to the pathogenesis of liver damage. It will discuss the potential to use BMSCs for therapeutic application and review the current status of clinical trials in patients with liver disorders.

The hepatic parenchyma is made up of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. Unlike other organs such as the gut, liver cell mass is restored primarily through division of the majority of mature hepatocytes and not via a dedicated stem cell population. After a regenerative stimulus, such as a twothirds partial hepatectomy, most hepatocytes rapidly enter the cell cycle and undergo symmetrical mitosis. Liver cell mass can be restored via an average of less than two cell division cycles, albeit individual hepatocytes seem to have an intrinsic capacity for up to 70 doublings in serial transplantation experiments.1 At times of overwhelming cell loss, with longstanding iterative injury (eg, chronic viral hepatitis), or when hepatocyte replication is impeded (eg, replicative senescence of steatohepatitis), regeneration seems to occur via a second cell compartment.2,3 This compartment remains poorly defined and seems to arise from a less differentiated cell population within the terminal branches of the intralobular biliary tree the canals of Hering.4 In rodents these cells are called oval cells, but in humans they are more aptly named hepatic progenitor cells.5 Attempts to identify the originating stem cell are hampered by a paucity of specific cell surface markers.

Initial studies in humans suggested that some hepatocytes have a BM origin. Using Y chromosome tracking, a sparse number of hepatocytes seemed to be originating from the BM in male recipients of female orthotopic liver transplants, and in females who had received bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from male donors and thereafter developed liver disease.6,7 Similarly, other epithelial tissues, such as gut and skin, seemed to harbour cells of BM origin.8 Investigators then turned to an animal model of hereditary type I tryosinaemia, the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase knockout mouse (FAH(/)), in which it seemed that this potentially fatal enzyme deficiency could be rescued through repopulation of the abnormal liver by BM cells derived from wildtype donors. The implication was that stem cells could cross conventionally demarcated lineage boundaries through a process termed transdifferentiation or stem cell plasticity, leading researchers to question the longheld tenets of cell biology. With time, it became apparent that these initial observations were difficult to reproduce, and later elegant studies in the same FAH(/) mouse model conclusively showed that monocytehepatocyte fusion was the explanation for the restored normal phenotype to the FAHdeficient liver, in which hepatocytes formed by fusion expanded rapidly owing to a considerable survival advantage.9,10

Unfortunately, in the absence of a strong selective pressure, it seems that stable longterm engraftment of BMderived parenchymal cells is unusual. In rats given inhibitors of hepatocyte replication (eg, dgalactosamine, retrorsine or 2acetylaminofluorene), if subjected to a regenerative stimulus such as a partial hepatectomy, BMderived oval cell engraftment can rapidly decrease with time to <1%.11 In the hepatitis B surface antigen transgenic mouse, the BM contributed to hepatocyte repopulation through cell fusion, but only at a very modest rate. In this model, constitutive HBsAg expression induces chronic lowgrade hepatocyte turnover with nodule formation, and inhibition of hepatocyte replication with retrorsine provokes an oval cell response. Here, the contribution from BMderived cells to hepatocyte repopulation waned to just 1.6% by 6months, presumably owing to lack of a sustained selection advantage.12 Likewise, when human HSCs were transplanted into carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)damaged nonobese diabetes/severe combined immune deficiency (NOD/SCID) mice, donorderived hepatocytes expressing mRNA for human albumin and 1 antitrypsin were found in the liver. These hepatocytes occurred through cell fusion, but the phenotype of the chimaeric cells was variable and donorderived genetic material was lost over time.13 When human cord blood, a rich source of progenitor cells, was transplanted into sublethally irradiated NOD/SCID mice, a contribution to the hepatocyte population of only 0.01% was found in the undamaged liver, reportedly through transdifferentiation.14 However, a subsequent study using human cord blood cells again demonstrated only low levels of hepatocyte repopulation even after CCl4induced or hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)induced regeneration. Here the cells were chimaeric for both human and mouse antigens, suggesting that cell fusion rather than transdifferentiation had occurred.15

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Bone marrow stem cells and liver disease - National Center ...

In the bone marrow, blood stem cells give rise to a large variety of mature blood cells via progenitor cells at various stages of maturation. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have developed a way to equip mouse blood stem cells with a fluorescent marker that can be switched on from the outside. Using this tool, they were able to observe, for the first time, how stem cells mature into blood cells under normal conditions in a living organism. With these data, they developed a mathematical model of the dynamics of hematopoiesis. The researchers have now reported in the journal Nature that the normal process of blood formation differs from what scientists had previously assumed when using data from stem cell transplantations.

