Two men who changed each others lives forever by being on the giving and receiving ends of a bone marrow transplant met for the first time today and had their first chance to say, Thank you, face-to-face.

Thank you so much, Joe Yannantuono, 33, said to his bone marrow donor, Justin Jenkins, 35, as he embraced him in a hug in a live, emotional meeting on Good Morning America.

Yannantuono, not very long ago, was waging a two-year long battle for his life against stage 4 lymphoma.

WATCH: Robin Roberts Celebrates 1-Year Anniversary of Bone Marrow Transplant

Toddler Meets Life-Saving Bone Marrow Donor

As his wife, Christine Buono, and his 4-year-old son, JJ Yannantuono, stood by his side, the family, from Staten Island, N.Y., got the unbelievable news that a man in Texas, a stranger, was a rare 10 for 10 genetic bone marrow match.

That stranger in Texas, Jenkins, of Dallas, had registered to be a bone marrow donor by chance 15 years ago when he was 21-years-old and donated blood because they were offering free snacks.

Soon after Jenkins was found to be a match, his stem cells were transported by airplane to New York and transplanted into Yannatuonos body in December 2012 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

For more than one year after the successful transplant, Yannantuono had no idea whose cells he was now carrying in his body.

As Yannantuono was rebuilding his life, Jenkins life was thrown a tragic curveball. His mother, who raised him on her own and had been a big part of his donation journey, was killed in a car crash.

Read the rest here:
Bone Marrow Recipient Meets Donor Who Saved His Life

Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise Investigators from the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at the Universit de Montral have just published, in the prestigious magazine Science, the announcement of the discovery of a new molecule, the first of its kind, which allows for the multiplication of stem cells in a unit of cord blood. Umbilical cord stem cells are used for transplants aimed at curing a number of blood-related diseases, including leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma. For many patients this therapy comprises a treatment of last resort.

Directed by Dr. Guy Sauvageau, principal investigator at IRIC and hematologist at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, this world breakthrough has the potential to multiply by 10 the number of cord blood units available for a transplant in humans. In addition, it will considerably reduce the complications associated with stem cell transplantation. And it will be particularly useful for non-Caucasian patients for whom compatible donors are difficult to identify.

A clinical study using this molecule, named UM171 in honor of the Universit de Montral, and a new type of bioreactor developed for stem culture in collaboration with the University of Toronto will be initiated in December 2014 at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital.

According to Dr. Guy Sauvageau, This new molecule, combined with the new bioreactor technology, will allow thousands of patients around the world access to a safer stem cell transplant. Considering that many patients currently cannot benefit from a stem cell transplant for lack of matching donors, this discovery looks to be highly promising for the treatment of various types of cancer.

The Centre of Excellence for Cellular Therapy at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital will serve as production unit for these stem cells, and grafts will then be distributed to patients in Montreal, Quebec City and Vancouver for this first Canadian clinical study. Tangible results should be available one year later, that is, in December 2015. The significance of this new discovery is such that over time, conclusive clinical results could revolutionize the treatment of leukemia and other blood-related illnesses.

These extraordinary advances result from the efforts of a remarkable team that includes extremely gifted students and postdoctoral investigators working in the IRIC laboratories, adds Dr. Guy Sauvageau. Among them, the first authors of this publication: Iman Fars, doctoral student, and Jalila Chagraoui, research officer, along with the professionals in IRICs medical chemistry core facility under the direction of Anne Marinier, who optimized the therapeutic properties of this new molecule.

Context

Umbilical cord blood from newborn children is an excellent source of hematopoietic stem cells for stem cell transplants, since their immune system is still immature and the stem cells have a lower probability of inducing an adverse immune reaction in the recipient.

See more here:
World Breakthrough: A New Molecule Allows for an Increase in Stem Cell Transplants

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

18-Sep-2014

Contact: Luke Harrison l.harrison.1@bham.ac.uk University of Birmingham @unibirmingham

A key step in understanding the nature of the fight for superiority between mutated genes and normal genes could lead to new therapies to combat leukaemia, say researchers from the University of Birmingham and Newcastle University.

