University researchers have developed a new testing system that can improve care for patients who need bone marrow and stem cell transplants.

Graft-versus-host disease is a life-threatening condition that can occur in response to transplants. GVHD causes immune cells from the transplant to attack the bodys healthy tissue. In patients with diseases such as leukemia, which compromises the bodys immune system, bone marrow or stem cell transplants are necessary.

John Levine, professor of pediatrics and the study's lead author, said in these types of cases, GVHD is a real danger.

Following transplantation surgeries, our major concern is the development of GVHD in our patients, Levine said. However, it is difficult to predict the severity of GVHD at the onset of the symptoms as it varies from patient to patient.

Prior to the research, there was no method for determining the severity of a GVHD case and whether or not it needed treatment. The treatment involves high doses of medication that reduce immune activity, so doctors must be extremely cautious when treating GVHD. Levine and his co-investigators assessed nearly 800 patients and created a scoring system that uses three proteins to assess the severity of each case of the disease.

We found out that it was not one protein but a combination of three recently validated biomarkers TNFR1, ST2, and Reg3, Levine said. We then formulated an equation which computes the concentration of the biomarkers into three Ann Arbor scores. The scores are positively correlated with the amount of risk the diagnosed patient is in, so a score 1 indicates a patient with minimal risk while a patient diagnosed with a score of 3 will subjected to intensive primary therapy.

The Ann Arbor scoring system will help ensure patients at lower risk are subjected to less aggressive treatments than patients at higher risk. Patients will then gain individualized treatments based on their needs.

More than half of the patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation develop GVHD. Though the degree of severity differs in patients, the disease is highly lethal if not treated immediately.

The research began in the late 1990s when investigators analyzed blood samples from 500 GVHD patients. The results were verified when another 300 patient blood samples from across the United States were analyzed.

The next step, according to Levine, is the launch of a clinical trial. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved this step.

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University creates new scoring system for transplant recipients

Multiple myeloma is a malignant disease characterised by proliferation of clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow and typically accompanied by the secretion of monoclonal immunoglobulins that are detectable in the serum or urine. Increased understanding of the microenvironmental interactions between malignant plasma cells and the bone marrow niche, and their role in disease progression and acquisition of therapy resistance, has helped the development of novel therapeutic drugs for use in combination with cytostatic therapy.

Together with autologous stem cell transplantation and advances in supportive care, the use of novel drugs such as proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs has increased response rates and survival substantially in the past several years. Present clinical research focuses on the balance between treatment efficacy and quality of life, the optimum sequencing of treatment options, the question of long-term remission and potential cure by multimodal treatment, the pre-emptive treatment of high-risk smouldering myeloma, and the role of maintenance. Upcoming results of ongoing clinical trials, together with a pipeline of promising new treatments, raise the hope for continuous improvements in the prognosis of patients with myeloma in the future.

Professor Martin Bornhuser and Doctor Christoph Rllig, both experts in the field of blood cancer at the Carl Gustav Carus Medical Faculty of the TU Dresden, have now turned their long-term clinical and research experience in treatment of multiple myeloma into an instructive review for other physicians. The review has just been electronically published ahead of print in the medical journal The Lancet. After a short introduction into the current understanding of myeloma disease biology, the authors then describe the standard diagnostic work-up and provide a clear overview on the best available treatment options. These include established drugs such as melphalan or steroids, novel substances such as bortezomib and lenalidomide and also therapies using stem cell transplantation.

Multiple Myeloma is one of the most common blood cancers, mainly diagnosed in elderly patients. As life expectancy increases, the frequency of the disease has therefore increased during the last decades. Both deeper insights into disease biology including interactions between malignant plasma cells and their bone marrow environment, and the design and clinical testing of new drugs have led to a considerable improvement in the prognosis of this mostly incurable disease during the last years. The right timing and the choice of the best treatment match for the particular myeloma stage and the needs of the individual patient are essential for optimal disease control.

Bornhuser and Rllig present a structured guidance when and how which treatment should be used and introduce new ways to paralyze the cell cycle of cancer cells or to attack malignant cells by transfusing specific immune bodies. These new therapy approaches will help to further increase the prognosis of myeloma patients in the near future.

Myeloma patients can get individual treatment advice and information on participation in clinical trials in the myeloma outpatient clinic at the Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I of the university hospital Dresden.

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How to attack and paralyze myeloma cells: Comprehensive review on multiple myeloma

The face of health care keeps on getting a makeover with each passing day, the result being the availability of newer solutions to the problems that have nagged mankind for centuries. Stem cell research as regards the condition of pregnancy in women has yielded some special results in the recent past. Stem cells have been pretty aptly named, as these are the holding blocks of human life. These cells build the human body and play an important role in the treatment of ravaging diseases like childhood leukemia and some cancer conditions. Apart from this, stem cells have been the center of attraction as far as contemporary pregnancy related medical research is concerned, with conclusive evidence for scientists to believe that stem cells can also be employed in successfully tackling several diseases in the distant future of a human life.