Since ancient times, humankind has been aware of how important blood is to life. Naturalists speculated for thousands of years on the source of the body's blood supply. For several centuries, the liver was believed to be the site where blood forms. In 1868, however, the German pathologist Ernst Neumann discovered immature precursor cells in bone marrow, which turned out to be the actual site of blood cell formation, also known as hematopoiesis. Blood formation was the first process for which scientists formulated and proved the theory that stem cells are the common origin that gives rise to various types of mature cells.

"However, a problem with almost all research on hematopoiesis in past decades is that it has been restricted to experiments in culture or using transplantation into mice," says Professor Hans-Reimer Rodewald from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ). "We have now developed the first model where we can observe the development of a stem cell into a mature blood cell in a living organism."

Dr. Katrin Busch from Rodewald's team developed genetically modified mice by introducing a protein into their blood stem cells that sends out a yellow fluorescent signal. This fluorescent marker can be turned on at any time by administering a specific reagent to the animal. Correspondingly, all daughter cells that arise from a cell containing the marker also send out a light signal.

When Busch turned on the marker in adult animals, it became visible that at least one third (approximately 5000 cells) of a mouse's hematopoietic stem cells produce differentiated progenitor cells. "This was the first surprise," says Busch. "Until now, scientists had believed that in the normal state, very few stem cells -- only about ten -- are actively involved in blood formation."

However, it takes a very long time for the fluorescent marker to spread evenly into peripheral blood cells, an amount of time that even exceeds the lifespan of a mouse. Systems biologist Prof. Thomas Hfer and colleagues (also of the DKFZ) performed mathematical analysis of these experimental data to provide additional insight into blood stem cell dynamics. Their analysis showed that, surprisingly, under normal conditions, the replenishment of blood cells is not accomplished by the stem cells themselves. Instead, they are actually supplied by first progenitor cells that develop during the following differentiation step. These cells are able to regenerate themselves for a long time -- though not quite as long as stem cells do. To make sure that the population of this cell type never runs out, blood stem cells must occasionally produce a couple of new first progenitors.

During embryonic development of mice, however, the situation is different: To build up the system, all mature blood and immune cells develop much more rapidly and almost completely from stem cells.

The investigators were also able to accelerate this process in adult animals by artificially depleting their white blood cells. Under these conditions, blood stem cells increase the formation of first progenitor cells, which then immediately start supplying new, mature blood cells. In this process, several hundred times more cells of the so-called myeloid lineage (thrombocytes, erythrocytes, granulocytes, monocytes) form than long-lived lymphocytes (T cells, B cells, natural killer cells) do.

"When we transplanted our labeled blood stem cells from the bone marrow into other mice, only a few stem cells were active in the recipients, and many stem cells were lost," Rodewald explains. "Our new data therefore show that the findings obtained up until now using transplanted stem cells can surely not be reflective of normal hematopoiesis. On the contrary, transplantation is an exception [to the rule]. This shows how important it is that we actually follow hematopoiesis under normal conditions in a living organism."

The scientists in Rodewald's department, working together with Thomas Hfer, now also plan to use the new model to investigate the impact of pathogenic challenges to blood formation: for example, in cancer, cachexia or infection. This method would also enable them to follow potential aging processes that occur in blood stem cells in detail as they occur naturally in a living organism.

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Observing stem cells maturing into blood cells in living mouse

Autologous Stem Cell Transplant | Animation Video
What is a Autologous Stem Cell Transplant? Most stem cells are in your bone marrow. You also have some in your blood that circulate from your bone marrow. Bo...

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Newswise MINNEAPOLIS Stem cell transplants may be more effective than the drug mitoxantrone for people with severe cases of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study published in the February 11, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study involved 21 people whose disability due to MS had increased during the previous year even though they were taking conventional medications (also known as first-line treatments). The participants, who were an average age of 36, were at an average disability level where a cane or crutch was needed to walk.

In MS, the bodys immune system attacks its own central nervous system. In this phase II study, all of the participants received medications to suppress immune system activity. Then 12 of the participants received the MS drug mitoxantrone, which reduces immune system activity. For the other nine participants, stem cells were harvested from their bone marrow. After the immune system was suppressed, the stem cells were reintroduced through a vein. Over time, the cells migrate to the bone marrow and produce new cells that become immune cells. The participants were followed for up to four years.

This process appears to reset the immune system, said study author Giovanni Mancardi, MD, of the University of Genova in Italy. With these results, we can speculate that stem cell treatment may profoundly affect the course of the disease.