The study, published in Cell Reports, investigated Acute Myeloid Leukaemia to understand why leukemic cells are not able to develop normally into mature blood cells.

Stem cells in the bone marrow generate billions of different blood cells each day. The process resembles a production line with genes acting as regulators to control each step of the blood formation.

Leukaemia arises when the DNA encoding regulators in the stem cells is changed by a mutation. When a mutation occurs in the relevant regulator genes, the finely balanced order of the production line is disrupted with drastic consequences.

A chain reaction occurs, with the function of other regulators in the process being altered. The new cells no longer develop into normal blood cells, but leukemic cells that multiply and begin to take over the body.

Professor Constanze Bonifer, of the University of Birmingham, explained, "This particular leukaemia is characterised by a mutation in a gene that produces a rogue regulator. That is, one that is not normally made and behaves in a different way. The knock-on effect of that one mutation is huge."

The team showed that this aberrant regulator switches off hundreds of other genes, many of them regulators themselves, by using state of the art technology that looks at the activity of all genes within a cell. As a consequence of the drastically altered production line, normal blood formation cannot happen, and leukemic cells are formed.

Go here to see the original:
The war on leukemia: How the battle for cell production could be decisive

MISSISSAUGA Dorothy Vernon-Brown is on the search of her life.

When she was diagnosed with acute myaloid leukemia in August, 2013, the Mississauga mother said it was like a huge kick in the gut.

She underwent chemotherapy shortly after the diagnosis, which helped her into remission, but to survive, she has been told her only chance is a bone marrow transplant.

Bone marrow cells rescue patients from the lethal effect of chemotherapy, says Vernon-Browns oncologist, Dr. Mark Minden.

Since starting a relationship with Canadas stem cell and marrow network, One Match, Vernon-Browns search has come up empty.

Vernon-Brown says she is desperate: Recent tests show lower white blood cell counts in her blood an indication the cancer may be coming back.

But shes also worried about how few donors are from the black community. Vernon-Brown has been told her chance of finding a compatible donor are one in 10,000.

Genetics are key in finding potential stem cell and bone marrow donors says, One Match patient and transplant liaison, MaryLynn Pride said.

There is only a 25 per cent chance that even a sibling will be a match, says Pride. We have patients from all ethnic communities that are currently in need of a stem cell transplant.

Black Canadians makes up only 1 percent of all Canadians registered as potential donors, according to Pride.

Link:
Desperate search for bone marrow donor goes private for Mississauga woman

Written by Lidia Dinkova on September 17, 2014

A partnership between University of Miami researchers and a Georgia-based biomedical company this month made a new type of stem cell commercially available for bone regeneration and healing.

The marrow-isolated adult multi-lineage inducible cell, known as the MIAMI cell, is the result of 15 years of research by the University of Miami.

Since the stem cell was made commercially available, about 21 patients have been treated with a MIAMI cell infusion.

We are controlling the release to make sure it goes very smoothly, said Tracy S. Anderson, president and CEO of Vivex Biomedical Inc.

Vivex invested in the research and development of the cell and licensed the technology from UM for orthopedic use. The company has contracted with the universitys tissue bank to develop the cell for commercial use and pays an undisclosed royalty back to UM from sales.

Before the MIAMI cell goes to full national release in January 2015, Vivex is controlling the use of the cell.

I am going very slowly and selectively with the surgeons we are working with, Mr. Anderson said. Anytime you have a new product like this, you have to make sure that it goes smoothly.

Mr. Anderson didnt want to disclose revenue generated from the sale of the MIAMI cell, only saying that it has been significant.

So far, the MIAMI cell has been used in bone regeneration and healing in Utah, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio.

Read more from the original source:
21 infused with new UM stem cell

A Quebec womans desperate, months-long search for a compatible stem cell or umbilical cord match is over.

Mai Duong, a 34-year-old Vietnamese-Canadian battling acute leukemia, announced Tuesday that she has finally found a match.

"I'm going to have the transplant and hopefully everything will go well and hopefully I'll have a new marrow," Duong tearfully told reporters Tuesday. "I just hope I'm going to beat cancer once and for all."