The relation between stem cells and pregnancy is pretty evident from the fact that in just a matter of nine months, stem cells let the embryo progress into a grown baby! These stem cells are mostly found in appreciable counts in the blood flowing through the umbilical cord. The contribution to disease treatment results from the practice of harvesting stem cells at the time of the birth of the baby, separating them from the blood samples, deep storing them for periods as long as two decades and then using these stored stem cells as and when the concerned person falls prey to a disease through the course of his/her lifetime.

During the pregnancy when a woman is 10 weeks pregnant and especially in the last stages of pregnancy, they have some blood tests conducted on them so that the medical experts can determine whether the babys stem cells would be healthy enough to be stored. Also, the medical examiners and analysts have to determine whether there would be chances of cross contamination of blood samples and decide thereafter. Generally, these tests are conducted around a month before the expected delivery date of the child. If the doctors opine that storage of the stem cells of the baby would be fine, then the stem cell storage company you pick sends in a sterile collection kit. Your midwife uses this kit to collect blood from the umbilical cord. This sample is sent over to the laboratory where the stem cells are separated from the blood, frozen and stored as per the established guidelines.

Pregnant ladies find a lot of comfort in the thought that a little consideration at the time of pregnancy could help them guard their babies against the possibilities of being afflicted by serious diseases in the future. Naturally, stem cell storage banks are required to store the babys stem cells for such a long period. The fact that the few cells taken from the babys cord blood can possibly save the life of the baby, a sibling and even the parents at some point in time in the future means that stem cell banks are flourishing. Among the diseases that stored stem cells can work against are acute leukemias, autoimmune diseases, chronic leukemias, congenital immune system disorders and histiocrytic disorders.

Stem cells hold much promise in bringing about medical breakthroughs in form of treatment for previously incurable diseases and conditions like cancer, Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease or paralysis. These blank cells are capable of self-rejuvenation and also transforming into a functional cell; it is these attributes of a stem cell that make them invaluable to scientists. However, to experiment on the stem cells, they must at first be obtained and the mode of collection is where the controversy originates. There are two main types of stem cells, embryonic and adult stem cells. In order to collect the pluripotent embryonic stem cells, the human embryo must be killed as it can only be extracted from the innermost cellular layers of the blastocyst after just four days of fertilization. It is therefore not hard to understand as why killing a human embryo, which could have otherwise been borne as a human baby, is considered equivalent to murder by a lot of people. Even people who would not go as far as calling it murder, usually admit to the procedure being disturbing in terms of ethics at least.

Adult stem cells come from various sources and contrary to what the name may suggest, it does not only come from fully grown human beings. It is just that they are comparatively grown and different than the embryonic stem cells. The placenta and the umbilical cord blood are both rich sources of adult stem cells, the former being even richer than the latter. Our bone marrow contains multipotent stem cells and it is possible to extract these cells clinically, but the procedure is immensely painful for the donor and may even be considered risky. Unlike the extraction of the embryonic stem cells, extracting adult stem cells is not controversial. Ethicists do not support the killing of an embryo for the sake of medical progress, however bright the future may seem, but bio ethicists do understand the importance of stem cell experimentation and thus do not consider extraction of adult stem cells from various sources to be unethical as long as it is agreed upon voluntarily by the donor or the guardian of the concerned source.

If the question is read as an inquiry to the origin and the natural location of stem cells, then the answer would be that it comes from various tissues of the human body. Stem cells in an adult human being are found in the heart, blood, bone marrow, skeletal muscles, skin and fat as well. After a baby is born, the placenta and the umbilical cord are also found to be rich in stem cells. The placenta however, is much richer in stem cell count than the umbilical cord blood. Embryonic stem cells are among the first cells to develop because it is these that construct all the other tissues and thus the organs, bones, nerves and everything else in our body eventually, by converting into specifically functional cells.

The key factor about stem cells is that they are capable of constant rejuvenation through mitotic cell division and since they are not functional cells, they can transform into any specific type of functional cell, depending on the requirement of the body. Studies related to the possible uses of stem cells in various medical procedures is achieving greater importance with every passing year as scientists keep publishing journals on how the progress is going to improve treatment facilities dramatically. From the ability to repair almost any damaged organ to eliminating previously incurable diseases like cancer or Parkinsons disease, it all seems to be in our reach in the near future. In order for the experiments to be successful, scientists must collect necessary amounts of stem cells from various sources. Embryonic stem cells are collected directly from the inside of the blastocyst, roughly a week or so after the egg cell is fertilized, and it is for that reason it is called unethical and have given rise to controversies regarding the extraction of embryonic stem cells. The germline tissues of the abandoned fetus are also a source of stem cell collection. Umbilical cord blood and placenta are the two other sources for collecting adult stem cells. Although not as pluripotent as the stem cells inside an embryo, the adult stem cells are also extracted by scientists from tissues and bone marrow of individuals for different purposes.