Intense immunosupression followed by stem cell treatment reduced disease activity significantly more than the mitoxantrone treatment. Those who received the stem cell transplants had 80 percent fewer new areas of brain damage called T2 lesions than those who received mitoxantrone, with an average of 2.5 new T2 lesions for those receiving stem cells compared to eight new T2 lesions for those receiving mitoxantrone.

For another type of lesion associated with MS, called gadolinium-enhancing lesions, none of the people who received the stem cell treatment had a new lesion during the study, while 56 percent of those taking mitoxantrone had at least one new lesion.

Mancardi noted that the serious side effects that occurred with the stem cell treatment were expected and resolved without permanent consequences.

More research is needed with larger numbers of patients who are randomized to receive either the stem cell transplant or an approved therapy, but its very exciting to see that this treatment may be so superior to a current treatment for people with severe MS that is not responding well to standard treatments, Mancardi said.

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Stem Cell Transplants May Work Better than Existing Drug for Severe Multiple Sclerosis

Durham, NC (PRWEB) February 11, 2015

Stem cells collected from placenta, which is generally discarded after childbirth, show promise as a treatment for heart failure. Found in the latest issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, a new study using mice determined that human-derived adherent cells (PDAC cells) significantly improved cardiac function when injected into the heart muscle.

Currently, about 6 million people in the United States alone suffer from heart failure, which is when the hearts pumping power is weaker than normal. Despite intensive medical care, almost 80 percent of people die within eight years of diagnosis, making it the worlds leading cause of death. Heart failure can be the result of coronary artery disease, heart attack and other conditions such as high blood pressure and valve disease.

Cell therapies for cardiac repair have generated considerable interest in recent years. While earlier studies using autologous bone marrow transplantation (that is, stem cells collected from the patients own bone marrow) helped improve cardiac function after myocardial infarction (MI), more recent studies showed no benefit in the early stages after MI. This has led researchers to question whether mesenchymal stem cells from sources other than bone marrow, such as cord blood and placenta tissue, might yield better results.

Among those interested in this is an international team co-led by Patrick C.H. Hsieh of Taiwans Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, and Uri Herzberg of Celgene Cellular Therapeutics, Warren, New Jersey, U.S. They recently undertook a study to test the therapeutic effects of PDA-001, an intravenous formulation of PDAC cells, in mice. The researchers were also testing the best way to deliver the therapy.

Three weeks after chronic heart failure was induced in the animals they were treated with the stem cells by either direct intramyocardial (IM) or intravenous (IV) injection, Dr. Hsieh said. The results showed that the IM injections significantly improved the left ventricle systolic and diastolic functions compared with injection of vehicle or IV injection of PDA-001.

The IM injections also decreased cardiac fibrosis in the vicinity of the injection sites. We repeatedly observed improvement of cardiac function in the injected sites following IM PDA-001 treatment, Dr. Herzberg added. Based on these results, we want to continue our investigations to optimize the effect through controlling the dose, timing and delivery.

In this animal model of progressive heart injury, stem cells isolated from placenta showed promise as an off-the-shelf therapy for cardiac repair, warranting the need for testing in additional models," said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

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The full article, Human Placenta-derived Adherent Cells Improve Cardiac Performance in Mice with Chronic Heart Failure, can be accessed at http://stemcellstm.alphamedpress.org/content/early/2015/02/09/sctm.2014-0135.full.pdf+html.

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Stem Cells from Placenta Show Promise for Treating Heart Failure

9 hours ago Inside the cell, calcium ions are released from a structure called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Forces applied to the bead cause ion channels in the ER to open mechanically (shown in red above), rather through biochemical signaling chemically (shown in green below). Credit: Jie Sun/UC San Diego

After using optical tweezers to squeeze a tiny bead attached to the outside of a human stem cell, researchers now know how mechanical forces can trigger a key signaling pathway in the cells.

The squeeze helps to release calcium ions stored inside the cells and opens up channels in the cell membrane that allow the ions to flow into the cells, according to the study led by University of California, San Diego bioengineer Yingxiao Wang.

Researchers have known that mechanical forces exerted on stem cells have a significant role to play in how the cells produce all kinds of tissuesfrom bone to bloodfrom scratch. But until now, it hasn't been clear how some of these forces translate into the signals that prod the stem cells into building new tissue.

The findings published in the journal eLife could help scientists learn more about "the functional mechanisms behind stem cell differentiation," said Wang, an associate professor of bioengineering. They may also guide researchers as they try to recreate these mechanisms in the lab, to coax stem cells into developing into tissues that could be used in transplants and other therapies.