"A woman gave birth to her child and has donated her baby's umbilical cord to save another life," reads a post on the Save Mai Duong Facebook page. "Thank you dear mommy, we cannot fathom the importance of your gesture. I am very moved."

Duong beat cancer last year, after chemotherapy that she had to terminate a 15-week pregnancy to undergo.

She was in remission until May, when blood tests revealed the leukemia had returned.

"Seventy per cent of people who had that type of leukemia were just cured with chemotherapy and unfortunately I'm in the 30 per cent," she said at the time.

Doctors said Duong would need a bone marrow transplant or cord blood stem cells and she needed it fast. Despite being on the international list, doctors struggled to find a match.

Duong said, for people who aren't Caucasian, finding the right donor can be like searching for a needle-in-a-haystack.

"Less than one per cent of the 25 million donors worldwide are Vietnamese," she wrote on her website. "All ethnic communities are severely under-represented in the world donor bank, making finding a compatible donor very difficult for me and countless others who are currently waiting for a transplant."

Read the rest here:
Quebec leukemia patient Mai Duong finds stem cell donor

Knee arthritis one year after bone marrow stem cells by Harry Adelson, N.D.
Christine discusses her results of her stem cell injection by Dr Harry Adelson for her arthritic knees http://www.docereclinics.com.

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

Go here to read the rest:
Knee arthritis one year after bone marrow stem cells by Harry Adelson, N.D. - Video

(PRWEB UK) 11 September 2014

Without doubt the best stem cells are those found in the baby teeth of young children.

Why? Apart from their unique ability to morph and change into other stem cells, thus treating a far wider range of illnesses and conditions, mesenchymal stem cells can proliferate outside the body, and where children are concerned no tooth extraction is needed as they fall out naturally. Above all it is important to remember that the best type of cells are those which are young, and therefore have not been contaminated by a lifetime of use and exposure.

So does that mean for adults there is no hope for stem cell retrieval from their adult teeth and little chance of success if they are needed in stem cell therapy?

Not necessarily, says Mike Byrom, Chief Scientific Officer at specialist tooth stem cell bank, BioEden.

Stem cell therapy is not a black and white type of event. There are varying degrees of success based on many factors of which the capacity of the cells is one. The functional capacity of a 44 year old cell is not as good as that of a 6 year old but that does not mean that they have no value. Our requirements for storing material mean that the cells demonstrate acceptable growth rates, expected cellular morphology and growth characteristics which indicate their ability to differentiate into tissue specific lineage cell types. If the cells do not meet our minimum criteria for usefulness we will not store them.'

Aside from these tests we cannot make any specific guarantees about the cells usefulness. Adults should not be put off attempting to store their stem cells and can have faith that if we successfully complete the process of stem cell extraction then the cells are of high enough quality to be useful should they be required.

BioEden do not make any charge for the process of harvesting stem cells where no viable stem cells can be found.

Read this article:
BioEden's Chief Scientific Officer Says Viable Stem Cells Can Be Found in Adult Teeth

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

9-Sep-2014

Contact: Lauren Anderson lauren.anderson@europeanlung.org 1-142-672-876 European Lung Foundation http://www.twitter.com/EuropeanLung

Munich, Germany: A new study has revealed how stem cells work to improve lung function in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Previous studies have shown that stem cells can reduce lung inflammation and restore some function in ARDS, but experts are not sure how this occurs. The new study, which was presented at the European Respiratory Society's International Congress today (09 September 2014), brings us a step closer to understanding the mechanisms that occur within an injured lung.

ARDS is a life-threatening condition in which the efficiency of the lungs is severely reduced. It is caused by damage to the capillary wall either from illness or a physical injury, such as major trauma. ARDS is characterised by excessive and dysregulated inflammation in the lung and patients require mechanical ventilation in order to breathe.

Although inflammation is usually a method by which the body heals and copes with an infection, when the inflammation is dysregulated it can lead to severe damage. Immune cells known as macrophages can coordinate the inflammatory response by driving or suppressing inflammation, depending on the stimulation.

The researchers investigated whether stem cells can affect the stimulation of the macrophages and promote the state in which they will suppress the inflammation.