Magnetic stem cells are one of the latest breakthroughs in the field of medical science as they are believed to hold the potential for next generation cell-level treatment procedures. Stem cells would soon be injected into the patients blood stream to treat and cure heart diseases and vascular problems and the theory is to deliver the special stem cells to the area of the injury or disease by guiding them from outside. The magnetism of the cells is what will allow the experts to control the movement of the reparative cells with the help of magnets, once they are injected into the patients body. Scientists have already been successful at directing the magnetized stem cells to the exact area of damage in animals, but the technology is yet to be tried on human beings.

The first part of the procedure involves applying sufficient magnetic nanoparticles on the stem cells to magnetize them, and thus make them controllable. Secondly, these special stem cells are now inserted into the blood stream of the subject with the help of an injection. The final and the most important part of the medical procedure begins next as experts now try to control the direction of the injected magnetic stem cells with the help of a magnet in order to lead them towards the accurate area of the heart damage or anywhere else inside the vascular system for recovery. MRI scans in the USA make use of the same nanomagnets to attain better results already. It is to be noted that the use of magnetic stem cells has a very broad spectrum as far as medical prowess is concerned. From cell therapy to targeting cancerous growths, the scope of using the nanomagnets on stem cells is plenty for repairing the diseased and the injured tissues from inside the body.

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Stem cells, bone marrow: News and research | Chxa.com

People who donate their stem cells are like gold-dust, according to a father-of-two desperate to find a bone marrow match.

Jaso Manokaranfell ill last October, experiencing severe pain in his bones and a fever-like temperature.

After being rushed to A&E again and again, doctors ordered a bone biopsy which revealed the 29-year-old had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

He said: I thought it was a viral infection, I didnt expect it to be cancer at all. When my consultant said I had leukaemia, I was crying like a river. I couldnt really hear what he was saying, I was so worried.

While undergoing chemotherapy, Jaso was told that he needed a bone marrow transplant but he has no siblings who could be a match and is a Sri Lankan Tamil, which means he has onlya 20.5 per cent chance of finding a match on the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register.

He added: It felt like a double dose of bad news. I had no idea what a transplant was, I had so many questions: How will I get it? Where will I get it? How will I find a match? I was so worried.

Now its not in my hands, I cant run around and get it myself - I need a stranger to save my life. Anyone who signs up to the register is priceless, not only to me but to everyone waiting for a transplant. These people are so selfless and special, theyre like gold-dust.

Mr Manokaran's wife Jasmini started the Help Save Jaso campaignto recruit more people to the register - especially people from Tamil and Sri Lankan communities in the hope of finding a match for her husband.

She said: Its been a scary time for all of us but I was so inspired to get going for Jaso. I have found that many people from my community dont know how to sign up to the register and many myths around donating have come up.

Some people think its a big operation or involves lengthy surgery because of the word bone but this is not true - now the process is usually just like giving blood.

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Young Dad searching for gold-dust' bone marrow match

Osteoarthritis is a common condition seen in older people in which the tissue between joints becomes worn down, causing severe pain. In what could be an important development for people who suffer from it, U.S. researchers have isolated stem cells in adult mice that regenerate both worn tissue, or cartilage, and bone.

For the past decade, researchers have been trying to locate and isolate stem cells in the spongy tissue or marrow of bones of experimental animals.

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The so-called osteochondroreticular, or OCR, cells are capable of renewing and generating important bone and cartilage cells.

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York identified these master cells in the marrow. When grown in the lab and transplanted back into a fracture site in mice, they helped repair the broken bones.

Siddhartha Mukherjee, the study's senior author, said similar stem cells exist in the human skeletal system.

The real provocative experiment or the provocative idea is being able to do this in humans being able to extract out these stem cells from humans and being able to put them back in to repair complex fracture defects or osteoarthritis defects, said Mukherjee.

He noted that children have more bone stem cells than adults, which may explain why the bones of young people repair more easily than fractures in adults.

Mukherjee said the next step is to try to identify the OCR cells in humans and attempt to use them to repair complex bone and cartilage injuries.

Once cartilage is injured or destroyed in older people, as in osteoarthritis, Mukherjee said it does not repair itself.

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Bone Stem Cells Regenerate Bone, Cartilage in Mice

A stem cell capable of regenerating both bone and cartilage has been identified in bone marrow of mice. The discovery by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) is reported today in the online issue of the journal Cell.

The cells, called osteochondroreticular (OCR) stem cells, were discovered by tracking a protein expressed by the cells. Using this marker, the researchers found that OCR cells self-renew and generate key bone and cartilage cells, including osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Researchers also showed that OCR stem cells, when transplanted to a fracture site, contribute to bone repair.