"The mechanical environment around a stem cell helps govern a stem cell's fate," Wang explained. "Cells surrounded in stiff tissue such as the jaw, for example, have higher amounts of tension applied to them, and they can promote the production of harder tissues such as bone."

Stem cells living in tissue environments with less stiffness and tension, on the other hand, may produce softer material such as fat tissue.

Wang and his colleagues wanted to learn more about how these environmental forces are translated into the signals that stem cells use to differentiate into more specialized cells and tissues. In their experiment, they applied force to human mesenchymal stem cellsthe type of stem cells found in bone marrow that transform into bone, cartilage and fat.

The engineers used a highly focused laser beam to trap and manipulate a tiny bead attached to the cell membrane of a stem cell, creating an optical "tweezers" to apply force to the bead. The squeeze applied by the tweezers was extremely smallon the order of about 200 piconewtons. (Forces are measured in a unit called newtons; one newton is about the weight of an apple held to the Earth by gravity, and one piconewton is equivalent to one-trillionth of a newton.)

When there were no calcium ions circulating outside the cell, this force helped to release calcium ions from a structure inside the cell called the endoplasmic reticulum. The release is aided by the cell's inner structural proteins called the cytoskeleton, along with contracting protein machinery called actomyosin. When the force triggered the movement of calcium ions into the cell from its extracellular environment, only the cytoskeleton was involved, the researchers noted.

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Engineers put the 'squeeze' on human stem cells

Research scientists (from left) Dr Jim Faed, Vicky Nelson and Dr Paul Turner talk about the possibilities of finding a cure for type 1 diabetes, during the Lion's Lark in the Park at the Dunedin Botanic Garden yesterday. Photo by Gregor Richardson.

Cell biologist, haematologist and project leader Dr Jim Faed, of the University of Otago, made the promise during the Lion's Lark in the Park event at Dunedin's Botanic Garden yesterday, which aimed to help raise some of the $2.46 million needed to run the trials.

Dr Faed said their research involved trials using stem cells taken from the bone marrow of people with type 1 diabetes, and using them to stimulate insulin production.

The cells appeared to be able to ''turn off'' the auto immune response that causes type 1 diabetes, he said.

''We see this as the low hanging fruit of research into a cure for type 1 diabetes because it has already been done once before.''

Trials had already been carried out on mice and humans. It just needed fine tuning, he said.

Much of the funds raised would go towards the Spinal Cord Society which will develop its stem cell production facilities in Dunedin, so that patients' own cells can be grown and tested in clinical trials.

''It's the only method that's attacking the cause of diabetes. Most of the other treatments are basically designed to manufacture insulin artificially.

''What we are looking for is a cure, not just support of people with the disease.

''This will be a sustained cure that doesn't require top ups.''

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Stem cells cure hope for diabetes

HIROSHIMA In a world first, a team at Hiroshima University Hospital on Friday conducted regenerative knee surgery using a technique that employs magnets to concentrate iron-laced stem cells around damaged cartilage, it said.

The endoscopic surgery is less arduous for the patient, said the team led by Mitsuo Ochi, a professor at the hospital. Conventional treatment requires two operations to repair cartilage.

It will take at least a year to determine the effectiveness of the regenerative technique, though previous tests on animals have proven successful, it said.

The team plans to conduct further operations to reaffirm the regenerative surgerys safety in clinical research.

In the operation, the team extracted mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow of an 18-year-old female high school student and cultivated them with a dash of iron powder to create magnetic stem cells that can develop into various tissues.

The team injected the iron-laced stem cells into the patients right knee joint and used the magnet to concentrate them in areas where cartilage was lost. The stem cells are expected to develop into cartilage.

Cartilage absorbs shock and reduces friction between bones so everything moves smoothly, but its regenerative abilities are limited.

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Hospital pioneers Magneto-style stem cell surgery

Bone marrow transplantation is a life-saving therapy for patients with blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma. However, the depletion of the patient's immune system prior to transplantation can put patients at risk of for an infection by a virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV) that can be life threatening in these immune-compromised individuals. Now, researchers have found that a very small subset of anti-viral immune cells, transplanted along with a donor's blood stem cells, could be enough to fight and even prevent the disease caused by CMV, in research conducted in mice and published Jan 16th in the Journal of Immunology.

Anywhere between 50-80 percent of adults in the United States are infected with CMV, although the virus is kept under control by a healthy immune system. In patients with weakened immune systems, however, CMV can become reactivated and can cause life-threatening pneumonia, among other symptoms. Current treatment includes antiviral medication, but these are not always well tolerated by patients and they also harm the very cells that bone marrow transplantation aims to replenish.