They tested this in an animal model using human bone marrow-derived stem cells. Mice were infected with live bacteria to induce acute pneumonia and model the condition of ARDS. The results showed that treatment with stem cells led to significant reductions in lung injury, inflammation and improved bacterial clearance. Importantly, when stem cells were given to animals that had their macrophages artificially removed, the protective effect was gone. This suggests that the macrophages are an important part of the beneficial effects of stem cells seen in this model of ARDS.

These results were further supported by experiments where stem cells were applied to human macrophages in samples of fluid taken from lungs of patients with ARDS. Again, the stem cells were able to promote the anti-inflammatory state in the human macrophage cells. The authors have identified several proteins, secreted by the stem cells, that would be responsible for this effect.

Link:
Study sheds light on how stem cells can be used to treat lung disease

CHILHOWIE, Va. You wouldnt think from seeing her smile and watching her run and play that there is anything wrong with 5-year-old Nevaeh Bruner of Chilhowie.

But shes lucky to be alive and faces a lengthy procedure that could be her only chance for survival.

Pam Troxel Buchanan, the little girls great aunt, and Donna Hamm, her great-great aunt, are taking care of Nevaeh and tear up just thinking about what this little girl has been through and what she faces in her fight to live.

She is a very strong little girl. I couldnt do it, said Buchanan.

Nevaeh has been diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare disease that causes a complete failure of production of all types of blood cells. As a result, the bone marrow contains large numbers of fat cells instead of the blood-producing cells that would normally be present. It is a potentially fatal blood disease in which there are not enough stem cells in the bone marrow or the stem cells have stopped working effectively.

Buchanan said that last November Nevaehs teacher at Chilhowie Elementary School noticed bruising on her body. She had shown no other symptoms of illness, Buchanan said, so her parents were advised to take her to Niswonger Childrens Hospital in Johnson City, Tennessee, where there is a St. Jude affiliate clinic.

Buchanan said they spent a month running tests and the doctors told Nevaehs parents that her blood count was so low that she would not have lived much longer had she not received treatment. The little girl, who was 4-years-old at the time, has undergone numerous procedures, including surgery, transfusions, chemotherapy and radiation. She is taking oral chemotherapy and having blood transfusions as needed, but she is being weaned off the chemo to undergo a bone marrow transplant.

The chemo is also causing her kidneys to malfunction, bringing her close to kidney failure, Buchanan said.

She will always be in stage two kidney disease, Buchanan said. She will have sensitive kidneys and have to live with that.

The only option at this point is a bone marrow transplant, Buchanan said. Two donor matches have been found and the procedure will take place at St. Jude in Memphis, Tennessee, at the end of this year or next spring, Buchanan said.

Read the original here:
One Lucky Little Girl

So, when teenagers receive their National Insurance number through the post, why not also include an invitation to join the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register, and give them a chance to save a life at 16?

Email your MP to ask them to support Anthony Nolan's plan

Stem cell donations can play a crucial role in the treatment of blood cancers such as leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In the UK each year 2,000 people with blood cancer need a donation of healthy cells, and every single one of them depends on the kindness of a stranger. This is where the Anthony Nolan register comes in.

When a patient needs a lifesaving transplant, their medical team works with us to find a match.

Today there are over half a million people on our donor register. That number grew by 55,000 names last year.

But only six per cent of those donors are aged between 16 and 20, and we need many more in this age group to come forward. We know that young people are more likely to be chosen by doctors as donors for people with blood cancer.

This is why Anthony Nolan recruits young people from the age of 16 and why sending registration information with National Insurance numbers could be such an important move.

Similar measures have been taken before. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency includes information on organ donation when it delivers new driving licences. This is an innovative way to get individuals to think about a small but significant commitment they can make to help others.

Young people such as Victoria Rathmill and Celyn Evans are ground-breakers, and should be applauded as pioneers. What they have done takes courage. But the point of being a pioneer is to forge a path that others will follow. Our proposal, a simple awareness-raising measure, will help a great many people. It won't even cost the taxpayer a penny, as all expenses will be paid by Anthony Nolan.