"We are now trying to figure out whether we can persuade these cells to specifically regenerate after injury. If you make a fracture in the mouse, these cells will come alive again, generate both bone and cartilage in the mouse--and repair the fracture. The question is, could this happen in humans," says Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at CUMC and a senior author of the study.

The researchers believe that OCR stem cells will be found in human bone tissue, as mice and humans have similar bone biology. Further study could provide greater understanding of how to prevent and treat osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, or bone fractures.

"Our findings raise the possibility that drugs or other therapies can be developed to stimulate the production of OCR stem cells and improve the body's ability to repair bone injury--a process that declines significantly in old age," says Timothy C. Wang, MD, the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor of Medicine at CUMC, who initiated this research. Previously, Dr. Wang found an analogous stem cell in the intestinal tract and observed that it was also abundant in the bone.

"These cells are particularly active during development, but they also increase in number in adulthood after bone injury," says Gerard Karsenty, MD, PhD, the Paul A. Marks Professor of Genetics and Development, chair of the Department of Genetics & Development, and a member of the research team.

The study also showed that the adult OCRs are distinct from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which play a role in bone generation during development and adulthood. Researchers presumed that MSCs were the origin of all bone, cartilage, and fat, but recent studies have shown that these cells do not generate young bone and cartilage. The CUMC study suggests that OCR stem cells actually fill this function and that both OCR stems cells and MSCs contribute to bone maintenance and repair in adults.

The researchers also suspect that OCR cells may play a role in soft tissue cancers.

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Bone stem cells shown to regenerate bones, cartilage in adult mice

VIDEO:A stem cell capable of regenerating both bone and cartilage has been identified in bone marrow of mice. The discovery by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) is reported... view more

NEW YORK, NY (January 15, 2015) - A stem cell capable of regenerating both bone and cartilage has been identified in bone marrow of mice. The discovery by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) is reported today in the online issue of the journal Cell.

The cells, called osteochondroreticular (OCR) stem cells, were discovered by tracking a protein expressed by the cells. Using this marker, the researchers found that OCR cells self-renew and generate key bone and cartilage cells, including osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Researchers also showed that OCR stem cells, when transplanted to a fracture site, contribute to bone repair.

"We are now trying to figure out whether we can persuade these cells to specifically regenerate after injury. If you make a fracture in the mouse, these cells will come alive again, generate both bone and cartilage in the mouse--and repair the fracture. The question is, could this happen in humans," says Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at CUMC and a senior author of the study.

The researchers believe that OCR stem cells will be found in human bone tissue, as mice and humans have similar bone biology. Further study could provide greater understanding of how to prevent and treat osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, or bone fractures.

"Our findings raise the possibility that drugs or other therapies can be developed to stimulate the production of OCR stem cells and improve the body's ability to repair bone injury--a process that declines significantly in old age," says Timothy C. Wang, MD, the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor of Medicine at CUMC, who initiated this research. Previously, Dr. Wang found an analogous stem cell in the intestinal tract and observed that it was also abundant in the bone.

"These cells are particularly active during development, but they also increase in number in adulthood after bone injury," says Gerard Karsenty, MD, PhD, the Paul A. Marks Professor of Genetics and Development, chair of the Department of Genetics & Development, and a member of the research team.

The study also showed that the adult OCRs are distinct from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which play a role in bone generation during development and adulthood. Researchers presumed that MSCs were the origin of all bone, cartilage, and fat, but recent studies have shown that these cells do not generate young bone and cartilage. The CUMC study suggests that OCR stem cells actually fill this function and that both OCR stems cells and MSCs contribute to bone maintenance and repair in adults.

The researchers also suspect that OCR cells may play a role in soft tissue cancers.

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Bone stem cells shown to regenerate bone and cartilage in adult mice

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - UC Davis surgeons have launched a "proof-of-concept" clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of a device that can rapidly concentrate and extract young cells from the irrigation fluid used during orthopaedic surgery.

"The new approach holds promise for improving the delivery of stem cell therapies in cases of non-healing fractures."