"We know that re-establishment of anti-viral immunity in these patients is critical to fully control cytomegalovirus in bone marrow transplant recipients," says senior author Christopher Snyder, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Thomas Jefferson University. "Our study suggests that, in addition to infusing stem cells that restore the bone marrow, life-long anti-CMV immunity may be rapidly restored by also infusing a subset of anti-viral immune cells that have stem cell-like properties."

Currently, investigators around the world are experimenting with restoring the immune cells responsible for keeping CMV in check by transplanting those specific anti-viral cells from healthy donors -- a type of immunotherapy. "The problem," says Dr. Snyder, "is that current methods for selecting anti-viral immune cells may inadvertently limit the ability of those cells to restore life-long immunity."

To date, researchers have focused on developing anti-CMV immunotherapy around the "fighter" cells -- called CD8 T effector cells -- that attack and kill virally-infected host cells. These cells are selected and expanded in the lab to increase their numbers, but this process may limit their life-span and ability to divide.

Dr. Snyder and colleagues found that CMV-specific fighter T cells divided poorly in response to CMV infection or reactivation in mouse models. They hypothesized that a different type of CD8 T cells -- one that acts more like a stem cell -- could help control the infection long term. His group showed that a small number of stem-cell like CD8 T cells -called "memory" cells -were enough to produce and repeatedly replenish all of the T-effector cells needed to fight the disease. The infused memory cells became major contributors to the recipient anti-viral immune response, persisting for at least 3 months of time and producing the "fighter" cells at a steady stream.

In order to survey whether these cells have counterparts in humans, the researchers compared the genomic fingerprint -- the profile of genes that were turned up or down -- of mouse and human memory T cells that were specific for CMV and found that the two had similar profiles. "This suggested that human and mouse CMV-specific memory T cells are very similar populations. Therefore infusing similar cells into humans could improve on immunotherapeutic methods for controlling CMV infection," said first author Michael Quinn MD/PhD student in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Thomas Jefferson University. "This may be a valuable approach to keep the disease from emerging in people."

"Our data argue for developing new clinical trials focused specifically on using these T memory cells, in order to determine if it would indeed be better than current therapeutic options," said Dr. Snyder.

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The above story is based on materials provided by Thomas Jefferson University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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A few cells could prevent bone marrow transplant infections

London, UK (PRWEB) February 03, 2015

Over the next few years, the stem cells market is poised to continue to be the most rapidly growing segment, which includes the segments for concentrated bone marrow and stem cell bone grafts. Stem cells provide greater osteogenesis and osteoinductive properties than other bone grafts, and thus enhance bone repair. To date, their usage is only considered for the treatment of spine cord injuries, but the market is likely to witness further expansion in case other indications are approved, such as with the foot where a number of patients may experience poor vascularisation.

The orthopedic biomaterials market in the USA is forecast to gain traction through 2021. The ageing population is a key factor driving the market. In tandem with the surging ageing population, the incidence rates of osteoarthritis and other types of degenerative disorders are also expected to grow, thus driving the demand for orthopedic biomaterials. Additionally, a huge portion of the overall biomaterial products market is engaged in treating soft tissue injuries, and most of them are sport-related. However, high costs of the development of some products could hinder the sectors growth. Furthermore, the timeliness of a products final approval is often hard to foretell.

Medtronic dominated the orthopedic biomaterials market as of 2014, due to the lions share of the bone graft substitute sector. The company announced in June 2014 its intention to buy Covidien for USD 42.9 billion.

In-demand study U.S. Orthopedic Biomaterials Market worked out by iData Research has been recently published at MarketPublishers.com.

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Title: U.S. Orthopedic Biomaterials Market Published: January, 2015 Pages: 288 Price: US$ 6,995.00 http://marketpublishers.com/report/medical_devices/orthopedic/us-orthopedic-biomaterials-market.html

The research report contains an all-encompassing analysis and forecast of the orthopedic biomaterials market across the USA up to 2021. It provides detailed market analyses of leading market segments, including bone graft substitutes, hyaluronic acid viscosupplementation, orthopedic stem cells, growth factors, cartilage repair, cell therapy, and machined bone allografts; the categories are further subdivided into subcategories by various parameters. The study identifies the game-changing opportunities and potential hazards in the market, traces the key trends and technologies expected to impact the overall market and each of its individual segments in the years to come, as well as sheds light on the market drivers and restraints. Essential information on the number of procedures is provided. Furthermore, the research study canvasses the competitive landscape as well as discusses the top 22 companies along with their success strategies, M&As, etc.