We already have over 530,000 incredible people on our register, which is an amazing achievement. Sadly, its not enough. If we are to find a match for every person who needs one, we urgently need more people in their teens and twenties to sign up in the fight against blood cancer. By taking on our proposal, the Government can make it easier for young people to do just that.

Read this article:
Help Anthony Nolan save a life at 16

Human trials on the effectiveness of using adult stem cells in the fight against cornea transplant rejection could be under way within the next five years.

Corneal eye disease is the fourth most common cause of blindness in the world and affects more than 10 million people worldwide. New research from NUI Galway has found that transplant rejection rates could be reduced to as low as 10% by administering a stem cell grown from the bone marrow of adult donors.

Although 100,000 people worldwide undergo cornea transplants each year, about 30% are unsuccessful due to rejection by the patients own immune system.

An unhealthy cornea affects vision by scattering or distorting light and causing glare and blurred vision.

Corneal transplants are the most widely used treatments where the diseased or scarred cornea is replaced with healthy tissue from an organ donor.

Researchers from NUI Galways Regenerative Medicine Institute previously found that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) release chemicals capable of adjusting the immune system balance in the body.

The cells can be readily obtained and grown from the bone marrow of adult donors and the finding led them to study their usefulness in combating cornea transplant rejection.

The teams lead scientist, Dr Oliver Treacy, said the model system they developed led to an increase in cells called regulatory T-cells, which dampen down inflammation, and a decrease in the number of natural killer cells, key players in the rejection process.

Consultant ophthalmologist at Galway University Hospital, Gerry Fahy, who was involved in the study, said corneal transplant rejection could result in blindness and was not uncommon in high-risk patients.

This important research presents a potentially new avenue of treatment to prevent transplant rejection and save vision in this vulnerable group of patients, said Mr Fahy.

Go here to see the original:
Stem cells could cut high rate of cornea transplant rejection

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

3-Sep-2014

Contact: Robert Miranda cogcomm@aol.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair

Putnam Valley, NY. (Sept. 3, 2014) A team of researchers from Korea and Canada have found that transplantation of B10 cells (a stable immortalized human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell line; B10 hMSC) directly into the bladder wall of mice modeled with spinal cord injury (SCI) helped inhibit the development of bladder fibrosis and improved bladder function by promoting the growth of smooth muscle cells in the bladder.

The study will be published in a future issue of Cell Transplantation and is currently freely available on-line as an unedited early e-pub at: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/pre-prints/content-CT-1227_Lee.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause severe lower urinary tract dysfunction and conditions such as overactive bladder, urinary retention and increased bladder thickness and fibrosis. HMSCs, multipotent cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types, including bone cells, cartilage cells, and fat cells, have been transplanted into injured spinal cords to help patients regain motor function.

In this study, mice receiving the B10 hMSCs injected directly into the bladder wall experienced improved bladder function while an untreated control group did not.

"Human MSCs can secrete growth factors," said study co-author Seung U. Kim of the Division of Neurology at the University of British Columbia Hospital, Vancouver, Canada. "In a previous study, we showed that B 10 cells secrete various growth factors including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and that HGF inhibits collagen deposits in bladder outlet obstructions in rats more than hMSCs alone. In this study, the SCI control group that did not receive B10 cells showed degenerated spinal neurons and did not recover. The B10-injected group appeared to have regenerated bladder smooth muscle cells."

Four weeks after the onset of SCI, the treatment group received the B10 cells transplanted directly into the bladder wall. To track the transplanted B10 cells via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the researchers labeled them with fluorescent magnetic particles.

"HGF plays an essential role in tissue regeneration and angiogenesis and acts as a potent antifibrotic agent," explained Kim.

More:
Transplanted stem cells help prevent bladder fibrosis after spinal cord injury

PASCAGOULA, MS (WLOX) -

Nearly 120 doctors, nurses, technicians and other Singing River Health System employees lined up to register as a bone marrow donor in honor of their co-worker, Dr. Jeremy Simpler, who is battling cancer.

"I don't want to get emotional, but very, very devastating when we found this out because he is wonderful. He's a people person. He treated us like family," Singing River Health System Surgical Tech Patricia Taylor said.