"People come to me after suffering for six months or more with a non-healing bone fracture, often after multiple surgeries, infections and hospitalizations," said Mark Lee, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery, who is principal investigator on the clinical trial. "Stem cell therapy for these patients can be miraculous, and it is exciting to explore an important new way to improve on its delivery." About 6 million people suffer fractures each year in North America, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Five to 10 percent of those cases involve patients who either have delayed healing or fractures that do not heal. The problem is especially troubling for the elderly because a non-healing fracture significantly reduces a person's function, mobility and quality of life. Stem cells - early cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types - have been used for several years to successfully treat bone fractures that otherwise have proven resistant to healing. Applied directly to a wound site, stem cells help with new bone growth, filling gaps and allowing healing and restoration of function. However, obtaining stem cells ready to be delivered to a patient can be problematic. The cells ideally come from a patient's own bone marrow, eliminating the need to use embryonic stem cells or find a matched donor. But the traditional way of obtaining these autologous stem cells - that is, stem cells from the same person who will receive them - requires retrieving the cells from a patient's bone marrow, a painful surgical procedure involving general anesthesia, a large needle into the hip and about a week of recovery. In addition, the cells destined to become healing blood vessels must be specially isolated from the bone marrow before they are ready to be transplanted back into the patient, a process that takes so long it requires a second surgery. The device Lee and his UC Davis colleagues are now testing processes the "wastewater" fluid obtained during an orthopaedic procedure, which makes use of a reamer-irrigator-aspirator (RIA) system to enlarge a patient's femur or tibia by high-speed drilling, while continuously cooling the area with water. In the process, bone marrow cells and tiny bone fragments are aspirated and collected in a filter to transplant back into the patient. Normally, the wastewater is discarded. Although the RIA system filter captures the patient's own bone and bone marrow for use in a bone graft or fusion, researchers found that the discarded effluent contained abundant mesenchymal stem cells as well as hematopoietic and endothelial progenitor cells, which have the potential to make new blood vessels, and potent growth factors important for signaling cells for wound healing and regeneration. The problem, however, was that the RIA system wastewater was too diluted to be useful. Now, working with a device developed by SynGen Inc., a Sacramento-based biotech company specializing in regenerative medicine applications, the UC Davis orthopaedic team can take the wastewater and spin it down to isolate the valuable stem cell components. About the size of a household coffee maker, the device will be used in the operating room to rapidly produce a concentration of stem cells that can be delivered to a patient's non-union fracture during a single surgery. "The device's small size and rapid capabilities allow autologous stem cell transplantation to take place during a single operation in the operating room rather than requiring two procedures separated over a period of weeks," said Lee. "This is a dramatic difference that promises to make a real impact on wound healing and patient recovery." For more information, visit http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/stemcellresearch.

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Treating Non-Healing Bone Fractures with Stem Cells?

IMAGE:This image captures a blood stem cell en route to taking root in a zebrafish. view more

Credit: Boston Children's Hospital

BOSTON (January 15, 2015) -- A see-through zebrafish and enhanced imaging provide the first direct glimpse of how blood stem cells take root in the body to generate blood. Reporting online in the journal Cell today, researchers in Boston Children's Hospital's Stem Cell Research Program describe a surprisingly dynamic system that offers several clues for improving bone marrow transplants in patients with cancer, severe immune deficiencies and blood disorders, and for helping those transplants "take."

The steps are detailed in an animation narrated by senior investigator Leonard Zon, MD, director of the Stem Cell Research Program. The Cell version offers a more technical explanation

"The same process occurs during a bone marrow transplant as occurs in the body naturally," says Zon. "Our direct visualization gives us a series of steps to target, and in theory we can look for drugs that affect every step of that process."

"Stem cell and bone marrow transplants are still very much a black box--cells are introduced into a patient and later on we can measure recovery of their blood system, but what happens in between can't be seen," says Owen Tamplin, PhD, the paper's co-first author. "Now we have a system where we can actually watch that middle step. "

The blood system's origins

It had already been known that blood stem cells bud off from cells in the aorta, then circulate in the body until they find a "niche" where they're prepped for their future job creating blood for the body. For the first time, the researchers reveal how this niche forms, using time-lapse imaging of naturally transparent zebrafish embryos and a genetic trick that tagged the stem cells green.

On arrival in its niche (in the zebrafish, this is in the tail), the newborn blood stem cell attaches itself to the blood vessel wall. There, chemical signals prompt it to squeeze itself through the wall and into a space just outside the blood vessel.

"In that space, a lot of cells begin to interact with it," says Zon. Nearby endothelial (blood-vessel) cells wrap themselves around it: "We think that is the beginning of making a stem cell happy in its niche, like a mother cuddling a baby."

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Live imaging captures how blood stem cells take root in the body

"This research raises the possibility that we can create new skeletal stem cells from patients' own tissues and use them to grow new cartilage."

The scientists are hopeful that the breakthrough would allow missing bone parts and cartilage to be grown in a lab and then transplanted, lowering the chance of rejection.

"Right now, if you have lost a significant portion of your leg or jaw bones, you have to borrow from Peter to pay Paul in that you have to cut another bone like the fibula into the shape you need, move it and attach it to the blood supply," said Dr Longaker.

"But if your existing bone is not available or not sufficient, using this research you might be able to put some of your own fat into a biomimetic scaffold, let it grow into the bone you want in a muscle or fat pocket, and then move that new bone to where it's needed."

Scientists are even hopeful that they could coax fat cells into becoming skeleton stem cells which could then be injected into a damaged area during a simple operation. It could be particularly useful in knee and hip operations for the elderly and prevent arthritis.

"The number of skeletal stem cells decreases dramatically with age, so bone fractures or dental implants don't heal very well in the elderly because new bone doesn't grow easily, said lead author Dr Charles Chan.