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More in-demand reports by the publisher can be found at iData Research page.

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US Orthopedic Biomaterials Market Examined by iData Research in In-demand Report Now Available at MarketPublishers.com

The Villages, Florida (PRWEB) February 03, 2015

In honor of our new location in The Villages, the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center announces a series of free public seminars on the use of adult autologous stem cells for various degenerative and inflammatory conditions. They will be provided by Dr. Thomas A. Gionis, Surgeon-in-Chief and Dr. Nia Smyrniotis, Medical Director and Surgeon.

The seminars will be held on Tuesday, February 17, 2015, at 10:00am at the La Hacienda Regional Recreation Center, 1200 Avenida Central, The Villages, FL 32159, and at 1:00pm and 3:00pm on February 17th and 1:00pm, 3:00pm and 5:00pm on March 3rd at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites, The Villages, 1205 Avenida Central, The Villages, FL 32159. There will also be a Social Hour with the Doctors at 7:00pm on February 17th and March 3rd at the City Fire American Oven & Lounge at Brownwood (Paddock Square), 2716 Brownwood Blvd., The Villages, FL 32163. Please RSVP for ALL events is mandatory at (561) 331-2999.

Dr. Gionis has been graciously invited to speak to the local MS support group at the 10:00am seminar on February 17 which will be held at the La Hacienda Regional Recreation Center.

The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center (Miami; Boca Raton; Orlando; The Villages), along with sister affiliates, the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center (Irvine; Westlake Villages, California) and the Manhattan Regenerative Medicine Medical Group (Manhattan, New York), abide by approved investigational protocols using adult adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) which can be deployed to improve patients quality of life for a number of chronic, degenerative and inflammatory conditions and diseases. ADSCs are taken from the patients own adipose (fat) tissue (found within a cellular mixture called stromal vascular fraction (SVF)). ADSCs are exceptionally abundant in adipose tissue. The adipose tissue is obtained from the patient during a 15 minute mini-liposuction performed under local anesthesia in the doctors office. SVF is a protein-rich solution containing mononuclear cell lines (predominantly adult autologous mesenchymal stem cells), macrophage cells, endothelial cells, red blood cells, and important Growth Factors that facilitate the stem cell process and promote their activity.

ADSCs are the bodys natural healing cells - they are recruited by chemical signals emitted by damaged tissues to repair and regenerate the bodys injured cells. The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center only uses Adult Autologous Stem Cells from a persons own fat No embryonic stem cells are used; and No bone marrow stem cells are used. Current areas of study include: Emphysema, COPD, Asthma, Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Parkinsons Disease, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Lou Gehrigs Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohns Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Inflammatory Myopathies, and degenerative orthopedic joint conditions (Knee, Shoulder, Hip, Spine). For more information, or if someone thinks they may be a candidate for one of the adult stem cell protocols offered by the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center, they may contact Dr. Gionis or Dr. Smyrniotis directly at (561) 331-2999, or see a complete list of the Centers study areas at: http://www.MiamiStemCellsUSA.com.

About the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center: The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center, along with sister affiliates, the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center and the Manhattan Regenerative Medicine Medical Group, is an affiliate of the California Stem Cell Treatment Center / Cell Surgical Network (CSN); we are located in Boca Raton, Orlando, Miami and our new office in The Villages, Florida. We provide care for people suffering from diseases that may be alleviated by access to adult stem cell based regenerative treatment. We utilize a fat transfer surgical technology to isolate and implant the patients own stem cells from a small quantity of fat harvested by a mini-liposuction on the same day. The investigational protocols utilized by the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center have been reviewed and approved by an IRB (Institutional Review Board) which is registered with the U.S. Department of Health, Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP); and our studies are registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information, visit our websites: http://www.MiamiStemCellsUSA.com, http://www.IrvineStemCellsUSA.com , or http://www.NYStemCellsUSA.com.

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The Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center Announces Adult Stem Cell Public Seminars in The Villages, Florida

Rev Diabet Stud. 2009 Winter; 6(4): 260270.

1Tissue Engineering and Banking Laboratory, National Center for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune MH 411007, India

2Division of Animal Sciences, Agharkar Research Institute, Agarkar Road, Pune, MH 411004, India

3Stem Cells and Diabetes Section, National Center for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune MH 411007, India

4Stempeutics Research Pvt. Ltd., 9th Floor, Manipal Hospital, HAL Airport Road, Bangalore 560017, India

Received October 2, 2009; Revised December 5, 2009; Accepted December 11, 2009.