A stranger, who gave 40 seconds to get his or her cheeks swabbed, could end up saving Simpler's life. Now, his co-workers want to repay that favor.

"Every day, we have someone looking for a match," Mattie Coburn, with the Mississippi Marrow Donor Program said.

Coburn said 70 percent of patients who need a transplant rely on the registry, because they do not have a match in their family.

There are two different ways donors are asked to donate.

"Bone marrow transplant, it is outpatient. You are put to sleep under anesthesia. We are going to go to the hip and pelvic bone with a sterile needle and syringe," Coburn said. "You are not going to feel it. We keep you overnight for observation, and release you with a Band-Aid over where the needles were. PBSC, peripheral blood stem cell, is similar to giving platelets. We draw blood, separate the cells, you get your blood back."

Three years ago, Singing River Health System Dr. Clinton Hull donated bone marrow.

"It was a really good feeling," Hull said. "The last communication I had through the bone marrow service was the patient had returned to their daily activities and living, so that makes me feel really good."

More:
Co-workers honor doctor by registering as bone marrow donors

FATHER-OF-TWO Johnny Pearson's life was saved when a stranger donated stem cells. The pair became friends and raised thousands for charity by running in the London Marathon together. By health reporter Kate Liptrot.

EARLIER this year Johnny Pearson became the first person to run the London Marathon alongside the unrelated stem cell donor who had saved his life.

The 44-year-old was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2010 and often thought of the stranger had been who allowed him to have a bone marrow transplant two years later.

Earlier this year he met 23-year-old donor Sean Hagan for the first time - and weeks after meeting they ran the London marathon to raise money and awareness for the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust.

The wine trader from Thorpe Underwood was first diagnosed with the aggressive form of cancer in September 2010 when he had been to see the doctor after feeling slightly under the weather and the doctor had done a blood test just to make sure.

He was driving home from work when he received a phone call from the doctor to say that something was seriously wrong and he needed to turn around and go to York Hospital.

Johnny started chemotherapy days later and after six months of gruelling chemotherapy was finally in remission and returned home to his wife, Sarah, and young boys, Jack, now 12, and Archie, now ten.

But in July 2011, Johnny received the devastating news that leukaemia had returned. This time, Johnny would need a bone marrow transplant to survive and the race was on to find a matching donor.

It was the worst possible news and I thought that my life was over," Johnny said, "The last hope was a bone marrow transplant and I remember waiting to hear if there was a matching donor.

"It was a very difficult time for me and my family as we knew that my life was in someone elses hands. After what seemed like the longest few months of my life, my doctor sat me down and told me that Anthony Nolan had found a donor.

Go here to read the rest:
Running with a real lifesaver

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

29-Aug-2014

Contact: Kris Kitto kris@morethanpr.com 303-320-7790 The Bawmann Group

AURORA, Colo. (Sept. 2, 2014) A team of scientists from the University of Colorado School of Medicine has reported the breakthrough discovery of a process to expand production of stem cells used to treat cancer patients. These findings could have implications that extend beyond cancer, including treatments for inborn immunodeficiency and metabolic conditions and autoimmune diseases.

In an article published Aug. 29 in PLOS ONE, researchers from the Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology and Taiga Biotechnologies, Inc. said they have uncovered the keys to the molecular code that appear to regulate the ability of blood stem cells to reproduce and retain their stem-like characteristics.

The team developed protein products that can be directly administered to blood stem cells to encourage them to multiply without permanent genetic modifications.

"Use of stem cells to treat cancer patients who face bone marrow transplants has been a common practice for four decades," said Yosef Refaeli, Ph.D., an associate dermatology professor and one of the study's lead scientists. "The biggest challenge, however, has been finding adequate supplies of stem cells that help patients fight infection after the procedure."

Gates Stem Cell Center Director Dennis Roop, Ph.D., recognized the magnitude of the team's work.

"Researchers have long attempted to increase the number of blood stem cells in a lab," Roop said. "Most of those approaches have been limited by the nature of the resulting cells or the inadequate number of cells produced."