"But perhaps you will be able to take fat from the patient's body during surgery, combine it with these reprogramming factors right there in the operating room and immediately transplant new skeletal stem cells back into the patient."

Although researchers have so far only mapped the skeletal stem cell system in mice, they are confident that they will be able to do the same in humans.

"In this research we now have a Rosetta Stone that should help find the human skeletal stem cells and decode the chemical language they use to steer their development," added Dr Chan.

"The pathways in humans should be very similar and share many of the major genes used in the mouse skeletal system."

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Broken bones and torn cartilage could be regrown in simple operation

Jan 15, 2015 Hematopoietic precursor cells: promyelocyte in the center, two metamyelocytes next to it and band cells from a bone marrow aspirate. Credit: Bobjgalindo/Wikipedia

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered the stem cell in mice that gives rise to bone, cartilage and a key part of bone marrow called the stroma.

In addition, the researchers have charted the chemical signals that can create skeletal stem cells and steer their development into each of these specific tissues. The discovery sets the stage for a wide range of potential therapies for skeletal disorders such as bone fractures, brittle bones, osteosarcoma or damaged cartilage.

A paper describing the findings will be published Jan. 15 in Cell.

"Millions of times a year, orthopedic surgeons see torn cartilage in a joint and have to take it out because cartilage doesn't heal well, but that lack of cartilage predisposes the patient to arthritis down the road," said Michael Longaker, MD, a professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Stanford and a senior author of the paper. "This research raises the possibility that we can create new skeletal stem cells from patients' own tissues and use them to grow new cartilage." Longaker is also co-director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

An intensive search

The researchers started by focusing on groups of cells that divide rapidly at the ends of mouse bones, and then showed that these collections of cells could form all parts of bone: the bone itself, cartilage and the stromathe spongy tissue at the center of bones that helps hematopoietic stem cells turn into blood and immune cells. Through extensive effort, they then identified a single type of cell that could, by itself, form all these elements of the skeleton.

The scientists then went much further, mapping the developmental tree of skeletal stem cells to track exactly how they changed into intermediate progenitor cells and eventually each type of skeletal tissue.

"Mapping the tree led to an in-depth understanding of all the genetic switches that have to be flipped in order to give rise to more specific progenitors and eventually highly specialized cells," said postdoctoral scholar Charles Chan, PhD, who shares lead authorship of the paper with postdoctoral scholar David Lo, MD, graduate student James Chen and research assistant Elly Eun Young Seo. With that information, the researchers were able to find factors that, when provided in the right amount and at the right time, would steer the development of skeletal stem cells into bone, cartilage or stromal cells.

"If this is translated into humans, we then have a way to isolate skeletal stem cells and rescue cartilage from wear and tear or aging, repair bones that have nonhealing fractures and renew the bone marrow niche in those who have had it damaged in one way or another," said Irving Weissman, MD, professor of pathology and of developmental biology, who directs the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Weissman, the other senior author of the paper, also holds the Virginia and Daniel K. Ludwig Professorship in Clinical Investigation in Cancer Research.

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Team isolates stem cell that gives rise to bones, cartilage in mice

A pioneering bone marrow post-transplant specialist nurse is introduced in Tyneside - the first post of its kind outside London.

Leading blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan has introduced the role based at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, at Newcastles Freeman Hospital.

Susan Paskar has been employed in the job, funded by Anthony Nolan, to support patients with leukaemia and other blood cancers who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants.

The 38-year-old will be patients dedicated point of contact at the hospital once they have been allowed to go home following their transplant and will be able to offer specialist support and advice.

Susan, who lives in Newcastle and has worked with bone marrow transplant patients at the Freeman Hospital for four years, said: I was very happy to take up this position as I saw that there was a need for more follow-up for patients they get a lot of support early on but we need to be able to continue to support them after their transplants so they can have the best possible quality of life.

I think the patients would tell you that this new role is a vital one. After their initial treatment comes to an end, patients will need long-term monitoring and they are often left with a lot of problems which may need further intervention, and many patients will need extra support to help them get used to the new normal.

Susan will also be able to refer patients to other services, such as dieticians, and to help them overcome any physical and psychological difficulties they experience after their transplant.

She added: It is a very rewarding job as you maintain your relationships with patients for a long time. You get to know your patients, and their families, really well.

Anthony Nolan is introducing three specialist nurse positions as part of its focus on improving quality of life for people after a transplant.

The first nurse, Hayley Leonard, has already taken up a position at The Royal Marsden in London. Susan took up her role in Newcastle in December and a third nurse will be recruited to work at Manchester Royal Infirmary and The Christie, in Manchester.

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Post-transplant specialist nurse is introduced in Newcastle Freeman Hospital

Stem cell technology representsone of the most fascinating and controversial medical advances of the past several decades. By now the enormous controversy which surrounded the use of federal funds to conduct scientific research on human stem cells during the George W. Bush administration has largely blown over. Five years have passed since President Obama lifted federal funding restrictions, and amazing progress has already been made in the field.