Cellular microenvironment is known to play a critical role in the maintenance of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). It was uncertain whether BM-MSCs obtained from a 'diabetic milieu' (dBM-MSCs) offer the same regenerative potential as those obtained from healthy (non-diabetic) individuals (hBM-MSCs). To investigate the effect of diabetic microenvironment on human BM-MSCs, we isolated and characterized these cells from diabetic patients (dBM-MSCs). We found that dBM-MSCs expressed mesenchymal markers such as vimentin, smooth muscle actin, nestin, fibronectin, CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, and CD105. These cells also exhibited multilineage differentiation potential, as evident from the generation of adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes when exposed to lineage specific differentiation media. Although the cells were similar to hBM-MSCs, 6% (3/54) of dBM-MSCs expressed proinsulin/C-peptide. Emanating from the diabetic microenvironmental milieu, we analyzed whether in vitro reprogramming could afford the maturation of the islet-like clusters (ICAs) derived from dBM-MSCs. Upon mimicking the diabetic hyperglycemic niche and the supplementation of fetal pancreatic extract, to differentiate dBM-MSCs into pancreatic lineage in vitro, we observed rapid differentiation and maturation of dBM-MSCs into islet-like cell aggregates. Thus, our study demonstrated that diabetic hyperglycemic microenvironmental milieu plays a major role in inducing the differentiation of human BM-MSCs in vivo and in vitro.

Keywords: diabetes, beta-cell, stem cell, differentiation, bone marrow, NGN3, NKX6.1, PAX6

Abbreviations: -MEM - -modified Eagle's medium (used for cell culture); AGE - advanced glycation end-product; ALL - acute lymphoblastic leukemia; ALS - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; AML - acute myeloid leukemia; BM-MSC - bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell; BRN4 - Brain 4 (transcription factor expressed in the brain and glucagon-expressing cells in the pancreas, also known as POU3F4); C-peptide - connecting peptide; Ct - cycle threshold; CXCR4 - alpha-chemokine receptor (also called fusin) specific for stromal-derived-factor-1 (SDF-1, also called CXCL12), a molecule endowed with potent chemotactic activity for lymphocytes; dBM-MSC - human diabetic BM-MSC; DME meduim - Dulbecco's modified Eagles medium; E-cadherin - epithelial cadherin (CDh1); EDTA - ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (used as chelating agent that binds to calcium and prevents joining of cadher-ins between cells; it also prevents clumping of cells grown in liquid suspension, and is able to detach adherent cells for passaging); EGFP - enhanced green fluorescence protein; F(ab)2 - antigen-binding fragment of an antibody; FACS - fluorescence-activated cell sorting; GATA6 - binding protein that binds (A/T/C)GAT(A/T)(A) of the binding sequence; Glut2 - glucose transporter 2 (also known as solute carrier family 2 member 2 SLC2A2); GCG - glucagons gene; hBM-MSC - normal human BM-MSC; HD - Hodgkin disease; ICA - islet-like cell aggregate; ICAM-5 - intercellular adhesion molecule 5 (also known as telencephalin, CD# not yet assigned); ISL1 - insulin gene enhancer protein gene 1; NCAM-1 - neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (CD56); NDS - normal donkey serum; NGN-3 - neurogenin-3 (controls islet cell fate specification in pancreatic progenitor cells); NHL - non-Hodgkin lymphoma; NKX6-1 - NK6 homeobox 1 (transcription factor required for the development of beta-cells); Oil-Red-O - Solvent Red 27 (fat-soluble dye used for stain-ing of triglycerides and lipids); PBS - phosphate-buffered saline; PECAM-1 - platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31); PE - phycoerythrin (fluorescent dye for labeling antibodies); Pdx1 - pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (transcription factor necessary for pancreatic development and beta-cell maturation); PFA - paraformaldehyde (used to fix cells); POU - class of genes that produce transcription factors; POU3F4 - POU class 3 homeobox 4 gene or gene product (also known as BRN4); RNA - ribonucleic acid; RPE - rat pancreatic extract; RT-PCR - reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; TPVG - trypsin phosphate versene glucose; UCBS - human umbilical cord blood serum

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are able to differentiate into many cell types, and to proliferate ex vivo. These attributes makes them a potential therapeutic tool for cell replacement therapy in diabetes and other diseases. Stem cell differentiation is controlled by extracellular cues, the environment, and intrinsic genetic programs within stem cells [1, 2]. The fate of stem cell differentiation is influenced by both soluble and insoluble factors from the surrounding microenvironment. Several signaling cascades mediate the balance response of the stem cell to the need of the organism. Pathological conditions induced by dysregulation result in aberrant functions of stem cells or other targets [3-6].