The technology described in the PLOS ONE article has worked with blood stem cells obtained from cord blood, adult bone marrow or peripheral blood from adults.

Originally posted here:
CU scientists' discovery could lead to new cancer treatment

MIAMI - When Bruce Daily woke up after having lumbar surgery a year ago, he realized he couldn't move the right side of his body.

"It took me a long while to figure out I wasn't gonna walk again," he said. "I knew I was down."

Daily, 69, had gone in for lumbar surgery at the University of Miami hospital and had an ischemic stroke while under anesthesia. An ischemic stroke results from an obstruction in a blood vessel that blocks the blood from getting to the brain.

Because he was unconscious, he missed the four-to-five hour-window to apply the tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only medication available to treat ischemic strokes. The medication dissolves the clot, restoring blood flow to the brain.

But while he missed that chance, he was right on time to meet Dr. Dileep Yavagal, a neurosurgeon who practices at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial hospitals. Yavagal was enrolling patients in RECOVER-stroke, a clinical trial treating recent stroke patients with stem cells from their bone marrow and applying them directly into the carotid artery, one of two arteries that supply the neck and head with blood. Daily was one of 47 patients nationwide who qualified for the study.

The study is funded by Cytomedix, the company that developed the technology to extract stem cells from bone marrow. The firm chose Yavagal to lead a national blind study at the end of 2012.

Yavagal enrolled 13 patients at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, between the end of 2012 and January of 2014. So far, the initial three-month results have revealed that the marrow cells are not doing any damage, and there was no clear difference between those who received the cells and those who didn't. The study's one-year final results will be revealed in January.

"There is severe need for developing treatment for ischemic stroke, and stem cells are the most promising," said Yavagal, whose own research is still in its initial phase, focusing on using a healthy donor's bone marrow stem cells versus the patient's own marrow.

Stroke, the leading cause of adult disability in the United States, and the No. 4 cause of death in the country, causes 130,000 deaths a year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yavagal, associate professor of clinical neurology and neurosurgery and the director of interventional neurology at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, said that restricted mobility or loss of speech resulting from a moderate to severe stroke can be devastating because patients often become dependent on someone else for daily activities.

Excerpt from:
Can stem cells help mobility after stroke?

By RTT News, August 26, 2014, 06:00:00 PM EDT

(RTTNews.com) - GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK, GSK.L) said Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a supplemental New Drug Application for the once-daily use of Promacta (eltrombopag) in patients with severe aplastic anaemia who have had an insufficient response to immunosuppressive therapy.

Severe aplastic anaemia, or SAA, is a blood disorder where the bone marrow fails to make enough red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Eltrombopag, an oral thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor agonist, works by helping to induce proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow stem cells to increase production of blood cells.1

"FDA approval of Promacta addresses a significant treatment need for this very rare but serious blood disorder in those who have failed current treatment options," said Paolo Paoletti, president of Oncology, GSK.

Promacta gained Breakthrough Therapy designation status from the FDA in January 2014 and Priority Review in April 2014. Today's approval by the FDA is based on results from an investigator-sponsored Phase II study conducted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

http://www.rttnews.com

Go here to read the rest:
GSK: FDA OKs Promacta SNDA In Patients With Aplastic Anaemia

Q: My daughter plays college soccer and ruptured her ACL. The coaches mentioned stem cell injections that some big-name athletes have used to recover from injuries. Should we consider them? Paige R., Chicago

A: Professional athletes are always looking for the fastest way to heal their injuries. In 2010, Yankees pitcher Bartolo Colon was treated for a torn rotator cuff with injections of fat and bone marrow adult stem cells; he's playing for the Mets this season. And in 2011, Denver Broncos' Peyton Manning opted for injections of his own fat stem cells to try to get over a neck injury. Two years later, he had a record-breaking season and took the Broncos to the Super Bowl. But does this mean the injections worked? Nope.

Colon's agent attributes the pitcher's career turnaround to a re-dedication to the game, not the injections, and Manning followed up his stem cell treatment with major surgery and intense rehab (done in secret).