One can make a good case for stem cells being the most fascinating and versatile cells in the human body. This is precisely due to their stem role. In their most basic form, theyre capable of both replicating themselves an unlimited number of times and differentiating themselvesinto a huge number of other cell types. Muscle cells, brain cells, organ cells, and many others can all be created from stem cells. If youre interested, the NIH has an awesome introductionon stem cells on their website.

The question which has arisen since the discovery of thisamazing cell type has been how to harness their power and versatility. This is the primary focus of research today: how can we precisely control stem cells to perform whatever tasks we need them to do? Of course, other important issues, such as figuring out thebest places from which to harvest stem cells,exist.

Because of their role in the body, the number of potential applications for stem cells are truly stunning. From building custom cell clusters with 3D printers to curing a variety of diseases through bone marrow transplants, growingorgans for transplants, andeven growing edible meat, research is progressing at a frantic pace.

There are two particular areas of research which seem to hold the greatest promise at this point. The first is organs. Anyone who has ever been involved in an organ transplant knows how incredibly complex and difficult the process is. But difficulties like finding the right donor, preserving the organ, and finding enough supply to meet the incredible demand could all be overcome if we could simply use stem cells to grow a custom organ for each transplant from scratch.

Besides this perhaps science-fiction-sounding process of growing organs, theres also incredible excitement surrounding the potential of bone marrow transplants to cure diseases like HIVand Leukemia. This is done by implanting stem cells containing genetic mutations which confer immunity to a variety of diseases into a patients bone marrow, where they can begin naturally replicating and affecting the immune system.

Thisprocedurealso covers transplants designed simply to reintroduce healthy stem cells to help tackle a wider variety of ailments. Often, referred to as regenerative medicine as itinvolves stimulating the bodys preexisting repair mechanisms to help the healing process,thisprocedurealso offer great promise.

Naturally, the speed at which advances are being made in the field has led to problems as well. One recent well-publicized study which seemed to point to the possibility of achieving stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (essentially demonstrating a new type of stem cells) is now believedto have beenfraudulent.

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The Future of Stem Cells: Opportunities at the Cutting Edge of Science

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kn8svz/u_s_orthopedic) has announced the addition of the "U.S. Orthopedic Biomaterials Market - 2015 (Executive Summary)" report to their offering.

The fastest growing segments involve stem cells, namely the segments for stem cell bone grafts and concentrated bone marrow. The products within these markets offer the greatest regenerative potential for healing bone.

Orthopedic biomaterial products compete with products that are more established and less expensive. Thus, clinical evidence is often an important deciding factor for orthopedic biomaterials over conventional forms of therapy especially in regards to reimbursement. However, the promise seen in some products such as bone marrow concentrate generates growth despite a lack of clinical evidence and reimbursement.

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For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kn8svz/u_s_orthopedic

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Research and Markets: U.S. Orthopedic Biomaterials Market - 2015 Executive Summary

Proud new dad Jason Manford has shared his baby joy over the weekend after welcoming his fifth child into the world.

But the birth has also given the comic and his girlfriend Lucy the opportunity to save a life.

The couple decided to take the unusual step of donating the umbilical cord and placenta to the Anthony Nolan Trust after meeting its team at St Marys Hospital.

The charity helps people with blood cancers matching them with donors if they need a stem cell, bone marrow or cord blood transplant.

It runs an umbilical cord and placenta collection programme in eight hospitals across the country, including St Marys.

Specialists collect the umbilical cord and placenta from donors after the birth and, instead of throwing them away, extract blood from them.

Stem cells in cord blood are adaptable which makes finding matches for donors easier and, as they are stored in a bank, they are available straight away.

Its a fantastic scheme and Jason has done a great service by raising awareness of it. Wed encourage any expecting parents to follow in his footsteps and find out more.

To find out more, go to their website.

VIEW GALLERY

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MEN Comment: Join Jason Manford in donating to Anthony Nolan donor scheme

If youre between 17 and 35 years old, you may be able to save Chris LeBruns life.

LeBrun, 48, was diagnosed with leukemia last May. The accountant and father of two learned last fall that he needs a stem cell donation to beat the disease.

But the donor cant be just anyone. It has to be someone who is a match for the genetic markers in the proteins of LeBruns white blood cells.

That sounds complicated, but the test to find a genetic match is quite simple. Just by swiping the inside of the mouth with a cotton swab, enough cells are collected to determine whether a match has been found.

Donors between 17 and 35 are accepted, and males are preferred, as transplants from men tend to be more successful.

On Saturday in Bedford, 36 people joined the stem cell registry through Canadian Blood Services to try to help LeBrun and others with certain forms of cancer, bone marrow deficiency diseases, anemia and other immune system and metabolic disorders.

LeBrun lives in Cambridge, Ont., but has deep ties to Nova Scotia, says his longtime friend, Barb Leighton.