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TORONTO Gordie Howes son says the hockey legends stroke symptoms have improved since his treatment with stem cells at a Mexican clinic in early December and he wants him to repeat the procedure.

But regenerative medicine experts say theres no scientific evidence such therapies work, and in some cases they can be seriously harmful or even deadly.

The 86-year-old Howe suffered two disabling strokes late last year. In December, the family took him to a Tijuana clinic where he received stem cell injections as part of a clinical trial being run under a licensing agreement with Stemedica Cell Technologies of San Diego, Calif.

The experimental treatment involved injecting neural stem cells into Howes spinal canal, along with intravenous infusions of mesenchymal stem cells, which are found in bone marrow, fat and umbilical cord blood.

Marty Howe said his father can walk again, his speech is improving and he is regaining some of the weight he lost following the strokes.

After his stem cell treatment, the doctor told us it was kind of an awakening of the body, and it was all that, he told The Canadian Press while in Calgary for a hockey promotion event Tuesday. They call it the miracle of stem cells and it was nothing less than a miracle.

However, experts in the field question whether stem cells are responsible for Howes improvement and caution that most so-called stem cell therapies have not gone through rigorous scientific trials, nor have they been approved as treatments by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Mick Bhatia, director of McMaster Universitys Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, said there are many unknowns in Howes case, such as how many stem cells were administered, were tests done to see whether they migrated to the targeted area of the body, and did they take up residence where they might have some effect or simply disappear?

Is this a transient effect, or is it really a perceived or somewhat of a placebo effect and is there something really happening? Scientifically and biologically that is important, Bhatia said Wednesday from Hamilton.

And because Howe received adult stem cells produced from donor cells, he may have needed to take drugs to prevent an immune reaction as well as anti-inflammatory medications, he said.

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Stem Cell Transplantation at BLOOD
24.10.1423.01.15 BLOOD: NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED Twenty five provocative works that explore the scientific, symbolic and strange nature of blood. This vide...

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Newswise SEATTLE The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) was recently recognized for outperforming its anticipated one-year survival rate for allogeneic transplant patients. The new performance results were calculated by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) and published in the 2014 Transplant Center-Specific Survival Report. The annual report is designed to provide potential stem cell transplant recipients, their families, and the public with comparative survival rates among transplant centers. This is the second consecutive year the Fred Hutch Bone Marrow Transplant Program at SCCA has achieved higher than expected one-year survival rates, an accomplishment that only 12 other institutions have achieved.

Credited with pioneering the clinical use of bone marrow and stem cell transplantation more than 40 years ago, the Fred Hutch Bone Marrow Transplant Program at SCCA has performed over 14,000 bone marrow transplants more than any other institution in the world. Dr. E. Donnall Thomas groundbreaking work in transplantation won the Nobel Prize in 1990 and many current SCCA and Fred Hutch transplant experts have trained alongside Dr. Thomas.

To arrive at its findings, CIBMTR independently examined the survival rates of 20,875 transplants performed to treat blood cancers at U.S. centers in the NMDP network between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012. During this three-year period, 757 allogeneic transplants were performed at SCCA.

Although centers are required to report their data, the process of comparing transplant centers is complex and must address a number of variables, such as cancer type and stage, patients age, and preexisting medical issues. The intensive findings allow researchers to compare themselves to other centers, leading to improved outcomes. The report also provides patients and their families with valuable information necessary when evaluating where to undergo treatment.

The information provided in the report is invaluable to patients faced with making difficult treatment decisions, explains Dr. Marco Mielcarek, medical director of the Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Fred Hutch and SCCA. While we are happy our patients outcomes exceeded expectations over a three-year period, we are always working to further improve the transplantation process.

Allogenic transplants use 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 wide range of leukemias and lymphomas, as well as other diseases including severe aplastic anemia and sickle cell disease.

These findings reflect our teams continued efforts to improve patients outcomes by investigating every aspect of the transplant process, said Dr. Fred Appelbaum, Deputy Director at Fred Hutch. Im pleased that our transplant patients continue to have high survival rates, but there is still more work to do.

SCCAs success in helping patients survive a wide range of cancers continues to be recognized by National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) rankings. SCCA has ranked at the top of NCDB patient survival rankings since 2002.

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Fred Hutch Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Recognized Nationally for Outstanding ...