There's just no solid evidence yet that injections of adult bone marrow (or fat) stem cells effectively regenerate and repair damaged tendons or ligaments, and you cannot be certain of what the injections contain or their side effects. They often are delivered in an unregulated environment and aren't FDA-approved.

We suspect your daughter is headed for reconstructive surgery and six months of rehab. Then she needs to learn new ways to move so she reduces stress on her knees. One metastudy found that two ACL-injury-prevention regimens were effective: Sportsmetrics promotes leg and core strength, increases vertical jump height and may improve speed and agility; the Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance (PEP) program, makes a big difference in the flexion strength of the knee. Both improve athletic performance tests and reduce injury rates. Rehab is tough, and there are no shortcuts, but we bet your daughter has the grit to do it!

Q: I had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery last year, and my blood glucose levels were almost normal even before I lost any weight. How is that possible? Marty Z., Jupiter, Florida

A: Congrats, Marty. We hope you're continuing to have such good results. It is amazing that bypassing part of your stomach and intestine could have such an immediate effect on your blood sugar levels, and just recently researchers have figured out why that happens sometimes. It seems to have something to do with the bacteria that live in your digestive tract, also called your gut biome.

Roux-en-Y surgery bypasses most of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. That's where a lot of your gut bacteria live and where they influence gut hormones that regulate appetite, insulin use, glucose levels and more. So right away, the surgery decreases levels of hormones that regulate appetite; you can eat less without being hungry. That alone lowers glucose levels and increases the effectiveness of your body's insulin supply.

Also, when you have diabetes, your gut bacteria are thrown out of balance; the bad guys overwhelm the good guys (like bifidobacteria and lactobacillus). And that means the hormones that affect how cells get and use glucose can't do their job. The glucose stays in your bloodstream instead of being used as fuel by your cells. But once a lot of the bad gut bacteria are bypassed, your gut biome snaps back into balance and the bacteria and hormones work together to regulate blood sugar levels.

So we suggest you keep your gut biome balanced and happy with a healthy diet of five or more servings of fruits and veggies a day. Asparagus, garlic, cooked onions and dandelion greens deliver prebiotics that help good-for-you gut bacteria thrive. Fermented foods like nonfat kefir and kimchi contain healthful probiotics. Also, avoid saturated fats and added sugars they just make your biome miserable. And we like daily spore probiotic supplements containing bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 and lactobacillus GG.

Original post:
Stem cells for sports injuries; gastric bypass and the gut biome

Sheryl Ubelacker, The Canadian Press Published Tuesday, August 26, 2014 6:45AM EDT

TORONTO -- Canadian doctors have begun using stem cell transplants to treat "stiff person syndrome," a rare neurological condition in which a patient's leg and other muscles suddenly contract painfully, often leaving them immobilized like a tin soldier.

The disorder, which affects an estimated one in a million people, occurs when the immune system turns against a person's own tissues, in this case attacking cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Stem cell transplants have been used to treat patients with other auto-immune diseases, among them multiple sclerosis, scleroderma and Crohn's disease, but this may be the first time the procedure has been employed to alleviate the symptoms of stiff person syndrome, or SPS, the researchers reported Monday in the journal JAMA Neurology.

SPS is characterized by episodes of stiffness in the muscles and painful muscle spasms, which can be brought on by stress, loud noises or emotional distress. Some people with the disorder are so disabled they are unable to walk or move and may isolate themselves at home to avoid triggering an attack.

"Sometimes this happens when they're startled," said Dr. Harry Atkins of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at the Ottawa Hospital, who headed a team that transplanted stem cells into two women with the disease.

"So you can imagine walking across the street and someone honks the horn and you can't move, or you start falling and because your muscles can't move, you just fall and you hurt yourself," Atkins said Monday from Ottawa.

"It really does provide a barrier with just going on with your life."

Tina Ceroni of Toronto is one of the two SPS patients who had the stem-cell transplant -- and she said it has given back her life.

The personal fitness trainer, now 36, started getting severe symptoms in her late 20s. Initially she was diagnosed with hyponatremia, or low blood sodium, thought to be related to her heavy training schedule for a half-ironman competition.

Originally posted here:
Canadian doctors use stem cells to treat 'stiff person syndrome'