Leighton describes her friend as a community leader who volunteers tirelessly for causes that are important to him.

Hes very quiet, very humble, very modest, not at all for attention. Complete, pure altruism, she says.

It seems that LeBruns community spirit runs in the family. His great-uncle, Gerald LeBrun, was a well-regarded Bedford doctor who regularly made house calls long after that practice fell out of fashion. Saturdays stem cell clinic was held at the LeBrun Recreation Centre, which was named after the doctor.

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Bedford clinic seeks stem cell match for man with leukemia

The first bone marrow donors inspired by toddler Margot Martini have donated their stem cells.

Margot, who lost her battle with leukaemia last year after a worldwide search for a donor, inspired thousands of people in the UK to join the stem cell register.

The two-year-old's father, Yaser, has just learnt the donor drive has now flagged up its first two matches with people in need of bone marrow donation.

Mr Martini said: "The response to Margots donor appeal saw more than 35,000 people joined the UK register as potential stem cell donors. As a result, statistically this means that over the next 10 years, more than 500 people will now have the option of a potentially life saving bone marrow transplant.

"Delete Blood Cancer UK inform us that the first of the Team Margot registrants has actually donated their stem cells to a patient in need, which heralds Margots legacy.

"And it gets better: the second Team Margot donor is scheduled to give bone marrow later this month.

"Thank you so much to everyone who has registered and to all those who are encouraging just one more to do the same."

Margot's mother Vicki grew up in Essington and has family across Wolverhampton.

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SAN FRANCISCO -

Mike Hinshaw and Katie Jackson have been a couple since college, but they've known each other much longer.

"We've been together forever. I've actually known Mike since I was five years old," Jackson said.

A marriage and three kids later, they've been through good times and bad. The worst came nine years ago when Hinshaw found out he had Huntington's disease.

"My father had it. He died from it," Hinshaw explained.

Huntington's causes uncontrollable movements and mental decline. There's no cure.

"Unfortunately, it ends in death. It's a fatal disease," said Dr. Vicki Wheelock, neurologist, health sciences clinical professor of neurology and director of HDSA Center of Excellence at UC Davis.

Now, researchers are gearing up for a new trial in humans. Patients will have special bone marrow stem cells injected directly into their brains.

"We've engineered them to make a growth factor that's like a fertilizer for the neurons," said Dr. Jan Nolta, professor and director of the Institute for Regenerative Cures at UC Davis.

That growth factor, BDNF, restored healthy brain cells and reduced behavior deficits in mice. Researchers hope the stem cells will also be the answer to slowing the disease in humans.

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Health Beat: Stem cells: A weapon for Huntington's?

Stem cells are very early blood cells. They are normally found in the bone marrow. Doctors use growth factor injections to make some of them move into the bloodstream. This makes it easier to collect them. You have growth factors as an injection just under the skin, usually in your tummy (abdomen), or into an arm or a leg. You have these once a day, for up to 10 days at a time and can learn to give them yourself at home.

Growth factor injections can cause itching around the injection site. You may have some aching in your bones after you have had a few injections. This is because there are a lot of blood cells being made inside the bones. The aching is usually easy to control with a mild painkiller, such as paracetamol. The pain will go away after a day or so.

After your course of injections, you will have regular blood tests to see how many stem cells are in your blood. When there are enough, you will have them collected. Collecting stem cells takes 3 or 4 hours. You sit in a chair or lie down on a couch and have a fine tube put into a vein in each of your arms. The nurse attaches these to a machine called a stem cell separator. Your blood passes out of one drip, through the machine and back into your body through the other drip. The machine filters the stem cells out of your blood but gives you the rest of the cells and the plasma back. The donor stem cells are frozen and stored. Most donors need to have another collection the following day, to make sure there are enough cells.

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Bone marrow and stem cell transplants for chronic myeloid ...

IT was a wish that most teenagers take for granted.

Under-going gruelling treatment for a rare form of leukaemia in a hospital isolation chamber, Kitty Aplin-Haynes longed for the freedom to live life to the full like most girls her age.

But the cancer, which had spread to her brain and central nervous system, was so aggressive, her only hope of that freedom was a life-saving bone marrow transplant.

However, today the 18-year-old is at home and her wish has come true.

She can now look forward to laughing with friends and starting college after being told she is in remission thanks to the ultimate gift from a stranger, the gift of life.

Kitty is recovering after the bone marrow transplant plus a second procedure to boost her immune system from the same anonymous donor and she has another reason to smile.

Campaign Her family and friends desperate campaign to raise awareness of her plight will also save other lives as more than 130 people have signed up to the bone marrow register.

Kitty said: Many young people die waiting for a donor because only half of those who need a bone marrow transplant every year in the UK are lucky enough to find a match so I feel incredibly lucky.

Im overwhelmed my donor has donated his stem cells to me, not once, but twice.

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Teenager celebrating New Year after being given the gift of life